Tuesday 3/22

*Pray Psalm 93

1. Review Roots--flex/fect - germ will be on the quiz on Block Day.

2. Review TKAMB Introduction Notes (see Unit Page)

3. Review TKAMB Reading Journal Assignment (see Unit Page)

4. Review Chapter 5 and begin Chapter 6

HW--Finish reading up through Chapter 6, completing a reading journal entry for each chapter.
Roots quiz on Block; organization and journal check on Block; open book/open note partner quiz on Ch. 1-4 o Block

p.s. if you have already read To Kill a Mockingbird, and are comfortable with all the details with story (perhaps after some re-reading and review), I encourage you to read Lee's previously unpublished book Go Set a Watchman. I have not read it yet, so let me know how it is.

Monday, 3/21

A prayer for Monday in holy week; remember, Palm Sunday celebrates the "arrival of the King," and this week we walk with Jesus on the road to his suffering, death, and resurrection:

Almighty God,
Your name is glorified
even in the anguish of your Son's death.
Grant us the courage
to receive your anointed servant
who embodies a wisdom and love
that is foolishness to the world.
empower us in witness
so that all the world may recognize
in the scandal of the cross the mystery of reconciliation. Amen.

*Pray Psalm 85

*Questions about last week?

*Be familiar with the TKAMB Unit Page, our EQ, etc.

*Scope for the rest of the year

*Roots Quiz and Organization Check on Block (Wed/Thurs of this week)
*Mrs. Kirkendall, Petra Grace and I are so grateful for your prayers and for YOU!

1. Copy these roots into your notes; these are our final roots for the quarter. There will be a test on Block Day, perhaps on all 40, but also perhaps only on the final ten (flex/fect - germ):

geo	earth	geometry, geography, geocentric, geology
germ	vital part	germination, germ, germane

2. Complete Journal #25:

25	What are some things that make you very uncomfortable? Describe them in vivid detail.

3. What are the major themes popping up in TKAMB so far?

*What is the deal with the Radley's? Are Scout and her friends engaging in harmless, childish fun around their home, or is there something deeper going on?

*Begin reading Chapter 5 together

HW--Finish reading Chapter 5; complete a Reading Journal entry

Be ready for Roots Quiz and Organization/Journal Check on Block (Wed/Thurs)

Friday, 3/18

*We will have Organization and Journal checks when Mr. K is back next week (hopefully). Be organized and have your journals polished by then.

1. Copy the roots into your notes, and correct the sentences for comma usage--

gastr (o)	stomach	gastric, gastronomic, gastritis, gastropod
gen	birth, race, produce	genesis, genetics, eugenics, genealogy, generate, genetic, antigen, pathogen

1. After seeing a sign for a gastropub, Sherlock and Watson scampered across the London Bridge, and ordered a steaming plate of fish and chips.
2. Corrie’s family tree traces her ancestry back, five generations.

2. Poetry Reading--visit "Poems to Ponder" on the To Kill a Mockingbird Unit page.

*Find a group of 2-3.

*In your groups, you must read Paul Laurence Dunbar's "Sympathy" (the first black American poet) and Maya Angelou's "Caged Bird" (an African American poet who died in 2014 and whose work dealt with issues of race and abuse very personal to her), and one of the three psalms to read (attributed to David, but likely written by groups of priests in a "Davidic tradition" for temple worship, such that first person-pronouns in the psalms often refer to all of Israel).

*For each of the three (total) poems you read, discuss these questions:

• Read once out loud. What images pop out to you? What do they mean?
• Read again out loud. How do the rhymes, the meter, and other poetic devices impact the poem's meaning (images and theme)?
• Read once more out loud. What does this poem reveal about the experience of suffering? How? What sense of "wrong" do the poets lament over? What would make these things right? What other themes do you notice? How would your interpretation of the poems change in light of biographical information you might know about the poets? 

*When all are finished, discuss as a class the questions under "c."

*Discuss how Harper Lee may be preparing us for themes that are similar to ones discussed above, especially in the Dunbar and Angelou poems.

3. Review our Q4 Poetry Memorization Assignment. You can find it under "Units of Study."

4. Continue reading To Kill A Mockingbird and creating a Reading Journal entry (digitally in Notability) for each chapter. If you don't finish in class today, there is homework. There may or may not be a quiz on the first four chapters next week.

5. If you finish these chapters, read your independent reading book.

HW--Finish Ch. 1-4 and a Reading Journal entry for each chapter. 

