Vocabulary #4 this week:  Sentences due Thursday; quiz Friday.

The House on Mango Street: You need have the book read by Monday.  We’ll be taking a test on Monday.

We’ll continue watching Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 movie version of The Birds.  Take notes, as you will be writing, comparing the story and movie, at the completion of the film.

We’ll continue reading and discussing stories: ”The Interlopers” and “The Necklace.”

Vocabulary #3 this week:  Sentences due Thursday; quiz Friday.

Short Stories:  We’ll continue reading “The Most Dangerous Game.”  We’ll be reading several more stories in this unit.  See the Short Story page for all information.

The House on Mango Street:  Read through page 69 by Tuesday, 1/27 and complete the take-home quiz.  The remainder of the book is due on Monday, 2/2.  We’ll take a test in class on that day.

Get a copy of To Kill A Mockingbird  (or I can provide one for you).  We’ll begin this novel next week.

Vocabulary #2 this week:  Sentences due Thursday; quiz Friday.

Rough draft of memoir is due Tuesday:  We’ll be discussing revision and editing tecniques and MLA format.  The revised, edited, and correctly formatted final copy of the memoir is due Friday, 1/23.

Summer reading: Test and project due on Wednesday (1/21).

We’ll continue to read The House on Mango Street; then you’ll be on your own.  Read through page 69  by next Tuesday and complete the take-home quiz.

We’ll begin a short story unit this week.  Bring textbooks on Thursday.  We’ll be starting with the story “The Most Dangerous Game.”

On Monday this week, you’ll get the first ten vocabulary words and their definitions.  Write a sentence for each word, using it correctly and providing a context clue.  Sentences are due Thursday and we’ll share them in class.  Also on Thursday we’ll be working on an analogy packet to prepare for Friday’s quiz.  There will be one analogy problem on each vocabulary quiz throughout the semester.  If you are absent, you can access the packet from the vocabulary page on this blog.

We’ll continue our unit on description and using specific, interesting words and figurative language in writing.  You’ll be sharing the showing paragraph you started on Friday and finished for homework.  We’ll be reading examples, including an excerpt from Stephen King’s novel, On Writing.  After we review the writing process and brainstorm ideas as a class, you will begin writing  a memoir.  The rough draft of this paper is due Tuesday, 1/20.