Second Nine Weeks here we go!

Dear students,
Now that the first nine weeks has come to an end there are some comments I need to make...
1. SAT Questions of the Day are a weekly requirement. You have been turning in these questions for the past eight weeks and should be used to doing them by now. It is your responsibility to either email it, print it out, or write it on a sheet of paper. If you are absent or on a fieldtrip or there is a substitute you are still responsible for getting a Question of the Day to me each Friday. Many of you suffered the consequences of not getting the points you needed for the grade you wanted as a result. I am not asking for a lot -- one simple question every week to prepare you for the SAT, which most of you should be planning to take anyway for college.
2. Reading Plus is also a requirement. Many of you, for whatever reason, do not complete your two sessions for the week. You can complete two sessions a day. However, for each session to count you must complete a PAVE, Guided Reading (must get 70% comprehension or higher) and a Vocabulary Exercise. These are points you do not want to be missing at the end of the nine weeks.
3. Make sure you are keeping your notebooks up to date. If I decide to do a surprise check or ask you to show me your agendas you should have them up to date.

With that said, this first week we accomplished the following:
1. Started the next set of SAT words I & J.
2. Took notes on the American Romantic Movement.
3. Took a Practice SAT Test.
4. Read together "Self-Reliance" by Emerson.
5. Began the Emerson Essay Partner Assignment. Remember you are creating a collage with your partner using your five quotes and images related to your essay topic. If you want to bring in your pictures and supplies to work on your collage in class you are welcome to do so. The collage is due on Wednesday (Periods 1,3,5) or Thursday (Periods 2,4,6).

Here is a youtube video I found that connects with the "Simple Life" that we learned about with the Transcendentalists (including Emerson). It is titled "Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Trick or Treat!

In the spirit of Halloween and Gothic Literature I would like you to pick and complete one of the following assignments to turn in on Monday, October 31st (Periods 2,4,6) or Tuesday, November 1st (Periods 1,3,5):

1. Write two poems with a minimum of 30 lines for both (example one poem can be 20 lines and the other poem 10 lines). The subject of the poem can be either Halloween related or use Gothic elements (refer to your notes).

2. Write a persuasive essay (at least 500 words) as to whether Halloween serves any real purpose or is it just another holiday that businesses have created to make money.

3. Write a scary story using Gothic elements and have a minimum of 500 words.

Watch the following video clip to help you get in the right mood to write:
Thriller lyrics by Michael Jackson (sorry, the actual music video was over 13 minutes long)

End of the Nine Weeks

Dear students,
This weekend I would like to ask you to log onto your student portals and check your grades in my class. If there are any grades missing or you think there is an error please write them down and bring them to class. Remember this coming week is the end of the nine weeks and I would like to have grades done before Friday.
I still have to put in the Summer Reading Quizzes for everyone as well as this weeks Reading Plus and the Benjamin Franklin card grades. Otherwise all your grades should be in.

Make sure to complete your two sessions of Reading Plus and if you have not sent me your SAT question for this week you have until midnight Friday. **Refer to the October 13th post if you need to get into the Reading Plus website.

Benjamin Franklin cards are due Monday or Tuesday (based on your period). If you were not able to pick up paper that was made in Ms. Nadel's room you can go ahead and make the card with regular paper or construction paper.

This coming week you will working on your Edgar A. Poe group projects. I am looking forward to seeing your creativity and how you bring the stories to life.
Periods 1,3,5 will present on Thursday, October 27th and
Periods 2,4,6 will present on October 31st.
Here is the link for the stories that are not in our literature book:
The Black Cat http://www.carmenlu.com/sixth/festivities/The_Black_Cat6.pdf
Silence http://poestories.com/read/silence
Shadow http://www.online-literature.com/poe/2193/

Special Treat -- No SAT Question of the Day due week of October 24th. Since this week is short: Thursday is an Early Release and Friday is a Teacher Work Day.

Enjoy this musical piece titled "Nevermore" (allusion to what the Raven quotes in Edgar A. Poe's poem).

Benjamin Franklin Cards

Now that you have made your own paper you will be creating a card based on Benjamin Franklin -- one of our countries Founding Fathers.

1. Your greeting card should have one of Benjamin Franklin's aphorisms from pg. 271 on the front.
2. On the inside front cover you need to write five facts about Benjamin Franklin.
3. On the inside back cover you are picking one of the 13 virtues from pg. 266. Write the virtue and its description. Then tell me in a paragraph how you would apply that virtue to your life. How would it make your life better?
4. On the back of the card make sure to include your name and period.

Card is due Monday, October 24 (Periods 2,4,6) and
Tuesday, October 25 (Periods 1,3,5)It is worth 10 points.

You can watch the video about Benjamin Franklin that I posted last week to help you get facts about Franklin. Have fun and be creative!

Another week bites the dust!

Literary Analysis papers are done so it is time to have a little fun!
My classes are scheduled to make paper on Monday (Periods 1,3,5) and Tuesday (Periods 2,4,6) so be ready to get your hands dirty. :)
The paper you make will be used to create cards based on Benjamin Franklin -- one of the best known Colonial Americans.

We have also finished the SAT E,F,G, and H words, which means there will be a quiz this week (most likely Thursday and Friday). Make sure to review your words.

We will finish the nine weeks with some gothic literature by Edgar Allen Poe.

Make sure you are turning in your weekly SAT Question of the Day and completing your two (2) sessions of Reading Plus by Sunday, October 16th.
For those of you who have issues with getting Reading Plus through your student portal take the following steps:
1. Go to www.readingplus.com
2. Click on login
3. Enter the site code - hia117
4. Find your period with me (Manfra#)
5. Find your name
6. Enter your student ID# for password
No Excuses for not having your sessions complete!

Check out this video about Benjamin Franklin to start getting ideas for your upcoming card assignment --

Literary Analysis is in progress

Everyone should be working on their literary analysis essays.
Final Drafts are due
October 13 for periods 1,3,5 or October 14 for periods 2,4,6.
If you know you will be out (field trip, extracurricular event, etc.) make sure to turn your paper in early.
You will be turning in the following items:
1. Literary Analysis Outline Chart (ditto I gave you in class)
2. Rough Draft (handwritten or typed)
3. Peer Editing (make sure the person that checked your essay put their name)
4. Final Draft (must be typed and double spaced)

We are moving along with our SAT words. Make sure if you have missed any days to get the words and definitions from a classmate. We will be finishing up this coming week with G & H. The quiz will be the week of October 17th for the E-H words.

Everyone should have taken at least one Summer Reading Quiz. If you still have not it might be because I do not have a quiz for your book. I am working on it and will make sure that everyone has taken at least one quiz by this coming week.

If you missed your ID pictures, the make-up day is Monday, October 10th during lunch.

PSAT is on Wednesday, October 12th for those of you who registered on time or you will be taking a practice ACT test in your second period class.

FCAT retake test is coming up the week of October 17th. If you have any questions or concerns please come and see me.