National Spelling Bee on TV Tonight (Thursday, May 28)_

SINCE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE NATIONAL SPELLING BEE LAST WEEK . . .
IT HAPPENS TO BE ON TV TONIGHT IN PRIMETIME - AROUND 8 I THINK. I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT CHANNEL, BUT I THINK IT IS ON A POPULAR CHANNEL. SO, YOU MIGHT WANT TO WATCH IT. I WAS GOING TO REMIND YOU IN CLASS TODAY, BUT I FORGOT.
SCRIPPS-HOWARD NATIONAL SPELLING BEE

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, June 3,4,5 - Finals Days

No backpacks!

Surprise!

Wednesday - periods 1,2
Thursday - period 4. 5
Friday- periods 3, 6

Tuesday, June 2- updated

Students' Choice - write madlibs, creative writing assignment, etc.

Monday, June 1- updated

7th grade awards - See you there!

Fun Day - Make sure all your books are in including library books!

Friday, May 29- updated

Movie - Animal Farm
Class Awards

Wednesday, May 27- updated

Parts of 1984, Lord of the Flies
Classroom Awards
Usage Lesson

Friday, May 22- updated

Warmup: Review for roots test
Roots Test
Spelling Bee
All books due!

Wednesday, May 20 - Updated

Vocab quiz

Roots Practice

(Usage lesson 244-245)

Book wrap-ups

Collect books

Homework: Study for roots test next class!!!

Monday, May 18-updated

Warmup: Holt Handbook page 219 1-10
Collect books
word of the Day: Wary
Pronoun cases Chapter 10
Literature circles
Start pronouns
Homework:
1. Study for vocab quiz
2. Finish reading your books. No writing.
Bring books for collection
3. Start studying all roots and prefixes for test on Friday!!

Thursday, May 14- updated

Warmup: roots vers and vert (turn) and vit/viv (live)
Troublesome verbs and verb quiz
Literature circles: government and laws
Collect Holt Literature and Holt Handbook
Word of the day : vindicate- all classes

Homework: Reading 9: What is the climax and resolution of the book? If you haven't come to it yet, what do you think it will be?
Study for final vocab quiz
Bring books for collection if you haven't already

Tuesday, May 12

Tentative agenda:

Warmup in Holt Handbook

Review tenses and active/passive voice

Word of the Day: venerable (4/6), thesis (5)

Reading circles: Discuss different point of view of books

Homework: Reading 8: Talk about the type of government your society has. Who rules?Are there laws? Animal Farm only: Why do the pigs rule, do you think?
Bring Holt Literature books for collection

Friday , May 8

Roots: thermo (heat) var (different)

Being talking about verbs 174-185

Literature circles discussion

Word of the Day: transient, all classes

Usage practice quiz for all students and shadows

Homework: Reading 7: Write about how your book would be different if it were written in a different character's point of view. Choose a character and give examples of how it would be, told from that point of view.

Wednesday, May 6

Review agreement for quiz

Agreement quiz

Clean out portfolios and write reflection

Word of the day: tenacious (4/6), valid (5)

Homework:Reading #6 - Writing: Do you see any symbols or motifs in your book ? Are any themes emerging? If so, what are they?

Monday, May 4

Finish Agreement and review
Vocab quiz periods 5 and 6
Words of the day: surreptitious (4/6), theory (5)
Book discussion: point of view and conflict
Homework: Study agreement chapter in book for quiz
Reading 5: Choose two favorite of important passages or quotes from the reading and write and discuss why they are important.

Thursday, April 30

Warmup: roots terra (land) and theo (God)
Word of the Day: substantiate (4/6),
Roots test
Agreement to page 160
Homework: Reading 4: Write about the point of view the book is written in and also write about one conflict in the book so far.

Tuesday, April 28

Warmup - HH page 147  11-20
Discuss agreement to page 155
Book discussion
Homework: Study for roots test and  vocabulary quiz:
Vocab: 4/6 - scrutinize, spontaneity, spurious, superfluous, substantiate
5 - respond, sequence, significant, subsequent, subordinate

Friday, April 24

Warmup - HH page 146 1-10
Roots bingo mag through syn
Book discussion part 2 setting
WORD: substantiate, subordinate

Homework: Reading part 3. Writing: Why is this society a utopia? dystopia?

