Week of December 16-20

Monday, December 16:

• Introduction to essay "No-Nos"
• Complete both Bad Habits Exercises in your small groups.  Circle any "No-Nos" and label the number of the rule violation next to the error.  We discuss the answers as a whole class.
• Edit rough drafts for essay "No-Nos"
• The Odyssey Literary Essay final draft due Thursday!

Tuesday, December 17:

• Works Cited page instructions
• Computer lab time to work on essays

Wednesday, December 18:

• Sentence starter help
• Computer lab time to work on essays

Thursday, December 19:

• The Odyssey Literary Essay due.  Highlight or underline all of your sentence starters.  Please staple the following items in order (from top to bottom):
• Rubric
• Final Draft
• Writing Center sheet (if applicable)
• Rough Draft
• Peer-Editing sheet
• Notes: Pronouns

Friday, December 20:

• Extra Credit Holiday Activity
• Have a great break! :)

Week of December 9-13

Monday, December 9:

• Continue to work on your essay packet.  One of your body paragraphs must be completed by the end of the hour.  This will be stamped for points.

Tuesday, December 10:

• Complete your second body paragraph by the end of the hour.  If you finish early, read the directions for writing your introduction and conclusion in your style guide; use this to get started with writing these paragraphs.  You will receive direction instruction on how to complete both paragraphs on Thursday.
• The Odyssey Literary Essay Rough Draft:  Due Friday, December 13.

Wednesday, December 11:

• MLA formatting instructions
• Computer lab to type essays.  Be sure to type both body paragraphs before the end of class; complete them at home if you do not finish in time.

Thursday, December 12:

• Instructions on how to write the introduction and conclusion for the essay
• In-class work time to begin writing the introduction and conclusion

Friday, December 13:

• Rough Draft of essay due:  completed rough drafts will be stamped.  Save for stamped rough draft to turn in with your final draft next week; it is worth 10 points!
• Guided self-editing for MLA formatting, introduction, and conclusion
• Peer-editing for body paragraphs.  Be sure to complete the peer-edit check sheet for your partner. These should be saved for your final draft as well.
• HW:  Bring your rough drafts to class again on Monday; we will edit for grammar and essay "No-Nos"

Week of December 2-6

Monday, December 2:

• Finish reading Books 21-22 and complete the processing sheets
• Get started on reading Book 23 and completing the processing sheet
• HW: Books 21-22 processing sheets due tomorrow
• HW: Book 23 processing sheet due Thursday

Tuesday, December 3:

• Check and discuss Books 21-22 processing sheets
• Notes: How to Write a Thesis Statement
• HW: Choose an essay topic and write a thesis statement as described in your notes.  I must approve your thesis statement before you can begin working on your essay.  This must be approved by the end of class tomorrow.
• Books 9-12 Quiz on Friday!

Wednesday, December 4:

• The Odyssey Literary Essay due dates:
• Rough Draft:  Due Friday, December 13
• Final Draft:  Due Thursday, December 19
• Work Day!  Please work on the following items in order:
• Write and/or revise your thesis statement.  This must be approved by the end of the hour.
• Finish Book 23 and complete the processing sheet.  This is due tomorrow.
• Use The Odyssey to begin finding quotes (concrete details) that support your thesis statement.  Write the quotes in your outline packets.

Thursday, December 5:

• Writer Center sign-up information - you will receive 5 points of extra credit if you attended a Writing Center conference for your essay.
• Notes:  How to use Concrete Details in an Essay
• Practice citing concrete details from The Odyssey properly
• Continue finding and properly citing concrete details for your essay

Friday, December 6:

• Quiz: The Odyssey Books 9-12
• Work on your essay outline packet; continue to find and properly cite your quotes.  After you finish finding your quotes, write your commentary for your body paragraphs.

Week of November 25-29

Monday, November 25:

• Read through the summaries for Books 13-20. Pay special attention to the bolded portions.
• Go over Book 12 processing sheet
• Begin reading Book 21 in class
• Commas and semicolons quiz tomorrow!

Tuesday, November 26:

• Quiz: Commas and Semicolons
• Finish reading Book 21 in groups and begin completing the Books 21-22 processing sheet. The worksheet will be finished in class on Monday of next week. Have a great Thanksgiving break!

