Seven Spot

Be a Playwright

2009-06-19T08:20:00.000+08:00

• Update TWO of the scenes from Romeo and Juliet into modern day times.
• Use modern day language to tell the events in the scene you choose.
• Tell me which scenes you have chosen
• Tell me about the setting of the scene – where does it take place and when?
• Give stage directions in italics, like it does in the book.

Due on Monday, June 22, 2009

Example:

Act II, Scene 3
Friar is at a homeless shelter, helping to serve breakfast. Enter Romeo

Friar: Romeo, I wouldn’t think you would need a handout. Are you here to help me serve breakfast to the homeless? I’m surprised to see you up so early

Romeo: Actually, I was looking for you, Friar. There is something on my mind …

Friar: What is it now?! Not that girl Rosaline again?? Are you still trying to date her?

Romeo: No, in fact, I don’t even like her anymore. It’s someone else who I’m interested in …

Friar: You are fickle. Man, it was just last week that you were in here crying like a second grader about her. You were a big, wet mess, I tell you. A sad sight to look at. And now you’re telling me it’s over?

Romeo: It’s done. Look, it’s another girl, Juliet. I know this is going to sound crazy, but we’re in love. Really in love. We want to get married and I need your help.

Friar: Wow! That is sudden and unexpected. When are you two planning to get married?

Romeo: This afternoon.

Friar: Crikes! Are you mad?!?
….

Keep Reading!

2009-06-17T15:09:00.002+08:00

Over the next few days, we will read and watch the rest of Romeo and Juliet together. Come back to the blog to find discussion questions posted each day.

Tonight read Act III, Scene 1-3.

Do you think that the fight was inevitable? Could Romeo have done anything to change the outcome?

Love or stupidity?

2009-06-16T11:18:00.002+08:00

It could be said that Romeo and Juliet is the greatest love story ever written. However, it could also be said that they were just two young, stupid kids in love. What do you think?

Use evidence from the story to support your theory. This paper should be done in 3 paragraphs. Introduction, body and conclusion.

Paper is due on Thursday.

Text Analysis

2009-06-15T11:04:00.000+08:00

Put the lines from Act II, Scene 2 into modern-day language. Tell whether Shakespeare was using a simile, metaphor or personification in the group of lines.

We'll review the worksheet tomorrow.

Romeo, O Romeo

2009-06-12T11:33:00.003+08:00

As your finishing Act I, follow along with the video afterwards so you get a visual of the scenes as well.

Montague or Capulet?

2009-06-09T15:36:00.001+08:00

You will create a family shield according to very exact directions.

Put a picture of yourself in the upper left corner; a quote that represents yourself in the upper right corner; and five things that you enjoy in the bottom left corner;

In the bottom right hand corner, place a 'C' or an 'M' in the bottom right hand corner for Capulet or Montague.

Montague will color the upper right and lower left corner blue; the upper left and lower right are green.

Capulets will color the upper right and lower left corner red; the upper left and lower right yellow.

You may engage in sword fights if you meet in the school cafeteria or recess yard (just kidding).

Students turning in the assignment late will be banished immediately from the safety of their family.

Once a family accumulates -5 points, a family member is banished. Negative points accumulate as a result of missed assignments, poor grades and bad behavior.

Once a family accumulates +5 points, a banished member can be brought back. Positive points accumulate as a result of high test scores, general helpfulness, or good behavior.

At the end of the play, the team with the least amount of family members banished gets does not have to take the unit test.

Diary of a Young Girl ... Take Home Test

2009-06-05T13:30:00.001+08:00

Final Test: Diary of a Young Girl Name_______________________
June 4, 2009

I. Match each name with the correct description.

____1. a friend of Anne’s father

____2. the man whose office hid the entrance to the hiding place

____3. Mr and Mrs van Daan’s son

____4. a 23 year old typist

____5. Anne’s sister

____6. Jan’s wife

____7. an employee of Mr Frank’s company

____8. a manager at Mr Frank’s company

____ 9. Anne’s diary

____10. a boyfriend of Anne’s

a Margot …..

b Jan …..

c Miep …..

d Mr Kleiman …..

e Mr Kugler …..

f Mr van Daan …..

g Peter …..

h Bep Voskuijl …..

i: Kitty

j. Harry Goldberg

II. Decide whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F).
____1. Alfred Dussel is a Jewish businessman who comes to live in the Annex.

____2. At first, Anne thinks Mr. Dussel is nice.

____3. At night Mr. Dussel tells Anne to be quiet.

____4. The authorities wait until night time to arrest Jewish people.

____5. The people in the Secret Annex were found by the Germans on 4 August 1944.

____6. After Anne was arrested, one of the helpers found her diary.

____7. Kugler was sent to a concentration camp but later he was allowed to go free.

____8. Otto Frank found Anne’s diary and kept it until after the war had ended.

____9. When Peter forgets to unlock the door, Mr. Kugler needs to break in with an axe.

____10. Anne asks Margot what she knows about sex.

III. Number these events in the right order, from 1 to 7.
c Burglars break into the warehouse and steal some money.

c The British get to Naples.

c The Frank family have to give their radio to the authorities.

c Schipol airport is bombed.

c Anne worries that the neighbours will notice their fire on Sunday mornings.

c Lots of bombs fall on North Amsterdam.

c Mr and Mrs van Daan have an argument about selling her best coat.

IV. Essays. Answer in COMPLETE SENTENCES.
Does Anne consider her family lucky or unfortunate to be living in the annex?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

One of the themes of the novel is finding your identity. Using evidence from the book, provide support for this theme.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Almost There ....