Wednesday, April 22

Warmup: Holt Handbook page 274 exercise 3
Book discussions
Word of the day spurious (4/6), significant (5)
Homework: Reading #2. Write one half to one page and be ready to discuss: The setting of your book. When and where does it take place? What kind of world is it?

Monday, April 20

Roots Warmup: stat  (stand), strict (tighten), syn/sym (together)
Word of the Day: spontaneity (4/6), sequence (5)
Utopia, dystopia discussion
New books handout
Finish punctuation and have quiz
Homework: Read first tenth of your book and write one half page to one page on this topic: Who are the win characters introduced so far in your book. Tell about them. What do they look like? act like?

Thursday, April 16

Warmup
Finish Punctuation
Vocabulary Quiz
Word of the Day: scrutinize (4/6), respond (5)

Homework: Study punctuation in Chapter 15 for a quiz on Monday.

Tuesday, April 14

Warmup: Capitalization pages 264-265
Word of the Day: sagacity (4/6), modify (5)
Finish punctuation
Collect Pearl essays and books

Homework: Study for vocab quiz
4/6: querulous, rancor, reconciliation, resilient reverence, sagacity
5: querulous, rancor, principal, relevant, method, modify

Friday, April 10

Smarter Balanced Testing today.

The Pearl Essays are due Tuesday, April 14. Please see Thursday, April 2 blog post for the topics.

YOU ARE IN THE HOME STRETCH! REMEMBER THAT THE CURRENT GRADING PERIOD IS OVER ON THURSDAY, APRIL 16. ALL LATE WORK AND TEST MAKEUPS MUST BE DONE BY TUESDAY, APRIL 14.

WE WILL BE TESTING ON MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, AND FRIDAY THE WEEK OF APRIL 6. COME TO CLASS FIRST, AND WE WILL GO TO THE COMPUTER LAB FOR TESTING. PLEASE BRING A SILENT READING BOOK WITH YOU ALL THREE DAYS. SORRY, BUT YOU CANNOT BRING A KINDLE OR ANY OTHER E READER TO THE LAB. YOU WILL ALSO BE LEAVING YOUR CELLS PHONES AND OTHER DEVICES IN THE CLASSROOM.

Wednesday, April 8

Smarter Balanced Testing today.

The Pearl Essays are due Tuesday, April 14. Please see Thursday, April 2 blog post for the topics.

YOU ARE IN THE HOME STRETCH! REMEMBER THAT THE CURRENT GRADING PERIOD IS OVER ON THURSDAY, APRIL 16. ALL LATE WORK AND TEST MAKEUPS MUST BE DONE BY TUESDAY, APRIL 14.

WE WILL BE TESTING ON MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, AND FRIDAY THE WEEK OF APRIL 6. COME TO CLASS FIRST, AND WE WILL GO TO THE COMPUTER LAB FOR TESTING. PLEASE BRING A SILENT READING BOOK WITH YOU ALL THREE DAYS. SORRY, BUT YOU CANNOT BRING A KINDLE OR ANY OTHER E READER TO THE LAB. YOU WILL ALSO BE LEAVING YOUR CELLS PHONES AND OTHER DEVICES IN THE CLASSROOM.

Monday, April 6

Smarter Balanced Testing today.

The Pearl Essays are due Tuesday, April 14. Please see Thursday, April 2 blog post for the topics.

YOU ARE IN THE HOME STRETCH! REMEMBER THAT THE CURRENT GRADING PERIOD IS OVER ON THURSDAY, APRIL 16. ALL LATE WORK AND TEST MAKEUPS MUST BE DONE BY TUESDAY, APRIL 14.

WE WILL BE TESTING ON MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, AND FRIDAY THE WEEK OF APRIL 6. COME TO CLASS FIRST, AND WE WILL GO TO THE COMPUTER LAB FOR TESTING. PLEASE BRING A SILENT READING BOOK WITH YOU ALL THREE DAYS. SORRY, BUT YOU CANNOT BRING A KINDLE OR ANY OTHER E READER TO THE LAB. YOU WILL ALSO BE LEAVING YOUR CELLS PHONES AND OTHER DEVICES IN THE CLASSROOM.

