Friday 9/29 Reading Immersion

Learning Target

Read self-selected texts

Daily Activity:

Reading immersion.

Reminders/Due Dates:

Bring reading materials on Fridays. To make up Friday reading, read for 35 minutes in Hornet Hour, Study Hall, or at home. Have your teacher or parent verify by note or email that you spent quality time reading! This reading should be self-selected texts, not school work, unless you have consulted me prior.

Thurs 9/29 Grendel/Vocab Quiz

Thursday 9/29

September 29

Learning Target

Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts 

Daily Activity:

1. Vocab quiz: Unit 2 
2. Read "Beowulf"  p. 42-45.
Small group work: "Grendel" and "Beowulf"
*Make a bullet list of details:

Examine the details, ask questions of the text: What do we learn about Grendel and Beowulf in the text?

Things to consider:

What are his strengths?

What are his struggles?

What does the speaker of this poem want us to know about life in this society? List details that point to their characters and values.

Wed 9/28 "Publish" Writing #1

September 28

Learning Target

Daily Activity:

Creatively present your writing. Take care to show care and use at least one image on the product. Due Friday to post outside the classroom.

Reminders/Due Dates:
Bring literature text to class this week.

Tues 9/27: Grendel

Tuesday 9/27

September 27

Learning Target

Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts 

Daily Activity:
1. Daily Journal/Discussion: TV Violence

Journal: Many people believe that television violence has a negative effect on society because it promotes violence. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your response. 
Brief discussion
2. Vocab corrections (10 pts.)
3. Audio: "Grendel" in text: p. 38

Reminders/Due Dates:
Bring literature text to class this week.
"Take What You Need" final due Wed. Two typed copies. Make sure it is revised, typed, error free.

Mon 9/26 Beowulf: Grendel

Monday 9/26

Anglo Saxon England

Learning Target
Gain context knowledge reading for selections in Unit 1

Daily Activity:

1. Journal, Nature of Evil: Unlike the monsters in Beowulf, those in our world are not always easy to identify. Evil can hide in the most unexpected places: behind a smiling face, between the lines of a law, in otherwise noble-sounding words. Even when evil is clearly exposed, people may disagree on how to confront it.
What does evil mean to you? Write your own definition of the word, and provide some examples of real-life monsters.

2. Read 34-37 in the text and define the following in your notes. Provide an example: 
epic, archetype, allegory,  kenning, alliteration, caesura

Explain/define the following characters from Beowulf
Beowulf, Grendel, Heorot, Hrothgar, Higelac,
thane; so, who would Higelac's thane be?

3. Read 38-41 in text: "Grendel"

Reminders/Due Dates:

Typed revision due Wed., Writing Assignment #1

Fri 9/23 Reading Immersion

Learning Target

Read self-selected texts

Daily Activity:

Reading immersion.

Reminders/Due Dates:

Bring reading materials on Fridays. To make up Friday reading, read for 35 minutes in Hornet Hour, Study Hall, or at home. Have your teacher or parent verify by note or email that you spent quality time reading! This reading should be self-selected texts, not school work, unless you have consulted me prior.

Thurs 9/22 Unit 2 Vocab

Thursday 9/22: Vocab Unit #2

September 15

Learning Target
Language use and vocabulary development. I can determine the meaning of words from context, literal and figurative.

Daily Activity:

1. Quiz: Vocab Unit #1

2. Complete vocabulary Unit #2. Due at the end of the hour--10 points. See me to check out the work. You should complete the answers on separate notebook paper. (Skip sections 1 and 4.) Please do not write on the photocopy. The word sheet is yours to keep and study with--test, one week (Thursday, 9/29).

Please bring reading materials tomorrow.

Reminders/Due Dates:

Final revised writing piece due Wed. 9/28--two copies. One for me to read and one for you to creatively present. Bring anything you need other than colored paper, markers, scissors, glue/tape.

Wed 9/21 Peer Review

Learning Target: 
Writing process
Conventions of English

Daily Activity:
Peer Review Writing Assignment #1
Two copies-15 points for having the draft in class, on time.
You will need to show the writing process on final submission, so ask a classmate to review your work and make suggestions. Show me your draft prior to this so that you get credit for having it in on time.

Reminders/Due Dates:

Vocab test Unit #1 Thursday

Tues 9/20 Clash of the Gods

Learning Target: I can analyze multiple interpretations of literature, evaluating other people's interpretations of a common text.

Daily Activity:

Documentary: Clash of the Gods: Beowulf

We completed viewing and took Cornell notes on the material. This information will be necessary for completing the summative assessment on Beowulf.

