Week of September 1, 2014

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." - William Butler Yeats

The goal of this English class is to produce critical thinkers. Students are not only reading for comprehension but for meaning and relevancy of the work as a whole. Literature is also an example of good writing. The writing improves when a student reads. Vocabulary also improves because the student is learning to read in context. We want successful students who can think critically and communicate effectively.

9th Academic English: Due to the Assemblies, the Pep Rally, and the Fire Drill, the Grammar and Vocabulary Unit 1 Test has been moved to Wednesday, September 2nd.  Students will be required to identify, define, and use the vocabulary in context.  They will also be required to identify subject(s) and verb(s) in the sentences.  We will begin the novel, Night by Elie Wiesel.  The students will be required to complete reading assignments, notes, and a study guide for the novel.  They will be given informational texts on the time period, watch The Boy in the Striped Pajamas for parallelism and literary devices, and complete a group project.  Reading Assignment 1 will be due on Friday, September 11th. 

Public Speaking and Research: The students will have read and discussed Chapters 1 and 2 of the textbook by September 4th.  They will be able to identify at least one weakness they have while presenting information in front of an audience.  The goal is effective communication, therefore, planning and preparation are imperative to good speech presentations.  Their first speech is due on Septembers 15th, 16th, and 17th.

SAT Prep 10th Grade:  The students have identified the differences between reading in context and fact based questions.  Hint words and strategies have been introduced and reviewed for use on the SAT.  The students will visit the College Board site to setup accounts for the SAT.  They will be required to answer the "question of the day".

10th Grade Practical Literature:  The students will be working on the short story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson.  We will be focusing on theme, relevancy, and tone.  They will be given informational literature on the time period to help them understand and respond to the story.  The students should be using their critical thinking skills to make connections to the importance of the author's message for today's culture.  There will be a reading response question on Friday, September 5th.