1st/3rd period homework for Friday, 11/13

Read "Winter Moon," literature book p. 79. and then answer these questions (in your Five-Star):

1. What words or phrases are repeated in this poem?
2. How does this poem make you feel about the moon?
3. In your own words, describe the moon that the poet sees.
4. Why does the poet repeat the phrases he does?
5. Does the poet like what he sees, or not? Explain.

Homework for Monday, November 9, 2009

Write a great sentence with each of the following words:
1. vague
2. pursue (pursued)
3. hysterical
4. serene
5. serenity
6. hasty
7. hastily
8. vivid
9. vividly

Vocabulary for "Harriet Tubman"

1. fugitive (n) 36
2. pursuit (n) pursue (v) 36
3. vague (adj) 36
4. hasty (adj) (hastily) (adv) 37
5. vivid (adj) 37
6. incentive (n) 38
7. instill (v) in 38
8. dispel (v) 38
9. hysterical (adj) 38
10. incomprehensible (adj) 37
11. serenity (n) serene (adj) 40
12. eloquent (adj) eloquence (n) 40
13. evoke (v) 40
14. disclose (v) 41
15. cajole (v) 41

phrases to know:

• in succession
  in the vicinity

4th period Homework for Monday, November 2

Review and Assess Questions on "Harriet Tubman"

1. Respond: Would you have trusted Harriet Tubman to take you on a long, difficult journey? Why or why not?
2. (a) Recall: What kinds of stories does Tubman tell the fugitives? (b) Analyze: Why does she tell them these stories? (c) Evaluate: How effective are the stories?
3. (a) Recall: What does Tubman do when one of the fugitives insists that he is going back? (b) Analyze Causes and Effects: Explain why Tubman feels she cannot let anyone go back.
4. (a) Interpret: Explain one of the several possible meanings of Tubman's statement "We live free or die." (b) Make a Judgment: Do you think the results of Tubman's trips are worth the danger she puts herself in?
5. (a) Synthesize: Describe Harriet Tubman's character. (b) Connect: What modern leaders have qualities similar to Harriet Tubman's?

VOCABULARY for quiz on Tuesday, October 13

1. variety (n) different form of same thing; different choices (often followed by "of")
2. equip (v) give needed things to (0ften followed by "with")
3. acquaint (v) to know (“I’m acquainted with her.”)
4. malicious (adj) likely to do evil actions
5. tyrant (n) ruler who misuses power
6. furtive (adv) sneaky, secretive
7. painstakingly (adv) VERY carefully, completely (describes the way something was done)
8. resume (v) start again after a pause
9. shriek (n) a scream (v) to make a screaming sound
10. plague (n) a disease (v) to be like a disease
11. dread (n) a feeling of great fear (v) to feel that feeling
12. freight (n) cargo; things being carried somewhere else, often for sale
13. plausible (adj) believable, likely to be true
14. meek (adj) gentle, humble (adv: in a gentle, humble way)
15. apprentice (n) a person who works in return for training and experience

Homework due Monday, October 5

1st and 3rd periods:
Finish "Cub Pilot" (up to p. 34 in Reader's Companion)
Answer "Review & Assess" questions on p. 108 of your literature book.

Homework for Friday, October 2

1st and 3rd periods:
Read up to p. 31 in your Reader’s Companion (“Cub Pilot”)do sidebars.

4th period:
Skills Book pp. 37, 39, 40

Homework for Thursday, October 1st

1st and 3rd periods:
Read up to p. 29 in your Reader’s Companion; answer sidebar questions.

4th period:
Finish “Cub Pilot” and do sidebars.Complete “I Think It Means” column of vocab sheet.

Homework for Wednesday, September 30

(1st and 3rd periods)

Choose a word from each of your classmates’ “roots” posters. Write a good sentence with each word. (13 sentences) LOOSELEAF PAPER

Homework for Tuesday, September 29

(no homework for 1st and 3rd periods)

4th period homework:
Choose a word from each of your classmates’ “roots” posters. Write a good sentence with each word. (18 sentences total)

Homework for Thursday, September 24

Write three paragraphs (one page) about your cooking experience.

Paragraph 1: Your successes (what you can cook);
Paragraph 2: Your failures;
Paragraph 3: What you'd like to learn.

Please write in your notebook, and leave the other side blank.

(These will be the three "body" paragraphs of a five-paragraph essay.)

Homework for Wednesday, September 23

Independent Reading Worksheet

Please have this ready to turn in at the beginning of class. Use color on the "Design a Cover" part.

Homework due Tuesday, 9/22

Create a metaphor!

In two good paragraphs, compare middle to school to an experience that's not like it except in one important way. Is it like:

• going to a mall?
• being on a desert island?
• fighting a dragon?
• swimming in the ocean?

These are only suggestions!
(1/2 page, notebook)

Vocabulary/info for quiz on Monday 9/21

1. fiscal (adj)
2. attendant (n)
3. appreciative (adj)
4. obsession (n)
5. swirl (v)
6. taut (adj)
7. familiarity (n)
8. clarity (n)
9. infuse (v)
10. analyze (v)
11. essence (n)
12. aura (n)

You'll need to know the spelling, definition and part of speech.

BRING YOUR VOCABULARY SHEET TO HAND IN FOR A GRADE!

Your quiz will also include:

• "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings"
• singular and plural possessive nouns
• figurative language

Homework for Friday, 9/18

Use each of your vocabulary words to write a sentence about a wizard. (In notebook, 12 sentences total)

Homework due Thursday, September 17

1st/3rd periods:
In your Reader's Companion, complete the "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" sidebar questions (pages 17-22.) You will hand in this assignment for a grade!

4th period:

• Write a page about an important event, decision or time in your life. What made it important? Include some details. (Do this assignment in your notebook.)
• Bring your Reader's Companion to class.

Homework due Wednesday, September 16

1st/3rd periods:
Skills book page 13
Skills book page 14
(Read the explanations before doing these pages)

4th period:
Skills book pages 13-15
(Read the explanations before doing these pages)

Homework due September 15

1st/3rd periods:
Describe your kitchen. Use descriptive details. (1/2 p., notebook)
Skills book p. 15 (memoir)

4th period:
Describe your kitchen. Use descriptive details. (1 page, notebook)
Finish "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" - answer sidebar questions

Homework for Friday, September 11

Look up the following new words, and fill in the "dictionary definition" column on your vocabulary sheet. (Also complete the "part of speech" column.)

