The Colorado Springs School

You can download a free copy of Adobe Reader 9 at this link: http://www.adobe.com
or a free copy of Foxit which takes much less harddrive space at this link:
http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php

Mr. Adams Photo Story 3 page with useful links is at this link: http://www.pshouston.org/fw/main/Digital_Storytelling-530.html

You may use the OpenOffice.org Presentations tutorial by going to this website: www.learnopenoffice.org/contents.htm

For civics games like "Lawcraft" which you played in the Computer Lab on October 12, 2010, go to this link: www.icivics.com/play-games

TEACHING INVOLVES THE UNEXPECTED, AND SO HOMEWORK IS OFTEN UPDATED AT THE END OF THE TEACHING DAY.

**Week of January 30- February 3**
DAY	IN CLASS	HOMEWORK
Monday	Peer Review and editing of Intro paragraph for the Louisiana Territory Explorers essay; Hold Primaries/Caucuses for Republican candidates.	Please revise all of your paragraphs that you've been working on all last week. Turn them into ONE double-spaced, four-paragraph essay. Please use Times New Roman, 12 font size. Here is the order of each paragraph topic: Par 1: Introduction Par 2: Lewis & Clark Par 3: Zebulon Pike Par 4: Concluding Sentences If you'd like class money, please also copy and paste your essay (or just the two paragraphs (2 & 3) to the class blogsite under "Blog #5". Once again, here is the address: http://csshumanities.wordpress.com
Tuesday	*Read and work through chapter 5 of AFA;* Work on Cloze exercise concerning the War with Tripoli as a bridge to our next big topic. Grade and discuss during classtime.**	*Finish reading chapter 5 of AFA; highlight in YELLOW any vocabulary words you encounter; finish anything you didn't finish today during class.*
Wednesday	Finish discussing and working with chapter 5 of AFA; Discuss Conflicts on the frontier: The Battle of Tippecanoe and the Declaration of War.	Read pages 294-298 in your History Textbook; the chapter is entitled, "The War of 1812."
Thursday	Read and work through the first half of chapter 6 of AFA; Discuss the War of 1812; Answer the essential question, How did the United States benefit from its victory in the War of 1812? Sing "The Star Spangled Banner."	Read the rest of chapter 6 in AFA.
Friday	*Finish discussing and working with chapter 6 of AFA; Work with Cloze Exercises on population growth and everyday life in 1815.*	(1) Finish your cloze exercizes if you didn't finish during class time. (2) Rewrite the vocabulary sentences you got wrong on the latest vocabulary packet. For each wrong sentence: Write the old sentence, then the teacher's comments, then write the new sentence. When you are finished with all of your rewritten sentences: Attach to the front of the graded packet. (3) Prepare for a QUEST on chapters 5 & 6 of AFA.
SNOW DAY PLAN	IF THERE IS A SNOW DAY ON FRIDAY: Please go to the class blog site and "History Learning Exercises". Download and work on ALL of the cloze exercises for the year 1815. It will be the 2nd cloze exercise (1801-1815). Here is the link to that very page: http://csshumanities.wordpress.com/history-learning-exercises/	Obviously, if there is a snow day, you won't be able to do your vocab sentence rewrites until next week. Do all else listed above, however.

Week of January 23-27

DAY	IN CLASS	HOMEWORK
Monday	Finish documentary on Lewis & Clark. Take notes and respond to journal questions. Discuss.	None, unless you have something to complete--such as your journal responses for the documentary--or something to make-up or redo.
Tuesday	Watch excerpt from South Carolina Debate. Play a Review game for History test, 1776-1806. Start the map activity.	Review for the History test on Wednesday. To do this, review all of your cloze activity packets and finish the map activity.
Wednesday	Discuss chapters 1-4 of Across Five Aprils. Take chapters 1-4 reading quiz. Due to the utter incompetence of our photo copy machine, the History tests did not get printed, and so the History Test will be given this Friday instead.	*Begin vocabulary packet for the next few chapters of Across Five Aprils, sentences only (not the essay)*
Thursday	Listen to a special Guest Speaker from the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center talk about Zebulon Pike! Discuss journal responses to the L & C documentary.	Expand you paragraph from the Lewis & Clark Journal Sheet. Then, write a paragraph about Zebulon Pike's Expedition. Continue the theme you began with Lewis & Clark. If this theme does not seem present for Pike, then pick a different theme for Pike. Remember: Discuss Examples! You are not required to type the paragraphs YET. However, the sooner you type and save it in a Word Document, the better. I would suggest saving the doc under "Louis Purchase" or "Louis Territory". Bring your paragraphs to school tomorrow.
Friday	Take History Test. Read finished two-paragraph essays on the explorers, Lewis & Clark and Zebulon Pike. Do a Peer Review; Start Chapter 5 of Across Five April	Finish vocabulary packet AND write a paragraph explaining *how the United States got the Louisiana Territory (don't go into much detail, but do at least say that we bought it from France)* and why Jefferson sent people to explore the territory (give dates). Explain who these people were and introduce the theme or themes in this paragraph (don't do more than this).**


