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WARNING: The lesson plans listed here are to give you a good idea of what's coming up in the near future. They are not absolute guarantees, and the further into the future they go, the less likely they are to be accurate. Things come up unexpectedly; sometimes it takes more or less time to cover a unit, sometimes there's a snow day, and sometimes I just change things to suit your and my schedules better. The best advice I can give you is that the closer the plan is to the CURRENT DATE, the more likely it is to be correct. Check with me if you have any questions.

Week of August 28, 2005  

Monday   Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday   Friday  
Welcome back. Sharing of class information. Hand out textbooks. "Getting to know you" activity."

HW: None

Book of the Week:

Gilgamesh by Stephen Mitchell  

 

Discussion of the origins of writing and literature. Poetry and the oral tradition.

HW: Read the first part of The Epic of Gilgamesh  

 

Discussion of the first part of Gilgamesh. Qualities of the epic, the hero, and the elegy.

HW: Read the remainder of Gilgamesh for Tuesday.   

 

Picture Day in the Auditorium.

We'll accomplish what we can when we get back.

Vocab list #1

 

Whee! A day off after an exhausting week!

 

Week of September 4, 2006  

Monday Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday   Friday  
Labor Day

Book of the Week:

The Know-it-All by A.J.Jacobs

 

 

Short readings from first part of Gilgamesh. Summary of action up to Enkidu's death.
Lecture on characteristics of the epic and of the hero.
Study Gilgamesh's elegy to Enkidu.

Study second part of Gilgamesh, the story of Utnapishtim. Compare to Genesis.
HW: Answer all questions at end of text.

 

Examining essay questions for Gilgamesh.
Looking at sample essays on overhead.
Essay will be due on Monday.

Vocab Quiz #1

Lesson #2

Week of September 11, 2006  

Monday Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday   Friday  
Overhead examples of good and bad essay intros. 

Book of the Week:

State of Fear by A.J.Jacobs

 

 

Discussion of Genesis
Hand in 3 journal entries: 40 pts. each.

Overheads of Psalm 23 translations.
Read "Ruth" for tomorrow. Also essay on knowledge or letter to Gilgamesh.

Discussion of "Ruth"
Hand in essays (100 pts.)

Vocab Quiz #2

Lesson #3

 

Week of September 18, 2006  

Monday Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday   Friday  
Paradoxes by Rumi 
HW: p. 62, 1-7

Book of the Week:

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

 

 

Bhagavad Gita

Test on Unit 1:
Gilgamesh, Bible, paradoxes, Bhagavad Gita

Vocab Quiz #3

Lesson #4

 
Act 80

 

Week of September 25, 2006  

Monday Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday   Friday  
PSSA discussion and sample reading test.
HW: Read the introduction to the Odyssey

Book of the Week:

Short Stories by Roald Dahl

 

 

Reading and discussing the Odyssey

Reading and discussing the Odyssey

Tentatively: Looking at a few essays from the ones you wrote for 9/14.

Vocab Quiz #4

Lesson #5

 

 

 

Week of October 2, 2006  

Monday Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday   Friday  
Reading and discussing the Odyssey

Book of the Week:

The Catcher in the Rye

J.D. Salinger

 

 

Reading and discussing the Odyssey.
HW: page 142, questions 1-8
 
Reading and discussing the Odyssey. Watching part of the Odyssey on video.
 

Vocab Quiz #5

Lesson #6

 

 

 

Week of October 9, 2006  

Monday Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday   Friday  
Act 80 Day: No class.

Book of the Week:

Huckleberry Finn

Mark Twain
Every week this month we celebrate "Banned Books Month" by highlighting a controversial book you have to read!!

 

 

Reading and discussing the Odyssey.
HW: An essay for Friday. Click here for details.
 
Finishing reading and discussing the Odyssey. Watching remainder of the Odyssey on video.
 

Vocab Quiz #6

Lesson #7

 

Hand in Odyssey essay--100 pts.

 

 

 

Week of October 16, 2006  

Monday Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday   Friday  
Showing Odyssey essays on the overhead.

Book of the Week:

1984

George Orwell
Every week this month we celebrate "Banned Books Month" by highlighting a controversial book you have to read!!

 

 

Odyssey essays due (100 pts.).
We will be looking at some more PSSA reading exercises today.


 

Odyssey test today. Objective, ScanTron. Bring a pencil. Mini-unit on the proper use of the comma starting today. This will take about 3 days, and we'll have a quiz on it at the end. Refer to the website for more information.

Vocab Quiz #7

Lesson #8

 

 

Week of October 23, 2006  

Monday Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday   Friday  
Reading Oedipus the King.

Book of the Week:

Brave New World

Aldous Huxley
Every week this month we celebrate "Banned Books Month" by highlighting a controversial book you have to read!!

 

 

Reading Oedipus the King.
Handing out the Odyssey test and going over it.

 
Reading Oedipus the King.
Showing a few uses of the comma on the projector.
Reading Oedipus the King.
 
Showing a few uses of the comma on the projector.

Big vocab test 1-8

 

 

Week of October 30, 2006  

Monday Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday   Friday  
Reading and discussing Oedipus the King.

Book of the Week:

Dracula

Bram Stoker
Every week this month we celebrate "Banned Books Month" by highlighting a controversial book you have to read!!

 

 

Reading and discussing Oedipus the King.
Last day for rewrites to be submitted.

 
Reading and discussing Oedipus the King.
HW: To be announced.
Reading and discussing Oedipus the King.
Collecting HW from yesterday.

Vocab Quiz #9

Lesson #10

 

 

Week of November 6, 2006  

Monday Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday   Friday  
Video on Oedipus the King.
HW: Write essay on Oedipus for Friday. Click here for details.

