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...and carefully read what you find!

January 15-19, 2018: Welcome to Third Term!

Monday, January 15: MLK Holiday (Human Rights Day)
Tuesday, January 16: Professional Day (No School for Students)

  • This term you will learn...
  • ...to analyze, appreciate, and author poetic epitaphs.
  • ...to close read "Interactive Fiction" to solve a mystery.
  • ...the academic vocabulary of poetry and drama.
  • ...how to make sense of Shakespeare.
  • ...the elements of tragedy.
  • ...how to use commas, semicolons, and colons correctly.
  • ...how to write and present a podcast.
  • ...yet more word cells!
  • ...to read.
  • ...to write.
  • ...to repeat.
  • ...and, as always, some surprises!
  • New Term, New Semester, New Reading Schedules, New Classmates, New Seats, New Hall Passes, New (Epic) Poems, New Voices, New Arguments...

Wednesday, January 17: A Day
Thursday, January 18: B Day


Friday, January 19: A Day

  • Composition: First the practice: Use this Academic Writing Checklist to evaluate your own R.A.C.E. paragraphs from last term:
  • Read/Write:
  • RACE Writing Checklist: "January" Poem
  • Poetry Terms
  • This model is not the same assignment you have, but it is labeled like yours should be.
  • Do you agree?
  • Now the real assignment: Use the Academic Writing Checklist to evaluate your response.
  • Turn in your annotated response with evaluation!
  • Composition: Creative Writing Assignment
  • Meet the Purkapiles: This is how they work. (Practice with Odysseus/Penelope checklist.)
  • Choose a pair of characters from a novel, movie, or well-known story.
  • Write a free verse poetic epitaph for each of these characters that includes the following:
    • Two poetic comparisons: metaphor and/or simile
    • Parallel structure
    • Allusion to a widely-known event or person
    • Alliteration (keep it discreet: not ten words in a row)
    • Rhetorical question
    • A cross-reference to the other character so the reader knows “the whole story”
  • When placed together, the final epitaphs should not be larger than an 8½ x 11 sheet of paper.
  • Do your best work!
  • Here is a model of the whole process.
  • [Use this Checklist.]
  • Final Drafts due January 29/30!



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

January 22-26, 2018

Monday, January 22: B Day [No Intervention: Extended 8th]

  • Read/Write:
  • RACE Writing Checklist: "January" Poem
  • Poetry Terms
  • This model is not the same assignment you have, but it is labeled like yours should be.
  • Do you agree?
  • Now the real assignment: Use the Academic Writing Checklist to evaluate your response.
  • Turn in your annotated response with evaluation!
  • Composition: Creative Writing Assignment
  • Meet the Purkapiles: This is how they work. (Practice with Odysseus/Penelope checklist.)
  • Choose a pair of characters from a novel, movie, or well-known story.
  • Write a free verse poetic epitaph for each of these characters that includes the following:
    • Two poetic comparisons: metaphor and/or simile
    • Parallel structure
    • Allusion to a widely-known event or person
    • Alliteration (keep it discreet: not ten words in a row)
    • Rhetorical question
    • A cross-reference to the other character so the reader knows “the whole story”
  • When placed together, the final epitaphs should not be larger than an 8½ x 11 sheet of paper.
  • Do your best work!
  • Here is a model of the whole process.
  • [Use this Checklist.]
  • Final Drafts due January 29/30!


Tuesday, January 23: A Day [No Intervention: Extended 4th]
Wednesday, January 24: B Day

  • [Extended 4th: If you need more time to go over/work on the poetic epitaph assignment, now is the time!]
  • Wednesday Intervention: Word Cell Podcast Set #1
  • Journals 2-9: Shakespearean Quotes o' the Day
  • During the time we are studying Romeo and Juliet, the Poem o' the Day will be replaced by the Shakespearean Quotes o' the Day. Your assignment is to copy the quotation exactly as it is written (including punctuation, line spacing, and source), and then paraphrase it and give an example from your own experience that supports the statement. Yes, you still have to fill the page! Here we go:
  • Model: This one is just practice.

    "If all the year were playing holidays,
    To sport would be as tedious as to work."
    -- Henry IV, Part 2: Act II, Scene 1

    Example: I think this quotation means that if your whole life is a vacation (playing holidays), even playing (sport) gets boring (tedious). I see this in my own life at the end of summer, when I've been out of school for more than two months. I actually look forward to going back because I get bored when I don't have anything I HAVE to do. For example, .... (Now fill the page.)....
  • Now for real...
  • Journal #2-- Shakespearean Quote o' the Day

    "O, it is excellent
    To have a giant's strength,
    but it is tyrannous
    To use it like a giant."
    --Measure for Measure: Act II, Scene 2
  • Grammar: The Oxford Comma & Parallelism (in composition and poetry)
  • Parallel Structure: You will need to know this. There will be a test.
  • Creative Writing Assignment, continued...


