Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Tuesday afternoon

Ninth graders - see you Thursday morning - please study your words!

Juniors, please bring to the final the following:

Your review sheet;
"BMPS"
"DD"

You may want to re-read "BMPS" and "DD"; you will want to learn all of the terms on your review sheet, which is copied below for your reference:

Review Sheet for Final Exam

Vocabulary

Altruistic
Anecdote
Aspirations
Condemnatory
Condescension
Contempt
Contentious
Cynicism
Deplorable
Derision
Despicable
Destitute
Didactic
Disdain
Eminence
Exploitative
Gourmand
Heed
Inevitability
Inherent
Internationalist
Keen
Litigate
Martyr
Melancholy
Menial
Microcosm
Outmoded
Polemical
Pragmatic
Querulous
Rapacious
Ravaged
Refutes
Relentless
Remorse
Repugnant
Reticent
Riveting
Salient
Scourge
Seminal
Shibboleths
Tepid
Tout
Usurpers
Veld
Velocity
Vengeful
Vulnerable
Wry

Rhetorical Terms

Ad hominem
Allegory
Alliteration
Allusion
Analogy
Anaphora
Counterargument
Deductive logic
Ethos
Euphemism
Hyperbole
Inductive logic
Irony (situational, dramatic, verbal)
Juxtaposition
Logos
Paradox
Parallel Syntax
Pathos
Pun
Qualification
Rhetorical Question
Satire
Syllogism
Understatement

Historical or Cultural events, figures, or terms

Afrikaners
Aung San Suu Kyi
Bantu Education Act
Mr. F. W. de Klerk
Proles


Have fun studying!

Friday, December 9, 2011

TGIF

Ninth graders painted today - superb!  Please continue to review your vocabulary packet.

Juniors read and discussed the three Virginias today.  Monday, please bring to class everything that we have read, plus your review sheet IF you have defined all of the terms and have a few good questions about anything on it.

Have a great weekend.

P.S.  A Hokie is a fictitious bird that resembles a turkey and the mascot of Virginia Tech.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

The penultimate school day of this week

Ninth graders asked about final exam week, took a practice quiz, and began writing to review vocabulary and sentence structure.  Please continue to review your review packets.

Juniors discussed Giovanni's "Campus Racism 101" and actually took a quote quiz on this piece.  We also continued discussing "Black Men and Public Space."  Tomorrow, please bring Virginia read and annotated to school. 

First period - PLEASE remind me to distribute the review sheets to you tomorrow!

Last day to recite poetry is ... tomorrow!  Congratulations to Bryn, Telavive, Bhanu, and Laure.

All for now!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Last "real" hump day this school year - 12/7/2011

Ninth graders played BINGO today.  Tomorrow we will review for the final.  Friday we paint.  Please begin reviewing your vocabulary packet.

Juniors turned in annotations for Mandela's "release" speech today and discussed "BMPS."  Tomorrow, please have read and annotated Nikki Giovanni's "Campus Racism 101."  Friday, please have read and annotated the two "Virginia" articles.  I also have your review sheet (I distributed to all but first period).  You may use the review sheet on the final exam.

Almost done!  Embrace this week with curiosity and imagination; a loooong break awaits you!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Tuesday! Mardi!

Ninth graders received their review final exam packet today.  They also finished writing their final exam essays.  Tomorrow we may just review a little and read some poetry.

Juniors finished writing their final exam essays.  You also submitted your annotations on "Black Men and Public Space," which we discussed briefly and will continue to discuss tomorrow. Also, tomorrow Mandela's speech is due; Thursday, we will discuss (and you will have read and annotated) Giovanni's "Racism 101."  

I have Malcolm X books on sale for $8. 

Have a great day!

Monday, December 5, 2011

Monday of Live! week

Ninth graders turned in homework today and started writing their final exam essay.  Tomorrow we
 will finish the essay and begin reviewing for the final exam.



Juniors started writing their final exam essays (rhetorical analyses) today.  We will finish tomorrow in 23 minutes.  Tomorrow also please bring "Black Men and Public Space," all annotated and read.  For Wednesday please read and annotated the Mandela speech you received in class today. 

Our next book is the Autobiography of Malcolm X.  I have it on sale for the meager sum of $8.00.

Have a great first day of Live! week!

Friday, December 2, 2011

TGIF

Ninth graders have homework for Monday.  Please write a story or sentences with the following words: abominable, assuage, avail, bereft, brazen, dwindle, fawn, frantic, implacable, seethe.

Today we watched the Simpsons' version of the Odyssey and began to pre-write for our final exam essay, which you will write on Monday.

