Tuesday - March 25, 2014

I was home sick today, so I will post the lesson plans I sent in for my sub.  Sorry I didn't get this posted yesterday!

1st & 2nd Periods:  English 10.  We are just finishing up act I in Merchant of Venice.  Have the students spend the first 3 - 5 minutes of class reviewing spelling and lit terms.  Then have them make a quiz for act I.  We were supposed to take a quiz on it today, but they will have to produce their own instead.  Have them create 5 questions for each of the three scenes in Act I.  These questions should be a mixture of true/false, fill in the blank, multiple choice, Short answer, and one of their own choosing.  They should include the answers to their questions.  If they finish early, they may start reading Act II, scene I on their own for tomorrow.

3rd and 6th Periods:  8th grade.  Meet students at the door and make sure they have their history text books with them, or send them to their lockers to get them if needed.  

Again, have the students spend the first 3 - 5 minutes reviewing the spelling words from this week with a partner.  Call for the Chapter review of Chapter 9 that was due today.  Then, look at the intro to chapter 10 in the history textbook (Mine is on the shelf behind my desk chair.  It is Yellow.  The kids can show you what it looks like.)  Read Chapter 10, section 1 together as a class.  That should take about 15 - 20 minutes.  After you finish, the students can go across the hall to the lab to work on finding research for their debates.

4th Period:  English 7.  The students are in the middle of research papers.  Have them spend their first 5 minutes of class studying spelling words with partners, then take them down to the library for research time.  Remind them to bring jump drives, or use Google Drive to save their work.  They should spend the period working quietly there.  If needed, remind them that if they can't work quietly, or stay on focus, they will not get future time for research, and will have to do that part on their own out of class.  (Jacob Cook may need a lot of support for this.  His computer skills are fairly low, and that tends to show up as goofing off, since he doesn't always know how to find what he is looking for.)

5th Period - Prep

7th Period - Learning Lab.  Students need to be quietly working through this period on something of their choice.

8th Period:  8th Grade all together again.  Have them bring their Watsons books to class for this.  Continue reading this book together as a class.  They are about 2 pages into chapter 2.  Feel free to stop and discuss anything you or they notice.  We are really focusing on the issues of race and how people treat each other with this book.

Results for Wyoming History Day!  We have FIVE 8th Graders going to state this year.  Congratulations! The high school students also did very well for themselves again this year.

Middle School

Jr. Historical Paper:

2nd Place - Emily Jensen

Jr. Group Presentation

2nd Place - Torey Wardell and Tallon Wiles

Jr. Group Exhibit

3rd Place - Kaeli Hernandez and Julia Mortensen

High School

Sr. Individual Exhibit

1st Place - Quinton Migneault.  (I can't remember how to spell his last name!  Sorry . . .  I know he doesn't go to Burlington anymore, but we are still proud of him, and claim him as a "Former Brilliant Student"!

Sr. Individual Documentary

2nd Place - Jared Tolman

1st Place - Nate Davidson

Sr. Group Documentary

3rd Place - Alex Nicholson and Layne Henderson

2nd Place - Bridger Jones, Jess McNiven, and Tanner Christiansen

1st Place - McKay Olsen and Eliza McIntosh

Wednesday - Jan 15, 2014

7th Grade:  Short grammar assessment on verb tenses. 


We discussed character motivations.  Students finished reading "War of the Wall" and the next story in the text was assigned to be read for class tomorrow. 


8th Grade: 
Short grammar assessment on verb tenses
We practiced the Preamble quiz, which will take place tomorrow in ENGLISH class.  After that, we spent the remainder of the period in the lab working on History day projects. 


10th Grade:
Short grammar assessment on verb tenses
We continued our discussion of what makes a commercial persuasive and appealing.  We looked at sample commercials and discussed their merits and values.


History: 
Preamble practice.  Tomorrow, there will be a quiz on Witch of Blackbird Pond chapters 12 - 15.  We will also have time to read the first current event of the quarter. 


Today, we finished taking notes on article I on the Legislative branch.  We will quiz on this next Wednesday.  Now we are starting Article III - the Judicial branch. 

Tuesday - January 14, 2014

7th Grade:  Read overcoming obstacles journals to classmates.  Begin discussion of character motivation.  Read "The War of the Wall" in text and prepare thoughts for tomorrow's class about a time you misjudged a person's motivation and/or didn't understand what was driving them.

8th Grade:  History Day work in lab.  Poster boards need to be put together by the end of next week for 20 points.

10th Grade:  Psychology of commercials.  Videos of various commercials and why they work or what sensed they appeal to.

History:  We finished the notes for Article I about the legislative branch.  Don't forget the Preamble test, the Current Events, The Witch of Black Bird Pond Quiz on chapters 12-15 - all due on Thursday.  Also, you need to have read chapter 7, sections 2 & 3.

Monday - January 13, 2014

New Semester!  Sorry I've been off'-line for awhile. 


7th Grade:  Finished reading our story on Cuban baseball and discussed characterization.  Homework:  Write 1/2 page journal about a time you overcame a challenge. 


8th Grade:  Gerunds are verbs that act as nouns, but end with ING.  They go along with participles and progressive verbs.  We took notes on Gerund use as a subject and the Object of a preposition.  The last half of the class was spent in the lab for History day work.


10th Grade:  Gerund notes (see 8th grade).  We began our commercial unit today.  See Mr. Hawley for a copy of the rules and the timeline. 


History:  Response to Cartoon 3.  If you missed the cartoon, find one of your own, print it out and staple it to the sheet where you describe it.  Then we jumped back into notes on the Legislature. 


On Thursday, History students will need to have a current event, will take the Preamble test, will have a quiz on Witch of Blackbird Pond chapters 11 - 15, and need to have read through chapter 7, section 2 and 3.  Busy day. 

Monday - November 25, 2013

7th Grade:  To Build a Fire.  No homework.

8th Grade AND History:  Begin watching "A More Perfect Union" in class
I also passed out the "Witch of Blackbird Pond" books.  Read chapters 1 and 2 for this coming Monday.

10th Grade:  Begin unit on mythology.   The district assessment for this is a multimedia presentation in front of the class.  I will pass out the grading rubric for it on Monday next week.  No Homework. 

