20-21 December

English 9 - Read chapters 16-22 in To Kill a Mockingbird over break. Complete the study guide on the trial (chapters 16-21).

Accelerated - Read chapters 6-15 in To Kill a Mockigbird over break. Write examples of Maycomb's 'local color' as you go through those chapters.

11 December

English 9 - Read chapter 11 in To Kill a Mockingbird (and ACTUALLY DO IT!!!)  Quiz tomorrow.

Accelerated - Notes on The Great Depression.

7 December

English 9 - Vocabulary bingo. Read chapters 9 & 10 in To Kill a Mockingbird for Monday.

Accelerated - Keep writing your Night Flying Woman theme paper. Final draft, rough draft, and the partner edit are due on Monday.

6 December

English 9 - Continue/Finish local color posters for Monday.

Accelerated - Continue drafting your Night Flying Woman theme paper using Google docs. Paper is due Monday.

5 December

English 9 - Personal Profiles due. Work in groups to create your 'Local Color' posters highlighting unique aspects of Minnesota and Alabama. What is unique about the two locations?

Accelerated - Lab using Google Docs to type your Night Flying Woman theme paper. Paper is due Monday 12/10.

4 December

English 9 - Read chapter 7 and 8 in To Kill a Mockingbird for tomorrow. Your yellow "Personal Profiles" handout is due tomorrow.

Accelerated - Chapter 10 in Night Flying Woman. Theme paper assignment.  Pick the theme or life lesson that stands out the most to you after reading Night Flying Woman and listening to the group presentations.

29 November

English 9 - Local Color examples and collection. To Kill a Mockingbird vocabulary list. 

Accelerated - Chapter 5 & 6 Night Flying Woman presentations.

28 November

English 9 - Quiz on chapters 1-3 of To Kill a Mockingbird. Update your personal profiles and read chapter 4 for tomorrow.

Accelerated - Chapter 2, 3, and 4 presentations for Night Flying Woman.

7 November

English 9 - Finish your assigned chapter for your group in Night Flying Woman. Once you have completed the reading guide for your chapter, find your group members, discuss the events and concepts from your chapter that you included on your reading guide, and start planning your 10-15 minute presentation.

Accelerated - Vocab test and correct. Start review #1 for the short story test (Yellow grid), due Monday. The short story test will be Monday.


All Classes: Your permission slips and $ for the field trip in May are due by Monday!!! Plan to go, it will be a great trip.

6 November

English 9 - Night Flying Woman chapter 1 reading guide due. Get groups and chapter assignments. Read the chapter your group is responsible for.


Accelerated - Get parts and start "Sorry Right Number" by Stephen King. Vocabulary Test tomorrow.



All classes - The permission slips and $ for the field trip to see To Kill a Mockingbird in may are due Monday 11/12. You must turn in your money and permission slip if you plan on attending the show in May!!!

1 November

English 9 - Read the Prologue (The Forest Cries) in "Night Flying Woman". There is also a journal entry for today.


Accelerated - Hand in Partner for Poe. Read "The Cask of Amontillado" on pg 207-214 in your textbook.

30 October

English 9 - Notes on Ojibway and MN tribes. Initial vocabulary for "Night Flying Woman"

Accelerated - Journal entry. Read "The Possibility of Evil" for tomorrow. Disaster poems are due Thursday.

24 October

English 9 - Review #1 for the short story test on Friday. The yellow review grid will be due on Friday before the test.

Accelerated - Finish Power Reading presentations, new seats. Discuss the lesson and theme of "Marigolds" by Eugenia Collier.

23 October

English 9 - Quarter 1 Power Reading group presentations/discussions. New seat draft. Journals back.

Accelerated - Quarter 1 Power Reading due. Power Points / Presentations in front of the class for the ones necessary.

22 October

English 9 - Power reading day. Please make sure your quarter 1 Power Reading handout is done for your group discussion tomorrow.

Accelerated - Grammar recharge. Read "Marigolds" for tomorrow. Quarter 1 Power Reading is due tomorrow as well. You will turn in whatever option you chose to complete for your first quarter book.

17 October

English 9 - Vocabulary test, grammar recharge.

Accelerated - Power reading for 30 minutes and journal on the following topic: "What about your book do you like? Explain your answer and be specific.


All classes: Quarter 1 Power Reading is due on Tuesday, October 23rd. Please make sure you finish your book and your assignment by then!!

Have a great MEA and happy reading if you have some to finish.

