January 25, 2016 - January 29, 2016

1/25/16 – 1/29/16

Academic English 9 (Periods 1, 4)

Monday: Snow Day

Tuesday: Snow Day

Wednesday: Finish reading the short story, “The Cask of Amontillado” together. Students will work in small groups to complete the study guide questions and diagram. Quiz on the short story will be on Wednesday next week (2/3).

Thursday: As a class, we will discuss the study guide for the short story. Students will work on a comic strip to illustrate the events in the story. Comic strip is due on Tuesday.  

Friday: Students will work in small groups on a critical thinking activity and we will discuss this together as a class when finished. Students will use the rest of the time today to work on the comic strip for the story.

Essential Questions: How does learning new vocabulary words help us become better readers, writers, speakers, and listeners?

What are the elements of short stories and how do authors use these to help enhance their stories?

How does understanding parts of speech help us become better readers, writers, speakers, and listeners?

Honors English 7 (Periods 2, 8)

Monday: Snow Day

Tuesday: Snow Day

Wednesday: Students will work on their rough draft of the letter of complaint/concern. The rough draft is due on Monday, Feb. 1. The vocabulary quiz on the 8 words from last week will be on Friday (1/29). Students must turn in vocabulary squares on Friday also.

Thursday: Work on letter and continue with grammar. We will discuss the next grammar unit intro. together (verbs). Students will complete practice exercises on kinds of verbs.

Friday: Vocabulary quiz and turn in squares. Discuss verbs section together and exercises. As a class, we will continue to the next section on verbs. Students will complete practice exercises in class.

Essential Questions: How does learning new vocabulary words help us become better readers, writers, speakers, and listeners?

What are the different kinds of nouns and how do we use them correctly in our own writing?

What are the different kinds of pronouns and how do we use them effectively in our own writing?

 

 

 

 

Honors Reading 7 (Period 7)

Monday: Snow Day

Tuesday: Snow Day

Wednesday: Notes on “The Lightning Thief.” We will discuss the notes together as they relate to the book.

Thursday: Assign novels and begin reading the first chapter of TLT together in class. Students will also complete study guide questions as we read.

Friday: Continue reading TLT – chapters 1 and 2. Students will complete the study guide questions for chapters 1 and 2 for Monday.

Essential Questions: How does learning background information on a topic help us prepare for reading a novel?

How is reading nonfiction texts different from reading a fictional novel?

 

 

PSSA Language Arts 7/8 (Period 5B: Odd and Even Days)

Monday: Snow Day

Tuesday: Snow Day

Wednesday (Odd): Collect signed rules sheet. Students will finish the pre-test for the course in class today.

Thursday (Even): Collect signed rules sheet. Students will finish the pre-test for the course in class today.

Friday (Odd): Check Pre-test – students will self-assess the pre-test they took to determine areas of strength/weakness according to the questions and related skills. We will then begin lesson 1 – central ideas.

What kinds of reading strategies help us navigate and comprehend literature texts?

How can reading strategies, like talking to text, help us understand questions on the PSSA tests?

 

January 18, 2016 - January 22, 2016

1/18/16 – 1/22/16

Academic English 9 (Periods 1, 4)

Monday: Teacher In-Service Day

Tuesday: Mid-term exams – early dismissal

Wednesday: Notes on the short story, “The Cask of Amontillado.” Background information presented related to the story and information about the author, Poe.

Thursday: Begin reading the short story, “The Cask of Amontillado,” by Edgar Allen Poe. Complete the study guide questions as we read.

Friday: Finish reading the short story today and discuss the study guide questions.

Essential Questions: How does learning new vocabulary words help us become better readers, writers, speakers, and listeners?

What are the elements of short stories and how do authors use these to help enhance their stories?

How does understanding parts of speech help us become better readers, writers, speakers, and listeners?

Honors English 7 (Periods 2, 8)

Monday: Teacher In-service day

Tuesday: Mid-term Exams – early dismissal

Wednesday: Complete vocabulary squares for “Lightning Thief” vocabulary terms (ch. 1-2). Students must complete the squares for tomorrow.