1. fiscal
2. attendant (n)
3. appreciative
4. obsession
5. swirl (v)
6. taut
7. familiarity
8. clarity
9. infuse
10. analyze
11. essence
12. aura

Homework for Wednesday, September 9

Write a page about your reading habits. (At least three paragraphs, in your notebook)

Use at least three of these ideas for paragraphs:

• kinds of books you like
• kinds of books you don't like
• your reading challenges
• your reading goals

QUIZ this Tuesday, September 8!!

Also BRING YOUR VOCABULARY SHEET to turn in. (It will be graded.)

The quiz will cover the following vocabulary (definition, spelling and part of speech) from the short story "Charles:"

1. renounce (v)
2. era (n)
3. reformation (n)
4. reassuringly (adv)
5. raucous (adj)
6. insolent (adj)
7. privilege (n)
8. institution (n)
9. simultaneous (adj) or simultaneously (adv)
10. haggard (adj)

The quiz will also cover:

• the story "Charles,"
• how to add suffixes -ed and -ing to verbs ending in "e"
• business English (instead of IM English)

Homework due September 4, 2009

1. Write a sentence with each of the “Charles” words. Topic: a babysitter and a kid.
2. Why did Laurie invent Charles? Write a paragraph 5-6 sentences) about it.

Homework due September 3, 2009

1. Complete pp. 7-8, Skills Book
2. Look up “Charles” words; write brief definition on vocab. sheet (Bring skills book and “Charles” to class.)

Homework due September 2, 2009

Answer "Review & Assess" questions on p. 26 in your literature book.

Homework due September 1, 2009

Write ½ page (notebook) about your experience in kindergarten. (Write in the first-person point of view.)

Copy these class notes into your notebook:

1st person point of view:

• uses "I, me, my, we, our"
• narrator is character in story
• narrator only knows her/his own thoughts (no one else’s)

3rd person point of view:

• narrator not a character in story
• narrator knows every character’s thoughts (if omniscient)
• letters, diaries, “eyewitness” stories
  

classwork:
Write a 3-sentence story about a kid buying chips. Write it twice:

1. Use 1st person point of view;
2. Use 3rd person point of view.

Class of '09, here's your reminder:

Write for yourself.
Write for fun.
Write to remember.
Write from your heart.
Write with your mind.
Write with rhythm.
Write figuratively.
JUST WRITE!

Thanks, all of you, for a fabulous year!
Mr. B

Homework for Thursday, 5/28

Find a poem (at least 4 lines long) that you like. Copy it into your notebook, and bring it to class. You will read your poem to the class, and be graded on your reading. (Be sure you know what your poem is about!)

Also, you will
HAND IN YOUR NOTEBOOK
tomorrow! Yay!

QUIZ on Tuesday, 5/26!

What will be on the test?

• The vocabulary you were given on Tuesday, May 19. (It's on this blog!)
• Some exercises in parallel structure.

Classwork for anyone who was absent Thursday, 5/21 (the day I was absent)

(Please do this in your notebook.)

I. Rewrite each of these sentences using parallel constructions.

1. My income is smaller than my wife.
2. Geoff is interested in getting his diploma, and not interested in an education.
3. The French, the Italians, Spanish, and Portuguese all enjoy this same dish.
4. The teacher said that he was a poor student because he waited until the last minute to study . for the exam, completed his lab problems in a careless manner, and his motivation was low.
5. The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and to do some warm-up exercises before the game.
6. Phuong Tran has wit, charm, and she has an extremely pleasant personality.
7. In English class, Tashonda learned to read poems critically and she appreciated good prose.
8. He wanted three things out of college: to learn a skill, to make good friends, and learning about life.
9. We found the film repulsive, offensive, and we thought it was embarrassing.
10. Mr. Nguyen kept his store clean, neat, and he made it conveniently arranged.
11. Professor Ali rewarded his students for their hard work on the final project and going beyond the call of duty.
12. There's nothing I like better than finding a good trout stream, setting up camp, and to spend a couple of days fishing.
13. Susan is smart, diligent, and a hard worker.
14. I was happy and my parents happy too when I graduated.
16. I always have and will teach summer school.
17. He described skiing in the Alps, swimming in the Adriatic, and the drive across the Sahara Desert.
18. He liked their courage, stamina, and their style.
19. Travis can't sing well, and neither can he act.
20. Bob's duties include answering the phone, taking delivery orders, and occasionally he drives the delivery truck.
21. Kim practices yoga every day because it's relaxing and for flexibility

II. Should Ben Price have let Jimmy Valentine go free? Why or why not? (1/2 page, notebook)

Homework for Friday, May 22

Just finish Thursday's classwork, if you didn't already.

The question was: Do you agree with Ben Price's decision to let Jimmy Valentine go free? Why or why not? (1/2 page, notebook)

Homework for Wednesday, May 20

1. Look up each of your vocabulary words, and write a brief definition.
2. Write a sentence with each one.
3. YOUR SPEECH IS DUE. IF I DO NOT RECEIVE IT TOMORROW, I CANNOT GIVE IT TO THE COMMITTEE.

IF YOU MISSED TODAY'S QUIZ, I WILL GIVE A MAKEUP QUIZ THIS COMING FRIDAY (5/22).

Homework for Tuesday, May 19

YOUR FINAL SPEECH IS DUE THIS WEDNESDAY!!!! NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!

1. Finish reading "A Retrieved Reformation," Reader's Companion pp. 63-70. Answer questions in blue boxes.

2. At the bottom of this email is a list of new words. Copy the words onto your vocabulary sheet, and fill in the "I think it means" column as you read.

Bring your Companion to class tomorrow!

1. escort (n, v)
2. eminent
3. tasteful
4. rogue
5. similarity
6. elusive
7. perceive
8. cordial
9. flourish (v)
10. sociable
11. saunter
12. implement (n)

"Outspoken" essay - color coded comments

Hey Gang --

This week I'll be emailing back your "Outspoken" essays. I'll put your grade in the re: line of the email, and mark parts of your text in color. Here's what the different colors mean:

• green: good!
• red: grammar error (you figure out which one)
• pink: unclear
• blue: word choice

Homework for Friday, May 15

(If you were in class today)

• Write a bulleted outline for your graduation speech, and complete one paragraph.

