Week of April 20th, 2015

"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.

Academic English 9:   There will  be a study guide and notebook rubric grade given for the reading assignment on Monday 4/20.  Through discussion, students will respond, analyze, and connect to the novel. Students will use the laptops to create an Annotated Bibliography. They will be identify elements of an Annotated Bibliography.  Students will be required to complete an annotated bibliography for 4 sources (website, newspaper, journal, magazine) on Victorian England, Charles Dickens, the Industrial Revolution, and England from 1836-1870.  One annotation a week will be due over the next 4 weeks.  They have the opportunity to prioritize class time to read and respond to the novel, or read and respond to the informational articles for the annotated bibliography.  Reading Assignment 2 (quiz, study guide and notes)will be due on 4/20.

Practical English 11:  Students are working on the Research Paper.  Due dates have been discussed and agreed upon.  We have identified the 2 major types of research papers.  They are responsible for picking the type of paper they wish to write.  Individual topics have been picked.  Students will research their topic. They will need to find valid, reliable sources.  Students will need to use the database. They need to fulfill the requirement of 4 citations and notes due on April 20th and the second set on April 24th.  Definitions, dissection, and sentences for Vocabulary Unit 4 will be due by Tuesday, April 21st.

Public Speaking:  One-to-one conferencing will begin on Tuesday, April 21st.  Students will begin reading, responding, and discussing Persuasive speech writing found in the text.  Chapter 17 notes will be due on Wednesday, April 22nd.  MLK Critique due by Monday, April 27th.

Week of April 13th, 2015

"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. 

Academic English 9:  Students will review the Sentence Structure Test.  They will take a quiz on  Reading Assignment 1 for Great Expectations on Monday, 4/13. There will  be a study guide and notebook rubric grade given for the reading assignment.  Through discussion, students will respond, analyze, and connect to the novel. Students will use the laptops to create an Annotated Bibliography. They will be identify elements of an Annotated Bibliography.  Students will be required to complete an annotated bibliography for 4 sources (website, newspaper, journal, magazine) on Victorian England, Charles Dickens, the Industrial Revolution, and England from 1836-1870.  One annotation a week will be due over the next 4 weeks.  They have the opportunity to prioritize class time to read and respond to the novel, or read and respond to the informational articles for the annotated bibliography.  Reading Assignment 2 (quiz, study guide and notes)will be due on 4/20.

Practical English 11:  Students are working on the Research Paper.  Due dates have been discussed and agreed upon.  We have identified the 2 major types of research papers.  They are responsible for picking the type of paper they wish to write.  Individual topics have been picked.  Students will research their topic. They will need to find valid, reliable sources.  Students will need to use the database. They need to fulfill the requirement of 4 citations and notes.  Vocabulary Unit 4 list will be distributed on Thursday.  Definitions, dissection, and sentences will be due by Tuesday, April 21st.

Public Speaking:  Speeches will be completed on Tuesday, April 14th.  One-to-one conferencing will begin on Wednesday, April 15th.  Students will begin reading, responding, and discussing Persuasive speech writing found in the text.  Chapter 16 will be due on Friday, April 17th.

Week of April 6th, 2015

"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. 

Academic English 9:  Students will take the Vocabulary Unit 6 and Sentence Structure Test on Monday, April 6th.  They will be expected to define, analyze, and apply vocabulary.  Students will need to identify subject/verb, phrases and clauses. Great Expectations will be distributed.  The first reading assignment, Chapters 1-8 will be due on April 13th.  Students will read, analyze, and respond to an informational article on The Industrial Revolution.  They will be identify elements of an Annotated Bibliography.  Students will be required to complete an annotated bibliography for 4 sources (website, newspaper, journal, magazine) on Victorian England, Charles Dickens, the Industrial Revolution, and England from 1836-170.  This information will be helpful while reading Great Expectations.

Practical English 11:  Students will begin the Research Paper.  They will review and discuss the 4 Types of Writing and Types of Writing Organization.  Students will be introduced to the requirements of the research paper. They are responsible for the Research Packet.  They will be given an assignment due date sheet.  Students will identify and apply the elements of  MLA citation.

Public Speaking:  Speech Presentations Commence this week

Week of March 30th, 2015

"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. 

Academic English 9: Students will complete presentations.  They will work on Vocabulary Unit 6.  Students will define, dissect, analyze, and apply vocabulary.  Definitions, dissection and sentences will be due by Tuesday, March 31st.  Review sheets will be completed for Wednesday, April 1st.  Students will identify main subject and verb, phrases and clauses on the Review Sheet which will be worth 45 points.  Vocabulary Unit 6 Test will be on Thursday, April 1st.