One day till break!  Hang in there. 

Friday - November 22, 2013

7th Grade - No class.  B Schedule

8th Grade - Grammar Review - Notes on Subject/Verb agreement.  Homework - Worksheet on Subject/verb agreement.  Due Monday.  See Mr. Hawley for extra copies. 

10th Grade - No Class.  B Schedule

History - Current Events.  No Homework.  I passed out the review sheet for the 10 amendments test this coming Tuesday.  See Mr. Hawley for extra copies. 

Have a good weekend!

Thursday - November 21, 2013

7th Grade: 
-Quiz on spelling/lit terms for week 12
-Students read their Sci-Fi stories to classmates.  There were some great adventures.  Good job.


8th Grade: 
-Quiz on Spelling/lit terms for week 12
-DOL on 6th Period sentences from "Charly" essays.
No homework.


10th Grade:
Work on papers in library.  No quiz this week.


History:
-Current Events discussions about the racial injustice of the 9 young Scotsboro, Alabama boys who were falsely convicted by a jury of 12 white males of raping two white women on a train in 1931.  The state of Alabama finally issued them posthumous pardons this morning.  One of the girls recanted her testimony, and said they made it all up, but the 9 young men were all sentenced to death anyway.  She even marched with African Americans in protests around the country that were staged to complain.  This was long before the civil rights marches of the 50s and 60s.
-Continued notes on the development of our constitutional democracy. 
-Don't forget that on Monday, we will switch classes.  History will be during English classes, so we can go to the lab and work on projects. 
-Don't forget to bring your current events tomorrow. 

Wednesday - November 20, 2013

7th Grade: 
-Study for spelling test on Thursday
-Close reading class activity "My Papa's Waltz"  Turn in for credit. 
-15 minutes of class time to work on Sci-Fi stories.  Prepare to read them in class tomorrow.


8th Grade:
-Study for spelling quiz tomorrow.
-DOl of 3rd period's Flowers for Algernon essay sentences.  There were some great bad sentences in here.  Tomorrow, we will examine the sentences from 6th period's essays.  Fun!


10th Grade:
Work on papers in the Library.


History:
-Quiz on sections 4.3 and 4.4 from the text book.
-Continue notes on Development of government ideas.
-Passed out a review sheet for the text on Tuesday about the amendments. 

Tuesday - November 19, 2013

7th Grade: 
-Finish reading Sci-Fi stories on pages 192-203. 
-Homework:  Write a science Fiction story, which you will read to the class on Thursday.


8th Grade: 
-DOL - Fix the sentence.  This one comes from one of your Charlie/Algernon papers.
-Read pg 221-225 in text. 
-Find two different articles about the same subject.  Bring them to class, so we can look at treatment in them.  Due Friday.


10th Grade:
-Discussion on which sources students found were primary and which were secondary.  As anticipated, most students actually found secondary sources.  You get to try again for tomorrow.
We spent most of the period in the computer lab, typing J.C. papers.


History:
-Discussion of Gettysburg Address, which was 150 years ago today.
-Begin notes on the Development of Government - Part III.  See Mr. Hawley for copies
-Homework:  Read Chapter 4, sections 3 and 4 in the text for tomorrow.  Short quiz on these.

Monday - November 18, 2013

7th Grade:  Vocab for week 12:

Vocab – page 1020

Metamorphosis
extended metaphor
Mood
Subjective writing
Objective writing
Novella

Spelling – Week 12
Equanimity
Manageability
Subconscious
Delicatessen
Hors d’oeuvre
Cerebellum
Faux
Paucity
Parliamentary
Indefatigable

Begin reading about Science Fiction on page 192.  No homework.



8th Grade:
Spelling and Vocab - Week 12
Week 12 – 8^th Grade – Fall 2013

vacillate

vessel
villain
vivacious
vocalize
voracious
voucher
valedictorian
vapid
variegated

Vocab – page 981

Epilogue
Hyperbole
Exposition
Fable
Figure of Speech
Personification

-Discuss Personal Narratives from last week.  Which one did kids remember best?  Why?
-Read pages 205-218.  Answer questions 1,2,3, 8,9,10.  Due Tuesday.



10th Grade:
Week 12
Vocab – Page 1196
Epic
Exposition
Fable
Figure of Speech
Figurative Language
Personification

Spelling words – Week 12

Chihuahua
Chlorophyll
Circuitous
Circumlocution
Claustrophobia
Clique
Commercialize
Complementary

Condominium

connoisseur

 

-Read page 397-412 about the Titanic disaster.  Find a primary source document, and bring it to class so we can discuss if it really is primary or secondary, where you got it, and how you found it. 

 

 

History:

Pick partners and project types for History Day.

-Finish notes on the 10 amendments.  There will be a test on these Next Tuesday.   No homework.

Friday - November 15, 2013

7th Grade:  Read persuasive essays in partnerships.  Then we divided up into Pro and Con sides of the classroom.  A beginning debate was held where both sides got to read and debate their ideas.  Very good comments from lots of kids. 


8th Grade:  (3rd Period only)  Finish reading Personal Narratives to class.  Grade checks and conferences with individual students.  DON'T GET BEHIND!!!!


10th Grade:  We finished watching the movie today, and spent the last 10 minutes brainstorming ideas and ways the movie and the play are similar and different. 


History - No class - A schedule. 


Have a great weekend!

Thursday - November 14, 2013

7th Grade:
Quiz week 11
-Imagery and figurative language.  No homework.


8th Grade: 
Quiz Week 11
-Read Personal Narratives to class members.  Make sure you have your narrative ready to go!


10th Grade:
Day 3 of Star Wars.  We will finish this tomorrow.  Summaries are due by Tomorrow.  They must be typed, or I won't accept them.  Essays are due next Friday.  These must also be typed and double spaced.


History:
Quiz on Chapter 4, Section 2 in the book. 
-Continue notes on Amendments 5 and 6 in the Bill of Rights.  No homework. 

Wednesday - November 13, 2013

7th Grade: 
DOL
Finish story discussion of "To Build a Fire"
Look for examples of foreshadowing within story, discuss as a class.