If you weren't in class today)

• Write an outline for each of the two graduation speeches below. Then write a bulleted outline for your graduation speech, and complete one paragraph.
  

An outline is a bulleted list of the paragraphs contained an essay, showing the main idea of each paragraph. Here's an example of how a bulleted list might look:

• Welcome
• great memories
• how we've grown
• thanks to teachers/staff etc.
• Welcome and good luck

Your graduation speech can be either a welcome speech (salutatory) or a farewell speech (valedictory). Here are two examples of a valedictory speech. (Both of them were winners!)

Speech 1:

We’ve come to the end of our graduation ceremony as well as our time at this great school. Roosevelt Middle School, I’d like to thank our faculty, family, and friends for attending this ceremony. Bear with me for a few minutes. I promise I won’t make this too boring.

I’m pretty sure that most of us shared the same feelings on the first day of middle school. The air was filled with nervousness and excitement. I scanned the hallways for a glimpse of a familiar face from elementary school. As I met new people, I wondered “How do they see me?” I wanted to figure out which clique I belonged to and cling onto that clique out of fear of being left alone. In the hallways, I felt like I was a tiny speck, zigzagging through the strong current of seventh and eighth graders, who I both feared and admired.

In the three years that we’ve been here, all of us have changed, grown, and overcome challenges. We’ve had to deal with the regular middle school problems: rumors, peer pressure, and bullying. We’ve lost friends, gained friends, and changed our group of friends. We’ve discovered where we belong, socially. We’ve become mature and open-minded, and have listened to find deeper meaning in things. We’ve learned to open up to people, listen to them, and accept them for who they are. We’ve made mistakes, regretted them, realized that we can’t take back what has already happened, and learned from our mistakes. We started this three-year journey as kids, and are about to end it as young adults.

When I really look at the students who make up the Class of 2008, I see potential in everyone. One of us could be the next George Washington Carver, who made over three hundred peanut products. Maybe someone will discover how to “fax" three-dimensional objects, as seen in the movie “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” I wouldn’t be surprised if one of my classmates became the next rising actor, actress, or singer. Twenty years from now, we could be telling our children that we went to middle school with the mayor or governor or president. A future doctor could discover the cure to diabetes, breast cancer, or HIV. We can do something great and change the world.

Let me take this chance to express our gratitude towards the heart of this school, the teachers. We’re grateful for the awesome teachers who really care about how we’re doing, both in and out of class. We admire the teachers that are passionate about their professions. We appreciate the teachers who make us want to pay attention to what they’re teaching and want to understand what’s going on. We value the teachers who come to school every day, knowing that they have to put up with certain pain-in-the-butts. We’re even thankful for the strict teachers who give us a lot of homework and push us to our limits. All of the teachers here have impacted our lives in an unimaginable way.

Are we there yet? Are we there yet? That’s the question that we’ve been asking ourselves since the sixth grade. I realize now that it was the journey that was important and not the destination. So, class of 2008, thank you for making this journey memorable. It saddens me to have to say that it’s time for us to go our separate ways. I wish you all the best in the years to come.

Speech 2:

Here we are at the end of the end. We’ve survived our years of middle school, and are soon moving on to things bigger and much scarier. As I look around me, I see all the different people and personalities and styles, and I can proudly say I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else but here, graduating with the Roosevelt Class of 2008.

I remember my first day of school like it was yesterday. Though I was one of those glad to be free of the “little kid” title, I saw people clinging to their mothers for dear life, sobbing “I don’t wanna go!” From sixth graders who ran to every class for fear of being late, we’ve come to be the loud-and-proud eighth graders we are today. It’s amazing to look back and see how much we’ve grown since that fateful first day.

Middle school, as I’ve learned, is full of its ups and downs as well as its sideways and diagonals. We raise money, only to find out that the school’s budget is getting cut (again). We spend hours on a project, only to earn a C+ on it. We finally gather the courage to ask that special someone out, only to learn that they’re taken. But the downs are a worthy price for the ups. We’re glad to pay for the assemblies and spirit days and illegal water fights. We fight obstacles and are rewarded with cherished memories, and I’m glad for the knowledge each has given me.

Though eighth grade is drawing to an end, we’re reminded that life isn’t. Without the experiences middle school has given me, I know I wouldn’t be able to cope with it. Everywhere I turn, I find someone who’s taught me something. Not only have I learned how to solve a quadratic equation and what Columbus was really looking for when he discovered America, but also how to deal with rejections and breakups and what to do when your closest friends are fighting over nothing. You never know what the future will bring, but armed with everything Roosevelt has given me, I’m not afraid to face it.

We leave Roosevelt with both despondent and eager hearts, sad to go, but ready to take on what’s next. We find ourselves thrust into an alien world of teachers, students, and endless hallways. People will change. Friends come and go. High school holds all the suffering, humiliation and shocking drama you can imagine. We’ll all go our separate ways, with the rest of our lives ahead of us. And as life dawns on us with the full force of one of Mr. Blassingham’s pop quizzes, we’re proud to know Roosevelt is a part of it.

About this picture...

Write about your reaction to this painting. (one page, notebook) You can answer such questions as:

• Who are the people in the painting? Why are they there?
• Why do you think the artist uses the colors that he does?
• What emotions do you feel when you look at this picture?
• Is the artist trying to "tell us" anything? If so, what?

Painting" "Nighthawks" by Edward Hopper (1940)

SENTENCE COMBINING!

Go to these three sites, and take the "sentence combining quiz" on each site. You'll be asked to create sentences by combining. In your notebook, copy YOUR FAVORITE FIVE sentences you created! We'll share them in class.

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/GRAMMAR/quizzes/combining_quiz2.htm

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/GRAMMAR/quizzes/combining_quiz1.htm

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/GRAMMAR/quizzes/primer_quiz.htm


ALSO, COPY THESE NOTES:

Combine sentences using:

• clauses
• parallel structures
• appositives
  

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN COMBINING SENTENCES:

• Meaning. (Is the original meaning clear? )
• Clarity. (Is the sentence clear on the first reading?
• Coherence (Do the parts fit together logically and smoothly?
• Conciseness. (Have you cut out the useless words?)
• Rhythm. (Does the sentence sound good when you read it aloud? It should!)

