PSSA Announcement!

Attention English 7 Honors Students and Parents!

We have about 1 month to gear up for our English PSSAs. We need to be focused and determined throughout March. To give you a heads up on what is coming your way, I will be focused on 3 key concepts for the month of March. They are:

1. Text-Dependent Analysis. This means we're going to use information from something we read to support our opinions and beliefs about the text!
2. Craft and Structure. This means we're going to look at how authors write their texts. Do they use headings? Separate it into sections? Have it flow like one essay? Write it like a play? Use figurative language? And so many more!
3. Author's Purpose and Main Ideas. This might be a review for some of you, but it is one of those things that is easy to forget! We're going to ask ourselves "Why" an author is writing and what they want readers to get out of it.

Week of February 21st

This week is another short week and some of it will be spent on CDTs. The rest of the week will shift our focus back to literature and most classes will be wrapping up the material we have been reading this Marking Period.

English 9
Tuesday we will finish taking the CDT tests. If you completed the test last week, please be sure to bring something to class with you to work on. If you do not have anything to do during this class period, I will assign you a book to read.

Wednesday you will take your quiz on chapters 5 through 8 of The Outsiders. Your study guide is due the same day.

Thursday and Friday we will continue reading The Outsiders. This last section of the novel will go the fastest and you will have a quiz on this section next week. After your final test, we will complete a project based on the novel, watch the film and write an essay.

Homework
Tuesday: Study for Outsiders quiz chapters 5-8. See study guide in previous post.
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday: Read something you enjoy!


English 7
Tuesday we will finish taking the CDT tests.  If you completed the test last week, please be sure to bring something to class with you to work on. If you do not have anything to do during this class period, I will assign you a book to read.

Wednesday we will review elements of an argumentative essay and use the essay "Leaving Main Street" as an example. We will discuss why this essay is a good example of an argumentative piece of writing and how you can mimic this in your own writing. This is in preparation for the argumentative essay you will be writing at the end of Unit 2. I expect to be working on this essay early next week.

Thursday and Friday we will read the article "Danger! This Mission to Mars Could Bore You to Death!." We will take the information and opinions presented in this article, combine them with Bradbury's view of Mars in "Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed," and write an editorial in which you answer the following question: Do the benefits of exploring Mars outweigh the risks? You will be asked to use evidence from both texts to support your response.

Homework
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday: Finish reading "Danger! This Mission to Mars Could Bore You to Death!," if you did not do so in class.


English 11
Tuesday and Wednesday of this week we will spend time looking more closely at specific quotes and symbols from Of Mice and Men. All of our preparation this week will culminate in an essay you will write responding to the text. This essay will ask you to analyze the text using our discussions and details you noticed in the text. It will require that you support your analysis with quotes and details from the text. You will have Thursday and Friday in class to complete this essay. It will be due to me, typed, on Monday.

Homework
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday: Revise and finish Of Mice and Men essay.

Outsiders Ch. 5-8 Study Guide

This study guide should help you prepare for your quiz on The Outsiders, which you will take on Wednesday, 2/22.

Week of February 13th

This week is a short week- you have a 4 day weekend to look forward to to help keep you focused and motivated! All classes will spend Thursday this week CDT testing. We will finish testing on Tuesday.

Schedule adjusted. Changes indicated in red.

English 9
This week we are going to continue reading The Outsiders and I hope to finish chapters 7 and 8. After finishing chapter 8, you will be responsible for completing the study guide from chapters 5 through 8. Keep in mind, you will have a quiz coming up on chapters 5 through 8 next week. You can expect this quiz on Wednesday, 2/22. This quiz will focus mostly on plot and will be worth 60 points.

Homework:
Monday:
Tuesday: Finish chapter 7 study guide questions for The Outsiders.
Wednesday: Finish chapter 8 study guide questions for The Outsiders, including Critical Thinking questions on pages 16 and 17 of the study guide.
Thursday: Read something you enjoy!