Homework:  5 paragraph persuasive essay.  See Mr. Hawley for topic.  Due Thursday.


8th Grade: 
DOL
Go to lab to type personal narratives.


10th Grade:
Continue watching Star Wars.  Don't forget that the summaries are due Friday.  Be brainstorming ideas about how these two works are similar and different. 


History:
Continue going over rules packet for History Day.  Homework:  Read Chapter 4 section 2 in text.  There will be a quiz on it tomorrow in class. 

Tuesday - November 12, 2013

7th Grade:  Read "To Build a Fire"  No homework . . . yet.


8th Grade:  Work on Personal Narrative brainstorming and rough draft.


10th Grade:  Star Wars - Day 2.


History:  Continue rules packet and examples for Wyoming History Day.

Monday - Nov 11, 2013

7th Grade: 
Vocab week 11

Week 3 – pg 1019

Folk Tale

Foreshadowing

Free Verse

Imagery

Irony

Main Idea

Spelling Week 11.

Homework:  Answer questions 5,6,7 at the end of the story "Three Skeleton Key" and find 5 examples of foreshadowing in the story, with page numbers.


8th Grade:
Vocab week 11

Week 3 – page 981

Monologue

Soliloquy

Aside

Diction

Elegy

Epic

Spelling week 11 words

Homework:  Read pages 125 - 131 about personal narrative.  Assignment is on page 125, first paragraph on left hand side.  Write a personal narrative.  Due Thursday.  Don't forget to brainstorm and turn in that sheet as well.  We will be typing them in the Lab on Wednesday.


10th Grade:
Vocab week 11

Week 3 – Pg 1195

Connotation

Denotation

Dialect

Diction

Drama

Dramatic Monologue

Spelling words - Week 11

Homework:  Begin watching Starwars, Revenge of the Sith. 

-Character plot maps will be due on Friday this week. 

Paper instructions: 

Julius Caesar Compare and Contrast vs. Star Wars III – Revenge of the Sith Movie

1.  This paper should be 2 ½ - 4 pages long

2.  Double spaced, 11 or 12 point font, Times New Roman or Calibri text with 1 inch margins.  Basically, if you open word, it will be ready to go.  Spacing is the only thing that will need modified. 

3.  You will compare and contrast Julius Caesar with Star Wars III – Revenge of the Sith

                This is TEXT dependent.  YOU MUST HAVE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES FROM BOTH SOURCES!

4.  Consider multiple perspectives, characters, events, motives, outcomes, etc.  Don’t just focus on the obvious similarities and differences. 

5.   This will be based on the following 100 point rubric:

Ideas/content – 15 pts                                  Use your best writing, grammar, and organization.   EDIT!!!

Organization – 15 pts                                     

Voice – 15 pts

Word Choice – 15 pts

Sentence Fluency – 15 pts

Conventions (grammar) 15 pts

Presentation – 10 pts

History:
Rules and packet for History Day.  No homework.

Wednesday - November 6, 2013

7th Grade:
-DOL - Still working on clauses and phrases.
-Finished reading Rikki Tikki in class today.  Students read their responses to each other in class.  We began the next unit on Foreshadowing, and will begin reading the story "Three Skeleton Key" in class tomorrow.  No homework.


8th Grade:
-DOL - Clause and Phrase practice. 
-students read their indirect characterization responses in class. 
-Homework:  Read the story "Hamadi" in the text.  After reading, choose one character from the story and write a 1/2 page discussion of that character's motivations for their actions.  Use examples from the text for the strongest answers. 


10th Grade:
Act IV, Scene 3.  Finish reading Act IV for tomorrow.  We start and FINISH act V in one day.  Then it is on to Star Wars, and the compare/contrast paper.


History:
Philosophy of  Government test.  Retakes are available for up to 80%.  Then we started talking about the Wyoming History Day project.  This is a very large, lengthy project that we will be working on for the next three months in History class.  It is not hard, but it is time consuming.  Details and rules packets will be passed out tomorrow, and all questions will be answered. 

Tuesday - Nov 05, 2013

7th Grade:  DOL - Clauses and phrase identification.
-Finish reading the story "Rikki Tikki Tavi" in the text.  Answer questions 7 and 8 on page 157.  Then read the information on page 159 about active and passive verbs. 
Homework:  Write a 1/4 page summary of the story Rikki Tikki in the most passive voice you can muster.  We will read these in class tomorrow to see how everyone did.


8th Grade:  DOL - Clause practice
-Finish reading "A Retrieved Reformation" in the text. 
Homework:  Write a 1/4 page biography of the detective Ben Price from the story.  There is not much directly stated about him, but there is quite a lot of indirect characterization.  What kind of man is this?  How can you tell?  Use examples from the text for the best score.


10th Grade: 
Julius Caesar Act III test.
Homework:  Read through act IV, Scene 3 for tomorrow.


History: Busy day today. . .
Quiz on chapter 4, section 1 in the text.  See Mr. Hawley for make up quiz. 
Lots of current events discussions today, including:
-1st amendment Free speech discussion about a woman who lost her job for wearing an inappropriate Halloween costume to work
-Political campaigns from the 1800 election that were just downright NASTY between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.
-4th Amendment discussion about New York police strip searching every person who is arrested for whatever reason.

-Then we started discussing the notes on the 5th amendment.

-Tomorrow, there is a test on the Philosophy of Government Notes.  Then we will begin discussing the Wyoming History Day project.  This is a very large and time consuming project.  It is not hard, but can't be done in a weekend. 

Monday - Nov 4, 2013

7th Grade:
-Week 10 Vocab
-Lit terms for week 2: 

pg.1018

Connotation

Denotation

Dialect

Fable

Figure of speech

Flashback

-Continue reading in Rikki Tikki Tavi.


8th Grade:
-Week 10  Vocab
-Lit terms for week 2:

page 978

Dialect

Ballad

Motivation

Conflict

Connotation

Couplet

 

-Continue discussion of characterization, looking for examples of direct and indirect in the story "A retrieved Reformation" in text.

