Day #53, November 9, 2017 (Thursday)

Post date: Nov 9, 2017 8:55:52 PM

I'm beginning to think there's something wrong. I'm just tired, all the time tired. I don't know if I'm coming down with things, or I just want to run from life. I hope I snap out of it soon.

In Literature 9 we discussed why someone would use a pen name - they were trying to hide something, they were known from one particular talent, they wanted a name that sounded more 'entertaining' - we decided there were lots of reasons. We then played a game called "Catch a Suspect". William Sydney Porter, a.k.a. O. Henry, was once imprisoned for embezzlement. First, everyone read page 114, the biography of O.Henry. THen everyone was given 11 clues (via a shared Google slide). With their books closed, they had to identify the meaning behind the eleven clues. If they were incorrect, they were allowed to go to their books and look for the correct answer. If correct, they were given an index card with the letters - U S A T N I, X E T S A on it. Once they unscrambled those letters, they were to research on their computers what location in that city is related to O. Henry. Winners were given a "treat". It was a fun way to learn about O. Henry without me lecturing. We then reviewed, very quickly, the definition of imagery. For tomorrow, everyone is supposed to look for an example in their independent reading book.

In English 10 it was mostly about vocabulary presentations. We only have three left, so hopefully tomorrow we'll have more time to get to our informational notes. We did manage to review the rules for commas and phrases (Lesson #79). For tomorrow, there is a worksheet (#80) about adverb clauses and antithetical phrases. Only complete the first exercise (#1-20).

Finally, in American Literature, we finished The Red Badge of Courage. Talk about the story that would never end! We finished our discussion of the packet, but we didn't necessarily go over ALL the examples. Hopefully, you completed it on your own, and if there was some confusion you come in and ask. During third hour, we did manage to discuss, very briefly the Tuskegee Airmen article, but probably not to the depth that we should have. We'll still need to conquer that in fourth period tomorrow. Depending on how the Veteran's Day program goes, we may or may not have a quiz over our military literature.

It's so exciting to hear how amped up you all are for Large Group Speech. I hope that I can match your enthusiasm.