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Utah Compose
Class Notebook Wiki
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Grammar Punk
Word Cells
Word Cells Biglist
To see all the weeks in the term, scroll ALL THE WAY DOWN!

August 20-24, 2018: Welcome Back!
Term 1: "Why?" and "How to..."

Monday, August 20 (Back-to-School Night, 6:00 P.M.)
Tuesday, August 21

  • 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 and/or argumentative 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.
Poem o' the Day: "Do you have any advice for those of us just starting out?" by Ron Koertge

So, let's get started!
Wednesday , August 22: A Day
Thursday, August 23: B Day

  • Seating Chart: Find your seat!
  • Read. Write. Repeat.
  • [Reading Literature] Poem o' the Day: "Invitation" by Shel Silverstein
  • [Word Study] "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...
  • [Reading/Writing Informational] Now let's get a bit more descriptive: Are you the kind of student who...?
  • [Composition] Finish/Discuss/Turn in.
  • So, what are we in for?
  • [Reading Informational] Letters from the past....
  • Discussions, and Didgeridoos
  • If possible, have a 1½” three-ring binder (for this class only) with you on or before August 30/31.
  • Homework: "Why do we read literature?": Close Read/Annotate this article. Then write a one-page reflection. Did your summer reading make you smarter and nicer like the article claims? If so, how? If not, why not? Do you think it is the literature itself that causes these effects, or is it the willingness of the reader to be improved by reading? What is the most powerful experience you have ever had with literature? Fill the page!


Friday, August 24: A Day

  • [I forgot to collect homework -- Lucky!]
  • Is this good writing? Why or why not? (Discussion)
  • 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.
  • Review scored Are you the kind of student who...?
  • Assignment: Write a one-page letter to yourself at the end of the school year.
  • Staple/Turn in.
  • Details, Disclosures, Discussions, and Didgeridoos
  • Parents: NEXT WEEK, please log in to your MyDSD Account and digitally "sign" to indicate you have seen the class disclosure.
  • 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!)
  • If possible, have a 1½” three-ring binder (for this class only) with you on or before August 30/31.


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

August 27-31, 2018

Monday, August 27: B Day

  • Is this good writing? Why or why not? (Discussion)
  • 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.
  • Review scored Are you the kind of student who...?
  • Assignment: Write a one-page letter to yourself at the end of the school year.
  • Staple/Turn in.
  • Details, Disclosures, Discussions, and Didgeridoos
  • Parents: NEXT WEEK, please log in to your MyDSD Account and digitally "sign" to indicate you have seen the class disclosure.
  • 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!)
  • If possible, have a 1½” three-ring binder (for this class only) with you on or before August 30/31.


Tuesday, August 28: A Day (Writing Lab 202)
Wednesday, August 29: B Day (Writing Lab 202)

  • Homework Due Now: "Why do we read literature?": Close Read/Annotate this article. Then write a one-page reflection. Did your summer reading make you smarter and nicer like the article claims? If so, how? If not, why not? Do you think it is the literature itself that causes these effects, or is it the willingness of the reader to be improved by reading? What is the most powerful experience you have ever had with literature? Fill the page!
  • Welcome to the Computer Lab: Our Home Away from Home!
  • Seating Chart
  • Reading Inventory: NetApps > Students > Read 180 Reading Inventory
  • Login, take test, write down your reading (lexile), log out.
  • Poem o' the Day: "Writer Waiting" by Shel Silverstein
  • Here's your first (timed) argumentative essay topic!
  • Read the Instructions and the Texts
  • Open a Word document and save it to a place you can access from home or another lab.
  • Specifications: No Spacing, Times New Roman, size 12
  • Heading: First and Last Names, Period, Date (Justify Right)
  • Write the best argumentative essay you can in the time allotted.
  • Print a copy from Word AND submit it to Utah Compose!
  • Turn in printed copy.
  • Here's how it will be evaluated.
  • Assign Books: Read Chapter I by next time! (Reading Schedule)
  • Homework: Bring a three-ring binder next time!


