This is the end...this is the end, my friends...

Dear Students,

It's been a great year. I think that this blog is going to go into retirement for the summer because I'm going to be too busy or too lazy to update this thing. I've had a truly wonderful year with all of you.


Thank you,

Miller

Wrapping up the end of the year...

1. Guys and Gals - Work on your review sheets. You should be able to define all of those literary devices and you should be able to recognize them when you see them in an example. You may have noticed that from the matchboxes we have done in class, that there are a lot of questions about these devices. Study. Study. Study!!!!!!!

2. After school on Tuesday and Wednesday I will be having study/review sessions. Remember that after school busses will not run. You need to provide your own transportation.

3. In class on Tuesday/Wednesday we will be finishing TKAM and finishing up our writing portfolios to get them ready to move up to next year. Also you can bring questions from your review sheets.

4. I've had a lot of fun with you all this year. I'm really looking forward to the last few classes.

Tonight's Homework

For tonight I want you to take the list of themes and conflicts from The Color of Water and think about the following questions:

1. How are the themes and conflicts seen in both The Color of Water and To Kill A Mockingbird. Basically, what are some examples of these themes and conflicts?

2. Why are these themes/conflicts important in each work?

I want you to organize your answers to these question in either a venn diagram, chart, or a paragraph. For the paragraph you need to write six to ten sentences and for the chart/diagram you should have six to ten examples. Put this in your journal.

Weekend Homework

For this weekend you will need to read chapters nineteen through twenty-one in The Color of Water. In your journals I want you to answer the following question: "Do you think that James is always a reliable narrator? Are there times when you don't believe him? Why or why not is James reliable?"

Things to do...

For the next class we will be having our quest/tiz (whichever you want to call it) on Non-Fiction.  Here are the things that you will need to review:

1.  Information on The Color of Water

2.  The articles on Albert Einstein from the textbook

3.  The different kinds of non-fiction that are available.  You should be able to tell what each of these things are and how they are different from each other.

4.  The definitions of different literary devices.

5.  The rules of debate - the process and vocabulary about debates.

Also - your poetry paper will be due.  You need to turn in everything (analysis log, outline, rough draft and final draft) tomorrow.

After our next class we will start reviewing for the EOC - and we'll finish up The Color of Water.

Homework for 6/7 May

For tonight you need to do a few things:

1. Get your parents and anyone else that you know who is registered to vote, to vote!
2. Read the next two chapters of The Color of Water.
3. Begin your position paper.

Your position paper will be no more than one page long and will concern your current topic. In the first sentence of your paper you will clearly state what your position is on the topic and why you feel that way. In the body paragraph you will give specific reasons why you feel the way you feel about your topic. Your conclusion will wrap up your argument in one sentence.

I'll give you more guidance on this next class.

Reminders

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Tomorrow/Wednesday I will be collecting two things at the beginning of class:

1. Your viewing guides to the show we watched on Friday/Monday.
2. Your humor paragraphs.

The paragraphs will go into your writing portfolios, the viewing guides will be checked. You will get a grade for both assignments.

Also, next class we will begin our research for our debates. Be ready!

Weekend Homework

For this weekend you need to finish your humor paragraph to turn in on Tuesday/Wednesday. In addition, you will need to read the next two chapters in The Color of Water - there's no journal entry for you to complete, just enjoy the reading.