Book of the Week:

The Lessons of History
Will and Ariel Durant

 

 

Video on Oedipus the King.
Looking at an example of the Oedipus essay.
Click here for details on the Oedipus Essay!

 
Video on Oedipus the King.
Looking at an example of the Oedipus essay.
 
Finish video on Oedipus the King.

Vocab Quiz #10

Lesson #11

Hand in essay on Oedipus the King.

 

 

Week of November 13, 2006  

Monday Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday   Friday  
No School

Book of the Week:

The Stranger
Albert Camus

 

 

Oedipus test: Open book. Sample essays on Oedipus on the overhead. Hand in Oedipus essay (100 pts.)
A further look at PSSA language: gerunds, participial phrases, collective nouns, etc.

Vocab Quiz #11

Lesson #12

 

 

Week of November 27, 2006  

Monday Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday   Friday  
No School

Book of the Week:

The Golden Compass, etc.
Phillip Pullman

 

 

Reading Canto I of Inferno. Stopping for analysis and questions as we go.
 
Summary of Canto II. Reading Canto III of Inferno. Summary of Canto IV--Limbo. Reading of Canto V: Francesca and Paolo.

Vocab Quiz #12

Lesson #13

 

Week of December 4, 2006  

Monday Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday   Friday  
Finish reading Canto III of Inferno. Short discussion of what is in IV, and begin reading Canto V--Francesca and Paolo.

Book of the Week:

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

 

 

Finish reading Canto V.
HW: Answer questions at the end of Canto V.
Comparison of various translations of Dante. Discussion of terza rima and problems with translation.
 
Reading Cantos XXII and XXIII--the gargoyle cantos.

Vocab Quiz #13

Lesson #14

 

Week of December 11, 2006  

Monday Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday   Friday  
Reading the "gargoyle" cantos in Inferno.

Book of the Week:

The Divine Comedy by Dante (This is NOT a book of the week; it is a book for your lifetime.)

 

 

Reading the "gargoyle" cantos in Inferno.

 
Reading the final two cantos of Inferno.

 
Reading the final two cantos of Inferno.
 

Vocab Quiz #14

Lesson #15

 

Week of December 18, 2006  

Monday Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday   Friday  
PSSA practice in the writing lab.
Book of the Week: Marley and Me by John Grogan. If you love dogs (and who doesn't), this is the national bestseller that lives up to its reputation.
Review of Dante's Inferno.
There will be an essay on Dante due in the week that you return--probably Friday. Check here for details.
Test on Dante's Inferno. Objective (ScanTron) and open book. Bring pencils. Coloring and Games. Bring your crayons, markers, board games. No School

 

Week of January 1, 2007  

Monday Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday   Friday  
No School
Book of the Week: The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. Yes, The Hobbit, the beginning of what was arguably the greatest fantasy fiction ever written. If you haven't read it, you're in for a rare treat.
Looking at examples of past Dante papers and critiquing them.
 
Handing out copies of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and beginning to read. Also, introduction to the concept of romance and to the development of the English language. Continuing with reading Gawain and with romance and language development.
Remember to take notes!!

Vocab Quiz #15

Lesson #16

Dante Essays due (100 pts.)

 

 

Week of January 8, 2007  

Monday Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday   Friday  
Dante Essays due (100 pts.)
Class to writing lab for PSSA practice.
Book of the Week: Eats, Shoots and Leaves, by Lynn Truss.
Reading Gawain and the Green Knight aloud. Stopping for notes.
 
Reading Gawain and the Green Knight aloud. Stopping for notes.
 
Reading Gawain and the Green Knight aloud. Stopping for notes.

Remember to take notes!!

Vocab Final #1-16

 

 

 

 

Week of January 15, 2007  

Monday Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday   Friday  
No School: Act 80

Book of the Week: To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee.
Reading Gawain and the Green Knight in class. Discussion and notes as we go. Reading Gawain and the Green Knight in class. Discussion and notes as we go. Reading Gawain and the Green Knight in class. Discussion and notes as we go.

Vocab Quiz #17

Lesson #18

 

 

 

 

Week of March 19, 2007  

Monday Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday   Friday  
Test on A Doll's House

Bring your Hamlet packets with you for after the test.

Book of the Week: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Begin reading Hamlet in class--taking notes as you go.
Make sure you ANSWER EVERY QUESTION IN THE STUDY GUIDE AS WE GO ALONG!! For a copy, go to Literature Links.

 
Reading Hamlet aloud and discussing as we go.
 
Reading Hamlet aloud and discussing as we go.
 

Vocab Final 17-24

Lesson #25

 

 

 

 

Week of March 26, 2007  

Monday Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday   Friday  
Quickly reviewing vocab list 25 for Friday's quiz.

Reading Hamlet aloud and discussing as we go.
Book of the Week: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Reading Hamlet aloud and discussing as we go.
Make sure you ANSWER EVERY QUESTION IN THE STUDY GUIDE AS WE GO ALONG!! For a copy, go to Literature Links.

 
Reading Hamlet aloud and discussing as we go.
 
Tentatively, video on Act I of Hamlet.

Vocab quiz 25

Lesson #26

 

 

 

 

Week of April 2, 2007  

Monday Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday   Friday  
Open book test on Act I of Hamlet.
Continuing to read text of Act II following test.


 

Reading Hamlet aloud and discussing as we go. Act II, scene ii.
Make sure you ANSWER EVERY QUESTION IN THE STUDY GUIDE AS WE GO ALONG!! For a copy, go to Literature Links.

 
Video: The Reduced Shakespeare Company.
YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS!
No School

No School