Weekly Agenda 4/7/08

April 7th
Weekly Schedule
for
9th Grade

Monday, April 7th:

Now, don’t be too happy but I won’t be here today. I’ll be flying home though and should be back by Tuesday, which is a shortened day.

Please read Act 2 of ROMEO AND JULIET.


Tuesday, April 8th:

I’m back. After I survey the damage my extended absence has had on the classes’ progress, I will determine what we will do next:

If you have worked hard during my absence, then I will let you make masks for the Act 1, Scene 5 party. You will be taught a dance and we will act the scene out, wearing our masks while we dance.

If little progress has been made, then we will go back over the Act 1 test, retake it and then move on to Act 2.

Your Act 1 ROMEO AND JULIET vocabulary and iambic pentameter handout is due today.

Wednesday, April 9th:

1st and 2nd Periods:

Journals: Using your vocabulary words from pages 30-39 in your VOCABULARY FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, write five sentences with verbals.

(Hint: Verbs that have “ing” or “ed” or the irregular ending tacked on to them and they are then used as adjectives. To sink = infinitive form of verb; sunken=irregular past particles. The pirates searched for sunken treasures.)

5th Period:

Journals: Using your vocabulary words from Unit 1 in your VOCABULARY WORKSHOP, Level C, write five sentences with verbals.

We will continue reading Act 2, and of course working on our reading logs. The ROMEO AND JULIET vocabulary/literary terms/grammar packet will be handed out to you today.






Thursday, April 10th:

1st Period:

Today please bring your ENGLISH WORKSHOP today. We will go over “participial phrases”; pages 155-156; exercises 7 and 8. This homework will be due on Tuesday, April 15th.

2nd and 5th Periods:

Today please bring your ENGLISH WORKSHOP today. We will go over “participial phrases”; pages 147 and 148; exercises 7 and 8. This homework will be due on Tuesday, April 15th.

Continue reading, discussing, acting out and of course, working on our reading logs for ROMEO AND JULIET.

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE READING LOG IS A MAJOR PART OF YOUR GRADE AND MAY BE COLLECTED AT ANY TIME TO DETERMINE THAT PROGRESS IS BEING MADE ON THE PROJECT.


Friday, April 11th:

Short game of jeopardy or grammar baseball.

Periods 1 and 2:

A short vocabulary test will be given to you today over the words on pages 30-39 from your VOCABULARY FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT.

Period 5:

A short vocabulary test will be given to you today over the words in Unit One from your VOCABULARY WORKSHOP, Level C.

Again, we will swashbuckle our way through Act 2 and let’s hope that today we will be finished.

Remember as soon as we finish the act, we will review the plot, the characters and the language for the upcoming test which will probably be on Monday.

Monday, March 31st

Here are some illustrations of "Queen Mab" which may inspire you in your own illustrations.

MARCH 31ST
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
FOR
9TH GRADE ENGLISH


MONDAY, MARCH 31ST:

1st, 2nd and 5th Periods:

Choose four scenes from “Queen Mab”, illustrate the four scenes, and then write the lines from the text underneath the illustrations. This is for a grade.

Read Act 1, Scene 5.

5th Period:

Go over ROMEO AND JULIET vocabulary and figurative language packet for Act One.


TUESDAY, APRIL 1ST:

Act out Act 1, Scene 5.

Romeo and Juliet Packet is due today.


WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2ND:

Act 1 Test over vocabulary, comprehension and figurative language.


THURSDAY, APRIL 3RD:

Read Act Two, Scenes 1 and 2.
Watch movie.


FRIDAY, APRIL 4TH:

I will not be here so today you will read with your guest teacher Act 2 of ROMEO AND JULIET and watch the movie. Have fun!

MONDAY, APRIL 7TH:

I will not be here so today you will read with your guest teacher Act 2 of ROMEO AND JULIET and watch the movie. Have fun! I’ll see you tomorrow - Tuesday, April 8th.

9th Grade Weekly Schedule for March 24, 2008

MONDAY, MARCH 24TH:

1st and 2nd Periods:
Journal: Write five sentence, two with adjective phrases and three with adverbial phrases, using your vocabulary words from pages 30-39 in your VOCABULARY FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT.

Continue reading ROMEO AND JULIET, ACT 1. We will act the scenes out with swashbuckling swords - after we write our reading logs, of course.

We will also spend some time analyzing the beautiful figurative language Shakespeare
uses.

TUESDAY, MARCH 25TH:

Please bring your grammar books today.

1st Period:

ENGLISH WORKSHOP; "Verbals and Verb Phrases"; exercises 5 and 6; pages 153 and 154. This fun assignment will be due on Thursday, March 27th.

2nd Period:

ENGLISH WORKSHOP;"Adverbial Phrases"; exercise 4; page 152 is due today. Assign "Verbals and Verb Phrases"; exercises 5 and 6; pages 153 and 154. This fun assignment will be due on Thursday, March 27th.

5th Period:

ENGLISH WORKSHOP; "Adjective and Adverbial Phrase"; exercises 3 and 4; pages 151 and 152. This fun assignment will be due on Thursday, March 27th.

1st, 2nd and 5th Periods:

Continue reading, acting out Shakespeare and working on our reading logs.

Pass out vocabulary and literary packets for Act 1 of ROMEO AND JULIET.

