English 8

There will be a test on The Outsiders on Tuesday, Dec. 12th.  It will consist of multiple choice questions, true/false questions, fill in the blank questions, short answers and two paragraph responses.  Review all handouts we have covered in class.  Also, review characters, events, conflicts, symbols, and themes that we have discussed.

Comm 11/12

Your novel projects are due next Friday. 

English 11

We finished Act II today and watched the movie.  Make sure all you Act II questions are complete for Monday.

English 11

Tomorrow, your questions and quotes for Act I must be completed.  Also, for Wednesday, complete the following formal response:

1. If you attended the play Only Drunks and Children Tell the Truth by Drew Hayden Taylor, then respond to the play in about a page describing the three most memorable aspects of the work.
2. If you did not see the play, respond in about one page to the short video from Shakespeare Lives. Discuss the artistic choices the director makes and whether or not they are effective.

Find the video here. (Click on the green "here".)

This response is due on Wednesday.

English 8

Make sure your final question on Chapter 11 is complete for tomorrow.  Also, make sure you have finished the Outsiders/X-Factor sheet.

Communications 11/12

Make sure your assigned questions for the novel are completed for tomorrow.

English 8

Here is the list the class made today of objects that are important in the novel:

1. switchblade--this object signifies the danger and violence that surrounds the teens
2. the Greasers' hair
3. Bob's rings
4. Dally's jacket
5. blue Mustang
6. chocolate cake
7. Gone with the Wind
8. sunsets
9. the church on Jay Mountain
10. Tulsa's newspaper

Choose five of these objects (except the switchblade) and state what each means emotionally within the novel.

Comm 11/12

You George Milton complaint letter is due tomorrow.  Also, make sure you've finished the vocabulary package.  Tomorrow, you'll have time to complete the last questions on Chapter 4.  Make sure you have something to say about the connection between trust, loneliness and cruelty in the novel.

English 11

Bring your permission forms tomorrow.  Also, answer the questions for Act I, Scene i (I,i).  If you want, you can look over the various parts in Act I to see what roles you might like to read.

English 8

Tonight, complete page 2 of the handout on adjectives.  Also, read Chapter 8 (it's short) and complete the questions on Chapters 7 and 8 (the flip side of the Chapter 6 sheet).

Comm 11/12

Today, we began Vocab Package #7.  I'll give you time in class to work on this tomorrow.  Tonight, make sure that you have read up to page 47 of the class novel and that you have completed questions #1 and #2 on Chapter 4.

Students also wrote a business letter in class today.  Here was the assignment (which is due on Wednesday):

You are a paid scribe, hired by George Milton to write a letter of complaint about the lice in the bunkhouse beds at Soledad Ranch.  Write a formal letter of that explains the situation and asks for the ranch owner to provide fresh, clean bedding.

Your address is 1234 Ranch Road, Soledad, CA 90342
The ranch boss' address is John Fist, Owner, Soledad Ranch, 1234 Ranch Road, Soledad, CA 90342

Make sure that your letter is formal and proofread well.

English 11

Read pages 19-25 of the Macbeth text book, as well as the scene summary on page 33.  Tomorrow, we'll begin reading Act 1, Scene 1.

English 8

Do the noun/verb review sheet and the crossword in preparation for tomorrow's spelling test.

Comm 11/12

Finish the questions on Chapter 3 for homework.  The vocabulary test will be on Friday.

English 11

Fishbowl Notes on Discrimination (Note: XXXX indicates no cited page number for a quotation)

• White people thought it was “their game” XXXX
• Throughout the book, Saul is an outsider.  Even his size makes him different.  The crowd mocks him as a “mascot”XXXX.  [, the Toronto team made him feel as though he didn’t exist although his “teammates never call [him] chief”XXXX.
• Racism is shown in the diner scene in Chapter 38.
• “We’re skins.  We crossed a line.  [They think that gives them the right] to make us pay. (p.136)
• After being ejected from the White River team, Saul says to Father Leboutilier, “It’s because I’m Indian”.   Father L. agrees with Saul. (p.91).
• The Toronto hockey players treat Saul differently, too.  Not part of the team.  Quote on page 174 about Saul being called “more insulting names” (by fans or teammates, I’m not sure).
• Hockey wasn’t Saul’s problem, it followed him to the logging camp.  Each time he worked hard, the other loggers got to him.
• There is a link between discrimination and alcohol.  Discrimination ruins everything in Saul’s life.
• Saul needs hockey to survive, but it’s killing him.
• White people drink too…is Saul’s escape into alcoholism because of his desire to assimilate or because of his desire to escape the circumstances of his life?
• The Residential Schools Act of 1876 used mistreatment and punishment to end a culture.  The act was rooted in racism.  Racism destroys FN (First Nations) culture.  For Saul, Hockey is ruined, his education is ruined, his ability to find love and friendship is ruined.  The resulting sadness causes him to turn to alcohol.
• Saul has suffered both physical and mental violence.
• When Saul played in White River, the he was prevented from playing the game.  The game was cancelled just for him.
• Violence and racism also go together.  Saul and other FN children suffered from violence from teachers and white society. Saul was a perfect victim of violence because of the racist Canadian culture in which he lived.
• Saul finally brings that violence to the ice, but he is not happy.
• Symbols of racism in the novel:
• Residential school, abuse, hockey (there is a lot of physical contact…Saul is small and is seen as a target), alcohol.
• Through hockey, Saul can tell his story in a different way.

Fishbowl Notes on Aspirations and Dreams

• Hockey is a symbol of Saul’s aspirations and dreams.
• Hockey keeps him on track and when he loses it, he becomes an alcoholic.
• The game inspires his whole team, not just Saul.  When Saul is offered a chance to play in Toronto, all the Moose want him to play for them.  See quote on page 153.  Saul carries their dreams too.
• Hockey also give Saul the inspiration to find community and family.  (p. 90)  “Nobody wins alone” (p. 178)
• Hockey was important because it was important for Saul to find something that he could be a part of.  Chapter 18 shows that Saul is participating in something that is important.
• Saul’s hockey dreams being even before he plays on the St. Jerome’s team.  It begins when he is cleaning the ice and only has the promise of playing when he gets older.  Hockey gives him hope and happiness.(p.57???). 
• Father L. says to Saul, “You will love it” when he introduces him to hockey. (p.57???)
• Hockey keeps Saul and his teammates going, “We came together every weekend…our dreams came to life [on the ice]”(p.113). 
• Saul’s dreams never die in this book.  They change.  His hockey dreams may seem to die, but at the end of the novel, he does still have dreams of being part of a community/a family.
• When Saul played on white teams, there was no community or family for him.  “They think it’s their game” (Ch. 31)
• As the book progresses, Saul’s dreams become less clear. 
• He seems to lose his dreams after leaving Toronto.  Erv Sift says to Saul on page 185, “Saul, you ever pine for anything else?”
• He turns to alcohol and forgets his dreams.
• Discrimination is related to dreams.
• Hockey keeps him alive and when it is gone, he doesn’t know how to live without it.
• The scout, tries to persuade Saul to come to Toronto in Chapter 35.  There, the harder the players are on Saul, the harder he works. (p. 174).
• In the end, Saul returns to Manitouwadge as it is the only place “something was possible for me” p. 210.  It was the place he could try to attain his dreams.