 

 

10th Grade:

-Week 10 vocab

-Lit terms for week 2

Page 1194

Ballad

Blank Verse

Subordinate characters

Static Character

Comic Relief

Conflict

 

-Finish Act IV, Scene I.  New characters today.  Don't forget to add them to your character plot map.

 

 

History:

-Election day is tomorrow.  Discussion of the level of disgust by voters for both parties, and how elections can show who is winning the battle of public opinion.  Right now, the country is disgusted with the Republicans because of the Shut Down.  And the country is disgusted with Democrats because of Obamacare, so it's pretty much a toss - up at this point.

 

Begin notes on part two - Development of the constitution - We took notes on the first four amendments.  We will continue tomorrow. 

 

Wednesday - Oct 30, 2013

DOL for all grades:  Independent clauses, Subordinate clauses, and phrases in a sentence.  What makes a clause a clause?  It has a subject and a predicate (verb).  A phrase doesn't have these.  How can you tell which part of a sentence is the independent clause, and which is the subordinate?  Figure out which phrase or clause is modifying, or talking about another one. 

Example:  While he ate his toast, Tom watched the morning news. 

You could say that Tom watching the morning news is the main idea, and that the toast eating is only helping to describe what Tom is doing.  We will practice these in GREAT detail in the coming days! 


7th Grade:
DOL
Begin Ricky Tikky Tavi in text.


8th Grade:
DOL
-Review characters, characterization.  We pretended to be authors today and wrote an introduction to a character who was sitting in a small boat with a huge machine gun mounted on the deck.  We first wrote and then shared with the class a direct characterization, then we took the same picture and wrote and shared with the class an indirect characterization. 

Homework:  Using direct characterization types of words (concrete words like color, size, shape, names, etc.) write about a character using indirect characterization - that is, give us hints about what he/she is going to do without telling us specifically.  Make the reader do the mental work.  1/2 page.  Due Thursday. 


10th Grade:
DOL
Finish Act III in J.C.  We will take the Act III test on Monday. 



History:  2 video clips about the great need for an educated citizenry, then we continue our notes from yesterday about the development of our country and our constitution. 

Tuesday - October 29, 2013

7th Grade:  Read short story "A Dinner Party" on 134-136.  Discuss mood, atmosphere, setting, inferences in a story.  Read the short responses to the Lion picture from yesterday to classmates.


8th Grade:  Characterization is the process by which an author reveal a character in a story.  We looked at two pictures with descriptions, then had to identify which was direct or indirect characterization, and more importantly, why?  Read the story "An Open Window" on page 156.  Characterize the young lady in the story. 


10th Grade:  Finish J.C. Act III, Scene II.  Who was more persuasive - Brutus or Antony? 


History:  Continue notes on development of constitution.  See a classmate or Mr. H for copies.   Read into to Chapter 4 (Life in the Colonies) in textbook for tomorrow.  Pg 98-101. 

Monday - October 29, 2013

7th Grade: 
Reading from page 130 - 134 about plot and setting.  Write a very short (1/4-1/2 page) story about the picture of the lion and the sleeping man on page 132.  We will read them in class on Tuesday. 

-Spelling week 9. 

-We are now adding Literary terms to the weekly tests.  I will give students 6 new terms a week.  These come from the back of the text in the glossary.  Students need to look up the definitions and be ready to answer questions about them on the weekly quiz.  Here are the first 6 terms:

Vocab 7.1 – Week 1

Page 1016 in Text

1.  Alliteration:  Repetition of similar CONSONANT sounds in words that are close together.

2.  Allusion:  Reference to a statement, a person, a place, and event, or a thing that is known from literature, history, religion, myth, politics, sports, science, or the arts.

3.  Atmosphere:  The overall mood or emotion of a work of literature.

4.  Character:  A person or animal (or even an object) who takes part in the action of a story, play, or other literary work.

5.  Characterization:  The process of revealing the personality of a character in a story

6.  Static Character:  One who does not change much, or show growth  in the course of a work (movie, book, etc.)

 

 

8th Grade:

-Begin Unit on characterization.  Discussion and read pg 148-151 in text.

 

-Spelling week 9. 

-We are now adding Literary terms to the weekly tests.  I will give students 6 new terms a week.  These come from the back of the text in the glossary.  Students need to look up the definitions and be ready to answer questions about them on the weekly quiz.  Here are the first 6 terms for 8th Grade:

Vocab 8.1 – Week 1

Pg 978 in Text

1.  Alliteration:  Repetition of similar CONSONANT sounds in words that are close together.

2.  Allusion:  Reference to a statement, a person, a place, and event, or a thing that is known from literature, history, religion, myth, politics, sports, science, or the arts.

3.  Analogy:  A comparison made between two things to show how they are alike.

4.  Anecdote:  A brief story told to illustrate a point.

5.  Antagonist:  The person opposing the main character in a story

6.  Assonance:  The repetition of VOWEL sounds in words that are close together.

 

 

 

10th Grade: 

- Act III, Scene II.  Brutus and Antony discuss who gets to speak at Caesar's funeral, and what can and can not be said there. 

 

-Spelling week 9. 

-We are now adding Literary terms to the weekly tests.  I will give students 6 new terms a week.  These come from the back of the text in the glossary.  Students need to look up the definitions and be ready to answer questions about them on the weekly quiz.  Here are the first 6 terms for 10th Grade:

 

Textbook, page 1193

1.  Allegory:  Narrative in which characters and setting stand for abstract ideas or moral qualities.  Has a symbolic meaning, as well as a literal meaning.

2.  Allusion:  Reference to a statement, a person, a place, and event, or a thing that is known from literature, history, religion, myth, politics, sports, science, or the arts.

3.  Anecdote:  Very brief account of a particular incident

4.  Aside:  In a play, words spoken by a character directly to the audience, or to another character but not overheard by others onstage.

5.  Alliteration:  repetition of similar CONSONANT sounds in words that are close together.

6.  Assonance:  Repetition of similar VOWEL sounds followed by different consonant sounds in words that are close together.

 

 

History:

-Response to Cartoon #5.  If you missed class, find a political cartoon, and fill out one of the worksheet slots for it.  Extra copies are on my back table. 

-Begin notes on Development of our constitution.  See a classmate, or myself for copies of the notes. 