Grammar Warm-Up Corrections

1. After seeing a sign for a gastropub, Sherlock and Watson scampered across the London Bridge and ordered a steaming plate of fish and chips.

*No comma is necessary after bridge because the second clause has an implied subject (Sherlock and Watson), so it is not technically a compound-sentence situation (which would require a comma).

1. Corrie’s family tree traces her ancestry back five generations.

*No comma after "back" is necessary, because "five generations" is an adverb-phrase that completes the full idea started with "traces."

Wednesday, 3/16

*UPDATE: Mrs. Kirkendall and the baby are doing very well; the baby will hopefully stay in the womb for as long as nine more weeks. Mrs. Kirkendall will have to stay at the Stanford Children's Hospital until the baby is born, which could be a while, so pray for us as we figure out how to balance everything else. We miss our students!
*Pray Psalm 126 together to start class, a good meditation as we wander through the desert of Lent to the oasis of Easter.

1. Copy roots into your notes, and correct the following sentences for comma usage--

fract, frag	break	fracture, infraction, fragile, fraction, refract
gam	marriage	bigamy, monogamy, polygamy

1. Cricket, which originated in England is also popular in Australia, South Africa and India.
2. At the sound of the starting pistol the horses surged forward toward the first obstacle, a sharp incline three feet high.

2. Quick Review if you need to finish or were absent:

*Introduction Notes--keep these in Notability. Be ready for a possible quiz on this material.

*TKAMB Reading Journal Assignment--follow the instructions here closely for what to include in each entry on each chapter. You must use proper grammar and sentence structure.

3. Read the beginning of Chapter 2 all together (5 minutes), then keep reading individually

*Consider this: How does Harper Lee set the mood, tone, and/or setting of various things early in the novel, like each unique member of the Finch family, the 1920s, Maycomb County, Alabama, or Scout's "coming-of-age" perspective?

*Who is Dill? How does Harper Lee portray his age and maturity?

*Who is Miss Caroline? What happens in her classroom, especially with Walter Cunningham? Do you feel bad for Miss Cunningham? Why does Harper Lee include the episode of Miss Caroline and her classroom?

4. Start on HW.

HW--Read Ch. 1-4 by Friday (end of class) and complete a Reading Journal Entry on each chapter.

Be prepared for an Organization and Journal Check on Block Day.

Grammar Warm-Up corrections:

1. Cricket, which originated in England, is also popular in Australia, South Africa, and India. 

*the first and second commas set off a subordinate clause that clarifies some necessary information about cricket.
*Include commas in ALL items in a list.

1. At the sound of the starting pistol, the horses surged forward toward the first obstacle, a sharp incline three feet high.

*the first clause is subordinate, clarifying when the horses (subject) surged forward (verb).

Tuesday, 3/15

Dear students,

Thank you for staying diligent and excellent in my absence! Unfortunately, I'm not sure if I will be back this week, or what the future beyond that holds. Mrs. Kirkendall has been admitted to the Stanford hospital for the rest of our pregnancy because her water broke early Monday morning. Our baby may decide to come in the next few days or the next few weeks; we are not sure. We will be well taken care of at Stanford. Thank you for praying for us and our little girl; my prayers are likewise with you all. I will be sure to settle any issues regarding grades, make-up from last quarter, or your own absences in the coming weeks; be sure to check the blog regularly--it will be my primary way of communicating with you. Again, thank you for your prayers; I would love it if you would pray through this psalm on behalf of my family and I to start class: Psalm 46.

Peace,
Mr. K

1. Copy these roots into your notes:

form	form, shape	form, uniform, conform, formulary, perform, formal, formula
fort, forc	strong	fort, fortress, fortify, forte, fortitude

Correct the following sentences for comma use and keeping grammatical structure consistent in items in a list:

a. Before slaying the dragon the knight made sure his appearance was clean handsome and flexed his muscles for the princess.

b. The dragon, shook his head, snorted fire, and choking, on his own smoke.

2. Please review the projected reading schedule for TKAMB on the TKAMB page under Units of Study.

*Copy down the Introduction Notes (#1 on the Unit Page) into a new document in Notability.

*Read (aloud) the instructions for the Reading Journal (#3 on the project page); follow the instructions closely to create an entry for each chapter. This will be turned in when we finish the book; you may keep the journal in your Notebook or in a new Notability document.

3. Begin reading Chapter 1 aloud (5 minutes), then keep reading independently.

*As you read, circle unknown vocabulary words; look them up when you finish the chapter.

