English 10

Start reviewing for the class vocabulary quiz on Friday.  Also, answer questions #1-3 for Act I, iv and #1-3 for Act I, v.

English 9

Start studying your class vocabulary words for the quiz on the 20 words on Friday.  Tonight, make sure that the questions for "The Highwayman" are complete as well as the questions for "Credo".  Also, song lyrics/poetic devices presentations are due.

English 10

Your vocabulary words are as follows:

abhor (verb) - to feel hatred or disgust toward something or someone
assuage (v) - to ease an unpleasant feeling
facetious (adj) - flippant, playfully jocular in a mischievous way
insatiable (adj) - incapable of being satisfied
cessation (n) - a stoppage or discontinuation of something
impassive (adj) - not feeling or showing emotion
elucidate (v) - to make clear by explanation
impel (v) - to force or urge to action
eccentricities (n) - out of the ordinary (usually harmless behaviour, words or dress), weirdly attractive
resuscitate (v) - to revive from unconscousness or apparent death
ubiquitous (adj) - something which is found or appears in many places (or everywhere)
halitosis (n) - bad breath

bacchanalian (adj) - involving wild, noisy behaviour and much alcohol consumption
nugatory (adj) - having no power, worth or meaning
askew (adj) - at an angle; not straight
gauche (adj) - awkward or clumsy in social situations
lacerate (v) - to tear or deeply cut (usually skin)
peril (n) - a source of danger
mitigate (v) - to reduce the severity of something
caveat (n) - a warning (caveat emptor means buyer beware)
mooncalf (n) - a foolish person
changeling (n) - a child believed to have been secretly switched at birth by fairies for the parents' real child
topor (n) - a state of physical or mental inactivity
benevolent (adj) - being well-meaning; doing good
leviathan (n) - an incredibly large water creature (real or imagined); anything huge
foist (v) - to impose an unwanted thing or person upon someone else
groak (v) - to silently watch someone while eating
lavatory (n) - toilet/bathroom
glib (adj) - insincere/shallow; superficial in the social sense
tyranny (n) - cruel or oppressive government or rule
obfuscate (v) - to confuse or perplex (governments might obfuscate important information)
induce (v) - to lead toward an action
tryst (n) - a secret meeting between lovers
malestrom (n) - a violent/turbulent situation; a destructive whirlpool that sucks in objects
machiavellian (adj) - ruled by self-interest; doing anything to get what you want regardless of who gets hurt

English 9

Remember to bring your lyrics to class--you should already have picked out five poetic devices in your song.
Also, your 15 vocabulary words are as follows:

1. euphoric (adj) - extreme happiness
2. vacuum (n) - the absence of 
3. eschew (v) - to avoid deliberately
4. laconically (adv) - with few words
5. torsion (n) - the state of being twisted
6. phosphenes (n) - the white stars and squiggles one sees when one presses one's eyes with his/her fingers
7. chortle (v) - to laugh gleefully; to chuckle and snort
8. bunk (n) - nonsense
9. maladroit (adj) - clumsy or socially awkward
10. lacerated (v) - to tear or deeply cut (usually skin)
11. boon (n) - a benefit; a good thing
12. sublimation (n) - to divert or channel feelings into a socially acceptable outlet
13. acrimony (n) - bitterness or ill feeling
14. boondoggle (n) - spending money on questionable projects; a pointless activity that has the appearance of being valuable
15. paramount (adj) - supreme; more important than anything else
16. retribution (n) - punishment that is considered morally right and deserved
17. desecrate (v) - to treat a sacred place with violent disrespect; to violate
18. intrepid (adj) - fearlessness; adventurousness
19. err (v) - make an error
20. disheveled (adj) - disorderly or untidy (in one's appearance)

English 9

Tomorrow is the test on our class novel.  Make sure you are familiar with the various suspects and the evidence associated with them.  Also, review the main dynamic characters and make note of how they change over the course of the novel (have examples of their behaviour in mind).  Finally, review the concepts of "red herring" and "character foil" from your class notes.

English 10

Tomorrow, you will write the in-class essay. You may bring your writing guide sheet with quotes.  Make sure that your quotations have page numbers.  Also, you may use the back of the guide to write some notes on your introduction. Do not write an entire essay to copy in class tomorrow.  One of the points of this exercise is for you to get used to writing essays in timed situations.

English 9

Continue to review all the notes and questions on the class novel in preparation for Friday's test.  Also, answer in point form the following questions about Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Bells":

1. How does the poem make you feel? Or what memories does it provoke in you?
2. What images does the poet use in the poem?
3. Describe the words the poet has used--are they long or short, formal or informal, what sounds are repeated (specific consonant or vowel sounds)?

English 10

Tonight, come up with five questions that you think might be on next Tuesday's test on the novel.  Also, be sure to supply the answers.
Your ten new vocabulary words for the week are as follows:

1. bacchanalian (adj) - involving wild, noisy behaviour and much alcohol consumption
2. nugatory (adj) - having no power, worth or meaning
3. askew (adj) - at an angle; not straight
4. gauche (adj) - awkward or clumsy in social situations
5. lacerate (v) - to tear or deeply cut (usually skin)
6. peril (n) - a source of danger
7. mitigate (v) - to reduce the severity of something
8. caveat (n) - a warning (caveat emptor means buyer beware)
9. mooncalf (n) - a foolish person
10. changeling (n) - a child believed to have been secretly switched at birth by fairies for the parents' real child

English 10

Today, we began watching the movie for the class novel.  Tomorrow, we will go over questions on Chapters 30 and 31.
At the end of the week, you will write an in-class essay on one of the following topics:

1. In what ways is this a novel about courage?
2. What values does Atticus teach his children?
3. What major lessons does Scout learn over the course of the novel?
4. How is the Boo Radley plot line connected to Tom Robinson's plot line?
5. How is this a novel about growing up?

Tonight, try to think of three supporting reasons for each essay topic.  Each reason should have an accompanying quotation.

English 9

Tonight, write five review questions and their answers for the test.  That means, write down five questions that you think could be on the test of the class novel.

Your new class vocabulary words are as follows:

1. bunk (noun)
2. maladroit (adjective)
3. lacerated (verb)
4. boon (noun)
5. sublimation (noun)

Communications 12

Today, we read Chapter 4 of All Quiet on the Western Front.  Please have your chapter questions completed for Monday.

English 9

This weekend, complete the formal letter outlining three reasons why you prefer either the movie or the novel version of In the Heat of the Night.  It will be due on Monday.
Also on Monday, study your 15 spelling words and please have your five vocabulary words ready (remember to include the parts of speech--noun/verb/adjective/adverb).  The independent novel review due date has been moved from Dec. 2nd to Monday, Dec.9th.

English 10

Today, we finished reading the novel.  For homework, answer the questions for Chapters 29-31.  On Monday, please have your ten vocabulary words ready as well (remember to include the parts of speech--noun/verb/adjective/adverb).  The independent novel review due date has been moved from Dec. 2nd to Monday, Dec.9th.

Grade 9

Please note that all seven of the class vocabulary words have been updated to show their definitions. See the post for November 22.

Tonight, write a paragraph explaining how the speaker's experience in "I, Too, Sing America" and Virgil Tibbs' experience in In the Heat of the Night are similar.  We discussed three points of comparison: racism, how the two characters handle themselves, and how they feel they should be treated.

Your next spelling test will be on Monday, Dec. 9th. The words are as follows:

1. elimination
2. melee
3. nonchalance
4. occasionally
5. feasibility
6. authentic
7. picturesque
8. premonition
9. redundant
10. remembrance
11. sincerely
12. surgeon
13. versatile
14. vulnerable
15. recipient

English 10

Note that the class vocabulary words have been updated with definitions. See the post for November 22.

Tonight, read Chapter 25.  Make sure that your questions are done up to Chapter 24.

Your independent novel review assignment due date has been changed.  The review is due on Monday, Dec.9th.

English 10

Read Chapters 23 and 24 for homework.  Make sure that you have answered the questions up until and including Chapter 22.  I will collect your responses for Chapters 1 -17 on Monday.  Make sure that your responses are as complete as possible.

Your weekly vocabulary words are as follows:
abhor (verb) - to feel hatred or disgust toward something or someone
assuage (v) - to ease an unpleasant feeling
facetious (adj) - flippant, playfully jocular in a mischievous way
insatiable (adj) - incapable of being satisfied
cessation (n) - a stoppage or discontinuation of something
impassive (adj) - not feeling or showing emotion
elucidate (v) - to make clear by explanation
impel (v) - to force or urge to action
eccentricities (n) - out of the ordinary (usually harmless behaviour, words or dress), weirdly attractive
resuscitate (v) - to revive from unconscousness or apparent death
ubiquitous (adj) - something which is found or appears in many places (or everywhere)
halitosis (n) - bad breath

English 9

Finish reading In the Heat of the Night and do Chapter 13, question #4 and Chapter 14, question #1.  Do not answer the Chapter 14 question in essay form.  Just answer each element in point form.

Your five vocabulary words for the week are as follows:
euphoric (adj) - intense excitement or happiness
vacuum (noun) - a space entirely devoid of matter
eschew (verb) - to deliberately avoid
laconically (adv) - speaking with few words; concisely
torsion (noun) - the act of twisting or turning
chortle (verb) - a mixture of a chuckle and a snort; to chuckle exultantly
phosphene (noun) - the luminous stars and squiggles one sees when one closes his/her eyes and presses on them

Finally, your poster project is due next Thursday.

English 10

Tonight read Chapter 16.

Also, start collecting your ten useful vocabulary words today.  These words can be from the class novel, your independent novel, newspapers or magazines. Make sure you write the word, its part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverb), and its definition.  Do not give slang words (I don't want to know that you can define "twerking") or very specialized scientific words (I do not want to know that you can define "Ileitis: noun. An inflammation of the ileum, due to infection, a tumor, etc. and involving partial or complete blockage of the small intestine").  The point of this exercise is to find useful words that will broaden your vocabulary and help you become better writers and readers.

English 9

Make sure that you have read Chapter 10.  Do questions #1,2,3,5, and 6 for homework.

Also, your two diamante poems about two characters from the novel are due on Wednesday.  Make sure that the presentation of the poems is neat, correct, and pleasing to the eye.  Appropriately sized images must be included (that means, do not supply images that are too small for my old eyes).

Finally, start collecting your five useful vocabulary words today.  These words can be from the class novel, your independent novel, newspapers or magazines. Make sure you write the word, its part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverb), and its definition.  Do not give slang words (I don't want to know that you can define "twerking") or very specialized scientific words (I do not want to know that you can define "gamopetalous: adj. Botany. having the petals joined to form a tube-shaped corolla").  The point of this exercise is to find useful words that will broaden your vocabulary and help you become better writers and readers.

English 10

This weekend, read Chapters 14 and 15 of the class novel.  Do the questions for Chapter 14.