Wink...Wink! Daily Assignments Title Graphic
Grades/Homework
Utah Write
Class Notebook Wiki
Put a Book on Trial
Book Review Outline
Grammar Punk
Thompson's Textbook
Word Cells
Word Cells Biglist
 To see all the weeks in the term, scroll ALL THE WAY DOWN!

August 26-30, 2013: Welcome Back!
Term 1: "Why?" and "How to..."

  • This term you will learn WHY...
  • ...literacy matters. (Communication)
  • ...people read and write outside of school. (Purpose + Audience = Genre)
  • This term you will learn HOW TO...
  • ...ask questions.
  • ...have a conversation.
  • ...develop an argument: evidence, warrant, conclusion.
  • ...put a book on trial.
  • ...write a simple argumentative essay.
  • ...close read and annotate text.
  • ...figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word by recognizing its "cells.".
  • ...wiki.
  • ...identify the parts of speech.
  • ...accept responsibility.
  • ...work in a group.
  • ...analyze the elements of fiction in various texts.

So, let's get started!
Monday, August 26: A Day
Tuesday, August 27: B Day

  • Poem o' the Day: "Invitation" by Shel Silverstein
  • Letters from Last Year: What're we really in for?
  • QAR Intro: Ask me some questions.
  • Talk, Talk, Talk
  • Disclosure Discussion
  • Reading Requirements
  • Notebook Needs
  • QAR Practice: Ask and answer some questions from the disclosure.
  • Homework: Discuss everything we talked about today with your parents; have one of them sign the form; return it next time.


Wednesday, August 28: A Day (Writing Lab)
Thursday, August 29: B Day (Writing Lab)

  • Turn in Disclosure Contract with Signatures
  • Poem o' the Day: "Writer Waiting" by Shel Silverstein
  • Wiki Setup: Let's all do this together, okay?
  • Start here.
  • Utah Write Setup + Login
  • Log in as you did last year. (Only those not here last year will create a new account.)
  • Login Protocols: School Login Name (17BBANDERMEYER) + PIN
  • Go to the Course Enrollment Page. Enter Course Code (which will be provided in class).
  • Assignment: After reading the article about Facebook, write an essay (in Microsoft Word) that presents your argument in support or in defense of its claims. Use information from the article as well as your own experience and that of others whom you know to support your argument. Here are some other things that might help you:
  • NBC News Article
  • Facebook on Self-esteem and Motivation
  • Facebook and Self-esteem Study
  • Self-esteem and Narcissism on Facebook
  • Remember: A good argumentative essay offers clearly-stated claims, logical supporting evidence, and a warrant that illustrates how the evidence supports the claim. The more logical evidence you have, the better your argument will be.
  • Save your finished essay in Word. Copy and paste it into Utah Write and submit it for a score.
  • Homework: Have a three-ring binder in which to put your English materials next time!


Friday, August 30: A Day

  • Poem o' the Day: "The Hand" by Mary Ruefle
  • Hall Passes: You get one per term. Use it wisely.
  • Three-ring Binder: You need one for English here today.
    Thompson's Textbook: Let the handouts commence!
  • Review QAR and put blue handout in the English binder for future reference.
  • Assignment: Read this article carefully and complete this worksheet.
  • Writing Notebooks: Select one! Write now! Right now!
    Turn to the third page in your notebook and write for ten minutes. Introduce yourself! How is ninth grade different than eighth grade? What did your do over the summer? How was the first week of school? Fill the page!
  • WN: The Finer Details
    Copy this quotation on the first page of your WN:
    "You learn to write by writing. The only way to learn to write is to force yourself to produce a certain number of words on a regular basis."
    --William Zinsser
Writing Notebook Guidelines:
Copy these under the quote on the first page.
  • Put each entry on a new page.
  • Date every entry in this format: August 30, 2013
    (Spelling, spacing, and punctuation all count!)
  • Never remove any pages from your writing notebook, even after they have been scored.
  • Writing Notebooks are to remain in the classroom at all times!

