Assignments due for the week of September 20th, 2021

PSAT/SAT/ACT Test Prep

We had a great day talking about testing and what we were going to cover.  This is not necessary by any means, but if you would like to take the PSAT test given nationally to 10th and 11th graders, please contact the public school district in which you live, and register your student so that they can order a test for them.  It is just for practice for the SAT and also for National Merit Scholarships given to 11th graders.  I will let the parents know of free tests coming in April for all the students.

Next week in class, we will practice some sample reading tests so that each student knows how to answer questions for comprehension.  We will discuss how to eliminate one or two answers and how to logically guess if they are not sure of the correct answer.  We will prepare to take a timed Reading test the following week.  They have no homework to complete this week.  As we review grammar and vocabulary,  I hope they will improve their abilities in test-taking in all their classes!

Explorations in British Literature

Happy first day of class! We got to know each other and also found out just how much the students knew about Great Britain and all its history, cities, flag, writers, famous people, etc.  Each student received a “textbook” for use for our first semester.  We will begin by studying the first ever “literature” of the country–Beowulf.  I’m attaching a brief summary of this epic poem for the students to read.  The story is lengthy, but this covers the key points!  I’m also sending some videos to watch after they have read the summary.  This will help them understand the storyline and the unusual names!  In the notebook I gave them, they should read about the Battle of Maldon and answer the four questions on pages 4 and 5. Then read and complete the questions on pages 10 and 11 about the translations of Beowulf. For question #3 on page 11, you do not need to write two paragraphs. Just write a sentence or two about how the translations are alike and how they are different. We will do the rest of the pages about this poem together in class.

Read the first two pages of the summary about Beowulf.

Watch the following brief videos to help your understanding of the early poem Beowulf:

U.S. Government

We had a great time in Government class and played a Government trivia game to see how much they knew about our government and how it works.  This is always so much fun because we play the same game at the end of the semester, and they will be amazed that they know ALL of the answers then!!  Each student received a workbook for this semester.  I will always give them the answers to the crossword puzzle on the first page of each lesson.  They will do the assigned pages at home, and we will always go over them in class as well as discuss more information about these topics.  Hopefully, they will soon know all the benefits of our Constitution and all the ways our founding fathers prepared for our future!  This week (September 17) is Constitution Day! Watch the following videos about the day and its celebration.

Quick Looks at Great Books

Great first day overviews and preparation for our study of A Tale of Two Cities and the French Revolution. For next week, read pages 2-33 in your purple study guide and be prepared for a quiz. We will discuss all of these pages BEFORE the quiz. Also be prepared to present to the class the information you found on the subject you were assigned. Just give us some extra facts about each person or subject you were given.

Watch the following brief summary to review the events of the French Revolution:

Previous Assignments:

• No previous assignments.