THURSDAY December 23

Objective: Students will continue their research on the authors they have chosen for their research paper.

Journal: FREE WRITE ***JOURNAL CHECK TODAY!!!  TODAY'S JOURNAL WILL BE YOUR 9th SINCE THE LAST CHECK***

Agenda: Laptop Activity: Continuing Research: Students will continue their research on the author they chose for the research paper.  They will organize the information they collect into the following categories using a graphic organizer: Family Background/Childhood, Education, Stories/Novels, Awards/Noteworthy Achievements, Death/Current Status, and Miscellaneous Facts.

Homework: Have a Happy Holiday Break!!!

WEDNESDAY December 22

OBJECTIVE: Students will create holiday-themed posters using common symbols to represent different holiday people, places and things.

JOURNAL: What are you planning to do over break? (Give details, but not TOO many details)  REMINDER: Tomorrow is a journal check.  Tomorrow's journal will be your NINTH since the last check.

AGENDA: 1) Finish yesterday's assignments: Assigntment 1) Reading "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" and "After Apple-Picking" pp. 434-435.  Completing questions #1-6, 9 on pg. 438.  Assignment 2) Drawing a symbol to represent yourself and writing a paragraph to explain how that symbol represents you.

2) Holiday Poster Contest: With a small group, design a holiday-themed poster to be hung in Ms. Winberg's room.  In your posters, try to use as many holiday symbols as possible.  Possible Themes: "The Holidays in Philly," "The Holidays at Randolph," "Holiday Movies," "Holiday Foods," and "Holiday Activities."  Your posters can be serious or funny (funny is preferred) and you are encouraged to be as creative as possible.

HOMEWORK: Write a holiday themed haiku/tanka to present tomorrow in class.

TUESDAY December 21

Objective: Students will analyze symbols in poetry and will be able to explain both the literal and figurative interpretation of each symbol.

Journal: Why is death a topic people always find interesting?  Why is death a common occurrence in both books and movies?  How do people deal with death differently?

Agenda: 1) Symbolism Exercise

2) Read “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening” pg. 434 and “After Apple-Picking” pg. 435.  Look for symbols in each poem which represent death.

3) Pg. 438 Response & Analysis # 1-6, 9

4) Personal Symbol: Draw a symbol to represent yourself.  The design of the symbol should have significance in representing who you are and what you believe in.  You may also choose to use certain colors in your symbol to represent aspects of yourself.

Homework: Write a paragraph explaining how your symbol represents you.  Explain why you chose your design and coloring and how you feel they represent your personality and beliefs.

MONDAY December 20

WEEKLY STANDARDS: 1.3B, 1.3C, 1.2A, 1.8A, 1.8B, 1.8C

TOPIC: Symbolism

OBJECTIVE: Students will be able to explain what symbols represent to different characters in a story.  students will be able to make inferences about characters in a story based on their actions and dialogue.

JOURNAL: Why do siblings tend to compete with one another?  What causes siblings to be jealous of one another?  Describe a time in your life where you felt a rivalry between yourself and one of your siblings (or a relative who is close to your age).

AGENDA: 1) Review Symbolism and Inference

2) Reading "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker pp. 77-83.  Filling out a "Symbol Analysis" graphic organizer explaining what different symbols mean to different characters.

HOMEWORK: Pg. 86 Response & Analysis #1-4, 6-10, 12

FRIDAY December 17

OBJECTIVE: Students will begin researching the author they chose for their research paper.

JOURNAL: FREE WRITE

AGENDA: 1) Vocabulary Quiz #12

2) Laptop Activity: Beginning Research: Students will begin research on the author they chose for their research paper.  They will organize the information they collect into the following categories: Family Background/Childhood, Education, Stories/Novels, Awards/Noteworthy Achievements, Death/Current Status, and Miscellaneous Facts.

HOMEWORK: Research Update: Inform Ms. Winberg of your progress on your research paper.  What type of information have you gathered so far?  Are you having trouble finding information in any of the major categories?  What have you found out about the author you feel is very interesting?  Do you have any other concerns with the research process?

THURSDAY December 16

OBJECTIVE: Students will be able to find instances of irony in a story and explain why each example is ironic.

