Week 21: January 17 - 20

Monday
No school!

Tuesday
1. Life and Times of Shakespeare Test
2. Copy words and definitions for vocabulary lesson 18. Quiz on Friday.
3. (Advanced class only) discuss memory work.
HW: Parent signature on Memory Work

Wednesday
1. Bell work
2. Begin reading play
HW: Parent signature on Memory Work

Thursday
1. Bell work
2. Continue reading
HW: Parent signature on Memory Work

Friday
1. Bell work
2. Vocabulary quiz
3. Continue reading


Check back for links to resources that will help with the plays.

Shakespeare notes resource

Click here for some notes about Shakespeare's life and times. I hope to update this post over the weekend with another resource or two.

Week 20: January 9 - 13

Monday
1. Bell work
2. Copy words and definitions from vocabulary lesson 17. Quiz on Friday.
3. Complete notes on historical background of the Elizabethan period.
4. Time permitting, begin watching "Costume Cavalcade" video and filling out accompanying handout.
HW: Study for Friday's vocabulary quiz. Also, this is a great time to read one of your AR books, since we are not in the middle of other literature at the moment.

Tuesday
1. Bell work
2. "Costume Cavalcade" with handout
HW: Study for Friday's vocabulary quiz. Read your AR books!

Wednesday
1. Bell work
2. "Costume Cavalcade" with handout
HW: Study for Friday's vocabulary quiz. AR!

Thursday
1. Bell work
2. Info about Shakespearean language
3. Pun Practice
HW: Study for tomorrow's vocabulary quiz.

Friday
1. Bell work
2. Vocabulary quiz 17
3. Review for Life and Times test.
HW: Study for test on Shakespeare's Life and Times

Email Improvements

Kent, our IT guru, has made adjustments to our email system so that we can access it from home. While I do not run to my computer every five minutes to check for email, I do check it daily, even on weekends. If you need to get in touch with me, send an email to staylor at hillcrestchristian dot org (You obviously need to take out the spaces and replace the word "at" with an at symbol, and replace the word "dot" with a period. I have to write it like this to avoid an influx of spam.)

Added soccer game 1/27/12

We have added a game to the HCS soccer schedule for this month. Lee Academy will come to HCS on January 27 for a 4:00 game. I know that this is the Disciple Now weekend for many HCS students, so I scheduled the game for the earliest available time for Lee Academy. We should finish our game in plenty of time for the affected players to shower and arrive at their host homes on time.

AR books

***EDITED AT 2:45 1/6/12***

All students must sign up for one AR work by Friday, February 3 and the second by Wednesday, March 7. Failure to do so will result in a zero for a daily grade for each date. Once four students have signed up for a particular book, no other students may do so. All AR tests must be taken by 3:10 on Wednesday, May 9. I strongly suggest that you make plans to take the tests earlier in case there is a conflict in the library. The sign-up sheet will be attached to my desk. It is your responsibility to make sure that I "ok" the book that you want to read.

All 9th English regular students will read the abridged version of Charles Dickens's Great Expectations (ISBN-10: 1463536119 if you want to try to find it somewhere other than Amazon). You must buy THIS VERSION of Great Expectations. If you buy a version that is abridged differently, you are responsible for knowing the differences.


All 9th English advanced students will read William Golding's Lord of the Flies (ISBN-10: 0399537422). 
You do not need this particular version of Lord of the Flies. Also, most libraries will have a copy of this book.






The reading schedule for these books will be posted soon, but we will not start reading this until the 4th 9-weeks.

Week 19: January 2 - 6

Welcome back! I hope that everyone had a restful Christmas break and you are ready to get back to work. Many students consider the 3rd 9 weeks to be the most difficult of the year because we spend the entire time studying Shakespeare. During the Shakespeare unit, students will be responsible for quite a bit of information. We will cover the life and times of Shakespeare, including important background information about several English monarchs, the beginning of English theater, and of course a complete dramatic work of Shakespeare. The 9th Advanced class will read Julius Caesar while the 9th regular classes will read Romeo and Juliet. Our 9th grade literature book contains Julius Caesar. I will make a class set of copies of Romeo and Juliet for our 9th regular classes. I plan to cover the plays in their entirety in class, but students must be prepared to work at home as well.

This 9-week period is often the "make or break" time for many students. Lack of attention and effort during this unit can easily be the difference between an A or B, or, in some cases, passing and failing for the year. Shakespeare can be difficult, but those who put in the time and effort will be rewarded. I will give more detailed information as we move further along in our study.

Monday
In class:
1. Copy words and definitions from vocabulary lesson 16, pages 101-102, for Friday's quiz.
2. PSAT information from Mrs. Westerfield
3. Read "Shakespeare of London" and answers questions.
HW: Complete Shakespeare of London.

Tuesday
In class:
1. Complete vocabulary words and definitions if needed. Quiz on Friday.
2. Watch "Life and Death in Britain's Theaters" and complete the accompanying handout.
HW: Study for vocabulary quiz.

Wednesday
1. Begin "Famous Authors: William Shakespeare" and work on the accompanying handout.
2. Take notes on British monarchy leading up to and during Shakespeare's life
HW: Study for vocabulary quiz.

Thursday
1. Complete"Famous Authors: William Shakespeare" and complete the accompanying handout.
2. Continue taking notes on British monarchy leading up to and during Shakespeare's life
HW: Study for vocabulary quiz.

Friday
1. Vocabulary quiz on lesson 16.
2. Finish any background notes that are necessary.
3. Begin "Costume Cavalcade" time permitting.
HW: Begin thinking about this semester's AR book if you have not done so already.


*Slight changes to the 9th grade AR policy will be discussed with students this week and posted to this blog soon.