Thursday, August 30: A Day
Friday, August 31: B Day

  • Discuss Chapter I of Animal Farm.
  • Read Chapter II together.
  • Begin the Study Questions: Be sure you are able to answer them throughout the novel!
  • [You should already know the RACE Strategy for Writing Constructed Responses. Here's a literary example.]
  • Assignment -- Write a RACE response to this question from the end of Chapter II: Who drank the milk? [Turn in.]
  • Three-ring Binder (in class today!): Journal, Word Study, Composition, Reading/Literature, Grammar/Conventions
  • Put it together!
  • Journal Entry #1: This stays in the Journal section of the English Binder.
  • 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: Vocabulary List #1 (Keep this in Word Study section of the English Binder: It's not homework...yet!)
  • Stay on the Reading Schedule!


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

September 3-7, 2018

Monday, September 3: Labor Day

  • No School: Labor Day Holiday
  • Which animal on Animal Farm is Labor Day most appropriate for?
  • Poem o' the Day: "What Work Is" by Philip Levine

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

  • "Who drank the milk?" What do the variety of written responses tell us?
  • Analyze the answers themselves, the way in which they are written, the effectiveness and believability of the outliers, etc.
  • Content Scores vs. Writing Scores
  • What does elaboration/explanation mean? (RACE Review)
  • Strategy: Sentence stems to get you going in the right direction (Avoid IT - antecedentless!)
  • Use some of the strategies to answer this question: Words can be used to inspire or manipulate others. Reread Squealer's explanation at the end of Chapter III. What is his purpose: Inspiration or Manipulation? Explain in a one-paragraph RACE response.
  • Review your responses to "Why do we read literature?": Close Read/Annotate this article.
  • Close Reading & Annotation: What does it mean? (Models)
  • Do YOU actually close read stuff, Thompson?
  • Poem o' the Day: "Writing" by Howard Nemerov
  • Now you close read the Poem o' the Day. (Ten 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 #2: Handwriting (Write Now!) -- Copy the sentence in your neatest cursive. [If time permits] Respond to the prompt (not necessarily in cursive).
  • Stay on the Reading Schedule!


Thursday, September 6: A Day (Writing Lab)
Friday, September 7: B Day (Writing Lab)

  • Quiz on AF Chapter VI
  • Log in to MyDSD and sign off on your computer use agreement. Immediately!
  • Using the article called "Doublespeak" by William Lutz as textual evidence, write/type an academic essay in which you discuss how doublespeak is apparent in Animal Farm.
  • (Keep your copy of the article in the Reading/Literature Section of your English Binder. You will need it later!)
  • Don't be a Bubba by announcing 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".
  • Save/Print your finished essay. Turn it in.
  • Log in to Utah Compose and submit the essay just so I can see it online. I don't care what your score is, and I don't want you to print anything from Utah Compose.
  • Repeat: DO NOT PRINT ANYTHING FROM UTAH COMPOSE!
  • If you have extra time in the lab, do one or more of these things:
  • Handwriting, Continued....
  • Finish Journal #2
  • Finish the close read of the Poem o' the Day from last time according to these standards....
  • ...so it looks sorta like this when you're done.
  • Stay on the Reading Schedule!


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

September 10-14, 2018

Monday, September 10: A Day
Tuesday, September 11: B Day


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

  • Composition: Return/Discuss RACE responses from Chapter 3...and other writing assignments.
  • SOAPSTone/Analyze this cartoon and the elements of argumentation on the back!
  • Chapter IX: Describe how Animal Farm is becoming a totalitarian system.
  • "Gaslighting": Squealer's explanation...
  • Logical Fallacies (ala Brian Dunning)
  • Hey, Squealer: When is truth not truth?
  • What's the difference between opinion and fact?
  • Alternative Facts? Propaganda?
  • What logical fallacies are at work in these videos?
  • Orwell is turning in his grave.
  • Vocabulary List #1 : Finish it! (Practice Quiz)

Friday, September 14: A Day


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

September 17-21, 2018

Monday, September 17: Professional Day (No School for Students)

  • Wish you were here....

