The Penultimate day of the school week

Today ninth graders did the following:

 

Took an open note reading quiz;

Wrote a journal entry on how trusting one should be;

Read a little of "The Scarlet Ibis"; and

Completed a vocabulary crossword puzzle.

 

Please remember that your homework is due tomorrow!

 

Juniors wrote in response to a quote from Macbeth, published their satires, and read and discussed the satire "Let Them Eat Dog."  If you missed class, here is a link to the article:

 

 

 

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748703574604574499880131341174

 

 

Tomorrow you will ponder writing a rhetorical analysis.  Tuesday you will have a quote quiz on through page 169 of Angela's Ashes AND you will write a rhetorical analysis, which is Question 2 on the AP Exam. 

 

 

 

 

 

If you have not yet made up the AP-style M/C test from last week, you must do so by Monday, February 3, 2014.

 

 

 

 

Have a Beautiful Day!

Welcome Back! Early D!

Today we did the following:

 

Ninth period wrote about siblings, confirm the vocabulary words, and read and wrote notes on the "Scarlet Ibis."

 

Seniors wrote a journal entry and one group performed two scenes from Macbeth. You WILL have a quote quiz on 1,000 Splendid Suns through page 166 on Friday.  Please read through page 210 for Monday.

Have a great day!

Monday!

Ninth graders described what they did on their snow day, received new vocabulary and a homework assignment.  Eighth period began to read and take notes on "The Scarlet Ibis" and took a brief read quiz.  Homework assignment for Friday:  Sentences or a story or illustrations.

 

Senyas wrote on the pain of waiting and acted two and a half scenes of Macbeth.

 

Wednesday:  Zykea, Kevin, Yaya, Debbie, Alex, Brenda, Jordaniee, Tieran, Jessica, Meashell, and Karmoh will present their sonnets.

 

Kevin will provide us with a visual and an explanation to explain the difference between stalactites and stalagmites; Marquisha will teach us the full meaning of jihad.  Group two will present their version of the first two and a half scenes of Macbeth.  We will take a quote quiz on pages 91-166 of 1,000 Splendid Suns.

 

Please read and annotate through page 210 of 1,000 Splendid Suns for Friday.

 

Great job, thespians!!!!!

Let it snow!!!

Ninth graders wrote a warm-up and worked on their SAR test.  Homework is due tomorrow (sentences or a story).  First period got doughnuts because their conduct was impeccable yesterday.

Juniors wrote a warm-up based on an iconic line from Hamlet, discussed potential ideas for your satire and began to address the rhetorical aspects of Dr. King "Why we can't wait."

Please have read and annotated through page 150 of Angela's Ashes for tomorrow.

Have a great day - do you think that we will have school tomorrow???????

Wednesday

Ninth graders wrote a warm-up with trigger words (except for eighth period) and took an SAR test today.  You will have 15 minutes to work on this test tomorrow.

 

Remember that homework is due Friday.

 

Seniors wrote in response to a quote from Hamlet, presented their original sonnets, began to read Macbeth, and read a bit from 1,000 Splendid Suns.  Please read and annotate through page 166 for Friday.

 

Have a great day - read and grow smarter!

Happy Birthday, Ms. Dike!

Ninth graders wrote a page on the following prompt:  why is it sometimes true that we hurt the ones we love?  You have homework due Friday, which is a sentence or a story with each of the following vocabulary words:  imminent, infallible, doggedness, reiterate, precariously, exotic, evanesced, heresy.

We also started reading a story "The Scarlet Ibis," and we answered two SARs on that story. 

 

We have a test on SARs tomorrow.

 

Juniors wrote a page on why patience may sometimes be a bad thing.  You also took an AP-style, multiple choice test on "A Modest Proposal" and passages from Angela's Ashes.  If you did not take this test, you must make it up by the end of the day on Thursday.

 

For Thursday, read pages 176 and 177 of "Letter from Birmingham Jail" aloud to yourself FIVE times.  After the readings, then annotate those pages for the following:  alliteration, metaphors, repetition, parallel structure, and imagery.  Once you identify these devices link them to a thematic element or meaning.

 

Read and annotate through page 150 for Friday.

 

Satires are due January 30th.

Have a beautiful day!

FRIDAY!

Ninth graders turned in homework, and wrote on the following quote from Dr. King: "A man who won't die for something is not fit to live."  Ninth graders also wrote with vocabulary.

We will have a test on SARs on Wednesday.

Juniors wrote on the same quote and discussed and wrote on Angela's Ashes.  Juniors, you have a lot of due dates approaching.  Please peruse the list in the previous entry.  Bring "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" to class on Tuesday.

Seniors wrote on the same quote and discussed and wrote on 1,000 Splendid Suns.   Sonnets are due on Wednesday, and you must read and annotate through 166 by next Friday.

Have a great weekend! 

The penultimate day of the week

Ninth graders wrote a page, two paragraphs on their pet peeve and practiced composing SARs.  Remember that your homework is due Friday.  If you need the words and definitions, they are as follows:

 

Emissary - messenger

Gestation - the amount of time a fetus/baby spends in its mother's womb

Unscathed - unharmed

Sump - a pit or deep hole

Mockery - ridicule

Anticipation/anticipatory - looking forward to something

Legion - many, numerous

Foe - enemy

Chronicle - to make a written record

Malady - illness or disease

Retaliatory - an action designed to obtain revenge

Sinewy - lean and strong

Oasis - an area of relief or beauty; a green, grassy patch in a desert

Malice - evil

Solidarity - unity

Ironclad - unbreakable

Reverberation - impact that leads to an echo

Antithesis - opposite

Obscure - hidden or secret or hard to understand

Perspiration - sweat

Tributaries - small rivers

Monogamous - faithful to one person

Excruciating - extremely painful

Erupt - to burst out

Juniors wrote on a quote from Dr. King.  We also discussed Angela's Ashes and took a quote quiz through page 46.  We also reviewed some points of "A Modest Proposal."