Homework for Tuesday, May 12 (in notebook)

Answer the following questions in bullet-point form. (list, not complete sentences) Do not copy the questions. Please take this seriously! I will look at this work when I grade your notebooks.

1. List three things you will remember about RMS (your favorite or least favorite teacher, activity or subject).
2. List two things you wish you had done differently at RMS.
3. List two skills or ideas you learned at RMS, that you believe will help you in high school.
4. List three emotions (nouns, plus their adjective forms) you feel when you think about going to high school.
5. List three activities or subjects you want to focus on in high school.
6. Name three people at RMS who have helped you, and how they have helped you.
7. List two hopes you have for your future.
8. List two fears you have about your future.

Homework for Monday, May 11 - copy these notes

vignette

• a brief story that captures a memorable scene in detail
• a "snapshot"
• a fragment - not a complete story
• can be fiction or nonfiction

"An American Childhood" is a vignette from the author's life.

The term "vignette" also has an artistic meaning. Look at the picture on p. 460 of your textbook. Notice how the edges fade out into the white of the page. There's something incomplete about it (just like a literary vignette!).

The Cyclops!

Hey Dramadroids --

If you click on "The Cyclops!" above, it'll take you to the recording of me speaking the words of the cyclops scene.

Please give it a listen. I think you can even download it onto your 'pods!

Yall rock!

Mister B

Classwork for Friday, May 8

BRING YOUR READER'S COMPANION!

• Read "An American Childhood" (pages 95-98) (This is also in the big lit. book)
• Answer the questions in the blue bars in the margins. (Even if you've lost your Reader's Companion, I will expect you to answer these questions!
• We will discuss this assignment on Monday, May 11. Please be prepared!

HINTS for doing your "sentences with clauses" homework

Here are some ways to make really good, interesting sentences:

• Be vivid
• strong verbs and nouns
• idioms
• humor
• strong verbs
• parallel structures
• use your own experience
• specific details
• figurative language
• hyperbole

Letter from Squeaky to Gretchen!

Due: Thursday, May 7
(use the time after you've finished the STAR test for working on this assignment)

Write a one-page (handwritten) letter from Squeaky to Gretchen, asking for Gretchen's help in training Raymond to be a runner.
Write in Squeaky's "voice" to show her character, using such features as:

• slang
• word choice
• fragments
• loooooooooong sentences!
• Use some slang: gonna, wanna, gotta, cuz, hecka, cause, OK, Ima, 'nuf, yo, goin, tryin, thinkin, ain't,
• Show me you understand Squeaky's character and her "attitude," and that you understand how the author created Squeaky's "voice" to get her character across to the reader.
  
  You can create long sentences by using adding long clauses to a basic sentence:

I think you're the best so I'm asking you to help me. (basic sentence)

I think you're the best because you won the race so I'm asking you to help me and give me some advice.

Even though I'm shy about saying it, I think you're the best because you won the race and because you didn't give up especially when I was ahead of you by a nose right at the end of the race, so I'm asking you to help me and give me some advice because I really need some tips on how to make Raymond, loveable but stubborn and hard-to-reach bro that he is, a great runner.

1st period: Give it to me at the beginning of class.
4th period: Put it in my mailbox (across from the main office) or slide it under my classroom door sometime on Thursday.

Writing Assignment - "Outspoken"

Do you think that the play "Outspoken" is needed in our school? Why or why not?

• 1 1/2 handwritten pages; write rough draft in class (or after you've finished the STAR test)
• 4 paragraphs: introduction, 2 body paragraphs, conclusion
• type up (feel free to edit!) and email to me by 9:00 a.m. Wednesday morning (5/6)
• my email address: blassinghamM1@sfusd.edu
• Give me your written rough draft (or slide it under my door) sometime on Wednesday.

FYI, some of the themes of "Outspoken" are:

• being yourself (individuality)
• identity
• labeling
• homophobia
• approval of friends

Homework for Friday, 4/24

• Test Booklet -- answer questions through page 63
• Writing: "Flowers for Algernon" is not a realistic story. (An operation like the one the doctors performed on Charlie Gordon is impossible.) But is there anything normal and realistic about Charlie as a character? Explain your answer. (1/2 page, notebook)

Homework due Thursday, April 23

• Finish "Flowers for Algernon." Expect a quiz!
• Test booklet -- finish questions through p. 51

Homework due Wednesday, 4/22

Test booklet -- finish questions through page 42.

(In some of the test booklets, the 3rd paragraph on p. 26 is messed up. Here is the paragraph, in its entirety:

Beyond the last house on Trunion Pike in Winesburg, there is a great stretch of open fields. The fields are owned by farmers who live in town and drive homeward at evening along Trunion Pike in light creaking wagons. In the fields are planted berries and small fruits. In the late afternmoon in the hot summers when the road and the fields are covered with dust, a smoky haze lies over the great flat basin of land. To look across it is like looking out across the sea. In the spring when the land is green the effect is somewhat different. The land becomes a wide green billiard table on which tiny human insects toil up and down.

Homework due Tuesday, 4/21

1. Test Prep:
   In your notebook, answer questions up to p. 23 in the sample question booklet.
2. Writing:
   What is your long-term plan for improving your writing? Write one page about it. Don't bore me! (1 page, notebook)

Homework due Monday, 4/20

1. Read "Flowers for Algernon" pages 198-203 (up to "Progress Report 13")
2. Test Prep book: answer the questions up through page 13. (Do this on a separate sheet of paper.)

Homework due Tuesday, April 14

Anything can be the subject of great writing, whether it's a life-changing event or just a trip to the store!

Please describe an event that happened in your life during the spring break. Length: 1-1/2 pages, in your notebook.

Describe the event, using descriptive details. Also tell me about your thoughts, emotions and reactions to what happened. Include:

• Introductory paragraph to get the reader's attention and state your main idea
• at least three body paragraphs
• Concluding paragraph to restate your main idea and leave the reader with something to think about!

HEY! READ THIS!!!

Please bring your vocabulary sheets to class tomorrow; I will collect them before the quiz.

More about clauses...

clause – group of words that contains a subject and verb

• independent clause: expresses a complete thought (a complete sentence is a clause!)
• dependent clause – does not express a complete thought.

