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

August 24-28, 2015: Welcome Back!
Term 1: "Why?" and "How to..."

  • This term you will learn HOW TO...
  • ...ask questions.
  • ...keep an amazingly organized English Notebook.
  • ...write on demand every day for a variety of purposes.
  • ...develop an argument: evidence, reasoning, counterclaim/rebuttal, conclusion.
  • ...put a book on trial.
  • ...write a text-based informational essay.
  • ...close read and annotate text.
  • ...deduce the meaning of an unfamiliar word by recognizing its "cells.".
  • ...define and classify words according to their parts of speech.
  • ...recognize & define various ACT vocabulary words.
  • ...accept responsibility.
  • ...ace the English section of the Explore Test.
  • ...analyze the elements of fiction in various texts.

So, let's get started!
Monday, August 24: A Day
Tuesday, August 25: B Day

  • Poem o' the Day: "Invitation" by Shel Silverstein
  • Word Study: "In the beginning was the Word...."
  • Suffixes that refer to people: -ant / -ar / -ard / -arian / -ee / -ent / -er / -ess / -eur / -ier/yer / -or / -ist
  • Samples: servant, liar, wizard, librarian, payee, resident, painter, countess, chauffeur, cashier, lawyer, doctor, biologist
  • Assignment I
  • Prewrite: List some words that end in these suffixes that describe yourself.
  • I am a....
  • Invitation Assignment: Do it now!
  • Assignment II: So, what're we in for?
  • Reading/Literature -- QAR: Definitions/Stems, Prompts
  • Textual Evidence #1: Letters from Last Year
  • Textual Evidence #2: Disclosure & Reading Requirements
  • Textual Evidence #3: Q&A (Don't do these things.)
  • Finish this (including the paragraph on a separate page) by next time.
  • Homework:
  • 1) Discuss everything we talked about today with your parent(s) and have one of them sign the form.
  • 2) If you didn't finish the assignment today, do so. It will be collected next time.
  • 3) If possible, have a three-ring binder (for this class only) with you on Friday/Monday.
  • 4) Select and find a copy of an Independent Reading book from the list.


Wednesday, August 26: A Day
Thursday, August 27: B Day

  • Seating Chart: Choose a seat to call your own.
  • Turn in Homework: signed disclosure and the QAR assignment.
  • Poem o' the Day: "Did I miss anything?" by Tom Wayman
  • Website Review: Look around for a few minutes.
  • Hall Passes: You get one per term. Use it wisely.
  • Write now! Right now!
    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? What you write about is not as important as the fact that you write a coherent and complete reflection, story, or description. You may be called upon to share parts of this entry aloud.
  • The Pigman by Paul Zindel
  • Chapter 1: Meet John!
  • Chapter 2: Meet Lorraine!
  • Reading/Literature: On the first blank page in the Reading/Literature section of your binder, write this heading: Pigman Chapter Titles. None of the chapters in this novel have chapter titles...yet. On this page, you are going to give each chapter a title and explain why it is appropriate. Number (1-15) on every other line. As we finish each chapter, assign it a title that you believe works for the content of that chapter and 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, so you will be returning to this page often for the next couple weeks.)
  • Argumentative Paragraph Self-Assessment
  • You have one more chance....


Friday, August 28: A Day

  • Three-ring Binder (in class today!): Journal, Word Study, Composition, Reading/Literature, Grammar/Conventions
  • Journal Entry #1: First Impressions (of John and Lorraine). Find a sentence in each of the first two chapters in which the voices of John and Lorraine seem particularly strong. Copy the sentences and explain what you think they say about each character. Who will make the better narrator? Do these characters remind you of anyone you know? (Who and why?) Which of them would you be more likely to befriend? Fill the page!
  • Argumentative Paragraph Self-Assessment
  • You have one more chance....
  • Poem o' the Day: "The Lie" by Anne Waldman
  • Reading/Literature: Literary Concepts to Review and Watch For Today:
    Setting, Foreshadowing, First-Person Narrator (x2)
  • The Pigman by Paul Zindel
  • Chapter 3: Murder?
  • Explore Test Prep: English Set #1