 

Tomorrow you will have a quote quiz through page 90.

 

Tuesday, January 21st you will have a multiple choice, AP-style test on Angela's Ashes and "A Modest Proposal."

 

Thursday, January 23rd, please have read and annotated "A Letter from a Birmingham Jail."

 

Friday, January 24th, please read and annotate through page 150 of Angela's Ashes.

 

Your satire is due on January 30th!

 

All for now - have a great day!

Hump Day!

Today in class we did the following:

Ninth graders finished the story "Angus Bethune," completed a vocabulary crossword puzzle.  Some classes also started drafting SARs responses for STAAR.

 

Remember that you have vocabulary homework due Friday.  You will also have a test on SARs and STAAR revision.

Seniors wrote a page responding to the following quote:  "Love is not love when it alteration finds."  You also finished your partner paraphrase, discussed the first 46 pages of 1,000 Splendid Suns and took a quote quiz on those pages. 

 

You will have a quote quiz through page 94 on Friday.  Your original sonnet is due Wednesday, January 22, 2014.

Have a fabulous day!

Tuesday!

Today in class we did the following:

Ninth graders wrote a warm-up about their chosen career, read "Angus Bethune," completed a vocabulary puzzle, and wrote the answers to some SARs.  Remember that you have homework due Friday:  sentences, a story, or an illustrated story with words from your new vocabulary sheet (the red one).

Juniors wrote a warm-up on T. Roosevelt's speech "Daring Greatly."   We also discussed Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" and Randy Newman's "Short People." 

Thursday you will have a quote quiz on pages 1-46 of Angela's Ashes.
Friday you will have a quote quiz on pages 47-90 of Angela's Ashes.
Tuesday, January 21,  you will have a test (AP-style, multiple choice) on "A Modest Proposal," "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," and Angela's Ashes.

You also have an original satire (min. 750 words) due January 30, 2014.

Have a beautiful day!!!

First Friday

Today we did the following:

Ninth graders turned in homework and worked on a STAAR revision packet.

Juniors completed their card on Malcolm X, learned about the Irish "troubles" (thanks, Prechaus, Guadalupe, Braxton, and Stephen) and discussed Angela's Ashes.

 

Juniors need to read an annotated "A Modest Proposal" by Tuesday and read and annotate through page 90 of Angela's Ashes for Friday.  You will have a quote quiz on Tuesday on pages 1-46 of Angela's Ashes.

Seniors watched a Daily Show clip featuring Malala Yousafzai and write a response to that clip.  We also discussed and wrote about 1,000 Splendid Suns.

Please bring 1,000 Splendid Suns to class on Monday.  Be ready for a quote quiz on the first 46 pages.  Read and annotate through page 94 for Friday.

Remember that Monday is dress code day.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Thursday!

Today we did the following:

Ninth graders wrote a page on whether it is better to deal with haters by walking away, fighting them, or laughing at oneself.  We also read "Angus Bethune" and composed a short answer to the question: Describe Angus's relationship with his parent(s).

 

Remember you have homework tomorrow:  a one page (consisting of at least two paragraphs) persuading me NOT to give you homework every night.  The salutation should be in this form - Dear Ms. Seward:

Juniors wrote on the value (or lack thereof) of a miserable childhood, wrote a review card on Malcolm X, and began to read "A Modest Proposal."  We also learned about satire and the difference between Juvenalian and Horatian satire. 

If you missed class today, here is a link to "A Modest Proposal"

http://www.art-bin.com/art/omodest.html

Remember that Guadalupe, Braxton, Prechaus, and someone from seventh period will present on the troubles in Ireland tomorrow.

Also remember that you need to read and annotate through page 46 of Angela's Ashes for tomorrow.

Have a great day!

Welcome Back! January 7th and 8th

Today all students followed the instructions on the handout posted below.  Please note the homework assignments listed for each class:

Welcome Back!  January 7^th and 8^th, 2014

While you are waiting to review your graded work, please write a page in your journal on the following:

The roses and thorns of your break; or

Your New Year’s Resolutions.

Then, as you file your written work, please consider the following questions and answer them fully on a second page in your journal.

1.       Find your best piece of writing and put a sticker on it.  Then explain in writing why the piece you have chosen is better than all of the other pieces in your portfolio.

2.       Peruse your written work and identify one aspect of your writing that you really like.  Describe this aspect specifically and provide examples from your written work.

3.       Peruse your written work and identify one aspect of your writing that you would like to improve.  Describe this aspect specifically and provide examples from your written work.

Homework for Friday:

Ninth grade:  Write a one page letter convincing me NOT to give you homework every night.  The greeting (salutation) of your letter should take the following form: Dear Ms. Seward: 

Juniors: Bring Malcolm X and Nickel and Dimed to class on Thursday; read and annotate through page 46 of Angela’s Ashes.

Seniors: read and annotate through page 46 of A 1,000 Splendid Suns.

Have a great day!