Week of December 19th

Christmas. It has finally arrived.

This week is our last school week of 2016 and I hope we can all agree that we want to make it a good one! I know it can be difficult to focus with such big holidays right around the corner, but I expect students to be ready and prepared to complete classwork when they come to class.  If you can do that, you fully deserve your break. Think of it this way- You're mind, body and conscience will rest better over break knowing you worked as hard as you could in class.

This week, classes will be working to tie up all loose ends before the holiday. We will only be back in school for 1 week before mid-terms in January so we don't want to leave any projects or assignments unfinished. Honors English classes will be finishing our work with Unit 2 from the literature textbooks. English 9 will be reading a short story from the literature textbooks. You will get a quiz on this reading at the end of the week. And Mythology classes will continue work with The Odyssey.

Have an excellent holiday break with family and friends and I will see you on January 3rd, refreshed and ready for a new year!


Honors English 9
This week we are going to finish up Unit 2 in the white literature textbooks. We will read our last selection from the Unit, an excerpt from the novel The Life of Pi. Monday will be our first read of the text, Tuesday and Wednesday will focus on a close reading of the text, Thursday we will target some important information and Friday we will quiz. As our Friday class will be shortened, your quiz will be shortened as well.

Homework
Monday: Be sure comprehension check questions are complete
Tuesday: Finish first half of close reading worksheet
Wednesday: Be sure to have your close reading worksheet done
Thursday: Study for your quiz on the excerpt from The Life of Pi
Friday: Enjoy your holiday! Read something new!


English 9
Period 2
We will spend most of this week reviewing material we have already learned in class. Monday we will complete a worksheet that will help us review pronouns and antecedents. On Tuesday we will complete a Jeopardy review game, which will encompass everything we have learned in class so far. Everything from grammar to vocabulary to literature is free game. We will finish the Jeopardy game up, if necessary, on Wednesday and then begin watching The Outsiders film. You will complete a chart comparing the novel to the film as you watch. If time permits, we will have a discussion on the differences and similarities between the book and the film on Friday.

Homework
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday: Complete Outsiders film and novel comparison chart
Friday: Enjoy your holiday! Read something new!


Period 5
This week we are going to read a selection from Unit 2 of the textbook. We will begin the short story "The Seventh Man." This story is a frame story and we will spend some time discussing what that means and what kind of impact it has on the way the story is told by the author and the way the reader understands it. Please be sure to bring your white literature books with you to class every day this week. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be spent completing a first read through the story. Thursday and Friday will be spent completing a close read. Please be sure to bring your white literature books with you to class every day this week.

Homework
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday: Enjoy your holiday! Read something new!


Mythology
We will move into reading "The Adventure of Odysseus" this week. We unfortunately won't have time for the whole epic poem, The Odyssey, but instead will read an abridged re-telling from our textbooks. We will spend Monday and Tuesday finishing up our presentation of the events and war that lead up to Odysseus' adventure and then Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we will read the re-telling as a class. You will be completing a worksheet as we read. There will be a writing assignment attached to this reading that you will work on when we return from break. Please pay close attention to this reading selection.

Homework
Monday:
Tuesday: Complete Troy worksheet
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday: Be sure "Adventures of Odysseus" worksheet is complete

English 9 Quiz Announcement

Attention English 9 (periods 2 and 5):

Your quiz on The Outsiders chapters 9 through 12 will be on Thursday. This quiz was moved to Thursday to avoid the condensed schedule of Wednesday's data delay.

Attached to this post you will find a PowerPoint that is intended to help you study. We will review in class on Wednesday.

Week of December 12th

This week is our last full week before Christmas. This means we will be finishing our work with poetry, The Outsiders and our review board games. Our regular class schedule will be disrupted a couple times this week (Monday's 2 hour delay and Wednesday's data delay). This means that we have to be diligent with completing the work on our current units so we can direct our attention to the second-half of the year and mid-terms after Christmas break.

Class plans for this week have been changed. Please see updates below.

Honors English 9
This week we are going to complete our poetry project and take a quiz on poetry. We will spend Monday and Tuesday writing poems for your poetry project. These poems have very specific requirements so please be sure to consult your rubric as you write. After the poems are written, we will transpose them to posters and make them aesthetically pleasing. I hope to display these poems around the room as I am very proud of the progress we have made both writing and analyzing poetry!

Homework
Monday: Finish poem rough draft.
Tuesday: Work on poem poster.
Wednesday: Study for poetry quiz.
Thursday: Complete poem poster.
Friday: Read something you enjoy!


