December 8 - 17: Last post of 2014!

It's the last full week of fall semester!  This week we'll finish up the vignettes - drafting the last one and editing/revising all four, as well as finishing the independent reading, discussing The House on Mango Street and studying for the final. 

MONDAY:  Draft up final vignette about your neighborhood using cluster brainstorm technique.  HW: Finish drafting the last vignette about your neighborhood.  Read through page 87 in Mango for Thursday.

TUESDAY: Descriptive word/figurative language activity.  Time on laptops to revise/edit vignettes.  HW: Final drafts of vignettes (with formatting and picture) due Friday.  Work on vignettes and Mango reading.

WEDNESDAY:  Last independent reading day/work day - independent reading log with 500 pages conferenced due on Monday, December 15.  Be sure to conference and log any final reading on this day.  HW: Continue to work on your vignettes; make sure they are accessible by e-mail or Google Docs.

THURSDAY:  Review of requirements for vignette project.  Review Mango up through page 87.  Last day to revise/edit in class on laptops.  HW: Finish vignette project for Friday.

FRIDAY: Current event/issue day.  Read and annotate article, practice as a whole class writing an outline response, then individually.  Receive study guides.  DUE: Vignette project. HW: Finish The House on Mango Street.

December 15 - 19th - Finals Week

MONDAY, DECEMBER 15: Discuss The House on Mango Street.  Go through study guide, practice for final.  DUE: Independent reading logs with 500 pages logged and conferenced for the semester.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16: 1st period final is from 8:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17: 4th period final is from 10:35 a.m. - 12:35 p.m.

Enjoy a wonderful winter break! 

December 1-5

Welcome back!  It's December already, and our second-to-last week before finals.  Please review grades in Illuminate and submit any late work for partial credit before December 15.  You will be turning in 4 vignettes on December 12th, and 500 pages of independent reading on December 15.

MONDAY:  Review Mango through page 21.  Work on draft of 3rd vignette about an influential person.  Activity to add interesting, descriptive language to vignettes.  HW:  Continue working on draft and bring it in on Tuesday.

TUESDAY: Read Mango through page 48 for Thursday, beginning in class.  HW: Read Mango through page 48 for Thursday, begin 3rd vignette. 

WEDNESDAY: Independent reading/read Mango/work on vignette drafts/begin last vignette.

THURSDAY:  Discuss Mango to page 48. Cluster brainstorming exercise for 4th vignette. 

FRIDAY: Current events/current issue day.  Read and annotate article.  Plan and outline essay, write essay.

November 24-26

We have a short week for the Thanksgiving holiday.  This week we'll continue reading The House on Mango Street and writing our own collection of descriptive vignettes using figurative language and imagery.

MONDAY: Peer review of name vignettes.  Make revisions for Wednesday.  Continue reading The House on Mango Street through page 21 for Wednesday.  

TUESDAY:  Special Thanksgiving current event/issue day with reading, annotation, discussion webs. 

WEDNESDAY:  Introduce second vignette.  Independent reading/writing work time.  Work on either vignette or your independent reading. HW: Finish drafting second vignette for Monday, December 1st.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  See you in December!

November 17 - 21

Welcome!  This is our last full week before Thanksgiving (!)  This week, we'll pick up The House on Mango Street and learn about imagery and symbolism. 

MONDAY:  Imagery Notes and activity. 

TUESDAY:  Finish imagery activity.  Pick up The House on Mango Street from the textbook room.  Read the first three vignettes up through page 8 in class.  HW: Read up to page 26 for Thursday.  Write a paragraph describing how you got your name (similar to Cisneros' vignette "My Name") for Thursday. 


WEDNESDAY:  Work on independent reading and House on Mango Street.  NOTE: 500 pages should be read and logged by 12/15. 

THURSDAY:  Discuss first part of Mango Street, make imagery wheel.  Discuss name paragraphs. 


FRIDAY:  Current events day.  Read current events article and annotate.  Discuss/debate.  HW: Finish name vignette -- 3-5 paragraphs, 3-5 sentences each.  

November 10 - 14

Welcome!  Here is the agenda for the week.

MONDAY:  Socratic Seminar covering themes and issues in Of Mice and Men.  Please bring your discussion questions and answers to class on Monday.