When we finish reading Act 1, we will watch Act 1 in both videos. We will act out the scenes - including the party scene - and spend time analyzing the language; then you’ll be given a fun test over comprehension, language and vocabulary.

Remember, if you are NOT happy with a grade on your test or essay, you ALWAYS have the chance to make corrections on the work and turn in the original with the corrections for a higher grade. You can learn, you can possess this knowledge and pass this class.


WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26TH:

1st, 2nd and 5th Periods:

Journal: Write five sentences using five words from last week’s vocabulary assignment from your vocabulary book (1st and 2nd Periods: pages 30-39; and 5th Period: Unit 1). Use prepositional phrases, adjective and adverbial phrases in your sentences and underline them.

Go over the literary and vocabulary packets for ROMEO and JULIET.


Continue reading, acting out, swashbuckling and learning about and appreciating Shakespeare’s glorious language.


THURSDAY, MARCH 27TH:

1st, 2nd and 5th Periods:

Your grammar homework is due today.

Today we will work on Mercutio's "Queen Mab" speech. We will break up into groups and act out the various parts of the speech; then individually we will choose four different scenes from the monologue, illustrate the scenes and write the lines underneath the scenes - basically, we are doing a story board of four of the scenes from the Queen Mab speech. The emphasis on the assignment is creativity, effort, color and accuracy. This is for a grade. This will be due on Tuesday, April 1st.


FRIDAY, MARCH 28TH:

Go over the test and then watch Act 2 of Romeo and Juliet in both videos.

Weekly 9th Grade Schedule for March 17th

MARCH 17TH WEEKLY SCHEDULE
FOR
9TH GRADE ENGLISH

Monday, March 17th:

1st and 5th Periods:

Greetings, scholars!
Today we are going to the library to have our reading level tested. So please meet in room #508 first and then we will make our way to the library for the computer generated test. It should take about fifteen minutes and then we’ll go back to our room for more fun stuff.

1st and 2nd Periods:

Today your final draft of your literary analysis will be due.

Your beloved and much cherished vocabulary and grammar books will be assigned to you today.

VOCABULARY FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, pages 31 - 39; exercise 21,22,23,24 and 26, 27, 28, and 29. This assignment will be due on Friday, March 21st.

Today, if we have time - and we never do - we will start ROMEO and JULIET. We’ll yell and scream and call each other insulting Shakespearean epithets, and we will learn some very interesting factoids about William Shakespeare.

5th Period:

Today we will continue reading the excerpt from Isabel Allende’s novel. When we finish we will write journal entries about our own memories. From the journals we will write an essay about an important memory we have.



Tuesday, March 18th:

1st Period:

Please bring your ENGLISH WORKSHOP today;”Adjective Phrases and Adverb Phrases”; pages 151 and 152; exercises 3 and 4 will be assigned. This will be due on Thursday, March 20th.

2nd Period:

Today an assignment will be given to you out of your ENGLISH WORKSHOP; “Adjective Phrases and Adverb Phrases”; pages 143 and 144; exercises 1 and 2. This will be due on Thursday, March 20th.

5th Period:

Please bring your ENGLISH WORKSHOP today; pages 141 - 142; exercises 1 and 2; “Prepositional Phrases”. This will be due on Thursday, March 20th.
1st and 2nd Periods:

Watch the first scene in the 1969 and the 1990’s ROMEO and JULIET films.

5th Period:

Your “Memory Essay” will be due today.

We will go over some interesting “factoids” about Shakespeare.


Wednesday, March 19th:

Warm-ups:

Write five sentences using five of your vocabulary words with either an adverb or adjective phrase.

Begin reading Act 1, Scene 1 of ROMEO and JULIET and acting out the scene.

We will also keep a reading log which is a summary of what we’ve read plus our reaction to it. We will also record examples of the figurative language we encounter in our reading.


Thursday, March 20th:

Your ENGLISH WORKSHOP grammar homework is due today.

Warm-ups:

Write five more sentences using five of your vocabulary words with either an adverb or adjective phrase.

Continue reading and acting out Act One and writing our reading logs.


Friday, March 21st:

Warm-ups:

You know the routine: write five more sentences using five of your vocabulary words with either an adverb or adjective phrase.

Your vocabulary homework is due today.

Continue swashbuckling our way through Act One in ROMEO and JULIET. And of course, don’t forget to swashbuckle our way through the reading logs.

SPRING SEMESTER SYLLABUS

NINTH GRADE CLASS REQUIREMENTS
SPRING SEMESTER

TEXTBOOKS: ELEMENTS OF LITERATURE
VOCABULARY FOR HIGH SCHOOL

ENGLISH WORKSHOP

During the course of this semester, we will read short stories, poetry, novels, THE ODYSSEY, and ROMEO AND JULIET. As part of the requirements of this class the student will be required to do the following:

1. The student will take a district required assessment covering literary analysis. The district mandated test will assess the student's understanding of literary themes, univeral themes and themes across literary genres. The student will be asked to develop concepts and ideas from the text, and show how these concepts are related to the text. The student will be assessed according to how well s/he can analyze and synthesize these concepts in a well organized and well written essay.