  • (Writing Notebooks remain in the classroom!)
  • Turn in the finished QAR Assignment.


  • Q: "Did I miss anything?"
    A: Yes.
    ^ Scroll up to find it. ^

    September 2-6, 2013

    Monday, September 2: Labor Day

    • No School: Labor Day Holiday
    • Poem o' the Day: "What Work Is" by Philip Levine


    Tuesday, September 3: B Day

    • Poem o' the Day: "The Hand" by Mary Ruefle
    • Hall Passes: You get one per term. Use it wisely.
    • Three-ring Binder: You need one for English here today.
      Thompson's Textbook: Let the handouts commence!
    • Review QAR and put blue handout in the English binder for future reference.
    • Assignment: Read this article carefully and complete this worksheet.
    • Writing Notebooks: Select one! Write now! Right now!
      Turn to the third page in your notebook and write for ten minutes. Introduce yourself! How is ninth grade different than eighth grade? What did your do over the summer? How was the first week of school? Fill the page!
    • WN: The Finer Details
      Copy this quotation on the first page of your WN:
      "You learn to write by writing. The only way to learn to write is to force yourself to produce a certain number of words on a regular basis."
      --William Zinsser
    Writing Notebook Guidelines:
    Copy these under the quote on the first page.
    • Put each entry on a new page.
    • Date every entry in this format: September 3, 2013
      (Spelling, spacing, and punctuation all count!)
    • Never remove any pages from your writing notebook, even after they have been scored.
    • Writing Notebooks are to remain in the classroom at all times!

  • (Writing Notebooks remain in the classroom!)
  • Turn in the finished QAR Assignment.


  • Wednesday, September 4: A Day
    Thursday, September 5: B Day

    • Poem o' the Day: "Cartoon Physics, Part 1" by Nick Flynn
    • Assignment: Reading Book #1: Track your progress with Reading Schedule.
      (Finish reading by September 24/25.)
    • Close Reading and Annotation: Reference Handout for English Notebook
      Use the suggestions on the handout to
    • Close Read & Annotate "How Writing By Hand Makes Kids Smarter"
    • (Here are some models that received full credit. Do yours as completely and thoroughly as these are done!)
    • Writing Notebook: Write a one-page reflection on the article. What parts of the article are supported by your own experience? Which parts do you disagree with? Do you prefer to write by hand or with a keyboard? Do your type and text more than you write by hand? Do you think those who write by hand more often are smarter?
    • In the space at the end of the article about handwriting, write one of each of the four types of QAR questions about the article. Answer the questions. Turn in the article with your annotations.


    Friday, September 6: A Day

    • Poem o' the Day: "Writing" by Howard Nemerov
    • Revisit the good old days: Remember these? And these?!
    • New Strategy: SOAPSTone (Keep in notebook with other handouts.)
    • Let's try some group work now, eh?
    • Handwriting: One article for each group to SOAPSTone & Present
    • Writing Notebook: Today's notebook entry is included as part of the Handwriting link above.
    • (1st Period cut short by fire drill: They did not finish WN entry.)
    • Stay on the Reading Schedule!


    September 9-13, 2013

    Monday, September 9: B Day


    Tuesday, September 10: A Day (Writing Lab)
    Wednesday, September 11: B Day (Writing Lab)

    • Scholastic Reading Inventory: Start here! Click "SAM," then "SRI," and login the same way you do on the school computers. Do your best! Remember your lexile score. I'll explain them when everyone is finished.
      (This has to be done in the Writing Lab at school.)
    • Poem o' the Day: "Do you have any advice for those of us just starting out?" by Ron Koertge
    • On your wiki page, SOAPSTone the purple article about Facebook (which will be read in class).
    • What does REVISION really mean? This is what I want you to do to your original essay on Facebook. You have more information to work with now, and you have had more than a week to ponder some of these issues, so you should have significantly more and better things to say this time. Using the new artifacts we have examined since your first draft, revise the Facebook Essay in Utah Write.


