Legacy of the Roman Empire

Using the handout from class and your written notes from our discussion, do one of the following:

-Select ONE of the seven legacy areas which you think are the most significant and lasting. For the legacy area, write one paragraph (5-7 sentences) persuading your audience to believe your opinion.

OR

-Select ONE of the seven legacy areas which you think are the least significant and lasting. For the legacy area, write one paragraph (5-7 sentences) persuading your audience to believe your opinion.

For either choice, you will end up with ONE paragraph total. Your work should be double spaced, whether you type or write by hand.
You may survey people to support your opinion, as well as Internet sources. BE SPECIFIC!!!

Due Thursday, September 30, 2004.

The "Beowulf" Chapter Presentations

For the last half of the poem "Beowulf," students will be working in small groups and as individuals to create short (no more than five-minute) presentations. Groups of 3-4 students will work on a set of 3-5 chapters from "Beowulf" to:

1. Summarize the chapter
2. Create an illustration that represents something important for the chapter and a brief explanation of why it was chosen.
3. Select one word that could act as a vocabulary word for the chapter to define and use in a sentence.

Click for the Grading Rubric. Click for the Instructions.

Important Dates and Schedule Changes

Remember that the "Beowulf" Final Project is due on Friday, October 8th.

The "Beowulf" chapter presentations are a group activity which will be introduced this coming Monday, rather than on Thursday/Friday of this last week.

I am also changing my online storage, so if you have bookmarked any files, they will be at a new location on the Comcast server.

Your gerbil is a very good writer.

Tell me something funny!

Progress Reports

As promised in the course syllabus, your student will be bringing home a progress report on Monday, 9/20. Please be sure to sign the report and have your student return it to me by Wednesday, 9/22.

Minimum Days
Remember, Wednesday and Thursday of this week are minimum days--students are dismissed at 12:45 so that teachers may have time to collaborate as teams and departments to continue professional development work, as well as to confer on cross-curricular planning. The goal for all meetings is to improve teacher and student experiences in education!

Grammar Practice and Homework

Grammar is a subject about which most people have a definite opinion...and often that opinion is "YUCK!" However, as we study grammar this year, I hope that all of my students will come to realize that English grammar, for all of its general weirdness and complexity, is actually quite logical and fairly easy to do. I have found that many people, when participating in direct and clear grammar instruction, can easily understand the main points of grammar. I have even had many students compare grammar to math! Check the links below for copies of homework and practice pages.

Grammar Homework

Grammar Practice

How are things going?

These first two full weeks of school have been packed! We have started our first book, "Beowulf," and have been learning a great deal about what history is and how people and ideas relate across time and space.

We will be starting our study of English grammar, beginning with sentence types and structure. By studying how sentences are made, and what elements are necessary to create interesting and effective sentences, we are able to become better writers and communicators.

In late October, we will also be taking a field trip to the Chamber Theater. Students will see performances of five short stories, each of which will be read and discussed in class. The short stories are:
"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce
"Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell
"The Mouse" by H.H. Munro (Saki)
"The Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry
"The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe

BTSN!

Come to meet your student's teachers at Back to School Night on the evening of Thursday, September 23 at 7:00 p.m. You will learn about classroom expectations, upcoming activities, and opportunities to help in the classroom. Student work will be on display, and copies of all texts will be available for perusal. You will simulate your student's regular day by visiting each teacher for periods of approximately ten minutes. We look forward to visiting with you.

Minimum Days

On Wednesday, September 22, and Thursday, September 23, dismissal will be 12:45 p.m. During this time, departments and teams will meet to review and plan curriculum, as well as discuss and detail SUSD's focus for 2004-2005--improving student writing.