English 9
Period 2
This week we are going to finish up the bulk of our work with The Outsiders. You will begin your final project for this novel on Monday. You will be placed into groups and have 3 project ideas to choose from: a graffiti board, a map or a movie poster. You will have all class on Monday and Tuesday to work on these projects. Wednesday, we will review for your quiz on chapters 9 through 12 of the novel and Thursdayyou will take that quiz. We will spend the remainder of the week completing the final projects.

Homework
Monday: Continue work on Outsiders poster project.
Tuesday: Begin reviewing for Outsiders chapters 9-12 quiz.
Wednesday: Study for Outsiders chapters 9 through 12 quiz.
Thursday: Continue working on Outsiders final project.
Friday: Read something you enjoy!


Period 5
This week you will finish your Outsiders final project. You will have Monday in class to finish your projects. Any remaining work will need to be completed Monday night for homework. On Tuesday, we are going to begin reviewing for our quiz on the last 4 chapters of the novel. Wednesday we will have a formal review and you will take this quiz on Thursday. Please be sure to bring your white literature books to class with you on Thursday and Friday.

Homework
Monday: Work on Outsiders poster project.
Tuesday: Begin studying for Outsiders chapters 9 through 12 quiz.
Wednesday: Study for Outsiders chapters 9 through 12 quiz.
Thursday:
Friday: Read something you enjoy!


Mythology
This week you will finish your review game boards. You will have Monday and Tuesday in class to work on these projects and they will be due on Wednesday. For the remainder of the week, we will cover some background information before we begin reading The Odyssey. We will spend longer on this myth than we have on any other. There are several reasons for this. First, this piece of literature has notable cultural significance and has influenced arguably every piece of literature produced since its publication. Second, this is one of the most widely known stories in the history of written record. And Third, this myth is the longest we have encountered and its story is more complex than the others we have worked with.

Homework
Monday: Work on game board project.
Tuesday: Complete game board project.
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday: Read something you enjoy!

Week of December 5th

Progress reports will be sent home this week for all students who are, or near, failing. Even if you will not be receiving a progress report, this is an excellent time for you to check on your grades. Be sure you are happy with them. If you are not, about half of the marking period remains. That is enough time to turn things around. Please check your grades sometime this week. If you are unable to do this, see me and I will give you an updated grade.

Additionally this week, all English classes will be working on our next vocabulary unit. It has been a while since we have done vocabulary because of shortened weeks and holiday breaks. Remember the schedule for vocabulary weeks is always the same: Monday you will get definitions. Wednesday you will have sentences due. Thursday we will review and Friday will be your quiz.

Honors English 9

This week we will start our 3rd vocabulary unit. This unit has 12 words. You will have sentences for these words due to me by Wednesday and your quiz on this list will be Friday.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we will begin working on our poetry project. Students will write their own poems after completing some poem-writing exercises. Students will then be expected to identify the different elements of the poem as defined and described in the Poetry note packet.

Homework

Monday- Review definitions

Tuesday- Complete vocabulary sentences

Wednesday- Brainstorm poem

Thursday- Study for vocabulary quiz

Friday- Complete poem for Monday

English 9

This week we will start vocabulary unit 2B. This unit has 8 words. You will have sentences for these words due to me by Wednesday and your quiz on this list will be Friday.

Period 2:

On Tuesday and Wednesday, in addition to reviewing the vocabulary words, we will continue reading The Outsiders. I hope to finish the book this week. This means you can expect a quiz on chapters 9 though 12 early next week.

Homework

Monday- Review definitions

Tuesday- Complete vocabulary sentences

Wednesday- Review definitions

Thursday- Study for vocabulary quiz

Friday- Study for The Outsiders quiz on chapters 9 through 12

Period 5:

On Tuesday and Wednesday, in addition to reviewing the vocabulary words, we will continue working on our final project for The Outsiders. You will continue working on your poster, advertisement or map. This project will be due on Thursday.

Homework

Monday- Review definitions

Tuesday- Complete vocabulary sentences

Wednesday- Complete The Outsiders project

Thursday- Study for vocabulary quiz

Friday- Read something you enjoy

The vocabulary quiz has been moved to Monday. Please study vocabulary over the weekend.

Mythology

This week we will finish our discussions on "Hercules" and take a quiz on the myth on Wednesday. Please use your study guide to prepare for the quiz. The remainder of the week will be spent completing our next class project: board games. You will make a board game based on one of the myths we have read in class. These projects will be due by Friday and we can try them out in class!

Homework

Monday- 

Tuesday- Study for "Hercules" quiz

Wednesday- Work on board game project

Thursday- Complete board game project

Friday- Read something you enjoy