Mon/Tues ~ Nov. 30-Dec. 1

Welcome back!

Please read today's announcements here.

1A: Send your novels!

Open your blog...how many posts have you written this nine weeks?

The Crucible:

1. Read "Half-Hanged Mary."
2. Vocabulary 1 and 2...due next time!
3. Assign parts....Readers' Theater next time...
4. Read through to page 24 for next time.

Grammar

1. Participials.

Mon/Tues, Nov. 23-24

Today's Announcements. Now, tell me...why does today's have an appostrophe?

Writer's Notebook: Time to be thankful! Draft a top ten list in your Writer's Notebook as you ponder on the reason for the season. Then share this list on your blog.


The Crucible = a great test...so prepare yourself for the journey!

1. Meet Arthur Miller.


2. Discussion: What is a Puritan? How could such an extreme case of bullying occurred? Surely such cases would never occur again...right? In modern times?


3. Meet the characters. Assign character wheels.


4. Click here...complete the left side and save into your My Documents.
5. Review vocabulary.

Grammar Time!

1. Review appositives.


2. Time to sing!


3. Discuss participials.


4. Bold three participials in your newly assigned blog post at the top.

Now go and have a grand few days off...enjoy your family, appreciate them, and come back rested as we continue our journey with families of earlier times.

Thurs/Fri, Nov. 19-20

Today Menu...

1. Write your group's "Watch" poem on an Etherpad.
2. TEST: Speak content and vocabulary.
3. Assign: The Crucible - pages Intro -14. Work on part 1 vocabulary.

Have a beautiful weekend!

Tues./Wed, Nov. 17-18

Please read today's announcements here...

Today's Menu!

Vocabulary Quiz!

Writer's Workshop

1. Finalize "Watch."
2. Draft two blog entries: Speak book review and thoughts of bullying (see previous post).
3. Draft young adult novel...250 words and title due Thursday/Friday.

Homework:

1. Vocabulary Test and Speak test on Thursday/Friday!

The Future

• The Crucible!

Monday, Nov. 16

We have three to-do's today:

1. Complete totem poles.
2. Finalize "Watch" poems.
3. Draft book review of Speak for your blog.

Time to Blog

Now that you have read Speak and "Listen" and have written "Watch," take some time to reflect on the impact of bullying on our society...whether that society is national or in the halls of BHS.

Thurs/Fri, Nov. 12 and 13

Read today's announcements here.

Writer's Notebook: The cost of plagiarizing: Please read this blog post emphasizing ten people who plagiarized and the consequences of their actions. (Source: The Doc Is In.) Did any of these surprise you? What were the consequences of their actions? Comment on this article in your Writer's Notebook. Can you make any T2T connections? Hopefully, you will not make any Text-2-You connections!

Vocab quiz today!

Writer's Workshop:

1. Speak essay due today! Have you added your "comments?" Now we need to add a cover page and a Works Cited page.
2. "Watch": Time to record your thoughts. Draft of poem due Tuesday, Nov. 17
3. Young Adult Novel: Title and 250 words due next Friday, Nov. 20.

Nov. 9-11

Good morning!

Here are today's announcements.

Please go here and take a survey for the BHS newspaper The Spirit of the Pioneer.

Writer's Notebook:

1. For Mon/Tues: What observations have you or can you make about the people around you? Remember you are gathering evidence for the poem we will write later this week.
2. For Wed./Thurs: In honor of Veteran's Day, after reading/watching "In Flander's Field," reflect/pay tribute to the veterans you know.

Literary Totem Poles: Please email your final paragraphs...if you have not already done so. Due NOW!

N0-N0 List:

1. Contractions
2. It
3. Things/Stuff
4. You = Second Person
5. I think/feel/believe
6. There is/are/was

Good Moves:

1. Transitions!
2. Appostives: one per paragraph in bold print.
3. Use three vocab...bold them.

Writer's Workshop!

Essay drafts due today!

1. Edit/revise/type!
2. Insert and bold one appositive per paragraph.
3. Use three of your vocab within your essay...bold the words.

Young Adult Novel ~ Deadline Nov. 20

1. Need the first 250 words and a title!

Homework:

• 1A: Essay draft due Wednesday...typed!
• Final essays due: 1B-Thursday and 1A - Friday
• Vocab quiz: 1B- Thursday and 1A- Friday

Wednesday, November 4

Group Leaders! Did you make any changes to your totem pole paragraphs? If so, please send me a revised PowerPoint. Let's print and put your Literary Totem Poles together!



Writer's Workshop: Time to get started on that young adult novel...create a character, a setting, develop a plot, choose a title...begin making decisions.



Writer's Notebook: Do you know a "Melinda"? This moment you choose to be either reactive or proactive. Which do you choose?

1. Reactive: In this instance, you would either choose to do nothing or you continue to bully.


2. Proactive: You choose to help this person. How can you...yes, you!...help your "Melinda"?

Grammar Time!

1. Review phrases.


2. Review essay choices.


3. Draft...write some more!

Mon/Tues: Nov. 2-3

Writer's Notebook:

1. Is Speak a novel about life in a high school? In what ways is Merryweather High School similar to your school? In what ways is it different?
2. Why might Anderson have named this school Merry-weather?

Novel Dissection...Speak:

1. Lit Circle Discussion.
2. Essay assignment.
3. Literary Totem Poles: Check paragraph format...proof!

Writer's Workshop: Phrases.

1. Review prepositional phrases.
2. What are appositives?
3. What are abosolutes?
4. Include at least one of each in your totem pole paragraphs. Underline them.

November is National Family Literacy Month: Here's the deal!

1. Your parent/guardian may read one of your required books for you!
2. Discuss the book with your parent/guardian.
3. Blog about your experience.
4. Deadline December 1.

A New Contest for Us! Enter the Young Adult Novel Contest!

1. Need a title and the first 250 words.
2. Deadline: Tuesday, Nov. 24.
3. Here's mine...a drafty draft.

House of Night Fan?

Here's the link to the latest release in the House of Night series...Tempted (chapter one)...should you be interested.