Great Gatsby Gala

Here's what you decided to bring: 

Add to the comments below what else you plan to contribute to the event, such as decorations, activities, acting, music, lighting, party favors, etc.

Here's what's showing up when I login to Reading Plus: 

- Lanny Cardero - 2 sessions

- Everyone else - 0 sessions...

Remember, you have until Monday, April 30th to make up your missing sessions, or your Z's will remain in the gradeboook.  :o)

Test Prep/Tutoring!

To the right of our blog, there is an AICE icon; click on it to see the tutoring schedule.  You will need to sign up for the sessions in class.  We will only allow 30 students per session.  Basically, when you sign up, you will be making an appointment.  If you cannot make your appointment, we will need at least 24-hours notice, which will allow for someone else to take your slot.  If you do not show up (and you didn't cancel your appt), you will be penalized with an additional HW assignment--a lengthy, tedious one!  ;o)

We will have the sign-up sheets tomorrow.  Be sure to look at your calendar tonight to see which session(s) you would like to attend.

Homework - due Wednesday, 4/18 (along with the other 2 assignments below)!

Write the opening chapter of a novel entitled The Invasion. In your writing you should create a mood of fear and suspense.  Your chapter should be between 600-900 words, and it should also include 10 of your Unit 9 vocab words (underline them, please).  You should consider that in the opening chapter, we usually have the setting and the onset of a conflict, background, and/or some characterization. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE MARK SCHEME  (You already have a copy of this mark scheme, but I provided the link just in case.  It's on pg. 3, so scroll down to Section A: Narrative/Descriptive/Imaginative Writing.)

No typing!   If you fail to do the assignment, plagiarize, etc., I will be calling home.

Have fun at the beach.

See you Wednesday, READY TO ROLL!

Unit 9 Vocabulary Words

Create a chart with your Unit 9 vocab words.  In your chart, include the word, definition, phonetic pronunciation (e.g., PRO-NUN-SEE-AY-SHUN), the part of speech, two synonyms, and one antonym.  You CANNOT type it :)  This is due on Wednesday when you walk in the door.
Click here for Unit 9 words


Check back for your other homework assignment.  I won't be able to post it until tomorrow.  :o)


Also, remember to write your thesis statements. :o)

Home Learning - Due Thursday, 4/12

For homework, you are responsible for writing a discursive/argumentative essay (600-900 words) about one of the following prompts:

1.  "The Olympic Games are a complete waste of money and should be abolished." What do you think--and why?
2.  Write a magazine article called "Looking Good and Feeling Good," in which you explore how teenagers can lead a healthy and active lifestyle, and why they should. 
3.  "Social networking sites--such as Facebook and Twitter--do more harm than good."  What do you think--and why?
4.  At a school debate called "The School Leaving Age" two speakers each present their views.  One is in favor of lowering the leaving age, the other is in favor of making it higher.  Write the two speeches (between 300-450 words each).

Your writing must accurately and substantially answer the prompt and it must convey a strong command of the English language! 
We will use these in class on Thursday, so come prepared!  I expect no less than 100% completion!  :o)

See you Thursday!  I missed you all today!  :o)

Home learning due Friday, 5/23 :o)

Study for your grammar/sentence structure test.  :o)

Complete passages 3 and 4 on the ACT website, as you did for passage 1 on Monday evening.
(Use the same link below and click on passage 3/4.)

See you Friday!  :o)

Click here to access the documents for home learning.

I need you to print numbers 1, 4, and 5. 

Also, click here for your practice ACT questions.  Simply write your answers on a sheet of paper to turn in next class.
See you Wednesday.  :o)

Spring Break Homework - Due Monday, March 19th

Click here for your grammar assignment. 

:o)  Enjoy your week off.  When we return, we'll pick up the pace, exponentially!

To all underclassmen NHS inductees:

Tomorrow's NHS lunch meeting is postponed until after spring break.  Please advise your friends & classmates who also applied for membership.  :o)  Thank you!

Periods 3 & 5 HW

Periods 3 & 5 HW

Click here for you homework. :o)   Remember to give your vocab spectrum a theme, and be sure to label the outliers!  This is due on Tuesday<--notice the change!  Do not come to class unprepared on Tuesday!  Spread the word about the due date being TUESDAY.

Your writing assignment is due on Thursday. 

 

Enjoy your weekend!  :o)

Home Learning due Thursday, 2/16

Thanks for the heads up about the post not posting!  (I've FINALLY come to the realization that I have to post from home, because my posts haven't been successful from school.)

You are responsible for writing a Valentine's Day letter from one character to another in Their Eyes Were Watching God.  The challenge is to include the voice of the character you choose as well as details from the novel to support your stance.

I will give you some time to work on this in class since the post did not post.  :o)  No worries.

