Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Post date: Dec 17, 2013 7:56:55 PM

I'm so sorry that I didn't blog yesterday about classes. With speech going full blast, it seems like I have students in my classroom immediately after school, and my window of opportunity closes. I'll try to be more diligent about completing it before the end of the day.

In Literature 9 we finished our discussion of "The Most Dangerous Game." Not surprising this again was a favorite story. The suspense, sensory description, and foreshadowing always make this a popular story. We're going to begin our study of irony as it seems to be a common element in the stories we're reading.

In English 10 it's all about the vocabulary and persuasive techniques. We're getting ready to present our "short" speeches. The idea is that the student should sell us something - a product they always use, a restaurant they often visit, or even an idea they think is very important. They have to provide one source within this speech. It's a shorty - only two to four minutes, but the wording and phrasing is very important.

In American Literature today it was really all about the work day. First students were given the chance to correct a quiz that really was quite ugly. I wasn't sure if they didn't study or it was me. After correcting their quizzes, they went on Moodle and summarized their nonfiction book. I'm really anxious to find out how some of them ended. Then with whatever time remained, they could work on their Book Trailers. These Book Trailers are a final project presenting their book in a creative way. I'm so anxious to see the end results!

Yesterday in American Government we finished our discussion of the Bill of Rights. What an amazing document that is! We highlighted a few Supreme Court decisions that focused on one particular right. I find the situations fascinating, but then again, I'm sort of a nerd. I provided students with a review sheet that should help them prepare for Wednesday's test. I also reminded nine students in particular to finish their Constitution tests. Several of them hadn't even started (and they've had since before Thanksgiving!)