Homework

 

All my classes,
  Welcome back!
  All students received their textbooks, Skillsbooks, and Vocab books today.  
Also, all students filled in index cards and student information sheets for 
me.  All students should have taken home their texbooks in order to cover 
them. 
  Homework:  Read carefully the Table of Contents in the front of the text.  
What/who is familiar?
  Tomorrow we will be going over classroom expectations.  Bring a pen to 
class.  Also, there is Liturgy tomorrow.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2008 - Liturgy today; shortened periods.
ALL CLASSES - I went over the classroom expectations with the students.  They 
received a letter regarding this to be signed by themselves and their 
parents.  The signed portion of the letter is due on Thursday, 9/11/08.
  Homework:  Review summer reading for a quiz tomorrow.  Bring a sharpened 
pencil.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2008
ALL CLASSES - Students took a reading comprehension quiz on their summer 
reading. 
  Homework:  Bring signed portion of my letter of classroom expectations.  
Also, bring a pen and looseleaf.  We will be discussing the critical lens 
essay.

 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
ALL CLASSES - I discussed with the students the importance of their writing 
and the words they choose to convey their ideas.  Each of us is striving to 
become an artist, a craftsperson with words---a writer!
  Tomorrow the students will be writing in class an essay on the following 
critical lens statement:  "For what does it mean to be a hero?  It requires 
you to be prepared to deal with forces larger than yourself" (Norman 
Mailer).  
  Students received a handout on what should be included in this essay, 
together with an explanation of my grading system.  Students need to bring 
looseleaf and a pen.  They may bring a hand-written outline and their Writers 
Inc Handbook.  Dictionaries are available in the classroom.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
ALL CLASSES - Students wrote an essay in class on the critical lens statement 
they received yesterday.
  Homework:  Complete the Diagnostic Test in the front of your vocab book, 
and bring the book to class.
   Bring the 3-ring binder you will need for this class.  It needs to have 
five dividers, looseleaf, and your name and subject on the front cover.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2008
  PERIOD B - did not have class because of the Junior Assembly.  They should 
bring their vocab books and Binders tomorrow.
ALL OTHER CLASSES (Periods A, C, E, and H) - Vocab Unit 1 was introduced; I 
checked Binders for completeness and distributed two handouts (Lit Terms and 
Notes on Lit) to be put in the Binders.
  Homework:  Complete vocab unit 1 exercises.  Bring Vocab and your 
Skillsbook tomorrow.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
PERIOD A - ENGLISH 10 - Students attended an assembly today.  For tomorrow 
they should bring their vocab books with Unit 1 completed together with their 
Skillsbooks.

PERIOD B - ENGLISH 11 - Vocab Unit 1 was introduced, and 3-ring binders were 
checked with dividers, loose-leaf, and names on the front.  Also students 
received two handouts to put in their binders.
  Homework:  Complete Vocab Unit 1 exercises, and bring your vocab books and 
Skillsbooks tomorrow.

PERIODS C, E, AND H - We went over the exercises for Unit 1 and pages in the 
Skillsbook (English 10 - pages 45-56; English 11 - page 47).
  Homework:  Bring your Skillsbook tomorrow together with your summer reading 
book (Period C - Plague Journal; Period E - The Secret Life of Bees; Period 
H - Lord of the Flies) and any notes you took or loose-leaf.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
PERIOD A - ENGLISH 10 - Vocab Unit 1 exercises were checked and gone over, as 
well as page 45-46 in the Skillsbook.
  Homework:  Study for Friday's vocab quiz on Unit 1.  Bring Skillsbook and 
your copy of The Secret Life of Bees together with any notes.

PERIOD B - ENGLISH 11 - Vocab Unit 1 exercises were checked and gone over, as 
well as page 51 in the Skillsbook.
  Homework:  Study for Friday's vocab quiz on Unit 1.  Bring Skillsbook and 
your copy of Plague Journal together with notes that you took.

PERIOD C - ENGLISH 11 - We finished page 51 in the Skillsbook.  Students 
received their quizzes on Plague Journal and Pride & Prejudice, which were 
gone over, then put on file.
  Homework:  Bring your copy of Plague Journal and notes tomorrow.  Study for 
Friday's vocab quiz on Unit 1.

PERIOD E - ENGLISH 10 - We finished page 45-46 in the Skillsbook.  Students 
received their quizzes on The Secret Life of Bees, which were gone over, then 
put on file.
  Homework:  Bring your copy of The Secret Life of Bees and notes tomorrow.  
Study for Friday's vocab quiz on Unit 1.