TUESDAY:  Veteran's Day Holiday!  No school today.  HW: Continue with your independent reading.  You'll have a total of 500 pages at the end of the semester.

WEDNESDAY:  Enjoy the 1993 film version of Of Mice and Men.

THURSDAY: Continue watching the film.

FRIDAY: Finish the film.  HW: Continue independent reading and reading log.  We'll begin a new unit on Monday.

November 3 - 7

It's November already!  This week, we'll work in groups and learn about the seven important characters in Of Mice and Men, leading up to a Socratic Seminar about themes and issues addressed in the novel next Monday.

MONDAY: Character Group Work/Presentations.  Discuss Socratic Seminar that will be held on Friday.


TUESDAY: Independent reading time/study time for book test. HW: Study for book test. 


WEDNESDAY: Of Mice and Men book test.  DUE: 330 pages of independent reading logged and turned in.


THURSDAY: Work on Discussion Questions for Of Mice and Men Socratic Seminar.  Questions will ask what the book says on a given topic, and what you think based on your own experiences and current events.


FRIDAY: Discuss how to participate in a Socratic Seminar/fishbowl discussion, view rubric and example.  Continue working on Discussion Questions.  Turn in Of Mice and Men books. HW: Finish Discussion Questions for Monday.  Discuss with your parents/guardians over the weekend.

October 27 - 31

Welcome!  This week we'll continue our journey with George and Lennie in Of Mice and Men (OMAM), and gear up for another argument essay.

MONDAY:  Ms. Culpepper, I House Principal, will give a rules presentation and survey.   DUE: American ISIS outline,  revised first essay, and OMAM Chapter Three.

TUESDAY:  Discuss OMAM Chapter Three.  Vocabulary overview.  HW: Finish Vocabulary Worksheet for Wednesday, Read Chapter Four for Thursday. 

WEDNESDAY:  Chapter Four of OMAM/Independent reading time.  Please note that 330 pages of independent reading/logs are due on November 5th, (one week from this day).  HW: Finish OMAM Chapter Four for Thursday.

THURSDAY:  Discuss OMAM Chapter Four as a group.  Start reading Chapter Five.  Begin character group work.  HW: Finish Chapter Five for Friday.  

FRIDAY:  Discuss Chapter Five.  Finish OMAM Section Six and discuss. 

NOTE: We will have an Of Mice and Men book test next week.    

October 20-24

This week, we'll work on revising essays and begin reading Of Mice and Men as a class.  Please continue to check Illuminate and make sure you've turned in all missing work.  The next grading period ends November 7th.

MONDAY: Pass back first essays and discuss results.  NOTE: You'll have one week to revise and turn in if you'd like to increase your grade/points.  If you didn't turn in the essay when it was due, the highest grade you can get is a "B"- which is much better than a zero.  Finish video about migrant workers in current times and begin reading Of Mice and Men (OMAM) chapter one.


TUESDAY:  Discuss OMAM chapter one.  In pairs, complete Lennie and George worksheet.  Read chapter two.  HW: Finish chapter two of OMAM for Thursday. 


WEDNESDAY: Independent reading -- work on your independent reading book or OMAM.  You need 330 total pages of independent reading accumulated for November 1 (in advance of the end of the next grading period).  This includes the first 165 pages you already read for the first grading period.


THURSDAY: They're/There/Their warm-up.  Discuss OMAM chapter two.  OMAM vocabulary worksheet.  Read chapter three for Monday.


FRIDAY:  Current events day -- read and annotate article, debate/discuss, outline about American ISIS.  Half of this day will be spent finishing the vocabulary activity.  HW: Finish outline for Monday,  Finish essay revision and OMAM chapter three for Monday.  OMAM vocabulary worksheet due Wednesday.

October 13 - 17

This week, we'll finish with The Interlopers and begin our first novel of the year, Of Mice and Men. 

MONDAY:  Finish Interlopers worksheet.  Narration group exercise.  DUE: Proposition 47 universal outline.

TUESDAY: Infographic warm-up.  Finish narration group exercise.  Pick up Of Mice and Men (OMAM) from the textbook room. 

WEDNESDAY: Independent reading/begin OMAM.

THURSDAY: Of Mice and Men introduction -- anticipation guide and discussion.  Migrant workers today.  HW: Read Chapter 1 and complete "George and Lennie" worksheet for Monday. 

