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Davis School District

January 15-19, 2007: Third Term Begins!

Monday, January 15

• Human Rights Day
• Thank you, Dr. King!
  (And not just for the day off!)

Tuesday, January 16

• No School for Students
  

Wednesday, January 17: Welcome to the Third Term!

• New Classes/New Seats
• Hall Passes/AR Contracts
• The Vocabulary of Persuasion: Take Notes! (And don't lose 'em!)
• Journal #4: "The Right to Privacy"
  Write a response to Betsy Hart. Maintain appropriate voice, a clear sense of purpose, and effective word choice for this audience. (100+)
  

Thursday, January 18

• Journal #5: TV Survey
• "The Trouble With Television": Evaluate the Argument
• So, what's your thesis?
• Homework: Decide on your opinion statement for your own persuasive essay.
  

Friday, January 19

• Submit Opinion Statement
• Weekly Vocabulary List #1: gallant, animosity, spangled, facilitate, banner, rampart, peril, raucous, misconstrue, patriotism
• Vocabulary Worksheet
  (You'll want a dictionary for this assignment!)

January 22-26, 2007

Monday, January 22

• Journal #6: "The Star-Spangled Banner"
  Calculate the number of times you have heard America's national anthem in your life. Show your work. Circle the total.
  (Now write down the lyrics from memory.)
• Persuasive Writing Step 2: Reasons that Support Your Opinion Statement
• Massive Purple Text: pp. 321 & 322
• Outline Persuasive Essay: Due Thursday
  

Tuesday, January 23

• Journal #7: "Honesty is the best policy." Is this always true? Are there times when lying serves a greater good? What is your personal philosophy on lying? Relate an example from your own experience that illustrates this philosophy.
• Begin Nothing But the Truth: 1-23
  

Wednesday, January 24

"...students today are not what they used to be. There is no love of literature...Young people don't read at all today -- outside of school requirements. They come to literature reluctantly at best, fighting me every inch of the way. It's not as if they aren't bright. They are. And I like them and their capacity for independence. But the other side of that independence is a lack of caring for anything beyond themselves." --Miss Narwin, Nothing But the Truth (p. 8) The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them. --Mark Twain (1835-1910)



• Journal #8: Copy these quotations into your journal. Is Miss Narwin correct about most of today's teenagers? Why or why not? Are you a typical teen in this respect? Do you see any danger for a culture that doesn't read? Discuss. (100+)
• Nothing But the Truth: 24-49

Thursday, January 25: Persuasive Outline due!

• Journal #9: Thompson's Got Video! (The coolest drum solo in the world!)
  Neil Peart, the best at what he does, still practices daily and has a drum teacher. What does that tell you about the quest for perfection of a craft? What skill do you hope to be able to master to such a degree, and how do you plan to achieve mastery? (100+)
• Weekly Vocabulary Quiz #1
• Nothing But the Truth: 49-64
  

Friday, January 26: Reading Contracts due!

• Nothing But the Truth: 64-99
  

January 29- February 2, 2007

Monday, January 29

• Journal #10: "Our society is always asking schools to do what is not done at home." --Miss Narwin (p. 90)
  Is this true? Consider the many things schools are expected to do today. Is Miss Narwin correct? Why or why not? Do schools take on too much responsibility? Discuss.
• Vocabulary List #2 Dictionary Assignment: Due Thursday!
  abash, absolve, abstain, acclaim, acute,
  addict, admonish, adverse, advocate, agitate
  (Words were defined in class...by the teacher!)
• Helpful Link: Dictionary.com
• Nothing But the Truth: 99-120

Tuesday, January 30: Computer Lab 137

• Typed draft of persuasive essay due Friday!
• Don't forget to address the counterclaims!
• Research to find supporting evidence, statistics, expert opinions.
• Web Page Validity Check: Make sure you are looking at legitimate and correct sources.
• Citation Machine: Cite your sources & save the source info!
  

Wednesday, January 31

• Journal #11: Identify biased statements (and explain why each is biased) in the articles about Philip Malloy on pages 113 & 121.
• Nothing But the Truth: 121-150
  

Thursday, February 1: Vocabulary List #2 Assignment due!

• Nothing But the Truth: 151-186
• Test on Novel: Character Values Chart & Your Verdict
  (This needs to be done carefully and completely. Follow all instructions!)
  The test is due Tuesday, February 6th!

Friday, February 2: First Draft of Persuasive Essay due!