Home Learning, Due Monday & Wednesday, 1/31 and 2/2

For Their Eyes Were Watching God, choose your favorite scene.  Then, make a list of 20 quotes (throughout the entire book, not just from that favorite scene) that exemplify 5 different literary or syntactical tools (4 for each of the 5) that Hurston incorporates in the novel.  We have discussed several in class.  If you do not wish to make a separate list, use sticky notes to mark the pages of the quotes directly in your book.  YOU WILL NEED THESE FOR OUR CLASS ACTIVITY ON MONDAY, SO COME PREPARED! 

You also need to make notecards for ALL the words and roots. (Here is the link to the comprehensive word list.)  You are allowed to group words that mean the same thing.  Do not group words that are of different parts of speech!  On one side should be the word (or words), and the other side should have the definition and/or a synonym.  No typing!  THIS IS DUE ON WEDNESDAY, but START NOW!

Enjoy your weekend!  :o)

If you are interested in going on the Zora Neale Hurston Festival field trip next Friday, 1/27, post a comment ASAP.  It's $30.  If we get enough people to sign up, we may still be able to afford a Coach bus! :0) Plan to be gone all day; we are expected to return around 11:00 pm.

Home learning - due Tuesday, 1/17

Read chapters 6-9 of TEWWG.

Complete the 2 handouts (<--- click if you need them) I gave you in class and identify 2 examples of imagery in each of chapters 7, 8, and 9 (for a total of 6 examples of imagery).  Be sure to identify which sense is being appealed to, the literary technique employed, and the meaning (just at the second handout does). 

Get started on your reading and assignment so you can enjoy your long weekend!  ;o)

Homework - Due Thursday, 1/12

Finish reading chapters 1- 4 of Their Eyes Were Watching God, and create your own bookmark! 

SIDE ONE - you need to look for literary tools that are present in these chapters.  You will need to find two different lit tools per tier then include them on your bookmark.  You will write the lit tool, the example from the book, why the author used it, as well as the page number:

Tier One - metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia, oxymoron
Tier Two - personification, paradox, hyperbole, allusion
Tier Three - apostrophe, metonymy, pun, or irony (verbal, situational or dramatic)

You will also need to give the four chapters ONE title! 

SIDE TWO will reflect your vocab at work.  You are NOT looking for the vocab words in the chapters; rather, you are looking for events or situations that are examples of your vocab words.  You will only need to do do this for 7 words from the Unit 7 word list.  You will write the vocab word, the quote that relates to the word, the page number and a brief explanation why that word relates to that quote. 

Write your name, the date and the period on this side at the bottom :o)

Don't forget to also add to our lexicon below! 

LEXICON for Their Eyes Were Watching God

Some of you may find it difficult to read Their Eyes Were Watching God because of the southern dialect.  Never fear - we've got each other's backs!  We'll start a lexicon to help us with the reading! 

If you find a word that you've figured out, post a comment with the word and its modern-day translation.

Read the ones below, and let's add more under COMMENTS as we go!

"useter" - used to
"git" - get
"chillun" - children
"mah" - my
"de" - the
"fuh" for
"thu" to
"dawgs" - dogs
"dem" - them
"ah" - I
"gwine" - going to
"dat" - that
"ole" - old
"lak" - like
"betcha" - bet you
"sho" - sure
"g'wan" - go on
"keer" - care

Vocabulary Unit 7 Words

Create a chart with the word, definition, part of speech, 2 synonyms, and 1 antonym for each word.

Pugnacious:  having a quarrelsome or combative nature
Sodden:  heavy with or as if with moisture or water
Languid:  drooping or flagging from or as if from exhaustion
Sanctum:  a place where one is free from intrusion
Conjecture:  an inference from defective or presumptive evidence
brazen:  sounding harsh and loud like struck brass
temerity:  unreasonable or foolhardy contempt of danger or opposition
coquetry:  a flirtatious act or attitude
fractious:  tending to be troublesome
promoter:  a substance that in very small amounts is able to increase the activity of a catalyst
menial:  of or relating to servants
confidante:  a trusted ally, possibly female
cur:  a surly or cowardly fellow
usurp:  to take or make use of without right
commiserate:  to feel or express sympathy
ostentatious:  a rather pretentious display
chastise:  to inflict punishment on
wanton:  the act of being mischeivously playful
privy:  belonging or relating to a person in one's individual rather than official capacity

Their Eyes Were Watching God

I found the novels on amazon.com for $10.89 with free shipping.  If you would like me to order a book for you, please comment below and bring the money on Friday.  (Spread the word about this post to your classmates.)

I will place the order tomorrow evening. 

Reading Assessment Dates for Their Eyes Were Watching God 

(I will likely have to modify the schedule depending on the novels' arrival.)

1/10 - Ch. 1-4
1/12 - Ch. 5-6
1/17 - Ch. 7-9
1/19 - Ch. 10-12
1/24 - Ch. 13-17
1/26 - Ch. 18-20

You will need to maintain an 80% average on all TEWWG quizzes in order to attend our field trip to the Zora Neale Hurston Festival in Eatonville, Florida on 1/27.

Grammar Notes and Review (Wednesday, 1/4)

Click here for the grammar notes.

Click here for the 20 Most Common Grammatical Mistakes