Thursday, January 25: A Day [Lab 202 -- SRI]
Friday, January 26: B Day [Lab 202 -- SRI]


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

January 29 - February 2, 2018

Monday, January 29: A Day
Tuesday, January 30: B Day

  • Parallel Structure : You need to know this. There will be a test.
  • Practice 3 (in class)
  • Practice 4 (on your own)
  • Journal #3
  • Shakespearean Quote o' the Day -- Copy, paraphrase, and give an example to support this quote:
    "The sweetest honey
    Is loathsome in his own deliciousness
    And in the taste confounds the appetite."
    --Romeo and Juliet: Act II, Scene 6
  • Shakespeare Intro: Miramax Biography
  • Write down observations that will help you answer this question:
    How was Shakespeare's world different than our own?
  • The Assigning of the Passages: Vocabulary of Drama & Passage Analysis


Wednesday, January 31: A Day
Thursday, February 1: B Day

  • Creative Writing Assignment due today!
  • Two copies, one annotated to show the elements on this checklist.
  • Word Cells Presentations: Set #2
  • -fic- / -fact- / -fect-
  • -bio-
  • -vert- / -vers-
  • -sent- / sens-
  • Journal #4
  • Shakespearean Quote o' the Day -- Copy, paraphrase, and give an example to support this quote:
    "Talkers are no good doers: be assured
    We go to use our hands and not our tongues."
    Richard III, Act I, Scene 3
  • Parallel Structure: Can you do this? Or this?
  • Reading/Literature
  • The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet
  • The Prologue Assignment with Close Read
  • Why is Shakespeare Hard? (E-notes may help!)
  • Why are some words given stress marks on the -èd ending
    (banishèd, punishèd, upturnèd)?
  • Why does Shakespeare seem to be apostrophe crazy (fall'st, speak'st, o'er, e'er, 'Tis, etc.)?
  • Audio/Visual: Three Ways to Stage the Prologue
  • If time permits, check the Slim Black Volume and begin your Passage Analysis.

Friday, February 2: A Day


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

February 5-9, 2018

Monday, Februrary 5: B Day


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

  • Word Cells Presentations: Set #3
  • Reading/Literature
  • Reading: Romeo and Juliet, Act I, Scene 1
    Listen! Do you get it?
  • Assignment: Summarize Scene 1
  • Complete the Figurative Language Analysis + Answer 5 Questions with R.A. responses
  • Passage begins with Romeo saying, "Alas that love, whose view is muffled still..."
  • (One sentence=Restate+Answer)
  • 1. What is the purpose of this passage?
  • 2. How do Shakespeare's word choices influence the meaning or effect?
  • 3. What does the passage tell you about Romeo's personality?
  • 4. How does Romeo's view of love differ from Benvolio's?
  • 5. How would the tone change if there were no figurative language in the passage?
  • Journal #6 -- Staple & Submit Journals for Scoring
  • Shakespearean Quote o' the Day -- Copy, paraphrase, and give an example to support this quote:
    "Pleasure and action make the hours seem short."
    Othello, Act II, Scene 3
  • Helpful Extra: Glossary of Common Elizabethan Terms
  • Romeo and Juliet, Act I, Scenes 2, 3
    Listen & read along....



Thursday, February 8: A Day [Computer Lab 202]
Friday, February 9: B Day [Computer Lab 202]



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

February 12-16, 2018

Monday, February 12: A Day [Intervention: Podcast Prep - Set 5]
Tuesday, February 13: B Day [Intervention: DHS Counselors]

  • Journal #1: Shakespearean Quote o' the Day -- Copy, paraphrase, and share a story to support this quote:
    "O sir, to willful men
    The injuries that they themselves procure
    Must be their schoolmasters."
    King Lear, Act II, Scene 4
  • Queen Mab: Romeo and Juliet, Act I, Scene 4 [Mercutio's Imagery]
  • On your copy of the speech, underline all the visual imagery
  • Video: Two Ways Queen Mab Could be Presented
  • Queen Mab: Characterization and Imagery Assignment
  • Interpreting Imagery: Draw (and label, if necessary) Queen Mab. [Like this. Or this.]
  • They Meet: Act I: Scene 5
  • Homework: Translate Romeo and Juliet's First Meeting into text messages.


