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 To see all the weeks in the term, scroll ALL THE WAY DOWN!

August 22-26, 2016: Welcome Back!
Term 1: "Why?" and "How to..."

Monday, August 22 [242]
Tuesday, August 23 (Back-to-School Night, 6:00 P.M.)

  • 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.
  • ...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.
  • ...accept responsibility.
  • ...analyze the elements of fiction in various texts.

So, let's get started!
Wednesday , August 24: A Day
Thursday, August 25: B Day

  • Read. Write. Repeat.
  • Poem o' the Day: "Invitation" by Shel Silverstein
  • "In the beginning was the Word...."
  • Suffixes that refer to people create nouns: -ant / -ar / -ard / -arian / -ee / -ent / -er / -ess / -eur / -ier/yer / -or / -ist
  • These are nouns: servant, liar, wizard, librarian, payee, resident, painter, countess, chauffeur, cashier, lawyer, doctor, biologist
  • Prewrite: Think of nouns that apply to you. (Who are you? What do you do?)
  • I am a(n)....breather, eater, friend, swimmer, brother, writer, metalhead, ranter, resident (of Utah), technophile...
  • Now let's get a bit more descriptive: Are you the kind of student who...?
  • Finish/Discuss/Turn in.
  • So, what are we in for?
  • Letters from the past....
  • Details, Disclosures, Didgeridoos
  • If possible, have a 1½” three-ring binder (for this class only) with you next Thursday/Friday (September 1/2).


Friday, August 26: A Day

  • Seating Chart: Choose a seat to call your own.
  • Poem o' the Day: "Did I miss anything?" by Tom Wayman
  • (This puts the Tone in SOAPSTone!)
  • Lesson: How you say something is often as important as what you say.
  • Here's why you need that 1½” three-ring binder by next week!
  • (Listen not only to what they say but also to how they say it.)
  • How does Thompson do business?
  • Website Review: Look around for a few minutes.
  • Hall Passes: You get one per term. Use it wisely.
  • Want to keep the ogre happy? Don't say or do any of these things. (Tone!)
  • The Pigman by Paul Zindel
  • Chapter 1: Meet John!
  • Chapter 2: Meet Lorraine! (to page ___)
  • Note the different narrative tones!
  • In-Class Assignment: First Impressions (of John and Lorraine).
    • Find and copy a sentence in each of the first two chapters in which the voices of John and Lorraine seem particularly strong.
    • Now look at that thing you did last time: Are you the kind of student who...?
    • Write a sentence about each narrator: John is the kind of _________ who.... Lorraine is the sort of________ who...
    • Do the sentences you copied serve as textual evidence to support these claims? (They should!)
  • Which narrator would you be more likely to befriend? With whom do you have the most in common?
  • Who will make the better narrator? Do these characters remind you of anyone you know? (Who and why?) Fill the page!


Sections of English Binder: Journal, Word Study, Composition, Reading/Literature, Grammar/Conventions

August 29-September 2, 2016

Monday, August 29: B Day [240]

  • Seating Chart: Choose a seat to call your own.
  • Poem o' the Day: "Did I miss anything?" by Tom Wayman
  • (This puts the Tone in SOAPSTone!)
  • Lesson: How you say something is often as important as what you say.
  • Here's why you need that 1½” three-ring binder by next week!
  • (Listen not only to what they say but also to how they say it.)
  • How does Thompson do business?
  • Website Review: Look around for a few minutes.
  • Hall Passes: You get one per term. Use it wisely.
  • Want to keep the ogre happy? Don't say or do any of these things. (Tone!)
  • The Pigman by Paul Zindel
  • Chapter 1: Meet John!
  • Chapter 2: Meet Lorraine! (to page ___)
  • Note the different narrative tones!
  • Begin In-Class Assignment: First Impressions (of John and Lorraine).
    • Find and copy a sentence in each of the first two chapters in which the voices of John and Lorraine seem particularly strong.
    • Now look at that thing you did last time: Are you the kind of student who...?
    • Write a sentence about each narrator: John is the kind of _________ who.... Lorraine is the sort of________ who...
    • Do the sentences you copied serve as textual evidence to support these claims? (They should!)
  • Which narrator would you be more likely to befriend? With whom do you have the most in common?
  • Who will make the better narrator? Do these characters remind you of anyone you know? (Who and why?) Fill the page!


