September 29

Please finish the compare/contrast essay (2-3 paragraphs) about Tell Tale Heart and Blue Boots. Re-read the Portable Phonograph. Study Terms List #4 and complete for Monday. Have a nice weekend.

September 28

Today we did a quiz on the term Audience to Understate. Afterwards students were given the next list of terms for the next quiz next Thursday October 5. The definitions for these must be found in a) the red book; b) the internet; c) glossary of the text; d) dictionary and copied out. Terms sheet is due on Monday. Plot summary paragraphs were supposed to come in but some students wanted to re-edit them after getting the rubric today so will hand in tomorrow. Finally, students were asked to get a partner to edit their compare and contrast paragraphs using the rubric that was also handed out today. The second rough copy is due tomorrow.

September 27

Whew! A fairly busy day!! We started by looking at some vocabulary words from the story The Tell-Tale Heart. Students were asked to pick 8 from the list and copy these with their definitions. We then wrote and marked a short quiz on the story. Next we finished our discussion of the Tell-Tale Heart vs. Blue Boots. The final part of the class was spent working on the assignments. First there is a short plot summary paragraph of the Tell-Tale Heart. The text of the story is attached to the website if you need to read it again. You must use the 8 words you picked from the vocabulary list correctly in the plot summary paragraph. Include the title, author and a brief summary of the story in the topic sentence. Then fill in details about the story. Good and rough copies for tomorrow. The second assignment is a compare/contrast writing assignment, probably 2-3 paragraphs using the information you collected in groups yesterday. Write a rough copy from memory, focussing on your personal take on the stories and then tomorrow you can work in groups to flesh out the work.
Remember that there is a quiz on terms #2 (audience to understate) tomorrow too! Check the website for practice exercises etc.

September 26

Expect a quiz on noun/verb/subject/object next week. If you were away, go to the website and look in the English 10 handouts file (writing) and download a copy. Do both sides. We finished reading the Tell Tale Heart. Students were asked to form groups and compare this story to Blue Boots. Look at structure such as characters and characterization, point of view, plot, details, theme and purpose. Find all the similarities and differences that you can. You will use this to write a compare/contrast paragraph in class tomorrow. We started a discussion on this material but did not finish. Make sure you bring your story book. Expect a quiz on the Tell Tale Heart tomorrow too! Remember about the quiz on Thursday on the terms Audience to Understate.

September 25

We did a sheet on nouns and verbs. Check the website for this if you were absent.
Check the notes for the quiz on Thursday, Audience to Understate. We discussed the story The Blue Boots
Finally we started to read the story The Tell Tale Heart. I will finish this in class but you can read ahead if you want to. No Homework.

September 21

Today we had a quiz on the terms Bias to Style. Next we discussed the story Choices and collected the thoughts and the venns comparing Choices to Test. We worked on a grammar sheet Compound, complex and simple sentences. Check the website for this sheet if you don't have one. Finally, homework was to read "Blue Shoes" for Monday. Have a nice weekend.

September 20

We completed the record sheets for early work. I read aloud some of the arguments from the story Test. Then we did double entry journals using yellow sticky notes. The strategy used was either, I'm picturing or I wonder... The story we read was called Choices. Finally, I asked for a Venn comparison of this story and Test as they both involve car accidents. The Venn is due tomorrow as well as the double entry journals. Remember about the quiz on the terms Bias to Style tomorrow.

September 19

We did an exercise on run-on sentences and review subject/predicate. These were marked. Then people edited their argument on Test para. These are due in good copy tomorrow, Sept 20. We also signed out the blue copies of Inside Stories II. The first story we will read is Choices by Susan Kerslake.
Homework is to get paragraph done.

Reminder of the Quiz Thursday on Terms Bias to Style.

September 18

We started by collecting the argument pages from Friday and discussed why you had to present 2 sides to an argument (get used to 2nd guessing your oponents) on the school uniforms sheet. Then we got into small groups and pretended that we were people from the future who did not know a lot about short stories and had to make some generalizations about the genre from reading Test. Most people handled the analysis part well and groups reported out orally to the class. It was a good review of the parts of the short story. We discussed the theme of the story about empathy and the need to accept the consquences for your actions even if they are not intentional.
Homework: Write one side of an argument. Assume that our Motor Vehicles Branch uses a test like the one in the story. There is a move afoot to get rid of it. Write your argument either supporting the use of the test or supporting the decision to ban it altogether. Rough copy only is due tomorrow. We will do some in-class editing of this.

September 15

We did a quick review of punctuation (quotation marks) and listened to many excellent "rants" (persuasive paragraphs). These were handed in. We did a thesaurus exercise and found better words for "said", etc. The story "Test" was handed out. A worksheet on structuring arguments was also handed out. Students were instructed to spend the rest of the class either reading the story or doing the worksheet.
Homework: read the story and have worksheet done.

For Monday: We will write an argument for or against maintaining the "test" in the story "Test".

September 14

Did a reading test and worked on Venn diagrams. Did an easy punctuation review on Quotation marks. Had time to work on "rants". (persuasive para). Rants are due Sept 15.
Quiz on terms Bias to Style on Sept 21. Get a terms list.

September 13

Today we read through 2 articles on cheating in school and compared them for their use of persuasive techniques and the techniques of argument. Then a Venn diagram was done outlining the differences and similarities. Most people got most of it done in class so no official homework.
Those people who did not turn in their persuasive paragraph need to turn it in tomorrow. If you have lost your sheet, go to Miss Kemp's web page for instructions on how to download a new one.

Sept 11-12

Sept. 11

We went to the library and watched a powerpoint presentation on websearching. Afterwards, students had the choice of doing a practice session or a quiz if they knew all the techniques already. Only students with active passwords can use the school computers at this time. Those who did not bring their forms in will have to do the intenet work at home. The websites for the internet practice are: webquest.sdsu.edu/searching/fournets.htm (Four nets of better internet searching) and http://websearch.about.com/library/quizzes/search_engine_quiz/blsearchenginequiz.htm for the quiz

Those not working on the computer, read some persuasive articles and were asked to highlight the technques they found in them. Next they worked with a partner to choose 1 paragraph, and write about whether it was persuasive or not and to explain why using the persuasive techniques we learned on Friday. Some people got started on this but those on the computer did not have much chance. We will continue this tomorrow.

Sept 12

We worked in class to finish these persuasive paragraphs. We then read some out loud. Then we read a persuasive article written by Charles Dickens and analysed some of the features that made it persuasive and descriptive. Next we read an article about Child Labour and again assessed what made this persuasive and how the voice/tone of the author came through from his use of adjectives, phrases etc. Finally, an assignment to write a persuasive paragraph was given. This is due tomorrow, Sept 13.

Sept 8

Sept 5-7

WELCOME BACK!!!!

Sept. 5 Got acquainted

Sept 6. Learned about informational writing and interviewed a member of the class. Turned the notes into a "biographical" paragraph (informational writing). Rough copy due in class Sept 7.

Sept 7. Reviewed the assignment rubric. Received the Transitional expressions sheet and looked at an example of a biography paragraph. Had time to edit the rough copy. Good copy due in class tomorrow, Sept. 8.

Looked at some examples of Bad writing and determined what the errors were.

Please make sure your computer/internet permission forms have been signed and returned.