2. The student will also be required to keep a separate notebook for English. (Be sure to get a small, light weight notebook - your notebook is going to get heavy!) Most importantly: KEEP ALL HANDOUTS AND RETURNED WORK, CLASSWORK, HOMEWORK AND TESTS IN THIS NOTEBOOK! At the end of the semester, the notebook will be checked for organization and completeness and creativity. This is a major grade. I really appreciate creativity so feel free to put your drawings, your poetry in your notebook. Let it express who you are.


3. The student is expected to check the weblog on Sunday night for the week's assignment for this class. The address is hollywoodhighschool.net; click on blogs, click on jbridges and then click on 9th Grade English. The student should either print out that week's assignment or copy it down and carry it in his/her notebook. The print out of the week's agenda will be posted on the bulletin board by the door.

4. The upcoming tests, assignments, and due dates will be projected onto the screen and posted on the blog.

5. The handouts for the day's class will be placed in the wire basket on the table by the door. A student returning from an absence should check the blog, and check the wire basket on the table for work that has been passed out during the student's absence.

6. Homework will be assigned Monday - Thursday. No homework will be given on Friday.

7. Tests will be given about every two weeks and ample warning will be given for each test. Notification of the test will be on the weblog and projected on the screen.

8. Students are responsible for make-up work. No make-up work will be given for truancies. The student will be allowed one day after her/his return from a non-truant absence to turn in the late work. The prior day’s assignments will be posted in the classroom and it is the student’s responsibility to keep track of the work and to turn it in the day after her/his return.

9. If a student is not happy with a grade s/he received on a test or an essay, s/he may rewrite the essay incorporating the corrections that I have made on the essay, or if it is a test, then s/he may rewrite and correct the missed answers from the test on a separate sheet of paper. The student must then staple the revised essay or test to the original and turn it in. The corrections must be sufficient to show the student has learned the material. The student's grade on the assignment will be raised one
letter grade; for example, if the student made a b/c on an essay, then after the revisions, the grade will be raised to an a/b.


10. Fifteen absences per semester may result in an “F” in the class, or may lower the grade and/or result in less than adequate marks in cooperation and work habits.


Tests are worth approximately 20%
Classwork is worth approximately 20%
The literary analysis is worth about 20%
The notebook is worth about 15%
Journals are worth about 15%
Participation is worth about 10%


90% -100% = A
80% - 89% = B
70% - 79% = C
60% - 69% = D
Below 60% = FAIL

As part of the ongoing effort to increase reading comprehension and to promote a love for reading, students may read a book of their own choosing for the ACCELERATED READING program. This is for extra credit and each AR test and each reading log is worth 100 points. The student will select a book from the Accelerated reading list, which will have an AR designated sticker on the binding and can be checked out from the school library. The AR assignment includes a reading log, and passing the AR test, which can be taken in the library before school, during nutrition, lunch, and after school. The first due date for the book, the reading log, and the AR test is Friday, February 9th.  The second date for the book, the reading log, and the AR test will be Friday, April 13th. The third date for the book, the reading log, and the AR test will be Friday, May 4th.


Extra points will be given for creativity. Class participation is a must and will be factored into the grading. Being alert and participating in class could be the deciding factor in determining a borderline grade.


There are a few rules that are necessary to ensure a safe, clean, comfortable, educational, and creative environment: No eating in the classroom - we do not have custodial services in 503.  No phones, unless it is being used for educational purposes such as research, educational games, or note taking and the teacher specifically gives permission.  No private conversations unless it is during "pair and share".  No talking when others are speaking. No roaming, running, or playing around during class.

If there are any questions please feel free to call me at 323-993-1700, or better yet, e-mail me at jkatbridge@aol.com. You may also keep track of agendas by going to hollywoodhighschool.net and clicking on “weblogs”, "teachers”, “J. Bridges” and that will direct you to my class weblog.

Sincerely,

Judith “Kate” Bridges



I HAVE READ THIS WITH MY CHILD,  AND I UNDERSTAND THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS CLASS:

PARENTS’ SIGNATURE:______________________________
STUDENT’S SIGNATURE:_____________________________

Agenda for 9th Grade English

Monday, March 10, 2008

1st and 2nd Periods:

Read and analyze "First Reading: Second Chances".
Read "Struggle and Inner Strength", exploring the universal themes of "Mother to Son" and "Thank You, Ma'am".

5th Period:

Begin working on first draft of analysis of "Thank You, Ma'am".



Tuesday, March 11, 2008:

1st and 2nd Periods:

Read "Forgive My Guilt" by Robert P. Tristram Coffin
Compare the themes of "Marigolds" and "Forgive My Guilt".

5th Period:

Finish work on the literary analysis of "Thank You, Ma'am".


Wednesday, March 12th:

1st and 2nd Periods:

Begin work on comparative essay between "Marigolds" and "Forgive My Guilt".

5th Period:

Read excerpts from Margaret Atwood's CAT'S EYE.



Thursday, March 13th:

1st and 2nd Periods:

Continue working on comparative essay between "Marigolds" and "Forgive My Guilt".

5th Period:

Begin work on CAT'S EYE packets.


Friday, March 14th:

1st and 2nd Periods:

Finish working on comparative essay between "Marigolds" and "Forgive My Guilt".

5th Period:

Continue working on CAT'S EYE packet.