English 7
This week we are going to finish up the radio play of "Dark They Were and Golden-Eyed." As I have been mentioning to you, once we finish this radio play we will have a discussion on the similarities and differences between the text and the play. We will consider why the producer of the play made these changes and what impact they have on the telling and meaning of the story. Following this discussion, there will be an 3-question quiz on these similarities and differences. Please be prepared to take this quiz on Wednesday. After the quiz, we will read an example of an argumentative essay to prepare for our own writing assignment later next week.

Homework:
Monday: Review changes from "Dark They Were..." story and radio play.
Tuesday:
Wednesday: Finish reading "Leaving Main Street" on pages 120 and 121 of your textbook.
Thursday: Read something you enjoy!



English 11
We will start this week with a quiz on chapters 3 and 4 of Of Mice and Men. This quiz will be mostly short answer and focus almost entirely on plot. However, I want you to continue thinking about the symbolism present in the novel and what comments Steinbeck is making on the nature of mankind and how the pressures of The Great Depression influence human behavior. I hope to finish reading chapters 5 and 6 this week. This means you will have your final quiz on the novella next week. You can expect this quiz on Wednesday.

Homework:
Monday: Brainstorm the symbols that emerged in these chapters. Make a graphic organizer.
Tuesday: Finish study guide questions for chapter 5.
Wednesday: Finish study guide questions for chapter 6.
Thursday: Read something you enjoy!

Snow Day Updates

Due to Thursday's snow day, there will be changes to our schedule. Please note the changes below.

English 9: Outsiders chapter 5 and 6 critical thinking questions due Friday
                 Outsiders chapters 5-8 quiz expected on Friday of next week


English 11: Of Mice and Men chapters 3 and 4 quiz Monday


English 7:"Dark They Were and Golden Eyed" radio play vs. text quiz Monday


CDT Testing for these classes will be held on Wednesday and Thursday of next week. Please be prepared to test for the entire period on both of those days.

Any questions or concerns please feel free to email me!

Week of February 6th

It's February, the coldest month of the year. To me, that means it's an excellent opportunity to stay inside and read! Hopefully you use the low temperatures to your advantage and do the same at least once or twice this month.

All of our classes are going to continue working with the literature we have been working on. English 11, this week will potentially bring Of Mice and Men to a close and I'm looking forward to the discussions of morality we will have. English 9, we're going to push forward with The Outsiders. English 7, we are going to continue working through Unit 2. This means a new piece of literature as well as a new writing task for us to complete. 

Academic English 9

We will continue reading The Outsiders this week and you will likely have your second quiz on the novel on Friday. As you are aware, this also means I will be checking your study guides to be sure you are answering both the comprehension and critical thinking questions, as well as the figurative language charts. Please make sure you are keeping up with these as we read. It is much easier to complete it in small sections than to try and fill it all in before it is collected.

Homework

Monday-

Tuesday- Complete critical thinking questions for chapters 5 and 6 

Wednesday- Review for quiz on chapters 5 through 8. 

Thursday- Complete critical thinking questions for 7 and 8. Study for quiz.

Friday- Enjoy your weekend.

Honors English 7

This week will start with quiz corrections from the quiz we took on Friday. Tuesday we are going to listen to a radio adaptation of the short story we read last week. We will have a discussion of the differences and similariaites we notice between the 2 versions and what implications those changes have on the mood and theme of the story. Towards the end of the week we will be reading a news article "Danger! This Mission to Mars Could Bore You to Death!." All of these readings are leading up to an argumentative writing assignment we will begin next week.

Homework
Monday- Finish quiz corrections
Tuesday-
Wednesday-
Thursday-
Friday-

English 11
We are going to continue reading Of Mice and Men this week. I expect to finish reading chapter 4 on Tuesday and we will complete the study guide at that time. You can expect a quiz on chapters 3 and 4 to come in the second half of the week. I am expecting the quiz will fall on Thursday.