    Thursday, September 12: A Day
    Friday, September 13: B Day

    • Writing Notebook: Finish Handwriting entry from last time.
    • Poem o' the Day: "In School-days" by John Greenleaf Whittier
    • Literary Devices Handout & Worksheet
      (Complete the worksheet as we read the novel in class.)
    • The Pigman by Paul Zindel
    • Chapter 1: Meet John!
    • Writing Notebook: What are your first impressions of John? Find a sentence in the chapter in which his voice seems particularly strong. Copy it and explain what you think it says about him. Do you think he will be an interesting narrator? Does he remind you of anyone you know? (If so, who and why?) Would you be friends with John? Why or why not?
    • Chapter 2: Meet Lorraine!
    • Writing Notebook: What are your first impressions of Lorraine? Find a sentence in the chapter in which her voice seems particularly strong. Copy it and explain what you think it says about her. Do you think she will be an interesting narrator? Does she remind you of anyone you know? (If so, who and why?) Would you be friends with Lorraine? Why or why not?
    • Read Chapter 3: Murder?
    • Keep reading your assigned book at home! The test will be on September 24/25!



    September 16-20, 2013

    Monday, September 16: A Day
    Tuesday, September 17: B Day

    • Introduction to Word Cells + Morphology & Etymology Podcasts
    • QAR one of them; SOAPSTone the other.
    • Now you should be able to figure out the meaning of this word:
      pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
    • We'll cover a few word cells every week for the rest of the year! Keep a list!
    • Poem o' the Day: : "The Lie" by Anne Waldman
    • The Pigman: Read Chapter 4
      (You should be able to answer these questions at this point.)
    • Continue filling out the Literary Devices Worksheet
    • Writing Notebook: Are you a good liar? Why or why not? (Give an example of a time you either lied very well and got away with it or lied poorly and got caught.) Is there ever a time when it is right to lie? Explain. Fill the page!
    • Humorous Devices in The Pigman: Add Euphemism to your Literary Devices Handout
    • John and Lorraine are prone to euphemism...a kind of lying.
    • The Pigman:
    • A Day -- Chapter 5 (to p. 29: "That was always the signal for Lorraine to meet me....")
    • B Day -- Chapter 5 (to p. 33: "I was just learning how to memorize ten items.")

    Wednesday, September 18: A Day
    Thursday, September 19: B Day

    • The Pigman: Finish 5 (Pigman in the Flesh!)
    • Poem o' the Day: "Thoughts in a Zoo" by Countee Cullen
    • Humorous Devices in The Pigman: Hyperbole and Understatement
      (Add these to your Literary Devices Handout.)
    • The Pigman: Chapters 6 & 7
    • Writing Notebook: Who makes the best friends, people of the same sex or people of the opposite sex? Why? Explain and give examples. Fill the page!
    • SOAPSTone the Reading Article
    • Don't forget to finish your first book (and return it) by Sept. 24/25.
    • Assignment for Next Time: Write a letter in response to the article. Support all your claims with evidence and examples. Be polite and respectful. (300+ words)



    Friday, September 20: A Day (Writing Lab)

    • Turn in your Letters about Reading
    • Poem o' the Day: "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas
    • The Pigman: Finish Chapter 7
    • Wiki Assignment o' the Day: New SAGE Test Sample -- Use info from Chapter 7 and the Dylan Thomas Poem to respond to the question on the wiki.
    • Revise that Facebook Essay for a score in Utah Write.
    • Remember what it means to REVISE.
    • Final draft must be posted to Utah Write by September 26/27.
    • Reminder: Finish your first book by next time! Bring the book to class!