August 31-September 4, 2015

Monday, August 31: B Day



Tuesday, September 1: A Day
Wednesday, September 2: A Day


Thursday, September 3: B Day (Computer Lab -- Full Session)
Friday, September 4: A Day (Computer Lab -- Full Session)

  • Computer Lab??
  • Welcome to the Computer Lab: Our Home Away from Home!
  • Seating Chart
  • SRI
  • Poem o' the Day: "Writer Waiting" by Shel Silverstein
  • Wiki Setup: Start Here!
  • First Lab Writing Assignment: Story in Stereo (Analyzing Point of View)
  • Finish reading Chapters 1-4 of The Pigman.
  • Write a short argumentative essay response to the following prompt and post it to your wiki page. You may use the book to find textual evidence. Use the formatting functions of the wiki to color code your essay, like this.
  • Prompt: The Pigman is a novel with dual first-person narrators: John, a rebellious troublemaker and Lorraine, a compassionate but insecure young woman. Having read two chapters from each narrator, you should be able to write a short argumentative essay responding to this question: How do the two narrators balance one another? Consider the strengths and weaknesses of each character as a narrator, how their separate insights and opinions will influence or enhance the story, and which of them you prefer as a narrator and/or which you would like better as a person/friend. Topics you might address include the following: compassion, attitudes toward lying, self-confidence, respect for authority, sense of humor, and creativity. However you choose to address this question, it is painfully important that you use evidence from the text to support your claim. Also, if you have time to address a counterclaim, consider what the possilbe weaknesses are in having two narrators. As with the paragraph you wrote last week, try to make your short essay meet all the requirements of argumentative writing.
  • Here's a color-coded model.

September 7-11, 2015

Monday, September 7: Labor Day

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

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


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

  • Using this, this, and this (which are due now), revisit the Good ol' Days!
    Remember these? And paper like this?
  • On that paper, write a claim about handwriting; use the texts you have read to support it; show your reasoning (warrants); address/rebut counterclaims. Turn in. Your writing will be scored using this rubric.
  • This one gets an 8.
  • Poem o' the Day: "Thoughts in a Zoo" by Countee Cullen
  • Humorous Devices in The Pigman: Hyperbole & Understatement
  • The Pigman: Chapter 6
  • Journal: What do Chapter 6 and today's Poem o' the Day have in common? Use textual evidence from both to support your response. (How are the characters in The Pigman like the animals mentioned in the poem?) Fill the page!
  • Word Study: Ever had pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis?
  • Podcast on Morphology (Listening + Quiz)
  • Explore Test Prep: Reading Set #2


September 14-18, 2015

Monday, September 14: A Day
Tuesday, September 15: B Day

  • Poem o' the Day: "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas
  • Argumentative Paragraph Analysis: Based on the paragraphs that were turned in last week, I have some suggestions and a little "exercise" for you before you begin today's writing task!
  • The Pigman: Chapter 7
    • (Motif: Death)
  • Writing Assignment
  • Write a short essay in which you identify the CLAIM made by the Dylan Thomas poem and then show how some part of Chapter 7 in The Pigman supports that claim. (Be warned: Chapter 7 shows all sorts of ways people respond to death, so you should consider before you start which one is the most like what Dylan Thomas suggests. You will then compare the poem to a the passage from the chapter. Use TEXTUAL EVIDENCE (QUOTES FROM BOTH SOURCES) to support your argument. EXPLAIN YOUR REASONING.
  • Annotated Model: This sample contains all the elements that your final essay should contain, so make sure you include them all in your own writing. And... um...don't just copy the model.
  • Explore Test Prep: English Set #3


Wednesday, September 16: A Day
Thursday, September 17: B Day

  • Podcast on Etymology (Listening + Quiz)
  • Word Cells o' the Week: Start your lists!
  • Resources: Prefix/Suffix Lists
  • -log- / -ology-
  • -form- / -morph-
  • -chrom-
  • 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!
  • Poem o' the Day: "At the Galleria Shopping Mall" by Tony Hoagland
  • Journal: 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!
  • Humorous Devices in The Pigman: Sarcasm
  • These things are to prepare you for Chapter 8 of The Pigman, but we may not get to it today.
  • Explore Test Prep: Reading Set #3


Friday, September 18: A Day (Computer Lab -- Half Session)