DAY	IN CLASS	HOMEWORK
Monday	MLK DAY: No classes	See last week.
Tuesday	Went over chapters 1 & 2; finished character chart for AFA. Did cloze exercises to bridge information between the Constitution and the Jefferson Administration and the Louisianna Purchase. Any cloze exercises left unfinished can be done for homework and turned in tomorrow.	NONE, except that you may finish any unfinished classwork today.
Wednesday	Receive graded work on vocabulary words and redo those sentences that had problems. Attach to the original assignment. Go over classwork from yesterday (cloze assignment). Read about and discuss the Louisianna Purchase. Do activity on Lewis & Clark Expedition.	Finish whatever was not accomplished during class today. Details during class time. Do the Lewis & Clark Expedition packet. For the maps, label all of the states for each map. For p. 11 map, draw the boundary line around the "Northwest Territory". For p. 13 map, draw a boundary line around the "Louisianna Territory". For the final map, label the rivers, then highlight the Missouri River until it reaches the Columbia River (highlight that too) until you get to the Pacific Ocean. *For help with this assignment, please consult the Reference Atlas pages 10-11 in your History Textbook. It is the black section at the front of your textbook.* *You can also try the internet.*
Thursday	Lewis & Clark Documentary and journal questions.	*Read chapter 3 of Across Five Aprils.* Be prepared for a formal reading check tomorrow.**
Friday	Update: Ms. Craig was out sick; Ms. Peterson helped the students review ch. 3 of Across Five Aprils and get started with ch. 4. She also played the vocabulary game and subjects & predicates guesstures.	*Read chapter 4 of Across Five Aprils.* This is a long chapter, so please divide the chapter into two 10-page segments if you need to. Start early in the weekend. We will discuss the chapter on Monday, so think of any questions you may have.

**Week of January 9-13**
DAY	IN CLASS	HOMEWORK
Monday	Review "compound/complex" sentences; play vocab game; discuss the structure of our federal government; discuss checks and balances and how the Supreme Court functions.	Find out who currently serves Colorado in the United States Senate House of Representatives Find out who is on the United States Supreme Court and the name of the person who is the Speaker of the House. Go to www.colorado.gov and www.usa.gov for help.
Tuesday	Play 3 rounds of the vocab game; in groups, create bulletin boards demonstrating the structure of our government or something vital to the constitution. Details to be announced during classtime.	Find out the names of the people who currently serve our nation as The President The Vice President The Secretary of State The Secretary of Defense The Department of Treasury The Attorney General Go to www.usa.gov or www.whitehouse.gov for help.
Wednesday	Finish creating the group "teaching" bulletin boards about the constitution; Participate in the Constitution Scavenger Hunt (win fake money to buy REAL prizes!), and go over answers at the end.	Do the worksheet on dialect: translate the sentences into standard English. This is to prepare you to understand Across Five Aprils. If you lost your hard copy, you can find another on our class blogsite: http://csshumanities.wordpress.com
Thursday	Listen to an oral reading of Across Five Aprils, chapter 1; this is a whole-class activity where Ms. Craig will read aloud and stop at times to do a comprehension check, add to the character-relationship map, and to lead a critical discussion. We will also review the dialect homework sheet.	Finish reading chapter 1 and chapter 2 of Across Five Aprils. Highlight any vocabulary words you find in yellow, but do not make any other markings in your book if you received a brand new one. For everyone: continue to add to the character tree. *Be ready for some sort of reading check on Tuesday, whether formal or informal.* For those of you with a brand new copy of AFA, please put it in a plastic baggie to keep it clean and intact; this is optional but encouraged for the used books, as they are good for one more reading. I will check this on Tuesday. *SEE YOU ON TUESDAY!*
Friday	No Classes: Professional Day	See above (Thursday)