PERIOD H - ENGLISH 11 - We finished page 47 in the Skillsbook.  Students 
received their quizzes on Lord of the Flies, which were gone over, then put 
on file.
  Homework:  Bring your copy of Lord of the Flies and notes tomorrow.  Study 
for Friday's vocab quiz on Unit 1.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
PERIODS A AND B - We went over pages in the Skillsbook, and students received 
back their quizzes on the summer reading.
  homework:  Study for tomorrow's vocab quiz.  Bring a sharpened pencil and 
your summer reading selection that we have been working on.

PERIODS C, D, AND F - We discussed and wrote down topics regarding the summer 
reading selection for further exploration.
  Homework:  STudy for tomorrow's vocab quiz.  Bring a sharpened pencil and 
your summer reading selection.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
ALL PERIODS - All students took a vocab quiz today on Unit 1.
HOMEWORK:  Periods A, B, C, and E and choosing one of the 
ideas/characters/themes from the list on the board and using bullets (1) 
listing details from the story (similar to brainstorming) about that idea, 
etc and (2) telling why this idea, etc. is important.  Students will bring 
their list on Monday and share it with another student(s) before doing a 
writing assignment on it.
  PERIOD H - Students will finish reading Lord of the Flies.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
ALL CLASSES - received back the essays they wrote on the critical lens 
statement about heroes.  We discussed them, and I recollected them to place 
into writing folders in the near future.

PERIODS A, B, C, AND E -  Using the bullet-style notes the students took on 
the summer reading, students worked in groups to share their work and receive 
feedback from one another on developing their body paragraph.
  Homework:  Periods A, B, C, and E - Write a body paragraph (8-10 sentences)
on the topic you chose from the summer reading.  Staple this to the front of 
the home work be handed in tomorrow. Also bring the summer raeding book and 
your Binder.

PERIOD H - The students' homework was to finish Lord of the Flies.  We will 
be discussing it in class today and tomorrow, with the students taking 
notes.  There will be a test on Wednesday.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
Periods A, B, C, and E - Students handed in their paragraphs, and we 
continued discussing and taking notes on the summer reading selection.  
Homework:  Bring your Handbook and Skillsbook tomorrow.

Period H - We continued discussing and taking notes on "Lord of the Flies."
Homework:  Bring your copy of the book and looseleaf to write an essay in 
class tomorrow.  This will count as a test.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
PERIODS A, B, C, AND E - We began working on pronoun--antecendent agreement 
from Writers Inc.  Also, students created writing folders and placed their 
essays in them, and received back their vocab quizzes from Unit 1.
Homework:  Study four pages from Writers Inc Handbook (page 535+).  
  Period A - Bring your copy of Cold Sassy Tree, Binder, and Skillsbook 
tomorrow.
  Periods B and C - Bring your copy of Pride & Prejudice, Binder, and 
Skillsbook tomorrow.
  Period E - Bring your Binder and Skillsbook tomorrow.

PERIOD H - is writing an essay (for a test grade) in class on Lord of the 
Flies.
  Homework:  Bring your Writers Inc Handbook and Skillsbook tomorrow.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
PERIOD A - English 10 - Students wrote down lists of indefinite pronouns into 
the Writing section of their binders to use in their writing.  Also, we did 
page 150 in the Skillsbook on pronoun-antecedent agreement.  We 
discussed "Cold Sassy Tree" and what students saw as its strengths and 
weaknesses.  
Homework:  bring Binder and vocab tomorrow.

PERIODS B AND C - English 11 - Students wrote down lists of indefinite 
pronouns into the Writing section of their binders to use in their writing.  
Also we completed page 151 in their Skilsbook on pronoun-antecedent 
agreement.  We discussed Pride and Prejudice and what students saw as its 
strengths and weaknesses.
Homework:  Bring Binder and vocab tomorrow.

PERIOD E - ENGLISH 10 - Students wrote down lists of indefinite pronouns into 
the Writing section of the binders to use in their writing, and we completed 
page 150 in their Skillsbook on Pronoun-Antecedent agreement.  We looked at 
the first pages of their literature textbook, and the first page of the 
handout "Notes on Literature.
Homework:  Bring Binder and vocab tomorrow.