Fishbowl Notes on Identity

• Quote on page 81, “When your innocence is stripped…[you are seen as] less than human…[this is what they] inflicted on us.”
• Kids were taught that they were wrong in the residential school.
• Quote on pages 45-46, “He is unbaptized and unclean…your heavenly father [is your father now]…your [other father has nothing to offer you anymore].
• The sisters removed the children’s culture and this is the starting point of Saul losing his identity.
• The quote on page 48 about how Saul copes by becoming small and how he can “collapse the space” around him speaks to how the school is affecting his identity.
• Your identity is that which allows you to be special, unique, and different.  The residential schools forced these children to assimilate and lose what made them unique and special.  
• The symbolic action of Saul being grabbed away from his dead grandmother’s arms shows how Saul is losing his identity.
• Saul was not allowed to play on the White River team after parents complained about him getting too much ice time.
• The school took away his language and First Nations identity in an attempt to assimilate him, but white society still saw him as different, alien, not one of them.
• “They’d never hear me cry alone” (p. 55).
• School took away Saul’s identity, but hockey gave him a new one.  Then, he lost it again.
• On page 48, readers see Saul struggle with his identity.  The teachers see him as First Nations, but the children see him as Zauhnagush (check the spelling of this term—I know I’ve misspelled it).  The teachers disrespect him for speaking Ojibway and the children disrespect him for speaking English.
• Drinking is a possible consequence of losing one’s identity.
• When you don’t know who you are, you become confused and look for a way to escape (alcohol)
• Saul’s identity problems begin in the bush with his family.  He is torn before he even arrives at the school (torn between Naomi and his parents).
• At the start of the book, his culture is very present in the story…legends…how his family got its name…there is not much of that at the end…the culture doesn’t seem to be so prevalent.
• Father L’s touch reminds Saul of Naomi’s loving touch.
• The school changed the children’s thinking about themselves…it obliterated the children’s identity.
• The scene where the children catch fish is a good example of what the school does to the children’s identity.  Saul spends his life trying to recover/recapture it.
• Chapter 48, page 192….Saul has a vision of his grandfather.  His identity had been buried for decades, now as a mature man, it can be realized again.
• Identity can affect dreams...dreams can affect identity

English 11

Keep reading the novel.  At the moment, I cannot remember whether I told you to read to the end of Chapter 38 or 39.   Read as much as you can!

English 8

Make sure you finish page one of the review sheet on nouns and verbs.  Also, collect three telling quotations about your group's assigned character.  If you were not in class today, you will have time to do this in Focus.

English 8

Here are your next 10 vocabulary words:

1. apprehensive (adj) - uneasy or fearful about something that might happen
2. gingerly (adv) - done with great care or caution; warily
3. incredulous (adj) - skeptical; showing disbelief
4. nonchalantly (adv) - coolly unconcerned; indifferent; casual; unexcited
5. rarities (noun) - things that are rare, uncommon, or curious in some way (their value comes from existing in small numbers)
6. roguishly (adv) - playfully mischievous; acting like a rogue or rascal (not being a loner)
7. sagely (adv) - wisely; acting with good judgement
8. stocky (adj) - having a solid, sturdy form; thick-set and usually short
9. unfathomable (adj) - unknowable; not understood; incomprehensible
10. gallantly (adv) - brave, noble, chivalrous

Comm 11/12

Tomorrow, we will mark the work we did in class today.  Make sure that all of you have read completely up to page 26 in the novel and have completed the chapter questions.
This was today's journal topic:
Many of the world's problems stem from the fact that people are scared of one another.  Agree or Disagree and explain your reasoning in a journal response.  
The journal is due tomorrow.

English 11

Today, we completed a poetic devices sheet, watched a final presentation (of Chapter 27), and looked at the next ten vocabulary words which are as follows:

1. utter (adj and v): complete, absolute; (v) to say
2. complicit (adj): involved with others in an illegal or wrong activity
3. rudimentary (adj): involving limited or basic principles; relating to an immature, underdeveloped, or basic form
4. to be attired (v):  be dressed in clothes of a specific kind
5. spindly (adj): (of a person or limb) long or tall and thin; (of a thing) thin and weak or insubstantial of construction
6. potent (adj):  powerful, influential, effective
7. prone (adj): likely or liable to do, suffer from, or experience something (often something unwelcome or regrettable); lying flat (especially face downward)
8. supine (adj): lying face upwards; failing to act because of moral weakness or indolence
9. to impede (v): to delay or prevent someone or something by means of obstruction; hinder
10. chimera (n): a thing that is hoped or wished for, but impossible to achieve; any mythological being that is constructed with parts from other beings; an organism containing a mixture of genetically different tissues (from fusion of early embryos, grafting, or mutation).

For homework tonight, look at the three quotes that you chose from Chapters 20 - 27, choose one and relate it (in a short paragraph) to one of the following theme words that relate to the novel:

ostracism, injustice, culture, dreams/aspirations, community, religion, hockey, education, moral education, diversity, family/origins/ethnicity, identity, abuse.

Comm 11/12

We read up to page 26 in the class novel.  If you were not in class, make sure your reading is up to date for Tuesday.

English 8

Complete the questions on Chapter 4.

English 11

Read to the end of Chapter 27.  Write down three quotes from the Chapters 20-27, and be prepared to explain their significance to the novel.

English 8

Tonight, just read Chapter 4 of the class novel.

English 11

Think about your skits for tomorrow.  I'll give you 20 minutes in your groups before showtime!

Comm 11/12

Complete Vocab Package #6 for tomorrow.

