Week 12

Monday:  Research Papers Due today!!!  Remember, it's one letter grade off for each day that it is late, so the 10 of you in 1st Block, the 10 of you in 2nd Block, and the 13 of you in 4th Block who did not turn in their Giant Research Paper today MUST turn in your paper by Tuesday if you want to get a good grade in this class.  This is a MAJOR assignment (hey, isn't there something in the syllabus about using errand passes or tickets to turn in major assignments late?), and if you don't turn it in at all, or turn it in too late, you will probably fail the class.

9th Grade had a Make Up Work Day.  Students who had no make up work were rewarded appropriately.

American Lit reviewed for the EOCT by going through the major characteristics of the various periods we've covered, and created a graphic organizer for our notes.  You can find the template here.  So far we've covered Native American, Early Explorers, Puritan, Age of Reason, Romantic, Gothic, and Transcendentalism.

Tuesday:  American Lit will have a test on Transcendentalism.  9th Grade will begin their drama unit.  Click here for a copy of the Romeo and Juliet Notes Handout, if you need to print another one.

Wednesday:  American Lit will have a Make Up Work Day.  Students who have no make up work will be rewarded appropriately.

Thursday:  3 Units of Vocabulary will be checked.  Unit 9, 10, and 11.

Friday:  Unit 11 Vocabulary Test.  Activators and Grammar Bites 50-59 due.

Monday:  Reading Logs due.

American Lit will begin their Presentations.

Change in Plans

Due to events beyond all of our control, we're going to revise our gameplan.

Thursday: Still meet in the Writing Lab, however, we will be taking the Benchmark before we can begin typing.  Because of this, the due date for your Research Papers will be pushed back to Friday, October 28th at the end of class. 

Friday: Still meet in the Writing Lab, this will be a day to work on your Research Papers, however you need to finish before the end of the day.  You should have time to start on your projects, so if you are doing something physical (ie: not on the computer), you need to bring your materials so you can work on this in class.

American Lit, your Transcendentalism Test (with a splash of the Romantic) will be moved back to Monday, October 31st.

9th Lit, we'll be starting Romeo and Juliet on Monday.  Casting set on Monday, if you don't have a part, you are the chorus.

Thank you all for your patience and flexibility.  I really hope none of you caught the bug I have.  If any one wishes to donate more hand sanitizer to the classroom, it would be greatly appreciated (with tickets).

Week 11

Click here to find a copy of the letter sent home today.  I expect this letter signed and returned by Wednesday, October 26th.

Deadlines:  All make up work that will show up on the Progress Report must be turned in by Monday, October 31st.

The final deadline for any makeup work for the semester is Monday, November 7th.  No exceptions.

We will be in the Writing Lab on Thursday and Friday.

Research Papers are due, printed, in class, with the rubric, on Friday at the beginning of class.

9th Grade Lit
Monday:  Poetry Test.
Tuesday-Wednesday:  Romeo and Juliet
Thursday: Writing Lab for Research Papers
Friday:  Writing Lab for Research Projects

American Lit
Monday-Tuesday: Transcendentalism
Wednesday: Transcendentalism vs. Romantics Test
Thursday: Writing Lab for Research Papers
Friday:  Writing Lab for Research Projects

9th Grade Poetry Test on Monday

As a reminder, the 9th Grade Poetry Test will be a similar test to the Benchmark and the EOCT.  It will not be about specific poems, but about how to analyze poetry.

You should have notes for The Raven, The Road Not Taken, Casey at the Bat, Dream Deferred, Dreams, Macavity, 3 Haiku, and the Dead Poets Society.  You should also have your Key Vocabulary Sheet.

Have a great weekend!

Poetry Contest!

1st Place Prize—Alienware M11x Laptop
2nd Place Prize—Inspiron duo Tablet PC
3rd Place Prize—Dell Streak 7 Android Tablet
Write an original haiku in an unrhyming, 5-7-5 style that answers the question: What adventures does your future hold?
Submit your haiku at http://www.scholastic.com/dellhaiku. Deadline: 11/18/11.
Check back in December 2011 to see the winning haiku!

