Short Stories continued

All classes are reading short stories this week. Thursday, all students will take a quiz on the elements of a short story. We will begin projects connected to a story assigned to groups. Ask your student what they have been assigned. Don't forget that on Nov 15, the first book report is due.

New Term, new Assignments

Don't forget that your 'history of your name' is due on Friday. Two weeks from today, Nov. 15, your first book report is due. Friday we will continue elements of a short story by reading 'Charles' in the brown book. Let's start the new term with great grades!

Short Story Unit

Students began a short story unit this week. They have learned the elements of a short story and are reading pg. 3 "Tears for Autumn". They have also been working on a comprehension assignment with that story which is due Thursday. We will discuss the story in class and review the short story elements as they appear in the story. We will begin "Rain, Rain, Go Away" a fantasy story on pg. 12. Friday is an early out so that teachers can work on grades. Mon-Wed - students will be watching "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Tell-tale Heart", two good movie versions (rated G) of these short stories, in honor of Halloween. Student will have movie notes to complete after watching both movies. Please check with me if you have questions about what we are doing.

The End of the Term is Near!!!

Hopefully, everyone had a good fall break and are ready to wrap up this first term! Tuesday - correct assessments and answer questions about the books students have been reading. Wednesday - Periods 1,4,5,7 will have an in-class essay about Watson's. Periods 2-3 will be working on their projects. Thursday - begin Short Story unit and elements of a short story. Friday - All classes will read TEARS for AUTUMN in the brown literature book.

SHORT WEEK!

Monday - students read and discussed Watson's or Fahrenheit depending on the class they are in. Tuesday - we will continue discussing Watson's in periods 1,4,5,7. They need to be finished with the book on Oct. 17. Periods 2-3 will be in the auditorium debating issues of government and censorship. They need to have the book finished on Oct. 17. Their projects on F-451 are due on Oct. 18. Check with your student to find out what they are doing with their project. Wednesday - all classes are taking an assessment on prefix and suffixes and commonly confused words. Students were given a handout to study about 2 weeks ago. Contact me at the school if you have question. NO SCHOOL ON Oct. 15

Tuesday - students read in Watson's to pg. 100. Students in periods 2-3 read to page 93 in F-451. Wednesday - all classes will have a spelling quiz. Periods 1,4,5,7 wrote creative stories with their spelling words. Students in all classes will discuss what they see as changes in their characters personality. We have been discussing how a character changes in the story. Thursday - continue reading and discussing both books. Friday - all classes will have a department assessment on summarization. The students have been practicing this with the texts they have read in class. The students will read a story and then summarize what happened. They will need a 3 or 4 on the rubric to show proficiency. All students have a copy of the rubric on the back of the blue 'house' they received the first week of school.

I figured it out and now I'm back! :)

Now that things are back on track, please check weekly for events that are happening in all of Mrs. D's English classes. Week of Sept. 24-28 - BANNED BOOK WEEK Monday - Periods 1,4,5,7 -wrap up summary/response writing for our final assessment in October. Students will then begin a new unit involving diversity and tolerance. We will be reading Watson's Go to Birmingham, 1963 for the next couple of weeks. Please check with you students that they are up on their readings. Tuesday/Wed - discussion of the video Eyes on the Prize about the Civil Rights movement. Wed - begin reading Watson's Thurs - spelling quiz #3 Friday - read and discuss Periods 2-3 - Monday - begin discussion of censorship and societal issues of today. They will be answering journal questions. Tuesday - Friday - Begin reading and discussing Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Thursday - spelling quiz. If you have any questions, please email me at the school. Mrs. D

Exciting things are happening now that we are getting 'down to business'! Students received a spelling list of commonly misspelled words. They will have a quiz on that list on Sept. 12. Check with your students to see if they are studying. We are beginning a new unit with all classes - Flowers for Algernon. Students have been given opportunities in class to find out what type of personality they have, how they handle frustrating situations and they have been 'playing' games. Check with them to find out more about these activities. Periods 2-3 have a paper on Watson's Go to Birmingham due on Monday, Sept. 10. We will be on Flowers for Algernon for about two weeks. All of the reading will be done in class, but there will be some assignments connected with this reading. I will keep everyone posted as to when they are due. Contact me at the school if you have questions.

Welcome back to a great new year! I will post each week what we are doing in class so that if you are absent you can check for updates, due dates, or general information. Here is what is happening now: Thursday - students will receive class disclosure. Please sign and return next week for points. Students will also receive information on reading and writing strategies. If there is time, they will begin an in-class essay on an event that happened to them this summer that has had a lasting impact on them. Friday - continue essay Monday - 27th - demonstrate reading strategies by reading a short story and summarizing what was read. Tuesday - Thursday - District-required DRP test which gives every student a reading level Friday - grammar/usage review LABOR DAY WEEKEND - YEA!

This is it! It is the end of a great year! Best wishes for all of you at Provo High! Mrs. D

THE END IS NEAR! Stuff for the next seven days: Monday - continue responding to poems / journal Tuesday - come prepared with "A Poem in your Pocket". Students will share their poems. Wednesday - All book projects are due. Check with your student about what he/she is doing. Thursday/Friday - wrap up poetry unit with in class essay Monday/Tuesday - English review and wrap up Wednesday - Lagoon Day - no classes

May Activities for English: We are in the middle of a poetry unit. Each day the students receive poems that are examples of the terms we have discussed in class. They have learned 12 poetic terms which they need to study for an upcoming quiz next week. Up coming activities: Thursday - reading day in class to catch up on the books being read May 14-18 poetry continued May 16 - book project. Check with your student to discuss the project he/she selected. Check on powerschool for updated grade changes. The term will end on May 22.