Two roles* that clauses can play in a sentence:

• adverb clause (acts as an adverb)
• adjective clause (acts as an adjective)

* ...and there are more!

Simple sentence: one independent clause

• My uncle baked some cookies.

Compound sentence: two independent clauses joined by a conjunction (such as and, or, but)

• My uncle baked some cookies and he took them to work.

Homework for Wednesday, April 1

Go to www.studyisland.com
Log in!
Do the "context clues" assignment.
If you get at least 70%, play the game!
(I'll be able to see how you did.)

Adverb clauses answer YOUR QUESTIONS!!

WHERE?
Wherever there are computers, there is a computer chip hard at work.
(the adjective clause is underlined)

WHEN?
After the fruit is harvested, it is sold at the market.

WHY? (What caused it?)
I didn't call her because I'm shy.

WHY? (What was the reason?)
She took a computer course so that she could get a better job.

UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS?
If you save your money, you will be able to go to college.

Here are some other words that often begin adverb clauses:
after, unless, before, if, until, whether, because, since,
while, though, although, even though, as,
in order that, so that

(Mr. B will answer your final question:)
DO WE HAVE TO COPY ALL OF THESE NOTES?
Answer:
I will chastise you severely unless you copy all of these notes.

Homework due Friday, 3/27

Using each of this week's vocabulary words, write sentences (or a story) about something that happens at a very fancy party.

Homework due Thursday, 3/26

• Review & Assess questions, p. 658 ("Debbie").
• Look up your vocabulary words and write the definitions on your vocabulary sheet.

Homework Due Wednesday 3/25

• Independent Reading Worksheet - FOCUS on THEME (again)! Briefly explain your answer, using evidence from the book. (If you list any verbs in the "new words" section, please list them in their basic forms, without the endings. (For example, write "jump" instead of "jumping" or "jumped.")
• Writing: Describe the experience of writing the essay you just completed. Was it difficult? What did you enjoy about it? What did you learn? (Pretend like you’re talking to me. Remember: It's all about you!) (One page, notebook)

Homework due Tuesday, 3/24

• Read “Debbie,” lit. book pp. 652-658.
• As you read, fill in the “I think it means” column on your vocabulary sheet.

“Debbie” vocabulary
1. timid (adj)
2. appealing (adj)
3. attitude (n)
4. ample (adj)
5. alarm (v)
6. lavish (adj)
7. huddle (v)
8. bedraggled (adj)
9. boisterous (adj)
10. ornate (adj)
11. incredulous (adj)
12. disdainful (adj)
13. ecstatic (adj)
14. intrigue (v)

Essay Rubric (How I'll grade your essay)

30 points: Mechanics

• 15 points: Spelling
• 15 points: Grammar (Contractions, consistent tense, subject/verb agreement, no run-on sentences or fragments)
  

30 points: Organization

• 15 points: Paragraph structure – Clear topic sentence and supporting sentences
• 15 points: Overall Structure – introduction gets reader’s attention, explains structure and your main idea; body paragraphs that provide support; conclusion that sums up and repeats your main idea

40 points: Style

• 10 points: Strong verbs and nouns
• 10 points: Vivid descriptions
• 10 points: Clear, understandable sentences
• 10 points: Interest. Varied words and phrases, no repetition

No-No's (You lose 5 points for each one I find)

• Texting language (r u ready 2 go?)
• Slashes (I like/love basketball.)
• Ampersands (Cats & dogs were chasing me.)
• Small numbers not spelled out (I have 9 lives.)
  
  

Homework due Wednesday 3/18: Run-On Sentences

• A sentence expresses a complete thought.
  A run-on sentence contains two or more complete thoughts. This is too many complete thoughts per sentence!
  

To find out if a sentence is a run-on sentence, you should read your work aloud. Reading aloud is more effective than reading silently, because voice intonation (the pitch of your voice) reveals where individual sentences start and stop.

• If you hear your voice drop, the sentence should end in a period.
• If you hear your voice rise at the end, the sentence should end in a question mark.
• If your voice takes on a more forceful tone (punch), the sentence should end in an exclamation point.

Correct these run-on sentences.

1. The man took out the garbage he was cleaning the house.
2. I need to leave now, I don’t want to be late.
3. The woman ate a pear she smiled because it was delicious.
4. Reggae is her favorite music, she has lots of it on her iPod.
5. He’s really funny when we talk on the phone he cracks me up
6. Don’t worry about me I’ll be fine.
7. After the parade we went for a walk we needed to stretch our legs.
8. What do you think should I apply to SOTA
9. What should I do, I think I’m lost.
10. I’ve had enough I can’t take it anymore
11. She was famous for making pies, when she entered the contest she won.
12. Why are you asking me I didn’t do anything.
13. I’ll be glad to help you study, just tell me where and when.

Homework due Tuesday 3/17

PART 1:

In your notebook, write a page about "Beowulf." (It should be at least three paragraphs, which can be arranged as follows:

• What did you enjoy about "Beowulf?"
• What did you not enjoy about it?
• Was it worth your time?

PART 2:
Start thinking about a skill (such as new language, cooking, computer programming, practicing medicine) you would like to learn. In your notebook, list three ideas.

Part 3:

Study for your quiz tomorrow! The quiz will contain:

• vocabulary (BRING YOUR VOCABULARY LIST, ready to turn in.)
• "Beowulf" quotations -- You will be asked to identify which of the major themes (heroism, how to live, leadership, glory, Christianity v. Paganism, transience) each quotation expresses.

Reminder: QUIZ ON TUESDAY 3/17!!!

You will be quizzed on:

• the "Beowulf" vocabulary (also on this blog)
• "Beowulf" themes; I'll give you a quotation, and you tell me which theme it demonstrates.

On the quiz, I will give you a quotation from the poem. You will tell me what theme you believe it expresses, and why you think so. (I will not give you a list of themes; you will have to memorize them.) To refresh your memory, the themes we've been discussing in "Beowulf" are as follows:

• Leaders and followers
• Heroism
• Honor
• How to live
• The Christian-Pagan dichotomy
• ADDITIONAL THEME: Transience

Homework due Monday 3/16 - New York Times

Here's a link to the "young adult" books in the New York Times book review section.

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/features/books/bookreviews/index.html?s=newest&query=young+adult+&match=all&submit.x=13&submit.y=13&submit=Search


Find two books that sound interesting to you, and write three sentences about why you'd like to read them.