Thursday, April 1

Warmup: HH page 28, exercise 5, 1-10
Italics, quotes, apostrophes, hyphens, parentheses and dashes
Review literary devices
Quiz on literary devices
WOTD: reverence (4/6), method (5)
Pearl Grab Bag

Homework: Pearl Essay due April 14.
Choose one topic of these three. Write a response to literature essay of four paragraphs or more (no limit). Give the essay a title. Don't forget that you need a thesis statement (what are you going to prove?) in the first paragraph, as well as the title and author or the book (and what kind of book: in this case a novella).

1. Discuss the role of greed in the book and how it affects the characters and the plot.

2. Discuss the roles of choice versus fate in the book. What was fate and what was choice, and how might the choices made change the outcome of the book?

3. Discuss some of the social issues in the book and compare them to social issues today. Are they the same? How are they different?

YOU ARE IN THE HOME STRETCH! REMEMBER THAT THE CURRENT GRADING PERIOD IS OVER ON THURSDAY, APRIL 16. ALL LATE WORK AND TEST MAKEUPS MUST BE DONE BY TUESDAY, APRIL 14.

WE WILL BE TESTING ON MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, AND FRIDAY THE WEEK OF APRIL 6. COME TO CLASS FIRST, AND WE WILL GO TO THE COMPUTER LAB FOR TESTING. PLEASE BRING A SILENT READING BOOK WITH YOU ALL THREE DAYS. SORRY, BUT YOU CANNOT BRING A KINDLE OR ANY OTHER E READER TO THE LAB. YOU WILL ALSO BE LEAVING YOUR CELLS PHONES AND OTHER DEVICES IN THE CLASSROOM.

Tuesday, March 31

Warmup HH 315 Evens
Literary Devices
Punctuation Quiz
WOTD: Resilient (4/6), relevant (5)
Pearl Wrap Up
Homework: Write a poem with at least 12 lines using at least 6 of the literary devices on the handout. Label each one.

Friday, March 20

Warmup: HH page 315 Review A Odds only. Write sentence and put in correct punctuation.
Review commas
Colons and semicolons
Start literary devices
Word: reconciliation (4/6), principal (5)

No homework: Have a good break. Read a book!

Wednesday, March 18

Roots: prim/prin (first), scope (see), scribe/script (write)
Vocab quiz 10
Pearl Wrap up
Start punctuation: commas
HH: Diagnostic preview page 288
Word: querulous and rancorous (4/6); proceed, precede (5)

Homework: Holt Handbook chapter 14, beginning on page 292, exercises 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9: Numbers 1 and 3 only in each exercise.

Monday, March 16

Essay for 8th grade English placement
Homework: Study for vocabulary quiz next class.

4/6: precocious,  pretentious, prosaic, provocative, prudent
5: license, perspective, policy, potential

Thursday, March 12

Roots: psych/quis, quer, ques
Word: Prudent (4/6), Potential (5)
Discuss ending of The Pearl
Lab first half of period for SBAC practice

No homework

Thursday, March 12

Warmup: Roots prin/prim (first), psych (mind) and quer/ques/quis (seek)
Word of the Day: prudent (4/6) potential (5)
Discuss ending of The Pearl
Computer lab first half of period: practice test for SBAC

No homework

Tuesday, March 10

Warmup: Holt Handbook pages 385 and 386 exercises 10 and 11
Discuss The Pearl Chapter 5
Review homework
Word of the day: provocative (4/6), policy (5)
Multiple Choice section of English 8 placement test given in class.

Homework: Read Chapter 6 of The Pearl and do sheet.

Friday, March 6

Warmup: Roots photo (light), phys (nature), and port (carry)
Clauses and sentences
Types of sentences
Discuss Chapter 4 of The Pearl
Word of the Day:
4/6 prosaic
5 perspective

Homework: Write a paragraph containing four sentences.
1. First sentence should be a simple sentence
2. Then write a compound sentence
3. Next, a complex sentence with an adjective clause
4. Last, a complex sentence with an adverb clause
5. fourth and sixth periods only: add a fifth sentence: compound-complex

Be here Tuesday: first part of test for 8th grade English placement

Wednesday, March 4, National Grammar Day!

