Author: litalive

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Assignments for 10/12/2020

Assignments due for the week of October 12th, 2020

Happy autumn season!

PSAT/SAT/ACT Test Prep

Great review today of some “tricky” grammar rules! Review the rules on pages 24-27 for a grammar quiz next week in preparation for the practice PSAT Evidence-Based Writing and Language test the following week.

Quick Looks at Great Books

For next week, read Chapters 10-19 in Book 2 of A Tale of Two Cities and answer questions 32-52 in your study guide. Watch for some of the literary terms we keep finding as we discuss the book, and continue to note Jerry Cruncher’s malapropisms!

Watch this brief video explaining personification. (Remember, that Dickens will personify the guillotine!)

U.S. Government

Fantastic job on your Debate Analysis sheets and especially on your discussion of last week’s Presidential debate — great observations!! You made some terrific points! I’m sure many of your parents were involved too, which is super. Part of your assignment this week is to fill out the same sheet (given to you in class) for the Vice Presidential debate this Wednesday, October 7 at 9 P.M. in Salt Lake City, Utah. You will have time to watch a recorded version on Youtube or other locations if you can’t watch it live. Since tons of “new” news comes out every day, keep up-to-date on that as well as the evaluation of this week’s debate.

Because we have so much to cover regarding the Constitutional Convention and the Bill of Rights, we are only going to do one section in your notebook this week. (We will make up for lost time later!) You were given the answers for the crossword on page 17 in class today. Using those terms, complete pages 18-20. This week we will learn more about the processes of Congress as we go over the associated terms.

Lastly, students should ask parents the question we talked about in class today (Email me if you have forgotten what it was!)

Take a few minutes to watch this brief video about the Constitutional Convention.

Adventures in American Literature

Interesting information today about the founding fathers and their writings even though we did have difficulties with the DVD! 🙂 Read about the lifestyle and writings of Benjamin Franklin on pages 31-35. Follow the early writings of our first young female African American poet on pages 37-40, and read the comments made by Frenchman St. John de Crevecoeur and answer the corresponding questions on pages 41 and 42. We will have our first quiz next week on the “authors” and statesmen we have covered so far. It will be a short answer quiz over the individuals we have studied, beginning with John Smith of Jamestown. We will review by doing the acrostic on pages 44 and 45 together. We will finish these early days of American history and literature and start reading the variety of American “tall tales” that are such an important part of our literary history.

Remember these two literary terms we have talked about thus far: similes and metaphors (used extensively in the famous sermon by Jonathan Edwards).

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Assignments for 10/05/2020

Assignments due for the week of October 5th, 2020

Happy autumn season!

PSAT/SAT/ACT Test Prep

Great job taking the timed PSAT Reading Test today in class. It will be great practice in pacing yourself. Next week, we will start preparing for the grammar section by reviewing a number of basic rules. Be sure to have your notebook with you in class.

Quick Looks at Great Books

You finished Book 1 of the novel!! For next week, read Chapters 1-9 in Book 2—“The Golden Thread” and answer questions 15-31 in your study guide. We will take the quiz on Book 1 and discuss this week’s reading before the next quiz. We will also watch clips from BBC’s A Tale of Two Cities to illustrate what you have read.

U.S. Government

Exciting times with upcoming Presidential Debate #1, Tuesday, September 29 at 9:00 P.M. You can watch live on TV, Youtube, or the Internet. (Or you can watch it replayed before next Monday.) Fill out the Debate Analysis Sheet you were given in class and bring it to class to turn in to me. Remember, there are no correct answers. You can give your opinion. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts and responses after the debate!

Also, complete Lessons 3 and 4 in your notebook. (pages 9-16) You were given the answers to page 9 in class today. Here are the answers to page 13.

ACROSS       DOWN
1. Liquor        2. Income
4. Black          3. Women
5. Congress   4. Bails
9. Criminal   5. Civil
11. Religion   6. Eighteen
12. Soldiers   7. Trial
                        8. Warrants
                        10. Arms

Watch this video on The Preamble to the Constitution:

Adventures in American Literature

We’re going through the early historical writings of our country. We’re now up to the American Revolution. Abigail Adams had nearly 2,000 letters recorded that were written to her husband while he was away in Philadelphia. This is a great record of some of the things that were going on at the time. For homework, read the letters on pages 21-24 and answer the questions as you go along. I’m sure you’ve heard of Patrick Henry and Thomas Paine. Read the excerpts from some of their famous writings on pages 25 and 26 and then answer the corresponding questions. Lastly, read the two Revolutionary songs on pages 27-30 and answer the questions about them. Watch these video recordings of them so that you can actually hear how they were sung. Remember that “Yankee Doodle” had lots of verses, so some may be different than those in your notebook. The questions will help you see the symbolism in “Revolutionary Tea”.