Week of November 18-22

Monday, November 18:

• Warm-Up
• Begin reading Book 10 of The Odyssey in class
• Non-Fiction Friday this week
• Greek Gods & Goddesses quiz tomorrow!

Tuesday, November 19:

• Quiz: Greek Gods & Goddesses
• Finish reading Book 10
• Receive summary of Book 11. This will not be read in class; please read the summary by tomorrow.

Wednesday, November 20:

• Read Book 12 in groups and complete the processing sheet.
• Commas and Semicolons quiz next week Tuesday

Thursday, November 21:

• Receive The Odyssey Literary Essay assignment and shaping sheets - due date TBA
• Commas and Semicolons review game
• Finish Book 12 processing sheet

Friday, November 22:

• Non-Fiction Friday #5:
• Write responses to the questions (listed on the handout) for your article (15 mins)
• Whole-class discussion on a chosen student's article. You must speak at least once in order to receive full credit for the discussion portion of your grade.

Week of November 11-15

Monday, November 11:

• Warm-Up
• Begin reading Book 9 of The Odyssey aloud in class. We will be stopping at various points in the reading to discuss the book.
• Fiction Friday this week!
• Greek Gods/Goddesses Quiz next week Tuesday, November 19.

Tuesday, November 12:

• Warm-Up
• Continue reading Book 9
• Comma Practice 3: Add or delete commas from the provided paragraph. We will go over the answers at the end of the hour.

Wednesday, November 13:

• Writing reflection: Quarter 1
• Notes: Semicolons
• Finish reading Book 9 - complete the reading in your groups. Take turns reading aloud and summarizing.

Thursday, November 14:

• Book 9 Comic Activity
• Summarize the 8 most important events of Book 9 by creating a comic. Use one frame for each event. Avoid writing captions or dialogue; use MINIMUM text if needed. Draw straight lines when appropriate and use color. Blank paper and coloring utensils will be provided. Due Monday, November 18.

Friday, November 15:

• Fiction Friday #5:
• Read your choice book. Continue to do so even after you finish your reading log.
• Complete your reading log: write one summary paragraph, one analytic paragraph, and one personal reaction paragraph. Follow the directions on the handout given to you. This is due at the end of the hour.

Week of November 4-8

Monday, November 4:

• Check Warm-Ups
• Finish mythology presentations

Tuesday, November 5:

• No school - enjoy your day off! :)

Wednesday, November 6:

• Warm-Up
• Notes: Commas
• Work on comma practice 1 and 2 - due tomorrow!

Thursday, November 7:

• Warm-Up
• Check and go over comma practice 1 and 2
• Notes: The Odyssey Background: Books 1-8

Friday, November 8:

• Non-Fiction Friday #4:
• Write responses to the questions (listed on the handout) for your article (15 mins)
• Whole-class discussion on a chosen student's article. You must speak at least once in order to receive full credit for the discussion portion of your grade.

Week of October 28-November 1

Monday, October 28:

• Begin mythology project presentations
• Go over Right Word quiz
• Fiction Friday this week!
• Binder Check this week!

Tuesday, October 29:

• Continue mythology presentations
• In-class time to organize binders

Wednesday, October 30:

• Continue mythology presentations (3rd hour)
• No class for 4th and 5th hours today - go to your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd hour classes this morning.

Thursday, October 31:

• Continue mythology presentations (4th and 5th hours)
• No class for 3rd hour today - go to your 4th, 5th, and 6th hour classes this morning.

Friday, November 1:

• Fiction Friday #4:
• Read your choice book. Continue to do so even after you finish your reading log.
• Complete your reading log: write one summary paragraph, one analytic paragraph, and one personal reaction paragraph. Follow the directions on the handout given to you. This is due at the end of the hour.
• Binder Check

Week of October 21-25

Monday, October 21:

• Warm-Up
• Notes: Greek Gods and Goddesses
• Right Word quiz on Thursday
• Non-Fiction Friday this week
• Mythology Project due next week Monday.

Tuesday, October 22:

• Warm-Up
• Finish Greek Gods and Goddesses notes
• Discuss the Mythology Project. Students will have time to work on the project in the computer lab on Thursday.