English 8

Complete the third page of the verb sheet.  Also, complete the "Whom Would You Rather" sheet where #1 is your top choice, and #7 is you least preferred choice.  Finally, look up the definitions for the following words:
1. apprehensive
2. gingerly
3. incredulous
4. nonchalantly
5. rarities
6. roguishly
7. sagely
8. stocky
9. unfathomable
10. gallantly

Comm 11/12

Answer the question sheet on Chapter 1 of the class novel.

English 11

Read Chapters 15 - 17 of the class novel tonight.

English 8

Finish reading Chapter 3 and complete the chart on Socs and Greasers.  I will give you time in class tomorrow to do the questions on Chapter 3.

Comm 11/12

Make sure your Vocab Package #5 is complete for tomorrow.

English 11

 Complete the questions on Chapters 11 - 14 of the class novel.

English 8

Read Chapter Two of the class novel and answer the question sheet on that chapter.  Plus, fill in the first half of the chart concerning Greasers and Socs.

The class set of this week's vocabulary words is as follows:

1. resignedly (adv) - doing something in a submissive way; giving in to something one can no longer fight
2. acquired (verb) - obtained; accomplished; to get as one’s own
3. clammy (adj) - cold and damp; covered with a cold, sticky moisture
4. defiance (noun) - daring or bold resistance to authority or an opposing force
5. contemptuous (adj) - showing disdain, scorn, or disrespect
6. glaring (adj) - shining or reflecting a harshly bright light; obvious
7. reckless (adj) - utterly unconcerned with the consequences of an action; without caution;carelessness
8. sheepish (adj) - embarrassed for having done something foolish; like sheep with meekness
9. premonition (noun) - feeling or anticipation or anxiety for a future event
10. ember (noun) - smoldering remains of a fire; a small, live piece of coal or wood; a still burning thing

English 11

Students should read up to the end of Chapter 14 in the class novel.  Before reading, however, write a 1/2 page to 3/4 page journal response on your first day of something as a child.  This could be your first day of school (if you can remember this), your first day of high school, or your first day of attending an organization, music or sporting activity.

The first ten class vocabulary words from the novel are as follows:

1. matriarch (n): female head of a family or tribe
2. seer (n): one with supernatural ability who can see the future
3. stoic (adj) : one who can endure pain/hardship without complaint
4. spectre (n): a ghost; something widely feared
5. to pine (v): to yearn for the return of something; to waste away especially because of a broken heart
6. thrall (n): the state of being in someone’s power or having great power overs someone
7. transient (adj or n): (adj) impermanent; lasting just a short time; (n) a person who stays or works in a place for  just a short time
8. manitou (n): Algonquin/Ojibway spirits or forces that pervade and control the natural world (Gitchee Manitou=the Great Manitou; the Creator)
9. shaman (n): a holy person in a pre-industrial community, a liaison between the physical and spiritual world who is responsible for divination, healing, and leading rituals within a community
10. to scuttle (v or n):  (v) to run hurriedly/furtively with short, quick steps; to purposely sink a ship; (n) a small pan for shovelling coal

Comm 11/12

Study for Monday's quiz on short story terms.

English 11

Read the first two chapters of Indian Horse.  Do not read any further.  Also, read the author biography on Richard Wagamese and answer the two questions about it.  Finally, study for the vocabulary test on Monday.

English 8

Complete review sheets for "A Secret for Two" and "G. Trueheart, Man's Best Friend".  We'll finish reviewing the answers to "The Monkey's Paw" tomorrow.

Comm 11/12

Finish Vocab Package #4 and complete the sheet on short story terms.  Your second visual design assignment (that was given to you last Thursday) needs to be handed in tomorrow.

English 11

Part One of your short story test is tomorrow.  Review your pink and yellow sheets.

English 8

There will be a vocabulary test on Monday.  Also, complete questions 1 to 8 of "The Monkey's Paw".  Finally, fill in a review sheet for "G.Truehart, Man's Best Friend" and "A Secret for Two".  The categories that you are to make notes on are as follows:

1. Characters:  protagonist and antagonist:
2. Conflict:
3. Point of View:
4. Irony:
5. Setting and Mood:
6. Theme:

Your short story test is tentatively booked for Thursday (no sooner), so start reviewing now!

Comm 11/12

Review your short story terms, the review sheets for "Edward Scissorhands", "The Landlady" and "Click Clack the Rattlebag" for the short story test next Thursday.  Remember, on Friday you will write a business letter and complete a visual design assignment.

Also, today's visual design assignment is due on Monday.

English 11

Review your yellow literary theory sheets and your pink story sheets for the unit test next Tuesday and Wednesday.

English 8

Tomorrow, the rough copies of the paragraph I assigned today are due.  The topic is as follows:
Of the last three stories we have read, "G.Truehart, Man's Best Friend" by J. MacNamee, "The Dog of Pompeii" by L. Untermeyer, or "A Secret for Two" by Q. Reynolds, which best captures the bond between humans and animals?

Write this paragraph according to the format we have discussed in class.  Your paragraph should include a topic sentence, three points with evidence from the story, and a concluding sentence.  Use transitions and avoid contractions.

English 11

Complete the pink review sheet for "A Lady's Beaded Bag".  Then, come up with two good questions of your own about "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas".  Finally, answer #1, 4, 5, 6 on the story.

Comm 11/12

Tonight, work on the rough copy of your paragraph that explains how Edward Scissorhands is a good example of gothic literature.

English 11

Complete the pink review sheets for "Hills Like White Elephants" and "A Handful of Dates".

English 8

No specific homework for tonight, but you can review the class vocabulary list (20 words). We'll finish the questions on "A Secret for Two" tomorrow. 

English 8

In the final minutes of class, we spoke briefly about the 79 A.D. eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which is in modern day Italy.  Your task is to write a page or two about the life of the dog whose effigy we viewed.  Do not do any research about this dog.  We're going to read a story about it next week.  This assignment is for you to use your creativity and imagine what kind of life this dog had.

Do make sure that your story is written in clear, grammatically correct English.  I will mark you on the Using Language and Producing Text rubrics.  The Producing Text rubric will assess your engagement with this exercise.  If you would like more information on this, refer to the salmon coloured sheets that I distributed on Thursday.  If you do not have these sheets and would like to see them, please email me for the PDFs.