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Assignments for 09/28/2020

Assignments due for the week of September 28th, 2020

PSAT/SAT/ACT Test Prep

Finish the last of the practice Reading sections — the historical analysis passage on “The Great Seal” — and answer the ten questions. (Pages 19-22 in your notebook) We will go over this last section and then take the practice Reading PSAT test. (60 minutes) You will get to keep the test booklet, and I will return your graded answer sheet the following week.

Quick Looks at Great Books

Next week we will take our quiz on the historical pages in your study guide. (Pages 2-33) Read the brief Background Information on pages 38 and 39. Start your reading of the novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens by reading “Book One – Recalled to Life” Chapters 1-6. Try to answer questions 1-14 on pages 40 and 41 to check your comprehension. We will go over all of this and answer any questions you may have before we take a quiz.

U.S. Government

Great discussion on the current situation in the Supreme Court! Watch for the new Supreme Court nomination this Friday or Saturday. Know who it is and find out some basic facts about the nominee.

Complete pages 6-8 in your notebook and prepare for a quiz on Lessons 1 and 2. (Matching section with terms on pages 4 and 8) Know the three branches of government, each of their functions, the two parts of Congress, and the length of terms for a U.S. Senator and a U.S. Representative. Watch this brief video for a review of information on the three branches of government:

Adventures in American Literature

Read the historical accounts written by John Smith and William Bradford and answer the questions on pages 9-14 in your American literature notebook. Read the poem by Edward Taylor and answer the questions on pages 15-16. Lastly, read Anne Bradstreet’s poem about the burning of her house and notice how her Puritan beliefs are evidenced in her reaction to her loss.

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Assignments for 09/21/2020

Assignments due for the week of September 21st, 2020

PSAT/SAT/ACT Test Prep

Great first day of class!! Make sure you can share with your parents what you learned today about the PSAT: format, content, dates given, etc. Don’t forget to bring your syllabus back to class as we will be doing some practice sessions to prepare for the PSAT Reading test. No homework! 🙂

Quick Looks at Great Books

Great job thinking about the comparisons between the American Revolution and the French Revolution! We will discuss more later, but there really was a difference in the bottom line! For next week, read pages 2-33 in your purple study guide and be prepared for a quiz. We will go over all of these pages BEFORE the quiz. Also, be prepared to share with 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. (relating to the French Revolution 1789-1799) This is only oral and not a report to be turned in to me.

View the following video to review the events of the Revolution:

U.S. Government

Nice participation in our game on government facts today. You will be amazed at the end of the semester how much you know and how easy it will be when we try this same game again!! In the “textbook” you were given, complete pages 2, 3, and 4. For the discussion questions on page 2, you do not need to answer them on a separate sheet of paper. Just look over them and be prepared to discuss them in class. Lesson 1 will be working on select government terms. Here are the answers to the Crossword on page 1. These are the terms you will be using throughout the lesson.

ACROSS              DOWN
1. communism   2. monarchy
5. aristocracy     3. fascism
6. socialism        4. common
7. capitalism      8. autocracy
9. democracy    10. cabinet
12. civil               11. right wing
14. amendment 13. law

Do you know what special holiday occurs this week? Watch this video, and we’ll learn more next week.

Adventures in American Literature

Nice work compiling a time line of major American history events. Our literature was written about and affected by what was going on around the authors. In your “textbook” read the paragraphs on page 2 (“Different Drummers”) and answer the question there. On pages 3 and 4, list the 50 U.S. states in alphabetical order. We will add to the other columns together in class. On page 5, see how many U.S. states you can name without looking at a map. (Note that this is only the contiguous states. Alaska and Hawaii are not included.)

Also, go to the following links to view Charles Kuralt’s journalistic examples of “local color”. (Local color – writing that brings to life a specific region of a country – dialect, customs, clothes, mannerisms, landscape, descriptions, character types, and attitudes.)

