Boo!!!

Ninth graders completed a vocabulary crossword puzzle today.  You also completed your monster essay and posted them outside.

Please note that you have homework due tomorrow - a sentence (a good one!) with each of your vocabulary words from the new sheet you received Monday.  If you do not have a sheet, the words on listed on this blog on Monday's entry.

Juniors wrote on the advisability of approaching life in a fearless state OR on the existence, if any, of absolute truths.
Third period watched and critiqued two clips of Malcolm X, one clip of Malcolm X the film and a clip of the film Zoot Suit.
Seventh period discussed and wrote on Malcolm X. 
All juniors must read and annotate through page 370 for Tuesday and 389 for Thursday.

Be safe out there!

Hump Day and Early D!

Ninth graders did the following:

Completed the warm-up, a copy of which appears in red below for your convenience:

Warm-up – Wednesday – Early Dismissal! – October 30, 2013

On a separate sheet of paper, please write the paragraphs below and fill in the blanks with the correct vocabulary words.  Because I am such a nice guy, you need only write the first and last sentences of the second paragraph.  You have ten minutes from the time that the bell rings to complete this assignment.

Anthropology – Exodus - Conclude – Posse - Artifacts

In the year 2056, a team of scholars who were experts in the field of ____________traveled to a place once known as Reliant Stadium to see what ________ they could uncover.  With these man-made objects, the scholars tried to guess (based on facts or evidence) or ______ what these Houstonians used to do for fun in the Dark Ages of 2013.

Because these scholars formed a group united by a common interest, one could call them a ________.  Once in Reliant Stadium, the scholars uncovered an object that was pointed at both ends and made of a leather substance.   “Hmmmmm …. Manuel, one of the scholars noted, “I think that this is what was once called an American football.  Now I know!  Once there was a football team called the Texans.  The 2013 season was not good for them.”  The scholars hung their heads in a moment of silence in mourning for the team and left the Stadium all together, all 56 of them, which was a sort of _________.   

 

We also began an expository essay project by drawing and naming a monster and writing on post-its five details about it. 

Remember that your homework is due FRIDAY!

 

Seniors, watched Kevin and Alexis's Beowulf presentation and received their graded essays back.

 

You also write a vocabulary paragraph for the warm-up, which is copied below for your convenience:

 

Warm-up for Senyas – October 30, 2013

Write a beautiful paragraph with the following words: 

Grueling, Impracticable, Imminent, Captivate, Pallid

Example:  Once upon a time, there was a pallid woman named White-Faced Sally.  Sally was an athlete who was determined to run the grueling Boston Marathon.  “That’s just impracticable!”  Sally’s mom, Mimi said.  How are you going to find the time to train?  How will you get to Boston?”  “Well, The Marathon is five months from now; I have plenty of time; the race is not exactly imminent,” Sally said.

Sally became totally immersed in her marathon training; indeed, she found her daily runs captivating.  Another benefit of so much outside time was that her face was no longer pallid.  Sally’s complexion now was beautifully bronzed.

 

We will start revising and re-writing those essays on Friday. 

You must bring three things to class on Friday:  your graded essay; Catcher in the Rye; and Metamorphosis.

 

Have a great day!

You must read and annotate Metamorphosis by Monday.

Modification for Seniors

Seniors,  I am extending the due date for Metamorphosis until Monday.  After reading your AP essays, I think that we should review them and revise them tomorrow and Friday.

 

SO, please read and annotate Metamorphosis for Monday, November 4th, 2013, NOT for tomorrow, Wednesday October 30, 2013.

 

Thanks!

Monday, Monday

Wildcats, please note the following:

Ninth graders received a new vocabulary list with the following words:  anthropology, artifact, exodus, boon, posse, subsist, refute, construct, conclude, compile, presumed, marauding, implicit, fractious, primary, specific. 

Your homework for Friday is to write a context-rich sentence with each word.  I should be able to conclude that you know each word after reading your sentences.

You also completed a Venn diagram on the film and print versions of "The Most Dangerous Game."


Seniors presented their portion of Beowulf and wrote a found poem using Beowulf as their source material.

Homework for seniors?  Please read and annotate Metamorphosis by Wednesday.

Have a great day!

Late breaking news item

Juniors,

I discovered today that I will not be in class on Tuesday.  Therefore, your reading assignment is not due until Thursday.  I  may actually give you time to read in class on Tuesday in my absence.  I may actually extend the assignment just a wee bit.  I'll let you know.

Cheers,

Ms. Seward

TGIF

Ninth graders watched The Most Dangerous Game today and wrote a flash film review.  Ninth period turned in their TGIF stories from last week.

Juniors took a vocabulary test today on Lists #1 and #2. 

If you turned in your vocabulary homework today, you received ten bonus points.  You may turn your vocabulary homework in for full credit on Tuesday, October 29th. 

