Wednesday, August 31 ~ Are your parents coming tonight?

Roots

• hema/hemo - blood
• mor/mort - death
• morph - form

Posters

• I'm so sorry I forgot to mention that the black file cabinet on wheels has many supplies you may need. Please help yourself!
• Posters should be nearly finished. Please leave them on the black table at the end of class.
• Double check that your names and period number are on the back.
• If you are desperate for more time, you may bring them in the morning before school on Thursday. 
•  Again, who will give us a five minute clean up warning?

If you finish early, study for your roots quiz (on block)

HW: Enjoy your evening! (or finish a poster if you slacked in class :)

Tuesday, August 30 ~ Midnight Pukies makes for Independent Students?

Hi guys,

I picked up a nasty bug, compliments of the tiny people in my house. While I am puking at home, won't you create beautiful posters and give our sub the best day possible? Don't forget to review the poster requirements on yesterday's post.

Remember, posters are due by the end of class on Wednesday.

Now, who will volunteer to be our time keeper? We need to have a five minute clean up warning before the end of class please.

Thank you for taking care of business today,

Mrs. West

Monday, August 29 ~ It's all Greek to me!

Roots

• gest - to carry or bear
• gloss/glot - tongue 
• hypn - sleep

Mythology Posters

Gods

1. Zeus (Jupiter, Jove)
2. Hera (Juno)
3. Poseidon (Neptune)
4. Dionysus (Bacchus)
5. Apollo (Apollo)
6. Artemis (Diana)
7. Hermes (Mercury)
8. Athena (Minerva)
9. Ares (Mars)
10. Aphrodite (Venus)
11. Hephaestus (Vulcan)
12. Demeter (Ceres) 

 Characters

1. Phaethon
2. Medusa
3. Atlas
4. Nike
5. Hydra
6. Python
7. Oracle
8. Amazon

Poster Assignment Description

You will be making a poster of your god or goddess. You will have class time today and Monday to complete the poster. Posters will be displayed to teach others.  

• One person needs to get your poster board
• Don't forget to put your names and period on it!
• Everyone needs to bring colored pens and pencils.
• You will need to incorporate text and drawings. 

Poster Requirements 
~ Please record your notes as Journal #3

• What is the basic origin and history of this Olympian? Don't forget to include both Greek and Roman names of your god.
• What is this god or goddess associated with (wine, fertility, war, death, grain, a certain planet, an occupation, etc.)? 
• What symbols usually attend this god or goddess (eagle, thunderbolt, winged shoes, etc.)? 
• Explain a favorite story in which this god or goddess chiefly figures.
• Note at least one reference or allusion one may find in arts and culture (music, painting, ads, etc.). 
• Search the Scriptures: Find a verse, passage, or story from the Bible that relates to a story from your god or goddess (perhaps the moral is similar; perhaps it is opposite; perhaps the story appears to be a modified reflection of a story in the Bible)
• Lastly, find at least one modern word (or word root) that is derived from your god or goddess.  Include that word or root and its definition on your poster. 

HW: Bring any supplies or printed images that you'd like to use for your poster tomorrow. True Colors Essay is DUE!!!! Please bring a hard copy to class. (There will be no leaving class to print your essays.)

Friday, August 26 ~ EQ: What are your writing goals this year?

Due: True Colors Analysis (hard copy and on turnitin.com)

Roots

• dorm -sleep
• gastr(o) - stomach
• gen - birth, race, produce
• germ - vital, part

Essays & Quizzes Back 

Journal 3

After looking over your essay, use the rubric and feedback to write down at least two strengths from your essay and two goals for your future writing in this class. Especially, what would it take to get top scores on the top two rows from the SAT rubric? How about ways to push your score with the vocab, sentence structure and overall grammar?

Let's preview our next unit: Greek Mythology!

EQ: Why should we study Greek mythology if they are just false idols anyway? What do you already know about Greek gods/myths? Is there anything that especially peaks your interest on this topic? 

Mythology Posters are coming. Here are some of the possible subjects for your group. 

Gods

1. Zeus (Jupiter, Jove)
2. Hera (Juno)
3. Poseidon (Neptune)
4. Dionysus (Bacchus)
5. Apollo (Apollo)
6. Artemis (Diana)
7. Hermes (Mercury)
8. Athena (Minerva)
9. Ares (Mars)
10. Aphrodite (Venus)
11. Hephaestus (Vulcan)
12. Demeter (Ceres) 

 Characters

1. Phaethon
2. Medusa
3. Atlas
4. Nike
5. Hydra
6. Python
7. Oracle
8. Amazon

HW: Nope, but you will need a poster board next week if ya happen to be at the store this weekend.

Thursday, August 25 ~ EQ: What is your strategy this year, based on your color?

Roots

• dem - people
• dent, dont - tooth
• derm - skin

Discuss True Colors Essay & Turnitin.com

• Make sure you are enrolled in the correct class on turnitin.com
• Quick review of MLA, turnitin and essay requirements.
• Don't forget to bring a hard copy to class!

HW: Write a 1-2 page Narrative Essay to describe a real example of how your personality type is true in your own life and how it interacts with others. Along with your story, please include some reflection of how your personality traits can be a strength or weakness when it comes to school. How will you succeed in learning from/with teachers and students who are so different from you?

This essay should be typed and in MLA format. Click here to view the rubric.
DUE as a hard copy and on turnitin.com by Friday, August 25.

Wednesday, Aug.24 ~ Teacher Colors too?

Roots

• civ - citizen
• cord, cor, cardi - heart
• cresc, cret, crease, cru - rise, grow

Discuss J2

True Colors Part 2
EQ: How do your colors interact with those of your teachers and classmates?

• Do you think it is more beneficial to have a teacher whose colors match yours or whose colors balance yours?