The next time we're in the library, you'll look for these books!

Homework due Friday 3/13

Part 1:
Write a sentence using each of your vocabulary words. Your sentences should have strong nouns and verbs that create vivid pictures in the reader's mind!

Part 2:
In two paragraphs (notebook), please answer the question:

"What is an epic poem?"

Your two paragraphs could look like this:

1. content (characters, plot, ideas) of an epic poem

2. history and structure (rhythm, kennings)

Homework due Thursday 3/12

Look up these vocabulary words, and write a brief dictionary definition on your vocab sheet. In the "I think it means..." column, write a brief explanation of why you think I gave you the word in connection with "Beowulf."

1. dichotomy (n)
2. didactic (adj)
3. transience (n)
4. humility (n)
5. scorn (v) and (n)
6. hierarchy (n); hierarchical (adj)
7. rightful (adj)
8. foreshadow (v)
9. contempt (n)
10. condense (n)
11. valor (n)
12. fearsome (adj)
13. snarl (v)
14. spawn (v)
15. utter (v)
16. allegiance (n)

"Beowulf" Chapters 37-42

Chapter 37
Review: Where did the dragon’s treasure come from?
Describe the actions that killed the dragon.
How is the dragon like a snake? (One word tells you!)
What does Beowulf ask for at the end of this chapter? Why?
Chapter 38
What does Beowulf say he sold his life for?
What are Beowulf’s two final requests to Wiglaf?
Chapter 39
What reference to Christianity is made in this chapter? (before line 2870)
What does Wiglaf say will the result of the soldiers’ cowardly actions?
Chapter 40
What does the messenger say is going to happen after Beowulf’s death?
Chapter 41
Why do you think the messenger tells the story in lines 2922-3000?
Why is the treasure burned with Beowulf’s body?
What is “the truth” in line 3030? Tell it in your own words.
Chapter 42
Why are the soldiers able to enter the tower? (Hint: see end of chapter 41)
What do you think “mild” means in the next-to-last line?


ASSIGNMENT FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 10:

Describe the following events in vivid, 4-stress lines (6-10 lines total). Use strong, imaginative verbs and nouns!

· the hero entered the janitor’s closet, and surprised the monster.
· The monster was doing something in there.
· The monster turned and hit the hero, knocking him down.
· The hero took something and threw it at the monster.
· It knocked him down.
· The hero won the fight.

Beowulf Chapters 31-36

chapter 31

• (For chap. (30) In the banquet that Beowulf describes, what is Hrothgar acting like (ll. 2107-2109)
• What character trait does Beowulf show in l. 2150?
• What surprising fact about Beowulf’s early life is revealed in this chapter?
• What does the poet remind us about in l. 2199?
• What happens in Beowulf’s life in this chaper?
• What new character is introduced in this chapter?

Chapter 32

• What theme of the story is shown in lines 2231-2265? Explain.
• The servant’s theft of the cup had two very different effects. Explain.

Chapter 33

• Explain: “signs of its anger flickered and glowed in the darkness.”
• What is Beowulf’s first reaction when he hears that his hall has been burnt?
• What is foreshadowed in this chapter?
• Who was killed in the war with the Frisians?
• What does Beowulf refuse to do in this chapter? Why does he refuse?

Chapter 34

• How does Beowulf find the dragon? Explain.
• What does Beowulf feel will happen in his fight with the dragon?

Chapter 35

• How did Dagref (the killer of Higlac) die?
• Why does Beowulf decide to use a sword and shield in his fight with the dragon?
• Why didn’t Beowulf’s comrades help him fight the dragon?

Chapter 36

• Who is Wiglaf?
• Describe Wiglaf’s role in Beowulf’s fight with the dragon.
• What crucial event happens at the end of this verse?
  

Chapters 25-30

Chapter 25

• What warning does Hrothgar give to Beowulf in this chapter?
• Why does the poet say Beowulf “blamed [Hrunting] for nothing?”

Chapter 26

• What does Beowulf promise Hrothgar at the beginning of this chapter?
• Have Danes and Geats always been friends?
• What theme is stated in ll. 1886-87?
  

Chapter 27

• What theme is shown when Beowulf rewards the watchman?
• What bad habits did Thrith have? What changed her for the better?
  

Chapter 28

• What is “the world’s bright candle?”
• Why did Higlac, for a while, not let Beowulf go to Denmark?
• Who is Freaw?
• Why will Freaw be marrying Ingeld? Explain.
  

Chapter 29

• What does Beowulf predict will happen between the Danes and the Hathobards?
• What is “heaven’s jewel?”
  

Chapter 30

• What does “my death was not written” mean?

Chapters 18-24 -- OMG!

Chapter 18
Why is Higlac mentioned in line 1202?
Chapter 19
Why does Grendel’s mother leave the den?
What is the poet reminding us of in line 1280 (“…slept as though already dead.”)?
What does Grendel’s mother do when she gets to Herot?
What does she take back with her?
At the end of Chapter 19, does Beowulf know what has happened?
Chapter 20
Does Hrothgar know who has killed his friend? How?
What is “twisted gold?”
Chapter 21
At the beginning of this chapter, are Beowulf’s thoughts pagan or Christian? Explain?
Who is Esher? What do the men find in the lake?
Find a kenning for the sea monster that Beowulf kills when he gets to the lake.
How do we know that Unferth is no longer angry at Beowulf?
What is Hrunting?
Chapter 22
What instructions does Beowulf give to Hrothgar, in case he does not survive?
Does Hrunting help Beowulf?
Chapter 23
How does Beowulf defeat Grendel’s mother?
What does Beowulf do before he swims back to land? What do Hrothgar and the other warriors think has happened?
What does Beowulf bring to show Hrothgar?
Chapter 24
When Beowulf tells Hrothgar about his battle, what does he say saved his life?

Beowulf Chapters 13-18

Chapter 13
What is the purpose of lines 862 and 863?
Describe the man who appears in ll. 866-873. What does he do to honor Beowulf, and why?
Why does the poet tell the story of Hermod?

Chapter 14
How does Hrothgar thank Beowulf?
What does Beowulf say is the reason he was unable to kill Grendel at Herot?
Why does Unferth grow quiet?

