Week at a glance November 28 - December 2, 2011

Curriculum focus: identifies, interprets, and analyzes figurative language including: simile, metaphor, idiom, analogy, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, personification, imagery, and symbolism (11.1.2.K4a-i), compares/contrasts textual aspects: character traits (11.1.4.K7a), compare/contrasts textual aspects: character motives (11.1.4.K7h), compares/contrasts textual aspects: author's purpose (11.1.4.K7i), analyzes and evaluates how the author's style (word choice and sentence structure) and use of literary devices work together to achieve his/her purpose by using tone, mood, and imagery (11.1.4.K11d, e, and h), and analyzes contextual aspects of setting and their influence on characters and events in the story including the contexts of history, society, and culture (11.2.1.K2a-c).

Three weeks and three days -- that's all that remains of the 1st semester, but we still have plenty to do.  We'll continue to read/discuss The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (which is also the basis for the 1st Semester Final Exam).  Huck and Jim are out and on the river having two adventures this week.  During the first, Huck's conscience plagues him constantly about what he should or should not be doing regarding Jim's status as a fugitive slave.  In the second, Huck encounters two families having a feud and gets more adventure than he ever wanted.  We'll wrap up the week in the computer lab with final revisions over the Junior Research Essay.

• Mon: Huck Finn - review Chapters 1 - 11.  For Tuesday: read Chapters 12 - 16, pages 63-95 for and be ready for a quiz and study guide.  Junior Research Essay one-on-one conferences.
• Tues: Huck Finn - quiz over Ch 12 - 16; complete 12 - 16 study guide by the end of the hour.
• Wed: Junior Research Essay - analyze and discuss Final Draft Rubric.  Huck Finn - Review Chapters 12 - 16.  For Thursday: read Chapters 17 - 18, pages 95-116 and be ready for a quiz and study guide.
• Thurs: Huck Finn - quiz over Ch 17 - 18; complete 17 - 18 study guide by the end of the hour.
• Fri: Meet in the IMC computer lab.  Junior Research Essay Final Draft due by the end of the hour.

For Monday: read Chapters 19-23, pages 117-156 and be ready for a quiz and study guide.

Week at a glance November 21 - 25, 2011

Curriculum focus: identifies, interprets, and analyzes figurative language including: simile, metaphor, idiom, analogy, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, personification, imagery, and symbolism (11.1.2.K4a-i), compares/contrasts textual aspects: character traits (11.1.4.K7a), compare/contrasts textual aspects: character motives (11.1.4.K7h), compares/contrasts textual aspects: author's purpose (11.1.4.K7i), analyzes and evaluates how the author's style (word choice and sentence structure) and use of literary devices work together to achieve his/her purpose by using tone, mood, and imagery (11.1.4.K11d, e, and h), and analyzes contextual aspects of setting and their influence on characters and events in the story including the contexts of history, society, and culture (11.2.1.K2a-c). 

During this short week, we'll continue to read/discuss The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  Huck and Jim are now on their own and on the Mississippi River.  Students should keep an eye out for who Huck is as he begins this journey so they can then notice his steady changes throughout.  This section also introduces Huck's critical moral dilemma that becomes the heart and soul of the story.  We'll also begin one-on-one writing conferences for the Junior Research Essay on Tuesday.

• Mon: Huck Finn - quiz over Ch 8 - 11; complete 8 - 11 study guide by the end of the hour. 
• Tues: Huck Finn - discuss Ch 8 - 11.  Read Chapters 12 - 16, pages 63-95 for Tuesday, 11/29 and be ready for a quiz and study guide.  Junior Research Essay one-on-one conferences.
• Wed: No school - Thanksgiving Break
• Thurs: No school - Thanksgiving Break
• Fri: No school - Thanksgiving Break

Week at a glance November 14 - 18, 2011

Curriculum focus: identifies, interprets, and analyzes figurative language including: simile, metaphor, idiom, analogy, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, personification, imagery, and symbolism (11.1.2.K4a-i), compares/contrasts textual aspects: character traits (11.1.4.K7a), compare/contrasts textual aspects: character motives (11.1.4.K7h), compares/contrasts textual aspects: author's purpose (11.1.4.K7i), analyzes and evaluates how the author's style (word choice and sentence structure) and use of literary devices work together to achieve his/her purpose by using tone, mood, and imagery (11.1.4.K11d, e, and h), and analyzes contextual aspects of setting and their influence on characters and events in the story including the contexts of history, society, and culture (11.2.1.K2a-c).