FRIDAY: Current events day -- read and annotate article, discuss/debate, vote, written response.  Go over essays and make revisions.  HW:  Work on essay revision.  Finish reading OMAM Chapter 1 and George and Lennie worksheet for Monday.

October 6 - 10

Hello!  Hope you've had a good weekend and managed to avoid the heat.  I'm looking foward to a 10-20 degree drop in temperature.  This week we'll finish our "Most Dangerous Game" debate and take a trip to the dark Carpathian Mountains in Romania where two enemies meet face to face in "The Interlopers."

MONDAY:  Finish General Zaroff debate. DUE: Ebola paragraph.

TUESDAY:  Narration Notes.  Read the short story "The Interlopers" and work together to complete the worksheet. 

WEDNESDAY: Finish "The Interlopers" worksheet and work on individual narration exercise. 


THURSDAY:  (Switching reading day to Thursday this week due to AP Teacher Meeting.)  Independent reading and whiparound exercise.

FRIDAY: Proposition 47 on California ballot for November 4, 2014.  Watch news clip, related infographics, and read arguments for and against on handout from Voter's Guide.  Discuss/debate/vote.  Write your opinion in the form of the "universal outline" for Monday.  HW: Finish outline for Monday.

September 29 - October 3

This week, as we move into October already, we'll learn the basic elements of plot while working with the short story "The Most Dangerous Game." We'll write our own stories using plot elements and debate whether or not General Zaroff should be tried for murder.

MONDAY:  Intro to plot elements in a story.  Create your own stories with these elements in class. HW: Make sure you have 165 pages read by Wednesday in your independent reading/free choice book.

TUESDAY:  Finish sharing stories.  Work on "Most Dangerous Notes" including plot elements and theme. HW: Be sure to bring your independent reading/free choice book and logs.  You need 165 pages logged and conferenced by Wednesday, October 1.

WEDNESDAY:  Independent reading -- please have your reading logs ready.  I'll check and make sure you're at a minimum of 165 pages. 

THURSDAY: Prepare for debate: Should General Zaroff be tried for murder?  Begin debate. 

FRIDAY: Read and annotate current event/issue article, discuss, and prepare written response. HW: Ebola paragraph for Monday. 

September 22 - 26

Hope you've had a good weekend! Here is our agenda for the week:

MONDAY: Review song theme art work.  Review "16-year-olds Driving" outlines as a class, and then in groups of 2.  Choose between "16-year-olds Driving" and "Obama's Plan to Attack ISIS" and write out the essay for Friday.  HW:  Write out essay in full sentences for Friday.

TUESDAY: Go over essay that's due Friday. "Most Dangerous Game" short story audio while reading.  HW: Finish reading the rest of "The Most Dangerous Game" for Monday.  Bring your independent reading book and logs for Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY: Bring your independent reading book.  Minimum 165 pages logged and conferenced by next Wednesday, October 1.  You can opt to take another punctuation test on this day to replace the first score.

THURSDAY:  NO SCHOOL - ROSH HASHANAH - JEWISH NEW YEAR.

FRIDAY:  Current events day.  Read and annotate article.  Discuss/debate.  Vocabulary activity.  DUE: Essay written out in sentences turned in with outline.  HW:  Finish reading "The Most Dangerous Game" for Monday if you haven't already, continue reading your independent reading book.

September 15 - 19

This week we'll go from outline to argument (persuasive) essay, have a quiz on the vocabulary and punctuation we've been going over, and also work on determining theme.

MONDAY: Check for outline in response to Obama's plan to attack ISIS (from article we read and discussed Friday).  Read The Sniper and determine theme. Due: Outline.  HW: Finish reading The Sniper.

TUESDAY:  CHANGE OF PLANS DUE TO HEAT IN CLASSROOM - Finding textual evidence (quotes) and citing examples that prove the theme of The Sniper.   Read the short story "Cranes" outside in the shade as a class. 

WEDNESDAY: Punctuation and Every Day vocab quiz.  Silent, sustained reading.  Please bring your independent reading books and logs.  You should have 165 pages read by October 1.  If you're finished with a book or want to abandon it, please bring it for a book conference so you can get credit for the pages.