Activator and Grammar Bite 48

Today we are in the library to learn about MLA style and start typing up our drafts of our reaseach paper.  Why is it important to say where you got the information you got for your research paper?  Why do you think you need to copy down more than just the title of the book or a web address?  (Hint: perhaps something to do with the validity of the source?)

GB48:  Copy the sentences and underline the adverbs.

1. After 1st Block, you should go directly to the auditorium.  (This is a false statement.)
2. You need to have your research papers finished so work quickly, quietly, and diligently.  (This is a true statement.)
3. All of your makeup work is due on October 31st if you want it to appear on the progress report, so make sure your work is completely done by then.

The goal for today is to complete your Works Cited page.  When you finish your Works Cited page, work on typing up your draft above your Works Cited in the same Word Document.   Make sure you include your in-text citations (for 9th grade, this should pretty simple, for American Lit, please be careful and diligent!) every time you quote or paraphrase a source. 

Remember, your papers are due at the beginning of class on Friday, October 28th, NEXT FRIDAY!!!

Giant Research Paper Introduction and Purpose

Hello All,

As always in any paper, you need an introduction that introduces what you're going to be talking about in your paper.  The main question you want to answer in your introduction is, "What is the purpose of my paper?"

For 9th Grade Lit, remember your purpose is not to create a biography!  It is to compare and contrast 3 sources of text that all talk about the same topic (whoever you are researching).

For American Lit, remember your purpose is to tell me why this person is important enough to write a paper about.  Let me know them a little, tell me why I should care about them at all.

Week 10

Hello All

Today is day 45 of the semester!  We are exactly half way through!

Makeup Work Announcement:  All make up work due in the first 1/2 of the semester has a final deadline of Monday, November 7th.  Any work due before today, Monday, October 17th that is turned in after Monday, November 7th will not be accepted.  However, if you want the makeup work to reflect on your next progress report, it must be turned in by Monday, October 31st. 

Deadlines and Locations:

Monday:  In class writing of research paper.  I hope you brought your notes!  The alternative assignment is not happy.  9th Grade, last day for poetry presentations (today is technically late).

Tuesday-Wednesday:  9th will continue with the poetry unit.  American Lit will continue with Transcendentalism.

Thursday:  Final day in Library for an MLA workshop.  Meet in library, not the classroom.  Check in with Ms. Bundschu to be counted present.  Vocabulary workbook due.

Friday:  Meet in Writing Lab, 146.  Vocabulary quiz (20 original sentences may be used as "Open Notes.").  Work on Publishing your Research Papers.  Activators and Grammar Bites Due.  9th Grade Activators, American Lit Activators, Grammar Bites.

Monday:  Reading Logs Due.  9th Poetry Test.  American Literature Transcendentalism Test this week. 
Friday:  Research Papers Due.

Week 9

Hello All!

On Monday, 9th Grade worked through Langston Hughes, while American Lit wrote thank you letters to our overseas soldiers.  Click here for instructions for the letters.

On Tuesday, the 9th Grade continued with their Poetry Presentations, which will continue through Thursday.  American Lit finished up Romance and moved on to Transcendentalism.

On Wednesday, 1st and 2nd block will be replaced by the PSAT and a diagnostic test in homeroom.  Everyone should report directly to homeroom.  4th Block will begin Transcnendentalism.

On Thursday, American Lit will begin talking about the Transcendentalists.  Click here for a copy of the handout I'll pass out on Thursday.

On Friday, we will have an in class writing day.  Students are expected to bring a printed copy of their finished notes for their Research Papers so that they can begin to draft their paper in class.  You do not want to do the alternative assignment, please bring in your finished notes!!!  Even if you don't bring in your notes, you'll still have to do the regular essay, on top of a different, unpleasent, in class assignment. 