 

Thursday - October 24, 2013

7th Grade: 
1st quarter spelling test, then discussion about persuasion in an essay, timed writing, argumentative style, etc.  No homework.


8th Grade:
1st quarter spelling test, then students read pro and con versions of their persuasive essays.  We discussed who was more persuasive, and what it takes to sound credible in an oral argument.


10th Grade: 
1st quarter spelling test, then Act II Julius Caesar test.  Sorry to load two big tests on the same day.  I will try not to let that happen again this year. 


History:  Current events discussions, Political cartoons about current events happening around the country, and we begin our note taking on the "Development of our U.S. democracy"

Wednesday - October 23, 2013

Today is Persuasive essay day.  Each class had a writing prompt to complete in 30 minutes.  7th wanted to do the 8th grade prompt, since they had already written about the one I had in mind for them last year.

7th & 8th Grade prompt:

New Jersey bans taunting, profanity, biased trash talk during athletic competitions:  October 23, 2013

Officials are required to eject players for using taunts, profanity, or biased language.  The rules are part of an anti-bullying initiative that officials believe are necessary.  Under the new rules,  referees are required to enforce a list of banned words.  They are also required to report an athlete to the state governing body of high school sports should his or her language cross the line from competitive banter to profanity.

“Biased language is not, and will not be, tolerated in the classroom.  Interscholastic sports is an extension of the classroom, and therefore, the same rules should apply.”

Pro: Absolutely!  You shouldn’t be made fun of no matter where you are!  Foul language is disgusting at all times of life.  It should be banned.

Con: Get over yourself!  America’s long history with sports has always involved a certain amount of smack talk.  One shouldn’t take it personally.

10th Grade Prompt:
Should you change the way you dress because of what other people MIGHT think?

Your parents have been complaining about the way you dress.  They say you can express yourself, but that maybe you should tone it down.  Spiky hair is all right, but not all the time.  As for the nose ring-they can live with it, but not at your grandmother's birthday party.  You are sick of all these rules and tell your parents that how you dress is no one's business but your own.  You have to be yourself.

A month later, parent-teacher conferences roll around.  You've been doing well this semester, so you are not sweating it.  But when you catch your parents heading off to the meetings, you can't believe your eyes.  Your mother is wearing a red mini-skirt and an enormous blond wig.  Your father's wearing a gross Hawaiian shirt and torn shorts, black socks and sandals.  You are furious!  You say you will be the laughing stock of the school.  They tell you they're just expressing themselves.  What do you say now?  Should you change the way you dress because of what other people might think?

Pro: It’s a fact:  People judge you by the clothes you wear.  Sometimes that’s wrong.  But if you are meeting someone who doesn’t know you, they don’t always have much to go on.  You may be a great person.  But if you’re wearing a shirt with a skull on it, someone might find that frightening.  You don’t always have to conform.  But sometimes it’s best to dress according to the situation.

Con: You should always be yourself.  It’s a simple as that.  If people are shallow enough to judge you by the clothes you wear, that’s their problem, not yours.  Anyway, if you family and friends really love you, they’ll get over what might scare them at first.  Even grandparents.  Probably half the stuff kids do seems strange to grandparents.  But most of the time, they manage to love their grandkids anyway.

History:
I was gone for the afternoon, so the kids watched a video on George Washington and took 1 full page of notes for credit.  The video is available from the library.  It is the only video about President Washington in the library, so you can't check out the wrong one.  We are starting our constitutional unit, and George Washington was vital to the success of that process. 

Tuesday - October 22, 2013

7th Grade:  DOL, then read and answer questions about the Empress Theodora - pages 98-101.


8th Grade:  DOL, then finish reading "Monkey's Paw" and "Aunty Misery" to yourself.  Discussion on Wednesday about mood and tone of a story. 


10th Grade:  DOL, then continue reading Act III, scene I.


History:  Introduction to rights and the constitution.  Where do we get our ideas of "fairness" from?  What are the laws of our country founded on?  Why do we see the world the way we do?  Two articles, both about the limits of free speech vs. first amendment rights are discussed and debated.  Power point (with notes) starts Wednesday. 

Monday - October 21, 2013

7th Grade: 
-DOL
-Short story, and Main Point of View practice. 



8th Grade: 
-DOL
-Continue Reading "Monkey's Paw" in the textbook, then we had a financial discussion about mortgages, interest rates, etc.  The goal was to give students a few life-tips about finance, and help them understand the story a little better. 


10th Grade:
-DOL
-Finish Act II in J.C.  Begin Act III, scene I.  There will be  a test on Act II on Tuesday.


History:  In connection with our English class lesson about the "Monkey's Paw", where the father wanted to ask for enough money in his wish to pay off their mortgage, we looked at www.DaveRamsey.com.  He has a mortgage calculator anyone can use to see how much money they can save by paying a little extra each month.  You can save yourself thousands of dollars by doing this.  Students played around with the numbers, to see the graph differences. 

Then, we watched and discussed a 10 minute video clip about Native American/Colonial American relationships, and how eventually the Indians were basically exterminated from English colonies and surrounding areas through disease, warfare, and loss of lands/resources.  It is important to understand that these actions were not limited to the English colonists, but were simply part of a larger pattern by European colonizers all throughout the new world. 

Friday - October 18, 2013

7th Grade:  No class.  B schedule

8th Grade:   Afternoon class only.  3rd period will do a grammar lesson next Friday when they have A schedule. 

Grammar Lesson on identifying Run-on, comma splice, and incorrectly punctuated sentences.  Assignment:  Fix the sentences on the worksheet provided.  See Mr. Hawley for extra copies. 

10th Grade:  No class.  B schedule

History:  Current Events read and discussed by students.  Today is the last opportunity to get one of your two current events read to the class. 

Have a great weekend!

 

Thursday - October 17, 2013

7th Grade:  Finish reading the stories from page 74 - 93 about the different versions of the Cinderella story.  Motifs are explained on page 75.  Write a 1/2 page response, indicating how these stories differ from our traditional Disney version of Cinderella.  Due Monday. 

