Happy 2018!

Welcome back! I hope everyone had an enjoyable break and despite all of your activities, had a chance to sleep in many of the mornings. Highlights for me were going to the Nutcracker, going to San Francisco, eating my first Korean BBQ burrito, watching the new season of Black Mirror, catching up on my Atlantic subscription, and of course reading all of your journals. :-)

Here's what's on the agenda for our short week:

MONDAY: New Year's Day!  No school, unfortunately.

TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY: Overview of the next 5 months in 2018.  New Year's/Benjamin Franklin-themed journal warm-up.  Receive Vocabulary/Grammar #12. Receive Paper Tigers article and begin reading it in class. Answer discussion questions, discuss in small groups.  If time, play Vocab Story Rounds.

Due: n/a

Homework: Finish reading Paper Tigers and answering the discussion questions for next class.

Study for quiz.

THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Journal warm-up. Quiz covering vocabulary, grammar, and Paper Tigers reading assignment. Receive Vocab #13, study guide for final. Share Paper Tigers discussion question responses spiderweb-style.  Review Huckleberry Finn and act out Chapter 18. 

Due: Finish reading Paper Tigers and answering the discussion questions.

Homework: Read Huck Finn, through the end of Chapter 20.  

December 11-15

It's the last week of school in 2017!  Please note that journals are due at the end of class on Thursday/Friday.

Optional: A couple of students have put together a fund for helping the horses that have been displaced due to the recent fires in Southern California.  If you'd like to go to their gofundme page, please click here.

Here's what's on the agenda on our last week before Winter Break:

MONDAY/TUESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Collect Huckleberry Finn rafts.  Notes: definition of claim. Claim vs. fact activity. Read and act out Huckleberry Finn, Chapter 15.

Due: Huckleberry Finn Raft Project

Homework: Please read Huckleberry Finn through the end of Chapter 17 for Thursday/Friday.

Make sure your journal is ready to turn in by the end of the week, (full pages except where noted).

WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up. Current event day - read and annotate two opposing viewpoints and perform an SAT-style rhetorical analysis as a class.  Discuss and debate, vote.  Outline the majority opinion in a synthesis/ACT-style outline response based on the discussion.

Due: n/a

Homework:  (Same as Monday/Tuesday)


THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Journal warm-up. Quiz. Read and act out Huckleberry Finn, Chapter 18 in class.

Due: Read Huckleberry Finn through the end of Chapter 17. 

Journals in the bin by the end of the class period.

Homework: Please read through the end of Huckleberry Finn, Chapter 18.

Have a wonderful, well-deserved Winter Break.   I look forward to seeing everyone in 2018!

December 6-10

December is here! Two more weeks until the long break.  We will continue with Huckleberry Finn, and with our argument unit. 

MONDAY/TUESDAY: Journal warm-up. Notes: line graph of possible responses to an argument prompt. Universal outline for argument essays. Read and act out Huck Finn Chapter 9, 10 if time. View "Bike Thief: What Would You Do?" video and discuss.

Due: read Chapters 6-8 of Huckleberry Finn.

Homework: Please read Huckleberry Finn Chapters 10-12 for Thursday/Friday.

WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up. Current event day - read and annotate two opposing viewpoints and perform an SAT-style rhetorical analysis as a class.  Discuss and debate, vote.  Outline the majority opinion in a synthesis/ACT-style outline response based on the discussion.

Due: n/a

Homework:  (Same as Monday/Tuesday)

THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Journal warm-up. Quiz covering vocabulary #10, grammar, and reading.  Read Huckleberry Finn Chapter 13 and 14 in class and act it out. Intro Huck Finn Raft Project, view samples. 

Due: Read Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 10-12.

Homework:  Huck Finn Raft Project for next class.

November 27 - December 1

At the end of this week, it's December already! I hope everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving. This week, we'll launch the argument writing unit and begin The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

MONDAY/TUESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Receive vocabulary list #9.  Notes: "Civil arguments", types of evidence and examples.  Discuss the "Content Warnings" articles, group activity.  Intro: the setting, language of Huckleberry Finn.  Pick up the book from the library.

Due:  Please read and annotate these three articles about content warnings for school books (1 against written by Gen X'ers, 2 for, written by millennials), for November 20/November 21 (the first class after Thanksgiving).  Come to class with annotations and opinions and be ready to discuss.

Homework: Please read Chapters 1-3 of Huckleberry Finn for Thursday/Friday.

WEDNESDAY: (3rd period only) Journal warm-up. Current event day - read and annotate two opposing viewpoints and perform an SAT-style rhetorical analysis as a class.  Discuss and debate, vote.  Outline the majority opinion in a synthesis/ACT-style outline response based on the discussion.

Due: n/a

Homework:  (Same as Monday/Tuesday) Please read Chapters 1-3 of Huckleberry Finn for Friday.

THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Journal warm-up. Quiz.  Read and act out Chapters 4 and 5 of Huckleberry Finn in class.

Due: Read Chapters 1- 3 of Huckleberry Finn.

Homework: Please read Chapters 6 - 8 of Huckleberry Finn.

Thanksgiving Week

It's Thanksgiving week, and we're just finishing Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass as well as our rhetorical analysis writing unit.