Thursday: Discuss the vocabulary terms completed for today. The quiz on these 8 terms will be on Tuesday (1/26).

Friday: Intro. to letter writing assignment – Students will begin brainstorming and pre-writing their letters.

Essential Questions: How does learning new vocabulary words help us become better readers, writers, speakers, and listeners?

What are the different kinds of nouns and how do we use them correctly in our own writing?

What are the different kinds of pronouns and how do we use them effectively in our own writing?

 

 

 

 

Honors Reading 7 (Period 7)

Monday: Teacher In-service day

Tuesday: Mid-term exams – early dismissal

Wednesday: Background information and notes on myth, literary elements, etc. – “The Lightning Thief”

Thursday: Library – Students will research information in the library on various Greek Gods and Goddesses. They will complete a chart with their findings.

Friday: Library – Students will research information in the library on various Greek Gods and Goddesses. They will complete a chart with their findings.

Essential Questions: How does learning background information on a topic help us prepare for reading a novel?

How is reading nonfiction texts different from reading a fictional novel?

 

 

PSSA Language Arts 7/8 (Period 5B: Odd and Even Days)

Monday: Teacher In-service day

Tuesday (Odd): Mid-term exams – early dismissal

Wednesday (Even): Students will finish any make up work or missing assignments they may have for the marking period.

Thursday (Odd): Introduce class rules/expectations and discuss course overview. Begin pre-test if time permits.

Friday (Even): Introduce class rules/expectations and discuss course overview. Begin pre-test if time permits.

What kinds of reading strategies help us navigate and comprehend literature texts?

How can reading strategies, like talking to text, help us understand questions on the PSSA tests?

 

January 11, 2016 - January 15, 2016

1/11/16 – 1/15/16

Academic English 9 (Periods 1, 4)

Monday: Grammar Study: Review notes on nouns and pronouns and complete practice exercises. Review for mid-term exam. The exam for period 1 is on Wednesday, Jan. 13^th. The period 4 exam is on Friday, Jan. 15^th.

Tuesday: Review for mid-term exam.

Wednesday: Mid-term exams – early dismissal

Thursday: Mid-term exams – early dismissal

Friday: Mid-term exams – early dismissal

Essential Questions: How does learning new vocabulary words help us become better readers, writers, speakers, and listeners?

What are the elements of short stories and how do authors use these to help enhance their stories?

How does understanding parts of speech help us become better readers, writers, speakers, and listeners?

Honors English 7 (Periods 2, 8)

Monday: Review for mid-term exam. The exam for period 2 is on Wednesday, Jan. 13^th. The exam for period 8 is on Tuesday, Jan. 19^th.

Tuesday: Review for mid-term exam.

Wednesday: Mid-term exams – early dismissal

Thursday: Mid-term exams – early dismissal

Friday: Mid-term exams – early dismissal

Essential Questions: How does learning new vocabulary words help us become better readers, writers, speakers, and listeners?

What are the different kinds of nouns and how do we use them correctly in our own writing?

What are the different kinds of pronouns and how do we use them effectively in our own writing?

 

 

 

 

Honors Reading 7 (Period 7)

Monday: Read nonfiction article about Greek mythology to gain background information for the novel, The Lightning Thief.

Tuesday: Review for mid-term exam. The exam in period 7 is on Tuesday, Jan. 19^th.

Wednesday: Mid-term exams – early dismissal

Thursday: Mid-term exams – early dismissal

Friday: Mid-term exams – early dismissal

Essential Questions: How does learning background information on a topic help us prepare for reading a novel?

How is reading nonfiction texts different from reading a fictional novel?

 

 

PSSA Language Arts 7/8 (Period 5B: Odd and Even Days)

Monday (Even): Students will finish the summary and character quiz questions and turn these in by the end of class today.

Tuesday (Odd): Students will continue the post-test today and turn in the test when finished.

Wednesday (Even): As a class, we will review the concepts examined in the literature unit. Students will take the course post-test on Friday.

Thursday (Odd): Students will study and prepare for exams.