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  • No previous assignments for the 2020 school year.
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Assignments for 05/25/2020

Assignments due for the week of May 25th, 2020

Debate

Nice job on your final debate. You have done a great job adapting to the video format. Don’t forget to email me with the evaluation of your team members for this last debate. You will receive my evaluation as well as that of the judges along with your grade for this debate. You will also receive your final grade and transcript via email.

Explorations in British Literature

Your moms will receive your final exam via email. After you have studied your study guide sheets and literary terms pages, take the exam and send it back to me. You will receive your final grade and transcript via email.

No-Spin Economics

After you have finished reviewing your last test and your handouts from the Crash Course Economics videos, you can take your final exam. (That will be sent to the moms.) After you receive your exam grade, I will send you your transcript sheet and your two semester grades and final grade via email.

Quick Looks at Great Books

Great job reviewing the entire year’s work!! Review your literary terms and the characters and authors of our six books for this year and take your final exam. I’m excited to see how well you do on this comprehensive test! After you have received your grade for the final exam, I will send you a transcript sheet.

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Assignments for 05/18/2020

Assignments due for the week of May 18th, 2020

Debate

Nice job on the “Balloon Debates” in class! Don’t forget to connect with your teammates as you finish your preparations for our final debate of the year next Monday. Try to apply all the suggestions you have been given over the past weeks to present your best performance ever! Communicate as needed by phone or email and implement the suggestions of your group today.

Explorations in British Literature

The moms will receive the final test for Animal Farm and the matching quiz of authors and their works. Please look over your notes and then take the test and the quiz. Email them to me before next week’s class. Use the study guide you will receive to begin studying for your final exam. We will go over it and also play a review game to prepare for the exam.

No-Spin Economics

After you have finished your review, take the test on Whatever to Penny Candy? Chapters 1-13. Begin your review for the final exam by reviewing your handouts for Crash Course Economics videos 1-7 and 9-12. The exam will cover some of the information from your Penny Candy book as well. (We will play another review game next week!)

Quick Looks at Great Books

Complete the final test on The Old Man and the Sea and return it to me before next week’s class. Begin your review for our final exam by going over your Literary Terms notebook and reviewing your study guides for the six novels we have read this year. I have great expectations of how well you’ll do and how much you know!

Watch the following video to review some of our most common literary terms:

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Assignments for 05/11/2020

Assignments due for the week of May 11th, 2020

Debate

Nice job in the game of Triple Speak today honing your impromptu speech skills! You have a good start for your next team debate. Prepare your assigned role for next week so that your team members can assist you in the revision and execution. Keep researching your details and preparing to rebut the other side’s arguments.

Explorations in British Literature

Your moms will receive the quizzes for Animal Farm. Please return those to me by next week’s class. Review the characters, event, and themes for the book for our final test. We will do a Jeopardy game review before the test. Review the authors and works on pages 146 and 147 in your notebook for a matching quiz next week.

Review Animal Farm by watching these short videos:

No-Spin Economics

Study Chapters 1-13 in Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? We will do a game review over the book before we take the test. The following week will be our final exam, which will cover the book as well as Crash Course Economics videos 1-7 and 9-12.

Here is the final Crash Course video from last week that we will go over next week in class. Be sure to have your worksheet completed.

Quick Looks at Great Books

Review The Old Man and the Sea and its plot and characters for our review game and test next week. Continue to review the terms in you Literary Terms notebook for our final exam.

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Assignments for 05/04/2020

Assignments due for the week of May 4th, 2020

Debate

Great improvement on the debates today! You did a super job implementing suggestions from the one-on-one debates! Don’t forget to send me your team peer evaluations if you have not already done so. Email if you have any questions. We will finish our last one-on-one debate next week. Research both sides of the new debate this week. You will meet separately with your group in our next class to plan and strategize. (Come to your group with research you have done to promote your side and rebut the other team.

The teams for the next debate are as follows:
PRO—Self-driving cars should be pursued and promoted as technology allows.
Jack, Josiah, Conlan, Rebecca, Micah, Ricky

CON–Self-driving cars should be prevented and limited to protect the people.
Nolan, Ben, Zach, Anna, Daren

Explorations in British Literature

Read Animal Farm by George Orwell for our next class (or listen to it online). We will discuss the entire book and its symbolism in class. You will have a quiz on the book which will be sent to your moms after our discussion and answering of your questions.

