Welcome back!  I hope it was a fun and restful Thanksgiving Break!

This week:

Animal Farm by George Orwell:  On Monday, you’ll be receiving a copy of this book and a reading schedule.  We’ll be doing some preliminary reading activities.  See the “Animal Farm” page for more details.

Also on Monday, you’ll be completeing a pre-End-of-Course Test.  The URL for the EOCT rview can be found under “Blogroll” and the passwords will be given to you in class.  Complete activities as a review for the EOCT at home and earn credit to replace lowest quiz grade.  We’ll be reviewing in class for the EOCT on Tuesday and Wednesday.  The EOCT test is scheduled to be taken on Thursday and Friday, Dec. 4th and 5th.  Please try not to miss class on these days!

We’ll continue to read, analyze and discuss poetry.  Don’t forget that the Poetry Notebook is due next week.

Our last major unit is The Odyssey, which is in your textbook.  We’ll review the background mythology you read and discuss it as it relates to the epic poem, The Odyssey.  We will do this reading mainly in class.

No new SAT vocabulary this week!  We’ll take a test over 100 words on Thursday. 

Poetry:  The Poetry Notebook is due on December 10th, but start working on it now as it is a lengthy project.  We’ll be examining poems in class in small groups all week.

Mythology:  As a preparation for reading The Odyssey in class after Thanksgiving break, you’ll read the following chapters in the mythology book: chapters 1, 2 (through major dieties only) ,and chapter 13.  You do not need to read the study applications.  Take notes.  We’ll have an open-note quiz on Friday.

After Thanksgiving:  You’ll be reading Animal Farm as a parallel reading. I’ll supply the books on Monday.

No vocabulary this week.  Final vocabulary (#12) will be next week.

We will finish Romeo and Juliet this week.  The test is Friday (11/14).

House on Mango Street research is due on Tuesday (11/11),

No vocabulary this week!

Monday: House on Mango Street take home quiz is due.  Complete House on Mango Street for Friday.  You’ll take a test on Friday.  Also on Friday, you’ll be working on the research page for House on Mango Street this will be due next Tuesday (11/11).

Tuesday: NO SCHOOL– Election Day

The remainder of the week we’ll be reading Romeo and Juliet together in class.