Here is an image of the dog:

Your next ten vocabulary words are as follows:

1. Dwelling (n): a place where someone lives; a home
2. Stodgy (adj): dull, uninspired; (when talking about food) heavy and starchy
3. Villa (n): a large luxurious country house (associated with Roman times, but $people still have villas today)
4. Agonize (v): undergo great mental strain through worrying about something.
5. Dislodge (v): to knock or force out of place or position
6. Cameo (n): a piece of jewellry (often an oval pendant) with a person’s silhouette
7. Ponder (v): to think carefully and deeply about a subject before taking action or reaching a conclusion
8. Vapors (n):  a substance diffused or suspended in the air, esp. one that is usually liquid or solid (smoke/steam/toxic fumes)
9. Sham (adj): false; bogus (n): a thing that is not what it is presented to be
10. Trappings (n): the outward signs, features, or objects associated with a particular situation, role, or thing.

English 11

You will have 25 minutes on Monday morning to finish/proofread your essays.  Also, the vocabulary sheet on synonyms and antonyms is due.

Comm 11/12

Today, students wrote a quiz and read a new story.  The questions on the story are due on Monday.  Email me if you need a copy of it.

Comm 11/12

Do exercise 3 in Vocabulary Package 3.  Also, answer questions 1-5, 7, 9, 10, 14, 16, and 19 of "The Landlady" for tomorrow.

English 11

Pose three questions about the short story "A Lady's Beaded Bag".  We will discuss possible answers tomorrow.  Also, do questions 2, 5, and 6 that are found on the page of vocabulary.

English 8

Your paragraph on how the two stories "The Golden Pants" and "The Hockey Sweater" are due on Wednesday.

English 8

Complete the handout on paragraph writing that was given out in class and write the paragraph on what makes Canada a good country in which to live.  This will be due on Monday.

Comm 11/12

On Monday, we will mark the rest of Vocabulary Package #2.  Make sure you complete the journal on "the creepiest thing that ever happened", and answer questions 1 - 4 on the short story "The Landlady".

English 11

On Monday, your next five vocabulary words and definitions are due.  Also, make sure that you have completed the synonym/antonym handout.

English 8

Today, we watched the NFB's animation of Roch Carrier's "The Hockey Sweater".  Tonight, write down as many similarities and differences between the stories as you can.  Try for 10 of each.  Most students will write this on a Venn diagram, but you can also write it as a t-chart.

Also, please complete your spelling crossword in anticipation of tomorrow's spelling quiz.

English 11

Tomorrow, you will write an in-class essay.  Bring your completed planning sheet and a paper dictionary.  You may also bring a copy of the story if you need it, but you should have already selected your quotes to save time while writing.

Also, make sure that the sheet on synonyms and antonyms for the vocabulary words is complete.  I'll collect it tomorrow while you write.

Comm 11/12

Many of you handed in your business letters today; but if you have not done so, you must submit yours tomorrow in class.  Also, finish package #2 of the vocabulary words.  Finally, the journals you began today in class are due on Monday.  Here is the topic:  the creepiest thing that has ever happened to me.

English 11

Keep reviewing the class vocabulary list AND adding to your personal vocab list.  The next five words will be due on Monday as Friday is a professional day.

For the short story, do the following two things:

1. Explain what the dates symbolize.

2. Now that you have made a one-word list of what the story is about, choose three of the words on the list and state specifically WHAT the story is saying about each word.

To refresh your memory, we said that the story was about...

1. growth, maturity, change
2. poverty, wealth
3. hatred, revenge
4. mercy
5. innocence
6. jealousy
7. role models

Comm 11/12

Today, we went over the grammar homework, and I handed out the second vocabulary package.  Students need to do the Exercise 3 from that package for tomorrow.  Also, if you have not already done so, you must hand in your "Gentlemen, Your Verdict" answers tomorrow.

Finally, I handed out a package on writing business communications.  Come to school tomorrow with the name of a program they would like to go into after graduating from Sutherland.  Later this week, you will write a letter to this institution asking for information.

English 8

Review your spelling words and your new vocabulary words which are as follows:

1. heretic (noun):  a person holding opinions that are at odds with what is generally accepted
2. gusto (noun): a feeling of vigor, enthusiasm, or enjoyment when doing something
3. askew (adverb and adjective): something that has gone off course; not in a straight or level position
4. shudder (verb): to tremble convulsively because of fear or revulsion
5. remorse (noun):  deep regret or guilt because of a wrong the person has committed
6. obliged (verb): do as (someone) asks or desires in order to help or please them; be indebted or grateful.
7. flinch (verb): to draw back quickly from pain or shock; a nervous movement to protect self
8. redoubled (verb):  to double again; to make or become much greater, more intense, more numerous
9. dowdy (adjective): unfashionable, unattractive, dull in appearance
10. catastrophic (adjective): involving or causing sudden great damage or suffering; extremely unfortunate or unsuccessful; disastrous 

English 11

Complete the questions on "A Handful of Dates" for Monday.  You first ten class vocabulary words are as follows:

1. ambiguity (noun):  doubtfulness/uncertainty in meaning or intention; the quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness
2. contrite (adjective):  feeling guilty; feeling or expressing remorse 
3. junction (noun):  a place or point of meeting or joining
4. understatement (noun):  the downplaying of a subject’s importance: the presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less significant than it actually is.
5. gratitude (noun):  thankfulness: readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness
6. conceited (adjective):  feeling full of oneself; excessively proud; vain
7. unflinchingly (adverb):  not showing fear in the face of danger
8. amicable (adj):  having a spirit of friendliness
9. inconsequential (adj):  lacking worth or importance
10. serendipity (noun):  happy circumstance; good luck; the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.

Comm 11/12

Do the handout on fragments and run-ons, and make sure you complete the questions on the short story.

Comm 11/12

Bring your vocabulary packet to class tomorrow as we'll go over the answers.  Also, write a brief response to the story, "Gentlemen, Your Verdict".  Did you like or dislike the story?  Did you find anything surprising or disturbing about the story?  Do you agree with Captain Oram's decision?

English 11

Bring your five vocabulary words and definitions to class tomorrow. Also, write a short response to the story "A Handful of Dates".  In this response, you could mention what you liked or did not like about the story, whether it reminded you of any other stories, or what you found curious or odd about the it.

English 8

Tonight, look over the short story, "The Golden Pants" and find five words that you think would make good, academic vocabulary terms for the class.  If you don't know the meaning of a word, that would make it a good candidate for your list!  Bring you list to class tomorrow.

English 8

Please complete the crossword that you received today.  This is to help reinforce the spelling words you'll need to know on Thursday.
Also, tomorrow you can finish your posters in Focus.  In groups, students will present their posters during class.

English 11

In the handout I gave you today, pay special attention to any bolded words as these will be terms you will need to know for the unit exam.  Also, complete the grammar paragraph that you received today.