Juniors submitted and published their essays on vegetarianism versus omnivorism and discussed Kaffir Boy.  You also submitted your annotations for Kaffir Boy

To submit your essay to turnitin.com, please refer to the blog entry dated August 29th for the password information and such.

Monday you will write your final exam essay - a rhetorical analysis!
Tuesday, please have read and annotated "Black Men and Public Space."

All for now!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Thursday

Ninth graders read and wrote about the beliefs of heroes. AWESOME job today!  You all were so good that you do not have homework tonight. Enjoy your free night, for homework will return tomorrow.  (Did you just see that compound sentence with a comma and one of the fanboys?)

Juniors finished their rhetorical analyses ... au revoir, Florence Kelley:(.  You also submitted five written questions on Kaffir Boy, and we began to discuss same.

Tomorrow, bring a hard copy of your essay to class and also submit this essay to turnitin.com before 11:59 tomorrow night.  We will also discuss Kaffir Boy, you will all submit your annotations.

Have a great day!

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Wednesday!

Ninth graders finished the Odyssey today.  Tonight's homework is to write a story or sentences with the following words:  aloof, defy, fraud, hone, incredulous, jest, marvel, meddle, revulsion, and underhanded.  Tomorrow we paint.

Juniors wrote a rhetorical analysis today.  You will have 20 minutes also tomorrow to finish your analysis.  Please bring five typed super-thought-provoking questions for Kaffir Boy tomorrow.  Your essay is due on Friday.

Have a happy Hump Day!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Tuesday

Ninth graders turned in homework and continued to read the Odyssey.  Homework for tonight is to write a story with the odd numbered words on the Odyssey #5 sheet.

Juniors discussed the Florence Kelly piece.  Tomorrow we write!
Thursday - finish Kaffir Boy and bring 5 typed questions to class;
Friday - turn in  your book and a hard copy of your essay; turn your essay into turnitin.com.

Have a beautiful day!

Monday, November 28, 2011

First Day Back!

Happy Return to School!

Ninth graders received a homework assignment and read more of the Odyssey today.  Homework due tomorrow is to write a compound sentence with each of the following words: pliant, rejoice, revelry, scorn, shroud, taut, tremulous, uproar, vaunt, yield.

Juniors received a stunningly good extra credit opportunity today and began to parse a passage for rhetorical analysis.  We will spend the next three days on rhetorical analysis.  Please also note the following due dates:

Kaffir Boy 1) bring five written (preferably typed) super thought provoking questions about Kaffir Boy to class on Thursday, December 1st, and
2) turn in your annotations on Part Three on Friday, December 2nd; and
Essay - On Friday, December 2nd, bring a hard copy of your omnivore/vegetarian essay to class; turn in your essay to turnitin.com on Friday, December 2nd as well.

Have a great day!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Addendum for Juniors

Your omnivore/herbivore essays are due Friday, December 2nd; there is no Friday, December 3rd this year.

Thanks

Thank you notes, just like Jimmy Fallon

I am profoundly thankful to have such marvelous students.  You are a delight to see every day, and you make me want to be a better teacher and person.

Ninth graders will finish the Odyssey and their tests today.  Over the holiday eat lots, rest up, and decide what scene from the Odyssey you will paint on Monday, November 28th.

Juniors, please rest and sleep.  We restored and elevated our souls by reading a little ditty by Shelley today.  Please keep it, especially if you like extra credit.
Finish Kaffir Boy (read and annotated) by Tuesday, November 29th.
Your omnivore/herbivore essay is due Friday, December 3rd.  Note that this is one day later than I originally stated.  Think about and work on those essays - fill them with your amazing voices. (Only one voice per essay, please. :))
Monday, November, 28th, rise like lions, and come joyfully to class, ready to expand those big, beautiful minds.

Cheers!

Monday, November 21, 2011

Monday! Fun Day!

Ninth graders handed in homework and took a test today!  A real test!  Tomorrow, we will finish said test and the Odyssey.

Juniors took a quote test today.  Tomorrow, we will discuss and debate Kaffir Boy or do something totally different.  Be ready.  Please start revising and finishing your carnivore/omnivore/herbivore essays NOW!

Have a wonderful day!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Thursday (my Friday)

Ninth graders discussed the salient aspects of the Odyssey today and completed a puzzle over Odyssey List #5.  I will leave you assignments and homework for Monday with the substitute tomorrow.  You will have a vocabulary test on Monday on all of the words on your review sheet that you will receive tomorrow.

Juniors wrote flash rhetorical analyses on "Dumpster Diving."  Tomorrow you will all write a rhetorical analysis on a new prompt.  You will have a quote test on the first 304 pages of Kaffir Boy on Monday.  Please make sure that your annotations are current.