2009-06-03T12:08:00.002+08:00

Just another couple of days before we finish Diary of a Young Girl. I hope that you have been enjoying the book.

It's always serendipitous when life dovetails with literature. Anne Frank's birthday is June 12th. We'll be attending the JCC's memorial celebration. Please remember to bring back your field trip outing forms.

Thanks!

Poetry

2009-06-01T12:11:00.000+08:00

After Pearl Harbor was attacked, the government deemed the Japanese a threat to national security. Families were rounded up and placed in concentration camps. The reality inside those camps was different to the ones in Europe, but they were no less devastating psychologically to those they imprisoned.

We read a couple of poems written from prisoners inside the camp. Tonight, analyze the poem Manzanar, and fill in the TPCATT,

Keep up with your reading

2009-05-27T12:33:00.000+08:00

... and enjoy the four-day weekend!

Pacific Front

2009-05-26T11:20:00.003+08:00

Japan first took over Manchuria in 1931 -- eight years before Hitler invaded Poland. In 1937, they invaded China. Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Marshall Islands and Hong Kong were also under Japanese control before they turned and attacked Pearl Harbor.

It was a definitive move that decisively brought the United States into the war.

This is our part of the world. Find and label the countries Japan ruled on the map handed out in class.

European Front

2009-05-25T13:26:00.002+08:00

Hitler first 'united' Austria with Germany, and then did the same with Czechoslovakia. At the time, the Western democracies decided to appease Hitler, rather than fight him, but they could no longer turn a blind eye when the Nazis stormed into Poland in September 1939.

Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later. Yet, Hitler would still win Norway, Belgium, Denmark, The Netherlands, and, eventually, France.

D-day was one of the largest battles of the war. Tonight read more about this famed battle and answer the four questions that follow.

Monolgues

2009-05-22T13:26:00.000+08:00

The first draft of your monologue is due on Monday. Don't forget it!

Quiz on Part 1

2009-05-21T13:19:00.000+08:00

Make sure you're keeping up with your reading. You'll have a quiz on the first half of the book on Friday.

Righteous of the Nations

2009-05-20T13:21:00.000+08:00

You will be studying the story of one person considered a Righteous of the Nations. Choose one story at the Yad Vashem website.

After collecting information, you will then develop it into a first-person monologue. You will deliver your monologue as that person to the class. Remember that a monologue should not be read, it needs to be acted.

You will perform your monologues on Wednesday, May 27th.

On Monday, May 25, 2009, you will need to submit a draft of your monologue. During your final presentation, you will hand me a final version of your monologue.

Be ready tomorrow with your organizer to tell me who this person is.

Resistance Movements of WWII

2009-05-19T14:49:00.002+08:00

It is heartening to know that in the midst of such cruelty and bloodshed, there were men and women who were willing to stand up for the dignity of human life. We'll be taking a closer look at some of these individuals tomorrow.

Get ready for that class by reading "Resistance Movements, Partisans, and the 'Righteous Among the Nations'"

Answer the questions that follow for tomorrow.

Anna's Dilemma

2009-05-18T11:47:00.001+08:00

Read over Anna's Dilemma and answer questions 1-5 in your Journal notebook.

AND, here's your reading schedule for this week:

May 18
Read to pg. 125

May 19
Read to pg. 140

May 20
Read to pg. 155

May 21
Read to pg. 170

May 22
TEST ON PART I
Read to pg. 200 for Monday

Reading and Holocaust Statistics

2009-05-15T13:26:00.001+08:00

This weekend you are reading through to page 110.

Also make sure you finish up work on The Holocaust statistics and graphs ... due Monday!

Holocaust Losses

2009-05-14T10:18:00.003+08:00

Today in class, we created a table in Excel that outlined Jewish Holocaust Losses.

Finish doing the activities on the sheet and hand it in on Monday. If you can not print, you must email me your work.

Here are the directions again:

_____A. Enter the following information in a spreadsheet titled “Holocaust Losses by Country.”

(see table)

_____B. Create a bar graph comparing the 1939 and 1945 populations of these countries.
_____C. Create a pie chart showing the survival rate of ONE of the countries.
_____D. Print the spreadsheet, bar graph, and pie chart, formatted appropriately.

Six million Jews were killed during the Holocaust over a five-year period. They risked their lives to buy and beg for food, had to work for free for the Germans, and some were held captive in concentration camps or death factories until their deaths. In Auschwitz 2,000,000 died; Belzec, 850,000; Sobibor, 250,000; Treblika 700,000; and 300,000 died in Chelmno.

_____E. Transfer the following information into a spreadsheet titled “Concentration Camp Deaths.”
_____F. Create a chart/graph that best represents the number of deaths per concentration camp.
_____G. Print the spreadsheet and chart/graph, formatted appropriately.

_____H. Answer the following questions based on information in both of the spreadsheets you created:

If you were a Jew during the Holocaust, which of the countries listed in the first spreadsheet would you rather live in? Why?

In which of the countries listed did the most people NOT survive? Explain how you figured this out?

If six million Jews were killed, how many died outside of the concentration camps listed in spreadsheet two?

Independent Reading

2009-05-13T10:39:00.001+08:00

We didn't meet today because of the Book Cafe, but make sure that you are keeping up with your reading schedule all this week and through the weekend.

Reading Schedule for this week

2009-05-12T14:43:00.002+08:00

Please stick to your reading calendar so that you are prepared for upcoming tests.

Here is this week's schedule:

May 12
Read to page 49

May 13
Read to pg. 65

May 14
Read to pg. 80

May 15
Read to pg. 110

In addition, please finish your sentences if your diary was handed back to you.

