Assignments due for the week of November 14th, 2022
Quick Looks at Great Books
We had a great review of the entire book (A Tale of Two Cities) today. We took the final quiz and went over it, discussed the characters and applied some of our literary terms, discussed the themes, and ended with a competitive game review. I think all of the students understood the characters and events in the book. I’m expecting great grades on the final test! 🙂
For next week, begin our new book, Silas Marner by George Eliot. Read Chapters 1-7 and answer the corresponding questions in the study guide. There are lots more questions per chapter in this study guide. If you can’t answer them all, look over all of them and be ready with any questions you may have. We will go over all of the chapters and study guide questions before we take the quiz. If you don’t have your book yet, you can start reading the book online or choose to listen to the audio version. It’s free since it is a classic and in the public domain. Let me know if you have any questions or need to borrow one of my copies of the book.
Don’t forget to bring your Literary Terms notebook to class for the next few weeks so that we can go over the terms that you have done. Note the author’s use of “Flashback” in the chapters you read this week.
PSAT/SAT/ACT TEST PREP
The students received another copy with answers to our last math test to keep in their notebooks for review. The PSAT test was now completed, and each student received a scaled score for both halves of the test and a final overall score for the total test. We went over last year’s national scores so that they would know how their score compares. Then we began practicing for the English section of the ACT test. We have done practice exercises of sample tests, so they will know what to expect on the actual test. We did another review and then took a quiz to practice some of the grammar errors that are always tested on the ACT. We also took a quiz that was specifically on the 12 Classic Grammar Errors on the ACT. I will pass those quizzes back next week so that they will not miss the same things again. Next week, we will take the timed (45 min.) English ACT Test. Study particularly pages 40 and 41 in your notebooks to review those errors. Remember that if you master these errors that always appear, you will have a much improved score!
American History
We reviewed Chapter 7 and then took a short quiz on many important points decided by the founding fathers in the Constitutional Convention. We also discussed Chapter 8, and the students were given the terms and people to know in that chapter.
For next week, read Chapter 9 and answer the four section review questions in your notebooks. No quiz next week. We will review Chapter 9 and begin the review for our next test over Chapters 7-9. Chapter 9 covers the years of Thomas Jefferson, so we’re now in the terms of our third national President.
U.S. Government
Great job today sharing your thoughts on the proposals that are on our ballots and sharing specific information about the races you researched! I can’t wait to read all the information you found! Hopefully, you will be able to answer any questions your parents may have. 🙂
Our next assignment involves your participation and work on Election Night. If you do not have access to a TV, you can always find the results of elections online. Check RealClearPolitics or FoxNews Politics if you’re not sure where to look. If you have other commitments tomorrow night, you cans watch news shows the next day or check online.
You were given two sets of worksheets to record election results. One was for the Senate, and one was for the House of Representatives. Since there is a blank page on the back of the second page of the House sheets, use that page to record the following Governor’s races: Michigan, New York, Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Wisconsin, Nevada, Florida, and Kansas. There are 36 gubernatorial races up for a vote in 2022. 28 states currently have Republican governors; 22 states currently have Democratic ones.
Keep track of the 34 Senators up for reelection and what the final majority count is for the Senate. Since all of the 435 Representatives are up for reelection (and many of them have multiple races), you just need to keep track of those that change from Democrat to Republican or vice versa. Don’t forget to then record which party is in the majority.
Make it a family night (if you are at home) and watch the returns together. Your parents or siblings can help you with this assignment if needed. Enjoy snacks together as you watch the returns. When we return to class next Monday, all the ballots should be counted, and you should have a majority for each house of Congress. That is why this election is so important. We have proposals on the ballot that would change our state constitution, and the balance of power in Congress is always up for grabs in midterm elections. You also received today an updated Electoral map, based on the 2020 Census. This will be needed for the 2024 Presidential election but also changes Representatives for each state this year. Seven states lost a Representative due to a population shift. Six states gained a Representative while Texas gained two.
Let me know if you have any questions at all and enjoy your time as a family.
Adventures in American Literature
The students received their literature tests back from last week. Then we began our discussion of the first six chapters of The Scarlet Letter. After going over all of the study guide questions, we then took our first quiz on the book. For next week, read Chapters 7-12 and answer study guide questions 15-29. The plot develops further for the four main characters that you have already met. Pearl continues to grow older and pays a visit with her mother to Governor Bellingham’s home. Come ready with any questions you may have, and we will go over all of the reading before the quiz.