Be good tomorrow!  Please treat your substitute as you would treat your beloved grandma.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Beautiful Hump Day!

Ninth graders received and discussed their most recent tests, read some of the Odyssey, (those naughty Sirens!) and received a mere puzzle for homework.

Juniors discussed "Dumpster Diving" and wrote a piece of flash fiction in which trash was a motif, theme, or character.  Tomorrow we will discuss rhetorical analysis.  Kaffir Boy through page 304 is due November 21st; your final version of your omnivore/carnivore essay is due December 1st.

BTW - Today apparently we voted on which candidate for Mr. Bellaire has the "best pockets," "best pockets" being, from what I can infer, a euphemism for "posterior," "butt," "derriere," or whatever word one typically uses to describe one's gluteus maximus.  I am curious about your thoughts on this matter.  Is this contest harmless fun designed to promote school spirit?  Exploitation for charity?  A tempest in a teapot?  Does it make a difference that this is a contest to judge male physical attributes, not female physical attributes?  Just curious.

How wonderful that life is never boring.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

It's Tuesday, and it's raining!!

Ninth graders received a new vocabulary list today!  In fact, it is copied below.  Homework for tomorrow is to write a story with the first ten words - underline or highlight each vocabulary word.  Also include in your story one compound sentence with a semicolon and one compound sentence with a comma and one of the fanboys.  Underline or circle these two sentences.  You all also wrote a story in class about a hubristic protagonist - can't wait to read them.

The Odyssey List 5

1. abyss NOUN 1. An immeasurably deep chasm, depth, or void 2. a. The primeval chaos out of which it was believed that the earth and sky were formed. b. The abode of evil spirits; hell Jack was frightened as he stood at the edge of the canyon and stared into the abyss.  For some people, facing the thought of one’s own immortality feels like plunging into an abyss.

2. adorn VERB To lend beauty to: 2. To enhance or decorate with or as if with ornaments  The house looked rather plain when we first moved in, but since that time we have adorned it with several stylish decorations that lend it a unique charm.

3. brim NOUN 1. The rim or uppermost edge of a hollow container or natural basin 2. A projecting rim or edge 3. A border or an edge 4. Full capacity  VERB 1. To be full to the brim, often to overflowing 2. To be abundantly filled or supplied  Mother was careful not to overfill the soup bowls, so carefully filled each one just to the brim.  Our pantry is brimming with yummy victuals.

4. deflect VERB To turn aside or cause to turn aside; bend or deviate The old lady surprised the young thief when she deflected his assault by smacking him upside the head with her purse, which just happened to be filled with heavy rolls of quarters that she planned to use to play the slot machines at the casino.

5. downcast ADJ 1. Directed downward 2. Low in spirits; depressed  Leo was in a downcast mood after realizing that he had forgotten to study for his English test.

6. expel VERB 1. To force or drive out: 2. To discharge from or as if from a receptacle: 3. To force to leave; deprive of membership The coach will expel you from the team if you don’t stop the shenanigans and get serious about winning the games.

7. glower VERB To look or stare angrily or sullenly NOUN An angry or sullen look or stare The disgruntled student glowered at the teacher after she handed back his essay with “F-“ written at the top.

8. jostle VERB 1. To come into rough contact with while moving 2. To force by pushing or elbowing 3. To vie with for an advantage or position 4. To be in close proximity with NOUN 1. A rough shove or push  2. The condition of being crowded together Shoppers had to jostle their way through huge crowds to get to the items that had been marked down for the one-day sale.

9. lurch VERB 1. To stagger 2. To roll or dip suddenly or erratically NOUN 1. A staggering or tottering movement or gait 2. An abrupt rolling movement Martha and Don were terrified when the ferris wheel lurched without warning and then came to an abrupt stop.

10. mount VERB 1. To climb or ascend 2. To place oneself upon; get up on 3. To provide with scenery, costumes, and other equipment necessary for production: 4. To organize and equip:  5. To prepare and set in motion NOUN 1. The act or manner of mounting 2. A means of conveyance, such as a horse, on which to ride An object to which another is affixed or on which another is placed for accessibility, display, or use Jacquelyn found it difficult to mount the horse while wearing a miniskirt and stiletto heels.  Once you have mounted the trolley, be sure to hold on tight.  The theater club mounted a revival of A Raisin in the Sun.  You must affix the television to the wall mount before attaching the cables.

11. pliant ADJ 1. Easily bent or flexed; pliable 2. Easily altered or modified to fit conditions; adaptable 3. Yielding readily to influence or domination; compliant The voters this year seem unusually pliant, for they largely agree with whichever candidate happens to be ahead in polls from week to week.