DAF - Vocabulary

2009-05-11T12:35:00.007+08:00

Tonight, make sure to write sentences for our vocabulary words. Look up any unknown words. You can use this site to help you.

Here's the words again:

aggravating
jubilation
apprehension
ineffectually
appalled
loathe
sustenance
intuition
oppression
onslaught
indifference
vile
forlorn
pandemonium
insufferable
outraged
wallow
inarticulate
stealthily
tyranny

Also, read up until the diary entry that ends on page 36.

Start Reading

2009-05-08T12:48:00.000+08:00

Over the weekend, please start reading The Diary of Anne Frank.

Finish up to page 25 to discuss in class on Monday.

Holocaust

2009-05-07T13:35:00.003+08:00

Tonight, I'm asking you to put together an essay telling what you know about The Holocaust. Look at the handout I gave you in class to help get the brain working.

Don't do any further research, however. I'm looking to see what you know before we start reading The Diary of Anne Frank next week.

Don't forget the format we wrote in class:

P1 - Intro

P2 - Nazi Policy
* antisemitism
* felt Jews were the cause of WWI
* felt Jews had to do with economic downturn in the country

P3 - How it was carried out
* stripped of citizenship
* concentration camps
* ghettos
* extermination

P4 - How it affected its victims
* some went into hiding
* families destroyed
* 6 million Jews dead

P5 - Conclusion

Please add your own knowledge to this outline as you write your essay. All work is due on Friday.

Word Practice

2009-05-06T11:14:00.002+08:00

As we continue with Stanford testing this week, I'll be giving you some worksheets to complete each night.

Tonight the focus is on Writing. Complete:

1. Writing Supporting Details
2. Not So Boring Please

Also complete:
3. Dictionary: Word Origins

These must be completed tomorrow. Don't forget about your book report, as well.

Book Cafe Competition

2009-05-05T11:12:00.001+08:00

Write a book report, and at the same time try your luck out at winning $180 to spend at the upcoming Book Cafe.

Essays should be written in a 2-paragraph format:

1. Tell about the book
2. Tell what you liked about the book and why you would recommend it.

A minimum word count of 100 words -- but feel free to write more!

Essays are due on Thursday.

2009-04-29T22:19:00.009+08:00

To mark Yom Ha'atzmaut, the class went to visit Ganeinu School, our Beijing counterparts. There, students said prayers together and then rotated through some fun activities: making a bead flag, decorating cookies and painting. Afterwards, we enjoyed a picnic lunch of traditional Israeli foods outside on the lawn.

Students swapped autographs with one another before we left, and then we all walked together to the bus to say our goodbyes. We had a timetable to keep and they expected us at the stables!

Just a short bus trip away, we found ourselves at a riding club. Students played ping- pong and ran in the playground as we waited for our horses to get saddled up. Each student had an instructor who helped them trot with the horse and then gallop around the fenced in field. Kellina, who has ridden for several years, impressed even the stable managers. Ayelet, Talia and Ella, however, are horse whisperers, as well. They handled their horses superbly! As for this author, she was off that horse as soon as she proved that she could get on it!

Afterwards, it was back to the hotel to freshen up and then off to dinner. For our last night together, Dini's whipped up a true Chinese feast. It was course after course of sumptuous fare: sweet and sour chicken, sizzling beef, even some traditional jiao zi were served.

Dini was then kind enough to invite us to her home for an after party. We broke into teams and tried assembling puzzles. Neither team finished by the time we had to leave, but we sure did have a good time trying to beat the clock and get them done.

"Maybe the sixth graders can come back next year and finish it off for them," Dini told the group, as she slid our finished pieces onto a board.

Back to the city

2009-04-28T22:05:00.008+08:00

"You can do it!" the crowd shouted as Tomer scaled to the top of the mountain.

We were no longer on The Great Wall, but we were still climbing at Beijing Agriculture University's rock climbing wall. The students spent the morning trying the conquer the vertical wall. Kellina, David, May and Tomer made it to the top, while there were many others who came close to summiting it, as well.

From there, we were ready to see the centerpiece of the city, The Forbidden City.

Located at the heart of Beijing, everything stems off from here. Students roamed through the many gates and rooms of the palace. Perhaps they were a bit overwhelmed by the size of it all, perhaps the heat had gotten to them, or perhaps they were still tired from our hiking expedition the day before. No matter, within an hour, the students were wilting and crying for a respite.

All it took to rejuvenate them, though, was a couple of hours of rest and a great dinner at Dini's. Then, we were ready to go bowling. Students broke into three groups. David showed off some fancy moves, backwards bowling and under a leg, while Theo was impressive at striking down the pins. Mrs. Epstein, however, shocked us all with her high score of 118!

With day three nearly behind us, we're surprised by how much we've already done, and how little time left we have here to do the rest.

Heading North

2009-04-27T21:44:00.006+08:00

On Monday, we hit the road early to head out north from the city towards The Great Wall. On the way, we made a pit stop at a local produce market. There, the students were tasked with finding traditional Chinese fruits and vegetables -- a scavenger hunt!

Students were able to practice their Chinese and bargaining skills as they hunted through the stalls. Godfrey's team had a definite advantage considering he speaks the language. Yet, Tanish and Orie should be commended for driving a hard bargain as they negotiated with the vendors.

The next stop was China's most famous landmark. We started at the Simatai section, enlisting

a couple of villagers to help us along the trail. The wall dips

and and curves with the mountains. At times, the trail was steep with vertical climbs or narrow downhill steps, but what remained constant was the beautiful views out into the distance.