Reminders/Due Dates:

Two copies of writing assignment #1 due on Wed, typed.

Mon 9/19 Intro: English Lit and Beowulf

Learning Target: I can analyze multiple interpretations of literature, evaluating other people's interpretations of a common text.

Daily Activity:
Mini-lesson: cultural literarcy
When I say "Big Brother is watching, "what does that mean to you? Discuss

1.Journal: Read the introductory pages in the English Lit text, pp. 2-3. (Big ideas: the value of studying English literature.) For each major idea (4) draw a doodle that would help you to recall the concepts (sketching through text).
2. Documentary: Clash of the Gods: Beowulf
We view 10 minutes and took Cornell notes on the material.

Reminders/Due Dates:

Two copies of writing assignment #1 due on Wed, typed.

Fri 9/16 Reading Immersion

Learning Target

Read self-selected texts

Daily Activity:

Reading immersion.

Reminders/Due Dates:

Bring reading materials on Fridays. To make up Friday reading, read for 35 minutes in Hornet Hour, Study Hall, or at home. Have your teacher or parent verify by note or email that you spent quality time reading! This reading should be self-selected texts, not school work, unless you have consulted me prior.

Thurs 9/15 Vocab

Thursday 9/15: Vocab Unit #1

September 15

Learning Target
Language use and vocabulary development. I can determine the meaning of words from context, literal and figurative.

Daily Activity:

Complete vocabulary Unit #1. Due at the end of the hour--10 points. See me to check out the work. You should complete the answers on separate notebook paper. (Skip sections 1 and 4.) Please do not write on the photocopy. The word sheet is yours to keep and study with--test, one week (Thursday, 9/22).

Please bring reading materials tomorrow.

Reminders/Due Dates:
Focused, minimum paragraph, typed. Due by Wed, 9/21.

Wed 9/17 Intro: Writing Assignment

September 13

Learning Target
I can write in complete sentences and maintain clear focus while following English language conventions.

I can listen respectfully and work thoughtfully in small groups.
Daily Activity:
Intro: Take What You Need/Colors writing assignment (handouts). Samples: discuss their qualities . . . .
The goal is to focus, use vivid detail, and to produce a polished product with NO errors. You may also choose to do a poem based on the Myers-Briggs activity.
*See additional notes on the board . . . 

Reminders/Due Dates:
Focused, minimum paragraph, typed. Due by Wednesday, 9/21. Bring two copies.

Tues 9/13 "Colors" and Writing Assignment

September 13

Learning Target
I can write in complete sentences and maintain clear focus while following English language conventions.

I can listen respectfully and work thoughtfully in small groups.
Daily Activity: "Colors" (Myers-Briggs Personality Assessment)
Journal: after completing the Myers-Briggs worksheet, review the information packet, pick out several details that resonate with you and explain/describe with specifics how it does or does not fit you.

Reminders/Due Dates:
Focused, minimum paragraph, typed. Due by Wednesday, 9/21.

Mon 9/12 Take What You Need

September 12

Learning Target
I can write in complete sentences and maintain clear focus while following English language conventions.

I can listen respectfully and work thoughtfully in small groups.
Daily Activity:

Journal for Monday, 9/12:

Youth and Luxury

“The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers.”

Small Group Work and Discussion: personal vignettes/stories

"Take What You Need" ice breaker.

Reminders/Due Dates:
Focused, minimum paragraph, typed. Due by Monday, 9/19.

Friday 9/9 Reading Immersion

Learning Target

Read self-selected texts

Daily Activity:

Reading immersion.

Reminders/Due Dates:

Bring reading materials on Fridays. To make up Friday reading, read for 35 minutes in Hornet Hour, Study Hall, or at home. Have your teacher or parent verify by note or email that you spent quality time reading! This reading should be self-selected texts, not school work, unless you have consulted me prior.

Thurs 9/8 Building Community

September 8

Learning Target

I can ............

Daily Activity:

Journal: Three things I'd like to accomplish/do/change this year. Discuss, explain, include detail. How will this make your life (whatever, fill in the blank) better. Give reasons.
*Please make this journal up and show it to me when complete if absent. Five points. I expect to see well-developed responses.)

Class policies. Policies are posted on my Big Lake teacher web page. 

Reminders/Due Dates:

Wed, 9/7 First Day

September 7

Learning Target

I can ............

Daily Activity:

Book checkout and brief introductions. Syllabus. Blog address. Locations of handouts (housekeeping).

Reminders/Due Dates: