Thursday, May 28, 2009

May 28 and HONORS

Agenda:

Romeo and Juliet test

Start the 8 page notebook for the Chapter 25 test next class

or

Begin reading The War of the Worlds

Homework:

Finish 8 page notebook for the Chapter 25 test next class

Finish book one of The War of the Worlds. Follow the reading guide!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

May 27

Agenda:

Class started with a review of the reading check questions from Act V of Romeo and Juliet.

Then we took the open note, open worksheet, open study guide, open dictionary test on Romeo and Juliet. It was 80 questions, and it is very difficult.

After the test, I distributed reading guides for The War of the Worlds, and we constructed our 8 page notebooks.

You may use the 8 page notebook on the test next class, but you may only use the green notebook. No other color will be permitted, and your study guide must be presented in the form of an 8 page notebook.

Homework:

Finish your 8 page notebook.

Study for the Chapter 25 test.

Read chapters 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11, and 12 in The War of the Worlds. It's an awesome story, but the movie is nothing like the novel, so do not rely on the movie.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

May 26 HONORS

The class visited the computer lab to write an essay that addressed the role of fate in the play. The trip to the lab took a little longer than expected, so we didn't get to review too much for the test. Nevertheless, we will have an exam next class.

Homework:

Act V Study and Discussion questions

May 26

Agenda:

Class started with a review of Elements of Language Ch. 25 exercises 1,2,3, and 4.

We did the Romeo and Juliet reading check questions from Act V

We reviewed for the Romeo and Juliet test

Homework:

Act V Study and Discussion questions

Thursday, May 21, 2009

May 21


Agenda:


Each class started with reviewing the grammar homework, exercises 1,2,3, and 4 in Chapter 25


We finished the play, Romeo and Juliet.


We reviewed the study guide for the test which will next class, May 27.


Homework:


Romeo and Juliet Exam next class

-Reading Check Questions on page 585 of Adventures in Reading. Answers only

Study and Discussion Questions on page 585 of Adventures in Reading. Answers only
Note-Period 5 is exempt from the Homework in PINK.

*Bonus Homework* For Further Discussion Questions on page 586 of Adventures in Reading. Answer in paragraph form

*Bonus Homework* Exercises 5,6, and 7 in Chapter 25 of Elements of Language. Write out all sentences.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Positive Bonus Opportunity

Next Friday is May 29. That will be the deadline for Bonus points on a Romeo and Juliet assignment of your choosing excluding the test.

To earn the bonus points that will turn one grade into a 200% A+, please make a video of you reciting a monologue or soliloquy from Romeo and Juliet of at least 20 lines. You may submit a DVD or bring the video file on a USB drive. No other formats will be accepted for bonus. You must also submit a typed page that has a proper heading, and this page must provide the following information.

Act from which the lines are taken

Scene from which the lines are taken

Line numbers that you recite

What character originally spoke the lines

Page number from Adventures in Reading on which I could find the monologue or soliloquy

Please do not read from a text. Memorize the monologue or soliloquy as best you can, and recite it with emotion.

Be sure to reread this post before you submit your video to make sure you meet all the requirements and understand the assignment.

Negative Bonus Notification

If you have missing assignments, please turn them in. Too many people have missing assignments, and I need to start filling these blank slots in with grades to prepare for report cards. Recent assignments aside, anything that is empty will be scored as a zero. We are all familiar with how that can devastate your grade, so please make arrangements to avoid zero scores.

This procedure will affect your grade like NEGATIVE BONUS. Be sure to review your missing assignments through parent connect or stop in class for a printed grade report.

HONORS May 20

Agenda:

We started class with some improvisations of scenes from Romeo and Juliet.

Then we reread scenes 4 and 5 of Act IV.

We translated Juliet's soliloquy in which she speculates what horrors might await her should she wake in the Capulet's tomb after taking the poison that Friar Laurence had prepared for her.

We started the read-a-long of Act V in which Romeo hears false intelligence of Juliet's death, and wrought with grief, he bribes a poor apothecary to sell him poison even though the sale of poison was punishable by death in Mantua. Act V explains why Friar John couldn't deliver the proper information to Romeo, and later, when Romeo returns to kill himself next to Juliet, he first slays Paris who is there to mourn the death of his would-be wife. Friar Laurence arrives moments too late, and he finds dead Romeo next to an awakening Juliet. Friar Laurence begs Juliet to run away, but she stays and, finding no extra poison in Romeo's cup, stabs herself. The play wraps up with the Capulets and the Montagues ending their feud and each patriarch promising to erect a statue in memory of the other's fallen child.

Homework:

Exercises 1,2,3, and 4. Please write out all sentences.

Take home quiz on Act IV. Mark answers on the quiz itself.

Finish Act V and review the entire play. The next class will be an exam review.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

May 19 and 20

Agenda:

Period 1:

Class started by passing in the typed rules from Chapter 25.

We finished Act IV by listening to scenes 4 and 5 in our study of Romeo and Juliet.

Then we took a quiz in pairs outside to get a break from the indoor monotony.

After reviewing the quiz inside, we took time to start our homework.

Homework for Period 1:

Exercises 1,2,3, and 4 from Chapter 25 of Elements of Language. Please write out or type out all sentences.


Period 3:

We started class by passing in the homework.

Then we had a discussion/lecture about the importance of "running through the cone" in class. It might be hard to stay focused in class right now, but there's still plenty of time for your grade to go down. Stay on top of your game.

We continued on through Act V of Romeo and Juliet. We are preparing for the upcoming test which will be class after next.