April 'stuff and testing'

Here is the schedule for the remainder of April:

16-17 - review for DRP and CRT
18-20 - DRP test in class

23-24 - CRT review
25-27 - CRT in labs

Please remind your student to attend everyday during this time. It is difficult when students miss school during testing and have to do 'make-ups'. Thanks. Mrs. D

Diversity wrap up

Monday - read Anne Frank, and Hiding Place
Tuesday - continue reading both texts
Wed. - students view my pictures from Poland and Czech Republic
Thursday - Book report on diversity/Holocaust due. Reading continued
Friday - calorie count/activity chart due. Finish reading Anne Frank and Hiding Place
beginning of Spring Break.

Identity unit cont.

Tuesday - Thursday ? - students will continue presenting their personality bags.
Wed. Voc. quiz #9
Thursday - period 1-5 will continue reading Anne Frank - the play. 7th period will read ch. 4-7 in Hiding Place.
Friday - journals dealing with prejudice, tolerance, etc.

4th term and counting

This is the plan for the week!
Tuesday - students received a 'packet' of work to complete for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. They will be working on it each day.

Students in periods 1-5 have a book report due on April 5th. Their book should deal with diversity, tolerance, or WWII era events. Talk to your students about their book choices.

Period 7 is reading The Hiding Place and discussing the life of Corrie ten Boom.

All classes were given an assignment to complete a 'personality bag' that is due on March 26. They all have instructions for the 'bag' and I demonstrated how to do one in class.

Contact me at the school if you have any questions. Mrs. D

End of term is this week!

Monday - finish the movie of House of Dies Drear - students have a worksheet that accompanies the movie.
Tuesday - begin an identity/rescuer unit - KWL chart
Wednesday - voc. #6 quiz - no work for term #3 accepted after today - students are playing a game called 'The Bomb Shelter'. They will be in groups today to discuss. We will post the results on the board so others can see what each group did. Ask your students about the activity.
Thursday - activities with identity unit -
Friday - short day - end of term - school out at 12:50

DRAMA!

We are starting a drama unit by reading a screen play called "The House of Dies Drear", a story about the underground railroad. Students will also watch a movie version of the screenplay.

Wed - Fri - voc. quiz on #5. 1st, 4th and 7th are on Wed. 2nd and 3rd are on Thursday, and 5th is Friday.

Book wrap-up and other trivia!

Two weeks left of 3rd term!!!

Monday - all classes must be finished with their novels. Each class will have a wrap-up discussion during class time. Please have your books finished by Monday - no exceptions!

Monday - Wednesday - students will be introduced to a drama unit. They will be reading the play "House of Dies Drear". It is the story of a house used in the underground railroad times.

Wed. students have a vocabulary quiz on list #5

Thursday/Friday - Mar. 8-9 are block days. Students will be watching the movie to the play they read - House of Dies Drear. It is a 'wonderworks' movie and totally appropriate.

Novels, etc.

Students are going to be writing the Utah DWA - direct writing assessment on Thursday and Friday. We have practiced in class what areas to work on for this argumentative paper. Hopefully, the students are going to do their best!

Here is what each class needs to have for Monday.
1st - read London Calling to page. 102
2nd - read Touching Spirit Bear to page 112
3rd - read Sniper to pg. 104
4th - read Tangerine to pg. 124
5th - read Downriver to pg. 108
7th period - all groups must have their books read by Monday to plan for their project.

Contact me if there are questions about the books.

Non-fiction and Persuasion!

Events for the next two weeks:

Monday - students read 2 non-fiction essays of their choice

Tuesday - Non-fiction book report due. Non-fiction newspaper assignment due. Students have had information on this for about two weeks.
We are going to start working on a persuasion paper for the State required writing assessment on the 23/24th of February.

Wednesday - Voc #3 quiz. Student were given this list last week. They will receive a new list as well. We will continue working on a rough draft of the persuasion paper.

Thursday - Students will be reading for a novel unit. Every class will be reading a different book so ask your students what novel they have been assigned.

Friday - Rough draft of the persuasive paper is due.

Mon - 13th - continue working on novels
Tuesday - 14th - novels/persuasive review
Wed - Provo High visit periods 1-3 afternoon classes will be reading
Thurday - Reality town - no classes Parent teacher is that evening
Friday - work on books/groups

Scoop for the week!

Monday - finish bio/autobiography excerpts. Groups will share that they learned about the person and how this selection meets the criteria for non-fiction

Tuesday/Wednesday - block days - library - scavenger hunt in the non-fiction section. Students will check out a book after they learn about all the choices in non-fiction

Thursday - voc. #1 quiz; new list of words #2 / continue with non-fiction essays

Friday - continue reading non-fiction in the lit. book

GMR continued

Here is the schedule for this week:

Mon - students will read and work on book reports. Final Draft of Great Mail Race letter is due.
Tuesday - prefix/suffix assessment - read when finished
Wed - Friday - watch 'Remember the Titans'
Friday - early out / term 2 ends

Due dates:
All book reports/projects and any late work is due on Thursday! No exceptions.
Friday I will mail all letters. Bring an envelope if you haven't!

Great Mail Race

Students were introduced to letter writing today. They will be writing a letter to another student somewhere in the US. Here are upcoming events for the students to know:

Wed - work on rough draft of letter
Thurs - rough is due - 35 points
Friday - stamped envelope is due - 5 points
quiz on prefix and suffix

Thursday, Jan. 12 - All book reports and/or projects are due
Final Draft of Great Mail Race letters are due
Friday - end of term. I will mail the letters on this day.