    September 23-27, 2013

    Monday, September 23: B Day (Writing Lab)

    • Turn in your Letters about Reading
    • Poem o' the Day: "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas
    • The Pigman: Finish Chapter 7
    • Wiki Assignment o' the Day: New SAGE Test Sample -- Use info from Chapter 7 and the Dylan Thomas Poem to respond to the question on the wiki.
      (Here is an annotated example; the margin notes explain what elements need to appear in your response.)
    • Revise that Facebook Essay for a score in Utah Write.
    • Remember what it means to REVISE.
    • Final draft must be posted to Utah Write by September 26/27.
    • Reminder: Finish your first book by next time! Bring the book to class!



    Tuesday, September 24: A Day
    Wednesday, September 25: B Day

    • Book #1: Tests and Check In
    • Genre Studies: Last time there was a writing assignment due. It was supposed to be a letter to a teenager who had written a newspaper article about reading. Letter. Not essay. Letter. Some of you don't seem to know what a letter is. You responded with some other genre of writing. That got me thinkin' that maybe we need to talk about exactly what genre means.
    • Poem o' the Day: "At the Galleria Shopping Mall" by Tony Hoagland
    • Writing Notebook: How do you feel about going shopping? Is it joyful or torturous? Why? What do you shop for, and with whom do you go? Tell a shopping story of your own if you have one. Fill the page!
    • Homework/Reminder: Midterm Paper (Argumentative Essay about Facebook) due on Utah Write on Friday!
    • Remember that you need to REVISE, not just edit.


    Thursday, September 26: A Day
    Friday, September 27: B Day

    • Midterm Paper: Final Revision of Facebook Essay due to Utah Write Today!
    • (1st & 5th) Term Book #2 Assignment: Have it read by October 22/23!
    • The Pigman: Chapter 8 (Didn't get to this last time...)
    • (...'cause we were too busy doin' this:) Read these four short genre pieces.
    • (5th & 8th) SOAPSTone 'em using this handout & answer the questions.
    • Finish it and turn it in today (if you didn't last time).
    • Writing Notebook: Finish your Genre Alphabet on page 2 of your WN.
    • Poem o' the Day: Paradoxes and Oxymorons by John Ashbery
    • Humorous Devices in The Pigman: Sarcasm
      (Add this to your Literary Devices Handout.)
    • The Pigman: Chapters 9 (On your own)
    • Writing Notebook: Pigman Chapter Titles -- Review the nine (9) chapters we have read so far. None of them have chapter titles...yet. Assign each chapter a title that you believe works for the content of each chapter. After each title, write a brief explanation of why you think that is an appropriate title for the chapter. Leave room on the same page to do this with the remaining chapters. (There are 15 in all.)
    • Continue to fill in the Literary Devices Handout.



    September 30-October 4, 2013

    Monday, September 30: A Day
    Tuesday, October 1: B Day

    • Word Cells o' the Week: Start your lists!
    • Neologolusion: Creating New Words & Making Sense of Unfamiliar Ones
      • Using your lists of prefixes/suffixes and the Word Cells we've learned so far, create a new word and its dictionary definition. Fill in ALL the blanks!
    • Writing Notebook 1: Pigman Personality Profile
    • Write a claim indicating who you feel is most reponsible for the wife's death. Support your claim statement with some textual evidence and logic (not emotion). Realize that ALL the characters are somehow responsible because if any of them had changed one thing about what they did, the murder would not have occurred; therefore, there are many potential counterclaims. Address some of them: Why is the character you selected MORE responsible than the others? Warrant your claims by explaining your logic in terms of the general rules that most of us live by.
    • John's Example
      • Claim: The Boatman is most responsible for the wife's death.
      • Textual Evidence: According to the story, he refused to take her across the river because she could not pay him fifty cents.
      • Warrant: This shows that the Boatman values money more than he values human life.
      • Address Counterclaim: Of course, a businessman has to make money to survive, but when a desperate woman pleads with you to help her and you turn your back on her for the sake of a measly fifty cents, you prove yourself an immoral fiend.
      • Warrant: As a general rule, most of us would agree that a person's life is worth more than fifty cents, and most reasonable people would be willing to help such a woman.
      • Address Counterclaim: Some might say that she deserved what she got because she was fooling around on her husband, but not only is death an extreme punishment for her "crime," it is not the place of a guy giving boat rides to make that judgment.
      • Conclusion: Because he refused to help when a decent citizen would have and because he values money above life, the Boatman is the most responsible for the wife's death.
    • The Pigman: Chapter 10
    • (Writing Notebook 2: Update Chapter Titles)
    • Writing Notebook 3: Copy the Poem o' the Day: "Alexander Throckmorton" by Edgar Lee Masters