-Spelling Test - Week 8
-DOL quick assessment today.  Identify the parts of speech on the sentence provided.  Draw a line between subject and predicate, and mark the Direct and Indirect objects if the sentence has any.  This is not a test.  It simply allows me to see where you are at in our Grammar lessons, and what I need to spend more time teaching. 

We   need  a  new  cat  for  the  farm.


8th Grade: 
-Continue reading in "Monkey's Paw."  Be careful what you wish for!  Life can be cruel.
-Spelling Test - Week 8 words. 
-DOL quick assessment today.  Identify the parts of speech on the sentence provided.  Draw a line between subject and predicate, and mark the Direct and Indirect objects if the sentence has any.  This is not a test.  It simply allows me to see where you are at in our Grammar lessons, and what I need to spend more time teaching. 

  I  will  help  you  clean  up  the  mess.


10th Grade: 
-"Cowards die a thousand times, while the valiant taste of death but once."  This is one of the more thought provoking statements from this play.  How do you deal with fear and courage?  We continue on with Act II, Scene II in J.C.

-Spelling Test - Week 8 words. 
-DOL quick assessment today.  Identify the parts of speech on the sentence provided.  Draw a line between subject and predicate, and mark the Direct and Indirect objects if the sentence has any.  This is not a test.  It simply allows me to see where you are at in our Grammar lessons, and what I need to spend more time teaching. 

      Get   out   of   that   old   car   quickly!


History: 
Quiz on MBS chapter 12 & 13, and Chapter 3, Section 3 in the text book. 
We finished reading "My Brother Sam" after the quiz. 

Writing Prompt:  What is the Author's purpose in writing this book?  What message does the author want you to get from this?  (About 5 or 6 sentences is sufficient.)  Cite examples from the text for extra emphasis. 

Wednesday - October 16, 2013

General announcements: 
1.  Only 7 days remain to turn in late work!
2.  Book Reports due next Friday for sophomores.
3.  Spelling quizzes for week 8 words for all three grade levels tomorrow (Thursday!)
4.  Quarter 1 spelling test next Thursday.  Study!
5.  Current Events Reading this Friday.  Get in line early, or you won't have a chance to go.

Also, to our students suffering from infections this week, we wish you luck, and hope you can come back soon!


7th Grade:  Review of DOL with Direct Objects, Indirect objects, and Prepositional Phrases.  Then, begin reading Aschenputtel in the textbook, which is one of the many versions of Cinderella.  Our study for this series of stories is about Motifs - or repetition of main ideas/themes in literature. 

8th Grade:  Library day to work on Essays, which are due tomorrow.

10th Grade:  Read the Kite Runner (p 171) and Escape From Afghanistan (p 179).  Then answer these questions:
1.  What are the conflicts the main characters face in these stories?
2.  What is the tone/mood of the stories?  (How does the Author want you to feel after reading them?)
3.  What is the Author's purpose?  (What does the Author want you to think about after reading?)

Answer these questions using examples from the text to support your arguments.  Use your best writing. 

History:  Discussion of govt. shutdown, political cartoons, and political correctness.  Homework:  Read History book chapter 3, section 3 about the middle colonies.  Also read M.B.S. chapters 12 and 13.  There will be a quiz on these sections tomorrow.

Tuesday - October 15, 2013

7th Grade:  Grammar, Grammar, Grammar!  We practiced identifying the Subject, Verb, Direct Objects, Indirect Objects, and Prepositional Phrases.  No homework.

8th Grade:  DOL, then begin reading "Monkey's Paw" in Textbook.  Discussion about Fate in our daily lives.  Do we believe in it?  Is it hokum?

10th Grade:  DOL, then finish reading Act II, Scene I in J.C.

History:  Finish watching Columbus video.  Discussion about Native American Rights today.  Have we made progress?  In what areas might we still need to improve relationships?  Are Native Americans full members of society today?  Why or why not?

-Remember, all late work must be turned in by Oct 25 at 3:30!!!
-Quarter 1 Spelling tests are next Thursday - Oct 26.  Study, Study, Study!
-Book Reports for Sophomores are due next Friday, Oct 27. 

Monday - October 14, 2013

General announcements! 
1.  There will be a cumulative spelling test from weeks 1-8 next week.  The test will be 20 points.  Study NOW.  Don't wait till the last day!

2.  All late work will be due next Wednesday (October 25, 2013) at 3:30 P.M.  After that, I will accept nothing else for this quarter.

3.  Book Reports are due next Friday for Sophomores. 


Daily Work:
7th Grade:  DOL, Pass back papers, review spelling words, and then we went over 5 paragraph essay structure.  No Homework.

8th Grade:  Pass Back papers, review spelling words, and Grammar lesson on identifying Indirect Objects in a sentence.  No Homework.

10th Grade:  Pass back papers, review spelling words, and grammar lesson on identifying whether a word is an indirect object, or the object of a prepositional phrase in a sentence.  No homework.

History:  Columbus Day!  He sailed 521 years ago.  But, did he do a good thing or a bad thing in discovering the American continent?  This week, we will be discussing the European influence on America, and the American influence on Europe.  Was Columbus a hero or a tyrant?  We began watching a video biography about his voyages.  We will finish tomorrow.  No homework. 

Thursday - October 10, 2013

7th Grade: 
-Spelling Quiz week 7. 

-Students finished reading the "Mason Dixon" story on their own in class.  Assignment:  Write 3/4 - 1 page essay about a time you were left out of an activity you wanted to join.  Make sure to tie it in with the story.  Due Monday. 

8th Grade: 
-Spelling Quiz, Week 7

-Finish watching Flowers movie. 
-Essay:  Write a compare and contrast essay about the similarities and differences between the book and the movie version of Flowers for Algernon.  Cite specific examples from the text and movie.  Be creative, and think outside the box for your examples. 

Parameters:  1 1/2 - 2 full pages.  Typed.  Double Spaced.  11 or 12 point font in Times New Roman or Calibri.  1 inch margins.  Due - Thursday October 17.


10th Grade:
-Spelling quiz for week 7 words
-Continue with J.C. Act I, Scene I.    I enjoyed the discussions we had in class today about honor, lies, and nobility.  Hopefully, this play is making you examine many of your own priorities and moral values.