• Go Freshmen Swimmers!
• Finish Nothing But the Truth: 187-197
• Work on test: Character Values Chart & Your Verdict (due Tuesday!)
  

February 5-9, 2007

Monday, Februrary 5

• Journal #12: Write the Pledge of Allegiance. Punctuate it properly. How many sentences is it? Where do the commas go? Which words are capitalized? Explain what it means.
• Patriotism / "Star-Spangled Banner" Worksheet

Tuesday, February 6: Nothing But the Truth Test Due!

• Journal #13: Elements of the Persuasive Essay Quiz (Read sample essay and answer 10 multiple-choice questions.)
• Persuasive Rubric/Editor Checklist : Compare to Six Traits
• What does it mean to revise? (More than just print again!)
• Final Suggestions for Persuasive Essays
  

Wednesday, February 7: Computer Lab 137

• Persuasive Essay Final Drafts: Last day to work on 'em here! They're due Friday!
• Persuasive Rubric/Editor Checklist : Compare to Six Traits
• Citation Machine: Make sure to cite the sources of your facts, statistics, and expert opinions!
• Not going to work on it at school no matter how much time I give you? Okay, then get started on tomorrow's vocabulary assignment!
  

Thursday, February 8

• Vocabulary List #3: aloof, amend, amiable, animate, antagonize, apathy, appraise, assimilate, augment, autonomy
• Dictionary Link to help complete the Vocabulary Assignment
• Grammar Rock / Notes: Review (to help with vocab assignments)
  • "Unpack Your Adjectives"
  • "Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here!"
  • "Conjunction Junction"
    

Friday, February 9: Persuasive Essay Final Draft due!

• Turn in Persuasive Essay and Editor Checklist with signature!
• Finish & turn in Vocabulary Assignment #3 (from yesterday)
• Spring Pictures: During English Classes (Wow! Disastrous on So Many Levels!)
  

February 12-16, 2007

Monday, Februrary 12

• Journal #14: Proofreading Transparency #3
• Finish/Turn in Vocabulary #3 Sentences from last week (This time I mean it!)
• Grammar Rock / Notes:
  • "Interjections!"
  • "Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla"
  • "Verb: That's What's Happening"
  • "A Noun Is A Person, Place Or Thing"
    

Tuesday, February 13: Computer Lab 137

• DWA Prep: Timed Essay
• Six-Trait Essay Helpful Hints

Wednesday, February 14: Valentine Dance (Friday Schedule)

• Finish Grammar Rock / Notes:
  • "Busy Prepositions"
  • "The Tale Of Mr. Morton"
• Parts of Speech Review/Quiz (Use notes!)
  

Thursday, February 15: Midterm

• Journal #1: Copy "George Gray" onto the next blank page in your journal. Space and punctuate correctly.
• Sentence Fluency: Handout
• Word Choice/Fluency Worksheet
  

Friday, February 16

• Journal #2: Rewrite this to improve sentence fluency.
• Word Choice/Fluency Worksheet: Finish "Working With Words"
  

February 19-23, 2007: Esteem and Dream Week

Monday, Februrary 19

• Presidents' Day: No School
  

Tuesday, February 20: The Only "Normal" Day This Week

• Journal #3: Two (Related?) Poems
  • "The Grammar Lesson" by Steve Kowit
  • "The Student Theme" by Ronald Wallace
• Vocabulary List #4: barbarism, benevolence, caliber, callous, candid, civil, collaborate, commendable, compliance, confide
• Conventions: Handouts
• Capitalization Standards: Know them!
• Word Choice/Fluency Worksheet: Finish "Working With Words"
  

Wednesday, February 21: Reality Town/Resumés

• 6th & 7th periods only
• Journal #3 1/2: Evaluate the day's activities. (90+)
• "Working With Words": Rewrite 5 Bubba Sentences to improve fluency
• Sentence Combining Review 1-10
  

Thursday, February 22: Seminar Day & P.T. Conferences

• 30-minute classes (all of 'em)
• 2nd-5th:
  • "Working With Words": Rewrite 5 Bubba Sentences to improve fluency
  • Sentence Combining Review 1-10
• 6th & 7th:
  • Vocabulary List #4: Finish worksheet
  • Continue Sentence Combining Review
    

Friday, February 23: Talent Assembly

• 2nd (1+ hour)
  • Journal #3 1/2: Evaluate this week's activities. (90+)
  • Punctuation Standards
  • Finish Sentence Combining Review
• 3rd-7th (25 minutes each)
  • Punctuation Standards
    

February 26-March 2, 2007

Monday, Februrary 26

• "Introduction to Poetry" by Billy Collins
• Journal #4: Free Choice -- Write 90+ words about anything you want.
• Return/Discuss Persuasive Essays (Scored)
• Evaluation of Timed Essays Using Six-Trait Scale
• DWA Prep.
  