JOURNAL: Do you believe in the concept of "mind over matter?"  In other words, if people strongly believe something about themselves, they can make it come true.  For instance, a person who is sick can believe he/she will get better and will end up making a full recovery.  Are people more likely to succeed if they believe in themselves?  How important is it for someone to have a positive outlook?

AGENDA: 1) Practice Quiz for Vocabulary Quiz #12

2) In groups of NO MORE THAN FOUR PEOPLE, you will read "The Last Leaf" by O. Henry and complete a question worksheet on the story.  Everyone must turn in his/her own copy of the work.

3) After reading the story and completing the questions, you will create a VENN DIAGRAM on the back of your worksheet comparing/contrasting "The Last Leaf" with either "Lamb to the Slaughter" or "The Pedestrain."  Focus on the following: setting, mood, irony, foreshadowing, and surprise endings.

HOMEWORK: Study for tomorrow's vocabulary quiz.

WEDNESDAY December 15

OBJECTIVE: Students will be able to find instances of irony in a story and explain why each example is ironic.

JOURNAL: What would motivate a woman to kill her husband?  What would he have to do/say to her to make her want to kill him?  Explain.

AGENDA: 1) Review: 3 Main Types of Irony : Dramatic, Situational, Verbal

2) Reading "Lamb to the Slaughter" pp. 316-326.  Looking for instances of irony in the text and examining each instance.

3) Complete Response & Analysis Pg. 326 #1-8.

HOMEWORK: Complete Vocabulary Development activity "Using Context Clues" on pg. 327.

TUESDAY December 14

OBJECTIVE: Students will be able to describe the mood of a story.  Students will be able to explain how the setting of the story creates the mood.

JOURNAL: The story you are reading today is set in the year 2053.  What do you think the world will be like in the year 2053?  Write a description.

AGENDA: 1) Note-taking: Mood and Setting:

Mood : subtle emotional overtone that can strongly affect our feelings

Setting : the time and place of the action in a story

2) Reading "The Pedestrian" pp. 46-53.  Analyzing mood and setting.

3) Complete Response & Analysis Questions on pg. 53 # 1 - 9

HOMEWORK: Complete Vocabulary Development Worksheet for "The Pedestrian"

MONDAY December 13

WEEKLY STANDARDS: 1.3B, 1.3C, 1.2A, 1.8A, 1.8B, 1.8C

TOPIC: Irony, Mood, Setting

OBJECTIVE: Students will research various authors and select one to be the topic of a research paper.

JOURNAL: Who is your favorite author?  What books/stories have you read by this author?  Why do you enjoy his/her writing so much?  What do you know about the author's life?  Can you relate the author's books/stories to your own life?

AGENDA: 1) Copy New Vocabulary Words and Definitions: Pg. 46 : manifest, intermittent, ebbing, antiseptic, regressive, Pg. 316 : anxiety, placid, luxuriate, administered, premises, consoling, hospitality

2) New Policy: Starting TODAY, your attendance grade will be affected by your classroom behavior.  Currently, you receive 100 pts. per week for your attendance.  For every day you are late to class, you lose 20 points from your grade.  You receive 20 extra credit points for coming to class on time every day for a week.  From now on, if you misbehave in class you will lose points from your attendance grade in the following way:

1st Offense: Warning/Name Written Down
2nd Offense: - 5 pts.
3rd Offense: - 10 pts.
4th Offense: - 20 pts. and Write-Up

***NOTE: Extreme class disruptions will receive an automatic - 20 pts. and Write-Up***

Is the slate wiped clean at the end of the day?  YES.

What happens after you've lost all 100 points for the week?  POINTS WILL BE DEDUCTED FROM YOUR NORMAL GRADE.

Can you still get the 20 extra credit points at the end of the week?  YES, BUT ONLY IF YOU COME TO CLASS ON TIME EVERY DAY AND HAVE NO BEHAVIOR ISSUES FOR A WEEK.

3) Introduction to Research Paper: You will be choosing a famous author to research during the next several weeks.  With this research, you will be composing a formal paper about the life and career of the author.

