Monday, January 31

Writing Prompt: If you had $1,000,000 what would you do with it? How would your lifestyle change? Would you still work? Where would you live? What would you buy? Would you use your money for good or for others, or would you spend it on yourself? Explain.

Today:

1. Review vocabulary

2. Homework - open-ended question

3. Review chapter 1

4. Finish reading chapter 1

Important Dates:

1. Word maps due today!

2. number2.com - due date will be pushed back to Thursday, 2/3

3. Do your make-up work! A new marking report starts today! Look at the past posts and check that you have everything from Tuesday, Jan 25

Homework:

Read the rest of chapter 1 for Wednesday. Instead of taking notes, review the chapter and find the references to colors. For each color, take note of what/who the color represents and what that color traditionally signifies.

Get Ready for Monday!!

I am exuberant for class tomorrow! I'm sure most of you have already finished the whole book in anticipation, but you need to have read up to page 17 for tomorrow. Write two sentences describing each character and be ready to discuss. Have your open-ended question ready to turn in. And word maps!! We'll focus on the new words this week!

I can't wait to see all of your smiling, fervent visages tomorrow.

Alison

Early Dismissal Means No English. :(

I'm sure you're all despondent and filled with melancholy that we did not have English today. You're probably engrossed in a book or fervently studying your word maps so you can augment your vocabulary. I feel you. I'm doing the same thing.

Luckily, we have English tomorrow! We'll review open-ended response that was due today and go over pages 1-17 in The Great Gatsby. Be prepared!

Love,

Ms. McCartney

Tuesday, January 25

Writing Prompt: 

Who is someone in your life who you trust? Why? What makes this person trustworthy? What characteristics do you look for in a trustworthy person? Explain.

Vice versa, what kinds of people do you not trust? What makes these people untrustworthy? Explain.

Today:

1. Finish new vocabulary

2. Review homework

3. Open-ended questions

4. Gatsby books!

Important Dates:

1. For Wednesday, 1/26: Complete the open-ended question about pages 1-2. Include your brainstorm, organization and your response. 

Question: How would you describe the narrator’s tone in The Great Gatsby? Use specific details from the text to support your answer.

2. Read up to page 17 of The Great Gatsby for Thursday. Instead of taking notes, focus on the character descriptions. Write a brief description for each character you meet (including the narrator), and pay special attention to the adjectives Fitzgerald uses to describe each character. 

3. Word Maps due Monday

4. number2.com assignment - Tuesday, 2/1

Monday, January 24

Writing Prompt:

"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter — to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And one fine morning ——
So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

What do you think this means? Put this into your own words.
Predict what you think this book will be about? What do you think Gatsby is searching for? How do you think this will end? Explain.

Today's Agenda
1. Class Business
2. Vocabulario nuevo
3. 1920s videos
4. Gatsby Intro

Important Dates
1. Last day to turn in work is today! I will stay after in the IMC
2. Don't forget about number2.com - next assignment due on Tuesday, 2/1

Class Business
1. Thoreau/MLK worksheets 
If you weren't here on Friday, you need one.
If you were here on Friday, you need to turn it in.
2. Writing Prompts - Turn them in TODAY!!
Each one must be 3/4 of page long.
Star one entry that you want me to grade
3. Participation Evaluation
If you weren't here on Friday, you need to complete this and turn it in to me.

Grades end on Monday, 1/24

Hand in the following assignments TOMORROW! (If you haven't done so already)

1. Writing Prompts!
2. Thoreau response (choose one idea from Thoreau and explain why/why not you agree with it)
3. Open-ended questions about MLK and Thoreau (worksheet from Friday)
4. "How it feels to be colored me" by Zora Neale Hurston - reading questions
5. All make up work (this includes number2.com assignments)

Thursday, January 20

Writing Prompt:

"Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows 

religiously the new." - Henry David Thoreau

"Imitation is suicide." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

What do you think the above quotes mean? What are Thoreau and Emerson trying to say about conformity and individualism? Do you agree with the quotes? Explain why or why not.

Today:  

1. Mix tape presentations 

2. Review Thoreau 

3. Persuasive Appeals!! 

4. MLK - orange book 

 Your homework tonight:  

1. Read through section 8 from "Civil Disobedience." Identify the main idea and list the relevant details that support it.

2. Choose one idea from Thoreau (either Walden or "Civil Disobedience") and respond to it. Explain what Thoreau means in your own words and what you think about your idea. Justify your response with evidence. 

Important Dates 

1. Writing Prompts due Friday (10) 

2. Grades end Monday  

3. If you finished the questions on Zora Neale Hurston, please turn them in today! 

4. Start your next number2.com assignment

Wednesday, January 19

Writing Prompt: Malcolm X once said, "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." In your own words, what does this mean? Do you agree or disagree for this? What is a social or political cause that you stand for? And, how far are you willing to go to support this cause? Explain.  

Today: 

1. Thoreau  
2. Finish mix tape presentations  
3. Vocab Quiz (20 minute time limit) 

Important Dates: 

1. Writing Prompts due Friday (10) 

2. Grades end Monday  

3. If you finished the questions on Zora Neale Hurston, please turn them in today! 

4. Start your next number2.com assignment 

Reading Strategies Notes:
What to do when you don't know what you just read! 

1. SLOW DOWN. Don't get mixed up in the crazy language. 

2. BREAK IT DOWN. Translate and paraphrase the sentences. 

3. FOCUS ON WHAT YOU KNOW. Use what you know to help you figure out what you don't know.

4. GO BACK AND RE-READ the parts you don't understand. Use what you do know to help you. 

MOVE YOUR HANDS!! 