Comm 11/12

Tonight, please complete the first exercise in your vocabulary package.

English 11

Tonight, answer the Grade 11 question sheet on "Hills Like White Elephants", paying close attention to questions six and nine. I will collect these tomorrow.  Also, begin to note new vocabulary words that you come across.  On Friday, bring in your list of five good, academic vocabulary words.  An example of a poor vocabulary word would be "twerk (verb)".  An example of a good vocabulary word would be "ebullience (noun):  high-spirited, bubbly happiness".

English 8

Your spelling test is on Thursday.  Today in class, students worked in groups to plot familiar fairy tales.

English 8

Your first spelling test will be on Thursday, so review your words.  Also, come to class with a list of at least three different fairy tales that you feel you know quite well.

English 11

If you were not in class today, please email me so that I can send you today's handouts. For the rest of you, read the story and answer the seven questions to the best of your ability.  This is a thinking exercise and you will not be penalized for being incorrect.  I will, however, be most displeased if you research the story on-line or discuss it with friends!  Just know that we will do a lesson on Monday where ALL WILL BE REVEALED! Therefore, DO NOT RESEARCH THIS STORY IN ANY WAY!  Just think about it and see what you come up with.

English 8

Next week's spelling test will be on Thursday.  Your words are as follows:

1. already
2. aloud
3. allowed
4. advisable
5. actually
6. achievement
7. accompanying
8. accelerate
9. absorption
10. absentee

Also, if you have not yet completed the Student Information Sheet, please do so and hand it in tomorrow.

Comm 11/12

Tonight, write your first impressions of the story we read today.  Then write one question that you have about the story or write a question that I could ask about it.

English 11

Tonight, please complete the flip side of the handout "Building Strong Sentences".  Also, here are the journal topics students were given today...

1. People can sometimes surprise us
2. I was stronger than I had thought
3. In the battle of the sexes, the winners are...(choose a side).

For your journals, choose one of the topics.  Try to write 3/4 to one page of thoughtful content.   I will read these for content, and I will not be marking grammar.  However, do try to write as clearly as possible.

I will collect the journals tomorrow.

Hello and welcome to the 2017-2018 semester!

Today in English 11, Comm 11/12, and English 8 we discussed class outlines, procedures and expectations.  Then, we introduced ourselves.  I'm looking forward to working with you all this semester--fingers crossed that I can remember everyone's name tomorrow!.

English 11

Read over the September Poems handout and choose three.  For each of the three, write one interesting thing that you notice.
Also, write down three reasons why Macbeth is responsible for his own downfall, and then write down three reasons why Lady Macbeth and the witches are responsible for Macbeth's downfall.

English 10

Your narrative essays are due on Monday.  The prompt is as follows:  tell of time that you felt intense physical pain.  Remember that your essay should have at least a beginning paragraph, a middle paragraph, and an end paragraph.  You can have more paragraphs, but the basic beginning (where you set the scene), middle (where you describe how you hurt yourself), and ending (where you state what you learned from this experience or how this incident changed you in some way).
Also, be sure to include at least two poetic devices (metaphor, simile, hyperbole, personification, or alliteration) and underline them.
Finally, be sure to include at least three different sensory images and underline them.

English 11

Complete the white sheet on sentence errors.  Then, answer the questions on the blue study guide on the scenes we read today in Act IV.

English 10

Answer the questions (#1-8) on the pink Romeo and Juliet study guide for Act I, scene i.

English 10

Today in class, we went over the prologue and much of Act I, scene i of Romeo and Juliet.  If you missed class, read to line 100 of Act I, scene i for tomorrow.

English 11

Today, we read Act III, scenes i-iii.  Answer the study guide questions for tomorrow on these scenes.

I also gave out the final vocabulary words.  Period 3, here are your words:

1. loathesome (adj):  causing feelings of hatred or disgust; repulsive

2. supplication (n):  the action of begging for something earnestly or humbly

3. refurbish (v):  renovate or redecorate (especially a building)

4. denote (v):  to indicate; to be a sign of something

5. subsequent (adj): coming after something in time; following

6. polymath (n): a person of wide-ranging knowledge or learning

7. vainglorious (adj): excessively proud of oneself or one’s achievements

8. ubiquitous (ajd):  appearing or found everywhere

9. debauchery (n):  excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures

10. harbinger (n):  a person or thing that signals or announces the entrance of another

11. to become (v):  to look good on someone; to make him or her more attractive

12. corporeal (adj): relating to a person’s body, especially as opposed to a person’s spirit

13. vaulting (adj): jumping

14. husbandry (n): the care, cultivation and breeding of crops and animals

15. compunction (n): feelings of guilt; pangs of conscience

16. equivocator (n): a person who does not speak the whole truth or speaks ambiguously

17. surmise (v): to suppose something is true without any evidence

18. cleave (v): to split or sever especially along a natural grain; OR to join together****

19. palpable (adj): able to be touched or felt; a feeling so intense that it is almost intangible

20. largess (n): generosity in giving money or gifts to others

21. dauntless (adj):  fearless

22. rebuke (v):  scold; reprimand harshly

23. barren (adj):  childless; infertile

24. defile (v):  make dirty or corrupt morally

25. incensed (adj):  enraged; angry

26. sundry (adj):  various; several

27. jocund (adj):  jouful

28. drowse (v):  be dull and sleepy; be half asleep

29. mirth (n):  joy

30. infirmity (n):  a physical or mental weakness

Period 4, here are your words:

1. aptitude (n):  natural ability or skill
2. talisman (n): an object thought to bring good luck
3. harassment (n):  intimidation; aggressive pressure
4. guzzle (v):  to drink quickly or greedily
5. incondite (adj):  crude or poorly constructed (often pertaining to literature); lacking refinement
6. harbinger (n):  a person or thing that signals or announces the entrance of another
7. hilt (n):  the handle of a weapon or a tool
8. purportedly (adv):  claimed to be true
9. herculean (adj): having or requiring great strength (note the spelling)
10. tenuous (adj): not substantial; weak; slight; flimsy

11. to become (v):  to look good on someone; to make him or her more attractive

12. corporeal (adj): relating to a person’s body, especially as opposed to a person’s spirit

13. vaulting (adj): jumping

14. husbandry (n): the care, cultivation and breeding of crops and animals

15. compunction (n): feelings of guilt; pangs of conscience

16. equivocator (n): a person who does not speak the whole truth or speaks ambiguously

17. surmise (v): to suppose something is true without any evidence

18. cleave (v): to split or sever especially along a natural grain; OR to join together****

19. palpable (adj): able to be touched or felt; a feeling so intense that it is almost intangible

20. largess (n): generosity in giving money or gifts to others

21. dauntless (adj):  fearless

22. rebuke (v):  scold; reprimand harshly

23. barren (adj):  childless; infertile

24. defile (v):  make dirty or corrupt morally

25. incensed (adj):  enraged; angry

26. sundry (adj):  various; several

27. jocund (adj):  jouful

28. drowse (v):  be dull and sleepy; be half asleep

29. mirth (n):  joy

30. infirmity (n):  a physical or mental weakness

English 10

Today, students handed in their extended metaphors and we collected eleven new vocabulary words.  Students were asked to read to page 212 for tomorrow.