History: 
-Quiz on My Brother Sam Chapters 10 and 11.  Quiz on Chapter 3, Sections 1 and 2 in Hist. Text.
-Current Events discussions for the remainder of the period.  Remember to read 2 current events to the class by the end of the quarter. 

Wednesday - October 9, 2013

7th Grade:  Grammar, grammar, grammar!  I call it rantings of the illiterate.  We look at lots of examples of sentences people actually post online in comments sections and dissect how to improve their grammar, punctuation, spelling, and literary flow.  It's actually kind of fun when you realize you are sooo much smarter than grown adults.  :-)

8th Grade:  Flowers for Algernon movie.

10th Grade:  DOL and continue with J.C. Act I, Scene I.

History:  Middle school student council activity.  No class today.

Tuesday - October 8, 2013

7th Grade:  Spelling review for quiz on Thursday.  Continue with Mason Dixon Line story.

8th Grade:  Begin watching Charly.  No homework.

10th Grade:  Read the story "Coyote Kills the Giant" on page 74.  Think about the story we read last week "By the Waters of Babylon"  Write a 3/4 page (ish) compare and contrast essay.  Topic:  How do these two stories use mythology to explain the world around them?

History:  Read chapter 3, section 2.  Answer questions 1,2,3 on page 76 for Thursday.  Also, read through chapter 11 in My Brother Sam for Thursday.  There will be a quiz on History text chapter 3 sections 1 and 2, and My Brother Sam, chapters 10 and 11 on Thursday.

Have a great day!

Monday - October 7, 2013

7th Grade:  Discussion on what is the purpose of an essay.  Several examples read and discussed in class.  DOL, and Spelling words for week 7 reviewed.  No homework.

8th Grade:  DOL.  Then Finish reading Algernon.  On page 85, answer questions 1,2,4,5,6 in short essay form.  Then, write 1/2 page journal entry as if you were Charley as an epilogue to the story.  Consider it Charley's last journal entry from his new location.  Please type it, as I probably won't be able to read it otherwise if you are trying to use terrible grammar and spelling. 

10th Grade:  DOL.  Continue reading Act II, scene I in J.C.

History:  Response to Cartoon #4 was done today in class. Please turn in the completed sheet by tomorrow.  See Mr. H. for extra copies.  Then, read the opposing arguments about the Govt. shutdown.  Come prepared tomorrow to discuss the pros and cons of each side, and be prepared to write a short summary of what each side is arguing. 

Thursday - October 3, 2013

7th Grade - Spelling test, then class discussion.  No homework.

8th Grade - Spelling test, then continue reading "Flowers."  We are on page 83 now.  Should finish the story Monday, watch the video Tue/Wed, and then be assigned the essay Thursday of next week.

10th Grade - Spelling test, then begin Act II scene I in J.C.

History - Pep assembly.  No class.

Good luck to the athletes playing or traveling in the nasty weather tonight!  Hope all goes well for you. 

Wednesday - October 2, 2013

Due to the fact that a large percentage of kids were gone to FCCLA today, Homecoming activities have taken a high priority at school this week, and I was home sick for the last two days, the 7th, 8th, and 10th grade English classes were given a work day today to catch up on English, and other class assignments as needed. 

History:  Students read an article on the Government shutdown detailing the various points of the argument from both sides. 

Homework:  Students will write a response on the bottom of the article arguing who's fault they see the shut down as, and explaining their reasons why in good detail.  Due Thursday. 

Tuesday - October 1, 2012

Sorry to be gone again today.  I hope to be back Wednesday.  Here are the day's assignments. Some of this may change, as I'm not sure what activities are planned for Homecoming today. 

Mr. Hawley

In all the English classes, have students spend the first 4 minutes of class or so studying their week 6 spelling words with partners in preparation for the quiz at the end of the week.   Student Council meeting will be postponed till I return. 

1^st, 2^nd Periods – English 10

In the bottom drawers at the front of the room is a video about Shakespeare.  It should last all period and then some.  They will be left alone to watch the video as long as they are quiet and paying attention.  Otherwise, they will get to take 1 page of notes to turn in for credit by the end of the period.   Absent students can check it out from me to watch on their own time.

3^rd, 6^th Periods – English 8

Begin reading part 2 of Flowers for Algernon as a class.  Pg. 73 in the red textbook “Elements of Literature – Second Course”. 

 

4^th Period – English 7

Timed writing prompt.  The 7^th grades are somewhat new at these, so this is an assessment to find out how well they understand the 5 paragraph essay concept. 

Prompt:  The principal is considering extending passing time between classes. Take a position on this topic.  In a multi paragraph essay, persuade the principal to adopt your view.  Due at the end of the period. 

Topic:                    Extending time between classes

Audience:           The principal
Purpose:              To persuade to adopt your view
Format:                 5 Paragraph Essay

 

7^th Period – Leaning Lab

Learning Lab.  Students generally work quietly on various projects or homework.  They may need to collect supplies or work from other classes, but should be working in my room. 

 

8^th Period – 8^th Grade History

Tell students in the 3^rd and 6^th period English classes to bring their tablets and their Brother Sam books with them to History class today.  First, have them log on to the site www.isidewith.com/politicalquiz  and take the survey.  Have them write down their results and turn them in for credit. 

After that, turn on the laptop and projector.  The national debt clock is on my screen saver, and we have been watching it closely to see when it hits 17 Trillion.  Have a discussion about the government shutdown.  The kids and I have been watching the issue very closely, and they have lots of good comments. 

Finally, if there is time left, read as far as you can as a class in the next two chapters of My Brother Sam.  I think they are on chapter 10 now. 

Monday - September 30, 2013

My apologies for getting this up so late today.  I was home with sick kids today, and now I'm just home sick.  I'll be gone again tomorrow (Tuesday) and will try and post earlier in the day for anyone looking for assignments.  Here are the day's plans for each period.

1^st, 2^nd Periods:  Remind students to study week 6 on their spelling lists this week.  There is a vocab/spelling worksheet the kids need to fill out each week. 

Have the students read to themselves the 4 short stories beginning on page 78 (including all the instructions before the stories begin, as that will help them know what to look for when reading, and will assist them in doing the homework) and answer ALL the questions through page 97.  It is one assignment, but have them label each section of questions separately.  Due tomorrow. 

