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.

Week at a glance October 31 - November 4, 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)

No root words activity this week because we are spending much of the week in the computer lab doing research.

This week we begin research for the Junior Research Essay with the Annotated Bibliography.  The purpose of this assignment is to allow students to gather their citations and facts for their topics.  This process will make it easier when students move on to outlining the Junior Research Essay in class next week.  We'll start with a discussion of the assignment and expectations at the beginning of the week.  The Annotated Bibliography will be due at the end of the week.

• Mon: Debrief from Wed-Fri last week.  Pass back papers and current grades.  Discuss potential research topics.  Junior Research Essay - The Annotated Bibliography: assignment, purpose, and expectations.
• Tues: Meet in the computer lab.  Begin working on the Annotated Bibliography.
• Wed: Meet in the computer lab.  Continue working on the Annotated Bibliography.
• Thurs: Meet in the computer lab.  Continue working on the Annotated Bibliography.
• Fri: Meet in the computer lab.  Annotated Bibliography due by the end of the hour.

Week at a glance October 24 - 28, 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 for this week (root - definition - examples):

1. aud - hear or listen - audience, audio, audition
2. dict - say or speak - dictate, dictionary, diction
3. path - emotion - pathetic, sympathy, empathy
4. test - witness or declare - contest, protest, testify
5. logia, ology - science or study of - biology, psychology, etymology
6. -ist - one who does or practices - racist, terrorist, Buddhist, novelist

Mr. Ritchie gone Oct 26 - Oct 28: As students have heard, I will be gone for three days this week chairing the Centennial Conference for the Kansas Association of Teachers of English (KATE).  I am sorry to miss three days with my students; however, the conference is an excellent opportunity to meet and learn from some of the best and most passionate English teachers from across the state.  I will take on the role of President of KATE at the end of the conference.  For more details, visit the KATE link under the Recommended Links section.

This is our first full week of school in almost more than a month.  During this full week, we'll begin work on the Junior Research Essay.  In addition to analysis of a problem, writing this essay highlights two essential skills: summarizing information and integrating research.  Those two skills will be the focus of this week.  We'll start the week with a review and some practice of these skills by working with a simple two-page essay.  Students will then work with a much larger essay, the recent cover story "Beautiful Brains" published in the October 2011 National Geographic.  By the end of the week, students will answer guiding questions to help them decode the essay, summarize it, and then respond to it while integrating citations.  In addition to our usual Friday root words quiz, students will also complete a topic proposal highlighting what they propose to analyze over the next two - three weeks.

• Mon: New root words; quiz on Friday.  Junior Research Essay - Come to class on Friday prepared to write about a topic.  Summarizing information.  Integrating and citing a source in a paragraph.  Practice with a sample essay.
• Tues: Go over lesson plans for the next three days.  Begin reading/discussing sample research essay: "Beautiful Brains."
• Wed: Junior Research Essay - answer questions over "Beautiful Brains," due by the end of the hour.
• Thurs: Junior Research Essay - create a summary and analysis of "Beautiful Brains," due by the end of the hour.
• Fri: Root words quiz.  Any work not done earlier should by in the box today.  Junior Research Essay - Topic proposal due by the end of the hour.

Week at a glance October 14 - 21, 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 for this week (root - definition - examples):

1. anthrop - people,human - anthropology, philanthropist, misanthrope
2. ego - I or self - egotistical, egomaniac, egotheistic
3. humus - of the earth - human, humble, exhume
4. mater/matr - mother - maternal, matron, matriarch
5. pater/patr - father - paternal, patron, patriot
6. vir - man or manly - virtue, virile, triumvirate

Parent/Teacher Conferences - WRHS will be hosting Parent/Teacher Conferences Wednesday, Oct 19, and Thursday, Oct 20, after school from 4 - 8 pm.

This week will be an interesting week as we have some extra time while the other Junior classes wrap up The Crucible.  One complaint I hear every year is that we never have enough time to do any creative work.  That changes this week as we do a quick, three-day short story unit.  Students will discuss the essential elements of a story on Monday and begin creating their rough drafts.  On Tuesday, we'll add a surprise twist to the unit.  Students will wrap up the unit, typing multiple drafts in the computer lab on Wednesday.  Following our root words quiz on Thursday, we'll preview our next unit: the Junior Research Essay.

• Mon: New root words; quiz on Thursday.  Creating a short short story - discuss the essential elements and create a rough draft.
• Tues: The Short Short Story - assignment, examples, and requirements.
• Wed: Meet in computer lab B.  The Short Short Story - all drafts due by the end of the hour.
• Thurs: Root words quiz.  Junior Research Essay - preview the assignment, requirements, and examples.
• Fri: No school

Week at a glance October 10 - 14, 2011

Curriculum focus: determines word meanings through knowledge of word structure: Greek and Latin roots and prefixes and suffixes (11.1.3.k3), uses information from the text to make inferences and draw conclusions (11.1.4.K5), identifies persuasive techniques (11.1.4.K14a-f), distinguishes between fact and opinion and recognizes propaganda (11.1.4.K15a), analyzes how the author’s use of irony contributes to his/her purpose (11.1.4.K11c), contextual aspects of setting: how history, society, and culture influence events in the text (11.2.1.K2), and analyzes how the problem or conflict advances the plot of a narrative (11.2.1.K3a).

Root words for this week (root - definition - examples):

1. bene - well - benefit, benediction, benefactor
2. cred - believe - credit, creed, incredible
3. cres, cret, cru - rise or grow - crescendo, increase, concrete
4. luc, lum - light - lucid, lucrative, luminescent, illuminate
5. phil - strong love for - philosophy, philanthropy, bibliophile
6. sopho - wisdom - sophisticated, philosophy, sophomore

End of the 1st quarter on Thursday - Any student having a question about his/her grade should stop by and see me before or after school. Let's get things taken care of before anything becomes official.


This week is a short and interesting week.  On Wednesday, students will be taking either the PSAT (which they would have already signed up and paid for) or the KS Reading Assessment.  To help prepare for both tests, we'll do a quick bit of text structure review on Monday and Tuesday.  We'll take care of our weekly root words quiz and preview the 2nd quarter when we return on Thursday.  Since this week is the end of the 1st quarter, students have Friday off so that teachers may finish grading, post grades, prepare for the second half of the first semester.

• Mon:  New root words; quiz on Friday.  KSRA Persuasive Practice: "Rethinking Race in the Classroom" - begin reading and discussing the article.
• Tues: KSRA Persuasive Practice: "Rethinking Race in the Classroom" - questions due during the class period.  Review for the KS Reading Assessment.
• Wed: District testing day - report to assigned room and take either the PSAT or the KSRA
  Thurs: Root Words quiz. Preview the 2nd Quarter.  Short survey for the Research Essay.
• Fri: No school - End of 1st Quarter - Teacher work day