A New Book!!

Yeay! We are starting a new unit today - John Knowles' A Separate Peace.

The reading schedule is as follows (the dates are the day the reading is DUE). There will be additional work as well!
12/13-14  - Read Chapter 1 in class
12/15-16  - Chapter 2-3
12/17 - tbd
**winter break**
1/3-4  - chapters 4-6
1/5-6  - chapters 7-8
1/7-10 - chapters 9-10
1/11-12 - chapter 11
1/13-14  - chapter 12-13 (end)
1/17 - **no school**
1/18-19 - review
1/20-21 - In class test/essay

Bible as Literature Take Home Essay

Due to our two snow days this week, I have changed our Bible test to a take home essay. we will work on it in class, and then you will have the weekend to polish it up. Next week, we will start John Knowles' novel, A Separate Peace.

You will have to cut and paste the following link...

https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1Sqm8JxyAhyqVI3xMRXdJkP17ayyNdQgPunQzOm3-Cqs

* Just remember that this is a 2-3 page paper. You are to take the information you gathered, expand upon your points while defending your thesis statement. This is a formal paper, not just an outline of ideas.

**If you are having difficulty - ask yourself this question: "by reading this passage, what does it teach us?"

Homework Schedule

Due Date:
11/19-29 Moses (109-140)

11/30-12/1 Samson and Delilah (161-171)
Ruth (172-179)

12/2-3 The Masque of the Red Death(435-441)

12/6-7 Jesus / Parables (341-344; 353-359; 381-385; 388-394; 416-418)

12/8-9 review

12/10-13 test

12/11-12 begin A Separate Peace

Lego biblical Website & homework for next week

Go to: www.thebricktestament.com

Homework for Mon and Tues:
After reading the play "Cain' (41-56), write an essay based on question #9. Make sure that you have a topic sentence/thesis (given in the question); give examples from the text; and explain how the examples support your point.

Homework for 11/10-11/12

Homework:

a)    read Twain (p 29-35)

b)   Find a work of art (any medium) that depicts any aspect of the Creation, Garden of Eden, or the Fall (Genesis passages that we read). Print out image.

c)    Write a paragraph that evaluates the work of art in its depiction of the biblical story. What are the similarities and differences? What figures are most common? What is the mood or emotions that are depicted?

a.     Make sure your paragraph has a topic sentence, unity, and sentence variation. It should be a complete paragraph in that it introduces the subject matter, illustrates your point, and explains how your illustration supports your point. (PIE)

b.     Proofread!!

D) Staple work of art to your paragraph.

For Nov 8-9

No Homework unless....
a) I missed collecting your papers b/c I went home sick. You could look at them ONE more time.
b) You need to complete your self-evaluation
c) You need to finish your paper.
Which ever option applies to you, have a good weekend!

Homework for 11/1-11/4

You are to have a printed out draft of your paper for class!
Classes will be in a writing workshop mode: peer review, self-editing, conferences with me.
Final drafts are due Thursday!!! (no homework over the long weekend!)

Homework for 10/27-28

Work on Argumentative Essay!
You are to have: 1) topic; 2) thesis statement (topic, assertion, "so what?"); 3) brief outline of essay

This paper will be due soon, so I suggest you front-load the work (do most of it NOW!), so you will have time to edit and revise.

Paper due - Thursday, November 4th (for both even and odd days!!)

Homework for 10/22-25

WORK ON RE-WRITES!!!!!

Re-writes are due on 10/25 & 10/26!!!

Quarter 1 syllabus

Go HERE for the syllabus for October 18th to Nov 4th

Homework for 10/18-19

1) Read Transitions (192-195) and Becoming a Writer (202-205).
2) Complete your essay re-write for submission in class - make sure you look at transitions and tone/diction. (look at 1st sidebar for all that you should have worked on for your essay)

*Your paper MUST be printed before class or it will be considered LATE! (see 2nd sidebar note)

Homework for 10.14-15

In class - we read the chapter "Effective Sentences" and in groups presented the six different effective sentence types. I also gave you a handout that presents a number of different ways to start a sentence that does away with the traditional subject+verb format.
Homework:
1) read Childhood (222-225) and My House (233-236)
2) For your essay that you are re-writing, choose at least 5 sentences and re-write using the sentence types from the chapter. Be prepared to present them to the class.

Homework for 10/12-13

Please re-read the chapter "Beginnings and Endings"; then write two new beginnings for the essay you are re-writing. Next week, you will partner up and share your written beginnings.
Have a great long weekend!

Homework for 10/7-8

You deserve a break from all the writing you have completed these past few weeks. 1-2 pages a night is tough to accomplish and you should be proud of yourself. The reason I had you do that is so that both you and I can get a handle of your writing style and areas that we can work on for improvement.

Homework:
You completed your self-assessment letter to yourself, outlining pieces of which you thought were the best and worst, as well as your top five for areas to work on and what you do well.

Now choose a piece in your writing folder that you would like to revise...that's it!

See you in class.

Homework for Monday 10/4 and Tuesday 10/5

Those who had class on Friday 10/1
Homework:
a. read No Mercy (101-103)
b. Suggested Writing Assignment #2 (p 106)

For those who had class on Thursday 9/29
Homework
a. Read Zissner article (173-176)
c. Writing Assignment (this is different than what is on the syllabus)
i. p. 179 #2 – write a brief essay (1-2 pages) analyzing your need to simplify some aspect of your life.

Essay #1 - Obstacle in Life

Ok, your first essay is to write about an obstacle you or someone you know has overcome. Here are some things to think about:

• title - be creative and have it have some connection to your essay topic
• subject - this obstacle does not need to be HUGE or life changing; think small; think about a memory you have (those tend to stick with you), think about family stories...
• Thesis - Helen Keller's thesis was her first sentence and her intro paragraph was only 3 sentences - but they were poignant and directive. Be clear.
• Body Paragraphs - Show, don't tell. Use metaphors. Look at how you or the person was before and after the obstacles. What changes occurred? How are they different?
• Re-read Helen Keller's essay and look at how she structured it. Very clear, precise, and unified.

Welcome!

This is going to be a GREAT year (2010-11)!

This blog will be helpful in a number of ways for your English class. There is a calendar link that will outline the 9th grade curriculum so you will know when major assignments are due. The English syllabus will also be posted. so make sure you come back here to check it out.

Can't wait to meet you!


Ms. Strickland