While we will be spending several class periods reviewing for the English I semester exam, I will also be offering an optional, early morning study session for students who want another chance to review.
The session is scheduled for Monday, December 16, at 7:20 AM in room A-63. I hope to see your student there!
Monday, December 9, 2013
Wrapping Up
This week, students will be wrapping up their reading of To Kill a Mockingbird. To conclude our study, students will be examining the social hierarchy of the novel and identifying the factors that contribute to each character's position in society. They will then write an essay that explains these factors and discusses whether or not your student believes that those factors still impact a person's position in society. The essay is the final assignment for the quarter. We will spend the next week reviewing and preparing for your student's first go at semester exams!
Monday, November 25, 2013
Comma Rules
Students are finishing up their study of the first six comma rules. We've been reviewing and practicing for the comma unit test on Tuesday, November 26. Students can list the rules, identify where commas are needed & label with the rules, and write their own sentences that use these rules correctly. When we return in December, we will transition into studying the first half of the 10 Common Compositional Errors. The students have done well with their comma study and they are becoming skilled at using commas correctly in their own writing. Now that we have mastered those rules, the expectation is that the students will be held accountable for these rules in both daily and long-term writing assignments.
To Kill a Mockingbird
Students are now approximately halfway through the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. We've spent some time examining Jim Crow laws in the South and the impact that these laws had on the way of life for many individuals. We will also be taking a closer look at the Scottsboro trial and its connection to TKAM. When we return from Thanksgiving Break, we will also be examining the social hierarchy of characters from within the novel and investigating what influences this caste system. Students will also be writing about this hierarchy as the topic of the final essay of the semester. There will not be a unit test over the novel, although it will be covered in-depth in the semester exam.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Parent-Teacher Conferences
As a reminder, Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled on Thursday, October 24th and Tuesday, October 29th this year. If you would like to schedule a conference, you can call Mrs. Hill in the WLHS office to make your appointment. While I would love to see as many of you in person as possible for conferences, I do understand that these times may not work for your schedule. If you have questions about your student's progress but aren't able to make it in, please feel free to send me an email at allenm@wl.k12.il.us or give me a call at 672.3034 whenever you have questions or concerns. Email is undoubtedly the fastest way to reach me, and I can usually have a reply back to you that same day.
In general, I have been quite pleased with the transition that this group of students has made to high school students. Most students are reporting that they feel comfortable with my expectations, and they seem to have a relatively good understanding of the expectations that we have for this year. Thank you for your support and assistance in ensuring your student had the best possible start to high school!
In general, I have been quite pleased with the transition that this group of students has made to high school students. Most students are reporting that they feel comfortable with my expectations, and they seem to have a relatively good understanding of the expectations that we have for this year. Thank you for your support and assistance in ensuring your student had the best possible start to high school!
Short Stories Unit
After finishing our novel unit over The Lord of the Flies, we will spend the next few weeks focused on short stories. As we read, students will continue to develop their ability to infer, particularly as they look toward context clues to help them make these successful inferences. It is important that students are able to read "between the lines" and use the information that they do know to help them make accurate predictions. We will also be looking at characterization in these short stories and examining how the character themselves use the details from the text to form inferences - both correct and incorrect.
We are also taking a closer look at conflict and working to identify the types of conflict that are present. Students have learned about the external conflict - Man vs. Man; Man vs. Nature; Man vs. Society - as well as internal conflict - Man vs. Self. The students have spent time developing 4 square conflict charts to illustrate these types of conflict while also learning that most stories will have multiple conflicts occurring and that those conflicts will change as the story progresses. In addition, we are continuing to develop our vocabulary and writing skills. Students will be working with specific vocabulary terms from the stories to help broaden their own language usage.
One of our primary writing goals this year is to help students find their voice as writers while also understanding the importance of supporting their own ideas with examples from the text (and later on, from their own research). Students are beginning a writing assignment this week based on "The Most Dangerous Game" where they will be expected to support their thoughts on the double meaning of the story's title with specific quotes from the story. This skill will continue to be developed throughout the year in a wide variety of writing assignments of varying lengths.
We are also taking a closer look at conflict and working to identify the types of conflict that are present. Students have learned about the external conflict - Man vs. Man; Man vs. Nature; Man vs. Society - as well as internal conflict - Man vs. Self. The students have spent time developing 4 square conflict charts to illustrate these types of conflict while also learning that most stories will have multiple conflicts occurring and that those conflicts will change as the story progresses. In addition, we are continuing to develop our vocabulary and writing skills. Students will be working with specific vocabulary terms from the stories to help broaden their own language usage.
One of our primary writing goals this year is to help students find their voice as writers while also understanding the importance of supporting their own ideas with examples from the text (and later on, from their own research). Students are beginning a writing assignment this week based on "The Most Dangerous Game" where they will be expected to support their thoughts on the double meaning of the story's title with specific quotes from the story. This skill will continue to be developed throughout the year in a wide variety of writing assignments of varying lengths.
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