Final for The Odyssey

Here are the criteria for The Odyssey Board Game:

The board game must cover Odysseus' voyage and his adventures from Troy back to Ithaca and Penelope' arms.

The player's success must be dependent upon knowledge of the story, the characters, the mythology (Athena, Hephaestus, Persephone, etc.) and the literary terms we covered (i.e., Homeric similes, etc). The success cannot be due to random luck.

The end of the board game should occur when the first player lands on Ithaca, defeats the suitors and convinces Penelope that he is her husband.

Or if you want to take a feminist slant, then the first player who outlasts the suitors and has Odysseus convince her that he is her husband wins the game.

There are many different approaches you can take with the game; one approach might be that all the players vie to become Odysseus and who ever gets to Ithaca first becomes Odysseus.

One way to do the game would be to construct a board game with representations of the various lands and adventures chronicled in The Odyssey. I would suggest Troy as the starting place; other stopping points on the board game should include: the Isles of Circe and Calypso; the Land of the Underworld; the Land of the Cyclops; the Isle of the Sirens; Scylla and Charybdis; and Odysseus's bedroom as "Home".

The player rolls the dice, moves her/his piece (which could be a little ship), lands on a square, selects a card and answers an Odyssey related question. If the player answers it correctly, then the player may progress further along the squares and hang out for a while with Calypso, or is allowed to jump past Scylla and Charybdis.

If s/he answers it incorrectly, then s/he may be forced to languish with Calypso while losing a turn or two, or is forced to go back to the Isle of the Lotus Eater and eat some more lotus instead of taking a turn. Or if the player gets an answer wrong, then s/he loses a couple of turns while stuck in the Underworld or loses a couple of turns because s/he has been eaten alive by Polyphemus. (How you come back to life after being eaten by Polyphemus is your problem.) Anyway, you get the picture.

The effectiveness of the game is dependent upon your knowledge of The Odyssey, the skill and knowledge of the players to win - again, it cannot be random luck - the logic of the game, and the attractiveness of the game. Color and drawings would be a big plus - you can always download some drawings of sea monsters and mermaids, etc., if you're shy about your artistic abilities.

These are just some suggestions. Be creative and think outside the box.

If you cannot remember THE ODYSSEY well enough to begin working on it over the weekend, I have thoughtfully provided some links to help jog your memory. Don't use the excuse that I have your reading logs, 'cause guys, I read many of your reading logs and they are so vague, unclear and factually wrong that they would be less than useless (if that's possible) in helping you recreate the story. So go to these links for a little assistance if you need it:

Links for you:
The Odyssey
The Odyssey
The Odyssey
The Odyssey

Ms. Bridges

Notebook Organization for 9th Grade Honors

Organization for 9th Grade Notebooks


The notebook is an important part of your final grade and should contain all your work from the semester. The reason for the notebook is to help me accurately and fairly assess your grade. I will be able to look through your notebook and tell at a glance the quality and quantity of your work. I will also be able to check your grades in my roster with your actual work to make sure that all grades were accurately recorded. This also gives you the opportunity to do make-up work which will be considered in the overall assessment of the notebook grade; however, the late work will not be graded for an individual grade - there’s no time.

The second period notebook is very similar to the first period with the exception of the grammar assignments. The grammar assignments for second period is as follows:

English Workshop; Subordinate Clause; pages 161-162
English Workshop; Adjective Clause; pages 52-59
English Workshop; Adjective Clause; pages 163-164
English Workshop; Adverbial Clause; page 173
English Workshop; Adverbial Clause; pages 165-166
English Workshop; Prepositional Phrases; pages 141-142
English Workshop; Linking Verbs; page 108

Here is the order I would like the notebook to be in:

First page with first and last name, period and date.
This paper which can act as a table of contents.
The syllabus to this class.

Vocabulary:

The vocabulary from VOCABULARY FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT
Pages 4 - 14
Pages 23 - 33

Grammar:

Grammar homework from ENGLISH WORKSHOP
Adjective Clause, pages 171-172
Subordinate Clause; page 169
Adverbial Clauses; pages 165
Adverbial Clauses; pages 173
Unscrambling Adverbial Clauses
Prepositional Phrases; pages 149
Run-Ons; pages 73-74; ex. 6
Comma Splice Handout

Literature:

CAT’S EYE Literary Packet
“The Sniper” Rewrites
“The Most Dangerous Game” Vocabulary, Grammar and Literature Packet
“The Most Dangerous Game” Synopsis
“The Most Dangerous Game” test
“Isn’t It Ironic?” scenes
“The Cask of Amontillado” Packet
“The Necklace” Vocabulary, Grammar and Literature Packet
“The Necklace” What Happens Next?
The Trojan War Quiz
THE ODYSSEY Reading logs
THE ODYSSEY Time Line
Calypso’s Island
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER Reading Logs

Essays:

The Autobiographical Essay
The Memory Essay
The Persuasive Letter
The Persuasive Essay

Handouts:

The Trojan War Packet
The Odyssey Handouts:
Books 1 - 4: A Son Seeks a Father
Book 5: Calypso’s Island
Book 7: Princess Nausicaa
Book: Odysseus Meets His Mother in the Underworld
Why the Seasons Change: The Story of Persephone, Demeter and Hades.