MONDAY/TUESDAY: Journal warm-up. Discuss the ending of Frederick Douglass. Overview of the process of writing a rhetorical analysis essay.  Write a rhetorical analysis essay analyzing Douglass' argument against slavery.

Note: you'll have just over an hour to write out the essay and it will be due at the end of the class.  It's an in-class essay, but open note and open book.  Rough outlines and notes are fine; please do not write out an entire essay that you bring with you and simply copy, either in notes or written in the book.  You'll turn in any notes along with your essay, and show me the book (if used) as you turn it in.  I'm asking that the essay be written in class so that you get practice with supports first and you're confident when you're writing the SAT and/or ACT essays.    

Due: Please finish Chapter 11 of Frederick Douglass (finish the book).  Please be sure to bring your book , notes, and/or annotations to class with you. 

Homework: Please read and annotate these three articles about content warnings for school books for November 20/November 21 (the first class after Thanksgiving).  Come to class with annotations and opinions and be ready to discuss.

WEDNESDAY: (5th period only) Journal warm-up - think, pair, share: getting to know classmates with personal anecdotes. Six word story creative exercise in groups with themes.   

Due: n/a

Homework: (Same as Monday/Tuesday)  Please read and annotate these three articles about content warnings for school books for November 20/November 21 (the first class after Thanksgiving.  Come to class with annotations and opinions and be ready to discuss. 

November 13 - 17

It's the last full week before Thanksgiving!  Thank you for submitting the rhetorical analysis essays; there are still some missing, but the ones that were uploaded are really well done.  We'll work on Frederick Douglass and gear up for the next essay, an in-class paper, next week.

MONDAY/TUESDAY: Journal warm-up. Go over essay results: general feedback, how to find your comments/rubric score in Turnitin.com.  Slave songs and hidden meanings.  Begin reading Chapter 10 in class.

Due: Please read and annotate Chapters 8 and 9 of Frederick Douglass.

Homework: Study for quiz. Please read and annotate the rest of Chapter 10 of Frederick Douglass for Thursday/Friday.  Did you expect the violent showdown in Chapter 10?

WEDNESDAY: (3rd period only) Journal warm-up.  Healthy survey.

Due: n/a

Homework: Study for quiz.

Please read and annotate the rest of Chapter 10 of Frederick Douglass for Friday.

THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Journal warm-up.  Quiz covering vocabulary #8, grammar, and Frederick Douglass.  Work on grading 3 sample essays - activity.  Finish reading Frederick Douglass, Chapter 11, for next class.  

Due: Please read and annotate the rest of Chapter 10 of Frederick Douglass.

Homework: Finish Frederick Douglass, Chapter 11 (finish the book). 

Please be sure to bring your book , notes, and/or annotations to class with you on Monday/Tuesday!  No electronic devices will be allowed during the in-class essay next week. 

Note: you'll have just over an hour to write out the essay and it will be due at the end of the class after we review the steps to take to write a rhetorical analysis essay.  It's an in-class essay, but open note and open book.  Rough outlines and notes are fine; please do not write out an entire essay that you bring with you and simply copy, either in notes or written in the book.  You'll turn in any notes along with your essay, and show me the book (if used) as you turn it in.  I'm asking that the essay be written in class so that you get practice with supports first and you're confident when you're writing the SAT and/or ACT essays.    

November 6 - 9 Short Week

Welcome! We're officially entering the holiday season this week as we celebrate Veteran's Day this Friday with a day off.  Please note: there isn't a vocab quiz this week, Vocab #8 is for next week. 

MONDAY/TUESDAY: Journal warm-up. Discuss Frederick Douglass.  Read Chapter 8 in class.  Conclusions - suggestions and whole class revising of sample conclusions.  Laptop time for final essay revisions, individual help.


Due: Please read and annotate Frederick Douglass Chapters 6 and 7.

Be sure you can access the rough draft of your essay for next class.

Homework: Please upload your final essay draft to Turnitin.com by Thursday night, November 9 by 11:00 p.m. Make sure you receive a confirmation from Turnitin.com, and please e-mail me with a copy of the paper before the deadline if you have any issues.

WEDNESDAY: (3rd period only) Journal warm-up. Current event day - read and annotate two opposing viewpoints and perform an SAT-style rhetorical analysis as a class.  Discuss and debate, vote.  Outline the majority opinion in a synthesis/ACT-style outline response based on the discussion.

Due: Please read and annotate Chapters 6 and 7 of Frederick Douglass.

Homework: Please upload your final essay draft to Turnitin.com by Thursday night, November 9 by 11:00 p.m. Make sure you receive a confirmation from Turnitin.com, and please e-mail me with a copy of the paper before the deadline if you have any issues.

For Monday, please read and annotate Chapters 8 and 9 of Frederick Douglass.

THURSDAY: (5th only) Journal warm-up. CA Healthy Kids Survey.  Figurative language challenge activity in groups. 


Due: Please read and annotate Chapters 6 and 7 of Frederick Douglass. 

Homework: Please upload your final essay draft to Turnitin.com by Thursday night, November 9 by 11:00 p.m. Make sure you receive a confirmation from Turnitin.com, and please e-mail me with a copy of the paper before the deadline if you have any issues.

For Tuesday, please read and annotate Chapters 8 and 9 of Frederick Douglass. 

FRIDAY: Veteran's Day Holiday - no school

Enjoy the three-day weekend.  See you next week!