Tuesday, September 18: B Day



Wednesday, September 19: A Day (Writing Lab 202)

Thursday, September 20: B Day (Writing Lab 202)

  • Turn in Journals for scoring!
  • Review the multi-colored handouts about Building a Dictatorship, Propaganda, and Logical Fallacies.
  • Read this article and watch the video clips.
  • Hey, Squealer: When is truth not truth?
  • What's the difference between opinion and fact? Alternative Facts? Fake News?
  • What logical fallacies are at work here?
  • Is media truly "the enemy of the people"?
  • Spotting "Fake News"
  • Could a totalitarian dictatorship like the one in Animal Farm ever rise to power in America? Why or why not?
  • Academic Essay Format
  • Print & Submit
  • Then submit it to Utah Compose and Request Peer Review.
  • Night Reading Schedule!
  • Read pages 3-22 for next time.



  • Friday, September 21: A Day [Autumnal Equinox]

  • Turn in AF Synthesis Essays
  • [Return Journals/Reminders: Keep scored journals in the back of the Journal section of your English Binder!]
  • Do you have sesquipedalian predilections?
  • Journal #1: There are approximately 1,025,000 words in the English language. If you are an average native English speaker, you will only ever use about 30,000 of them. But maybe you are not average! How big is your vocabulary? Do you like knowing the meanings of long, fancy words? Do you use them when you speak and write, or are you basically monosyllabic, expressing most of your thoughts with low grunting noises? What do you notice about people and the way they use words? How does it influence the way you approach them? Do you think a large vocabulary is a sign of intelligence? Why or why not? Discuss words! Fill the page!
  • Word Study: Intro to Word Cells
  • Ever had pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis?
  • Podcast on Morphology (Listening + Quiz)
  • Podcast on Etymology (Listening + Quiz)
  • Cells o' the Week: Start your lists!
  • -log- / -ology-
  • -form- / -morph-
  • -chrom-
  • Night
  • Literary Concepts to Know -- Irony (Handout/Assignment)
  • Review the three types of irony.
  • On the handout, identify which type is at work in each quotation from the novel.
  • Usually we expect (A)______________________, but in this case the reality is (B)______________________.
  • Complete the handout, including the two at the bottom, by the time you finish the book.
  • Read Part 3 together.
  • Stay on the Reading Schedule!



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

September 24-28, 2018

Monday, September 24: B Day

  • Turn in AF Synthesis Essays
  • [Return Journals/Reminders: Keep scored journals in the back of the Journal section of your English Binder!]
  • Do you have sesquipedalian predilections?
  • Journal #1: There are approximately 1,025,000 words in the English language. If you are an average native English speaker, you will only ever use about 30,000 of them. But maybe you are not average! How big is your vocabulary? Do you like knowing the meanings of long, fancy words? Do you use them when you speak and write, or are you basically monosyllabic, expressing most of your thoughts with low grunting noises? What do you notice about people and the way they use words? How does it influence the way you approach them? Do you think a large vocabulary is a sign of intelligence? Why or why not? Discuss words! Fill the page!
  • Word Study: Intro to Word Cells
  • Ever had pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis?
  • Podcast on Morphology (Listening + Quiz)
  • Podcast on Etymology (Listening + Quiz)
  • Night
  • Literary Concepts to Know -- Irony (Handout/Assignment)
  • Review the three types of irony.
  • On the handout, identify which type is at work in each quotation from the book. [This will be due when we finish.]
  • Usually we expect (A)______________________, but in this case the reality is (B)______________________.
  • Complete the handout, including the two at the bottom, by the time you finish the book. The first four should be answered by next time.
  • Read part 3 together (pp. 22-28).
  • Grammar/Conventions: Continue the review.
  • Adjectives & Adverbs (modifiers)
  • Verbs
  • Stay on the Reading Schedule!