September 21-25, 2015

Monday, September 21: B Day (Computer Lab -- Half Session)


Tuesday, September 22: A Day
Wednesday, September 23: B Day (Midterm)

  • Book #1: Tests (You need the book in class today!)
  • The Pigman: Chapter 9 (on your own)
  • Pigman Personality Profile + Argumentative Writing Assignment
  • Write a claim indicating who you feel is most reponsible for the wife's death.
  • Quote textual evidence to support your claim.
  • Explain your reasoning (warrants).
  • If any of the characters had not done what they did, the murder would not have occurred; therefore, there are many potential counterclaims. Address the ones that are most understandable to you..
  • Offer a rebuttal that explains why the character you selected is MORE responsible than the others.
  • John's Example (Annotated):
    • 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.
    • Reasoning: This shows that the Boatman values money more than he values human life, and the sanctity of human life has been supported not only in most religious texts but also in our laws.
    • Counterclaim: Of course, a businessman has to make money to survive,...
    • Rebuttal: ...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.
    • Textual Evidence: The story says that the boatman was the last person the wife approached for help, and by then she "was nearly out of her mind" with fear.
    • Reasoning: 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. A person who knew the seriousness of the situation as the boatman did and still refused to help should be punished.
    • Counterclaim/Rebuttal: Some might say that the wife 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.
    • Reasoning: This is why we have laws, courtrooms, and judges, and no reasonable person would want to have his fate decided by a character like the boatman, someone who values money above human life.
    • Conclusion: Because he refused to help when a decent citizen would have, the Boatman is the most responsible for the wife's death.
  • The Pigman: Chapter 10
  • (Reading / Literature: Update Chapter Titles)
  • Poem o' the Day: "Alexander Throckmorton" by Edgar Lee Masters
  • Copy this poem onto the next blank page in your Journal. We will finish the entry next time.
  • Score English Binder: Leave it here today!
  • Explore Test Prep: English Set #5


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

September 28-October 2, 2015

Monday, September 28: A Day
Tuesday, September 29: B Day

  • Journal (Same page as "Alexander Throckmorton"):
  • Summarize the poem.
  • Paraphrase the poem.
  • (Do you know the difference?)
    Fill the Page: You know you're an adult when _______________. Consider what it means to be "young" or "old." Do these words represent a physical state of being or an attitude? Have you ever known a very young old person or a very old young person? Is Mr. Pignati old? Explain.
  • Poem o' the Day: "The Rider" by Naomi Shihab Nye
  • The Pigman: Chapters 11 & 12
  • 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! The front of the handout is now finished!
  • Ticket Out: Summarize Chapter 11 + Paraphrase Lorraine's statement about the "pig room".


Wednesday, September 30: A Day
Thursday, October 1: B Day

  • Poem o' the Day: "October" by Don Thompson (no relation)
  • Grammar / Conventions: Parts of Speech: Pretest
  • Grammar Punk Rock: Parts of Speech Review
  • Adjectives & Adverbs (modifiers)
  • Verbs
  • The Pigman: Chapters 13 & 14 (?)
  • Literary Elements w/ Assignment
  • Paraphrase vs. Summarize: Do you know the difference?
    (Some don't: I'll give you one more chance.)
  • Journal: 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? Consider the many different sorts of lies that have been told in The Pigman. What are some of the reasons we lie? Fill the page!

Friday, October 2: A Day (Computer Lab -- Half Session)

  • Poem o' the Day: "To Help the Monkey Cross the River" by Thomas Lux
  • Finish The Pigman:
  • Literary Elements w/ Assignment
  • Reading / Literature: Copy the quotation that you think best applies to the last chapter of The Pigman and explain why. Use well reasoned textual evidence.
    "It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do."
    --John Baptiste Moliére

    "Man must cease attributing his problems to his environment, and learn again to exercise his will - his personal responsibility."
    --Albert Einstein

    "When we have begun to take charge of our lives, to own ourselves, there is no longer any need to ask permission of someone."
    --George O'Neil

    "A sign of wisdom and maturity is when you come to terms with the realization that your decisions cause your rewards and consequences. You are responsible for your life, and your ultimate success depends on the choices you make."
    --Denis Waitley
    Explain which quotation best applies to the last chapter of The Pigman and tell why.
  • Literary Elements w/ Assignment due next week!