Chapter 15
Why is Herot bent and broken?
What kind of gifts are bestowed on Beowulf?

Chapter 16
Why is the story of Finn included in this poem?

Chapter 17
Is Unfurth punished for killing his relatives?

Chapter 18 questions in class tomorrow!

Kenning

• a descriptive, poetical expression used instead of a simple name for a person or thing
• words may be a bit strange
• a type of metaphor
• identifies a person or thing by a characteristic or quality
• adds variety and interest to this long poem

Beowulf Chapters 8-12. RAWWWWRRRR!

Chapter 8
1. Who is Unferth, and why is he so hostile to Beowulf? Why is he allowed to speak that way?
2. Unferth accuses Beowulf of something. What is it?
3. At line 530, Beowulf tells Unferth that his “face is hot with ale.” What does he mean?
4. What is Beowulf’s reason for losing the swimming contest?

Chapter 9
1. Beowulf accuses Unferth of something. What is it?
2. Who is Welthow? What does she do at the party?
3. Does Welthow believe Beowulf’s stories? Explain.
4. What does Hrothgar promise Beowulf if he kills Grendel?


Chapter 10
1. Why does Beowulf take off his armor?
2. Are Beowful’s soldiers confident? Explain.
3. What is “God’s dread loom” (l. 696)?

Chapter 11
Between lines 730 and 740, how does the poet predict Grendel’s fate?

Chapter 12
1. How does Beowulf first plan to kill Grendel?
2. Why are Beowulf’s men unable to help him?
3. Is Beowulf victorious over Grendel? Explain.

Beowulf chapters 6 & 7

Chap 6
1. Describe the connection between Hrothgar and Beowulf.
2. Who is "the Danes' high prince and protector"?
3. What’s a “mead-hall?”
4. What is poetic about the description of the deserted Herot?
5. What is Beowulf’s own explanation of why he came to Denmark?
6. What weapons does Beowulf decide to use in fighting the monster? Why?
7. Why does he repeat “If he can”? (l. 444)
8. What do you think is the purpose of lines 447-449?
9. How confident is Beowulf that he will kill Grendel?

Chap 7
1. Who is Edgetho?
2. Why does Hrothgar tell the story in lines 459-472?
3. What are Hrothgar’s religious beliefs? How do you know?
4. What does “to table” mean? (l. 489)

Beowulf Chapters 4 and 5 - Homework due Thursday 2/19

Answer these questions on chapters 4 and 5 (complete sentences, notebook).

Chapter 4
1. What does “unlocking words from deep in his breast” (ll. 258-259) mean?
2. When Beowulf gives his “credentials” to the watchman (ll. 260 & foll.), what information does he give?
3. “A soldier should know the difference between deeds and words, and keep that knowledge clear in his brain.” (ll. 288-290) What is the watchman saying?
4. Why does Beowulf say he’s come to Denmark?
5. What are “mail shirts?” How do we know?
6. How does the watchman remind us of Herot’s importance?
7. How do we know the watchman is a Christian?
8. Look for the following words in the text, and then write down a meaning based on the context:

• mounted
• tar
• gable

Chapter 5

1. How do we know weapons were important in this society?
2. Who is “the Geats’ proud prince?”
3. What does "wait on your word" (l. 364) mean?
4. What does “armor nobly worked” (l. 367) mean?

Themes (big ideas) in Beowulf

leaders
relationship with their followers
what makes a leader?

heroes
What makes a hero?
heroic code

Christianity v. paganism

identity (fame)
how it's earned

wealth


Parts of "Beowulf" are didactic - meant to teach the listener

BEOWULF!

EPIC POEM
•FICTION (not real)

•main character is a hero
•travels great distances to prove his strength in impossible challenges
•supernatural demons and beasts
•Possibly created by scops (Old English poets), in the oral tradition
•Oral tradition = word of mouth, not written down

•Possibly accompanied by harp

WHEN?
•Written down sometime between the 8th and the early 11th centuries
•(Between 900 and 1200 years old!)

•Known only from a single manuscript

WHERE?
•written in England
•Story events happen in what's now Denmark and Sweden (Geatland = Sweden)
•between late 5th and early 7th centuries A.D.

ANGLO-SAXON LITERATURE
•literature written in Anglo-Saxon (Old English)

•mid-5th century to 1066 (the Norman Conquest)

•Old English was the vernacular language

Ordinary people spoke Old English; educated people spoke Latin

"Lunchtime at RMS" rough draft due Monday 2/9!

What I will be looking for in this essay:

• Clear organization, and a smooth trip for the reader
• Your special attitude!
• Strong opening paragraph and closing paragraph
• Vivid description and interesting word choice (not “nice”)
• Correct spelling, verb tense and number, complete sentences

Organization

We discussed several ways you might organize your description of RMS lunchtime.

• The senses
• Paragraph 2: What I see during lunchtime
• Paragraph 3: What I hear during lunchtime
• Paragraph 4: What I smell during lunchtime

• Chronological
• Paragraph 2: Early in the lunch period
• Paragraph 2 Early in the period
• Paragraph 4 End of the period

• Place:
• Paragraph 2: The Beanery
• Paragraph 3: The Cafeteria
• Paragraph 4: The Yard

There might be more!

YOUR special attitude

This is the fun part! What is YOUR statement about lunchtime at RMS? Here are some examples of a “special attitude” toward this topic:

• If you listen to your senses, even lunchtime is amazing.
  RMS lunchtime is a sensory hell
  There’s a weird kind of beauty during lunchtime at RMS.
• Students act like farm animals at feeding time.
• Strange things happen when 450 people get fed at the same time.

Listen to your own thoughts, and take some time with this part. Each one of you is amazingly sassy, creatively strange or wonderfully twisted in some unique way. Your attitude is your VOICE as a writer, and I want to hear it in your writing! Otherwise, I won’t have fun reading it! And you won’t get an A! Hahahahaha!


Your opening paragraph

• Starts the reader on a smooth trip
• Gets the reader’s attention. (Your special attitude is one good way to do this.)
• Tells the reader what you’re going to do, and how your essay will be organized ·
• Gives the reader an idea of your special attitude toward the topic
• Goes from general to specific. Example:

They say dogs are man’s best friends, but I’m not so sure. Some dogs seem to make it their mission in life to prove that statement false. Take my Siberian Husky, for example…

Topic sentences keep the trip smooth, from paragraph to paragraph (transition)

• Keep your main idea going through all the paragraphs.
• Keep the reader focused on your topic and your attitude, but don’t make it dull!