***Note:  The Vocabulary and Sentence Structure Test has been moved to Monday April 6th

Practical English 11:  Students will continue work on Vocabulary Unit 3.  Vocabulary Squares (100 points) will be due by Tuesday, March 31st.  Completing the Sentences (40 points) and Choosing the Right Word (20 points) worksheet will be due on Wednesday, April 1st.  Vocabulary Unit 3 Test will be on Thursday, April 2nd.

Public Speaking:  Students have asked for speeches to be moved to next week.  They will continue to outline, write, refine, and practice their speeches for the week of April 6th.  Integration of a PowerPoint is a mandatory requirement for the Informative Speech.  Outlines will be due no later than Tuesday, March 31st.

Week of March 23rd, 2015

"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. 

Academic English 9:  Students will complete the Movie Trailer Projects on Monday, March 23rd. Collaboration Rubrics will be collected on Monday, March 23rd.  Group Presentations will commence on Tuesday, March 24th.  Oral Presentation Rubrics, Short Story Rubrics, and Cell Sheets will be collected on the day of Presentations.  Students will be introduced to the novel, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens on Monday, March 30th.  They will read and respond to an informational article on the British Industrial Revolution. Students will be given a study guide for the novel on Thursday, April 2nd.  Reading Assignment Due Dates will be assigned.  Vocabulary Unit 6 words will be distributed on Wednesday, March 25th.  Definitions, Analysis, and Sentences will be due on Tuesday, March 31st.  Review sheets for Vocabulary Unit 6 will be due on Wednesday, April 1st.  Vocabulary Unit 6 Test on Thursday, April 2nd.

Practical English 11:  Students will review the informational articles.  Identifying and applying relevancy will demonstrate critical thinking skills.  Differentiation of Perspective/Point of View and Bias is necessary when writing informational/expository work.  Students will learn journalistic writing.  They will be expected to identify the informational and persuasive types of writing found in a newspaper.  Students will be given the choice of creating an editorial, a political cartoon, or an advertisement for a newspaper written during The Salem Witch Trials or McCarthyism.  

Public Speaking:  Students will continue to research, organize, and write the informative speech. They will need 4 valid resources, create an APA page for sources, use a controlling material method to be used during the speech, and utilize a visual aid.  Speeches will commence on Monday, March 30th.  Students have been assigned speech dates.

Week of March 16th, 2015

"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. 

Academic English 9:  Students will work cooperatively to fulfill the requirements of the Movie Trailer Project.  They will need to include Elements of the Short Story (Mood, Characterization, Plot, and Theme with Point of View being optional), at least 1 Propaganda Technique, and the Structural Elements of the Movie Trailer for a modernized version of a classic short story in a persuasive form.  Students will present their ideas in a group presentation.  They have been given instructions, requirements, and rubrics.

Practical English 11:  Students will be responding to Informational Articles.  Identifying the How and Why questions of informative literature is necessary for critical thinking. Students will then be required to make connections found in the three articles, comprehend the relevancy for today's audience, and respond critically.  They will identify and use an organizational structure of writing for the expository essay.

Public Speaking:  Students will be working on selecting a topic for the Informative Speech.  They will use laptops to start the research for finding valid and reliable sources.  Chapter 8 will be due on Monday, the 16th.  Chapter 9 will be due on the 18th. Chapter 10 will be due on the 20th.

Week of March 9th, 2015

"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. 

Academic English 9: Students will be working on the Movie Trailer Project.  They will be required to create ideas for each short story.  After individual ideas have been completed, students will work in groups to create a PowerPoint Presentation on a finalized movie trailer.  They will be creating an idea for a movie trailer using one of the short stories they have read.  Students will be required to produce a modernized version of the short story for today's audience.  They will need to use Propaganda Techniques, Movie Trailer Structures, and Media Terms. Students will be present their Projects next week beginning Monday, March 16th.

Practical English 11: Students will finalize their copies of the Letter of Reconsideration.  The writing of letters helps students identify purpose, audience, organize information, understand the importance of word choice, and utilize grammar skills.  Students will complete Vocabulary Squares for Unit 2.  Completing the Sentence due by Wednesday, 3/11.  Choosing the Right Word due by Thursday 3/12.  Review of Vocabulary Unit 2 on Thursday.  Vocabulary Unit 2 Test on Friday, 3/13  

Public Speaking: Introductory Speech Presentations this week.  One-to-one conferencing for identifying strengths and weaknesses.  They will begin to read and identify elements of the Informative Speech. Chapter 6 due on 3/12.  Chapter 8 due on 3/16.