Other notes:  Vocabulary workbook work is due on Tuesday.  On Friday, you may bring in 20 original sentences using the vocabulary words to use as notes for your open note vocabulary quiz for unit 8.

Giant Research Paper Progress American Lit

To clarify what is due when on your Research Project, here are some deadlines.

By today (your rubric said Tuesday, so you have until today), you have to have 5 (or more) sources, copy the citation information (either copy the MLA style, or copy down the 5/6 things that you need to cite that source).

By today, you have to "share" your Google Doc of those sources with me at Mrs.Bundschu at gmail dot com.  (Written like this because I don't want spam.)

On the same document, you will write, under each source 1-4.  In this document, you will write your notes for each of the sources, for each of the sections of your paper. 

Your final notes, (i.e.: 5 sources and notes 1-4, with all of the information you need for your checklist for your paper) are due in class, printed or saved on your laptop, in class on Friday, October 17th.

Here is an example of what is due today, and next week.  The first page is the minimum of what needs to be in my inbox by today.  The second page is a example of a work in progress towards next week, as well as how NOT to write your notes.  The third page is a perfect example of ONE source for what you need to bring in to class on Friday, October 17th.

Activators and Grammar Bites, Set 4

Activators and Grammar Bites, Set 4 can now be found:

9th Grade

American Lit

Grammar Bites

Reading Logs due Monday!

Updates

1) 9th Grade, I'm pushing your Poetry Presentations back to next Monday, because of the opportunity to be in the Writing Lab tomorrow.  Let's focus on completing what we can while we have the computers.

2)  You may notice there's another Discussion Board.  While I'll be monitoring this board, it's for you to use.  Keep it polite and clean.

Giant Research Project!

Click here for a copy (again) of the Research Rubric for 9th Lit or  American Lit (Due dates are on the Rubric!)

Click here for a list of who is doing which topic. (Or, who you need to talk to for help.)

Click Here for an example of how to write your notes if you are in 9th Lit.

Click Here for an example of how to write your notes if you are in American Lit.

Missing Assignment Report

Hello All!

Students were sent home with a Missing Assignment Report today, detailing everything they just haven't turned in.  Unless it's a reading log or the summer reading essay, they are allowed to turn in everything late, for a penalty.  A grade that is reduced due to tardiness is so much better than a zero.

As I said at the beginning of the year, if you do the work, follow the directions and do the work, you will pass.  If you don't, you can't.

I'm looking forward to a lot of late submissions, and a bunch of future work that is turned in on time.

(If you are one of the students who is actually doing their work, and turning it in on time, thank you.  You are awesome.)

Week 8

Hello everybody!

This week is a big week because this week we are beginning our research projects.  There are 3 MAJOR things you need to know about this week.

1. Your projects
9th Grade find your research project instructions/rubric/checklist here.  You've been given one in class, but if you need another copy, then you can print it from here.

American Lit find your research project instructions/rubric/checklist here.  You've been given one in class, but if you need another copy, then you can print it from here.

2.  Your Study Groups

Click here to find a list of all of the Research Groups, and who everyone is researching.  Scroll down to reach your class.
3. Vocabulary
Since we're not going to be in the room all that much this week, your vocabualry quiz will be a little different this week.

On Friday, you must turn in 20 unique, original sentences, each using one of the Unit 7 vocaublary words (underline it!), in order.  These must be your own sentences (not from the book, or the internet, or your friend), and they must correctly use the vocabulary word.  You may use more than one word in one sentence, but I'll only be grading the word that matches the number.

4.  The Gameplan
Monday--Meet in class, move to the library
Tuesday--Meet in class, move to the library 
Wednesday--Project Presentations or Test (depending on your class)
Thursday--Project Presentations or Literature
Friday--Meet in Writing Lab to work on Research (your Final drafts are due, but we won't be taking time in class to work on them!)