Extra Credit Work or Miscellaneous:

Let the notebook reflect who you are by posting some of your art, your poetry, photos or just things you like and that you feel express who you are. A little creativity will certainly give a bump to your grade.

Week of December 10th - 14th

The Odyssey
December 10th - 14th
Weekly Schedule
for 9th Grade

Monday, December 10th:

Warm-up:

Using four of your vocabulary words from pages 23-33, write two sentences with adjective clauses and two sentences with adverbial clauses.

We will continue reading The Odyssey and writing in our captain’s log and making additions to the time line.

1st Period:

Read “The Great Bow” and “Death in the Great Hall” and “The Reunion of Odysseus and Penelope”. Do our reading logs and work on our time line.

2nd Period:

Quietly reread what we read on Friday and write your reading log. These will be collected.

Read “The Sirens”, “Charybdis and Scylla”, “The Isle of Helios” which bring us full circle to Calypso’s Island where we first encountered Odysseus crying with longing for his wife and home. Please do your captain’s log and your time line.



Tuesday, December 11th:

Same as above.

Your reading log for A NIGHT TO REMEMBER is due today. Please read Chapter 8 and do your reading log. This will be due on Thursday, December 13th.

As soon as we finish reading The Odyssey the reading logs and time lines will be collected and graded; then the district mandated assessment over exposition will be given.

Your assessment for The Odyssey will be to create a board game which two to four people can play. This will be presented on the day of your final.

The final for 1st period:

Thursday, December 20th.

The final for 2nd period:

Wednesday, December 19th.



Wednesday, December 12th:

Your district assessment will include a battery of tests covering reading comprehension, vocabulary and grammar, plus a short constructed response and an essay.

We will either be wrapping up the final chapters for The Odyssey or we will be working on the assessment.


Thursday, December 13th:

Your reading log for Chapter 8 for A NIGHT TO REMEMBER is due today.

We will either be wrapping up the final chapters for THE ODYSSEY or we will be working on the assessment.

Please begin reading Chapter 9 of A NIGHT TO REMEMBER and of course do your reading log. This will be due on Friday, December 14th.


Friday, December 14th:

Your Chapter 9 reading log for A NIGHT TO REMEMBER is due today.

Your notebook is due. All of your semester’s work should be organized and placed in the notebook. You will be given a list of things you should have in your notebook and the order in which you should have it. You will not have time to work on it in class.

Today we will be working on the District Mandated Assessment.


Monday, December 17th:

We will be working on the essay portion of the assessment.

Your reading log for Chapter 10 and pages 147 - 159 will be due on Monday, December 17th.

DECEMBER 2ND - DECEMBER 7TH
WEEKLY AGENDA
FOR 9TH GRADE

A link for you: The Odyssey

MONDAY, DECEMBER 3RD:

Good morning artists and scholars!

Some of the fabulous and fun assignments I have been promising you have had to be put on hold because the copy room has been closed. As soon as the copy room is up and running, I promise you I’ll get those assignments to you. I know you can’t wait!

Warm-up: Choosing five of your vocabulary words from pages 23-33 in your vocabulary book, write five sentences using adverbial clauses.

Today we will once more climb aboard the SS Odyssey and voyage to the Isle of Scheria and then back in time to Troy where we will retrace our steps from the time we left the fallen city for what we thought would be a quick and easy sail back to Ithaca.

Today we will try to make it to the isle of Polyphemus, the Cyclops, and then record what we see and do in our captain’s log.


TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4TH:

Shortened day!

Our reading log for the fifth chapter of A NIGHT TO REMEMBER is due today.
Please begin reading the sixth chapter. The reading log for the sixth chapter will be due on Friday, December 7th,

Again, we will try to get off the island of Polyphemus and make it to the isle of the beautiful but dangerous Circe. And of course, we will record all we see and do in our captain’s log.


WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5TH:

1st Period:

Please bring your ENGLISH WORKSHOP to class today. Pages 171 and 172; exercise 2, “Adjective Clauses” will be assigned today. This will be due TOMORROW, Thursday, December 6th.

2nd Period:

Please bring your ENGLISH WORKSHOP to class today. Pages 163 and 164; “Adjective Clauses” will be assigned today. This will be due TOMORROW, Thursday, December 6th.




WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5TH (continued):

Today we will venture to the Land of the Dead and then back to Circe and then quickly past the isle of the Sirens (whose beautiful voices but grotesque appearances can drive men mad) and on to Charybdis and Scylla. No one will believe you if you don’t record what you saw and did in your captain’s log.



THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6TH:

Today your grammar homework, “adjective clauses”, is due today.

Again we will be climbing into the SS Odyssey in our bid to return to Ithaca.
And of course, we will not forget to write in our captain’s log.


FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7TH:

WARM-UPS: Choosing five of your vocabulary words from your vocabulary book (pages 23 - 33) write five sentences using adjective clauses.

Your reading log for Chapter 6 from A NIGHT TO REMEMBER is due today.

TO ITHACA! AND DON’T FORGET TO WRITE IN YOUR CAPTAIN’S LOG!

