Ending and Beginning

We are ending the Utopia unit....

• Essay is due Monday.

We are beginning the We Are the World unit...

• Please have House on Mango Street read by Wednesday, May 13.
• On Monday, we will discuss Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston...and yes, listen to our theme song!
• Might consider working developing the ideas for your novelette, which should consist of five chapters. See wiki for original handout.

Ongoing...

• We will complete the Glossary of Usage chapter next week. So far, exercises 1-4 are due.
• Blogs: Are they current? Check wiki for a list of topics due.
• Writer's Notebook: Are you caught up on this?

Two more weeks of classes...then testing. Wow! Where has this year gone?

Teacher Appreciation Week

Please take a moment...or two...and post on your blog a note expressing your appreciation to your teachers; then send them an email with the link to your blog. I promise you...they will appreciate YOU even more!

Here's a link to my thoughts about my teachers...

Enjoy!

A Real Utopia

Just four more weeks, then this dystopia will end and a true utopia will begin...maybe?

In the meantime, next week:

Tuesday:

• review for thematic unit test
• edit/revise inner delimma essay (REMINDER: be sure to create examples of figurative language and footnote each: In Word at point where you want to insert a footnote number, click on Insert: Reference: Footnote. Include explanation/rationale at the bottom of the page.).

Thursday:

• Utopia vs. Dystopia Thematic Unit test
• Essay due.
• Begin We Are the World Thematic Unit. Assign House on Mango Street. Due next Wednesday (May 13).
• Begin drafting novelette.

Your semester test will be to write a synthesis in class. This essay will be based on Of Mice and Men and two/three other sources that I will provide. Therefore, when you complete House on Mango Street, I will assign you copy of this novel to have completed May 26. On this date, we will have a discussion of the novel and other sources.

Thanks!

To the perfect (Utopia) class...

Please work on the following in class on Thursday...remember, I am with Holly's class in St. Louis.

1. Work in groups on literary examples. Can complete the first two pages in class...the third page, you will have to complete upon finishing the novel.
2. Then return to your seats...now read the essay assignment and complete the graphic organizer. From that draft an outline for an essay on this topic.
3. Please complete the novel for Monday!
4. Reminder: debate is Wednesday. You are invited to watch/listen to the other class's debate if you can obtain permission from your teacher.

Have a great weekend!

Book Review Due by Monday!

This week completes the third week of this nine week! Please post a review on your blog of your greatest out-of-class read by Monday.

If reading a book that counts as more than one, please let me know before Monday.

Remember to post at the end of your review on a separate line in italics how many pages your book has.

Thanks!

Midweek Update

Please read chapters 3-4 in Animal Farm for Thursday!

Also research your topic for the debate. You will have time in class on Thursday to compare your findings and further develop your individual "expert" topics.

May begin adding your resources to the Think Tank.

1. Remember you must be logged in to "edit" your page.
2. To hyperlink to a source, highlight the title on the page and click on the "edit/insert link" button on the toolbar. Choose URL by "Link Type" and "Open in New Window."
3. Remember to save!

Week: March 30-April 3

A glance at this past week:

1. Your Anthem essay was due March 20. Have you given me a hard copy?
2. Check the class wiki for Animal Farm pre-reading assignments this week... George Orwell Author Background.ppt, Shooting an Elephant.doc, Summary of The Patriot Act, and read excerpt from 1984 and respond (see me for copy).
3. Check out the Vocabulary PowerPoint with Definitions.ppt for Animal Farm and be ready to make up the quiz on Tuesday, April 7.
4. Go to the new class collaboration wiki at Just Think! (our Think Tank!) and request access. I will then grant you access as a writer.
5. In the Think Tank, check out the debate link to find out on which debate team you are. Debates are due at the end of this thematic unit (approximately two weeks.)
6. Read chapters 1-2 of Animal Farm for next Tuesday, April 7.
7. Two blog posts were due Friday evening. Click here for topics.

Questions? Send me an email!