Important Dates: 
Rough Copy Due:  Monday, January 17th (Late papers will NOT be edited by Ms. W)
Final Copy Due: Friday, January 28th (Late papers will NOT be accepted)

Requirements:
1) Length: 4-5 pages typed/double-spaced

2) Depth: Family Background/Childhood, Education, Stories/Novels, Awards/Noteworthy Achievements, Death/Current Status, and Miscellaneous Facts

3) Bibliography: Minimum of THREE reliable sources

4) Organization: Introduction, Author's Life, Authors Works, Conclusion

5) Weight: 200 points (50 points for Rough Draft, 150 points for Final Copy)

4) Laptop Activity: Researching Authors: Using the list of Famous Authors given to you, briefly research authors you may be interested in writing your research paper on.  If you can't find an author on the list who you are interested in, you may find an author who is not on the list to research.  NOTE: If you want to research an author who is NOT on the list, you need to get Ms. Winberg's approval FIRST.

HOMEWORK: Research Paper Proposal: Write a paragraph explaining which author you have chosen to write your research paper on.  Explain why you chose this author and give a brief background on the author based on the preliminary research you conducted today in class.  If more than one student chooses the same author, the student with the best proposal will be assigned to that author.

FRIDAY December, 10

OBJECTIVE: Students will compare/contrast heroes based on their heroic acts and qualities.  Students will examine the theme of chivalry across multiple texts.

JOURNAL: FREE WRITE

AGENDA: 1) Vocabulary Quiz #11

2) "Sword in the Stone" video clip

3) Reading "The Man in the Water" pp. 274-277.  Looking for heroic acts and chivalry.

4) Complete Response & Analysis Questions # 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11

HOMEWORK: Mini-Essay: Is chivalry dead?  Compose a 10-15 sentence essay in which you explore the existence (or non-existence) of chivalry today.  Site examples of recent events which show chivlary still does/does not exist.  You may also use personal examples.

THURSDAY December 9

OBJECTIVE: Students will examine the legend of Sir Lancelot looking for examples of chivalry.

JOURNAL: Vocabulary List #11: Practice #3

AGENDA: 1) Review chivalry, romance and knightly quest.

2) Reading "Sir Lancelot du Lake" pp. 652-656:  Break into groups of 4-5 and read the legend of Sir Lancelot.  As you read, complete the yellow block questions for "Summarizing" # 1-3.

3) Complete Response & Analysis questions on pg. 658 # 2, 3, 7, 8


HOMEWORK: Vocabulary Practice Quiz for Word List #11

WEDNESDAY December 8

OBJECTIVE: Students will examine the legend of King Arthur looking for examples of chivalry.

JOURNAL: Vocab List 11: Practice #2:

1. What is something the law obliges every US citizen to do?

    2.   What is something a sports team might champion?

3. Give the name of a super hero and his/her greatest adversary.

    4.    Who is currently the sovereign of the US?

5. What might someone do to you to cause you wrath?

AGENDA: 1) Note-taking: Legend, Romance, Chivalry, Knightly Quest


Legend: A story about extraordinary deeds that has been told and retold for generations among a group of people.  Some legends have a historical basis but may also contain elements of magic and myth.


Romance: A story about the adventures of a hero who takes on a quest and upholds the code of chivalry.


Chivalry: Code of moral conduct a knight is supposed to follow.  Chivalry encourages those who follow it to be courteous, generous and helpful to others.


Knightly Quest: A journey a knight undertakes to prove himself as a hero.  A knightly quest usually involves saving maidens, slaying dragons and battling enemies.

2) Read "The Sword in the Stone" pp. 645 - 647

4) Complete Response & Analysis Questions #2, 3, 4, 7, 8 on pg. 649

HOMEWORK: Complete writing activity "Remembering Magic" on pg. 649.  Write at least ONE full paragraph (5-7 sentences).

TUESDAY December 7

OBJECTIVE: Students will research Arthurian Legend in preparation to read tales about King Arthur and Sir Lancelot.

JOURNAL: Complete Vocabulary List #11: Practice #1 Hand-out:

1) When would someone swear an oath?
2) Can someone who is ignoble become king/queen of England?
3) Where would you find a tumultuous crowd?
4) What could you do to make sure a young child is diverted?
5) Who/what do you show fidelity to and why?

AGENDA: Researching Arthurian Legend

Students will use the laptops to research various elements from Arthurian Legend including: King Arthur, Sir Lancelot, Merlin, Camelot, Knights of the Round Table, Queen Gwynevere, Morgan le Fay, Excalibur

For each element, students are required to list THREE interesting facts on their worksheets.