Four hours later, the group had climbed past 30 watchtowers and was in the Jinshanling section. A couple of the students experienced a wardrobe mishap when they sought a quick rest at on a bench: A workman had forgotten to place a "wet paint" sign on the chair. Oops!

After a quick change, we were all back on the bus and heading to our final destination of the day -- The Global Village. There, we met our hosts for the night and were shown to our homes. Our dwellings were similar to hutongs in Beijing and each of us had a room off the main courtyard, which proved to be a great place for a dinner BBQ.

The night ended on a somber note as we took a moment to remember the fallen soldiers for Yom Hazikaron. Students read poems and told sad

personal stories as we memorialized those who fought and died for Israel's freedom.

Schedule

2009-04-27T06:08:00.000+08:00

Here's our schedule for the next few days.

Day 2

Monday, April 27

Beijing

Village Home stay

(N/A)

· Morning: Transfer toHuairou. Nanhua Market shopping game. Transfer to Simatai Great Wall.

· Afternoon: Transfer toSimatai Great Wall. Hike toJinshanling Great Wall

· Evening: Home stay and BBQ dinner in Global Village

Day 3

Tuesday, April 28

Beijing

Guangming Hotel

(N/A)

· Morning: Transfer back to Beijing. Rock Climbing at Agriculture University climbing wall.

· Afternoon: Tour theForbidden City

· Evening: Bowling at Gongti 100

Day 4

Wednesday, April 29

Beijing

Guangming Hotel

(N/A)

· Morning: Activity and Lunch at Ganeinu School

· Afternoon: Transfer to Shunyi for Horse Riding at Green Horse Riding Club

· Early Evening: Return to central Beijing

Day 5

Thursday, April 30

Beijing – Hong Kong

N/A

(N/A)

· Morning: Transfer to Temple of Heaven; Tour the temple complex and join locals in their morning exercises

· Afternoon: Visit Summer Palace with painting activity at theLong Corridor

Kite Flying and Flying Acrobats

2009-04-26T21:42:00.008+08:00

Most of use had little sleep last night, but that didn't matter much. Grade seven was ready for our Beijing adventure at 7 am this morning.

By the afternoon, we were out in Tiananmen Square, the largest open plaza in the world. It was a warm and sunny day with a light breeze, perfect for flying a kite. Our guides handed out kite making kits, and we went straight to the task of assembling them. We had a bit of a crowd watching us ... look at the foreigners making kites!

At last they were ready to fly. Tanish and David had theirs soaring. Ayelet was also able to catch a good upward current. Some kites were dare devils, not fliers, and they spun and

whirled in the wind.

Next, we went to see some real stunt masters at the Chaoyang Theater. The Flying Acrobats put on an unbelievable show -- 12 girls on one bike! And we won't easily forget the human hamster wheel, either, with the man walking on the outside of the wheel blindfolded!

Afterwards, we stopped into Dini's for dinner. The linen napkins, candles and water goblets may have been a bit fancy for our group, but the kids were fine with the kid-friendly fare of burgers and fries.

Weary from the day, we arrived at the Guangming Hotel around 8:30 and checked into the rooms. Imagine our surprise to find state-of-the art rooms where everything is controlled by one central remote. Hmmm .... can I program it to make coffee tomorrow morning?

Multi Multiple Choice Stories

2009-04-21T10:41:00.004+08:00

Conferences are on Wednesday, but that's no excuse not to keep studying for our Stanford tests.

Read the five stories on pages 18 - 27 in your Stanford workbooks and answer the questions that go along with them.

Poetry Terms

2009-04-20T14:30:00.002+08:00

It's been a month since I've been in front of the class. There was the 8th grade trip to Israel and then, of course, our Pesach break.

We're going to pick up on some of the work Mr. Landauro started with your class on poetry.

Tonight, please write the definitions to the terms below in your Humanities notebook. Be ready to be quizzed ...

Alliteration

Assonance

Blank Verse

Couplet

Free Verse

Hyperbole

Imagery

Metaphor

Meter

Narrative Poem

Onomatopoeia

Personification

Refrain

Rhyme
End Rhymes
Internal Rhymes

Simile

Stanza

Theme

Tone

Stanfords

2009-03-16T13:46:00.002+08:00

We will not be meeting again until Thursday.

Please complete pages 4 - 17 in your Stanford practice books.

Good luck at Sports Day!

Personal Narratives

2009-03-13T11:14:00.001+08:00

We've worked on your personal narratives for two days in class. Now, it is time to take them home and work on the current draft.

Make sure to bring them to class on Monday so we can do some peer reviews of your work.

Your deadline is extended since we missed some classes this week with Annual Dinner reheasal and filming.

Essay and the Quiz

2009-02-26T16:15:00.003+08:00

Read over your notes. Look back through the book. Your quiz is tomorrow on Roll of Thunder.

I'll also be collecting your essays.

Read to the end

2009-02-25T16:13:00.000+08:00

We read quite a bit in class today, but I'd like you to go home and finish up the novel. We'll have our final discussion tomorrow in class about the book before the quiz on Friday.

Practice Makes Perfect

2009-02-24T13:35:00.001+08:00

Friday is the Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry test. I've sent you home with a practice test to try tonight.

We'll see how you did tomorrow.

Reading

2009-02-19T16:43:00.001+08:00

to page 217 tonight.

Questions

2009-02-18T16:43:00.001+08:00

Answer the questions for Chapters 8-9 handed out in class. Here they are again.

1. Do you feel that Cassie’s plan for revenge on Lillian Jean was a good one? Explain why or why not.

2. Why did T.J. want to get Mrs. Logan into trouble?

3. What do you think is the real reason Kaleb Wallace and Harlan Granger have Mrs. Logan fired?

4. Why does Mama believe that R.W. and Melvin Simms are friends with T.J.?

5.Why does Mr. Avery tell the Logans he can no longer shop in Vicksburg?