Tuesday, September 25: A Day
Wednesday, September 26: B Day [PT Conferences -- 3:45 - 7:15 P.M.]

  • Journal #2: "Honesty is the best policy." Or is it? Is there ever a time when it is right to lie? (Remember when Elie told the nazi doctor he was a farmer?) 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!
  • "The Hangman" (Narrative Poem): How does the poem relate to the first couple sections in Night? To Animal Farm? To modern America? What common strategies are at play? Was there a way to stop the hangman? If so, how? If not, why not? [Keep this with your other colorful handouts about language and logic.]
  • Literary Concepts: Theme vs. Moral
  • Word Study
  • Word Cells o' the Week: Start your lists!
  • -log- / -ology-
  • -form- / -morph-
  • -chrom-
  • -gram-/-graph-, -scrib-/script-
    -string- / -strict- / -strain-
  • Neologolusion: Creating New Words & Making Sense of Unfamiliar Ones
  • Homework: 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!
  • Stay on the Reading Schedule!


Thursday, September 27: A Day [PT Conferences -- 3:45 - 7:15 P.M.]
Friday, September 28: B Day


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

October 1-5, 2018

Monday, October 1: A Day
Tuesday, October 2: B Day

  • Poem o' the Day: "October" by Don Thompson (no relation)
  • Poem o' the Day:
  • "Alexander Throckmorton" by Edgar Lee Masters
  • Copy it.
  • SOAPSTone it.
  • Summarize it.
  • Paraphrase it.
  • (Do you know the difference?)
  • "To stand by silently is to participate in the crime."
    Journal #4: Elie Wiesel once said that anyone who witnesses an act of inhumanity and does nothing to stop it is as responsible as the person committing the act. Those who know and remain silent are guilty of the same offense. Do you agree? Why or why not? Think not only about the book you are about to finish reading but also some of the other resources we have looked at.
  • Stay on the Reading Schedule!
  • Honors Vocabulary List #2: Define/Discuss (7th)
  • Word Study
  • Word Cells o' the Week: -dict-,-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!


Wednesday, October 3: A Day
Thursday, October 4: B Day


Friday, October 5: A Day (Writing Lab 202)

  • Turn in Honors Vocabulary List #2
  • Night Test
  • If you haven't already done so, submit the Animal Farm/Night Synthesis Essay to Utah Compose and Request Peer Review.
  • Review two of your classmates' essays.
  • Review the following:
  • The multi-colored handouts about Building a Dictatorship, Propaganda, and Logical Fallacies
  • This article / video clips.
  • Hey, Squealer: When is truth not truth?
  • What's the difference between opinion, fact, and "alternative facts"?
  • What logical fallacies are at work in our world?
  • Is media truly "the enemy of the people"?
  • Spotting "Fake News"
  • Could a totalitarian dictatorship like the one in Animal Farm or Night ever rise to power in America?
  • "The Hangman" (Narrative Poem): Was there a way to stop the hangman?
  • "Brother Leon"
  • Night by Elie Wiesel
  • Journal #4 (from earlier this week)
  • Any other current event that illustrates your understanding.
  • Now put it all together: Term Paper
  • Write a reflective synthesis on the questions we have addressed with the class literature so far.
  • What action is required on the part of people your age to ensure that democracy, equality, and freedom survive?
  • Use any/all of the resources above to illustrate how/if your thinking has evolved on these issues.
  • Due Date: October 17th (after one more session in the lab).
  • A.P. Scoring: General Essay Rubric


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

October 8-12, 2018

Monday, October 8: B Day (Writing Lab 202)