The second part of this concept is that we can think about the people we are learning with in terms of their strengths and weaknesses. If we know each other better, then we can value them and communicate better. Even teachers are part of that consideration.
TC Part 2: click here to view this power point.

• Add to J2: Take notes on how your colors might interact with what you guess are your most challenging teacher's colors. How will you survive this year?

Due Friday: True Colors Essay (hard copy and on turnitin.com). 

• Essay Described: Write a 1-2 page narrative essay (that's an essay based on stories from your life!) to describe a real example or two of how your personality type is true in your own life and how it interacts with others. Along with your story, please include some reflection of how your personality traits can be a strength or weakness when it comes to school. How will you succeed in learning from/with teachers and students who are so different from you? Due Friday 8/26 as a hard copy and on Turnitin.com. Click here to view the rubric.

Tuesday, Aug.23 ~ Picture Day!

Photo Schedule
P.1 ~ 9:15
P.2 ~ 9:55
P.3 ~ 11:05
P.4 ~ 11:35

Roots: Keep a running list in the back of your journal. For each word, record the root word, the definition and at least three words that use that root in both spelling and meaning.

• bio - life
• capit, capt - lead
• carn - flesh

Journal 2: Color Collaboration (You get to talk and reflect with your kind:)
*If you tested a teacher, tell me ASAP!

1. How does your color play into the way you like to learn or show your learning? (What types of projects or assignments work well? What happens to you in group work, etc...)
2. How do people of your personality type tend to be misunderstood? What would you tell people to understand you better? 
3. What kinds of teachers/class environments can you benefit from the most? 

HW:
*Please register for turnitin.com today! Your course codes are in the "Course Info" tab.

Due Friday: True Colors Essay (hard copy and on turnitin.com). 

• Essay Described: Write a 1-2 page narrative essay (that's an essay based on stories from your life!) to describe a real example or two of how your personality type is true in your own life and how it interacts with others. Along with your story, please include some reflection of how your personality traits can be a strength or weakness when it comes to school. How will you succeed in learning from/with teachers and students who are so different from you? Due Friday 8/28 as a hard copy. Click here to view the rubric.

Monday, Aug. 22 ~ I see your true colors

DUE: True Colors in Google Classroom. Do you need help scoring it?


WARM UP: True Colors

• Hopefully you were honest in your self-assessment when you completed the True Colors questionnaire. Now it's time to share your top two colors here.

1. Course Plan
2. For our class, you will need several books and a journal.

True Colors Part 1

Psalm 139: 13-14 tells it best.

For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

EQ: So what do these colors mean?
Journal Entry #1: True Colors
As we watch the power point, take notes on three things:

• What words or ideas from your top color describe your personal strengths and weaknesses?
• What words or ideas from your second color match you the most?

Extra Credit? 5 pts. if you test a teacher in True Colors before Wed. 8/26 (Note: once a teacher has been tested, that name can no longer earn you points, so ask the teacher if s/he has done it already. These can be last year's teachers too!)

HW: Nope, but heads up! Tomorrow is picture day.

Block ~ It's been real Bilbo.

Hobbit Quiz

Hobbit Essay

• This essay will help me to assess your writing style and give you a taster of how an honors essay is graded. Please use your best judgment of MLA, spelling, proofreading and good margins! Please underline your thesis as well. 

HW: True Colors

• Please complete the True Colors Survey on Google Classroom. You will probably be able to best complete it by transferring the file to Notability so that you can write on it, score it, and then upload a new copy to classroom. If you cannot score it, I will help you on Monday. 

Wednesday - Day Three

Due: Hobbit Annotations (I will check for credit while you are creating Hobbit questions.)

Continue Introductions

Review The Hobbit

• Create two review questions and one essay question. Write them on scrap paper please.

Do we really have a test next class? 

HW:
The Hobbit is coming! You should finish it asap. Tomorrow we will have a quiz and an essay about our summer reading. For homework, please brainstorm three open-ended discussion questions about our book. Write them down in your new journal! Hard copy texts are welcome for use during the essay; your annotations should be of help if you'd like to employ quoted texts. If you only have a digital copy, I have a few extra books available.

Tuesday ~ Day Two

While I take roll, won't you peruse the emergency procedures just in case!

Continue the syllabus and explore the blog...

• Do you know where Bedford is?
• What should you do if I am unexpectedly absent? 
• If you click on your period number, does it take you to our Google Classroom? 
• How can you find a post from a day you were absent? 
• Where can you see the texts that you need for this class? 

Intro Activities

• Brainstorm some new get to know ya questions
• Shuffle, Partner, Share

HW: Make sure you have the Star Testing app.

• Go to the App store
• Type "renaissance learning"
• Download the STAR application

AND don't forget to bring your Hobbit Annotations tomorrow!

Monday ~ Day One

Welcome to Honors English 2!


1. Info Card
On the front...

• Your preferred name (Write big to fill the card! It has to show up in the picture:)

On the back...

• Where are you from?
• What is your passion?
• What is your pet peeve?
• What is one thing you want people to know about you? 
• What should I know about you as a student to help me teach you better this year?

2. Blog: Please add the blog to your home screen. 

3. Google Classroom: Please click on the correct link on the upper right hand corner of the blog to get your access code and join our Google Classroom. Your first assignment is waiting there (Due 8/22).

2. Syllabus: Here is a basic syllabus to get us going, but please click here for the extended version of our syllabus or click here for the Parent Student Handbook.

HW: Add the blog to your home screen and join our Google Classroom.

Welcome New Students!

Welcome to New Student Orientation and Honors English II!

Please let me know if you have any questions about our class or the summer reading.

Remind Codes

Remind App Codes

English II          81010      @regularen
English II (h)     81010      @8gb94
Classical Lit      81010       @classys