12 October

English 9 and Accelerated - Power reading day! Read in your power reading book for 30 minutes. Instead of a log, read the NY Times UpFront article on the teen driving age.

11 October

English 9 - Finish "The Cask of Amontillado" and make inferences. View the film version.

Accelerated - Irony Journal on "The Most Dangerous Game." Read the short story by Monday. Short story vocabulary list, test in a couple weeks.

8 October

English 9 - Disaster poems are due. Any poems not turned in today need to be in tomorrow for half credit. Read "The Possibility of Evil" by Shirley Jackson on page 172 in your textbook.

Accelerated - Multiple Intelligence paper due. Textbook scavenger hunt is due tomorrow.

5 October

English 9 - Finish the disaster poem we worked on during class Wednesday. The final is due on Monday, and remember, it needs to be written or typed on plain computer paper. Also included a picture or illustration.  Today we read for 30 minutes in our power reading book. The Journal entry today is to find 5 words you don't know while you read, write them down and define them in your own words. Once you have read for 30 minutes, look up the 5 words and see if your definition was close to the actual one.

Accelerated - Peer editing for the M.I. paper. The final draft of the paper is due on Monday. Please have the following to turn in, and do not hesitate to email me if you have any questions that come up over the weekend.

Score sheet (green)
Final Draft
Works Cited
Rough Draft
Notes/Printed articles
Partner edit sheet (pink)

3 - 4 October

English 9 - Vocab practice test. The real test will be in roughly two weeks. Continue work on your disaster poem. Poems are due on Monday.

Accelerated - Rough draft of the M.I. paper is due. Final paper is due  on Monday.

2 October

English 9 - Grammar recharge. Reading non fiction. "The Wreck of the Hesperus" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  Rhyming scheme and syllable patterns.

Accelerated - Composition manuals and paper formatting. 9th lab for research and writing.

28 September

English 9 - Read in your power reading book for 30 minutes. Journal question 9/28: What makes a book good? What does an author need to do well in order to make a book you are reading enjoyable?

Accelerated - In-Text citations and source options. Library for writing and research.

27 September

English 9 - Finish reading "Marigolds" and discuss Right of Passage for Lizabeth. Grammar notes, parts of speech and examples.

Accelerated - Outlines due. Library for research.

25 September

English 9 - Journal entry: What are you most looking forward to about becoming an adult? What do you need to do to prepare yourself for this?  Then read the article attached to the following link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/weekinreview/15ramp.html


Accelerated - Outline for the Multiple Intelligence paper. Library for writing and research.

24 September 2012

English 9 - Irony spectrum. Funny to Depressing. Read "I Like a Look of Agony" by Emily Dickenson on page 70. Listen to "Rooster" by Alice in Chains and "One" by Metallica as ironic examples.

Accelerated - Initial research for M.I. paper in the Library. Thesis statements.

21 September

English 9 - Power reading day 3. Read for 30 minutes and write a journal answering the following question: Would you recommend your book to a friend? Why or why not? Give at least 2 reasons for your recommendation.


Accelerated - Multiple intelligence overview. Research starts Monday in the Library.

20 September

English 9 - Read "Where Have You Gone Charming Billy?" by Tim O'Brien on pg 62 in your textbook.

Accelerated - Multiple Intelligence paper background and assignment.

19 September

English 9 - Quiz on "The Most Dangerous Game" and a journal entry.  Zaroff and Rainsford as main characters. Background for Vietnam.

Accelerated - Finish "Midsummer Nights Dream" and then begin Multiple Intelligence unit. Journal "what is intelligence"? and M.I. Inventory due tomorrow.

14 September

Accelerated - Read summary of "Midsummer Nights Dream" and look at the character list.  Read some lines in 'Tossing Lines' activity.

English 9 - Read for 30 minutes and then complete the 9/14 Journal. Your journal prompt is: Write a brief letter to a main character either praising or questioning a decision or action they have made thus far.

13 September

English 9 - Textbook covers due.  Discuss character types and read "The Necklace" by Guy DeMaupassant pages 27-34 in your textbook.

Accelerated - Check for textbook covers. Finish and turn in Shakespeare's London. Start our crash course on "Midsummer Nights Dream"

11 September

English 9 - Correct and turn in Lit Book Scavenger hunt. Journal entry : "What would you do if you borrowed something important from a friend and lost it?"

Accelerated - Shakespeare's World due. In groups, Shakespeare's London.

All classes are testing for NWEA reading tomorrow!! Eat breakfast.

