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.