PERIOD H - ENGLISH 11 - Students completed the essay they began in class 
yesterday on Lord of the Flies, and worked on page 151 in their Skillsbook.
  Homework:  Bring binder and vocab tomorrow.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 - PEP RALLY TODAY (shortened periods)
ALL CLASSES - We began Unit 2 Vocab - students copied the words from the 
board into their Binders.  We went over the definitions and how the words are 
used.
  Homework:  Complete Vocab Unit 2 exercises.  Bring Vocab book and 
Skillsbook to school on Monday.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2008
PERIODS A, B, C, AND E - I checked the vocab Unit 2 exercises, students 
completed pages 
151-152(sophomores) and 152-153(juniors) in the Skillsbook, we went over the 
exercises, and then went over the pages in the Skillsbook on pronoun-
antecedent agreement.
Homework:  Begin studying for Friday's vocab quiz.  In your Binders, list the 
vocab words by parts of speech (adjective, noun, adverb, verb) as we did for 
Unit 1.  Bring your Skillsbook only tomorrow (students will be called from 
English class to have their pictures taken).
PERIOD H - Students created a writing portfolio, received back vocab quizzes, 
and we went over pages 152-153 in Skillsbook.
  Homework:  Bring Vocab tomorrow with Unit 2 completed.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 - PICTURE DAY
School pictures were taken during the English classes today, which resulted 
in about 20 minutes of class time.
Periods A, B, C, and E - Students brought Skillsbooks and we worked on pages 
61 and 62.
  Homework:  Study for Friday's vocab quiz.  Bring Binder tomorrow PLUS
Period A - Cold Sassy Tree; Periods B and C - Pride and Prejudice: Period E - 
just the Binder because we will use the textbooks under the seats.
Period H - We went over the Vocab Exercises for Unit 2.
  Homework:  Complete Skillsbook pages 61 and 62.  Bring Skillsbook and Vocab 
tomorrow.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1
PERIODS A, B, AND C - We listed different ideas from the second summer 
reading selection and discussed how those ideas could be used to develop and 
essay of literary analysis by developing our ideas into an argument that we 
could prove.
  Homework:  Choose an idea/topic from the second summer reading selection 
and create a graphic organizer/Venn Diagram/Outline/Chart or any visual of 
your choice.  To be handed in tomorrow.  Bring your Binder.

PERIOD E - We read the background information on Native American Literature 
and began reading the story "When Grizzlies Walked Upright" in class.  
Homework:  finish the story and answer the questions that follow on page 27 - 
Thematic Focus, Check Your Comprehension #1, and Critical Thinking #1-2.  
Answer in complete sentences.  Bring your Binder tomorrow.

PERIOD H - Using our Binder, we read and discussed the Origin of English from 
the handout "Notes on Literature" and looked at the language development map 
in the text and the pages preceding "The Seafarer."
  Homework:  Bring your binder.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2
PERIOD A - Homework was handed in, and I introduced and we began reading the 
textbook, with an emphasis on Native American Literature. 
  Homework:  Study for vocab quiz on Unit 2, bring a sharpened pencil and 
your Binder.

PERIODS B AND C - Homework was handed in, and I lectured about the origins of 
the English language.  We began Unit 1 in the text.
  Homework:  Study for tomorrow's vocab quiz; bring a sharpened pencil and 
your Binder.

PERIOD E - Homework was handed in; we went over the end of "When Grizzlies 
Walked Upright," emphasizing the origin of the Native Americans.  I spoke 
briefly about "The Iroquois Constitution," and how it came to be written, and 
then we read the excerpt in the text, with a brief comment on how it compares 
to today's outlook on life.
  Homework:  Study for tomorrow's vocab quiz; bring a sharpened pencil and 
your Binder.

PERIOD H - Students took notes from the board on Anglo-Saxon Literature, and 
we began reading "The Seafarer"
  Homework:  Study for tomorrow's vocab quiz;  bring a sharpened pencil and 
your Binder.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3
ALL CLASSES TOOK VOCAB QUIZZES ON UNIT 2.  Homework is as follows:
Period A - Read "When Grizzlies Walked Upright" from the text and answer the 
questions:  Thematic Focus, Check your comprehension #1, and Critical 
thinking #1-2.  These should be answered in complete sentences.  Bring HW and 
Binder on Monday.

Periods B and C - Read p. 12 in the text and then read "The Seafarer" (p. 15-
19) and answer the following questions in complete sentences:  Thematic Focus 
and Check your comprehension #1-4.  Bring HW and binder on Monday.

Period E - We read The Iroquois Constituion in class yesterday.  Should 
should answer all questions in complete sentences. on page 29.  Bring HW and 
Binder on Monday.