The new vocabulary words are as follows:
1. sagacious (adj): showing great wisdom/intelligence
2. interlocutor (n):  a person who takes part in a conversation
3. brag (v):  to boast or show off
4. compel (v): to force someone to do something or make something happen
5. leverage (n/v): noun--the power to influence people, things or events/ the power to act effective verb--to support or to take action in order to be more financially secure; to use something to maximum advantage
6. retort (v):  to reply quickly in an angry or witty manner
7. poise (n):  balance/control of bodily movements; showing dignity and self-confidence
8. formidable (adj):  hard to handle or overcome; awe-inspiring in terms of size or excellence; causing fear or dread
9. indict (v): formally accuse or charge with a crime
10. meticulous (adj): showing extreme attention to detail
11. diligent (adj):  hard working; completing work with care and attention

English 11

Period 3:  Today in class, we did a self-test on who controls each student's fate.  Then, we watched different movie versions of I,i.

If students have not already done so, they should bring their five vocabulary words and definitions to school tomorrow.

Period 4:  Today, we discussed the Great Chain of Being, read I, ii, and came up with a list of our next 10 vocabulary words, which are as follows:
1. aptitude (n):  natural ability or skill
2. talisman (n): an object thought to bring good luck
3. harassment (n):  intimidation; aggressive pressure
4. guzzle (v):  to drink quickly or greedily
5. incondite (adj):  crude or poorly constructed (often pertaining to literature); lacking refinement
6. harbinger (n):  a person or thing that signals or announces the entrance of another
7. hilt (n):  the handle of a weapon or a tool
8. purportedly (adv):  claimed to be true
9. herculean (adj): having or requiring great strength (note the spelling)
10. tenuous (adj): not substantial; weak; slight; flimsy

English 11

Today, the students were given this writing assignment:

“When you’ve finished writing the test, write a letter to someone who has irritated you.  Feel free to insult that person as creatively as possible.  Try to fill up an entire page.  Explain how this person’s actions have annoyed you and what you would like to see happen. If you are seriously venting your spleen, don’t overtly identify your subject as I don’t want to read colleagues’ or students’ names.  I you and your friend are exchanging insults, make sure you are both aware of this fact.”

Bring your letters to class tomorrow.

Also, begin collecting good, academic vocabulary words again--your next 5 words and definitions are due on Monday, May 15th.

English 10

Your extended metaphors are due on Monday, May 15th.  Tonight, read up to page 140.  Also, have your investigations ready for the start of class tomorrow.
Begin collecting good, academic vocabulary words again--your next 5 words and definitions are due on Monday, May 15th.

English 11 notes on power in the novel

Power—Period 3

• The Combine, women and Mack all wield power.  When thinking about women, Harding says, “we are the victims of a matriarchy”.  Many patients are in hospital because of women.  Billy is too tied to his mother and has no confidence, Chief was really affected by how his mother beat down his father and took his power, Harding has a terrible marriage and his wife doesn’t help him get better, and the nurse deprives men of their masculinity.
• Mack’s power comes from his personality and his genuine laughter emboldens the men/heals the men.
• Mack has a great deal of power, but not enough to conquer the nurse’s power because the authorities have ultimate power.  The nurse is very controlling and uses her power to keep the men down.  She has the power of the institution and society behind her.  The orderlies get their power from her.  Even the doctors defer to her (nurse is powerful because she knows how to use fear to manipulate even those considered to be above her in status).  As for the patients, if they don’t follow the rules, they will be punished.  The Combine/machinery will punish individuals who step out of line.  When power shifts, she feels threatened.
• This ties in with the power of the Combine.  Whatever the authorities think is sane becomes right.  People like Murphy are agents of change in society.  They challenge society’s assumptions about what is accepted.
• Chief talks about power on p. 137.  He says that he can’t help the others because if he does, he’ll leave himself wide open to attack.  The men actually have power but don’t realize it.  Most of them could walk out of the institution under their own steam because they are voluntary patients.  The institution is society that will punish people who do not follow the rules.
• During the fishing trip, the men realize that they have power that they can use to their advantage…the power of mental illness.
• Mack had a great impact on the patients.  The nurse loses control to him and Mack loses his life to her, but he has a lasting effect on the men on the ward.  Mack was the first to stand up to the nurse and opened up the idea of rebellion, but the nurse always had to win.  She had a ‘don’t test me’ attitude.
• Kesey does a good job of representing the power of sexuality.  Harding fears his own sexuality, Billy fears his too—he has never been with a woman.  Being openly sexual is frowned upon, Kesey wants people to be more open. 
• Chief’s silence comes from his lack of power.  He begins speaking when he begins feeling more powerful.  On p. 8, he says “I’ve been silent so long” and he talks about his story being true even if it didn’t happen.   Often if people have experienced something bad, it’s hard for them to express themselves.  It’s easier to say nothing, but Chief has been silent for so long that he is going to tell his story.  Nurse worked hard to take away all the men’s voices.
• Society is like the nurse and never thinks it is doing anything harmful, but Kesey shows us what society is doing.   With power comes influence.
• Mack uses his power for good. He doesn’t think the patients are that ill.  He thinks they would be fine to be out in society, and this gives them the confidence to leave the hospital.
• Under democracy can be subverted to maintain an authoritarian status quo.
• Power is where people believe it to be.  Mack is in a worse spot than most of the other patients (he’s committed), but because the men believe in him, he has power.