Homework
Monday-
Tuesday- Finish chapter 4 study guide
Wednesday- Study for quiz
Thursday-
Friday- 

Quiz Day Reminders

There will be minor adjustments to our schedule to accommodate for Tuesday's snow day.
However,

• English 9 will still have a quiz on chapters 1-4 of The Outsiders on Friday
• English 7 will still have a quiz on "Dark They Were and Golden-Eyed" on Friday and
• English 11 will take the chapters 1 and 2 Of Mice and Men quiz on Wednesday,

Week of January 30th

Post was updated to accommodate Tuesday's snow day. All changes are in red.

In every class this week, we are going to be reading and analyzing literature. We're getting deeper into our respective works and I'm sure we will be doing more analyzing this week than we did last. With each class this week, I want to focus on the differences between a first read, and a close read.

CDT Testing will occur for my classes on Wednesday, February 15th and Thursday, February 16th. Make-up testing will be Friday, February 17th. 

Academic English 9

We're going to continue reading The Outsiders and take our first quiz on chapters 1 through 4 on Friday. We will review for the quiz briefly on Thursday. The rest of the week will be spent reading chapters 3, 4 and 5 as well as answering questions for the study guide for the respective chapters. 

The study guide for chapters 1 through 4 will need to be entirely complete by Friday. I will be checking the packets for points while you take your quiz.

Homework

Monday- Finish all questions for chapters 1 and 2

Tuesday- SNOW DAY

Wednesday- Finish comprehension questions for chapters 3 and 4

Thursday- Study for quiz on chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Friday- Read a piece of literature that makes you forget about time!

Honors English 7

We are going to spend a good portion of this week talking about the differences between a first-read and a close-read. We will complete our first read of the short story on Monday and you will complete comprehension questions based on what you remember. On Tuesday, you will individually complete a close read and answer questions regarding specific passages from the text. Wednesday and Thursday will be spend reviewing figurative language and comparatives in order to prepare for you quiz on the selection. This quiz will be given on Friday. 

Homework

Monday- none

Tuesday- SNOW DAY

Wednesday- Complete figurative language worksheet

Thursday- Study for quiz on "Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed"

Friday- Read something you enjoy!

English 11

We're going to take our first quiz on Of Mice and Men early this week. Monday we will review and finish work on chapter 2. Tuesday you will take the quiz. Wednesday and Thursday will be spent continuing reading and Friday we will be focused on writing about literature. We will use the individual paragraphs you are writing for each chapter to build to a larger writing assignment at the end of the novella.

Homework

Monday- Complete chapter 2 study guide. Study for quiz!

Tuesday- SNOW DAY

Wednesday- Complete chapter 3 study guide questions

Thursday- Review chapter 3

Friday-  Complete chapter 4 study guide

Week of January 23rd

Welcome to Ms. Zangari's English class! I will be teaching these classes for the remainder of the school year. I'm very excited to get started and can't wait to learn and grow with you all. We are jumping right into several pieces of literature this week and already we've had some interesting discussions. I can't wait to hear your ideas and help you develop them more fully!

This week, English 7 will be beginning Unit 2 and practicing argumentative writing. English 11 will begin reading Of Mice and Men and English 9 will begin reading The Outsiders. We have a lot of great literature on deck and I'm excited for us to learn about them.

Parents and Guardians: If you have questions or comments for me at any time, please feel free to email me at mzangari@northschuylkill.net. I look forward to working with each of you towards a shared goal!


Honors English 7
Schedule Change: Unit 5 Unit 2
Unit 2 asks readers to consider the implications of humans living in space. This unit aims to expand students' critical thinking and reasoning abilities while also allowing them to exercise their comprehension and close reading skills. Our first selection will be a short story by Ray Bradbuy. We will begin reading this story on Wednesday and I expect to finish it by Friday or Monday. Students will be assigned a close read for homework next week. We will then complete formative exercises to prepare students for the summative assessment at the end of the unit: an argumentative essay.

Homework
Monday-
Tuesday-
Wednesday-
Thursday-
Friday-


Academic English 9
We will start reading The Outsiders this week. I expect to read chapters 1 and 2 this week and conduct our first class discussion of the book as we start to see the themes develop. We will complete our reading guides as we go. Remember, these packets will be worth almost 200 points by the time they are complete. Please keep up with them and don't lose them!