DAY	IN CLASS	HOMEWORK
Monday	No School	No School
Tuesday	We passed back papers and updated our portfolios; participated in the preliminary Geography Bee.	Optional homework: Please locate your final draft of your character analysis; you may edit it and print a fresh copy if you'd like. Bring it in for display. Prepare for the final rounds of the Geography Bee.
Wednesday	Finish final rounds of Geography Bee and identify those who will participate in the MS competition; Do Cloze activity. Discuss events leading up to the constitution. Review parts of speech.	NONE
Thursday	Review Compound, Complex, and Compound-Complex Sentences; continue discussion of events leading up to the ratification of the constitution.	Write 10 original compound-complex sentences about any event(s). Refer to your class worksheet for help. Words for dependent clauses: as, when, after, before, during, while.
Friday	*Start vocabulary exercises for Across Five Aprils; Constitution class activities and exercises*	*Finish Across Five Aprils* vocabulary exercises. If you lose it, I have it on our class website (see Across Five Aprils at the top)**

Week of Dec. 5-9


Day	In Class	Homework
Monday	Go over homework and paraphrase the 3rd section of The Declaration of Independence; create a Harvard-style outline for your research paper.	(1) Finish your Harvard Outline, if you did not do so during classtime. (2) Write (TYPE AND SAVE to docs) *first argumentative (body)* paragraph**. Use a topic sentence and discuss examples to prove that your topic sentence is correct. Use at least one quote from your research. At the end of your quote, make a parentheses and put the last name of the author followed by the page number, like this: (Miller 46). BRING YOUR OUTLINE AND YOUR FIRST BODY PARAGRAPH (typed) TO CLASS TOMORROW.
Tuesday	Go over homework from the night before and talk about the second body paragraph; In History, discuss the challenges the Americans faced at the start of the Revolution.	(1) Revise and TYPE your first paragraph; (2) Write (TYPE AND SAVE to original doc) your second *argumentative* (body) paragraph. Use a topic sentence and discuss examples to prove your topic sentence. Use at least one quote from your research. At the end of your quote, make a parentheses and put the last name of the author followed by the page number, like this: (Miller 46). BRING YOUR OUTLINE AND YOUR SECOND BODY PARAGRAPH (typed) TO CLASS TOMORROW.
Wednesday	Go over the second paragraph and get started on the third paragraph; In History, discuss how the U.S. gained allies and aid during the Revolutionary War.	(1) Revise and TYPE your second paragraph; (2) Write (TYPE AND SAVE to original doc) your third BODY paragraph. Use a topic sentence and discuss examples to prove your topic sentence. Use at least one quote from your research. At the end of your quote, make a parentheses and put the last name of the author followed by the page number, like this: (Miller 46). BRING YOUR OUTLINE AND YOUR THIRD BODY PARAGRAPH (typed) TO CLASS TOMORROW.
Thursday	Go over the third paragraph of research paper and get started on the introduction paragraph; In History, discuss how the Battle of Yorktown led to American Independence and begin to review for the History final on Tuesday.	(1) Revise and TYPE your THIRD paragraph; (2) Write (TYPE AND SAVE) your INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH. BRING YOUR RESEARCH PAPER WITH INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH (typed) TO CLASS TOMORROW.
Friday	Go over the introductory paragraph of the research paper and get started on the conclusion statement; In History, continue to review for the History final on Tuesday. Work through the study packet with a partner and review your notes from this past week.	ENGLISH: (1) Revise and TYPE your introductory paragraph; (2) Write (TYPE AND SAVE) your CONCLUSION (this only needs to be two sentences at the least) and create your "Works Cited" list. BRING YOUR RESEARCH PAPER WITH CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH and "Works Cited" (typed) TO CLASS ON MONDAY. Make sure your research paper is SPELL-CHECKED, in MLA formatting: double spaced, name and info in upper-left-corner, Times New Roman, 12 font, 1-inch margins. Double-check your paper against the rubric, which you can also find on the class website, if you have lost the hard copy. Go to http://csshumanities.wordpress.com HISTORY: Complete your review packet for the final exam. You should bring your history book home with you. Also, review your notes taken in class during the past two weeks. We will go over the answers during the Monday Final Exam slot. The History exam is on Tuesday.