Wednesday, October 23:

• Warm-Up
• Discuss project details
• MLA citation tutorial
• Plagiarism information

Thursday, October 24:

• Quiz: Right Word
• Computer lab time to research information for your project (this is also a good time to find an article for tomorrow!).

Friday, October 25:

• Non-Fiction Friday #3:
• Write responses to the questions (listed on the handout) for your article (15 mins)
• Whole-class discussion on a chosen student's article. You must speak at least once in order to receive full credit for the discussion portion of your grade.

Week of October 14-18

Monday, October 14:

• Warm-Up
• Work on study guide for Myths & Folktales test
• Myths & Folktales test on Thursday
• Fiction Friday this week!

Tuesday, October 15:

• Warm-Up
• Notes: Epics
• Group activity: Choose a book, movie, or TV show in popular culture. Use specific details from the story to prove how it fits the six criteria of an epic. Write your answers in your notes. We will share and discuss answers as a class.
• HW: Finish the back of the Right Word worksheet (from your Warm-Up) by tomorrow

Wednesday, October 16:

• Warm-Up
• Finish Epic group activity
• Read "Theseus" in groups. Show how the story fits the qualities of an epic by underlining or highlighting the evidence in the text. We will discuss this as a class.

Thursday, October 17:

• Test: Myths & Folktales
• If you finish early, you may read your choice book and work on your reading log.

Friday, October 18:

• Fiction Friday #3:
• Read your choice book. Continue to do so even after you finish your reading log.
• Complete your reading log: write one summary paragraph, one analytic paragraph, and one personal reaction paragraph. Follow the directions on the handout given to you. This is due at the end of the hour.

Week of October 7-11

Monday, October 7:

• Warm-Up
• Read "Green Willow" aloud (p. 8 in the literature textbook)
• Discuss the story
• Non-Fiction Friday this week!

Tuesday, October 8:

• Warm-Up
• "Green Willow" writing prompt info - receive instructions, shaping sheet, and rubric
• In-class time to work on shaping sheet and ask for help
• HW: Shaping sheet due tomorrow
• HW: Both "Green Willow" final draft AND Non-Fiction Friday article are due on Friday!

Wednesday, October 9:

• Warm-Up
• Stamp shaping sheet
• Notes: Using the Force... and the Right Word

Thursday, October 10:

• Warm-Up
• Continue Right Word notes ("Star Wars" and "Twilight")

Friday, October 11:

• Color code and turn in "Green Willow" paragraph
• Non-Fiction Friday #2:
• Write responses to the questions (listed on the handout) for your article (15 mins)
• Whole-class discussion on a chosen student's article. You must speak at least once in order to receive full credit for the discussion portion of your grade.

Week of September 30-October 4

Monday, September 30:

• Quiz: Parts of Speech
• Finish reading "Popul Vuh" (p. 76 in the literature textbook)
• HW: Think about the relationships between the creator(s) and the people in both "Genesis" and "Popul Vuh." What do these story details of "Popul Vuh" reveal about the culture? How do those cultural values differ from those revealed in "Genesis?" Be sure to also mention cultural values of "Genesis" in your answer. Due tomorrow!

Tuesday, October 1:

• Warm-Up
• Check last month's warm-ups (one week's worth)
• Notes: Body Paragraphs
• Whole-class practice on constructing a body paragraph

Wednesday, October 2:

• Warm-Up
• Finish body paragraph notes
• Read the folktale "Cinderella" and annotate on the following:
• Characteristics of a folktale
• Symbolism usage - a symbol is an object or person that stands for a larger idea. Look for possible symbols and their meanings.
• Class discussion on characteristics and symbolism of "Cinderella"

Thursday, October 3:

• Warm-Up
• Read "Slow, the Weaver" and "The Brahman's Dream" aloud in class (p. 146 in the literature textbook)
• HW: Work on the following questions (due Monday):
1. How do both stories fit the criteria of a folktale? Choose one criterion for one story and a different criterion for the other story. Support your answers with story details.
2. What do these stories suggest about the way women were viewed in ancient India?

Friday, October 4:

• Fiction Friday #2:
• Read your choice book. Continue to do so even after you finish your reading log.
• Complete your reading log: write one summary paragraph, one analytic paragraph, and one personal reaction paragraph. Follow the directions on the handout given to you. This is due at the end of the hour.