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

  • Turn in Homework!
  • Word Cells Presentations: Set #5
  • -ped- / -pod-
  • -sub-
  • -super-
  • -circum-
  • Journal #2
  • Who is your Valentine? Does that person know s/he is your Valentine? (Does anyone else know?) What are your thoughts on teen romance?
  • Fill the page!
  • Reading/Literature
  • Vocabulary of Drama (R&J)
  • Romeo and Juliet
  • Review: Prologue to Capulet's Party
  • The Balcony Scene Act II: Scenes 1 & 2


Friday, February 16: A Day

  • Journal #3
  • Shakespearean Quote o' the Day -- Copy, paraphrase, and tell a story that supports this quote:
    "All things that are
    Are with more spirit chased than enjoyed."
    The Merchant of Venice, Act II, Scene 6
  • Reading/Literature
  • Balcony Scene Review: Video x 3
  • R.A.C.E. Response: Which one is the best? Why
  • Romeo & Juliet -- Act II, Scene 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 [Listen/Read along]
  • Memorization Assignment: Now it's official!
  • Memorize and practice reciting 12+ lines of Shakespeare's original text from your assigned passage!
  • Start at the beginning of a sentence, and finish at the end of one.
  • Don't stop in the middle of an independent clause just because you have reached the 12-line minimum.
  • Due Date: March 6/7



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

February 19-23, 2018

Monday, Februrary 19: Day of Presidents (No School)


Tuesday, February 20: B Day

  • Journal #3
  • Shakespearean Quote o' the Day -- Copy, paraphrase, and tell a story that supports this quote:
    "All things that are
    Are with more spirit chased than enjoyed."
    The Merchant of Venice, Act II, Scene 6
  • Reading/Literature
  • Balcony Scene Review: Video x 3
  • R.A.C.E. Response: Which one is the best? Why
  • Romeo & Juliet -- Act II, Scene 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 [Listen/Read along]
  • Memorization Assignment: Now it's official!
  • Memorize and practice reciting 12+ lines of Shakespeare's original text from your assigned passage!
  • Start at the beginning of a sentence, and finish at the end of one.
  • Don't stop in the middle of an independent clause just because you have reached the 12-line minimum.
  • Due Date: March 6/7


Wednesday, February 21: A Day [Computer Lab 202] [Parent-Teacher Scheduled Appointments, 4:00-7:00]
Thursday, February 22: B Day [Computer Lab 202] [Parent-Teacher Conferences, 3:45-7:15 P.M.]

  • Word Cells Presentations: Set #6
  • -pro-
  • -contra-
  • -path-
  • -mega-
  • Using your completed outline (from our last lab visit) and your notes from the Shakespeare biography, and these links, write an informational essay that addresses this prompt:
  • Shakespeare's plays have been performed for almost 500 years. The times have changed, but the words and stories remain. Consider how your own experience with Romeo and Juliet (or other works of Shakespeare) is different than that of his original audience in the Elizabethan era. Using your informational outline, movie notes, and/or any of the attached sources, write a multi-paragraph essay in which you compare the Elizabethan world of William Shakespeare to modern America. Do not just list facts from your notes. Consider how the similarities and differences between the time periods affects your experience, enjoyment, and understanding of the play(s). Be sure to cite your sources within the text of your essay.
  • When you are finished, print one FINAL DRAFT (one sheet of paper).
  • Post final draft to Utah Compose. (Do you remember how?)
  • When you have submitted your essay, select the REQUEST button to make it available for peer review.
  • The Paraphrasing/Memorizing of the Passages: Vocabulary of Drama & Passage Analysis
  • Using Spark Notes (or this web site, which used to be free) as a resource, close read your assigned passage of Shakespeare. Your job is to become the expert on your assigned part, so that when we encounter that passage in our study of the play, YOU can help us understand it. Look for end punctuation marks (. ? !) and draw lines to divide the passage into sentences. Circle words you do not recognize, including words that you know but that seem to be used in an unfamiliar way. Paraphrase your passage like you did with The Prologue Assignment & Close Read . (Do not try to "translate" word for word, which will sound awkward and ridiculous.) Express the same thoughts in the language a modern teenager would use. Include all the important details.
  • THEN:
  • Memorize and practice reciting 12+ lines of Shakespeare's original text from your assigned passage!
  • Start at the beginning of a sentence, and finish at the end of one.
  • Don't stop in the middle of an independent clause just because you have reached the 12-line minimum.
  • Due Date: March 6/7
  • Just for Fun: Shakespearean Insult Generator & More Shakespearean Insults