October 5-9, 2015

Monday, October 5: B Day (Computer Lab -- Half Session)




Tuesday, October 6: A Day
Wednesday, October 7: B Day


Thursday, October 8: A Day
Friday, October 9: B Day

  • POEm o' the Day: "Alone"
  • Big Points: Turn in these Pigman assignments:
  • (Top) A-Day, this is new to you: Motifs and Last Lines
  • (Bottom) Literary Elements in The Pigman
  • Word Cells o' the Week: -chron-, -pre-, -post-, -terra-/-terr-
  • 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!


October 12-16, 2015

Monday, October 12: A Day
Tuesday, October 13: B Day

  • Grammar Punk Rock: Parts of Speech Review
  • About Prepositions, Conjunctions, and Interjections!
  • Word Cells o' the Week: -bene-, -mal-, -phil-
  • 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!
  • Poe-try Handout w/ Poe-cabulary List
  • POEm o' the Day: "Annabel Lee" (Check this out!)
  • POEm o' the Day from Last Time: "Alone" by Edgar Allan Poe
  • Massive Purple Text: Narrator and Voice (pp. 148-149)
  • "The Cask of Amontillado" (pp. 172-181)
  • Journal: Are you a vengeful person? Have you ever sought revenge on someone who wronged you? Tell the story. If not, why not? What experiences could lead someone to seek revenge? How could an obsession with vengeance lead to tragedy? Is revenge ever necessary or good? Consider all the dangers and advantages of getting even. Fill (half) the page!
  • Remember "The Tell-Tale Heart"? Are the same narrative elements at work here?


Wednesday, October 14: A Day

  • Poem o' the Day & Close Read/Analysis Assignment: The Raven
  • Read, Listen, and Translate!
  • Ask your questions now!
  • 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.)
  • Word Cells o' the Week: -rupt-, -aster- / -astr-, -tact-/-tang-
  • 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!


Thursday, October 15: Fall Recess
Friday, October 16: Fall Recess

  • No School



October 19-23, 2015

Monday, October 19: B Day


Tuesday, October 20: A Day (Computer Lab -- Half Session)
Wednesday, October 21: B Day (Computer Lab -- Half Session)

  • Revision vs. Editing
  • Things about your term paper you might consider revising:
  • Finish it: Intro, at least three body paragraphs with two pieces of textual evidence in each, a paragraph to address the counterclaims, conclusion.
  • Organize it.
  • Don't be a Bubba!
    • Don't announce yourself: "I am going to tell you...," "I have to write about...," "Thompson is forcing us to write...."
    • Don't make it more about you than about the topic: Third-person, avoid "I" and "me".
  • Write sentences that are actually sentences! (Do you know how to tell?)
  • Submit Term Papers to Utah Compose ONCE! (USID # x 2)
  • Then do this.
  • REVISE and resubmit the paper to get the best score you can.
  • Final Due Date: Saturday @ Noon


Thursday, October 22: A Day
Friday, October 23: B Day



October 26-30, 2015

Monday, October 26: A Day
Tuesday, October 27: B Day

  • Poe-m o' the Day: "A Dream Within a Dream" by E. A. Poe
  • Term Test
  • Journal: First Term Reflection -- How did it go? What were the highlights and lowlights? Were there unexpected things that happened, or did it go about as you thought it would? Fill the page!
  • When you finish, fill out the self-assessment/score paper and turn in.
  • Score Journals
  • Informational Text Studies: Biography of Poe (Video)


Wednesday, October 28: A Day
Thursday, October 29: B Day

  • INFORMATIONAL WRITING
  • Finish Poe Bio (Video) Notes
  • Time for Satire
  • Poem o' the Day: "Halloween" by Mac Hammond
  • ARGUMENTATION
  • Halloween Horror
  • Can you solve the case without jumping to conclusions? Who killed the ghost? Why do you think so?
  • Reasoning (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.
  • Journal: Make a claim/guess. (One sentence.)
  • See you next term!


Friday, October 30: 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.
©2015 M. Wolfman Thompson - All rights reserved.
*<%^)