Tuesday, August 30: A Day (Writing Lab 202)
Wednesday, August 31: B Day Writing Lab 202)


Thursday, September 1: A Day
Friday, September 2: B Day

  • Three-ring Binder (in class today!): Journal, Word Study, Composition, Reading/Literature, Grammar/Conventions
  • Journal Entry #1:
  • 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. Fill the page!
  • Word Study: Choose 10 words from the first three Pigman lists that you are unfamiliar with (or that you think would be the most useful in your daily speech and writing). Complete this assignment by __________
  • The Pigman by Paul Zindel
  • Finish Chapter 2: Meet Lorraine!
  • Reading/Literature
  • Finish In-Class Assignment: First Impressions (of John and Lorraine).
    • Find and copy a sentence in each of the first two chapters in which the voices of John and Lorraine seem particularly strong.
    • Write a sentence about each narrator: John is the kind of _________ who.... Lorraine is the sort of________ who...
    • Do the sentences you copied serve as textual evidence to support these claims? (They should!)
  • Which narrator would you be more likely to befriend? With whom do you have the most in common?
  • Who will make the better narrator? Do these characters remind you of anyone you know? (Who and why?)
  • Poem o' the Day: "The Lie" by Anne Waldman
  • The Pigman: Chapters 3 & 4 (Except 8th: Fire drill cut us a chapter short!)

Sections of English Binder: Journal, Word Study, Composition, Reading/Literature, Grammar/Conventions

September 5-9, 2016

Monday, September 5: Labor Day [237]

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

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

  • Reading/Literature -- Literary Concepts to Review and Watch For (Handout)
    Today: Setting, Foreshadowing, First-Person Narrator (x2), Motif
  • Humorous Devices in The Pigman: Euphemism
  • [Add this to your Literary Concepts handout.]
  • Reading/Literature: Pigman Chapter Titles. None of the chapters in this novel have chapter titles...yet. You are going to give each chapter a title and explain why it is appropriate. On the next blank page in your Reading/Literature Section, 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.)
  • The Pigman: Chapter 5
  • (8th: Chapters 4 & 5)
  • Poem o' the Day: "Writing" by Howard Nemerov
  • Close Reading & Annotation: What does it mean? (Models)
  • Do YOU actually close read stuff, Thompson?
  • Now you close read the Poem o' the Day. (Five Quiet Minutes)
  • Strategies for Close Reading:
  • The physical act of reading (eyes) vs. Making meaning (brain)
  • Metacognition: Know what you don't know! And don't just ignore it.
  • CARE! Everything is boring to those who don't.
  • Connect the text to your experience/life in some way.
  • Minimize distractions, mental and otherwise.
  • Journal #2a: Handwriting (Write Now!) -- Copy the cursive sentence
  • Homework: Finish the close read of the Poem o' the Day according to these standards....
  • ...so it looks sorta like this when you're done.