Editing

2009-02-16T11:33:00.002+08:00

Take the paragraph handed out in class today and correct it for tomorrow.

Need to review the standard editing marks? Look here for a refresher.

Strange Fruit

2009-02-13T14:37:00.001+08:00

Strange Fruit was famously sung by Billie Holiday, but was written by a Bronx-based Jewish high school teacher, Abel Meeropol. Meeropol wrote the music to accompany his poem, as well. Holiday, however, brought this song to fame by recording it and singing it at nearly every live performance.

Please answer the questions on the worksheet in reference to this song:

1. Why were most lynching victims hung from trees? Would they have died this way had they been convicted of a crime in a court of law?

2. What kinds of fruit do trees usually bear? Draw the cycle a fruit-bearing tree would go through in the course of a season.

3. How do we know from the lyrics that the "strange" fruit here means the bodies of lynching victims?

4. Why is it that Southern trees bear the "strange fruit"?

5. What contrast is made between the "gallant South" and the South which bears strange fruit? What is ironic about this contrast?

6. Why do you think the word "lynching" never appears in the song?

7. Do you think the song is more powerful, or less powerful, because its topic [lynching] is implied instead of stated?

Rolling on in Roll of Thunder

2009-02-12T15:32:00.003+08:00

We're more than halfway through our novel, and while some of you seem to be enjoying it, others of you seem puzzled by the text.

Please look over what we have read to date (we're on page 165), and bring in at least two questions about the novel. It might be a question you have about the motives of a character, or a question you have to clarify a scene. Perhaps it is a word that you don't really know, or concept you would like to know more about.

Whatever they are, jot them down and we'll discuss them more formally tomorrow.

Israel Essays

2009-02-11T15:25:00.000+08:00

Please take the work on your paragraph organizer and use it write your first draft.

Due tomorrow.

Promoting Peace in Israel

2009-02-10T11:47:00.002+08:00

We discussed today how Israel can promote peace. In class, we found that many people were pessimistic that peace can be achieved -- but there are plenty of people out there that be live peace is attainable.

Look at these companies/organizations and see what they are doing to promote peace:

PeaceWorks

OneVoice

Olive Trees Foundation

Project TRIUMPH

Read this story about a man promoting peace through sports:

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArtUnd.jhtml?itemNo=557398&contrassID=2&subContrassID=1&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y

Read through these sites and tell me whether you think their work will make a difference.

Jim Crow Laws

2009-02-05T16:34:00.003+08:00

Separate, but equal is the standard set up by the Jim Crow laws. Whites and blacks could ride on the same train, but in different cars. Whites and blacks would be educated, but in different schools.

As most of us know, things were separate for blacks and white, but they were hardly ever equal. We only have to compare the school that the Logan family attends to the one that Jeremy Simms attends.

Of course, not all whites agreed with Jim Crow laws and we can see evidence of that in some political cartoons from that time. Tonight, take a look at the cartoons handed out in class and try to see what the cartoonist is saying about the situation being portrayed.

We'll look at more cartoons in class tomorrow.

Question Answer Response

2009-02-02T11:23:00.003+08:00

At this point, you should have finished up until Chapter 6.

Answer the questions that go along with Chapter 5. All answers should be handed in on a separate piece of paper.

Due Wednesday.

Fight at the Wallace's

2009-01-22T16:38:00.001+08:00

Does Stacey come clean? Is Mama gonna whip them good?

Find out tonight as you read the rest of Chapter 4.

The Great Depression

2009-01-21T14:47:00.003+08:00

To give context to our class novel, Roll of Thunder, it's important to know more about the era that it's written: The Great Depression.

Let's get ready for an introduction to this sad time in American history by doing a bit of research.

Tonight, find out when the depression started and about when it ended (there may be conflicting opinions on this final date).

Vocab Quiz

2009-01-20T12:37:00.002+08:00

Tomorrow, be ready for the vocabulary quiz. Study the words below:

Exasperation
Admonish
Ornate
Dense
Loitering
Temerity
Tantrum
Resiliency
Meticulously
Concession
Raucous
Pensive
Outwit
Tormentor
Knell
Venison
Imperiously
Stealth
Lynched
Flirting

Quiz: WWI

2009-01-19T17:09:00.003+08:00

Tomorrow is the day for our WWI quiz. Here's some hints as your studying:

Look over the vocabulary and key people.

Know your dates.

Know the Central Powers.

Know the Allies.

Study hard and good luck!

Roll of Thunder

2009-01-15T16:33:00.001+08:00

Please read to the end of Chapter 1.

Research the various facts about the state of Mississippi.

Section V Post War

2009-01-09T14:33:00.001+08:00

Complete questions 1,2,3 & 7.

Winning the War

2009-01-08T11:55:00.002+08:00

Read Section IV tonight on your own, underlining any key points.

Answer questions 1,2,5,6 in your Humanities book.

A New Kind of Conflict

2009-01-07T15:01:00.002+08:00

As war begins in Europe, the outcome is quite dismal:

Western Europe is in a stalemate

Eastern Europe has heavy loss of life with few battle successes

And elsewhere, countries and colonies are being dragged into the war as alliances or called, or opportunities are seen.

Answer questions 1-4 at the end of this section for tomorrow.

Francis Ferdinand -- the spark in the powder keg

2009-01-06T11:44:00.002+08:00

Finish reading Section II, The Guns of August. Answer questions 1-4 at the end of the section. Be ready to review them tomorrow.