Week of September 23-27

Monday, September 23:

• There is a substitute teacher today: read "Noah and the Flood" on p. 70 of the literature textbook. Answer questions #2, #3, and #7 - due by the end of the hour.

Tuesday, September 24:

• Warm-Up
• Discuss "Noah and the Flood"
• Pass out and discuss handout/guidelines of Non-Fiction Friday. Students will bring an article to class every other Friday (switching between Fiction and Non-Fiction days) and respond to questions listed on the handout. Students will have 15 minutes to respond to and turn in the answers to the questions, along with the article itself. Next, a student will be chosen at random (through a number generator) to read his or her article aloud to the class. The same student will then lead discussion on the article by asking open-ended questions and calling on students, whose hands are raised, to respond. Discussion will continue until the end of the hour. Students receive points by responding to the article and speaking up in discussion at least once. 

Wednesday, September 25:

• Non-Fiction Friday practice round
• Read the assigned article and write quick responses to the assigned questions (15 mins)
• Whole-class discussion on the article. You must speak at least once to receive full credit.
• HW: Bring an article to class by Friday
• Parts of Speech quiz on Monday

Thursday, September 26:

• Warm-Up
• Parts of Speech review
• Begin reading "Popul Vuh" aloud in class (p. 76 in the literature textbook)

Friday, September 27:

• Non-Fiction Friday #1:
• Write responses to the questions (listed on the handout) for your article (15 mins)
• Whole-class discussion on a chosen student's article. You must speak at least once in order to receive full credit for the discussion portion of your grade.

Week of September 16-20

Monday, September 16:

• Warm-Up
• Notes: Parts of Speech. We will be viewing Grammar Rock to learn the parts of speech. More advanced terminology will be added as we progress through the DVD. 
• HW: Bring a fiction book to class by Friday!

Tuesday, September 17:

• Warm-Up
• Notes: Myths and Folktales
• Pass out and discuss Fiction Friday handout and more specific directions for reading logs.

Wednesday, September 18:

• Warm-Up
• Read "Creation and the Fall" from Genesis aloud in class (p. 65)
• HW: Write a paragraph that explains how "Creation and the Fall" shows the qualities of a myth. Be sure to include details from the story for every quality of a myth that you mention. Time will be given to get started on the assignment in class. Due tomorrow!

Thursday, September 19:

• Warm-Up
• Group activity: Parts of Speech posters. In your assigned small groups, you will be given a part of speech. The goal is to created a poster about your assigned part of speech. Include the part of speech name, a definition, three drawings that demonstrate the part of speech. three original sentences using the assigned part of speech, and lots of color. This is due by the end of the hour.

Friday, September 20:

• Fiction Friday #1:
• Read your choice book. Continue to do so even after you finish your reading log.
• Complete your reading log: write one summary paragraph, one analytic paragraph, and one personal reaction paragraph. Follow the directions on the handout given to you. This is due at the end of the hour.

Week of September 9-13

Monday, September 9:

• Pass back and discuss writing common assessment
• Grammar pre-test
• Write one thing you are excited about for this school year and anything important you wish to tell me. Turn this is by the end of the hour.

Tuesday, September 10:

• Information on Fiction Friday: The first Fiction Friday of the year is Friday, September 20. You must bring a school and reading-level appropriate book to class by then. If you are worried about finding a book, I have a few extra ones, but I do not have enough books for the whole class.
• Log into the English 9/World Literature resources site and the class website through ePark. Answer the questions about the class website as you browse. The questions are due at the end of the hour.

Wednesday, September 11:

• Warm-Up
• Activity: reading with a purpose. Read "The House" and underline or circle anything you believe to be important. Next, using a different color highlighter, underline anything you believe a robber would find important. Finally, use another different color to underline anything a home buyer would find important. As you can see, reading is much more difficult if you do not have a purpose in mind or an idea of what to look for. Always try and figure out why you are reading something before you read it!

Thursday, September 12:

• Warm-Up
• Notes: Talking to the Text (putting your thoughts on paper while actively reading text). Model and practice as a class with an excerpt from Tina Fey's Bossypants.
• Practice talking to the text with a fast food and clothing labels article. Discuss on reading strategies and the article itself will follow.