Thursday, September 8: A Day
Friday, September 9: B Day (P & T)

Sections of English Binder: Journal, Word Study, Composition, Reading/Literature, Grammar/Conventions

September 12-16, 2016

Monday, September 12: A Day (Mr. Greaves) [237]
Tuesday, September 13: B Day

  • Reading/Literature: The Pigman
  • Finish Chapter 6 & the first part of Chapter 7 (pp. 49-57)
  • Update Chapter Titles (Reading/Literautre Section)
  • Journal #3: Review "Thoughts in a Zoo" by Countee Cullen. On the next blank page in your journal, explain what this poem has in common with Chapter 6 and the beginning of Chapter 7 in The Pigman. How are the people in the poem and the novel like caged animals? What “cages” them? Use textual evidence from the novel and poem to explain your answer. Why might people who are not really in cages be unhappier than the animals who are? Which animals in the poem would be the best counterparts for John, Lorraine, and Mr. Pignati? Why? What do you think Bobo represents? Fill the page!
  • Word Study: Remember those 10 words of your choice you copied onto this page? Well, now is the time to define them and fill in all the required information on the worksheet. You may use dictionaries and the novel (for context clues). Keep in mind that the definitions and sentences you write should be ones that you understand completely -- in your own words! Also, don't forget about the other blanks on the assignment. Fill in everything!
  • Reading/Literature: SOAPSTone Review
  • Homework: Finish the analysis of this cartoon by answering all the questions on the worksheet.
    (Also complete the back.)


Wednesday, September 14: A Day
Thursday, September 15: B Day

  • Turn in/Discuss this cartoon and the elements of argumentation on the back!
  • Poem o' the Day: "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas
  • The Pigman: Finish Chapter 7 (Motif: Death)
  • Literature/Composition (Handout): Identify a 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 writing should include, so make sure you include them all in your own writing. And... um...don't just copy the model.
    • Turn in OR finish as homework.
  • The Pigman: Chapter 8

Friday, September 16: A Day


Sections of English Binder: Journal, Word Study, Composition, Reading/Literature, Grammar/Conventions

September 19-23, 2016

Monday, September 19: B Day (Talk Like a Pirate Day!) [233]



Tuesday, September 20: A Day
Wednesday, September 21: B Day (Midterm)

  • The Pigman: Chapter 9
  • (Reading / Literature: Update Chapter Titles)
  • The Pigman Personality Profile
  • The Pigman: Chapter 10
  • Poem o' the Day: "Alexander Throckmorton" by Edgar Lee Masters
  • Summarize the poem.
  • Paraphrase the poem.
  • (Do you know the difference?)
  • Journal #5: 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.
  • Turn in Journals for scoring!


Thursday, September 22: A Day [8:21 A.M. -- Autumnal Equinox]
Friday, September 23: B Day

  • Word Study
  • 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 a new word and its dictionary definition. Fill in ALL the blanks! (We've now done the first two on this page.)
  • Poem o' the Day: "The Rider" by Naomi Shihab Nye
  • The Pigman: Read/Discuss Chapters 11 & 12
  • [Update Chapter Titles!]
  • [Return Journals/Graded Work & Discuss -- Keep scored journals in the back of the Journal section of your English Binder!]
  • Journal #1: "Honesty is the best policy." Or is it? 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. 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.) What are some of the reasons we lie? Fill the page!
  • Use the Literary Elements Handout to do this Assignment on The Pigman.


Sections of English Binder: Journal, Word Study, Composition, Reading/Literature, Grammar/Conventions

September 26-30, 2016

Monday, September 26: A Day [232]
Tuesday, September 27: B Day [Disturbed]


Wednesday, September 28: A Day
Thursday, September 29: B Day [PT Conferences -- 3:45 - 7:15 P.M.]

  • Poem o' the Day: "To Help the Monkey Cross the River" by Thomas Lux
  • Finish The Pigman: Chapter 15
  • (A Day Only) Journal #3: Copy the quotation that you think best applies to the last chapter of The Pigman and explain why.
    "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.
  • The RACE Strategy for Writing Constructed Responses
  • RACE explanation (literary example)
  • Reading/Literature: Turn in The Pigman Papers
  • First Impressions
  • Pigman Chapter Titles
  • Pigman Literary Elements Assignment
  • Last Lines & Motifs
  • Assignment: RACE Strategy for Constructed Response Questions
  • Composition: There is much recent debate over whether or not schools should continue to teach cursive handwriting as they once did. Typing and texting are now much more common than longhand, and some cursive critics argue that time in school would be better spent teaching students to master those skills instead of requiring them to practice writing letters that, while attractive and flowery, serve little purpose in the modern world. Others, however, claim that the discipline and fine-motor-skill development of learning cursive is a valuable and necessary way to spend time in school. Using textual evidence from any/all of the sources (and this website), write a multi-paragraph argumentative essay in response to this question: Should schools teach cursive handwriting to students? Why or why not?
  • Organize it according to the Academic Essay Format.
  • Homework: Outline your essay before you arrive in class next time!