3^rd Period:  Remind students to study week 6 spelling.  .   Tell students they are doing a timed 5 paragraph essay prompt today.  They will have 40 minutes total, and the essay will be due at the end of class.  We have been practicing these and they will be graded on how well they follow the five paragraph format, rather than on what they say, or which side they choose to argue. 

Prompt:  Should everyone be forced to stay in school until they are 18/graduated, or should kids be able to drop out at 16?

4^th Period:  Remind them to study week 6 spelling.  Continue reading as a class in the story “Song of the Trees” on page 50, letter I in the yellow literature book.  If you finish reading, have the students answer questions 1,2,3,5,6,8,10 for Wednesday.

5^th Period:  Prep

6^th Period – Same as 3^rd.

7^th Period – Learning Lab.  Students generally work quietly on various projects or homework. 

8^th period:  Go to the Library and check out the movie documentary about Pocahontas/Jamestown.   The librarians can help you if need be.  Have students take ½ page of notes to turn in at the end of class.  If students are absent, they may check out the video on their own time. 

Friday - September 27, 2013

7th Grade - No class.  B schedule

8th Grade:
Mad Libs instead of DOL today.
Notes, examples, and practice with misplaced and dangling modifiers.  A schedule students will get this lesson next Friday.

10th Grade:  No class.  B schedule

History:
We turned in all the assignments due today for English and History
Current Events discussions. 

Have a great weekend!  Good luck to all participating in the many various activities taking place this weekend!

Thursday - September 26, 2013

READING LOGS FOR SEPTEMBER ARE DUE ON FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7th Grade: 
Spelling Test week 5.
Continue on with reading "Song of the Trees." 
No Homework

8th Grade: 
Spelling Test week 5
Work day to catch up on all that was assigned this week.


10th Grade:
Spelling Test week 5
Read Act II, Scene 1 in Julius Caesar for Monday.  Also, go online and read the more modern version so you understand what is happening in class when we begin covering it together on Monday.


History:
Read chapters 8 and 9 in My Brother Sam. 
Read pages 64-70 in history textbook. 
There will be a quiz on both of these readings on Monday.
Don't forget to prepare a current event for class tomorrow.  Sign up early to share yours with the class if possible.  You need to read two each quarter, and it is not always easy to get this done with everyone else sharing, and the classroom discussions we have about them.  Don't procrastinate!

Wednesday - September 25, 2013

7th Grade:
DOL
We began reading "Song of the Trees" today, with a focus on background knowledge.
Homework due tomorrow from page 30 questions 1,2,5
Don't Forget Reading Logs are due this week!


8th Grade:
DOL
Homework:  Algernon section 1 questions on page 72.  Answer questions 1,2,3,4,6,7,10 and 11.  Also, don't forget that the homework from page 406 "The Circuit" questions 8,9,10, 11 and 13 is due tomorrow. 
Reading Logs due Friday.
Spelling Test week 5 is tomorrow.
There is lot's to keep up with this week.  Don't get behind!


10th Grade:
Julius Caesar Act I test today.


History:
www.usdebtclock.org has a really informative series of charts and numbers listing all kinds of numbers about personal, family, state, and national debt. 
Homework:  Worksheet asking questions about these numbers.  See Mr. Hawley for extra copies.  Due Thursday.
Also due Thursday:  Page 60 in the Text book.  Answer questions 1-4, 5a,6a,7a,9b, 13-17.
Current Events are due again this Friday, and since it is a B schedule, I will give you the period to read them for the class. 

Tuesday - September 24, 2013

7th Grade: 
DOL focusing on Passive and Active voice.  passive voice uses extra helping verbs and shifts the focus of a sentence to the object.  The knives were sharpened by the cook. (passive) vs. The cook sharpened the knives (active)  We took a few notes on the two types of writing.  See Mr. Hawley for copies. 

Homework:  Finish reading the story on page 30 (An unforgettable Journey).  At the end of the story, answer questions 1,2, and 5 in complete sentences.  Then write a 1/2 page journal entry on a time you felt weird, out of place, or strange.  Due Thursday


8th Grade:
DOL focusing on Active vs passive voice, and transitive verbs, or sentences that have  a direct object, vs sentences that don't. 

Homework:  Read the story "The Circuit" on page 406 and answer questions 8-12 at the end of the story.  Please use short essay answers for these questions.  One sentence answers will not suffice.


10th Grade:
DOL
Julius Caesar test has been postponed till Wednesday.  You are welcome!
Homework:  Read the story "By the Waters of Babylon" on page 61.  Write a 1 page response to the prompt:  In what ways do people still allow superstition/mythology to influence or guide their lives.  Due Wednesday.

Don't forget to do your character plot map for Act I of Julius Caesar.


History: 
Almost all the students were gone today for games, so please answer questions 1,2,3,4, 5a, 6a, 7a, 9b, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 from the chapter review (chapter 2 in the history textbook) on page 60.  Due Thursday.    Those 5 who stayed in class got to look at political cartoons and have a good discussion with each other.  Good luck teams!

Monday - September 23, 2013

7th Grade:
DOL - Focus on participles today.  A participle is a verb that ends with ED or ING and has a helping verb with it.  I am walking is a present participle vs. I walk is present tense.  Don't worry.  We will get lots of practice with these verbs.

Begin reading the story "An Unforgettable Journey" in class.  No homework tonight.


8th Grade:
DOL - Focus on Infinitives (Verbs that still have the "To" in front of them.  To eat, to walk, to run, etc.
Continue reading Algernon. 


10th Grade:
DOL - Fix the sentence today. 
We finished reading Act I in Julius Caesar.  There will be a test on this act tomorrow in class.


History: 
We finally finished our discussion on Globalization.  We took notes on the Spanish Hierarchy in the New world, and who got which kind of jobs, based on parentage, race, and gender.  See Mr. Hawley or a classmate for notes.  Then we turned our attention to the looming fight in congress over the debt ceiling.  The debt clock is up on my screen saver.  We will do an activity tomorrow with these numbers.  Scary stuff!