(but not in the air like you just don't care) 

Annotate the text: 

• Underline important points
• Put question marks on things you don't understand
• Make notes in your own words
• Write definitions for vocabulary words (when you have the chance)
• Circle transitions/changes
• Star key sentences
• Write main point 

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!! 

The more we practice annotating now, the more it will help you on difficult reading passages in AP, in college and on the SATs.

Tuesday, January 18

Writing Prompt:
If the majority agrees about something,than it must be right. Do you agree or disagree with the above statement? Explain your reasons why. Use examples from history or your life when possible.

Today: 

1. Present songs 
2. Start Walden - Thoreau

Important Dates: 

1. Mix tape project due today!  
2. number2.com - online practice due today (I will stay after school in the IMC for your convenience) 
3. Writing Prompts due on Friday!! 
4. Grades end Friday!

Friday, January 14

Writing Prompt: Read the statement below. In your own words, explain what it means. Do you think it is true? Can you think of an example of how this could be true in real life?

"Every sweet has its sour; every evil its good." - by Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Today's Agenda

1. Review vocabulary 

2. Transcendentalism 

Important Dates 

1. Mix Tape due Tuesday! Be ready to present in class! 

2. Vocab quiz (new words) on Tuesday, 1/18 

3. "How It Feels to be Colored Me" - Hurston essay reading questions

4. Number2.com - Tuesday, 1/18. Sentence completion tutorial, 20 sentence completion questions and 20 vocabulary

Thursday, January 13

Their Eyes Were Watching God test today!!!

No writing prompt :(

Important Dates: 

1. Sign up for number2.com! Sentence Completion assignment due Tuesday, 1/18!

2. Read the Zora Neale Hurston essay and answer the questions by Friday.

3. Mix tape - due in class on Tuesday, 1/18. Be ready to present!

Tuesday, January 11

S.A.T.uesday!! 

Writing Prompt: Are snow days helpful for students? Write a letter to Dr. Ackerman to persuade her of why (or why not) we should have a snow day tomorrow. Use examples of the benefits of a snow day to convince her. Try to use your logos, pathos and ethos!

Today's Agenda

1. Share work from yesterday 

2. Review Benchmarks

3. Vocabulary Review 

4. Vocabulary BINGO 

Important Dates 

1. Sign up for number2.com! 

2. Essay test/vocab tomorrow (Thursday if snow day) 

3. Hurston essay - due Thursday (even if there is a hurricane) 

4. Mix tape - due in class on Tuesday, 1/18 

Monday, January 10

Writing Prompt: How is the movie different from the book? What scenes were left out in the movie? Why do you think they were left out? Which did you like better? Explain. 

Pay attention to Tea Cake - what in particular does Oprah change about the Tea Cake in the book? 

Today:  

1. Review vocabulary 

2. Mix tape assignment 

3. Oreo Cookie Quotations 

4. Quotations Group Work 

Important Dates: 

1. Word Maps due today!

2. Sign up for number2.com by tomorrow! 

3. Test on Wednesday - 2 essays, fill-in-the-blank story 

4. Vocabulary Quiz on Friday - new words

Thursday, January 6

Benchmarks today! No writing prompt :(

Memoirs were due today. Please make sure that you handed them in during class or emailed them to mccartneychs@gmail.com

Important Dates 

1. Read 160-190 for Friday. You will also have time to read after tomorrow's Benchmark  

3. Word maps due on Monday 

4. Sign up for number2.com by Tuesday, 1/11.

Wednesday, January 5

Writing Prompt: Why does Tea Cake say he whipped Janie? Do you agree or disagree with his reasoning? What do you think about how the others react to the whipping? Why do they consider Tea Cake "lucky"? Explain.

Today's Agenda 
1. Review vocabulary  
2. Discuss reading  
3. Reading comprehension strategies 
4. Benchmark review for tomorrow  

Important Dates  
1. Read 160-190 for Friday. You will also have time to read after tomorrow's Benchmark 
2. Memoir due on Thursday  
3. Word maps due on Monday  
4. Sign up for number2.com by Tuesday, 1/11. 

Tuesday, January 4 - S.A.T.uesday!!!

Writing Prompt: Write about a time that someone made an erroneous comment about you that permeated among your friends. What was this fallacy? What did you do to debunk the rumor and ascertain that the truth was made public? Explain. 

Today's Agenda:

1. Research Presentations 

2. Story Slam 

3. Number2.com 

4. Context Clues / Vocabulary Story 

5. Reading Strategies 

Important Dates: 

1. Read pages 139-159 for tomorrow 

2. Memoir due Thursday 

3. Benchmark on Thursday! 

4. Word maps due Monday 

5. Sign up for Number2.com by Tuesday

Monday, January 3

Monday, January 3, 2011

Welcome Back!!

Writing Prompt: What was the optimum part of your vacation? What made you mirthful and euphoric? Did you spend time being languid and relaxed? Write about how you spend your break from school.  

Today's Agenda:

1. New Year = New Words!!
2. Review chapters 1-15
3. Vocabulary Resolutions

Important Dates:

1. Vocabulary Stories due tomorrow
2. Memoir due Thursday
3. Research Presentations and Story Slams tomorrow!
4. Read pages 139-159 for Wednesday. Reading notes will be collected on Friday.