Friday, September 30: A Day (Writing Lab 202)


Sections of English Binder: Journal, Word Study, Composition, Reading/Literature, Grammar/Conventions

October 3-7, 2016

Monday, October 3: B Day (Writing Lab 202) [230]


Tuesday, October 4: A Day
Wednesday, October 5: B Day


Thursday, October 6: A Day
Friday, October 7: B Day

  • TURN IN signed Independent Reading Contract & three (3) R.A.C.E. responses about "The Tell-Tale Heart".
  • 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!
  • POEm o' the Day: "Alone"
  • Journal #4: 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 the page!
  • Prereading: Background Info
  • Poe's Unreliable Narrators: "The Cask of Amontillado"
  • Pleasant dreams, clown!

Sections of English Binder: Journal, Word Study, Composition, Reading/Literature, Grammar/Conventions

October 10-14, 2016

Monday, October 10: A Day [226]
Tuesday, October 11: B Day

  • Finish/Score "The Cask of Amontillado" Quiz
  • Discuss R.A.C.E. responses about "The Tell-Tale Heart".
  • Do one more (just to show me that you get it) about "Cask....":
  • R.A.C.E. Prompt: Determine how irony factors into Poe's "Cask of Amontillado." (Identify the type of irony.)
  • Rant: Six (6) sessions of class remain until the end of the term.
    • M(issing) assignments turn to scores of zero today.
    • Any make-up work must be completed by the end of this week.
    • Absent work needs to be completed and turned in immediately upon your return!
    • If homework is assigned, it must be completed AT HOME and turned in the day it is due.
    • Independent Reading: Last day to take book tests is October 24/25.
    • Extra Credit: Enter a short story in the Literature category of the Reflections Contest. (Print extra for Mr. T.)
  • Journal #5: Are you ready for the end of the first term? What do you have to make up or finish? What grade are you working for, and how hard are you working? (What are your parents' expectations?) Do you do homework? Is it overwhelming?
  • POEm o' the Day: "Annabel Lee" (Check this out!)
  • Terror of the Soul: Poe Biography
  • Informational Writing Notes w/ Poe Bio notes

Wednesday, October 12: A Day
Thursday, October 13: B Day

  • Finish Terror of the Soul: Poe Biography
  • Informational Text Outline w/ Poe Bio notes
  • The Thinking/Writing Process: How It Really Works
  • You don't begin with a conclusion/claim. Your observations and reasoning lead you to it.
  • Informational Text Outline: Draw three conclusions about the life of Edgar Allan Poe based on Poe's biography and work. Notice that you begin with what you observe, i.e., the facts, the textual evidence. Next, you apply them to what you know (reasoning). Only then do you make an inference, judgment, or conclusion, i.e., a claim. When you synthesize your minor claims, you can create a thesis statement (primary claim) that addresses the prompt or question. Here's the one you should address on the handout: It has been said that Poe's life was a tragedy. Was the tragedy his fault, or was he a victim of circumstance? Was he a victim of fate or did he create his own problems?
  • Turn in the outline.
  • Poem o' the Day & Close Read/Analysis Assignment: The Raven
  • Read, Listen, and Translate!
  • Ask your questions now!
  • Paraphrase your assigned section. (Finish as homework, if necessary.)
  • 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.)