    Wednesday, October 2: A Day (Writing Lab)
    Thursday, October 3: B Day (Writing Lab)

    • Parent-Teacher Conferences -- 3:45 - 7:15
    • Poem o' the Day: "Did I Miss Anything?" by Tom Wayman
    • Wiktionary: Add the word you created last time at the top of your wiki page.
    • Utah Write: Themes in The Pigman
      Choose one of the following theme statements and show how the novel The Pigman illustrates it. Provide lots of textual evidence (references to the story and quotations), warrant your claims by explaining how the text supports them, and address potential counterarguments. Submit a draft to Utah Write before you leave class.
    • Youth is a matter of attitude rather than age.
    • Conflicts between parents and children are inevitable.
    • Death is an unavoidable reality.
    • Loneliness can ruin a person's life.


    Friday, October 4: A Day


    October 7-11, 2013

    Monday, October 7: B Day


    Tuesday, October 8: A Day
    Wednesday, October 9: B Day

    • Review Quiz: Common/Proper Nouns & Pronouns
    • (Common Pronoun Problems)
    • Word Cells o' the Week: -gram-/-graph-, -scrib-/script-, -dict-,
      -string- / -strict- / -strain-
    • Neologolusion: Creating New Words & Making Sense of Unfamiliar Ones
    • Using your lists of prefixes/suffixes and two of the Word Cells we learned today, create two new words and their dictionary definitions. Fill in ALL the blanks! This will mean you should have the entire front side of the Neologolusion handout finished!
    • Poem o' the Day: "The Rider" by Naomi Shihab Nye
    • Writing Notebook: Betrayal. Write about a time you betrayed someone's trust OR about a time your trust was betratyed. How did it feel? How did the other person feel? What happened to the relationship? Do you think it is a "betrayal" if John and Lorraine hold a party at Mr. Pignati's house? Are they wrong to even consider it, or does that fact that Mr. Pignati has constantly told them to "Use whatever you want" and "Make yourself at home" make it okay? Fill the page!
    • The Pigman: Chapter 13 & (some of) 14
    • Story Time: The Fly
    • Update Chapter Titles (WN) & Literary Devices Handout

    Thursday, October 10: A Day
    Friday, October 11: B Day


    October 14-18, 2013

    Monday, October 14: A Day (Writing Lab)
    Tuesday, October 15: B Day (Writing Lab)

    • Hey! Both sides of the Motifs and Last Lines assignment should be done when you get to class today! You had 40 minutes to work on it during class last time, and we answered most of the questions on the back of it as a class. No excuses!
    • Poem o' the Day: "October" by Don Thompson (no relation)
    • Word Cells o' the Week: -chron-, -pre-, -post-,
      -tact-/-tang-, -terra-/-terr-
    • Neologolusion: Creating New Words
    • Using your lists of prefixes/suffixes and one of the Word Cells we learned today, create a new word and its dictionary definition. Fill in ALL the blanks!
    • Quick: Add another Neologolusion to your Wiktionary!
    • Putting The Pigman on Trial: All-together now!
    • Turn your completed Book on Trial Outline into an argumentative essay of judgment of The Pigman. Consider how the outline requires you to address all the elements of argumentation, and if you have it filled in, you are ready to start writing.
    • Submit the essay to Utah Write for a score.
    • You may REVISE as many times as you want to get a better score until Friday at 11:59 P.M. This is gonna be a big score, and we spent a lot of time and conversation on this book, so make this one a best effort! It's like your term paper!