Friday (Even): Students will take the post-test today. They must finish and turn in the completed test by the end of the period.

What kinds of reading strategies help us navigate and comprehend literature texts?

How can reading strategies, like talking to text, help us understand questions on the PSSA tests?

What do literary devices, such as imagery, theme, etc. add to works of literature and how do we identify them?

How is reading works of literature, such as fictional novels and short stories, different from reading nonfiction pieces?

January 4, 2016 - January 8, 2016

1/4/16 – 1/8/16

Academic English 9 (Periods 1, 4)

Monday: Finish discussing and responding to questions on the short story, “The Gift of the Magi.”

Tuesday: Read the short story, “The Most Dangerous Game” and respond to discussion questions as we read.

Wednesday: Finish reading the short story, “The Most Dangerous Game” and finish discussing the questions on the story together.

Thursday: Grammar Study – Practice with nouns and pronouns/antecedents.

Friday: Grammar Study – Practice with nouns and pronouns/antecedents.

Essential Questions: How does learning new vocabulary words help us become better readers, writers, speakers, and listeners?

What are the elements of short stories and how do authors use these to help enhance their stories?

How does understanding parts of speech help us become better readers, writers, speakers, and listeners?

Honors English 7 (Periods 2, 8)

Monday: Discuss notes on interrogative pronouns and complete practice exercises. Discuss practice exercises together.

Tuesday: Discuss notes on demonstrative pronouns and indefinite pronouns and complete practice exercises. Discuss practice exercises together.

Wednesday: Discuss notes on reflexive and intensive pronouns as well as homophones. Complete practice exercises on these sections and discuss together.

Thursday: Complete review sections in textbook on nouns and pronouns units.

Friday: Complete review sections in textbook on nouns and pronouns units.

Essential Questions: How does learning new vocabulary words help us become better readers, writers, speakers, and listeners?

What are the different kinds of nouns and how do we use them correctly in our own writing?

What are the different kinds of pronouns and how do we use them effectively in our own writing?

 

 

 

Honors Reading 7 (Period 7)

Monday: Finish watching the last few minutes of the movie, “A Christmas Carol.” Students will discuss the movie versus the play version and compare/contrast. We will then read a nonfiction article about Greek Gods and Goddesses in order to gain background knowledge in preparation for the novel, “The Lightning Thief.” Read and write a summary of the article. Discuss summaries together.

Tuesday: Students will read a second nonfiction article about mythology. We will read the article in class and students will then respond to several questions about the article. We will discuss responses together.

Wednesday: Students will read a third article about mythology and write a response about the article on their own. We will discuss findings together.

Thursday: Students will read a fourth and final nonfiction text based on mythology. They will respond to text analysis questions and we will discuss responses together.

Friday: Complete review packet for final exam in class.

Essential Questions: How does learning background information on a topic help us prepare for reading a novel?

How is reading nonfiction texts different from reading a fictional novel?

 

 

 

 

PSSA Language Arts 7/8 (Period 5B: Odd and Even Days)

Monday (Odd): Students should turn in the practice questions on summarization if they have not already done so before the holiday break. Students will then complete the quiz section on summary from Study Island. When finished, we will discuss character development in a story and students will complete the practice quiz questions on this section.

Tuesday (Even): Students should turn in the practice questions on summarization if they have not already done so before the holiday break. Students will then complete the quiz section on summary from Study Island. When finished, we will discuss character development in a story and students will complete the practice quiz questions on this section.

Wednesday (Odd): Students will discuss setting within literature and complete the practice quiz questions on setting.

Thursday (Even): Students will discuss setting within literature and complete the practice quiz questions on setting.

Friday (Odd): Students will discuss plot within literature and complete the practice quiz questions on plot.

What kinds of reading strategies help us navigate and comprehend literature texts?

How can reading strategies, like talking to text, help us understand questions on the PSSA tests?

What do literary devices, such as imagery, theme, etc. add to works of literature and how do we identify them?

How is reading works of literature, such as fictional novels and short stories, different from reading nonfiction pieces?