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

Week at a glance October 3 - 7, 2011

Curriculum focus: identifies, interprets, and analyzes figurative language including: idiom, imagery, and symbolism (11.1.2.K4), 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), compares/contrasts textual aspects: character traits, themes, character motives, and author's purpose (11.1.4.K7), 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).

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

1. derm - skin - dermatologist, epidermis, taxidermy
2. micro - small - microscope, microcosm, microbiology
3. ocu - eye - binoculars, inoculate, ocular
4. sci - knowledge - science, conscious, omniscient
5. therm - heat - thermometer, thermostat, endothermic
6. vis, vid - to see - video, visual, revise, review

This week we wrap up our unit over Arthur Miller's The Crucible.  Last week students took notes reviewing the characters, their traits, and their motivations.  This week we'll start by finishing our creative persuasive assignment, The Crucible RAFT.  Students will take the unit exam on Thursday.  We'll wrap up the week with our usual root words quiz, plus a preview of the KS Reading Assessment coming up next week.

• Mon: No school - Professional Learning Day
• Tues: New root words, quiz on Friday.  The Crucible RAFT - revise and edit the persuasive assignment.  The Crucible RAFT due by the end of the hour.
• Wed: The Crucible RAFT - volunteers to share.  Review for The Crucible Unit Exam.
• Thurs: The Crucible Unit Exam
• Fri: Root words quiz.  Preview next week.  QAR strategies.

Week at a glance Sept 26 - 30, 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. belli - war - rebellion, belligerent, bellicose
2. fac - do or make - factory, facilitate, manufacture
3. mort - death - mortal, morbid, mortician
4. poeia, poie, peia - make/create - poem, onomatopoeia, mythopoeic
5. the, theo - god - atheist, theology, monotheism
6. tox - poison - toxicology, toxic, botox

This week we'll wrap up the reading portion of Arthur Miller's The Crucible.  Proctor and his friends are sentenced to hang for the crime of witchcraft, so what hope is there now in the play.  We'd be surprised, if we look carefully.  That will be part of our challenge as we wrap up our reading of the play.  We'll begin reviewing characters and motivations by mid-week.  Since we are so far ahead of the other English 11 classes, we have the advantage of being able to do a creative assignment - a RAFT - that we'll begin in class on Wednesday.  Details and the assignment online to come soon.

• Mon: New root words.  Pass back study guides and current grades.  The Crucible - begin reading and discussing Act IV.
• Tues: The Crucible - finish reading/discussing Act IV.  Act IV study guide due Wednesday.
• Wed: The Crucible - Act IV study guide due.  Character traits and motivations review.  Begin The Crucible RAFT assignment.
• Thurs: The Crucible RAFT - decide the role, audience, format, and topic of the project.
• Fri: Root Words quiz.  The Crucible RAFT - go to the computer lab and begin assembling the project.

Week at a glance Sept 19 - 23, 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), identifies the protagonist (11.2.1.K1a), 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 Mid-term on Friday - We are doing 60 root words this semester; so far we have done half of them. Rather than waiting until near the end of the semester and doing a final over all 60, we will be doing a mid-term over the first 30 roots this Friday. Students will receive a study guide and practice self-test for the mid-term on Monday. We'll also do an in-class review on Thursday.

This week we continue reading Arthur Miller's The Crucible.  Last week we saw no one was safe as we saw even Rebecca Nurse and Elizabeth Proctor accused of witchcraft.  John Proctor responded by deciding to come clean, go to the court, admit his sins, and confront Abigail.  This week we'll see the results of Proctor's decision.  Students should be paying special attention to the play's rising action, coming climax, and their effects on the characters.

• Mon: Preview Root Words Mid-term.  The Crucible - Review Acts I and II.  Begin reading/discussing Act III.
• Tues: The Crucible - Continue reading/discussing Act III.
• Wed: The Crucible - Acts I and II Quiz.  Finish reading/discussing Act III.  Act III study guide due Wednesday.
• Thurs: Root Words Mid-term review and discussion.  The Crucible - Begin reading/discussing Act IV.  Act III study guide due at the end of the hour..
• Fri: Root Words Mid-term. The Crucible - Continue reading/discussing Act IV.