Friday, October 31, 2008

Weekend Homework, 10/31

For Monday, 11/3

- "Mockingbird" Chapters 18-19
- Answer 2 Blog Posts
- Wordly Wise Quiz

TUESDAY, 11/4
- "Mockingbird" Chapter 20 and 2 discussion questions about the trial and its outcome

THURSDAY, 11/6
- "Mockingbird" Chapters 20-21
- Answer Blog Post

FRIDAY, 11/7

8th Grade
- 10 Sentences using the first 10 prefixes and suffixes from list

7th Grade
- Draft of "Hope" Poems

"To Kill a Mockingbird" Chapter 19

In this chapter, Tom Robinson testifies. What happens to Dill during the testimony? Why did he respond this way?

Monday, October 27, 2008

Chapter 18 Question

We've discussed the symbolic meaning of the mockingbird. In your opinion, what does the mockingbird symbolize? In chapter 18, we learn about the life of Mayella Ewell. Is Mayella a mockingbird, in terms of the bird as a symbol? Why or why not?

Homework for Week of 10/27

TUESDAY, 10/28
- First Draft of Outsider Essay Due
- Bring "Mockingbird" Packet to class!


THURSDAY, 10/30
- Bring Classic Book to class

FRIDAY, 10/31
- "Mockingbird" final vocab sheet due
- Bring Wordly Wise to class

MONDAY, 11/3
- "Mockingbird" Chapters 18-19
- Answer 2 Blog Posts
- Wordly Wise Quiz #3!!!!

TUESDAY, 11/4
- "Mockingbird" Chapter 20 and 2 discussion questions about the trial and its outcome

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Chapter 16

PLEASE RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:

In Chapter 16 Atticus says, "Maybe we need a police force of children." Why does he say this? How does it connect to the comparison we've been exploring between the child and adult worlds?

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Independent Reading Assignment #2 - Classic Book

Please choose one of the following as your Classic Independent Reading book. If you have an idea of a book that isn’t on this list, please talk to me. Book choices need to be submitted by Monday, 10/27.

Alcott, Louisa May Little Women
Austen, Jane Pride and Prejudice/ Sense and Sensibility
Bronte, Charlotte Jane Eyre
Carroll, Lewis Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland
Crane, Stephen The Red Badge of Courage
Dickens, Charles Oliver Twist/ David Copperfield/ Great Expectations
Golding, William Lord of the Flies
Hesse, Hermann Siddhartha
Huxley, Aldous Brave New World
Juster, Norton The Phantom Tollbooth
Keyes, Daniel Flowers for Algernon
Kinkaid, Jamaica Annie John
Knowles, John A Separate Peace
L'Engle, Madeline A Wrinkle in Time
London, Jack The Call of the Wild
Markanday, Kamala Nectar In A Sieve
Mitchell, Margaret Gone with the Wind
Montgomery, L.M. Anne of Green Gables
Morrison, Toni The Bluest Eye
Orwell, George Animal Farm
Rawis, Wilson Where the Red Fern Grows
Rawlings, Marjorie Kinnan The Yearling
Smith, Betty A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Steinbeck, John The Red Pony
Stevenson, Robert Louis Treasure Island
Swift, Jonathan Gulliver's Travels
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit
Twain, Mark Adventures of Huckleberry Finn / Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Wyss, Johann The Swiss Family Robinson


Assignment:

In a 2-3 page essay, answer the following questions:

What makes a book a classic? According to your own definition of a classic book, does the selection you've chosen qualify as a classic? Why or why not?

DUE TUESDAY, 12/2

Homework for Week of 10/20

For Tuesday, 10/21
1. To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 15
2. Mockingbird quiz on chapters 12-15
3. Body paragraph #2-3 overview

For Thursday, 10/23
1. To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 16
2. Respond to Blog
3. Finish Essay Breakdown

For Monday, 10/27
1. Wordly Wise Lesson 3 Exercises
2. To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 17
3. 2 Discussion Questions
4. Independent Reading Classic Book Choice

For Tuesday, 10/28
1. First Draft of Outsider Essay due

7th GRADE ONLY
1. Grammar Guide Pages for Adverbs, Pronouns and Conjunctions - DUE MONDAY 10/27

8th GRADE ONLY
1. In Class Short Essay on Monday 10/27

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Homework Assigned 10/14

TRIPLETS

1. Chapter 14 in MOCKINGBIRD - Due Thursday 10/16
2. Outsider Essay Outline- Due Friday 10/17

7th and 8th Grade
Wordly Wise Quiz Friday!!!