How to Do the Reading Log for A Night to Remember

Since there seems to be some misunderstanding on how to do the reading log for the noveL, A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, here 'tis, "How to do the reading log!":

Write at least a paragraph which is an overview of the events of the story. Then choose two to three characters from that chapter whose stories you find affecting or moving or weird or interesting. The stories are very short - just snippets, really - and should not take long to do. Then write down three words - at least - you did not know the meaning of from the chapter and most importantly, LOOK UP THE DEFINITIONS and WRITE THEM DOWN IN THE READING LOG. It's not going to be much help if you just write the words down, right? Here are some words volunteered by the second period class:

ebullient
trek
unperturbed
leisurely
Belfast: is a city in Ireland noted for its ship building
quartermaster, astern, cleat are nautical terms.

If you are doing Cornell notes then you may continue working on your reading log in that manner.

Remember, your fifth chapter of A NIGHT TO REMEMBER is due on Tuesday, December 4th.

On Monday we will resume our voyage to Greece.

Happy reading!

9th Grade English; November 26th - November 30th

Links for you: The Odyssey


NOVEMBER 26TH - NOVEMBER 30TH
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
FOR
9TH GRADE ENGLISH


Monday, November 26th:

Today your reading log for A NIGHT TO REMEMBER is due. For homework, please read Chapter 4 in your take home book.

Quick warm-up: A short handout covering adverbial clauses will be given to you at the start of the class.

First period: We will break into groups of four and choosing a chapter from THE TROJAN WAR, we will act the chapter out, or do a story board on the chapter in a presentation to the class. You will have approximately twenty minutes to do this.

Second period:

We will begin reading THE ODYSSEY today. We start "in media res" - which means in the middle - where we find our hero, Odysseus crying on the Isle of Calypso.

Tuesday, November 27th:

Shortened Day!

Your reading log for the fourth chapter of A NIGHT to REMEMBER will be due on Wednesday.

First period:

Please bring your ENGLISH WORKSHOP book today. Pages 169 - 170, "Kinds of Clauses" will be assigned today. This will be due on Thursday, November 29th.

Second period:

Please bring your ENGLISH WORKSHOP book today. Pages 161 - 162, "Kinds of Clauses" will be assigned today. This will be due on Thursday, November 29th.

1st Period:

We will begin reading THE ODYSSEY today. We will start "in media res" - which means in the middle - where we find Odysseus on the Isle of Calypso crying. We will continue with the story about Telemachus in his search for his father who has been gone for twenty years!

We will begin our "captain's log" on the Odyssey.

Second period:

Today we will read the story of Telemachus in "A Son Searches for a Father" and we learn of the intrigue of the suitors back in Ithaca.

We will begin our "captain's log" on the Odyssey.


Wednesday, November 28th:

Warm-ups:

A short warm-up involving subordinate and adverbial clauses and your vocabulary words will be given to you today.

We will once again climb into the boat, the "S.S. Odyssey" and sail to the Isle of the Ciccones (Madonna's ancestors!); then after a fierce battle from which we barely leave with our lives, we ride out an equally fierce storm whipped up for us by Poseidon, the angry god of the seas. We then find ourselves on the beautiful island of the Wind God, Aeolus who does us a gigantic favor! However, we are human and through our distrust, greed and ego, we manage to thoroughly ruin the gift and wind up being away from the coast of Ithaca. Wow, all that in an hour!

Don't forget your captain's log!

Your reading log for the fourth chapter of A NIGHT to REMEMBER will be due today. For tonight, please start reading the fifth chapter of A NIGHT to REMEMBER, and of course, write your reading log. This will be due on Tuesday, December 4th.


Thursday, November 29th:

Chapter five from the book is assigned today and the reading log will be due on Tuesday, December 4th.

Your ENGLISH WORKSHOP homework is due today.

First period:

ENGLISH WORKSHOP; pages 169 - 170; "Kinds of Clauses"; exercise 1.

Second period:

ENGLISH WORKSHOP; pages 161-162; "Kind of Clauses"; exercise 1.

Periods one and two:

Again, we set sail for Ithaca where we find ourselves on the island of Polyphemus, the Cyclops. In this chapter, both Polyphemus, the one-eye cyclops and son of Poseidon, who is the host for our little party, and we, who are the guests on his island, betray the sacred ties between host and guests. We both act badly and we must pay for our behavior according to the Greek gods.

Don't forget your captain's log.

A handout over the vocabulary, grammar and literary devices for THE ODYSSEY will be given to you today. This will be due on Monday, December 3rd.

Friday, November 30th:

Today we will go over The Odyssey handout and continue reading about the Cyclops.

Don't forget your captain's log. This will be collected when we finish the story and will be a major grade!

NOVEMBER 19TH - NOVEMBER 21ST
WEEKLY AGENDA
FOR 9TH GRADE ENGLISH

Monday, November 19th:

We are now heading into the home stretch so it’s going to get a little intense right now. We have a lot of material to cover right now for the assessment that’s coming up soon.

Both First and Second Periods:

Please bring your ENGLISH WORKSHOP book to class today. We will quickly go over adverbial clauses.

1st Period:

ENGLISH WORKSHOP; pages 173 and 174; exercises 3 and 4. This will be due on Tuesday, November 20th.

2nd Period:

ENGLISH WORKSHOP; pages 165 and 166; exercises 4 and 5. This will be due on Tuesday, November 20th.

Today we will quickly review The Trojan War.