Setting the Stage

2009-01-05T11:26:00.002+08:00

There were several factors that set the stage for war at the beginning of the 19th century.

1. Extreme Nationalism

2. Rivalries between European Powers

3. Alliances

Review your notes and the readings from section 1 tonight. Answer questions 1-6 in your notebook for tomorrow.

Essay - Call of the Wild

2008-12-17T16:09:00.001+08:00

Repeat of yesterday. No homework but to finish your essay.

Final Essay for The Call of the Wild

2008-12-16T14:40:00.002+08:00

Your final essay is due on Friday. Think about the various themes that we talked about today in class.

Survival of the Fittest
The Power of Instinct
The Laws of Civilization and Wilderness

Choose one and find three examples from the novel that give evidence that this a theme from the novel.

See the Web Quest for full directions.

Compare and Contrast

2008-12-08T14:10:00.003+08:00

The essay from Chapter 5 is due tomorrow.

Tomorrow is also the day of your comma quiz. Need more practice? Try this website.

Commas, Part V

2008-12-04T16:48:00.001+08:00

To separate introductory clauses and phrases
If every automobile in the country were a light shade of red, we’d live in a pink-car nation.

According to some experts, solar-powered cars will soon be common.

When people start buying cars that use alternative energy sources, we will become less dependent on oil as a fuel source.

In compound sentences
Many students enjoy working on computers, so teachers are finding new ways to use them in the classroom.

Computers can be valuable in education, but many schools cannot afford enough of them.

Commas, Part IV

2008-12-03T16:46:00.001+08:00

Commas 4

To set off dialogue

Use commas to set off the exact words of a speaker from the rest of the sentence.

The firefighter said, “We will try to keep the fire from spreading.”

The fireman said that they are containing the fire.
Do not use a comma or quotation marks for an indirect quote

In direct address
Zoe, do you know the answer?

To set off interjections

No kidding, you mean that one teacher has to manage a class of 40 students?

Uh-huh, and that teacher has other classes that size.

To set off explanatory phrases
English, the language computers speak worldwide, is also the most widely used language in science and medicine.

More than 750 million people, about an eighth of the world’s population, speak English as a foreign language.

Commas, Part III

2008-12-02T11:29:00.003+08:00

To set off Appositives (renames a noun or pronoun)

The capital of Cyprus, Nicosia, has a population of almost 643,000.
Nicosia renames the capital of Cyprus

Cyprus, an island in the Mediterranean Sea, is about half the size of Connecticut.
an island in the Mediterranean renames Cyprus

The Mediterranean island Cyprus is about half the size of Connecticut
Cyprus is needed to clarify which Mediterranean island - so no comma is needed

To separate equal adjectives
Comfortable, efficient cars are becoming more important to drivers.
comfortable and efficient both describe cars

Some automobiles run on clean, renewable sources of energy.
clean and renewable describe energy

**Please finish Commas 3 tonight for homework.

Can't get enough of Call of the Wild? You can listen online.

Commas, Part I & II

2008-12-01T11:20:00.000+08:00

Commas 1
Between items in a series

Chinese, English and Hindi are the three most widely used languages in the world.

Being comfortable with technology, working well with others, and knowing another language are important skills for today’s workers.

To keep numbers clear

Use commas to distinguish hundreds, thousands, millions, and so on

More than 104,000 people live in Kingston, the capital of Jamaica.

The population of the entire country of Liechtenstein is only 29,000.

In dates and addresses
On September 11, 2006, The World Trade Center in New York was attacked.

The school’s address is 10 Borrett Road, Mid-Levels, Hong Kong.

Commas 2

To set off non-restrictive phrases and clauses

People get drinking water from surface water or groundwater, which makes up only one percent of the earth’s water supply.
which makes up only one percent of the earth’s water supply is additional information – it is non-restrictive

Groundwater that is free from pollutants is rare.
that is free from pollutants is needed to complete the meaning of the basic sentence.

To set off titles or initials

Melanie Prokat, M.D., is our family doctor.

In the phone book she is listed as Prokat, M.

To set off interruptions

Interruptions can be identified through these tests:
You can leave them out of the sentence without changing the meaning
You can place them other places in the sentence without changing its meaning.

Our school, as we all know, is becoming overcrowded.

My history class, for example, has 42 students in it.

There are, indeed about 1,000 people in my school.

The building, however, has room for only 850 students.

Chapter Four

2008-11-27T16:38:00.002+08:00

In class, we read Chapter four. I collected notebooks to check your work over the past couple of weeks. So we will begin the activities tomorrow.

Maps of the Klondike

2008-11-25T14:36:00.003+08:00

On Monday, we started to read about when gold was discovered in the Klondike and what life was like for those who went to find it.

Please study the two maps that were handed out in class and then answer the questions in your Humanities notebook. You'll be cutting out these maps and putting them in your notebook as well.

Also, I returned all essays on Gold. Please revise them for this Thursday.

We won't be meeting for Humanities class tomorrow because of the Book Cafe.

Chapter Three Activities & Vocab Quiz

2008-11-21T15:11:00.003+08:00

"With the aurora borealis flaming coldly overhead, of the stars leaping in the frost dance, and the land numb and frozen under its pall of snow, this song of the huskies might have been the defiance of life ... "

For the first chapter 3 activity, you wil research exactly what is the aurora borealis. Look at the specific directions on our class website.