Friday, October 10, 2008

Weekend Homework, 10/10

Read chapters 10-13 in "Mockingbird"
Due Tues 10/14

Bring in opening paragraph of your Outsiders Essay, including thesis
Due Tues 10/14

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Outsider Essay Assigment

Outsider Essay

In our discussions of Part One of To Kill a Mockingbird, we’ve focused a great deal on the idea of outsiders versus insiders. Some characters straddle the line between outsider and insider. Miss Maudie, for example, is a respected member of the community, yet she also scorns the gossipers who make up a large part of Maycomb’s “in” crowd. Scout straddles that line too. She is both a member of a well-respected family, while also an outsider in terms of the way she ignores traditional gender roles in both her dress and her behavior. Others in Maycomb, however, are largely outsiders. One of the clearest examples of an outsider in the book comes in the character of Boo Radley.

For your first analytical essay, you will explore the concept of being an outsider in To Kill a Mockingbird. What does it means to be an outsider in Maycomb? In what ways does Boo fit the town’s definition? What is Harper Lee trying to say about outsiders through his character? Using evidence from the first section of the novel, come up with a definition of the term outsider as evidenced in the first section of the book.

Next, think about modern-day outsiders. These outsiders could be real individuals or groups. They could also be fictional characters from a recent book, film, television show, song or short story. For example, immigrants in the United States, particularly illegal immigrants, are often portrayed as outsiders by the media. Books like A Catcher in the Rye and the Twilight series also present the notion of being an outsider in interesting ways. Chose one modern outsider (person or group). How and why is this person or group an outsider? What exactly are they outside of?

Think also about the ways in which your example connects to Boo Radley. In what ways are they similar in terms of their outsider status? How do these two examples work together to create a definition of the term outsider? The place where Boo and your example meet will serve as your main argument for the paper.

This essay will be broken down into a number of steps. They are as follows:

Step 1
Decide on the outsider you’ll compare to Boo Radley. Find a piece of writing about this person or group. It could be anything from an article in a newspaper to a summary of a book, or story or even the lyrics to a song. Bring this piece of writing to class on Friday, 10/10.

Step 2
Develop your argument. Your thesis needs to present an argument that you will prove over the course of the paper. For this paper, your thesis needs to include information as to what it means to be an outsider as related to Boo Radley and the example of your choice. In what ways are these examples similar? What argument about being an outsider can you connect to both Boo Radley and your example?


Step 3
Complete a draft of your introductory paragraph, including your thesis. Bring this to class on Tuesday, 10/14.

Step 4
Create an outline for your first draft. The outline will serve as a map as you write the first draft. It helps you to organize your ideas so that the information is presented in a clear and logical manner. Each paragraph of your outline should be a new Roman Numeral. See the blog for an example of the format I’d like you to follow. Due Friday, 10/17.

Step 5
Complete a first draft. Due Monday, 10/20.

Step 6
Revise paper and complete final draft. Due Monday, 10/29.

Bring this handout, along with all other handouts related to this assignment, to every class until the final draft is handed in!

Homework Assigned 10/6 and 7

7th and 8th Grade

"Mockingbird" Vocab, chapters 9-11, DUE FRI 10/10

"Insider" Writing, step 1, DUE FRI 10/10

"Mockingbird" Read chapters 11-13, DUE TUES 10/14

UPCOMING:
Worldly Wise Quiz for Lesson 2, Friday 10/17

7th Grade
Grammar Handbook, noun, verb and adjective pages, DUE FRI 10/10

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Creating an Outline

The following is a link to a clear example of the outline format I'd like you to follow:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/544/03/


Friday, October 3, 2008

Homework Assigned 10/3

7th and 8th Grade
Revise and type poems, DUE TUESDAY, 10/7

7th
Worldy Wise Lesson 2 Exercises, DUE MONDAY, 10/6
Grammar Handbook entires for Nouns, Verbs and Adjectives, FRIDAY, 10/10

8th
Wordly Wise Lesson 2 Exercises, DUE MONDAY, 10/6

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Homework Assigned 10/2

1. "Special Place" rewrite, due FRIDAY, 10/3
2. Independent Reading Book Review, due, MONDAY, 10/6
3. "Mockingbird" chapter 9-10, 2 discussion questions focusing on character and 2 quotes per chapter, due TUESDAY, 10/7