Root words second half exam on Friday 

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - students will check out their own books this Monday. Students will do the majority of the reading of the novel on their own; however, we will occasionally have some time in class to be reading it. Students struggling with the novel have multiple options. I would prefer that they come see me either before or after school first. Another possible option is to use the online resource I have posted under the Course Materials section of this site. The site is done well and ties to what we are doing in class. The site also has chapter summaries that students may wish to use as a guide when they read. The chapter summaries will be best used only as a guide and not a substitute for reading as much of our work will be far more detailed than a simple summary of a chapter.


This week will be busy. We'll begin the week checking out and discussing Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Students will have their first reading and writing assignments over the novel this week. We'll also take the second half exam over the last 30 roots of the semester.

• Mon: Begin review notes for Root Words, 2nd half exam.  Check out Huck Finn books.  Introduction to Mark Twain.  For Wednesday: read Ch 1 - 4, pages 1 - 18.
• Tues: Huck Finn - continue reading Chapters 1 - 4.  Continue reviewing for the Root Words, 2nd half exam.
• Wed: Huck Finn - quiz over Ch 1 - 4; complete 1 - 4 study guide by the end of the hour. Begin reading Chapters V - VII, pages 18-36.
• Thurs: Huck Finn - Continue reading and discussing Chapters 5 - 7, pages 18-36. Finish what we don't read in class. Be ready for a quiz and study guide on Friday.
• Fri: Root Words, 2nd half Exam.  Huck Finn - quiz over Ch 5 - 7; complete 5 - 7 study guide by the end of the hour. Read Chapters 8 - 11, pages 36-63 for Monday and be ready for a quiz and study guide.

Week at a glance November 7 - 11, 2011

Curriculum focus: determines meaning of words through knowledge of word structure (11.1.3.K3), generating writing based on personal experience (11.7.1.1), organizing and planning a written piece (11.7.1.3), shares a draft with others to elicit feedback (11.7.1.5), revises the draft (11.7.1.6), edits the draft (11.7.1.7), composes persuasive writing (11.7.2.1c), adapts writing by identifying, analyzing, and understanding audience (11.7.2.2), writes using one or more text structures when appropriate to a achieve a specific purpose or to address a specific audience: problem/solution (11.7.2.4d), develops clear and purposeful ideas with sufficient evidence and/or relevant detail to satisfy purpose using sufficient evidence, examples, anecdotes, quotations, expert opinions, and/or statistics (11.7.2.1d), organizes ideas in a logical structure (11.7.3.2), writes with energy and enthusiasm (11.7.3.3), selects and employs words to convey message in an interesting, precise, and natural way (11.7.3.4), creates text that flows easily with a variety of sentence structures (11.7.3.5), uses standard writing conventions effectively to enhance readability (11.7.3.6)

Root Words - No new roots this week as we work on the Junior Research Essay.

This week is dedicated to our work over the Junior Research Essay.  We spent last week in the computer lab doing research and gathering information to help shape our ideas.  We'll start the week with a shaping packet that will help students generate an outline for their work.  Once the shaping packet is done, students will type their rough drafts in class for the rest of the week.  An electronic copy of the Junior Research Essay rough draft is due by the end of the hour on Friday.

• Mon: Junior Research Essay - Continue working on the shaping packet.
• Tues: Junior Research Essay - Shaping packet due by the end of the hour.  Begin typing the rough draft.
• Wed: Junior Research Essay - Discuss expectations for the Rough Draft Checklist.  Continue typing the rough draft.
• Thurs: Junior Research Essay - continue typing the rough draft.  
• Fri: Junior Research Essay - electronic rough draft, including Works Cited, due by the end of the hour.  Check out Huck Finn books.  For Wednesday, 11/16: read Ch 1 - 4, pages 1 - 18.