Don't forget: Your vocab quiz is on Monday. The words are lsited below.
1. appeasement
2. trounce
3. yelp
4. ravenous
5. perpetual
6. blunder
7. ruthless
8. cunning
9. acuteness
10. conspicuous
11. treacherous
12. goad
13. daunt
14. quiver
15. swerve
16. covert
17. culprit
18. articulate
19. exultantly
20. brood

Get ready for Friday's essay

2008-11-19T14:52:00.000+08:00

Fill out the Expository Pillar handed out in class. I want to make sure that you are properly planning your essay.

All assignments are due on Friday.

In addition, please read to the end of Chapter 2 of Call of the Wild.

Gold

2008-11-17T16:02:00.001+08:00

What can you say about one of the most precious and sought after metals of all time?

You'll explore just that question as you compose a 5 paragraph essay due this Friday.

Remember to use the Expository Pillar to help you plan your writing.

Rescheduling

2008-11-14T15:05:00.001+08:00

Your vocabulary test is rescheduled for this Monday. Make sure you study!

Finish up the second activity for Chapter 1 from the website.

Have a great weekend!

Chapter 1

2008-11-13T16:59:00.001+08:00

Please read to the end of Chapter 1 and do one activity from the website.

Vocabulary Quiz

2008-11-12T14:39:00.002+08:00

Your first vocabulary quiz will be this Friday.

Make sure you have definitions and sentences for each word, as we will be doing more review tomorrow.

We'll also begin our reading groups and start on our Web quest.

The class website is here.

Call of the Wild

2008-11-11T11:44:00.001+08:00

Please finish vocabulary worksheet for Call of the Wild.

We'll go over the definitions in class tomorrow, as well as start the book!

Also: Spooky Story revisions are due tomorrow.

Test Reminder

2008-11-07T14:48:00.002+08:00

Test is on Tuesday.

Don't forget to study. Vocab and people are especially important.

Class Timeline

2008-11-06T17:35:00.002+08:00

Choose one event/invention/person we have studied about in class this year.

Using half of an A4 sheet, create a milestone to add to our class timeline.

Include:
The date (48 font)
A blurb (26 font)
A picture

(Bauhaus or Rockwell, if possible).

BRING IN YOUR PIECE TO ADD TO OUR TIMELINE ON FRIDAY.

Changing Attitudes & A New Culture

2008-11-03T11:42:00.002+08:00

Read both Section 3 & 4 in your history packets. Take notes & answer questions 1-2 in the assessments.

Get ready for the quiz on Tuesday.

City Living

2008-10-30T11:40:00.000+08:00

Write a letter:

You have moved from a rural village to London or Paris in the late 1800s.

Write a letter home describing your feelings about city life. Suggest both positive and negative aspects.

Look back at your notes on the Spread of Cities, Section 2.

Due: Friday, October 30th

Spooky Stories

2008-10-29T17:16:00.000+08:00

Because of the time we have missed in class, I've asked that you take the stories you have been working on and finish your first draft tonight.

Tomorrow, we'll be doing some revising of your stories together in writing conferences.

Notebook Check

2008-10-27T11:48:00.002+08:00

On Wednesday, I'll be collecting your notebooks and grading your classwork over the last couple of weeks.

Specifically, I'll be looking for these assignments:

1. Industrial Revolution Graphs:
2 circle, 1 bar, 1 pictograph
2. Monkey's Paw Response
3. Narrative Elements: Monkey's Paw
4. Tell Tale Heart response
5. Two-part Challenge
timeline of milestones; 6 vocab words

Please make sure that your work is neat and legible. All work is due on Wednesday.

The Tell Tale Heart

2008-10-16T16:46:00.002+08:00

In class, we read The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe.

I've asked you to create a response to the short story by doing one of the following:

Create a six-panel comic strip that depicts a portion of the story

OR

Create an acrostic poem about the story.

Work is due on Friday.

Test Tomorrow

2008-10-02T13:16:00.000+08:00

Please study for tomorrow's test on the Industrial Revolution.

Read your handouts, notes and practice with your study guide.

Election Debate

2008-09-25T17:05:00.000+08:00

We won't be meeting for much of our class tomorrow, but I will be collecting your notebooks for our first notebook check. Here's what I'm looking for:

Section 1: Notes
Section 2: Notes and Questions
Section 3: Notes and Questions
Section 4: Questions

Industrial Revolution

2008-09-22T19:26:00.001+08:00

I'm announcing it here first: Friday we'll have a quiz on the Industrial Revolution.

I'll also be doing a notebook check at the same time. Please make sure you have the following recorded:

Section Notes 1-4
Questions for Sections 2-4
"Hard Times" response

Get it ready now ... don't wait!!

Hardships of the Industrial Revolution

2008-09-19T15:55:00.000+08:00

Please read over Section 3. Take notes and answer questions 1-6 at the end.

Also finish the questions from Section 2 started in class today.

Britain Takes the Lead

2008-09-18T15:35:00.000+08:00

Remember: The revision of your Electricity essay is due tomorrow.

In class, we discussed why Britain was primed to lead the rest of the world into the industrial revolution. They had the resources, the technology, the protection of a strong army, and, most important, the capital.

Finish reading the section we started in class, and please create your own notes.

Revise and Edit

2008-09-17T15:11:00.000+08:00

You were given back the first draft of your Electricity essay today in class.

Please go through and incorporate the edits into the second draft. Please revise your work as you write this next version.

Due on Friday.

Essay: Modern Marvel

2008-09-11T12:27:00.000+08:00

Over the long weekend, please take the topic you chose and turn it into your first expository essay. You should download this graphic organizer to help you structure your writing.

Notice that there is a place for you to jot down the source you used for this essay. Your essay should have at least one source listed in the bibliography. Use correct format. If you need help. try EasyBib.

Remember: your essay is due on the Wednesday we are back.

Modern Marvels

2008-09-10T14:44:00.000+08:00

How has population changed through history?

We looked today at a great video that showed us how population has grown incredibly over the last 200 years compared to the thousands of years prior.

No doubt, technology -- whether it be the tools of farming or building skyscrapers -- have impacted people and the way we live.

Tonight, I'd like everyone to choose one modern technology or innovation and research when it was invented.

Looking for a good research site? I like Answers.com.

First Essay

2008-09-09T17:08:00.000+08:00

Tonight you should finish your first full length essay that was started in class.

Keep in mind all the lessons we learned over the last coupld of weeks:

Use your Golden Bricks
Show, don't tell when you are writing
Break up the grocery lists
Use an attention-grabbing lead
Have a clear topic sentence.
Supporting paragraphs need clear and distinct ideas.

I'm looking forward to reading them this week.

Are You Fit?

2008-09-08T15:49:00.000+08:00

We'll find out tomorrow how well we did in our writing boot camp by putting together the last two weeks and writing a full-length essay.

Golden Bricks

2008-09-05T11:41:00.001+08:00

The Golden Bricks of writing give your essay strength.

They are:

Quote
Statistic
Amazing Fact
Anecdote
Descriptive Segment

We'll talk next week about how to write leads and conclusions, and wrap up our Writing Boot Camp.

Break Up That Grocery List!!

2008-09-04T16:48:00.001+08:00

Today we looked at why using long lists in our writing doesn't get us very far ... down the page, or in helping to paint a vivid picture.

Each detail of your paragraph deserves its own sentence. Give it!

Tonight, please rewrite the paragraph handed out in class using the detail-seeking questions as a guide to help you develop it into a rich, full piece.

Revising and Writing Main Idea Sentences

2008-09-03T15:49:00.000+08:00

I like sailing.
I like cooking.
I like hiking.

Aren't you glad we know how to write sentences that aren't that dull? Tonight you will continue the work we started in class by writing exciting and interesting main idea sentences.

Sentence Types

2008-09-02T17:06:00.000+08:00

We spent most of today's class talking about the different sentence types.

Simple
Compound
Complex

There are some great practice activities on the class website.

Make sure you also complete the Open Response question tonight.

Pick, List and Choose

2008-09-01T12:38:00.001+08:00

When writing an essay, you should follow these steps to help identify broad but distinct main ideas for your supporting paragraphs.

1. Pick a topic.

2. List out all the ideas connected with that topic that you can think of.

3. Choose broad but distinct ideas from the list that you generated.

For homework tonight, you will be making a list and choosing ideas for supporting paragraphs for two topics: smoking and going to the mall.

Subject/Predicate

2008-08-29T13:49:00.000+08:00

Please complete the worksheet that we started in class.

This week we did a lot of work with anayzing writing and forming sentences. Next week we'll start trying to construct our own sentences, making sure we use lots of detail and showing, not telling.

Great Sentences

2008-08-28T11:12:00.000+08:00

ALWAYS HAVE:

Capital letters (beginning word)
End Punctuation
A subject
A predicate

Tonight, fix the fragments and run-on sentences on the worksheet.

Bootcamp Continues

2008-08-27T16:24:00.000+08:00

Today we analyzed more essays and started to compare weak to stronger pieces of writing.

Tonight you will be reading and analyzing a second piece called "The Right Wheels for You!" Bring it for class tomorrow.

Tomorrow we'll see how well you do organizing pieces of writing.

Writing boot camp begins

2008-08-26T14:58:00.000+08:00

Day 1: We started by first looking at a graphic organizer, a great way to structure writing multi-paragraph pieces. Then we began to analyze that structure by looking at various essays and marking the components.

Tonight you will continue that work by looking at the essay "Mexico." If you don't have it, please make a copy.

Seven Spot

Be a Playwright

Keep Reading!

Love or stupidity?

Text Analysis

More shakespeare reading over the weekend

Romeo, O Romeo

Montague or Capulet?

Diary of a Young Girl ... Take Home Test

Almost There ....

Poetry

Keep up with your reading

Pacific Front

European Front

Monolgues

Quiz on Part 1

Righteous of the Nations

Resistance Movements of WWII

Anna's Dilemma

Reading and Holocaust Statistics

Holocaust Losses

Independent Reading

Reading Schedule for this week

DAF - Vocabulary

Start Reading

Holocaust

Word Practice

Book Cafe Competition

Back to the city

Heading North

Schedule

Kite Flying and Flying Acrobats

Multi Multiple Choice Stories

Poetry Terms

Stanfords

Personal Narratives

Essay and the Quiz

Read to the end

Practice Makes Perfect

Reading

Questions

Editing

Strange Fruit

Rolling on in Roll of Thunder

Israel Essays

Promoting Peace in Israel

Jim Crow Laws

Question Answer Response

Fight at the Wallace's

The Great Depression

Vocab Quiz

Quiz: WWI

Roll of Thunder

Section V Post War

Winning the War

A New Kind of Conflict

Francis Ferdinand -- the spark in the powder keg

Setting the Stage

Essay - Call of the Wild

Final Essay for The Call of the Wild

Compare and Contrast

Commas, Part V

Commas, Part IV

Commas, Part III

Commas, Part I & II

Chapter Four

Maps of the Klondike

Chapter Three Activities & Vocab Quiz

Get ready for Friday's essay

Gold

Rescheduling

Chapter 1

Vocabulary Quiz

Call of the Wild

Test Reminder

Class Timeline

Changing Attitudes & A New Culture

City Living

Spooky Stories

Notebook Check