SAT vocabulary #10:  Sentences due Thursday; quiz, Friday.

“Buried Alive” paper (story) is due on Wednesday, 10/29.

House on Mango Street: We start reading in class on Monday; then you’re on your own.  First 69 pages, along with take-home quiz, are due on Monday, 11/3. Final pages due on Thursday, 11/6. 

Romeo and Juliet:  On Tuesday you’ll be reading the background of Shakespeare, the Renaissance theater, and Romeo and Juliet. Take good Cornell-style notes on the reading.  On Wednesday, you’ll take an open-note quiz over the reading.  After some pre-reading activities, we’ll read the play together in class.

No SAT vocabulary this week!

We will review the comma test on Monday and students who did not make 85% or above (or anyone who would like to try to improve their score) can re-take the test.

We will finish the short story unit this week.  On Monday we will review the story and assignment about it from Friday, “The Interlopers.” We will read two additional stories:  “The Scarlet Ibis” and “The Cask of Amontillado.”  There will be a creative writing assignment associated with the “Cask” story which will be due next week.  See the “Buried Alive” assignment page for further details.  The unit test for short stories will be Friday.  See the short story page for a review of the stories we read in class as well as the terms associted with the unit.

SAT vocabulary #9 this week.  Sentences due Thursday; Quiz, Friday.

Commas:  The page on commas with quotations, compounds, and clauses is due Monday (10/13).  We’ll go over that page and the page with the rules for commas with addresses, etc.  I’ll assign a comma review for homework.  It’s due Tuesday (10/14).  On Tuesday we’ll go over the review; then we’ll take a comma test.  Remember:  You must make at least 85% on the test.  You can re-take the test until you do (or until you get the grade you want.)

Short Stories:  The “Birds” compare/ contrast written project is due on Wednesday.  We’ll be continuing to read short stories this week. The unit test over short stories is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday next week (10/22).

SAT vocabulary 8 this week.  Sentences due Thursday; quiz, Friday.

We’ll take a punctuation pre-test on Monday and start a comma unit this week.  We’ll be working on comma rules for the first 15 minutes or so of class every day.  This unit will end in a test next week.

We’ll continue to read short stories.  This week Daphne Du Maurier’s “The Birds” is on the agenda.  We’ll be discussing the plot, setting and characterization of this story.  Then, we’ll watch Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 movie The Birds.  You’ll be completing a creative writing assignment, comparing the story and film.