Monday, November 19th

Pre-AP English 9
As we finish up our time in To Kill a Mockingbird, we are keeping a wary eye on the national consequences that the book had on America's populace.  As a direct result of the book, many of our citizens' sentiments turned against the segregation that was occurring at the time, and the Civil Rights movement took hold of our country in earnest.  That being the case, we spent time in class today annotating Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream Speech" for his use of figurative language and rhetorical devices.  We also spent a little bit of time discussing irregular verb forms.

Homework:  Students need to finish To Kill a Mockingbird for their test tomorrow.  The test will cover the following:
-- Words of the Day
-- Troublesome Verbs
-- Active/Passive Voice
-- Verb Mood
-- Irregular Verb forms
-- To Kill a Mockingbird

Also, students need to have their copies of A Separate Peace and The Lord of the Flies by Monday, November 26th.

English 10
After finishing Amazing Grace, we discussed irregular verb forms in class today, before listening to MLK Jr.'s "I Have a Dream Speech" and annotating it for allusions to the Declaration of Independence.

Homework:  Students need to study for their test that will be given tomorrow.  The test will cover the following:
-- Words of the Day

-- Troublesome Verbs
-- Active/Passive Voice
-- Verb Mood
-- Irregular Verb forms
-- Harriet Beecher Stowe
-- Uncle Tom's Cabin
-- "To His Excellency, George Washington"

Friday, November 16th

Pre-AP English 9
After briefly reviewing the subjunctive mood (reference yesterday's blog post for online help with this subject), we finished our To Kill a Mockingbird debate today.

Homework:  Students need to finish reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Tuesday, November 20th.  They also need to have their copies of A Separate Peace and The Lord of the Flies by November 26th.

English 10
Today, we finished our conversation about slavery in early America by watching Amazing Grace, the story of the slave abolitionist movement in England.

Thursday, November 15th

Pre-AP English 9
In today's class, we spent a majority of our time reviewing active and passive voice and learning about the different moods of verbs.  We particularly focused on the subjunctive mood, and how that mood can change the form of the verb in the sentence.  For extra review with the subjunctive mood, click here.  For several examples of verbs in the subjunctive mood, click here.

Homework:  Students need to finish reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Tuesday, November 20th.  They also need to have obtained their copies of A Separate Peace and Lord of the Flies by November 26th.

English 10
In today's class, we spent a lot of time reviewing active and passive voice.  We also heavily discussed the hypocrisy of slavery in early American life, and read samples from Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. 

Tuesday, November 13th

I hope everyone had a restful Veteran's Day weekend!  Thanks to all of the men and women who have sacrificed life and family so that we can have the opportunity to live in a democratic nation!

Pre-AP English 9
Students took the first To Kill a Mockingbird test in class today.

Homework:  Students need to finish To Kill a Mockingbird by Tuesday, November 20th!

English 10
Students took the "Revolutionary Literature Test" in class today.

Friday, November 9th

Pre-AP English 9
In our shortened classes today, we covered commonly confused irregular verbs, including lie/lay, sit/set, and rise/raise.  We learned the differences between all of these words, as well as their conjugation into the past tense, past participial form, and present participial form.  For a quick review on the uses of these words, please click here.  We also continued chunking and analyzing the first chapters of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Homework: Students need to have chapters 1-10 of To Kill a Mockingbird read by Tuesday, November 13th in preparation for their first TKaM test.  The test will cover Words of the Day, modifiers, degrees of comparison, commonly confused verbs, the first ten chapters of TKaM, and chapters 14-20 of Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

English 10
In today's class, we focused on studying subject-verb agreement, as well as finishing our analysis of The Declaration of Independence.

Homework:  Students need to study for the "Revolutionary Literature Test" that will be given on Tuesday, November 13th.


I hope everyone enjoys the long weekend!

Thursday, November 8th

Pre-AP
We discussed misplaced modifiers and dangling modifiers in class today. Students should have a copied sheet that enumerates the points of the lessons.  Parents, please go over these with your student and ensure that he or she understands the material!  After learning this grammatical concept, we then began annotating chapter one of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Homework:  Students should finish reading Boy in the Striped Pajamas by tomorrow!  Also, students need to read chapters 1-10 (pgs. 1-82) of To Kill a Mockingbird by Tuesday, November 13th.

English 10
We discussed misplaced modifiers and dangling modifiers in class today. Students should have a copied sheet that enumerates the points of the lessons.  Parents, please go over these with your student and ensure that he or she understands the material!  After learning this grammatical concept, we continued our analysis of the Declaration of Independence.

Wednesday, November 7th

Pre-AP English 9
After finishing the Hey, Boo! documentary, we discussed modifiers and degrees of comparison in class today.  Students are bringing home a worksheet for practice with this concept, but if they need extra review on this grammatical concept, they can click here.

Homework:  Students need to finish reading Boy in the Striped Pajamas by Friday, November 9th.  Also, students need to read chapters 1-10 (pages 1-82 in the class text) of To Kill a Mockingbird by Tuesday, November 13th, which is the day that the first To Kill a Mockingbird test will be administered.

English 10
In class today, we reviewed modifier use and the different degrees of comparison.  Then, we continued analyzing closely the Declaration of Independence.

Tuesday, November 6th

Pre-AP English 9
In class today, students watched the documentary entitled Hey, Boo! which gives a background for Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird.  Students also answered several questions about Lee's life and the background for the book.  Parents, please make sure that students have completed these questions as they will serve as their study guide for that portion of the next test.

Homework:  Students need to finish reading Boy in the Striped Pajamas by Friday, November 9th.

English 10
In today's class, we discussed modifiers and how adverbs and adjectives can often be confused.  Specifically, we focused on the differences between bad and badly, real and really, good and well, and slow and slowly. We also discussed the different degrees of comparison, which include the positive degree, comparative degree, and superlative degree.  Finally, we finished out our time by beginning to analyze The Declaration of Independence. 

Homework: Students should review their grammar notes from the day and make sure they understand the concepts of modifiers and comparative degrees.  If a student needs further help on this subject, he or she should seek extra help outside of class.

Monday, November 5th

Pre-AP English 9
2nd- In today's class, students took the third reading quiz for Boy in the Striped Pajamas.  Afterwards, students finished presenting their research findings from their research papers.

4th- In today's class, students took part in a debate on several of the themes that are present in To Kill a Mockingbird after taking the BSP reading quiz.  We also went over the analysis questions that the students completed Tuesday and Wednesday of last week.

Homework: Students need to read the rest of Boy in the Striped Pajamas (chapters 14-20) by Friday, November 9th.

English 10
After discussing adequate summaries, students finished analyzing Patrick Henry's "Second Speech to the Virginia Convention."

Homework:  Students need to begin reading The Declaration of Independence and making their way through the reading guide for the Declaration.

Friday, November 2nd

Pre-AP English 9
In today's class, students continued to present their research findings from their research paper.

Homework:  Students need to finish reading chapters 10-13 of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by Monday, November 5th.

English 10
In today's class, we discussed commonly confused words, and then we began analyzing Patrick Henry's "Speech to the Second Virginia Convention."

Homework: Students need to finish their "Virtue Journals" and turn them in on Monday.

Thursday, November 1st

Sorry for the lack of posting this week.  I have been out of school on school-related activities.  I'm glad to be back though!

Pre-AP English 9
Students have been working on research papers this week, and they will begin presenting their findings to the class today.

Homework: Students who do not present their findings today need to make sure that they are ready to present tomorrow.  Also, students need to read chapters 10-13 of Boy in the Striped Pajamas by Monday, November 5th.

English 10
Today, students finished activities that they started in class yesterday, including writing a biography of Patrick Henry.

Friday, October 26th

Happy Friday!

Pre-AP English 9
We started writing the rough draft of our research papers in class today.  Students particularly worked on their introductory paragraphs and transitions.

Homework:  Students need to finish the rough draft of their research paper, which is due at the BEGINNING of class on Monday, October 29th.  Students also need to have chapters 6-9 of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas read by Monday.

English 10
After working with run-on and fragment sentences, we read through several pieces of writing by founding father Benjamin Franklin in class today.  Our main point was the try and determine whether or not a reader can always believe everything someone writes about themselves in an autobiography and whether or not we can believe the legends we have heard about our country's history.  The goal was to become informed readers that evaluate each piece of literature individually without outside bias or presupposition.

Thursday, October 25th

Pre-AP English 9
We continued the research process today in the library.  Students also completed their paper outlines.  By the beginning of class on Monday, students need to have finished the rough drafts of their papers.  The final, typed draft of their papers are due on November 1st.

Homework:  Students should begin working on the rough draft of their research papers.  They should also finish reading chapters 6-9 in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

English 10
We spent time in class today going over reading strategies for those who do not enjoy reading.  We predominantly covered making inferences, assumptions, and predictions about your reading.  Then, we completed several writing activities to reinforce these points.

Wednesday, October 24th

Pre-AP English 9
We continued our research in the library today.  Students need to remember that an outline of their research paper will be due at the end of class tomorrow. Rough drafts are due on October 29th, and final drafts (with all other components) are due on November 1st.  Presentations will also begin on November 1st.  (Please note: these dates have been revised from the dates on the research packet.)

Homework:  Students need to make sure to read chapters 6-9 in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by Monday, October 29th.

English 10
The PLAN testing was administered to students today.

Tuesday, October 23rd

Pre-AP English 9
We started our research in the library today.

Homework:  Students need to review their research notes to ensure that they are in order and to augment them if so needed.  Also, students need to have chapters 6-9 of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas read by Monday, October 29th.

English 10
We finished our comparative analysis of The Crucible and The Village in class today.

Monday, October 22nd

Pre-AP English 9
Coming off of last week's midterm, we have started a new nine weeks and a new emphasis for our reading in the class.  We are shifting our focus from more classical literature to more modern literature, in an attempt to continue answering the question, "What is prejudice, and does it still affect our lives today?"  To begin our foray into this more modern literature, students will begin writing their research papers this week.  Today, we went over the research packet and the research process in-depth.  Please make sure your student has his or her copy of the research packet.

If you would like to see the packet, including a breakdown of the research grade, you can download a partial copy at the following link (it's the entire packet minus the section about how to cite resources): click here

Homework:  Students need to review their research packets and ensure that they fully understand the research process.   Also, students need to read chapters 6-9 in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

English 10
Today, students began a comparative analysis between The Crucible and The Village.  Students also turned in their research papers.

Friday, October 19th

Welcome to Football Rivalry Weekend!

Pre-AP English 9
Students took their midterm today.

Homework: Students need to read chapters 1-5 of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by Monday, October 22nd.  They also need to finish the To Kill a Mockingbird Pre-Reading Packet by Monday (with the exception of the character worksheet.)

English 10

Students took their midterm today.

Homework:  Students need to complete all components of their research paper this weekend.  All parts of the paper are due on Monday.  Students need to make sure to complete the following:

... Note Cards (5 bib cards and 50 note cards)
... Outline (hand-written)
... Rough Draft (hand-written)
... Final Draft (typed, correctly formatted, with a title page, and a bibliography)

Please refer back to the research paper packet for the specifications and examples of each component.

Thursday, October 18th

Pre-AP English 9
2nd Block-  We reviewed for the midterm in today's class.
4th Block- Students took the midterm in today's class.

Homework:  2nd block students need to continue studying for the midterm that they will take tomorrow.
Everyone needs to make sure read chapters 1-5 in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by Monday.  Students also need to finish the To Kill a Mockingbird Pre-Reading Packet by Monday as well (with the exception of the "Character Worksheet.")

English 10
Students continued typing their research papers during class today.

Homework:  Students need to study for the midterm that will be administered tomorrow. Also, students need to finish up all components of the research packet.  These will all be due on Monday, October 22nd.

Tuesday, October 16th

Pre-AP English 9
We finished watching Simon Birch in class today and discussed how we would write a comparative analysis between it and Romeo and Juliet.  We also took a moment to review figurative language.

Homework: Students need to study for the Unit Test and the midterm.  The Unit Test will be given tomorrow.  The midterm will be given on Thursday (for fourth block) and Friday (for second block).

English 10
Students began writing their outline and rough draft for the research paper in class today.

Homework:  Students need to finish their rough drafts at home tonight.  They will use tomorrow to begin typing their paper.

Monday, October 15

Pre-AP English 9
We finished reading and discussing Romeo and Juliet in today's class, and we made sure to mention the main themes of the play.  Afterwards, we began watching Simon Birch, a movie with many similarities to Romeo and Juliet.  We will use this movie to compose a comparative analysis.

Homework: Students need to begin studying for the Unit Test that will be given on Wednesday, October 17th and the midterm, that will be on Thursday (for 4th block) and Friday (for 2nd block).

The Unit Test will cover:
... Words of the Day
... Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
... Parts of Speech
... Sentence Objects and Complements
... Phrases (verbals, appositives, and prepositions)
... Figurative Language
... Freytag's triangle
... Shakespeare Notes
... Action of Romeo and Juliet

Also, if students would like to get ahead, they should go ahead and begin reading chapters 1-5 of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.  These need to be read by Monday, October 22nd.

English 10
We continued the research process in the library today.  By the end of the day, students should have finished finding their five sources and writing ten note cards for each source.

Homework:  Students need to finish their hand-written outline by the beginning of class tomorrow.  (An example of an outline can be found in the research packet that was handed out to the class.)

Friday, October 12th

Pre-AP English 9
In today's class, we finished reading over Acts IV and V of Romeo and Juliet.

Homework:  Students need to review the action of the last two acts of Romeo and Juliet.  They should also study for the Unit Test and Midterm that will both be given next week.

ANNOUNCEMENT:  Students need to make sure that they have their copy of Boy in the Striped Pajamas by Monday. They will receive their first reading assignment from the book on this day.

English 10
Students continued their library research today in class.

Homework: Students need to finish their first thirty note cards and have them ready to turn in on Monday morning.

Thursday, October 11th

Pre-AP English 9
In today's class, we discussed pronoun-antecedent agreement.  This is a grammatical concept that should be fairly straightforward but is sometimes tricky, so, parents, please make sure your student understands this idea before we move on to anything else in the class.

If you or your student need help with pronoun-antecedent agreement (including a helpful quiz) click here.

After this grammar lesson, we began discussing Act IV of Romeo and Juliet.

Homework:  Students should finish reading Act IV and begin reading Act V of Romeo and Juliet.

English 10
We continued our research efforts today as students went to the library to continue to find information on their topic of choice.

THE FIRST SET OF NOTE CARDS (20 cards) IS DUE TOMORROW!  THIS WILL BE A GRADE, SO PLEASE BE SURE TO TURN IN YOUR CARDS!

Wednesday, October 10th

Pre-AP English 9
Students took the second test on Romeo and Juliet today.

Homework:  Students should begin reading Act IV of Romeo and Juliet.

English 10
Students finished watching The Crucible today.  Afterwards, we began the research process for the research paper that the students will write this week.

For a copy of the research packet (including due dates for the different parts of the assignment) click here.

Tuesday, October 9th

Pre-AP English 9
In today's class, we spent time discussing transitive and intransitive verbs, along with sentence objects and complements.  Afterwards, we quickly discussed Act III of Romeo and Juliet.

If students need extra help with transitive and intransitive verbs, they can click here to get it.

Homework:  Students need to study for the second Romeo and Juliet test that will be given tomorrow.  It will cover...
... Words of the Day
... Transitive and Intransitive Verbs / Sentence objects and complements
... Acts II and III of Romeo and Juliet

English 10
Today we finished The Crucible.  Students also continued to work on the study questions that accompany the play and the movie.

Homework: Students need to finish the study questions for The Crucible and the character worksheet that we have been working on while reading the play.  These are both due tomorrow.

Also, students need to bring a pack of index cards or $5 to buy a research pack from the library TOMORROW.  We will begin research papers tomorrow.

Monday, October 8

Pre-AP English 9
"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players..."  This quote had a literal manifestation in today's class as students performed a "translated" version of Romeo and Juliet's balcony scene.  After the performance, we continued discussing Act II, looking for ways that Shakespeare indirectly characterizes Romeo, thereby giving us his personal opinion on the idea of love at first sight.

Homework: Students need to read Act III of Romeo and Juliet.

English 10
We finished chunking Act III of The Crucible in today's class, and then we watched The Crucible movie, also written and produced by Arthur Miller.  Students focused on finding differences between the play and movie, and they answered several questions that helped highlight the play's theme.

Homework: Finish the "Short Answer Study Guide Questions" given in class.

Friday, October 5th

Pre-AP English 9
We started out the class today by writing a journal that chronicled our personal experiences with prejudice and racism.  It was both heart-breaking and harrowing to hear some of the experiences that the students have had and to know that such blatant ignorance and hatred still abound in our society.  Hopefully, our reading this semester will help to curb that type of thinking in this generation of students.

After the journal, students divided into groups and "translated" Act II, scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet, which they will perform on Monday.

Homework:  Students need to finish reading Act II of Romeo and Juliet by Monday.

English 10
We reviewed transitive and intransitive verbs in today's class and then added sentence objects and complements to the mix.  After this grammar, we continued chunking Act III of The Crucible.

Thursday, October 4th

Pre-AP English 9
Students took the first Romeo and Juliet in class today.

Homework: Students need to read pages 723-731 in their literature textbook.  (Scene 1 and 2 of Act II in Romeo and Juliet)

ANNOUNCEMENT: Students need to have their copy of John Boyne's Boy in the Striped Pajamas by Monday, October 15th!
English 10
In class today, after practicing more with sentence parallelism,  we learned about transitive and intransitive verbs.  To finish out the class, we began chunking Act III of The Crucible.

Wednesday, October 3rd

Pre-AP English 9
In class today, we finished reading and reviewing Act I of Romeo and Juliet.

Homework: Students need to study for the Act I test that will be given tomorrow.  Please look on previous blogs for a study guide for the test.

English 10
We finished Act II of The Crucible today and took the test on Act I and II.

Tuesday, October 2nd

Pre-AP English 9
To make sure students are ready for the next test, we spent time today reviewing the different types of grammatical phrases we have covered (verbals, appositives, and prepositions).  We also talked about some of the different themes of Romeo and Juliet, including fighting against fate, judging based on appearance (prejudice), and the eternity of love.

ANNOUNCEMENT:  The test that was scheduled for tomorrow is now going to be given on THURSDAY, October 4th

Homework:  Students need to review their Shakespeare notes and grammar notes in preparation for Thursday's test.

English 10
After discussing the prominence of prejudice in our society, we continued chunking Act II of The Crucible.

Homework:  Students should study their textual notes to prepare for the test that will be given tomorrow on The Crucible Act II. 

Monday, October 1st

Happy October!

Pre-AP English 9
After discussing appositives and prepositions briefly, we began reading through Act I of Romeo and Juliet today, paying special attention to Shakespeare's use of classical and Biblical allusions.

For extra help with appositives, click here.

Homework:  Students need to carefully review their Shakespeare notes in preparation for the test on Wednesday.  They also need to review their notes from our in-class reading of Romeo and Juliet.

Wednesday's test will cover...
... Words of the Day
... Verbals, Appositives, and Prepositions
... Shakespeare notes (look on Thursday, September 27th's post to download a copy of these)
... Act I of Romeo and Juliet

English 10
Our class was cut a little short today by an in-school concert, but we were able to discuss main ideas and begin chunking Act II of The Crucible.