Tuesday, November 20th:

Quickly go over last night’s grammar homework in your ENGLISH WORKSHOP and continue reading The Trojan War.


Wednesday, November 21st:

Today, you will be assigned an outside reading book, A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, which has been mandated by the district. A NIGHT TO REMEMBER is about the sinking of the Titanic.

On Wednesday, the book will be checked out to you. You need to read the first three chapters of the book by Monday, November 26th, and keep a reading log. The book is an easy read and you should be able to read it pretty much on your own; however, if you need help, I’ll be there to provide it.

We will continue reading about The Trojan War.

A short handout on adverbial clauses will be given to you for homework. This will be due on Tuesday, November 27th.

Have a happy Turkey Day!

November 13th - November 16th Weekly Agenda

Tuesday, November 13th:

Today we will begin an odyssey with Odysseus in Homer’s tale of THE ODYSSEY!


Wednesday, November 14th:

Warm-ups: Write five sentences with prepositional phrases using your vocabulary words from your vocabulary books (pages 23-33).

Today we will begin reading about the reasons for the Trojan War (hint: it had to do with a prince who was a player).

We will climb back into the boat and begin sailing from Troy with Odysseus.


Thursday, November 15th:

Warm-ups: Write five sentences with prepositional phrases using your vocabulary words from your book (pages 23-33).

1st Period:

Please bring your ENGLISH WORKSHOP book (fourth course). Today we will quickly go over "The Adverbial Clause" on pages 173-174. This will be due on Monday, November 19th.

2nd Period:

Please bring your ENGLISH WORKSHOP book (fourth course). Today we will quickly go over "The Adverbial Clause" on pages 163-164. This will be due on Monday, November 19th.

We will read about the Trojan War and explore the gods and goddesses who populate the world of the Greeks.


Friday, November 16th:

Warm-ups: Using your fabulous vocabulary words from your vocabulary books (pages 23-33), write five sentences with adverbial phrases about the gods and goddesses of THE ODYSSEY.

I smell a test coming up in vocabulary!

We will continue reading about the Trojan War and when we finish there will be a fun test that we will take!

9th Grade Schedule for Week of November 5th:

NOVEMBER 5TH - 9TH
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
FOR
9TH GRADE

Monday, November 5th:

Your Vocabulary homework is due today: pages 23 - 33: exercises 16, 17, 18, 19 and 21, 22, 23, and 24.

1st Period:

Work on “The Necklace” packet - if it’s ready; otherwise, we will begin work on “What happens Next?” where you will write what happens after Madame Forestier utters the immortal words,”...........”

2nd Period:

Finish reading “The Necklace” and again, begin work on the packet if it’s ready; if not, then we will work on “What Happens Next?”


Tuesday, November 6th:

Please bring your grammar book today, ENGLISH WORKSHOP. We will work on such fun stuff as prepositional phrases!

1st Period: ENGLISH WORKSHOP; “prepositional phrases”: pages 149 - 150; exercises 1 and 2. This will be due on Thursday, November 8th.

2nd Period: ENGLISH WORKSHOP: “prepositional phrases”; pages 141 - 142; exercises 1 and 2. This will be due on Thursday, November 8th.

Continue working on “What Happens Next?”


Wednesday, November 7th:

Periods 1 and 2:

Present your “What Happens Next?” Please keep it non violent.

Go over your literary, grammar and vocabulary packet for ‘THE NECKLACE.”


Thursday, November 8th:

Collect your grammar homework today!

Begin work on THE ODYSSEY! Ms. Bridges has a surprise for you today!


Friday, November 9th: The surprise continues!

Extra Credit for Day of the Dead or Halloween

EXTRA CREDDIT: Construct a "Day of the Dead" altar which should not be larger than 18 by 18 inches. The altar might include pictures of a loved one (or a fictitious person) who has passed away. The altar might include flowers, the deceased's favorites foods and drink (no alcohol ;-) and other items the person loved or symbols of a good and happy life. Worth 8 points.

RESEARCH PAPER: A one to three page research paper on either "The Day of the Dead" or Halloween. The information may be from the internet, books, encyclopedias or journals. You must cite your sources. No downloading info from the internet and turning it in for a grade. You must research the information, synthesize the information and write your paper. Worth 16 points.

9th Grade October 29th Weekly Agenda

October 29th - November 2nd
Weekly Schedule
for 9th Grade

Monday, October 29th:

Your final draft of your district assessment persuasive essay is due today.
As a class, we will make a rubric for grading the essay; then, we will break into groups, read and correct each other’s papers.

You will then rewrite your essay with the corrections and turn it into me on Tuesday, October 30th.


Tuesday, October 30th:

Please bring your vocabulary book to class today. Pages 23 - 33; exercises 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, and 24 will be assigned. This assignment will be due on Monday, November 5.

Please bring your grammar book today.

1st Period:

ENGLISH WORKSHOP; "Linking Verbs"; pages 115-116; exercises 14-15. Due Friday, November 2nd.

2nd Period:

ENGLISH WORKSHOP; "Linking Verbs"; pages 107 - 108; exercises 13 - 14. Due Friday, November 2nd.


Wednesday, October 31st:

Today is Halloween and in celebration we will read some more Edgar Allan Poe. We’ll read “The Raven” and if we have time, “The Tell-Tale Heart” - always scary! Plus some fun little writing exercises.