Friday, October 14: A Day

  • Close Read/Analysis Assignment: The Raven -- Present paraphrased passages aloud.
  • Summary Statements for Each Stanza
  • Study Questions
  • Turn 'em all in neatly stapled!
  • Journal #6: Describe your Halloween costume. Why is it appropriate for you? Or is it? Explain. Discuss. Pontificate. Elaborate. Wax philosophic. Fill the Page!
  • (Not dressing up? PRETEND you are!)
  • Word Cells o' the Week: -fer-, -port, -lat-, -mort-, -rupt-
  • 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!
    • Homework (if it isn't finished in class): Now that we have finished all the First Term Word Cells, you have until October 18/19 to finish the rest of the entries on your Neologoluation page. They will be collected and scored on that day!



Sections of English Binder: Journal, Word Study, Composition, Reading/Literature, Grammar/Conventions

October 17-21, 2016

Monday, October 17: B Day [225]

  • Close Read/Analysis Assignment: The Raven -- Present paraphrased passages aloud.
  • Summary Statements for Each Stanza
  • Study Questions
  • Turn 'em all in neatly stapled!
  • Journal #6: Describe your Halloween costume. Why is it appropriate for you? Or is it? Explain. Discuss. Pontificate. Elaborate. Wax philosophic. Fill the Page!
  • (Not dressing up? PRETEND you are!)
  • Word Cells o' the Week: -fer-, -port, -lat-, -mort-, -rupt-
  • 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!
    • Homework (if it isn't finished in class): Now that we have finished all the First Term Word Cells, you have until October 18/19 to finish the rest of the entries on your Neologoluation page. They will be collected and scored on that day!


Tuesday, October 18: A Day
Wednesday, October 19: B Day


Thursday, October 20: Fall Recess
Friday, October 21: Fall Recess



Sections of English Binder: Journal, Word Study, Composition, Reading/Literature, Grammar/Conventions

October 24-28, 2016

Monday, October 24: A Day [Lab 138 -- Counselor Survey] [224]
Tuesday, October 25: B Day [Lab 138 -- Counselor Survey]



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

  • Turn in Hall Pass for extra credit.
  • Term Test
  • Journal: First Term Reflection -- At the end of this week, your first term of high school will be behind you. How do you feel about that? 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? Are you ready for the term to end? Wht did you learn during the last 10 weeks? Do you like 9th grade? Why or why not? Fill the page!
  • Poem o' the Day: "Halloween" by Mac Hammond
  • Halloween Horror: Critical Thinking/Inquiry/Argumentation Exercise
  • Vocab: Means, Motive, Opprtunity, sometimes M.O., Narrative (for jury)
  • See you next term!


Friday, October 28: A Day
(Yes, the term ends on an A Day! Can you believe it?!)

  • Journal #2: Second Term Pre-flection
  • [Get it? PREflection, not REflection: -flect-/-flex- = bend; -re- = back/again; -pre- = before -- "bend before" to look on the coming term.]
  • Last time you wrote a RE-flection (looking back on) on the first term. Today, the second term begins, so you are going to write a PRE-flection (looking before) of your expectations for the next two months. Based on the lessons you learned last term, what are you going to do differently this term? Also, remember that the second term includes two long holiday breaks. (The term ends on January 13, 2017! Think of it!) Do you have any big plans for those breaks? What books will you be reading independently this term? Are you planning to do more homework? Less homework? Are you going to have fun? Are you going to make me keep asking all these questions, or can’t you just write for a page about the future on your own? Honestly! Fill the page!
  • English Binder Check: Everything in its place!
  • Halloween Horror: Make your case! Turn it in!
  • Have fun trick-or-treating, but watch out for the Butterfingers!


Sections of English Binder: Journal, Word Study, Composition, Reading/Literature, Grammar/Conventions
Q: "Did I miss anything?"
A: Yes.
^ Scroll up to find it. ^

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©2016 M. Wolfman Thompson - All rights reserved.
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