(Examples of dullness:

• Paragraph 2: “What I see when I have lunch is…
• Paragraph 3: “What I taste when I have lunch is…
• Paragraph 4: “What I smell when I have lunch is…”

Yawn.

Here’s a better way:

• Paragraph 2: “First, my eyes are offended by…
• Paragraph 3: “My taste buds are the next to suffer.
• Paragraph 4: “My nose knows not to breathe too deeply…”

What the closing paragraph does

• restates your special attitude
• sends reader back to her/his world
• ends with a pop!

PS: If you're not having fun, you're not doing it right!!!

Finding theme by looking at characters

(homework for Friday, 2/6/09)

DIRECTIONS:

Please read "The Bear at the Door" (below), and then write 1/2 page in your notebook to answer the question:

"What is the theme of this story (the message the author wants us to get)?"

Explain how the characters (their actions, words and interactions with each other) help to get the author's message to the reader.

Questions to think about:

• What is important to the parents?
  Do the parents seem normal?
  What is important to Cindy?
  Does THIS bear seem scary?
  Voices don’t actually have “sharp edges.” Can the “sharp edges” in the bear’s voice actually hurt Cindy?
  What choice does Cindy make at the end?
  What is Cindy’s reaction to something new (the bear)?
  If she had made the opposite choice, what would have happened?
  Why does she make that choice?

HINTS:

• 1. Forget everything you know about bears.
• 2. The theme of this story is about parents and children.

The Bear at the Door

"Are those child safe scissors ?"

"What are child safe scissors ?"

"You know, scissors that are..."

"Too blunt to be of any use ?"

They stand in very close range to one another: husband and wife; father and mother, pro and con. They are locked in each other's gazes and differences and disbeliefs.

Cindy stands beneath them like a vacationer at a mildly interesting tourist attraction of Statues Engaged in Child Rearing Differences. Her stuffed rabbit is a dirty souvenir from a previous visit.

"After you made me put three sets of training wheels on her bike, I really thought you'd let up a little. You know, trust that her world had finally been made completely safe. But you've actually been getting worse. Worse. Aren't you worried about my safety ?"

"What are you talking about ?" she snarls, her arms akimbo.

"The safety of my sanity."

As they bicker through a litany of child safety issues, Cindy wanders out of the kitchen and into the living room. She opens the giant front door of the house to an overweight black bear.

"So can I come in to play or what ?" he whispers in a low growl, as though his throat were full of stones.

"I'm sorry Mr Bear... I'm sorry Mr Bear..."

"Are you afraid of me ?" he whisper growls.

"I'm afraid of the rocks in your throat. I'm not allowed to bring outside things inside. Anyways I'm not supposed to touch rocks. They have sharp edges. Your voice has sharp edges."

"Okay well... do you have any cookies you could get me from the kitchen ?"

And she closes the door on her one possible friend.

Her parents continue to bicker in the fluorescently lit kitchen.

Character and theme are often connected

The "deeper meaning" of a fiction work is often closely related to the struggles and conflicts of characters in the work.

Here's how to figure out a character, and find out what the author is trying to tell you:

• Be focused: What details does the author describe? Not describe? Just because something could possibly happen, that doesn't mean it's the most sensible interpretation!
• Notice character actions and reactions (contrast them with other characters’ actions and reactions);
• Infer character motivations; What are the possible reasons a character acts the way he/she does?
• Understand context: Has the character said or done other things that help you make sense of his (or her) actions?
• Observe changes in a character by the end of the story;
• Ask yourself: "By telling the reader about the struggles of this character (or these characters), what is the author trying to tell me about people in general?"

character traits

• what a character is like on the inside
• examples: careful, impatient, loves animals, likes to control other people
  not examples: hair color, weight, skin color
• A character’s actions, words and thoughts are evidence of character traits
• washes hands often = obsessed with germs
  “Do you need any money?” = generous

• Readers infer character traits from characters’ actions and words
• "What kind of a person would say or do that?"
  

To find out what a character is like on the inside, you have to be part detective and part psychiatrist!

If Jeanne Wakatsuki had kept a scrapbook, what would it look like?

(Final Project on "Farewell to Manzanar")

Background:
People keep scrapbooks so they can preserve the important memories in their lives: significant events, relationships, interests, thoughts and ideas. Into scrapbooks, people paste paper objects: pictures (photos and drawings), things (ticket stubs, event programs, greeting cards, maps, etc.) and written material (newspaper and magazine clippings, handwritten letters and notes) that remind them of the places they’ve been, things they’ve done, and people they’ve known.


About this Project:
You will imagine that you are Jeanne Wakatsuki, and create a scrapbook that she might have created during the time the story takes place. Here’s how you should organize your work:

• Make a list of important events and relationships that Jeanne might have included in her scrapbook.
• Think about what kinds of paper objects might show those events and relationships in a scrapbook. (For example, how would a person preserve the memory of a trip he or she took? Winning first place in a competition? Dinner at a restaurant? A successful year at school? A birthday celebration? A night at the movies? A high school dance?) Be creative!
• Create the materials, and put them on the scrapbook. (You can find images on the internet, or draw pictures yourself).

Grading:

I will grade this project on creativity, neatness, and how well you show your understanding of:

• story events: (at least 6 paper objects) What were the important world events, as well as smaller , more personal events, that affected Jeanne’s life? (Put events in the order they appear in the story.)
• Jeanne’s character: (at least 3 paper objects) What emotions does she feel? What conflicts does she face? What are her interests?
• Jeanne’s relationships (at least 3 paper objects) Who does she feel close to? Who does she fear? Does she have mixed feelings about anyone?
• historical context (at least 3 paper objects) What were society’s attitudes and opinions during the time covered by the story? What was the political situation? (Pictures must show the correct historical setting. For example, hybrid cars did not exist in the 1940s!)
  

On Thursday, 1/8, I will give each student two sheets of black paper. These sheets, folded in half, will create four pages of the scrapbook.

Presentation:

You will present your scrapbook to the class on Wednesday, January 14 and Thursday, January 15. Your oral presentation of the scrapbook will be part of your grade.