English 9 - Success essay due. Literature textbook hunt due tomorrow.

Accelerated - Success essay due. Shakespeare's World due tomorrow.

7 September

English 9 and Accelerated Power reading Friday. Read for 30 minutes and write the first journal answering the following question: If students agree that reading is an important activity, then why is it resisted so much? Reminder: all success essays are due on Monday.

6 September

English 9 and Accelerated Peer editing of the success essay. Blue peer edit sheet must be turned in with the final draft on Monday to receive full credit. Tomorrow is the first reading Friday. Make sure you have your power reading book for first quarter and your English Journal composition notebook.

5 September 2012

"It is possible to fail in many ways, while to be successful is possible in only 1 way." - Aristotle English 9 - Write a 4 paragraph Rough Draft on what you think the one way to be successful is, and give one example of where you have used this one way in your life when you had success at something. Accelerated Write a 5 paragraph rough draft on what Aristotle is trying to tell you by saying success only comes one way. What is the one way?

Welcome Back!!!! English 9 and Accelerated classes: Course Information sheets can be signed for E.C. and turned in by Thur. 9/6 Books need to be covered by Wednesday 9/12 You need a Composition Notebook by Friday 9/7 this will be your English Journal. Power Reading books should be checked out and here by Friday 9/7

English 9 - Start the film of "The Odyssey" Accelerated - Read "Animal Farm" by Tuesday. Journal questions are posted at right.

English 9 - Finish "Of Mice and Men" Hands Posters, presentations tomorrow. Accelerated - Childrens books from "The Odyssey" with your group. One more day to work tomorrow.

English 9 - Finish reading "Of Mice and Men" and write your chapter 6 journal. Accelerated - Continue "The Odyssey" film.

English 9 - Green handout on generalizations is due. Read chapter 5 in "Of Mice and Men" and complete the chapter 5 journal question. The question is listed to the right of this page under the assignments link. Accelerated - Discuss the end of "The Odyssey" and continue the film version.

English 9 - Read Ch. 3 in "Of Mice and Men" and update your journal. Question three is listed on the OMAM Journal document to the right side of the page. Accelerated - Lessons from the Cyclops. Read Book 10 and Book 12 in "The Odyssey" for tomorrow.

English 9 Chapter one discussion on goals and dreams. Chapter 2 and the journal for tomorrow. Accelerated - The craft of the epic, the epic hero. Start The Odyssey. Sonnets due tomorrow.

English 9 - Read Chapter 1 in "Of Mice and Men" and respond to the chapter #1 prompt in your "Of Mice and Men" Journal. Prompt for chapter 1: What is your definition of a true friend? Explain why you think George and Lennie fit this definition or not. Accelerated - Work on sonnets. They're due on Wednesday.

English 9 and Accelerated - View sample speech by Dwight Shrute. One last practice speech. Speeches begin tomorrow for all classes. Make sure you have the following 3 items on the day you deliver your speech: 1. Typed Paper 2. Typed Works Cited 3. Score sheet (Purple)

English 9 and Accelerated - View sample papers and discuss MLK and Mandela's speeches. What makes them effective speakers?? Speeches begin on Wednesday.

English 9 and Accelerated - Works Cited page and Checklist # 2 due today. Write your paper, speech, and practice. Speeches start on Wednesday 4/25.

English 9 and Accelerated - Today was the 9th grade GRAD Writing test. Classes will commence as normal tomorrow. Works Cited pages for your speech is due on Thursday and speeches begin on Wednesday 4/25.

English 9 and Accelerated - MCA Final test prep. Test is tomorrow. Speeches start next Wednesday 4/25. You need to have your Works Cited page typed and ready to be checked off by Thursday 4/19 this week.

English 9 - Library for research. Books can now be checked out. Introduction and Thesis are due tomorrow. 3 Source evaluations with notes prepared are due by Tuesday 4/3


Accelerated - Source evaluation process. Notetaking process. Library for research. Topics due tomorrow.

English 9 - Research Time in the Media Center. Go over the speech outline and check off any last topics.


Accelerated - Correct R & J Test. Social Issue Research Project Assignment and Checklist. Topic generation.

English 9 - Review Jeopardy for the R & J Test tomorrow. 110 points!!


Acclerated - Continue the Luhrmann film.

English 9 - Review #1 for the R & J Test on Friday.

Accelerated - Finish Act III. Read Act IV i, ii, iii. Update your study guide.