Homework for period 3:

Exercises 1,2,3, and 4 from Chapter 25 of Elements of Language. Please write out or type out all sentences.



Period 5

Class started by passing in the typed rules from Chapter 25.

I then offered a tremendous bonus opportunity for students to handwrite a copy of those SAME rules in class.

We finished Act IV of Romeo and Juliet, and we worked in small groups to discuss PERSONIFICATION as it appears throughout the play.

HOMEWORK:

Exercises 1,2,3, and 4 from Chapter 25 Elements of Language. Please write out or type out all sentences.

Complete the Act IV take home quiz

Periods 2 and 4

Agenda:

Submit grammar homework.

Reread Act IV

Act IV quiz

Read Act V and finish the play

Homework:

Exercises 1,2,3, and 4 in Chapter 25 of Elements of Language

Friday, May 15, 2009

May 15 and 18 including HONORS


Agenda:

To start, we visited the computer lab to complete the student survey on the Crespi website.

Then we reviewed the Chapter 25 Diagnostic Preview

Romeo and Juliet small group discussion

Romeo and Juliet Act III pop quiz

Romeo and Juliet Read-a-long through Scene 3 of Act IV

Homework:

Grammar Homework Options (Choose one):

-Type all the rules from Chapter 25 in Elements of Language.

or

-Create a punctuation superhero based on one punctuation mark from Chapter 25.
-Draw a picture
-type only the rules that pertain to your superhero's punctuation mark
-write a paragraph that explains the powers of your superhero

For example,

Parentheses Man may look hopeless with his skinny wings, but he is a very powerful superhero. Although he cannot fly, his skinny wings that look like parentheses are detachable. So, when he sees a crime in progress, he can throw his wings at a criminal and surround him in parentheses. After the villain has been confined in the parentheses, which in grammar indicate material that is of minor importance and can be removed from the sentence, Parentheses Man can take the criminal out of the crime scene. He then deposits the villain at the precinct, and the cops can take it from there.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

May 13 and 14 (Plus HONORS w/ supplemental HW)

Agenda:
materials Check for MLA book. As it turns out, some MLA books were stolen from the Crespi library. Please return these books. Stealing is not consistent with the Crespi Man Statement.

Read-a-Long

Study and Discussion Questions

Homework:

Study and Discussion AND Reading Check Questions from Act III. You do not have to write out the questions. Just write the answers, and, of course, complete sentences are more desirable than fragments.

Chapter 25 Diagnostic Preview on pages 756 and 757 of Elements of Language. Write out all the sentences.

The above assignments may be typed, but typing them is not required.

HONORS also has a take-home quiz based on vocabulary from Act III.

Monday, May 11, 2009

May 11 and 12 including HONORS

Agenda

For the odd periods, we started a goal-setting exercise.
Homework review
Chapter 24 test
Romeo and Juliet read-a-long to start Act III with a handout that gives plain English summaries of important scenes.

Homework:
No homework, except for Period 3. Period 3 needs to read Act III scenes 1 and 2 in Romeo and Juliet which can be found in Adventures in Reading.

Bonus is closed

The bonus for typing rules of Elements of Language chapters is now closed. No more submissions will be accepted.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

May 7 and 8 HONORS Homework is the same

Agenda:

Class Materials Check
Read-a-Long
R and J review
quiz
HW review

Homework:

Chapter 24 Chapter Review and Exercise 4. This must be typed. Type all sentences, inlcuding those you deem "correct."

Chapter 24 test next class.

Please get the MLA book. There's not much time left to redeem the class participation points you'll earn by having this book.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

May 5 and 6 including HONORS

Agenda:

Return some things
Required Course Materials Check
Grammar Review
Romeo and Juliet review

Homework:

Exercises 1, 2, and 3 from Chapter 24 of Elements of Language. Please TYPE. Type all sentences, even the ones that are "Correct."

Reread Act II of Romeo and Juliet. Quiz next class.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Bonus Points

Very few people did well on the recent homework assignment from Act I of Romeo and Juliet. To earn full credit...50 points...you can complete the following:

Type the rules from any of the following chapters of Elements of Language:

Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 26

Rules in blue have already been submitted by other students. Please choose another chapter.

Please send the document as a Microsoft Word document. Attach the file to an email and send it to aswaney@crespi.org.

Include all rules, which are the red text in the chapter, and include the numbered sub-rules. You do not have use red ink.

For each Chapter's rules that you type and submit with minimal spelling mistakes, you will receive 50 points added to your homework grade for the Reading Check and Study and Discussion questions for Act I of Romeo and Juliet.

You may only submit rules from one Chapter for the bonus on the questions from Act I.

Friday, May 1, 2009

May 1 and 4

Agenda:

Return Materials
Materials Check for Class Participation
Review Romeo and Juliet Questions
Read-a-long

Homework:
-Chapter 24 Diagnostic Preview from page 738 in Elements of Language. #1-25

-Reading Check and Study and Discussion Questions on page 527 of Adventures in Reading. Write out all questions. Answers should be in complete sentences with no errors in punctuation. You may type this assignment.

-Make sure you have the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. It's a book. It's required by your syllabus. You will use it for the next 8 years. You should already have it. If you don't have it, buy it. ISBN# 978-0-87352-986-0
or
978-1-60329-024-1
http://www.amazon.com/Mla-Handbook-Writers-Research-Papers/dp/B001XCWY7Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241194184&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/MLA-Handbook-Writers-Research-Papers/dp/1603290249/ref=sr_11_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1241194662&sr=11-1