THURSDAY:  Compare "The Sniper" Notes, add "context" and "significance" to notes, and turn in.  Begin Song Theme activity -- choose one of your favorite songs.  Then, on a piece of construction paper, include the following:  Your name, Song Name, Artist, Subject of Song, Theme of Song (the general statement the artist is making about life), a quote from the song, and a visual of your choice . HW: Finish Song Theme page for Monday.


FRIDAY: Current event/current issue day.  Read an article and annotate it.  Discuss and debate with the class, then create an outline with your response.  Write out essay.  HW: Outline due on Monday, essay due on Tuesday in class.

September 8 - 12

Welcome to week four already! Below is the agenda:

MONDAY:  Punctuation lesson and practice.  Due: Universal Outline for Abercrombie and Fitch's "look policy."

TUESDAY:  (shorter day due to Back to School Night).  Vocabulary practice and review.

WEDNESDAY: Silent sustained reading and book conferences.  Whiparound exercise at the end of class. Due: Bring independent reading book and logs.

THURSDAY:  Review vocabulary words for test, punctuation exercises. 

FRIDAY:  Current event/issue discussion.  Bring completed outline in response to President Obama's plan to launch airstrikes against ISIS for Monday. HW: Completed outline for Monday. Study for quiz on Tuesday covering commas, quotes, end punctuation and Every Day vocabulary words.

September 2 - 5

I hope everyone enjoyed the three-day weekend.  I got a chance to read your "Day in the Life" papers, and I appreciated all of the creativity and effort that many of you put into them.

This short week, we'll work on our annotation skills -- how to make notes on a text you're reading to help uncover an author's purpose and main ideas.  We'll continue to work on our writing skills by focusing on outlining, using the "universal outline" tool.

TUESDAY:  Peer review of universal outlines, fine-tuning and then turning in.  Annotation work on short article. Due: Universal outline response in phrases about spying on teen article, Final Tweet, Hip hop article vocabulary worksheet.  HW: finish annotation work.


WEDNESDAY:  Silent, sustained reading of your independent reading book with "whiparound" exercise. 


THURSDAY:  Introduction to theme, theme vs. subject exercises as a whole class and in groups. 


FRIDAY:  Current events/issue in an article.  Universal outline response in class. HW: Finish universal outline for Monday.

August 25 - 29

This week we'll work lay the groundwork for some of the skills we'll learn this semester, including reading strategies and writing a persuasive response to literature. We'll begin a brief unit called, "Hip Hop Goes Global," including an essay by James McBride included in Best African American Essays in 2009.

MONDAY: Pass back Tweet assignment, start work on Part II of Tweet assignment.  Go to the library for tour of all of the available services, and to find an independent reading book.

TUESDAY: Sentence stem gallery walk around the classroom.  Share impressions with a partner and actively listen.  Quickwrite.

WEDNESDAY: Silent Sustained Reading Day and whole class whiparound exercise. Due: Every Day vocab sheet.

THURSDAY: Vocabulary Scaffold Organizer.  Make predictions about Hip Hop essay.  Read essay. HW: Vocabulary due on Tuesday. 

FRIDAY: Current event article or video.  Class discussion, written response.  HW: Universal outline - response in phrases about spying on teen article for Tuesday, Tweet due Tuesday, Hip hop article vocabulary due on Tuesday.

Enjoy Labor Day weekend, and we'll meet next Tuesday!

Welcome!

Welcome to 9th Grade College Prep English/Language Arts!  I am very excited to be your teacher, and I'm looking forward to a challenging, rewarding, and enjoyable year.  Below is our schedule for the first week:

Tuesday - First day of school!  "Great Wall of Happiness" exercise, syllabus handouts, overview of class, teacher and student contracts.  Homework (HW):  Please bring back signed syllabus for Friday.

Wednesday - Interest inventory exercise. Independent reading overview. HW: Bring independent reading book of your choice (age and school appropriate) to class next Wednesday for check off.

Thursday - Summer reading book Tweet exercise.  HW: Finish Tweet activity for Friday.

Friday - Introduction to "current event and vocab" Fridays.  Current event article/SOAPS activity, vocabulary activity.  Every Day paragraph assignment.  HW:  A Day in the Life of You due Monday.  Independent reading book due in class Wednesday.