English 9 - Finish R&J Luhrmann film. Test Friday

Accelerated - Finish reading Act III and update study guide.

English 9 - Finish reading R & J. Update study guide and lit term grid. Test will be Friday 3/16.

Accelerated - Read Act II iv, v, vi. Update study guides and lit term grid.

English 9 - View the Luhrmann film through Act III iv. Review some important quotes from Acts I - III of the play.

Accelerated - Read Act II ii and iii. The balcony and wedding plans. Update your study guides.

English 9 - View the Zeffirelli film through Act III iv. Work on your Shakespearian insults that are due on Monday.


Accelerated - Read Act I iv and v. Read Act III i. Update your study guide and any literary terms on the grid you noticed being used in the text.

English 9 - View the Zeffirelli film through Act III iv. Work on your Shakespearian insults that are due on Monday.


Accelerated - Read Act I iv and v. Read Act III i. Update your study guide and any literary terms on the grid you noticed being used in the text.

English 9 - Finish reading Act II and update the study guide and grid.

Accelerated - Act I i. Update study guide and grid.

English 9 - View the Baz Luhrmann "R&J" through Act II iii.

Accelerated - Study guides, lit term grid, get Act I i parts. Read Act I Chorus.

English 9 - View Act I scene i in both R&J films. Identify 5 differences between the two films.

Accelerated - Continue "The Legend of Bagger Vance."

English 9 - Read Act I scene i in "Romeo and Juliet." Update your study guide.

Accelerated - Continue viewing "The Legend of Bagger Vance."

English 9 - Henry VIII and his wives! R&J Study Guides. Prologue and characters.

Accelerated - Start viewing "The Legend of Bagger Vance."

English 9 - Check "scanning" practice. Read "Shakespeare's London" and complete the questions with 1 or 2 others in a group (Due tomorrow).

Accelerated - Continue Romance notes. Hero Journey and where it originates. Examples of "The Place Apart."

English 9 - Roots due. Blank Verse and Iambic Pentameter scanning practice.

Accelerated - Notes on 4 Archetypes: Satire/Irony, Comedy, Tragedy, Romance.

English 9 - "Shakespeare's World" note sheet due. Discuss important facts about Shakespeare, his writing, and Elizabethan England. Greek and Latin Roots due tomorrow.


Accelerated - Score sample MCA essays. Greek and Latin Roots Due Monday.

English 9 - Practice MCA writing test. Write for 30 minutes and give yourself a score when you read your response. Greek and Latin Roots are due on Friday.

Accelerated - Analysis papers are due. Turn in TKAM books. MCA overview.

English 9 - Sample essays for MCA writing test. Score them and discuss.

Accelerated - Finish analysis essay. Due tomorrow with Works Cited page and editing packet completed.

English 9 - Power reading for quarter #2 is due. Group discussions and talks. Start Greek and Latin Root chart which is due Friday 2/3/12.

Accelerated - Power reading for quarter #2 is due. Work on TKAM analysis essay in the 9th grade computer lab. Paper is due Tuesday 1/31/12.

English 9 - Get seats. Writing/Editing time for your analysis essay in the 9th grade lab. Paper is due Thursday 1/26 and you will need to turn in the following:

Score Sheet
Final Draft
Works Cited Page
Editing Packet




Accelerated - Finish the film. Time Magazine article "The American as Noble Man" What is the thesis of this essay?

ALL CLASSES... POWER READING IS DUE FRIDAY JANUARY 27TH

English 9 - Write works cited page for the analysis paper. Continue typing body paragraphs in Google documents.

Accelerated - Continue TKAM film.

English 9 - Editing packet for the analysis paper. Intro to Google Documents. Writing/Revising time

Accelerated - Continue film.

English 9 - TKAM Tests back. Look at sample introductions. Complete Paper outline and write your introduction.

Accelerated - Correct TKAM test. Start the film.

English 9 - Correct tests and continue film.

Accelerated - Two plots review notes and reading time.

English 9 - Continue the film version of "To Kill a Mockingbird"

Accelerated - Vocabulary test and correct. Finish the book by Thursday.

English 9 - Review Jeopardy. Test on "To Kill a Mockingbird" Monday.

Accelerated - Vocab bingo review. Test on 50 vocab words Tuesday.

English 9 - Review the 2 plots of "To Kill a Mockingbird" Test is on Friday

Accelerated - Finish group trial discussion. Witness credibility notes. Vocabulary bingo review for Monday's test.