12. rejoice VERB To feel joyful; be delighted The students rejoiced when the teacher announced that everyone had passed the final exam.

13. revelry NOUN noisy or unrestrained merrymaking Several neighbors called the police to complain that the revelry of the outdoor party and grown too loud and boisterous. We headed to New Orleans to enjoy the revelry of Mardis Gras.

14. scorn VERB 1. To consider or treat as contemptible or unworthy 2. To reject or refuse with derision; To express contempt; scoff NOUN 1. a. Contempt or disdain felt toward a person or object considered despicable or unworthy b. The expression of such an attitude in behavior or speech; derision  Most parents scorn any behavior that might corrupt their children.  Lou had to endure his mother’s scorn when she saw that he had failed his English test.

15. shroud NOUN 1. A cloth used to wrap a body for burial; a winding sheet 2. Something that conceals, protects, or screens VERB 1. To wrap (a corpse) in burial clothing 2. To shut off from sight; screen Penelope spent years weaving a funeral shroud for Odysseus’ father, for that was her way of avoiding the suitors’ advances.  Because there were no clues to lead the police to the killer, the case remained shrouded in mystery for years.

16. taut ADJ 1. Pulled or drawn tight; not slack 2. Strained; tense  You will know when a fish takes your bait, for the line will suddenly become taut.

17. tremulous ADJ 1. Marked by trembling, quivering, or shaking 2. Timid or fearful  Prior to taking the new STAAR tests, the students were tremulous, for they feared that they might not be fully prepared for the demanding new tests that they must pass in order to graduate from high school.

18. uproar NOUN 1. A condition of noisy excitement and confusion; tumult 2. A heated controversy  The firing of the popular coach caused an uproar within the community.

19. vaunt VERB To speak boastfully of; brag about NOUN 1. A boastful remark.
2. Speech of extravagant self-praise about  Audiences were surprised by the singer’s acceptance speech at the Grammy Awards, for it was more vaunt than humble thanks.  Sally has been known to vaunt her extracurricular accomplishments, and her fellow students often complain of her bragging.
vaunted ADJ highly or widely praised or boasted The team was disgraced when their vaunted defensive line failed to block one play after another.

20. yield VERB a. To give over possession of, as in deference or defeat; surrender.
b. To give up (an advantage, for example) to another; concede NOUN 1. a. An amount yielded or produced; a product b. A profit obtained from an investment; a return 2. The energy released by an explosion When you come to a stop sign at a major intersection, you must yield to the vehicles that have the right-of-way.  Hank and Marilyn were able to retire early thanks to the enormous yield of their wisely chosen investments.

Juniors finished their synthesis essay and submitted annotated copies of "Dumpster Diving."  Tomorrow we will analyze "Dumpster Diving."

Also, Part Three of Kaffir Boy (through page 304) is due November 21st.  Your final of your carnivore/omnivore essay is due December 1st.

Have a great day!

Monday, November 14, 2011

Monday - been good to me

Ninth graders turned in homework and took a test today.  Tomorrow we will receive new vocabulary words and read more of the Odyssey.

Juniors began to write a synthesis essay today.  We will finish the first 30 minutes of class tomorrow. Please bring "Dumpster Diving" to class read and annotated.

You will receive your Kaffir Boy books back tomorrow.  You are required to read through page 304 for Monday, November 21st, on which day you will have a quote test, and I will likely grade your annotations.

All for now - have a good evening.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Addendum for Juniors

The article "Dumpster Diving" is due Tuesday - read and annotated.

Thanks!

Wonderful Weekend

Students, please note the following: 

Ninth graders will have a test tomorrow on the words on the review sheet below.  Remember that you must write sentences with 20 of these words or a story with 15 of them.

Review sheet and homework for test on Monday, November 14, 2011

For your homework for Monday, please write a story with 15 of the words from following table OR write sentences with 20 of these words. 

Word
Definition or sentence
Ardor


Atone


Adversary


Appall


Avenge


Adversity


Beguile


Blunder


Din


Dire


Heft


Grapple


Desolate


Exile


Forlorn


Guile


Immortal


Indifferent


Insolent


Lag


Scourge


Skirt (v)


Sage


Pine (v)


Solitude


Tactic


Vile


Wrath


Versatile


Rogue


Contemptible


Foe


Justification


Lavish


Murmur


Rash (adj.)


Reek


Rubbish


Thunderstruck


Wily





Juniors will write a synthesis essay.  To that end, please bring the following sources to class:  Gulliver's Travels; "The Ways We Lie"; "The Morals of the Prince"; "Cain Not Able."

Have a great weekend!