June 2nd Weekly Schedule for 9th Grade English

Monday, June 2nd:

1st and 2nd Periods:

Please bring your vocabulary book to class today. Pages 53 - 60, exercises 1 through 7 will be assigned; this assignment will be due on Friday, June 6th,

Today we will continue reading and discussing THE PERKS OF BEING A WALL FLOWER.

2nd Period:

Don’t forget to bring your vocabulary book today. Please read the above assignment for Period 1; it also pertains to you.

Today we will work on our essay for ROMEO and JULIET. The essay topic was passed out to you on Friday and we went over the topics in class. The topics are also posted on this web log; scroll down to find them. The essay will be due on Wednesday, June 4th.

5th Period:

Today we will have the Act V test over ROMEO and JULIET. Remember that the ROMEO and JULIET Act V packet will also be due.


Tuesday, June 3rd:

1st Period:

Please bring your ENGLISH WORKSHOP to class today. “Verbs”; pages 113 - 114; exercises 11 and 12 will be assigned today. This assignment will be due on Thursday, June 5th.

Continue reading and discussing THE PERKS OF BEING A WALL FLOWER.


2nd Period:

Please bring your ENGLISH WORKSHOP to class today. “Verbs”; pages 105 - 106; exercises 10 and 11 will be assigned today. This assignment will be due on Thursday, June 6th.

Continue working on your essay.





5th Period:

Today we will go over the essay topics for ROMEO and JULIET, which are also posted on last week’s web log. (Scroll down to last week’s web log to see the posted topics.) The five paragraph essay, which must be typed with a rough draft, will be due on Thursday, June 5th.


Wednesday, June 4th:

1st Period:

Read and discuss THE PERKS OF BEING A WALL FLOWER.


2nd Period:

Your ROMEO and JULIET essay is due today, along with your rough draft and your reading logs.

We will begin reading PERKS OF BEING A WALL FLOWER today. I think you’ll like this book.

5th Period:

Work on your ROMEO and JULIET essay today.


Thursday, June 5th:

1st Period:

Your English Workshop homework is due today: “Verbs”; pages 113 and 114; exercises 11 and 12.

Continue reading and discussing THE PERKS OF BEING A WALL FLOWER.

2nd Period:

Your English Workshop homework is due today: “Verbs”; pages 105 and 106; exercises 10 and 11.

Begin reading THE PERKS OF BEING A WALL FLOWER.

5TH Period:

Your ROMEO and JULIET essay along with your reading logs are due today.
We will begin reading and discussing a book I think you will like - THE PERKS OF BEING A WALL FLOWER. It’s about being a 9th grade boy in high school. I think you’ll be able to relate to a great deal in the book.




Friday, June 6th:

1st and 2nd Periods:

Your vocabulary homework is due today.
Continue reading and discussing THE PERKS OF BEING A WALL FLOWER.

5th Period:

Continue reading and discussing THE PERKS OF BEING A WALL FLOWER.

Please bring your vocabulary book to class on Monday, June 9th. Pages 52 - 60, exercises 1 - 7 will be assigned on Monday and will be due on Friday, June 13th.

Please bring your ENGLISH WORKSHOP to class on Tuesday, June 10th. “Verbs”, pages 105 - 106; exercises 10 and 11 will be assigned and will be due on Thursday, June 12th.

ESSAY TOPICS FOR ROMEO and JULIET

Choose one of the following topics and write a well-organized and well-crafted five paragraph essay.

1. Is Mercutio a foil to Romeo? A foil is a character whose personality or traits are the opposite of those of the the lead character; these differences point out and highlight the personality of the lead character. You should find quotations and examples from the play to support your thesis. You may want to use your Act 2 vocabulary packet to help you on this one.

2. Examine Shakespeare’s use of light and dark in literary tropes to illustrate Romeo’s mood in the play. For example, in the beginning of the play Romeo frequently refers to darkness and heaviness; it is when he meets Juliet that he begins to speak of lightness (“It is with love’s light wings did I o’er perch these walls...”) You must find examples to support your thesis.

3. Examine Shakespeare’s use of irony to enhance the suspense in the play. One might examine the dramatic irony in Act 4, Scene 2 in which Juliet’s mother informs her of her impending marriage to Paris. There are many examples of situational and dramatic irony, as well as some verbal irony, in ROMEO and JULIET. Give at least three examples of irony (one of each: situational, verbal, and dramatic) in the play.