Warmup: Review words for vocabulary quiz
Vocab quiz 9
Word of the Day:
4/6 precocious and pretentious
5 license
Worksheet for The Pearl

Homework: Read The Pearl Chapter 4 and do worksheet questions

Monday, March 2

Roots: phob (fear), phon (sound)
Word of the day: paradigm, all classes
Finish essays


Homework: Read Chapters 2 and 3 of the Pearl
Study for vocabulary quiz
4/6: ostentatious, perfidious, objective, subjective, pernicious, paradigm
5: incorporate, integrate, objective, subjective, interpret, paradigm

February 26

Discuss The Pearl Chapter 1
Word of the Day: Pernicious (4/6), interpret (5)
Edit PE essay drafts
Write a persuasive essay in class:
I think cursive should be taught in school
OR
I do not think cursive should be taught any longer

Pick one topic and include a couterargument.

No Homework.

Tuesday, February 24

Collect essays
Review homework
Reread two articles and discuss
Persuasive essay
Word of the day: objective and subjective all classes

Homework: Read chapter 1 of The Pearl and do worksheet
PE essay drafts due Thursday

Friday, February 20

Warmup: Read article B and take notes
Discuss sentence patterns
Steinbeck intro
4/6 final summaries; collect books; write summary in class
Word of the Day: perfidious (4/6)integrate (5)
Articles A and B reread and discuss

Homework:Final draft of essays due Tuesday 24th
PE essay drafts due next Thursday 26th
All late work and absent work must be in at the end of day Tuesday, 24th
Sentence Variety pattern: due next class:
Write a one-paragraph story, fiction or nonfiction, any topic
Start sentences like this:
1. start with a prepositional phrase
2.start with an adverb clause
3 Start with an infinitive
4. Put an adjective clause in the sentence
5.Put an appositive in your sentence
6. Start sentence with a participle or participial phrase
7. Use a gerund in the sentence (ing word that is a noun)

These are all different sentences. Each one will be constructed differently according to the instructions.

Wednesday, Feb. 18

Warmup- Roots peri (around), ped/pod (foot)
Edit essay drafts
Begin persuasive essay
Word of the Day quiz
New word of the day: ostentatious (4/6), incorporate (5)

Homework:
4 and 6: Finish books and write summary
All: Final draft of essay (typed) or in ink (5th period only) due Feb. 24.

PE essays due on the 26th in English class (drafts only) for editing: They will be worth points and cannot be handed in late. The drafts must be here for editing in English class on the 26th!

Friday, Feb. 13

Warmup: Holt Handbook page 383 exercise 9
Word: opulent (4/6), incident and incidence (5)
Review clauses homework
Reports - 4 and 6
Essays (finish draft) events or people who have affected me

Homework: 4 and 6 - reading 9 and summary
Study for Vocab - everyone
4/6: mundane, integrity, intrepid, longevity, nonchalant, opulent
5: fundamental, illustrate, impact, imply and infer, incentive incident and incidence

Friday, Feb. 6

Warmup: Roots ortho, pater, patho
Early book projects due for 5 extra points.
Review homework
Finish essay in class
Grab bag
Word of the day: mundane (4/6), imply and infer (5)
Homework:
4/6: Reading #7 and summaries AND Holt Handbook page 125 A odds only
5: Holt Handbook page 125-126 A and B Odds only

Wednesday, Feb. 4

Warmup- clauses page 112 A 1-10
Discuss clauses
In class essay - begin: Topic:" My Three Favorite Movies or TV shows or Places I Have Visited (Choose one topic)
Word of the day: Longevity (4/6), impact (5)
Build a sentence: Sample in class

Homework: Build a sentence using the one we do in class as a sample:

Nancy gave
Add a direct object
Add an indirect object
Add a prepositional phrase
Add an adverb
Add an appositive or appositive phrase
Add an infinitive or infinitive phrase
Add a participle or participial phrase