Homework
Monday-
Tuesday-
Wednesday-
Thursday-
Friday-


English 11
We will start reading the novella Of Mice and Men this week and I expect to get through chapters 1 and 2, possibly 3. We will spend a significant amount of time as we read this book having discussion regarding its themes. Most reading of this novel will be completed in class, but occasionally a chapter or two will be assigned for homework. For this week, we will focus on reading closely and gaining an understanding of the characters and plot. I do not expect you to have assigned reading for homework until Friday.


Homework
Monday-
Tuesday-
Wednesday-
Thursday-
Friday-

Week of January 16th

This week brings the 2nd marking period to a close. Please be sure you have all missing and late assignments handed in and all quizzes and tests are made up.

This week is also mid-term week. These tests are worth 10% of your average for the year, so please take them seriously and study all of the items identified for you on the study guide.

*Mrs. Holman will be returning this week. This means I will be in your classes only Tuesday and Wednesday. Please refer to her homework blog for information for Thursday and Friday's classes.

Honors English 9
You will have all of class on Tuesday to read the short story you will be tested on on the mid-term. Please annotate this story as your read and use it to study for the mid-term. You will take the mid-term on Wednesday.

Homework
Tuesday: Study for your mid-term!


English 9
You will have all of class on Tuesday to read the short story you will be tested on on the mid-term. Please annotate this story as your read and use it to study for the mid-term. You will take the mid-term on Wednesday.

Homework
Tuesday: Study for your mid-term!


Mythology
We will spend Tuesday's class reviewing for the final. You will have the opportunity to use the board games you made earlier in the marking period to help you review.

Homework
Tuesday: Study for your mid-term!

Week of January 3rd

Welcome back to school! Hopefully you're feeling rejuvenated by our holiday break and are ready to get back into your school schedule. You have mid-terms coming up soon so please start preparing for them soon!

This week we will try to finish all of the units we were working on before break. I will be transferred to different classes beginning on January 13th, so I want to be sure we have everything completed by then.

Honors English classes will work on vocabulary this week. Period 2 English will finish working with The Outsiders novel and film. Period 5 English will finish working with the short story "The Seventh Man" and will take a quiz on it. And Mythology classes will finish reading, and take a quiz on, "The Adventures of Odysseus."


Honors English 9
This week we will complete our 4th vocabulary unit. Because the list is shorter than usual, your sentences will still be due on Wednesday. Please keep in mind you will only have one night to complete your sentences instead of the usual two. We will review the vocabulary on Thursday and take a quiz on the list on Friday.

Homework
Tuesday: Write vocabulary sentences
Wednesday: Review vocabulary definitions
Thursday: Study for vocabulary quiz
Friday: Read something you enjoy


English 9
Period 2
Tuesday and Wednesday will be spent watching The Outsiders film. We will use the second half of class on Wednesday to discuss the similarities and differences between the novel and the film and why the author/ director would choose to make those decisions.
Thursday and Friday we will begin reading our next short story from Unit 2, "The Seventh Man." This is a story about survival and will help answer the unit's essential question. You will take a quiz on this short story early next week.

Homework
Monday:
Tuesday: Complete worksheet for The Outsiders film/ novel comparison
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:


Period 5
We will finish reading and summarizing "The Seventh Man" on Tuesday. Wednesday we will complete a close read of the story and prepare for you quiz. On Thursday, you will take a quiz on the short story. This is a quiz from the book, please be sure you are studying the vocabulary and the main events of the story. Take notes during our review.

Homework:
Tuesday: Review main ideas and vocabulary for "The Seventh Man" quiz
Wednesday: Study for "The Seventh Man" quiz
Thursday:
Friday: Complete quiz corrections for "The Seventh Man"


Mythology
This week we will finish reading "The Adventures of Odysseus" from our textbook. You will take a quiz on this reading on Friday.

Homework:
Tuesday:
Wednesday: Review for "Odysseus" quiz
Thursday: Study for "Odysseus" quiz
Friday: