Thusrday, September 15, 205

English 3 -- Turn in your worksheets from Act 2 today at the beginning of the hour. We will begin reading Act 3 today.

English 4 -- We will discuss your thesis sentences in class today. The rest of the hour will be yours to finish your drafts so that tomorrow you can peer edit for each other. Essays will be due Monday when you walk in the classroom.

Speech -- Test over Chapter 3 today. We will watch videos tomorrow.

Reading Lab -- We will watch your Power Point presentations today. Tomorrow, we will begin choosing books to read.

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

English 3 --You will get into assigned groups and read Act 2. Assign each group member a part. Discuss periodically as needed. For homework, answer the questions on the worksheet the sub will give you.

English 4 -- Work on your rough draft. By the end of the hour, turn in your thesis statement. The following website might be of help in developing your theisis statement: http://www.wonderfulwritingskillsunhandbook.com/html/thesis_worksheet.html

Speech -- impromptu speeches

Reading Lab--finish working on your Power Point presentations.

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

English 3 -- We will continue reading. Most of you have been assigned parts. Don't forget to be reading at home and practicing so that your presentation is smooth and has emotion.

English 4 -- We will have a guest speaker, Jason Swann, from RLC today. I do not know how much classtime he will take. It is possible that he might take all hour. Continue working at home on your drafts. We will practice more common grammar errors as well as discuss "The Fine Art of Complaining" tomorrow. Tomorrow, I will check for a thesis statement.

Speech -- You should be working on getting together to film your commercials. Remember, if you don't have access in your group to a video camera let me know ASAP so we can arrange for you to meet me before or after school to film. Commercials are due Friday in class. We will continue practicing recognizing logical fallacies and propaganda.

Reading Lab -- Keep working on your Power Point presentations. They are looking great! Remember, at least five slides and three pictuers that go with the book. In your presentation, tell what happened in the book. For your last two slides (Dustyn, just one last slide), tell what the favorite part of the book was and why for each person in your group.

Monday, September 12, 2005

English 3 -- We didn't get as far Friday as I had hoped we would. Therefore, we will take the vocab test today, then begin Act 2. Remember, you should have practiced your part so that today you can read it fluently and with emotion (we don't want to fall asleep from boredom :) ) Tonight, some of you will have new assigned parts to practice for tomorrow.

English 4 --We will discuss "Cyberschool" and the two sets of questions that followed. For homework, read "The Fine Art of Complaining." At home, begin working on your process analysis draft.

Speech -- Work on your draft for your commercial.

Reading -- We will begin working on your individual Power Point presentations over The Lottery Rose.

Friday, September 9, 2005

English 3 -- We will finish our vocabulary story that we started yesterday. Afterward, we will begin reading Act II. Several of you were assigned parts yesterday. You should be prepared to read fluently and with some emotion. Vocabulary test over Act I Monday.

English 4 -- We will discuss "Your New Computer" and the two sets of questions that followed. Tonight, read "Cyberschool" and do the two sets of questions that follow.

Speech -- We will go over the worksheet you completed with a partner (logical fallacies/propaganda). Next, we will discuss how to make commercials.

Reading Lab -- We finished our first book! Today, all hour, in celebration we will play Bookworm. Monday, we will begin creating Power Point presentations over the The Lottery Rose.

Thursday, September 8, 2005

English 3 -- Turn in completed character wheel worksheets that you completed yesterday with your group. We will practice vocabulary again today. Test wil be Monday.

English 4 -- We will discuss narration. I will hand back (I hope) your description essays today.

Speech -- We will continue practicing identifying logical fallacies and propaganda. If time allows, we will begin discussing commercials that you will create next week.

Reading Lab-- Only two chapters left in our book! We will continue "Say Something!" and our Bookworm contest.

Wednesday, September 7, 2005

English 3 -- You need to post your draft of your letter from Act I to your blog today. You will then be assigned a group to work with and a character wheel to complete in your group. Continue studying your vocabulary words. The quiz will be Friday. Tomorrow, we will play a game to help you remember definitions.

English 4 -- Several of you did not have your drafts completed yesterday, which made it difficult to have it checked over by a partner for vivid verbs, colorful language, similes, etc. Today is your last day to work in class, though your paper is due tomorrow (Thursday) by the end of the day. I will give you a rubric that I will use to grade your paper. This should give you a clear guide in which to check your paper before turning it in.

Speech -- You did great with mnemonic devices yesterday. Today, we will discuss logical fallacies and dissect several advertisements to see how they are persuading us.

Reading Lab -- You did awesome yesterday with "Say Something." We will read Chapter 12 and practice "Say Something" again. Also, we will continue our Bookworm contest. We're halfway through the contest. Keep making those longer words for more points!!!

Tuesday, September 6, 2005

English 3 -- We will finish reading Act I today in class. You will then need to write the following in your blog: Write a journal entry of either Betty, Abigail, or Reverend Parris that clearly shows his/her thinking so far in Act I. Include elements of the plot so far. Here's an example for Reverend Hale (not a choice for this assignment):


Salem, 1692
Well, here I am. I have been called from my hometown of Beverly by the Reverend Parris to determine what ails his daughter, Betty. They say she lies inert in her bed and has attempted to fly out her window. Apparently, Betty and some other girls danced in the woods and Goody Putnam has confessed to me that she sent her daughter Ruth to the woods to talk to her seven dead babies. The girls danced around a kettle with a frog inside. Additionally, Giles has now mentioned that his wife reads mysterious books and when she does, he cannot pray. However, after she puts away her books, he can again resume his prayers. Very suspicious. Since I am a learned man who has dealt with this situation just recently, I feel I am the one to solve their problems. Parris has agreed to abide by my decision as to whether witchcraft is or is not involved.

For homework, begin learning the definitions of the vocabulary words from Act I that I will give you today. They are words that often appear on ACT and SAT exams.

English 4 -- We will discuss your rough drafts today. I will ask you to look for weaknesses in vivid details, weak verbs, lack of similes and metaphors. Final drafts will be due Thursday by the end of the day. However, tomorrow is the last class day to work on them.

Speech -- We will continue discussing Chapter 3. We may try to get the following sites to work:
http://pbskids.org/dontbuyit/advertisingtricks/whatsinanad.html

http://www.coke.com/usa/tvcommercials/index.html

http://www.pbs.org/30secondcandidate/tricks_of_the_trade

Reading Lab -- I hope we will finish our book this week. We will continue working on asking questions and learn a new technique this week called "Say Something." We will also continue our Bookworm competition.

Friday, September 2, 2005

NO SCHOOL MONDAY!!!

English 3 -- We will continue in Act I today. If you were absent yesterday, see me immediately to make up the pop quiz from yesterday.

English 4 -- We will discuss "Bombs Bursting in Air" and look at a sample essay. Then, I will give you time to brainstorm and possibly begin your exemplification draft.

Speech -- Today, we will begin Chapter 3. The last 15 minutes or so we will continue impromptu speeches for those of you who haven't yet given them.

Reading -- We are close to being finished with our first book. I will again read aloud today and expect you to raise your hand if you don't understand something so we can discuss it. You have done very well with that the last two days. Afterwards, we will continue our Bookworm contest. Try to make longer words so you can earn more points!

Thursday, September 1, 2005

English 3 -- Take quiz. We will then continue Act I of The Crucible.

English 4 -- We will discuss "Tweens..." and work on revision from the concepts learned yesterday from the LCBH book. For homework, read "Bombs Bursting in Air" and do the two sets of questions that follow. Begin to think about which topic you'd like to write on for your Exemplification essay.

Speech -- Test today. Afterwards, we will give impromptu speeches.

Reading Lab -- We are really far along in the book The Lottery Rose. We will work on predicting again today and asking questions. Part of the hour, we will play Bookworm on the Internet and race against each other in teams for the highest score in making words.

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

English 3 -- We will continue reading The Crucible.

English 4 -- We will discuss "Sexism and Language." For homework, read "Tweens: Ten Going on Sixteen" and do the two sets of questions that follow. In class, we will discuss "Clarity and Style" from the LBCH textbook.

Speech -- We will go over the review sheet for Chapter 2. Test is tomorrow. We will begin impromptu speeches today.

Reading Lab -- You are all doing very well on making predictions about the story we are reading. We are on Chapter 7 of The Lottery Rose.

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

English 3 -- We will begin reading _The Crucible_ today.

English 4 -- Descriptive essays due today. We will begin exemplification and narration this week.

Speech -- We will go over the Chapter 2 study guide. Test is Wednesday.

Reading -- We will continue reading _The Lottery Rose_ and making predictions. Yesterday's predictions were awesome!

Monday, August 29, 2005

English 3 -- We will discuss the author of _The Crucible_ and why it was written, then discuss the background of the Salem witch trials. Afterwards, we will begin reading.

English 4 -- We will put the final touches on final description drafts and turn them in by the end of the day.

Speech -- We will continue with Chapter 2.

Reading -- After reading more of the Lottery Rose, we will work on predicting.

Friday, August 26, 2005

English 3 -- We will finish discussing the Puritans today. Afterwards, we will discuss background to the Crucible and McCarthyism. With the remaining time, we will assign parts to _The Crucible_ and begin.

English 4 -- We will type and revise essays all hour. They are due Monday.

Speech -- We will continue with Chapter 2.

Reading -- We will continue to work on reading _The Lottery Rose_ and make questions and discover answers to our questions.

Thursday, August 25, 2005

English 3 -- Yesterday, we discussed the Gettysburg Address and "Imagine" by Lennon. After discussing what Americans are searching for and whether it is attainable, we will today learn about the Pilgrims and Puritans. If time allows, we will look at poetry by Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor and discuss how the Puritan views are/are not displayed.

English 4 -- Yesterday we discussed "The Jacket" and looked at the dominant impression, orgizational patter, and craft (similes, metaphors, personification). Homework assignment will be to read "Once More to the Lake" and answer the first two sets of questions that follow. In class, we will work on first drafts focusing on description. Your topic can be found on page 110, question 1. Tomorrow, after discussing "Once More to the Lake," you will be allowed time to type.

Speech -- we will begin Chapter 2 today.

Reading -- We will continue reading _The Lottery Rose_ and asking questions. The second half of class, we will look at the questions you wrote yesterday and we will discuss how to find the answers to those questions.

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

English 3 -- We will discuss how you marked the text of "Imagine" by John Lennon. Then, we will discuss Socratic Circles. For homework, you will be expected to mark text in preparation for a class discussion tomorrow.

English 4 -- Fourth Hour, since there was no class yesterday due to class meetings, we will catch up. We will finish discussing the chapter over description, then we will discuss your observations (page 82, question 2). Next, we will discuss Gary Soto's "The Jacket" and the first two sets of questions that follow the passage. We will get as far as we can and finish discussion tomorrow. For homework, please read "Once More to the Lake" on pages 104-109 and do the two sets of questions that follow.
Eighth Hour we will discuss what you came up with during your observation (page 82, question 2). Afterwards, we will discuss "The Jacket" and the questions that were assigned to open class dialogue about the author's craft. For homework, please read "Once More to the Lake" on pages 104-109 and do the two sets of questions that follow.

Speech -- Chapter 1 test today. If time allows, we will begin Chapter 2.

Reading -- We will begin Chapter 2 of _The Lottery Rose_ and continue drawing pictures of what we hear as well as writing questions that we wonder about and making predictions of what we think will happen. Then, we will go back to the story that we discussed yesterday (unknown words) and write questions about it.

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

English 3 -- We will discuss how to mark text for discussion and how to choose what works best for you. We will then practice marking text for class.

English 4 -- We will continue our discussion of Chapter 2: "Description." In addition, please do page 82, question number 2 and read "The Jacket" and do the two sets of questions after the selection for tomorrow. I will not see fourth hour very long due to class meetings, but you still will be expected to the homework assigned.

Speech -- We will continue working on the Chapter 1 study guide. Test is tomorrow over Chapter 1.

Reading -- We will read more in our book The Lottery Rose. Also, we will look at the story you highlighted yesterday and work on finding places with questions and predictions.

MONDAY August 22, 2005

English 3 -- Friday, most of you posted your "American Dream" paragraphs to your blog. If not, do that ASAP. Additionally, several of you need to turn in your signed papers NOW. Today, we will discuss what type of reader each of you is. We will also discuss discussion, dialogue, and debate.

English 4 -- We will finish Chapter 1 and move on to description. Your first essay is due Friday.

Speech -- We will review Chapter 1 and prepare for our first test. We will also finish any bag speeches we did not get to Friday.

Reading -- We will be reading and practicing goal setting and questioning.

August 19, 2005

English 3 -- Today, we will discuss the theme for this class for this year. We will take a tour of my website so you are familiar with where everything is. We will write our personal views of what it means to be an American and what your American dream is then publish it on our blogs.

English 4 -- We will finish Chapter 1 in _The Longman Reader_ and begin Chapter 1 in _The Little, Brown Handbook_.

Speech -- Remember, bag speeches are due tomorrow. You will earn full credit just for bringing five items in a bag and presenting those items to the class. Please, do NOT show or tell others what is in your bag before you present. Today, we will continue discussing Chapter 1.

Reading -- Yesterday, we discussed why it is important to read well. We learned two strategies for becoming a better reader. Those were
1) Set a purpose for reading before you begin
2) Make sure you notice (we highlighted) words you do not understand.
We then discussed what we can do to figure out answers to what we don't understand. Today, we will practice doing more of the same. Also, we will learn to ask questions about what we read.

August 18, 2005

English 3 -- Turn in signed forms ASAP. We will be creating our own blogs for posting and commenting this year.

English 4 -- We will begin discussing Chapter 1: "The Writing Process" of _The Longman Handbook_.

Speech -- We will begin Chapter 1 today.

Reading -- Most of you mentioned yesterday that you hope to learn to read better and faster in this class. Today, we will begin discussing what good readers do and start to learn some strategies for reading better.