    Wednesday, October 16: A Day


    Thursday, October 17: Fall Recess
    Friday, October 18: Fall Recess

    • No School: Finish that Reading Book for Next Week!



    October 21-25, 2013

    Monday, October 21: B Day


    Tuesday, October 22: A Day
    Wednesday, October 23: B Day

    • Book #2 Test: You'll have to do this and a multiple-choice quiz.
    • New book assignments will not be made until the beginning of the second term, so if you are dying to read some other book (House of Hades by Rick Riordan, for example), do it now!
    • Word Cells: -bene-, -mal-, -phil-,
      -aster-/-astr-, -rupt-
    • Neologolusion: Creating New Words
    • Using your lists of prefixes/suffixes and one of the Word Cells we learned today, create a new word and its dictionary definition. Fill in ALL the blanks!
    • Poem o' the Day & Close Read/Analysis Assignment: The Raven
    • Read, Listen, and Translate!
    • Paraphrase your assigned section.
      • Should be written in the first person -- I, me, myself – as though you are the narrator
      • Should include all the details: setting, description, quotations, what happened, etc.
      • Does not include any rhyme or repetition
    • (Finish this part for next time! You will be sharing them aloud.)


    Thursday, October 24: A Day
    Friday, October 25: B Day

    • Word Cells: -fer-, -port-, -lat-, -mort-
    • Neologolusion: Creating New Words
    • Using your lists of prefixes/suffixes and one of the Word Cells we learned today, create a new word and its dictionary definition. Fill in ALL the blanks!
    • Howework: Finish the Neologolusion page and return it with all blanks filled in next time!
    • Finish Close Read/Analysis Assignment of The Raven
    • Summarize the entire poem: One sentence per stanza
      • Should be in the third-person – he, him, his – as though you are describing the story to someone else.
      • Should include only the main idea of the stanza, no details.
      • Should be only one sentence.
    • Study Questions: You should be able to answer these by now.
    • Extra Credit Options: Nevermore Poem & Storyboard
    • Extra credit is not intended to make up for eight weeks of mediocre work. It is that little extra kick to get you from a B+ to an A-, not from a C- to an A.
    • The amount of extra credit awarded is based on the quality of the product.
    • Extra Credit is due on October 30!
    • Poem o' the Day: "Annabel Lee" (Check this out!)
    • Writing Notebook: Identify something that all of these Edgar Allan Poems have in common: The Raven, "Annabel Lee," "To One in Paradise". Write a page in which you quote one line from each poem to support your claim. WARRANT your evidence by explaining how each quote supports the claim. (If necessary, "translate" each quote to make its meaning clear.)
    • Fill the page!!!!!
    • Parts of Speech: Let's try this one more time just to make sure you've got it.
    • Turn in your reading books! New ones will be assigned next term!



    October 28 - November 1, 2013

    Monday, October 28: A Day (Writing Lab)
    Tuesday, October 29: B Day (Writing Lab)



    Wednesday, October 30: A Day (Extra Credit due!)
    Thursday, October 31: B Day

    • Poem o' the Day: "Halloween" by Mac Hammond
    • Hey, speaking of creepy stuff, can you identify a complete sentence?
    • Term Test
    • Writing Notebook: Halloween Horror
    • Can you solve the case and make your argument convincing enough to get the jury to believe you? Fill the page!
    • Claim: Who killed the ghost?
    • Evidence: Why do you think so?
    • WARRANTS: How does the available evidence support your claim? No guessing or illogical conclusions! You have to have a connection between your claim and your evidence.


    Friday, November 1: Professional Day
    (No School for Students)


    Q: "Did I miss anything?"
    A: Yes.
    ^ Scroll up to find it. ^
    Despite the absence of any support from the school district, I have made every reasonable attempt to ensure that this website is educationally sound and does not contain direct links to inappropriate material.
    ©2013 M. Wolfman Thompson - All rights reserved.
    *<%^)