Your reading assignment for Tuesday October 29th is to read and annotate through page 324 of Malcolm X.  We will have a quote quiz or graded discussion or both.  I will not pick up annotations on Tuesday; however, it is to your benefit to keep up with them so you don't get caught.

Seniors received a new book, Metamorphosis, today.  (You're welcome!) 

Seniors also submitted their vocabulary story today.   

Your Beowulf presentations will occur on Monday.  (I can't wait!) 

Your assignment is to read and annotate Metamorphosis by Wednesday. 

 

Have a good weekend!!!

Junyas!

AP 3 students did the following today:

 

You all wrote a vocabulary story with ten vocabulary words and two paragraphs.  You also submitted your Malcolm X annotations for a grade and wrote and submitted ten discussion questions for Malcolm X.   We will have a vocabulary test tomorrow on Lists #1 and 2 as well as the following:  "cogent," avaricious," "ourselves," "misogynist," misanthrope" and "etc."

 

Time permitting, we will also have a graded discussion (Socratic seminar) tomorrow.

 

Have a great day!

Read this, Senyas!

Today, Wednesday, Hump Day, we did the following in class:

Your wrote a page in your writer's notebook on the following question:  Is Holden mentally unhinged by the end of the book?  If so, what happened?  If not, what happened to him, and where did he go at the end of the book?

Next, you received a vocabulary sheet for Metamorphosis and an assignment for Friday.  The sheet is copied below for your perusal:

Word	Definition	POS
Gilt (3)
Grueling (3)
Impracticable (3)
Ravenous (5)
Meticulous (6)
Repress (8)
Captivated (8)
Omission (9)
Louts (9)
Obstinacy (11)
Premonition (13)
Unrelenting (14)
Imminent (17)
Repressed (17)
Pallid (20)
Taut(ening) 20)
Ardor (25)
Allusions (26)
Defiance (32)
Prostrate (35)

Homework due Friday, October 25^th – Write a story with each of the foregoing words used in context.  Please underline each vocabulary word.

Finally, we broke into groups and began preparing for Beowulf presentations, which are due Monday.  You will have thirty minutes in class on Friday to prepare and rehearse for your presentations.

Have a great day!

Tuesday with Juniors

Juniors, please note the following:

 

 

 

Today in class we wrote with vocabulary.  Then, because I am a nice guy, I let you read and annotate your book while I passed out a mountain of papers.  I also revised the schedule as follows:

 

 

Thursday:  Annotations through page 270 are due (and they had better be good);

Friday: A 15-vocabulary word story is due.  Your story must include 15 vocabulary words total.  You may choose from List #1 or List #2 (or some from both).

Friday: vocabulary test from List #1 and List #2 and the following words: misogynist, misanthrope, cogent.  You also need to know how to spell "etc." and "ourselves," "themselves," and "himself."

 

 

 

Have a great day!

Monday for Senyas

Second period - today you wrote an AP essay on Catcher in the Rye and submitted your annotations for a grade.  The last day on which to submit your annotations for a grade is Monday, October 28th.

Wednesday - Back to Beowulf!

TGIF

Happy Friday!

Today ninth graders wrote a TGIF story.

Juniors wrote a page about societal brainwashing and read Zoot Suit.  Juniors must read through page 270 of Malcolm X for Tuesday and have annotations through page 270 ready to turn in to me.

Seniors wrote a page about the state of our society.  Seniors will write an AP essay on Catcher in the Rye on Monday.  Annotations for the entire book are also due on Monday.

Have a great weekend!

The rest of the week

AP Seniors - Discussion on Catcher in the Rye on Friday; AP-styles essay on Monday; annotations due Monday.  On Monday, you took a quote quiz on the last pages of the book.

AP Juniors - Read to page 244 of Malcolm X for Thursday.  Today you wrote a journal entry about proselytizing, perused SAT questions, and third period read Zoot Suit.

Ninth graders - no homework this week.

Good luck on the PSAT!

TGIF - Happy Homecoming!

Juniors, today you very generously wrote in class, even though you would have rather been doing something else.  For Monday, October 14th, please read through page 230 of Malcolm X.  You will have a test on pages 194 through 230 on Monday.  If you were absent in class, you missed a writing grade.

Seniors, today you wrote a small piece on the meaning of the scene in Catcher in the Rye where Holden Caufield sees the young boy singing the "song" "Catcher in the Rye."  We also read the original Burns poem from which the "song" arose.  If you were absent today, you missed a participation grade and a grade for a written assignment.

 

For Monday, October 14th, please finish Catcher in the Rye, and bring your annotated book to class.  We will have a quote quiz on Monday and a test on the book later in the week.  I will take up your annotations sometime next week.

Have a great weekend!