Ms. Humphreys

Week of September 26-30

This week students will examine sensory words in their own writing and in the books that they are reading.  This will lead us to learn how an author uses word to creat tone in their work, which creates a mood for the reader to feel. 

Monday-- we ate some pop-corn and examined words that describe that experience, some new words we learned: odoriferous, pungent, savory, ivory, stocky and lull.

  Tuesday and Wednesday-- students will write and create a Power-Point presentation with many sensory detail.  Students will choose a  favorite place and write about this using words that appeal to the senses.  Rosh Hshanah begins at Sunday tonight.

Thursday--students will have time at the Media Center to check out books and to silently read and also to finish any work on the Power Point.  Happy Rosh Hashanah!

Friday--we will have one more story to read and find the conflict, setting, characters, inciting incident, climax, resolution and point-of-view.  These are terms we have worked with since school started, but it is good to keep reviewing this material.  Students will write a response to their outside reading book today, also.

Homework  Read for 20 minutes, review plot diagram terms, if needed.

September 19 - 23

Periods 1 and 2:  Last week the students were given a 23 Book Challenge.  The students are challenged to read 23 books this year, but they books are to be a variety of genres. They will keep track of their reading with a Book Challenge Chart.  Click here to see the chart. Download 23 Book challengeThe students will write a weekly response to their reading book; I will give the students the question in class. 

We will have a test on Thursday, but there is not too much studying involved.  Students will read a very short story, in class, and answer questions using the terms from the plot diagram; for example, I will as the setting, climax, conclusion, theme, and point-of-view of the story.  Students may want to review these terms, but most know them well. 

 Home work:  Read your outside reading  book for 20 minutes each night.  Remember to bring the book to school, especially on Tuesday.

Periods 3, 4 and 5:  Last week the students were given a 32 Book Challenge.  The students are challenged to read 32 books this year, but they books are to be a variety of genres. They will keep track of their reading with a Book Challenge Chart.  Click here to see the chart. Download 32 Book Challenge Chart

The students will write a weekly response to their reading book; I will give the students the question in class.  We are also going to start a vocabulary unit this week.  The students will keep the words in their notebooks. 

We will have a test on Thursday, but there is not too much studying involved.  Students will read a very short story, in class, and answer questions using the terms from the plot diagram; for example, I will as the setting, climax, conclusion, theme, and point-of-view of the story.  Students may want to review these terms, but most know them well.   

Home work:  Read your outside reading  book for at least 20 minutes every day. Starting Wed. evening, review vocabulary words. 

Download Lioterary elements

Today we reviewed for the quiz.  Everyone should have his or her notes with them to study from tonight.  Click above to see the review questions we did in class.

September 13 to 16

We will have a quiz on Thursday, September 15.  The quiz will cover the literary elements we have been studying.  We went over what will be on the quiz in class today. Remember to study tonight and tomorrow night.   This week we will be sure to review all the short stories we have read so far to be sure all notes and plot diagrams are correct.  Please also, remember to read every night. 

  School pictures are scheduled for Thursday, September 8. Pre-payment envelopes were sent home today, Tuesday, September 6. Payment must be made directly to the photographer on picture day using the picture selection envelope. All students will be photographed for the yearbook.

Reading Class 1st and 2nd periods:  We will to apply the elements of literature terms we learned to different short stories we will read. Students will fill out a plot diagram and take notes on each story.

Terms to know:  Expositions, Conflict, Inciting Incidents, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, Resolutions, Characters-Protagonist/Antagonist, Setting and Theme. 

Tuesday we will read and take notes on "Snake Chief.  Wed., "Talking Skull", Thursday, "Born Worker" and Friday, "Blanca Flor".  These stories are from the students text book, Reader's Journey, which they keep in the class room

Reading Class-3rd, 4th 5th periods:  We will to apply the elements of literature terms we learned to different short stories we will read. Students will fill out a plot diagram and take notes on each story.

Tuesday we will read and take notes on "  Stray", Wed. we will read "The King of Mazy May", Thursday, " Aaron's Gift" and Friday will be a free reading day.  These stories are from a classroom set of a Prentice Hall literature series, which is different from the lit book that students use in Language Arts class.