Current Assignments/Class Work

All Classes:
Outside reading project:
Book Walk due November 29/30
Project due January 3/4

English 9:
Greek/Roman gods/goddesses posters

English 10:
World War One project paperwork due
Presentations/videos/games due after Thanksgiving break

English 11:
Author research essay draft due November 29/30

Current Assignments/Classwork

English 9:

Culture/Values Essay Revision due this week
Begin Greek/Roman gods and godesses (Prep for reading the Odyssey)
Bridge Project Works Cited Page

HW: Book Project assignment
--Book Walk (w/parent signature) due 11/29 [or 11/30]
--Project due 1/03 [or 1/04]

English 10:

World War I project due this week
(PPT/board game/video PLUS all identification forms and compare/contrast worksheets)
Journal: Writing Perspective
HW: Book Project assignment
--Book Walk (w/parent signature) due 11/29 [or 11/30]
--Project due 1/03 [or 1/04]

English 11:

Author research essay: Thesis statement; Essay Outline; Draft due Thursday or Friday
HW: Book Project assignment
--Book Walk (w/parent signature) due 11/29 [or 11/30]
--Project due 1/03 [ or 1/04]

Bridge Project:

Presentation Night 12/08
This week: Bridge Construction; Interview; PPT finishing touches;
TEAMWORK TO FINISH WITH PRIDE AND EXCELLENCE!

Current Assignments/Class Work

English 9:
--Revising writing (Culture/Values essay)
--Veterans Day reading--reading for details (in class worksheet)
--Paragraph development--staying focused (in class worksheet)

English 10:
--The Bridge poem analysis--figurative language and theme (in class discussion and questions)
--WWI project (identification forms/compare-contrast sheets/PPT or other project completion)
--Project Completion next week! (Update: no works cited page required with project)

English 11:
Early American author research
--Biography Sheet
--Introductory paragraph (in class worksheet)
--Thesis statement (three main points of focus)
Past due homework: In the News

Bridge Project: Presentation Night December 8th!

Current Assignments/Class Work

English 9:
Sentence Structure: Verbs
Reading comprehension: predicting and inferring: "Casey at the Bat"
Revising writing: organization/sentence structure/clarity
HW: Verbs worksheet Due 11/4 or 11/5

English 10:
Ongoing WWI Project (Research/Analysis/Perspective)
Patterns of error in writing: run-ons and comma splices; verb tense shift
HW: "In Flanders Fields" (Rhyme; project identification form) Due 11/4

English 11:
American author research
Essay writing
HW: In the News: summary and analysis Due 11/4 or 11/5

On the Horizon: Outside reading project for all classes. Read a book of your choosing, complete reading logs, build vocabulary, and represent characters through creative expression.

Bridge Project

We are spending two blocks per week in our advisory classes, completing our schoolwide project focused on bridge design and construction.

With a partner, students have:
--Researched various bridge types
--Begun a Power Point slide presentation for the project
--Designed a bridge using West Point Bridge Design software
--Brainstormed possible interview questions for a professional involved with bridge design, engineering, or construction (some have contacted possible interviewees already)
--Begun scaling their bridge design according to project guidelines

This week, students will:
--Complete scaling their bridge design
--Sketch their bridge design on graph paper

Next week, students will:
--Begin constructing their bridge out of toothpicks

Our first Trade Tech presentation night is scheduled for December 8th

Current Classwork and Assignments

English 9:
Culture/Values Essay
--Planning sheet
--Essay draft (typed in class)
--MLA format

English 10:
WWI Project (Approx. due date 11/05)
--Primary Sources/Propaganda
--Art/Music/Poetry
--Identification Forms
--Compare/Contrast Worksheets
HW: Project signature page

English 11:
Early American Literature textbook readings
--Choose from four pairs of reading selections
--SOAPSTone
--Say/Mean/Matter
Next week: Author research
HW: SOAPSTone commercial (past due)

Current Assignments/Class Work

English 9:
Culture discussion and presentations
Journal: Your Name
The House on Mango Street excerpts

English 10:
Annotating a text
Archduke Ferdinand assasination reading
HW: 1st person perspective writing
Final autobiographical narrative past due this week

English 11:
Journal/discussion: Separation of Church and State
Puritan influence on literature
Textbook notes pages 98-99
Poetry pages 100-102

Current Assignments

English 9:
Classwork:
Generating questions to be researched
Work Cited format
Figurative language (simile/metaphor/personification/hyperbole)
Homework: Bring in a copy of a poem or song lyrics

English 10:
Classwork:
Autobiographical Narrative revision
MLA formatting
Homework: Narrative revision (if incomplete)

English 11:
Classwork:
Obama inauguration speech analysis (Ethos/Pathos/Logos)
Presentations 9/23 and 9/24

Power Point Presentation Tips

1) Use the same background for all the slides. When in doubt use one of the Design Templates that came with PowerPoint. These templates guarantee a professional looking background every time. You can find even more premade templates on the Microsoft Office Website .
2) Pick high contrast colors. High contrast means light letters on a dark background for example. High contrasting colors makes it much easier to read the slides. When in doubt use one of the Design Templates that came with PowerPoint. This guarantees high contrast colors.
3) Use one good picture or graphic per slide. PowerPoint is a visual medium so please use pictures and graphics. Just make sure the pictures are relevant to the topic and large enough for the audience to see and appreciate them. Search online for free images.
4) Minimum of 32 pts for the font size. Remember you’re making a presentation and not an eye exam. Your audience should be able to read the slides without binoculars.
5) Maximum of 5 lines of text per slide. Use bullet lists and phrases rather than whole sentences. Plan on explaining the bullets and phrases as part of your oral presentation.
6) Please don’t read the slides to your audience. Generally speaking, all the members of your audience are literate. Instead of reading the slides to them use the slide as a launching point to tell them more about your topic.
7) Check your spelling and grammar. Nothing distracts the attention of your audience more than spelling & grammar errors.
8) Use good presentation skills. Make sure you have good eye contact, you’re loud enough, and don’t forget to practice your presentation before you present. These things are very important to your audience and they should be important to you.

Current Assignments/Class Work

English 9:
Caucasian Mummies in China: Read (focus on context clues and questioning the text)
Answer #1,4,5,7 Page 136; answer #7 Page 137

English 10:
Carrier Pigeons article: complete worksheet questions
Cher Ami (The Heroic Carrier Pigeon): Read article and poem; complete compare and contrast organizer; answer questions on back of organizer
Mt. Everest: Read Hillary's and Norgay's narrative accounts (focus on visualization and questioning the text); answer #1-10 Page 145
Autobiographical Narrative revised and completed next week

English 11:
Journal: The Green Movement
President Obama Inauguration Speech: Identify SOAPSTone; complete Say/Mean/Matter chart; analyze assigned ethos, pathos, or logos evidence in text of speech (group work)
Group presentations next week.

Current Assignments/Class Work

English 9:
-Autobiographical Poem
-Journal: Descriptive Writing

English 10:
-Autobiographical Narrative (rough draft)
-Journal: Descriptive Writing

English 11:
-Notes: SOAPSTone (PowerPoint)
-Create an Advertisement (SOAPSTone)

Advisory(Project Time):
-Bridge Research

Welcome

Welcome back to those of you returning to Trade Tech, and a big welcome to all of our new students. This year begins anew for all of us as we are beginning the year at our new location.

The plan for this blog site is that it be used as a way of communicating about class goings on, including assignments, projects, and due dates. It will be a resource for you to use in order to stay informed in the event of an absence and will provide additional resources that may be of use in completing this course.