Helpful websites:

Timelessmyths.com

Britannia.com

Wikipedia.com

HOMEWORK: Study for Friday's Vocabulary Quiz.  Journal Check this Friday (You should have TEN journals total by Friday).

MONDAY December 6

WEEKLY STANDARDS: 1.3B, 1.1G, 1.5A, 1.5B

TOPIC: Legend and Chivalry

OBJECTIVE: Students will be introduced to the Shakespearean sonnet and will compose sonnets of their own.

JOURNAL: Shakespeare is famous not only for his plays, but for his poems.  Shakespeare is most famous for the 100+ sonnets he wrote.  Many of these sonnets are thought to be written to both his mistress and a young boy, both of which Shakespeare professes his love for.  Based on your knowledge of Shakespeare, do you believe this to be true?  Why or why not?  Is it possible to be truly in love with two people at the same time?  Can a person be attracted to both a member of the same sex and a member of the opposite sex at the same time?  Explain.


AGENDA: 1) Copy New Vocab Words and Definitions: Pg. 644 oath, ignoble, tumultuous  Pg. 651 diverted, fidelity, oblige, champion, adversary, sovereign, wrath  Pg. 272 flailing, extravagant, abiding, pitted, implacable

2) Note-Taking: Structure of a Shakespearean Sonnet:

~ A sonnet is a 14-lined poem divided into THREE quatrains and ONE couplet.
~ A quatrain is a set of FOUR lines
~ A couplet is a set of TWO lines
~ In a Shakespearean sonnet, the 1st and 3rd line of a quatrain rhyme with eachother and the 2nd and 4th line of a quatrain rhyme with each other
~ The two lines in the couplet rhyme with each other
~ EVERY line in a sonnet has EXACTLY TEN syllables
~ A Shakespearean sonnet follows a PLOT structure: The FIRST and SECOND quatrain act as the exposition, conflict and rising action.  The THIRD quatrain acts as the climax and falling action.  The COUPLET acts as the resolution and denoument.

3) Read "Shall I Compare Three to a Summer's Day?" pg. 494

4) Compose a Shakespearean sonnet following the correct format introduced in class using the sonnet writing organizer.

HOMEWORK: Finish your sonnet.

FRIDAY December 3

OBJECTIVE: Students will take a Unit Test and a vocabulary quiz.  Students will compose haikus and tankas.

JOURNAL: FREE WRITE

AGENDA: 1) Unit Test#3 and Vocabulary Test #10

2) Composing Haiku/Tanka: Compose THREE haikus and TWO tankas.  Your poems may be about whatever you choose, but they must follow the format given to you in yesterday's notes.  Remember, haikus usually make a reference to nature and tankas are normally about love.  You may also choose to give your poems titles.

HOMEWORK: Finish haikus and tankas to submit no later than MONDAY.

THURSDAY December 2

OBJECTIVE: Students will review for Unit Test #3.  Students will be introduced to the Japanese Tanka and Haiku.

JOURNAL: Why do people write so many songs/poems about love?  Why do you believe love is such a popular topic?  What is your favorite love song or love poem?  What is the song/poem about?  What about it makes it your favorite?

AGENDA: 1) Check/Review word chart for last five SAT vocab words: ostentatious, mundane, intuitive, frugal, enervating

2) Practice Vocabulary Quiz for SAT Word List #5

3) Go over Review Packet for Unit Test #3

4) Note-taking: Structure of a Japanese Haiku and Tanka:

HAIKU - An unrhymed, 3-lined Japanese poem usually written about a single moment in nature.

Line 1 - 5 syllables
Line 2 - 7 syllables
Line 3 - 5 syllables

TANKA : An unrhymed, 5-lined Japanese poem usually written about unrequited love.  A tanka is meant to evoke a strong feeling with a single image.

Line 1 - 5 syllables
Line 2 - 7 syllables
Line 3 - 5 syllables
Line 4 - 7 syllables
Line 5 - 7 syllables


5) Reading 3 Tankas on pg. 490.  Reading haiku (on smartboard).
HOMEWORK: Study for tomorrow's unit test and vocabulary quiz.