*You can check out the Pre-Reading Vocabulary (#2 on the project page) for words in each chapter you may not recognize; you can also use these words in your Reading Journal.

HW--Read Chapters 1-4 by Friday. Organization & Journal Check on Friday.

Grammar warm-up corrections:

a. Before slaying the dragon, the knight made sure his appearance was clean, handsome, and strong for the princess.

*Commas should separate each item in a list, and the list should include only verbs to be in parallel structure.

b. The dragon shook his head, snorted fire, and choked on his own smoke.

*Other than the list, this simple sentence needs no commas.

*Each item in the list should have a noun followed by a past-tense verb; the -ing verb is out of place.

Monday, 3/14

Copy roots into your vocabulary notes--there will be 8 more roots after these for a total of 40 this semester:

flex, flect	bend	flex, reflex, flexible, flexor, inflexibility, reflect, deflect
flu, fluc, fluv	flowing	influence, fluid, flue, flush, fluently, fluctuate

1. Complete Journal #24: (10-15 minutes)

24	What are some things that really bug you? Describe them in vivid detail.

2. Briefly discuss our new Essential Question for To Kill a Mockingbird in groups of 2-3: (10 minutes)

*Where does our sense of right and wrong come from? Why do we go against it?

*Discuss as a class: What are things that bug you? Where might this 'sense of right and wrong' of sorts come from? Why do those things bug you?

3. Read your Independent Reading book: (remainder of class-time)

* If you have not your book, you may review the To Kill a Mockingbird Unit Page here to review some of the assignments we will be doing. 

HW--Bring To Kill a Mockingbird, digital or physical copy, to class tomorrow. 

There will be an Organization and Journal Check on Block Day of this week--make sure all your journals are thoroughly complete and your Notability or notebook are clean and organized (everything should be in a specific place). 

Wednesday, 3/2

*1 Corinthians 13: On how to avoid being noisy and to be harmonious, melodic, musical in all things

Presentations are coming! Prepare! Here is the order of presenters.

Today, prepare and rehearse your presentations. Work on your art project if you are able. See yesterday's blog post or here for instructions and expectations.

This week and next week, bring your Independent Reading book in case we have down time.

HW--Finish Art Project; Prepare for Presentations; Bring Indie Reading book this week

Tuesday, 3/1

1. Turn in your essays to the black bin, with your outlines.
*If turnitin.com is not working, e-mail it to me.

2. You will present your art and essay to the class including:

a.    showcasing your art

b.    summarizing the thesis and evidence if your essay
c. answer the question: "What is love?" (briefly)

d.    reflecting on the relationship between the art piece and the essay

                      i.        For example, answer the question, “How did my art inform my writing?” or vice versa.

Art Project Rubric for Romeo and Juliet  (30 points)
Due Tuesday, March 1

Criteria for Project


CRAFTSMANSHIP:

Excellent use of material
Extreme attention to detail
Crafted with care and attention
Technical ability reflects expertise in materials


CREATIVITY:

Dynamic image, object, or material engages audience
Each detail uniquely contributes to the whole piece
Explores original choices and ideas
Appealing to the senses


CONNECTION:

Art piece is substantially related to a character
Art piece is substantially related to the character’s demonstration of love
The character and theme are symbolically or literally represented in the piece
The connection to Romeo & Juliet engages deeply with the text, character and theme.
Creatively Incorporates a quote from Romeo & Juliet related to the character.

Presentation Rubric for Romeo and Juliet (20 Points)
Due March 3 - 8

Criteria for Project
PACING AND FLOW

No more than two minutes
Clear articulation; not rushing or slurring words; speaks intentionally and deliberately without word-fluff (like, umm, you know…)
Adequate time given to each required topic


FULFILLS REQUIREMENTS

Showcases and thoroughly summarizes art piece
Briefly summarizes the core argument and evidence of the analysis essay
Offers an insightful reflection on the relationship between the art pieces and the essay


BODY LANGUAGE AND POSTURE

Makes eye contact consistently, only occasionally referencing notes
Keeps a formal posture, tone, and demeanor
Dresses formally


REFLECTION CONTENT

Comments on how the art project deepened understanding of the character/text
Comments on how the central argument of the essay is represented in the art piece
Shows an insightful awareness of the thought-process behind how the art and essay both relate to the textual or character details specifically.


HW--Polish Art Project; we will continue preparing for the presentation tomorrow.
Bring Independent Reading book on Block Day.