Week 13--Unofficial Progress Report

I hope everyone has a fantastic Spring Break!  When we come back well be finishing up the tail-end of the American Renaissance by reading a short story about the Civil War, then moving on to our Their Eyes Were Watching God Novel Study.  I'm really excited about it.

The rest of this post will be a giant reminder of upcoming deadlines and requirements:

1. The final day that I will accept late work for the 2nd 6 weeks in Tuesday, April 10th. 
2. Students were given an Unofficial Progress Report today in preparation for the latework deadline and the upcoming Official Progress Report.  Please sign and return this the Monday we return.
3. Your Narrative Essay is due on Friday, April 13th.  You need to submit your first draft to Essay Scorer ASAP! so that you'll have time to revise and edit it.  Remember, if you want to pass this essay, you'll need an overall score of 5 or higher.  As stated on the Instructions, your Narative Essay must be submitted first on Essay Scorer AND on Turnitin.com.  Essays only submitted to one or the other will not be graded, as they did not follow the requirements.
4. Your Extra Credit Narrative Essay is due on the same day with the same requirements.
5. After we finish the Civil War (shouldn't take us the week), we'll be moving on to our Their Eyes Were Watching God Novel Study.  For this Unit, you'll need a 3-prong folder, and it is recommended for you to obtain your own copy of the novel by Zora Neale Hurston.
6. When we get back, we'll be starting our EOCT practice on USA Test Prep.  The first 3 assignments will be due when we're in the Writing Lab (Wed for 3rd and 4th, Thurs for 1st).  You must be signed up for USA Test Prep in order to complete the assignment.

All instructions and links are on the Resource page.

The word of the week is "centrifugal force."  If you write it on a scrap of paper and give it (secretly) to me, you'll earn a ticket.  You'll get an extra ticket if you tell me a common place that you can go to experience centrifugal force.  This work of the week expires on Tuesday.

Upcoming Reading and Required Materials

When we come back from the break we will begin our first novel unit.  As a class we will be reading Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.

While I do have a class set I can provide during class, I do not have enough copies to allow students to check them out and take them home.  It is recommended, but not required, for you to purchase or rent from the library, your own copy of the book, in case you need to reread or utilize the book outside of class.

During our reading of the novel, we will be taking notes differently.  The culminating product for this unit will be a Reading Folder, which will house a variety of notes and activities.  For this project, each student must have a 3 prong folder.  This 3 prong folder may be recycled from another project, or students may get together to share a pack purchased from an office supply store, however, the 3 prong folder itself is a requirement.  3 ring binders and pocket folders will not be acceptable.  We will begin to use these folders the week we return from Spring Break.

Week 12--2nd 6 weeks late work deadline

Only one more week until Spring Break!  You can do it!  Don't give up!

This week we'll be finishing Transcendentalism, utilizing our notes handout.  There will be a Unit Test on Thursday, March 29, although we'll be moving on to the Civil War earlier in the week. 

The next deadline for late work is coming up after the break.  All work due between 2/29 and 4/10 will be accepted (with the penalty of 1 letter off per day) until 4/10.  No work due in the 2nd 6 weeks will be accepted after that deadline.

This week's word of the week is "Eagle Nebula."  Write it on a scrap of paper with your name on it, and you'll get a ticket.  You'll get an extra ticket if you tell me which constillation it's found in, and a 3rd ticket if you tell me what's so special about it.

Week 11--Attendence Reports

The AC is fixed!!!  As promised, 3rd block will meet in room 001 for A lunch, then move back to the classroom for the rest of the day on Monday.  All other classes, and subsequent classes, will meet in the trailer.

This week is the week of the GHSGT.  I know that a lot of students are missing many days this week.  As always, if you are not in class, you are still responsible for all daily and classwork.  The Activators and Reading Reflection questions are updated on the Resource page.  This week we continuing through the Unit's reading (listed below).  As we finish the notes in class, they will be uploaded to the Resource Page as well.