Period H - Finish "The Seafarer," and answer the following questions with 
complete sentences on page 19:  Thematic Focus and Check Your Comprehension 
#1-4.  Bring HW and Binder on Monday.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 6
Period A - I checked their HW on "Grizzlies," distributed writing folders, 
returned their paragraphs on SLB which were placed in the folders and 
refiled.  I returned their CST essay prep notes and discussed.
  Homework:  Write a thesis statement/argument for an essay CST, and staple 
to your essay prep notes.  Bring HW and Binder tomorrow.

Periods B and C - I checked HW on "The Seafarer," distributed writing 
folders, and returned paragraphs on the Plague Journal which were placed in 
the folders and refiled.  I returned their P & P essay prep notes, which we 
discussed.  
Homework:  Write a thesis statement/argument for an essay on P & P and staple 
to the front of your notes.  Bring HW and Binder tomorrow.

PERIOD E - Check HW on "Iroquois Constitution," return HW on "Grizzlies," 
discuss, and go over HW on "Iroquois Constitution."
Homework:  Read pages before selection by John Smith on the History of 
Virginia, and 1st page of this account.  Bring Binder.

Period H - Ck HW on "Seafarer," return Lord of the Flies quiz and discuss, 
return Lord of the Flies essay and discuss and place in writing folders.
  Homework:  BRing Binder.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7
Period A - Collect HW (thesis statement on CST stapled to front of notes), go 
over HW on "Grizzlies," and being "Iroquois Constitution."
Homework:  In complete sentences, answer qustions on page 29 for "Iroquois 
Constitution":  Reader's Response, Thematic Focus, Ck your Comp #1& 2, and 
Critical Thinking #1 & 2.  Bring HW and Handbook and Skillsbook tomorrow.

Periods B and C - Collect HW (thesis statement on P & P stapled to front of 
notes).  Students took notes from the board on Anglo-Saxon poetry, and looked 
at how specific aspects of Anglo Saxon poetry apply to the literature.
  Homework:  Bring Handbook and Skillsbook.

Period E - We finished discussing the homework on the "Iroquois 
Constitution", anmd began Smith's Virginia.
 Homework:  Finish reading Smith's Virginia and answer the following:  
Reader's Response, Thematic Focus, and Ck your Comp #1-4.  Bring HW, Handbook 
and Skillsbook tomorrow.

Period H - Finish notes on Anglo-Saxon poetry, and discuss how they apply 
to "The Seafarer."  We looked briefly at Beowulf yesterday; we will continue.
  Homework:  Bring Handbook and Skillsbook tomorrow.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8
Today we worked in the Handbook and Skillsbook in all classes,focusing on 
comma usage in Periods A, B, C, and E, and choosing the correct word in 
Period H.
  Homework:  Periods A, B, and C need to bring their binders with looseleaf.
    Periods E and H need to bring their Binders also.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9
PERIODS A, B, AND C - Students received two handouts on commonly misspelled 
words, guidelines for writing essays, and their thesis statement on the 
summer reading.  We discussed all this in preparation for writing an essay in 
class tomorrow., and students began their outlines, which they will finish 
for HW.
Homework  Bring outline, thesis statement, etc., your Handbook, and a copy of 
Cold Sassy Tree (sophomores) or Pride and Prejudice (juniors).

PERIOD E - I returned HW on Smith's Virginia, and students took notes from 
the board on Smith and the story.
  Homework:  No HW.  Bring Binder tomorrow.  

PERIOD H - We continued with the Skillsbook from yesterday, going over pages 
61 and 62.  Students took notes on Beowulf, and we began reading in class.
  Homework:  Finish reading pages 40 through top half of 43.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10
PERIODS A, B, AND C - Students began writing essay on second summer reading 
selection in class, and handed it in.  They will have one-half period to 
finish it on Tuesday.
  Homework:  Complete the vocab exercises for Unit 3 and bring on Tuesday.

PERIOD E - Students read the excerpt from Bradford's Plymouth Plantation (p. 
71) and answered the following questions from page 75:  Reader's Response, 
Thematic Focus, and Check your Comprehension #1-3, which were handed in.
  Homework:  Complete vocab exercises for Unit 3 and bring on Tuesday. 

PERIOD H - Students answered in complete sentences the questions from the 
handout, and handed these in.  Read pages 43 through 47.
  Homework:  Complete vocab exercises for Unit 3 and bring on Tuesday.