Tuesday, Februrary 27: Direct Writing Assessment

• State-Mandated Writing Exam
• Bring a Pencil!
  

Wednesday, Februrary 28

• Finish/Make-up DWA
• Journal #5: "Loud Music" or "Elevator Music"?
• Mock Job Interview Prep: Applications/Resumés/Folders
  (Any changes due back to me by Monday!)
• Spoon River Anthology: Introduction & Terms
• Epitaphs: Voices from Beyond the Grave
• "The Hill" + Study Questions (due tomorrow)
  

Thursday, March 1

• New Seats: Choose Your Own...But Choose Wisely!
  (Your Citizenship Grade May Depend On It!)
• Spoon River Anthology: The Rhodes Affair
  • Eugene Carman, Clarence Fawcett, Mrs. George Reece, Jack McGuire, Nicholas Bindle, Henry Phipps, Ralph Rhodes, Thomas Rhodes
• Journal #6: Read these poems to learn "the whole story." On a fresh page in your journal, summarize the story. Briefly describe each character involved, paying particular attention to the voice (tone) conveyed by the epitaph. (This will be much longer than a regular journal and will be worth considerably more.)
  

Friday, March 2: Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

• Spoon River Anthology: Two-fers
  • Albert Schirding & Jonas Keene
  • Benjamin Pantier & Mrs. Benjamin Pantier
  • Roscoe Purkapile & Mrs. Purkapile
  • Hamilton Greene & Elsa Wertman
    

March 5-9, 2007

Monday, March 5

• Journal #7: Are you nervous about the interviews tomorrow? Why or why not? Are you good in such situations? Are you naturally "impressive" or do you have to work at it? What are you going to wear? Discuss interviews. (90+)
• Spoon River Anthology: Looking for the Extra Credit? (Share summaries.)
• In-class Assignment: Analysis of Thematically-Linked Collections from Spoon River Anthology
  (Last chance to learn some more of the stories before we play the game.)
• Mock Job Interviews Tomorrow: Here's how you're evaluated! Be ready!
  (Return completed résumés and applications to file.)

Tuesday, March 6: Mock Job Interviews

• Look sharp!
• 5th Period will interview during other periods (and then watch a movie during class!)
• If you missed your interview, see Mrs. Cash for information on how to make it up. Yes, it is an assignment!
  

Wednesday, March 7: Computer Lab 137

• Zork: Example of Interactive Fiction
• Play Voices of Spoon River

Thursday, March 8: Computer Lab 137

• 2nd Period: High School Counselors' Visit
• Computer Lab: VOSR Game
  

Friday, March 9: Last Day to Conference on Book Reports

• Last Day for VOSR: Didn't get enough?
  

March 12-16, 2007

Monday, March 12

• Journal #8: What did you think of the game? Do you think it helped you understand the epitaphs? Are you a "gamer"? Can a game be both fun and educational? Discuss the link between learning and enjoyment. (90+)
• Vocabulary List #5: culminate, cynic, deduce, denounce, digress, discord, discriminate, dissent, docile, elite
• Final Review Spoon River Terms: Judge Somers, Chase Henry, Editor Whedon, Carl Hamblin, The Town Marshal, Jack McGuire, Ollie McGee, Fletcher McGee, Cooney Potter, Fiddler Jones
  

Tuesday, March 13

• Final Test (multiple-choice) on Spoon River Anthology
  

Wednesday, March 14: Reading Points due!

• Write poetic epitaphs of two literary characters!
• Turn in "The Hill" Study Questions & one completed epitaph at the end of class!
  

Thursday, March 15: Turn in Extra Credit!

• Journal #1: On the next blank page in your journal, write your own poetic epitaph. Include at least one metaphor and some parallel structure.
• Vocabulary #5 Assignment: culminate, cynic, deduce, denounce, digress, discord, discriminate, dissent, docile, elite
• Final Third Term Grade Conferences
  

Friday, March 16: End of Third Term

• Journal #2: Proofreading Transparency #4
• Review Spoon River Tests
• Paired Epitaphs Assignment: Due Friday, March 23!