Friday, February 23: A Day

  • Word Cells Presentations: Set #7
  • -micro-
  • -anti-
  • -phon-
  • -man-
  • Reading/Literature: Romeo and Juliet
  • Act III, Scene 1: The Death of Mercutio (audio = 12 minutes)
  • Video (#1: 5:01; #2: 16:13; #3: 14:52 = 36 minutes total)
  • Romeo is banishèd.
    • Speaking of which,why are some words given stress marks on the -èd ending
      (banishèd, punishèd, upturnèd)?
    • Why does Shakespeare seem to be apostrophe crazy (fall'st, speak'st, o'er, e'er, 'Tis, etc.)?
    • This will help you when you present your Memorized Passages (12+ full lines) on March 6/7!
  • Romeo & Juliet: Act III -- Scene 2 (& Summarize Scene 3)
  • Assignment/Homework: Director's Close Read & Stage Directions for Act III, Scene 4
    • Pretend that YOU are the director of this scene.
    • Write the following on your copy of the text:
    • Mark your confusion & check with the translation to clarify.
    • In the right margin, paraphrase the dialogue.
    • Casting: If you were the director, who would be playing these parts?
    • In the left margin, write specific stage directions for each line of dialogue. (What is the character doing while he speaks his lines?)
    • At the bottom, explain the dramatic irony: What does the audience know that the characters do not?
  • Samples
  • Due next time!


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

February 26 - March 2, 2018

Monday, February 26: B Day

  • Word Cells Presentations: Set #7
  • -micro-
  • -anti-
  • -phon-
  • -man-
  • Reading/Literature: Romeo and Juliet
  • Act III, Scene 1: The Death of Mercutio (audio = 12 minutes)
  • Video (#1: 5:01; #2: 16:13; #3: 14:52 = 36 minutes total)
  • Romeo is banishèd.
    • Speaking of which,why are some words given stress marks on the -èd ending
      (banishèd, punishèd, upturnèd)?
    • Why does Shakespeare seem to be apostrophe crazy (fall'st, speak'st, o'er, e'er, 'Tis, etc.)?
    • This will help you when you present your Memorized Passages (12+ full lines) on March 6/7!
  • Romeo & Juliet: Act III -- Scene 2 (& Summarize Scene 3)
  • Assignment/Homework: Director's Close Read & Stage Directions for Act III, Scene 4
    • Pretend that YOU are the director of this scene.
    • Write the following on your copy of the text:
    • Mark your confusion & check with the translation to clarify.
    • In the right margin, paraphrase the dialogue.
    • Casting: If you were the director, who would be playing these parts?
    • In the left margin, write specific stage directions for each line of dialogue. (What is the character doing while he speaks his lines?)
    • At the bottom, explain the dramatic irony: What does the audience know that the characters do not?
  • Samples
  • Due tomorrow!


Tuesday, February 27: A/B Day (ACT @ High Schools)

  • Podcast Set #8 moved until next time
  • Schedule:
  • 1st - 8:10 – 8:55
  • 2nd - 9:00 – 9:45
  • 3rd - 9:50 – 10:35
  • 4th - 10:40 – 11:25
  • 7th - 11:30 – 12:10
  • Lunch - 12:10 – 12:40
  • 5th - 12:45 – 1:25
  • 6th - 1:30 – 2:10
  • 8th - 2:15 – 2:55
  • Reading/Literature
  • Romeo and Juliet
  • Review: The Balcony Scene to Capulet's Bargain (40 minutes)


Wednesday, February 28: A Day
Thursday, March 1: B Day


Friday, March 2: A Day [Computer Lab 138/202]




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

March 5-9, 2018

Monday, March 5: B Day [Computer Lab 202]


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


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

  • Presentations of Memorized Passages from Romeo and Juliet
  • Test on Romeo and Juliet
  • Journal #5: So, how was it? As bad as you thought? Did the movie clips help? What about Thompson's constant interruptions and explanations? Was memorizing 12 lines of Shakespeare really so horrible?
  • Staple/Turn in Journals!
  • The Reduced Shakespeare Company's Version of Romeo and Juliet



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

March 12-16, 2018

Monday, March 12: A Day [Computer Lab 138]
Tuesday, March 13: B Day [Computer Lab 138]


Wednesday, March 14: A Day [10:00 - 10:17]
Thursday, March 15: B Day (Last Day of Third Term: Intervention Entomophagy)


Friday, March 16: A Day (First Day of 4th Term)



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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©2018 M. Wolfman Thompson - All rights reserved.
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