Thursday, November 1st:

Your grammar homework is due today.

Journal:

Depending on the culture, “The Day of the Dead” is celebrated on
November 1st or the 3rd. Does your family observe this occasion? If your family does, how is it observed?

We are going to read Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace”.
The vocabulary and grammar packet for “The Necklace” will be passed out.


Friday, November 2nd:

Go over the vocabulary and grammar packet together in class.

Writing assignment: What happens next in the story, “The Necklace”? You and a partner will write what happens after the story ends. We will present our scenes on Monday, November the 5th.

October 22nd - October 26th
Weekly
schedule
for
9th Grade English


Monday, October 22nd:

Work on your persuasive letter.


Tuesday, October 23rd:

Your persuasive letter and your Reader/Writer Composition books are due today.

We will begin working on our District Persuasive Assessment. We will read some articles, letters and opinions on the best age for teen driving and then answer some questions.


Wednesday, October 24th:

We will continue working on our assessment. Today we will work on our Short Constructed Response by writing up a good thesis statement and finding two strong pieces of evidence to support the thesis statement.


Thursday, October 25th:

We will then write an analysis on why the evidence supports our thesis, and then begin work on the Short Constructed Response.

We will analyze a letter and break the letter down into its component parts: thesis statement, anecdote, supporting evidence, counter claim and rebuttal.


Friday, October 26th:

Today we will begin working on the draft of our persuasive essay.

October 15th - 19th
Weekly Schedule
for 9th Grade

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15TH:

I will not be with you today - I have to go to more training! So what I need for you to do is work on the following assignments:

First Period:

Pass out the “Persuasion Unit” which is in the wire basket on the table by the door. Each “Persuasion Unit” packet is separated by a pink paper with the title “Persuasion Unit” printed on it. Each student should receive her/his own packet.

There is a brown cardboard box by the desk with black/white composition books. Each student should receive a copy. That is YOUR book; please be sure to put your name on it. Possess it. Record your thoughts in it. Decorate it if you like, but it’s your book - own it.

Read aloud the Persuasion Letter Model: “Dear Board of Education”.
Then break into pairs and answer the question on the “Task Sheet”:

What is the letter about?
Who is the writer?
What do we know about her?
How do we know?

After reading, turn to a partner and discuss the questions for a few minutes. Be sure to cite evidence from the text to support your answers.

1st and 2nd Periods:

Reread the letter again and identify the three most significant sentences that reveal Chiadis’ argument.

Make a two-column chart in your composition book (Reader’s/Writer’s Notebook) and record the sentences/phrases you think are most significant. Then, in the right hand column do a “quick write” explaining what the sentences/phrases reveal about Chiadis’ argument.

When you are finished, share with two other people.

Then, read the letter again. and answer the following questions in your Reader’s/Writer’s Notebook:

Where could Chiadis have used better/more reasons and evidence to
strengthen her argument?

What other counter arguments should she have addressed? How might
she have rebutted them (effectively argued against the arguments or shown the opposing side’s arguments to be wrong)?

Then, read the letter again and notice how she structured her argument.

Identify the thesis statement and note its location.

Analyze the first paragraph:

Identify the anecdote.
Why do you think she started the letter with an anecdote?


Look at paragraph 3:

Identify the mini-topic sentence.
Locate the three examples of supporting evidence.
What are the three examples?

Look at paragraph 4:

Who is the expert?
Why do you think the student is using an expert to support her
argument?
Note how the expert is “cited.”

Look at paragraphs 5, 6, and 7:

What are some of the concessions the writer gives?
What are concessions? (And no, they aren’t the popcorn and
“Red Vines” you buy at the movies.)


Look at paragraph 8:

What is the counter argument?
What is her rebuttal? (Rebuttal means to show how and why the
opposing side’s counter argument is wrong.)


Look at paragraph 9:

Why does the letter writer include her interviews with students?
Why does the letter writer include the results from the poll?
How does this help her argument?


Look at paragraph 10:

What role does this paragraph play in the letter?
What does she include in this paragraph?


Write your responses to the above questions in your Reader/Writer notebook.


TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16TH:

1st and 2nd Periods:

Read the next part of the handout: “Community Service and You”.

Then, read and follow the directions 1, 2 and 3 on the task sheet “Community Service and You”.

Write your answers in your Reader/Writer notebook.



WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17TH:

I’m back!

1st and 2nd Periods:

1st Period:

The final group will perform its “Isn’t It Ironic” scenes.

In our lilac colored paper backs PERSPECTIVES in MULTICULTURALISM, we are going to read Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream.”

We are going to read and follow the directions on the task sheets for “I Have a Dream”, much like we did for the Chiadis letter.



THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18TH:

1st and 2nd Periods:

We will continue analyzing Reverend King’s speech, and prepare to write our own letter about a subject we feel strongly about.



FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19TH:

Now, don’t get too excited but I’m not going to be here today or Monday, but after October 22nd, there probably won’t be any more absences.

Continue our work on our “Persuasive Letters”.

Your “Persuasive Letter” is VERY important. It is District mandated and will be graded and recorded. The results for the “Persuasive” and “Exposition” assessments are held in great importance. DO NOT blow this and the next three assessments off.