Power—Period 4

• On p. 185, Harding says “this world belongs to the strong…we must face up to this”.  The weak are fearful and hide in their fog.
• Fear is used by those in power to control the weak and gain power.  Harding also talks of rabbits and wolves.  The rabbits are happy to give their power to the wolves.
• The nurse feels very responsible to do her duty…this turns her into a robotic woman.
• Chief at the start of the book hides from those in power.  When he is taken to the shaving room he says “I don’t yell, otherwise it’s just tougher on you”.
• Mack shows off his power on the ward in order to gain authority.
• Size is also used to show power.
• Those with power can manipulate others (Mack persuades Turkle to let in the women for the party).  Nurse gets her power from her connections (to the head of the hospital and Billy’s mum). 
• EST and lobotomies are the ways in which society wields power.

English 11 Fishbowl notes on fear in the novel

Fear—Period 3

• Fear of nurse’s authority is what keeps the men in hospital.  Authority keeps them sick.  A doctor even said this about the nurse “All my veins are running ammonia” showing that everyone fears her. 
• At one point Billy says, “Sure, if I had the guts I could go outside today”.  He doesn’t have the guts because the nurse uses fear to keep him down.  Every time progress seems to happen, the nurse brings up something to make him feel insecure.   As part of her therapy, Nurse keeps telling the men that they cannot fit into society.  As soon as they seem to recover, she brings up something terrible about them to push them back down.
• The nurse’s notebook is a symbol of fear—fear of what is in the book…what could be in the book.  The book forces people to turn on each other.  The nurse has the power of the Combine behind her and she has power over people by manipulating their fears and desires. Powerful people can use fear to control others.  Fear reduces personal power and makes people do things they would not normally do. 
• Laughter is also a symbol.  Some fear it.  When Mack enters the hospital, he opens up a new way of looking at the world to the patients.  They begin to realize that laughter makes a person strong, independent.   The patients have forgotten that they can fit in/be accepted.  Laughter is the antidote to fear.
• Mack shows the patients a way of getting over their fears and pulls them out of the fog.
• The fog is also closely linked to fear.  Chief slips into it and away from reality in order to find comfort.  They become reliant on the fog.  Leaving the fog means leaving one’s comfort zone, but when it clears, Chief finds he can leave the hospital.
• The nurse is also fearful.  She fears losing control over the patients.  Her therapy doesn’t make anything better.  Is this because she thinks the patients are hopeless? She even tries to hide her sexuality/femininity while on the ward. 
• The 1960s saw the beginnings of social change.  Mack is an instrument of social change.
• The Disturbed ward, lobotomies and EST are used as fear tactics to control the patients.  They fear pain and losing themselves completely by becoming vegetables.  The lobotomy cuts to the men’s deepest fears.  When Mack was turned into a vegetable, none of the men in the movie seemed scared that Chief murdered him.  They knew that being a vegetable was worse than being killed.
• Men fear the medicines that are supposed to make them better.
• Mack fears staying on the ward forever and going back to the work farm.  What was his childhood like?  He empowers the men and takes away their fear, but this tires him.
• Harding fears being outed as gay.  “The finger of society” is pointing at me. 
• Billy fears his mum’s judgement. P. 315
• There is a big connection between fear and power.  What’s the best way to gain power?
• Mack is not perfect.
• How does laughter connect to power?

  Fear—Period 4

• Nurse is a symbol of fear for all the men…but each man fears something different.  The patients are scared to change anything, but Mack encourages them and this gives them strength. 
• The goals and conflicts between nurse and Mack show power.
• Mack fears being stuck inside the hospital. Mack was scared and put on a show for the men on the ward.  He becomes fearful when he keeps having to go up against the system.  Chief notes how pale and tired he looks.
• Fear is used to control and manipulate.  An example of this is how Nurse breaks Billy by threatening to tell his mum about Candy.  P. 315
• EST and lobotomy are used as fearful tools of control and not therapies.
• The patients have been milled by the Combine and they see Mack’s freedom and are empowered by it.  Mack become a martyr because he can’t break the system…it breaks him.  His flame is extinguished, but he inspires others to want to leave the hospital and be free. 
• All this ties into the idea of rabbits and wolves.  The men feel that they are and always have been rabbits.  They have given up their power to be “protected” by the wolves (admin). They rely on the wolves to protect them from the harshness of the world.  By the end of the novel they are no longer rabbits, they are now men.
• There is no therapy in this place.  The nurse uses implication and undermines trust between the men in order to rule by fear.  She rules by dividing them as much as possible.
• The fog is a place to go when the Chief feels fearful.  Drugs also cause the fog.
• The concept of big vs. small also fits into the topic of fear as those who are “small” feel  fearful and weak.  Those who are big feel strong mentally.
• The control panel fits into this topic because when Chief finds courage, he realizes he can break it and use it to escape the hospital.
• People with authority act like they have authority and people listen to them.  At the start of the book, the men were afraid of those in power, at the end they were less so.
• How does fear connect to our world and our lives?
• The music is like nurse on the ward.  Her presence can be felt everywhere.

English 11 Fishbowl Notes on society in the novel

Society--Period 3

• Modern society is like the mental institution
• Everyone has a role in the power struggle…nurse has power and is the rule maker
• She’s an example of callous leaders in the real world—some figures who resemble her would be dictators
• Mack and the others are people in society who are looked down upon
• Nurse doesn’t look down on others--she is a tool used by the asylum….the patients aren’t really crazy, they could still be functioning members of society, but they aren’t typical.  The asylum pulls people back from being individuals and tries to fix what isn’t broken
• This is very different from Mack who wants to let people be themselves.
• The patients aren’t really very sick, they are just scared of the world and want to hide in the hospital.
• For example, Harding was just gay.  He didn’t feel safe in society, so he went to the hospital where he felt safe.
• The hospital is a microcosm of society and anyone who doesn’t fit must be changed to fit society’s standards
• Those without power must obey those who do; that’s why the men obey the nurse.
• The hospital is a symbol of society, filled with people who do not fit. 
• The Combine represents evil forces in society that mill people down, make them uniform and the same.  The Combine is also all the rules and expectations set out for people in society.  Nurse Rachet is a representative of the Combine and “the ward is a factory for the combine” page 40.  The nurse wants everyone to be the same and Mack wants people to be individuals.
• Mack allows the men to see themselves for who they are because they have lost touch with that.
• Nurse wields her power sneakily.  She never directly attacks them, she implies stuff.  This is similar in society where people are judged in the same way
• A hint is made about someone and whoever says it sits back and lets the others attack the target.
• Nurse likes people to be uniform and compliant…a repressive society demands uniformity and compliance.  She refuses to change schedules even. 
• Electroshock therapy and lobotomies are also tools of repression and punishment given to those who do not follow society’s rules.
• Consequences for those who don’t act the same way
• Society demands that people conform to its rules.
• Harding notes that the “finger of society” was pointing at him because he was different.  Society beats down those like Mack (the individuals).  Society would rather just lock away people who are different, electrocute it away.  Society would prefer to have an emotionless vegetable than deal with someone with problems (p.250ish quote).
• Nurse’s adherence to a schedule is like how society pushes people into living structured lives…you must go to college to get a job to afford a family  etc.
• Mack was the self-sacrificing individual who helped people find their place/voice in society and he is also a symbol of the way society oppresses individuals.
• Mack’s laughter is his strength and shows he didn’t fit into society’s plan for him.