[edit: Because we have so many students out for the GHSGT, I've uploaded a copy of a students' notes (completed) for "Song of Hiawatha," "Thanatopsis," and "The Raven" on the Resource Page for your reference.]

We will have a quiz over "The Song of Hiawatha," "Thanatopsis," and "The Raven" on Friday.

The Word of the Week is "Schrodinger's Cat."  Write it on a scap of paper with your name on it for a ticket.  You'll get an extra ticket if you explain what it means.

[edit:  Oops!  Forgot to say that I sent home mid-semester Attendence Reports last Friday.  If they turn them in, there's an extra credit opportunity!  Students who didn't receive one, because they've never been tardy nor absent, automatically received the extra credit and were exempt from the assignment in Pinnacle with an "X".]

3rd and 4th Blocks only!

Until the AC is fixed:

3rd Block will be in room 001 (behind the cafeteria).

4th Block will be in trailer 7 (across the boardwalk and one to the left).

See you there!

1st Block's location will not change, as it doesn't get hot until the afternoon.

At least the compressor blew out this early--it could have happened much later in the year, or during testing week!

Electives Sign Up

It's that time of year again to sign up for your electives for next year.

We're doing things differently this year.  The Course Catalogue is online only, and you need to look up the classes you want to take before your appointment time in room 512 (basement of Magnet Building).

Click here to find your homeroom's signup time.

What you need to bring with you during your signup appointment:

A piece of paper with the following information:

1.  Your first and last name
2.  Your student ID number
3.  Your six choices for electives for next year--you must list the Course Name AND the Course Number!

Come prepared!

Instructions for Registering for Electives

Below are the instructions for registering for electives for next year.

Upcoming Reading--The American Renaissance Unit

In case you miss a day,  below are the texts from the textbook that we will cover for this Unit.  Remember, in this class, when a text is listed, the informational text that comes before and after the text is concidered part of your required reading.

Song of Hiawatha
Thanatopsis
The Raven
(quiz)
Nature
Self-Reliance
Civil Disobediance

Have a happy Tuesday!

Week 10

We are half-way through the semester! 

This week we are finishing up our Research: American Poetry Unit and moving into the American Renaissance Unit.  The first handout of notes is already on the Research Page, but you'll be getting a copy in class.

There will be an Open Note Grammar Quiz on Monday, which students should be prepared for, if they've been actively participating in their Daily Grammar Practice.

The word of the week is "proximal phalanges." Write it on a scap of paper with your name on it for a ticket.  You'll get an extra ticket if you tell me what it means and where it's located. 

As always, keep up with the calendar for upcoming deadlines and events.

Week 9--Unofficial Progress Report Time

The presentations this week were fabulous.  Tomorrow is the LAST day to do presentations, I hope everyone is prepared.

Unofficial progress reports were sent home today.  I expect these signed and returned tomorrow.  I've printed out the comments for the grades, and added an ungraded communication of whether or not you've turned in your Giant Research Paper or not.  I'm working hard on grading them, and you *should* have that back within the next 2 weeks.  It took you all 4 weeks to make these, so it takes some time to grade them well. 

During the presentations, students were given a small writing assignment.  For the days that students were not in class, they are still responsible for a poetry assignment.  Using the textbook, they must read 5 poems for each day they've missed, and answer all associated questions.  The poem choices are from 402-438 in the textbook.  Students may either use the online textbook, or arrange to come early or stay late.  This make up assignment is due by Friday next week. 

Giant Research Presentations

The Giant Research Presentation Dates have been uploaded on the Resource Page.  You can check there, or click here, to remind yourself when you are presenting. 

Remember, there are dire concequences for not presenting on time, and if something comes up on the day that you will present, make sure you let me know as soon as possible on that day.  Email me, call me, stop by before you leave.  Pretend this is your job and actually call in sick.  My voicemail number is seven seven oh, six oh nine, five four eight one.

Each class has convinced me to move their Paper Deadlines to Sunday on turnitin.com.  Use this extra time.  I expect awesome things.