Watch this brief bio of George Orwell:

Watch this clip of Orson Welles’s famous radio broadcast based on The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells.

No-Spin Economics

Read Chapter 13, the final summary, in Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? (You will receive notes on this chapter to include in your notebook.)

For our final Crash Course Economics video, watch number #12 and fill out the worksheet you will receive in an email.

Watch this brief video on the Federal Reserve Bank.

Quick Looks at Great Books

Watch this brief bio of Ernest Heminway.

For our next class, read our last book of the year—The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. We will discuss the entire book next week, and the quizzes will be sent to your mom after that. Note the religious symbolism throughout the book.

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Assignments for 04/27/2020

Assignments due for the week of April 27th, 2020

Debate

Nice job finishing up the one-on-one debates from last week. Next week will be our first major team debate. Even though you had time with your team in class, you will probably need to make contact by email or phone as you continue your preparations this week. Research people should be particularly prepared with statistics and points to use in the crossfire as well as being thoroughly prepared to challenge the opposing side. Let team members know how you change your presentation to see if they have other suggestions for you. Please try to improve specifically on the areas we discussed in class. Remember that the key goal in debate is PERSUASION. Use your information as well as your inflection, eye contact, and passion to convince the judges to vote for your side of the topic. Present yourself as fully convinced! 🙂

Explorations in British Literature

Your mom will receive the multiple choice quiz on the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Make sure you take it and return it to me by next week.

Read “The Adventures of the Blue Carbuncle” about Sherlock Holmes and be prepared for discussion and a quiz next week.

Read the excerpt from H.G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds on pages 157-159 and answer the four questions.

Read T.S. Eliot’s poem “Cats” on page 160. Be prepared to discuss your observations of the cats and their unique names.

Watch the following clip from the Broadway musical “Cats” based on Eliot’s poem.


Watch a few minutes of an example of a song from “Cats”.

Don’t forget to email me your original limerick by next Monday so that our illustrators can do their job! 🙂

Here are more of Lear’s works for examples.

No-Spin Economics

Don’t forget to take the quiz over this week’s assignment and return it to me. (Quiz on Penny Candy Chapters 7-9 and Crash Course Economics # 7)

For our next class read Chapter 13 in Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? Watch Crash Course Economics videos #10 & #11.

Watch for an email with the handouts for videos #10 and #11 and also study notes for the chapters in your book.

Crash Course Economics #10

Crash Course Economics #11

Quick Looks at Great Books

Your moms will receive the final quiz for To Kill a Mockingbird. Please return it to me before next week’s class.

For review for our final test, complete the Chronolog on page 16 of your study guide.

In your Literary Terms notebook, make sure you have completed terms 1-13 and terms 19-40. I will check your notebook, and I will continue to review these pages with you in class.

We will review for our test on To Kill a Mockingbird with a game review next week in our Zoom class and finish our discussion of the author’s themes and motif.

Watch these videos from the book’s concluding chapters:

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Assignments for 04/20/2020

Assignments due for the week of April 20th, 2020

Debate

Great job today adapting to new situations as we did our first one-on-one debates online! Thanks to the moms who helped us and gave great pointers. The goal is to learn from the evaluations and to apply them in the next debate. We will finish these debates next week and meet with your teams to finish preparation for the debate on whether or not the U.S. should continue minting the penny. (Debate on Monday, April 27) Be sure to email your part (Constructive, Summary, or Final Focus) to your team members before next week. Researchers, don’t forget to give pointers to the speakers with any new points or stories you may have found. Don’t forget to email me your opinions on the winners of today’s debates.

Explorations in British Literature

Review the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle from the sheets you were given. Complete the study guide of his life and return it to me by next Monday. Read “The Red-Headed League” about the adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

Complete the study guide on this story that you will receive by email before our class next Monday. You may refer to the story to answer the questions.

Watch the following video about the characteristics of Sherlock Holmes.

No-Spin Economics

After next week’s class, we will have a quiz on Crash Course Economics video #7 and Chapters 7-9 in Whatever Happened to Penny Candy?

For next week watch Crash Course Economics videos #7 and #9 and read Chapters 10-12 in Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? Complete the worksheet that you received by email for each one.

Quick Looks at Great Books

Complete your reading of To Kill a Mockingbird by finishing Chapters 15-31 and answering the study guide questions corresponding with those chapters.

Wash these scenes to “illustrate” your reading.

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