4. Examine the role of women in the play: Juliet, the Nurse and Lady Capulet. Show how each responds to the crisis in her life: Juliet’s forced marriage to Paris; Lord Capulet’s abuse of the Nurse and Lady Capulet, and Juliet’s estrangement from the Nurse. You might also wish to consider Lady Capulet's life; in all probability she too was forced into an arranged marriage at the same age as Juliet. Notice in Act 4 Lady Capulet's response to Lord Capulet's sudden decision to change the wedding date. How much resistance does she offer? Does Lord Capulet even consider her objections? Consider too that this scene follows hard upon Act 4, Scene 2 in which Lord Capulet reacts violently to Juliet's refusal to bend to his will. Consider the Nurse's hard, realistic advice to Juliet. Did her life experiences teach her to be pragmatic and realistic?

5. Discuss the theme of the play, ROMEO and JULIET. Find examples to support what you believe is the theme of the play.

6. Throughout the play Romeo makes frequent references to the stars and to the prophetic power of dreams. However, is it the stars and dreams that lead to Romeo's and Juliet's deaths or is it just poor, rash judgment on his part that leads to tragedy? Be sure to use examples from the play to support your thesis.

7. Analyzing the text, find examples in which the characters' poor decisions lead to the tragedy. What better decisions could Lord and Lady Capulet, the Montagues, the Friar, the Nurse, Mercutio, Tybalt, and of course, Romeo and Juliet have made that would have averted tragedy? You might want to use your "consequences" paper to help you on this.

8. Compare and contrast Romeo and Juliet. How are they similar and how are they dissimilar?

9. Compare and contrast any two characters in the play. How is Benvolio a foil to Mercutio? Or how is Tybalt a foil to Mercutio? Or how is the Apothecary a foil to the Friar?

10. Discuss Shakespeare's use of literary language to enhance meaning in the play. Some of the literary language you may wish to consider are: personification, metaphor, simile, allusion, imagery, apostrophe and ironic devices. How does he use these devices to: reveal character or to enhance suspense or to reveal theme or to forward the plot.

You must include a rough draft along with your finished final draft.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE FOR 9TH GRADE ENGLISH MAY 27TH, 2008

WEEKLY SCHEDULE
FOR
9TH GRADE ENGLISH
MAY 27TH, 2008


TUESDAY, MAY 27th:

SHORTENED DAY!

Heads up to all classes: the third grading period closes on Thursday, May 29th. Anything turned in after Wednesday, May 28th will not be counted for this grading period.

1st Period:

Begin work on essay for ROMEO and JULIET. This will be due on Thursday, May 29th.

2nd Period:

Break into groups, finish working on the rewrites for ROMEO and JULIET, and begin presenting.

5th Period:

Quickly go over the answers to the Act 4 test of ROMEO and JULIET
Begin reading Act 5, the last and final act of ROMEO and JULIET.
The Act 5 vocabulary packet will be passed out to you today; this packet will be due at the time of the test.


WEDNESDAY, MAY 28th:

1st, 2nd and 5th Periods:

Your extra credit collage is due today.

1st Period:

Continue working on your essay today. It will be due at the end of the period, along with your greatly anticipated reading logs for ROMEO and JULIET. Can’t wait to read ‘em!


2nd Period:

Finish presenting your group’s rewrites.

Begin working on your essays for ROMEO and JULIET.




5th PERIOD:

Continue reading Act 5 of ROMEO and JULIET and of course, working on our fun reading logs.


THURSDAY, MAY 29th:

1st Period:

Begin reading THE PERKS OF BEING A WALL FLOWER. I think you will enjoy this book.

2nd Period:

Your essay for ROMEO and JULIET is due today along with your GREATLY anticipated reading log - can’t wait to read ‘em.


5th Period:

We will probably be finished with the play today and will begin our review for the oh, so popular test. Remember, your Act V vocabulary packet will be due at the time of the test.


FRIDAY, MAY 30th:

1st and 2nd Periods:

Today I think we could all use a break so I think we’re just going to read THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER. But next week, please bring your vocabulary book on Monday and your English Workshop on Tuesday; we are going to do a final push before you guys take off for sophomore land.

5th Period:

Today we will begin working on our ROMEO and JULIET essay which will be due on Tuesday, June 3rd. Please remember that your ROMEO and JULIET reading log will be due at the time you turn in your essay.