Monday, February 2

Warmup: Holt Literature. Read page 269 and to questions at the bottom
Start discussion of clauses, dependent and independent
Word of the Day: 4/6 intrepid, 5 illustrate
Finish essays

Homework: 4/6 Reading #6 and summary
5 - Holt Literature: Read 263-265 and answer questions on 267

Thursday, January 29

Roots: Mort (death), omni (all), and opt (eye, sight)
vocabulary quiz 7
Word of the Day: integrity (4/5) fundamental (5)
Essay (thinksheet) My Three Favorite Hobbies

Homework:
4/6 Reading #5 and summaries
Holt Handbook page 101, exercise 10 Odds only

5 - Holt Handbook page 101, exercise 10 1-10
Use the phrase the book gives you at the BEGINNING of your sentence.

NOTE: Due date for the book project has been changed to February 13, but if you hand it in on the 6th, you get an extra 5 points. 

Tuesday, January 27

Warmup: Holt Handbook Page 108 Review E
Review Homework
Participial phrases/Review phrases
4/6 - summaries
5 - nonfiction reading
Word of the day: inevitable (4/6), function (5)
Homework:
4/6 Reading #4 and summaries
Everyone: Study vocab for quiz next class
hackneyed, haughty, hedonist, impetuous, impute, incompatible, inevitable (4/6)
element, emphasis, ensure, insure, assure, estimate, evidence, focus, function

Friday, January 23

Paragraph: Three places I would like to visit and why: 8-11 sentences
Think Sheets
Essays Intro
Phrases: Prepositional, infinitive, appositive

4/6: Book summaries
5: Holt Literature 463 to 465

Word of the Day:
incompatible  4/6
focus 5

Homework:
4/6 Holt Handbook page 88-89 A and B 1-20 Odds only ;Reading #3 and summary
5: Holt Handbook pages 88-89 1-20 Odds only

Wednesday, January 21

Warmup: Roots meter (measure), mis/mit (send), mono (one, alone)
Review homework
Misplaced modifiers (worksheet)
5: Holt Literature Pages 501-504 in pairs
4/6: Summaries and take notes
Word of the Day: 4/6 impute, 5 evidence

Homework:

4 and 6: Reading #2 and summaries
5: HH page 237 exercise 7: rewrite incorrect sentences

Friday, January 16

Warmup: Write a sentence with a compound subject, direct and indirect objects, at least one prepositional phrase, at least one adverb (periods 4 and 6, add a predicate nominative too)
4/6 Sign up for books
5 HL 494-500 and answer questions
Word of the Day: impetuous (4/6), estimate (5)

Homework:
 Period 5: HH page 234 exercises 4 and 5. Write whole sentence correctly
 Period 4/6: Same as above, evens only AND read first 1/10 of book and write a one- page summary containing the main points.

Wednesday, January 14

Warmup: Roots: mag (great), man (hand) and mater (mother)
Review build a sentence homework
Word of the Day: hedonist (4/6), insure, assure, ensure (5)
Holt Literature page 484 -489. Answer the questions and provide evidence of your answers.
Discuss predicate nouns and predicate adjectives in HH Chapter 4

Homework : Holt Literature read pages 490-493 and answer the questions on 494.

Monday, January 12

WARMUP: Look over roots for test
Roots test
Build a sentence example using Dad gave
Word of the Day: haughty (4/6), emphasis (5)
Library: Nonfiction lesson

Homework: Build a sentence
Start with Charlie baked....
1. Add a direct object
2. Add an indirect object.
3. Add an adverb
4. Add an adjective
5. Add a prepositional phrase
6. Make the subject compound
7. Make the verb compound and give the new verb its own direct object.

Thursday, January 8

Warmup: New seats
Holt Handbook page 76 exercise 1: write the direct object
Indirect object discussion
Assign Reading Project #2 Due date to be assigned.
Give roots and prefixes for test on Monday
Pass back work
Word of the Day -  (5) element (4,6) hackneyed
Homework:
1. Study for roots test (meaning of root and sample word. Two sample words for period 4 and 6)
2. Write three sentences of your own; each sentence must contain a direct object and an indirect object.