Friday March 29

So today ... wow. Today.

We started today by reminding everyone of the change of due dates for the part 1 of TKAM. It's been switched to April 5.

We got into Chapter three of the book and met Burris Ewell and some of the other characters in the book. The Cunninghams, for example.

After that, I took a look at the questions and saw that we read only far enough to get Quesiton1 from Chapters 3-5 for homework. I did remind people to get on with their Vocabulary, too.

We will take the week next week to talk about major Themes and do that together, too.

I need to get the Poetry Unit finished off this week and next. In the mean time, I will update the marks and be able to show students a mark next week.

Wednesday and Thursday March 28

Here is the map of Maycomb, AL as promised:

We did a bit of writing help ... that is how to do the Journal so that you are happy and the teacher is also happy.

After that we read for a bit and got into Chapter 2. We got number 3, 4 and 5 from the Chapter 1 adn2 questions.

After that, I got a chance to conference with children and show them their marks.

Everything is marked and waiting to be returned to students. If you didn't get something today, it' is in the box at the fron of the room.

Tuesday March 2

Toay started with a bit of background on the US Civil war.

We will be working on ideas like that throught the novel.

In any case, we read to page 14 (or 16, depending on the edition you used today) and were assigned Questions 1 and 2 from the questions on Chapter 1 and 2

We also got the due dates for Part one of the TKAM Novel Unit. It will be due on April 4.

My fav part of today ... 

Monday Mar 25

I'm writing this post very late.

We started out byt chatting about outstanding Poetry Unit assignments. Updated marks to come by week's end.

Today we did a very brief introduction to the novel, bringing up some of the ideas that we will be wrangling with during this unit.

After that we read the first few pages of the novel together.

I will also have to remind students to work on the Webquest on TKAM. Here is the link for it.

Friday March 22

We started today with our quiz, as announced last month.

Personally, I've always found it interesting when people come to class and are shocked that I have surprize tests ... even when I've announced them, made reference to them, posted the test date on the classroom's wall and on the class blog.

Interesting. Yes.

After we got that done, we did the rest of the Poet's and Poem presentations for the unit. If you have some of those presentations that remain, they'll have to be done on our lunch period.

We did watch this as an ending to the unit:

On to To Kill A Mockingbird!

Thursday March 21

We are winding down this Poetry Unit and To Kill A Mockingbird is warming up on the sidelines ... if I might be permitted to use a sports metaphor.

We did a few Poet Presentations today, then got into the WebQuest .... an assignment on the background of the novel which has already been posted on this blog.

Webquest I will collect on Monday or Tuesday next week.

On to tomorrow!

Pic is unrelated.

Wednesday March 20

So today was an odd day. The hockey players were away, so it was quiet.

(I just put that on there to roast them a bit. As of the writing of this post, they are doing quite well.)

We did three or four Poet (Task 3) presentations today. I did remind others that they have yet to read poems or present their poets.

Never one to sit on my rear end, I posted a WebQuest for the next unit ... it's a helpful self-paced assignment for the background of the novel we are reading next.


Here it is:

1.     Sparknotes https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/mocking/

Who is the main character?

What kind of life does she lead?

What are two other characters mentioned in this novel?

What kind of community is this story set in, anyway?

Find and watch the trailer for the film version of this novel. (it’s posted on the course blog under “Helpful TKAM links”. In a carefully worded informal piece of writing of about 50 words, let me know what you think about this novel, the film or just the trailer.

2.     What kind of person was Harper Lee? (Please do not click and paste the Wikipedia or some other biography of her; perhaps read the Wikipedia biography and give me YOUR impression of her.)

3.     In a well written 100 word(ish) informal piece of writing, tell me why you think that I would choose this novel to be in the Grade 9 class.



...and here are the poems my students told me are not yet on this blog

A bit of talcum
Is always walcum. 

Ogden Nash

The Cow  by Ogden Nash

The cow is of the bovine ilk; One end is moo, the other, milk.

Mother to Son

BY LANGSTON HUGHES

Well, son, I’ll tell you:

Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

It’s had tacks in it,

And splinters,

And boards torn up,

And places with no carpet on the floor—

Bare.

But all the time

I’se been a-climbin’ on,

And reachin’ landin’s,

And turnin’ corners,

And sometimes goin’ in the dark

Where there ain’t been no light.

So boy, don’t you turn back.

Don’t you set down on the steps

’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.

Don’t you fall now—

For I’se still goin’, honey,

I’se still climbin’,

And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.