Society--Period 4

• Society decides who has power and who doesn’t/what is acceptable and what is not.
• The Combine is a symbol of how society affects people—it mills them down like pieces of wheat. The nurse is an official for the Combine (p. 192)
• On p. 64, Harding says “The world belongs to the strong”
• When Mack wears his whale shorts, this shows that he is not wearing the “uniform” society (the hospital) wants to dress him in.  This shows he is an individual who rebels against the rules.
• When the patient in Disturbed killed himself in the toilet, Chief wonders why he did it and said “all he had to do was wait” because the institution would eventually kill him.  The Combine cuts down people and keeps going until you are “fixed” and are the same like everyone else (p.221)
• The machines area what runs the Combine, the machines are the ways in which society controls individuals and supresses their impulses.
• When Chief has a nightmare that someone on the ward dies, the victim is full of rust not blood.  This shows that the hospital has stripped this patient (and others) of their humanity.
• The fog is where the patients go to escape the Combine and nurse’s rules.  Mack reaches into it and brings them out.
• All the people in the hospital are there because society sees them as problems.  They’ve been pushed out of society and into the hospital…and the hospital is no escape.
• Harding has been made to feel shame just for who he is.
• When Mack smashes the glass window, he is showing that society’s rules can be broken/that they are fragile.
• Authority figures are feared by the patients and the powerful use this fear to manipulate them.
• Change can happen when people band together…like the patients who rally around Mack.

English 10

Late investigation sheets are due on Tuesday.  Make sure you have read up to page 61 of the novel.  Answer the pp. 22-28 questions #1, 2, 3 AND pp. 28-32 questions #1, 3, 4 for tomorrow.  Remember, too, that the next vocabulary quiz will be on Friday.

English 10

The investigation sheet is due on Monday.  Make sure you read until page 61 this weekend. Your vocabulary quiz will be next Friday.

English 11

Your next vocab quiz will be on May 8.  Make sure you prepare with notes, quotes, symbols and thesis statements for the fishbowl discussion next Tuesday.

English 10

Tonight, read to page 34 of the book and answer questions 2, 3, 4, and 6 from the third section (pp.12-21).

English 10

1.       We red until Chapter 19 in the class novel, and I assigned the following work for tomorrow:

a.       Fill out the character sheet (point form) for Christopher, Wellington, Mrs. Shears,         and Siobhan (fill out the information for Siobhan on the back of the sheet).

b.      Pp. 1-4, question #s 1, 2, 5

c.       Pp. 4-12, question #s 1, 2, 4

Also, don't forget to continue reviewing your vocabulary words. There will be a test next week on them.

English 11

Tonight, complete the answers to the questions for Chapters 16 and 17.  Also, read to page 181.  Your next vocabulary test will be in approximately two weeks.

English 10

Today, students were given the class vocabulary list of 30 words taken from the last three readings.  The next vocabulary test will be in two weeks.

English 11

Tonight, answer questions 1, 2, 3, & 4 for Chapter 15.  Also, read Chapter 16.

English 11

This weekend, read to page 125 (the end of Chapter 11).  I'll give you time in class on Monday to answer the questions.  Period 4 will have a reading quiz on Chapters 8-11--so make sure you are up to date!

English 10

For Monday, complete the worksheets on fragments and run-on sentences.  Also, write down your first reactions to "The Metaphor".  What did you like about it?  What did you dislike?  Did it remind you of anything?  Did you find anything confusing about the story?

English 11

Tonight, read to the end of Chapter 8 (p. 101).  I'll give you time in class to answer the chapter questions.

English 11

Read to the bottom of page 55.  Period 4, prepare an answer for Chapter 4 #4.

English 10

You have the CHOICE of doing one of the following two writing options:

Choose one of the following options:

1. Writing as the old man with the vulture eye, compose a letter to a friend when you talk about your new roommate.  Describe your impressions of him and the interactions you have had with him.  Be creative!  Your letter should be a page to a page and a half in length.

OR

2. Writing as the murderer, compose a newspaper announcement where you are seeking a new roommate.  Describe the kind of person you would like as a “roomie”, and the kind of person you are.  Definitely include engaging details. This announcement should also be about a page in length.

This assignment is due on Monday.  Make sure that your subjects and verbs agree in all your sentences.

English 11

Period 3
Make sure your presentations are ready for Monday.  Also, read to the end of page 41 in the class novel and answer questions 1, 2, and 4 for Chapter 4.

Period 4
For those of you who still have to present, you will do so on Monday. Also, do the same reading and questions as assigned for Period 3.

English 11

Period 4
As you had your in-class essay today, your only homework is to answer questions 2, 4, 5, and 6 on "A Lady's Beaded Bag".

Period 3
Make sure that your planning sheet is complete for Tuesday's in-class essay.

English 10

Come up with one good question about the short story we read in class on Friday.

English 11--Period 3

Finish the questions on the short story for homework tonight.

English 11

Period 3

Finish the chart on the grandfather, grandson, and Masoud.   The chart should indicate 5 things that you learn about each person.

Period 4

State the conflict and theme of the short story "A Handful of Dates".  Also, choose one of the three major characters, write three adjectives about him with a quote from the story that supports that adjective.  Bring this to school tomorrow.

English 10

Start to study the class vocabulary words and keep looking for new words.  You need to bring 5 new, good words and their definitions to class on Friday.

Semester Two--English 11

Period 3:

Please complete the plot diagram of the video clip we watched today.  Click on the green text here to access the video clip.

Period 4:

Please write down 3-5 sentences about your first impressions of the story "Two in One".   If anything confused you, include a question or two as part of your response.

I do homework checks regularly and the marks can add up quickly, so be sure to do your homework.

Semester Two--English 10

Students should be collecting good, academic words that are new to them.  You can find these words anywhere--from your English readings to your material in other classes to newspapers and magazines that you read in your spare time.  Bring 3-5 new words plus their dictionary definitions to class on Friday.