  • Turn in Honors Vocabulary List #2
  • Night Test
  • If you haven't already done so, submit the Animal Farm/Night Essay to Utah Compose and Request Peer Review.
  • Review two of your classmates' essays.
  • Review the following:
  • The multi-colored handouts about Building a Dictatorship, Propaganda, and Logical Fallacies
  • This article / video clips.
  • Hey, Squealer: When is truth not truth?
  • What's the difference between opinion, fact, and "alternative facts"?
  • What logical fallacies are at work in our world?
  • Is media truly "the enemy of the people"?
  • Spotting "Fake News"
  • Could a totalitarian dictatorship like the one in Animal Farm or Night ever rise to power in America?
  • "The Hangman" (Narrative Poem): Was there a way to stop the hangman?
  • "Brother Leon"
  • Night by Elie Wiesel
  • Journal #4 (from earlier this week)
  • Any other current event that illustrates your understanding.
  • Now put it all together: Term Paper
  • Write a reflective synthesis on the questions we have addressed with the class literature so far.
  • What action is required on the part of people your age to ensure that democracy, equality, and freedom survive?
  • Use any/all of the resources above to illustrate how/if your thinking has evolved on these issues.
  • Due Date: October 22nd (after one more session in the lab).
  • A.P. Scoring: General Essay Rubric


Tuesday, October 9: A Day
Wednesday, October 10: B Day

  • New Seats
  • Return Vocab. #2 / Quiz next time!
  • POEm o' the Day: "Alone"
  • Notes on Literary Style
  • Style Analysis: Diction & Syntax in "The Tell-Tale Heart"
  • Using your notes on diction (word choice) and syntax (sentence structure), write a one-paragraph STYLE ANALYSIS of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Finish by addressing this question: What effect does the diction and syntax have on the reader? How does it contribute to the mood of the story?
  • Model sentence stems: Edgar Allan Poe’s style is…. Poe’s diction is mostly…, as evidenced by words like…. When it comes to syntax, Poe’s sentences are mostly…. The effect of this diction is… because…
  • Homework: Study Vocabulary List #2!


Thursday, October 11: A Day
Friday, October 12: B Day



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

October 15-19, 2018

Monday, October 15: A Day
Tuesday, October 16: B Day

  • Review "The Cask of Amontillado" (video)
  • Turn in Style Analysis & Irony Handout (from Night)
  • 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!
  • Word Cells o' the Week: -fer-, -port, -lat-, -mort-, -rupt-
  • Listen to the podcasts and finish Neologolusion page for First Term Word Cells!
    • 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!
  • Turn in completed Neologolusion next time!
  • 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
  • Present paraphrased passages aloud.
  • Summary Statements for Each Stanza
  • Study Questions [Enrichment]
  • Grammar Meets Style (If time...not yet.)
  • Grammar/Conventions: Syntax Games (Back of Jabberwocky Handout)
  • Try to begin your sentence with each of the 5 elements, expressing the same idea in 5 different ways.
  • Identify the stylistic differences of each.
  • How many ways can Angry Bob leave a room? (word order & punctuation)
  • How would you describe your style?



Wednesday, October 17: A Day (Writing Lab 202)

Thursday, October 18: Fall Recess
Friday, October 19: Fall Recess



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

October 22-26, 2018

Monday, October 22: B Day (Writing Lab 202)

Tuesday, October 23: A Day
Wednesday, October 24: B Day


Thursday, October 25: A Day
Friday, October 26: B Day (First Term Ends)

  • Term Test
  • Turn in Hall Pass for extra credit.
  • POEm o' the Day: "To One in Paradise" (It's probably about "Lenore," eh?)
  • Journal #1: First Term Reflection -- Your first term of high school is now 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?What did you learn during the last 10 weeks? Do you like 9th grade? Why or why not?
  • English Binder Check: Everything in its place!



Sections of English Binder: Journal, Word Study, Composition, Reading/Literature, Grammar/Conventions
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.
©2018 M. Wolfman Thompson - All rights reserved.

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