Week of: Nov. 28--Dec. 2:

DAY IN-CLASS HOMEWORK

Monday	History: In class: Go over Taxation Without Representation: Determine how the British government angered the American colonists. History book, pp. 122-125. *English*: In class: Debrief Colonial Day. Return graded papers and discuss both the character project and the research paper and creative writing component.	History: For homework: Do #7 on page 125: "Write a letter to the editor of a colonial newspaper. Your goal is to try to persuade fellow colonists to boycott British goods." What would you say about Parliament's mandate that colonists should pay for some of the war debt? Include, also, the three "Acts" in your letter. *English: For homework: Revise character analysis according to the teacher's written calls for revision. Put both the graded first draft and the final draft in your character project folder. BRING CHARACTER PROJECT FOLDER TO CLASS TOMORROW.*
Tuesday	*History: Discuss the colonists' reaction to British policies and their attempts to build colonial unity. Talk about propaganda aimed at angering and uniting the colonists against the British. History book, pp. 126-29 English*: Create a symbolic cover for the front of your character folder. Be sure you will be able to explain how your symbol relates to the character you chose for analysis.	HOMEWORK: History: Do #6 on page 129: "Write an account of the Boston Massacre from the point of view of a British soldier in the event." If you would rather, you may recount the event in the form of a comic strip (though I don't mean that a massacre be rendered "comical"). OR, you can draw a picture that tells the events; you may make it a straight, more factual depiction or turn it into propaganda aimed at angering and uniting the colonists against the British. If you do any drawing, however, please do it on nice, blank paper and put forth your best effort. *I'd like to display the most impressive efforts.* *English*: Prepare to present your symbolic cover to the class tomorrow. Be prepared to turn in character project with all required components included, according to the rubric: (1) group presentation; (2) 3 character charts; (3) all drafts of your character analysis.
Wednesday	*History: Discuss what brought about the clash between American colonists and British soldiers at Lexington and Concord. History book, pp. 132-37 English*: Present character project folder to the entire class and submit to the teacher. Be able to explain how your symbol is a good choice to represent your character.	HOMEWORK: History: Assume the role of either a Loyalist or a Patriot. Take on your colonial persona and respond to tonight's blog question on our class website: csshumanities.wordpress.com *English*: Work on revising your working bibliography and/or research notes only if I asked you to do more research or to add more notes to your collection.
Thursday	*History: Discuss why the American colonies chose to declare independence. History book, pp. 138-42. English*: Discuss how to make a research paper outline out of your knowledge and research notes.	HOMEWORK: *History*: Do #6 on page 142 of your History book: "Prepare a help-wanted ad/poster to locate a person who is qualified to write the Declaration of Independence. Describe the responsibilities of the job as well as the experience and character traits needed."
Friday	There are no morning classes so that the entire middle school may see or participate in The Wizard of Oz. AS WE ARE NEARING THE END OF THE SEMESTER, IT IS CRUCIAL THAT YOU BRING ME YOUR HOMEWORK FROM LAST NIGHT WHETHER YOU HAVE CLASS WITH ME OR NOT. Humanities: Read through page 146 or the first two sections of The Declaration of Independence. Determine the purpose of these two sections: the "Preamble" and the "Declaration of Natural Rights". Work or get help on anything you need concerning either English or History, such as any left-over revision work, your outline, more research, understanding the homework...	HOMEWORK: *Humanities: Read through page 146 (only) or the first two sections of The Declaration of Independence. Respond in writing to the following 4 prompts. Respond to all prompts in your own words*: Use the definitions in the left margin and a dictionary to help you decode this difficult section. 1. What is the main point of the "Preamble"? 2. The "Declaration of Natural Rights" lists the rights of all citizens. What are the rights of citizens, according to this section? 3. What is the government's role in a person's natural rights? 4. When is it okay to break with a government?

Week of: Nov. 14-18

MONDAY	Today, I returned to your bibliographies and notecards. Some got perfect scores, while I have asked others to add more or to direct their research in a more fruitful way. Some got both perfect scores AND were asked to do more research. For those who received new sources from me, please read as much as tonight as appropriate (about one chapter or a little less?). For others, I have given direction on your research.
TUESDAY	Write a paragraph of introduction about who you are, what your vocation is, if any, and a little bit about what your life is like. End by writing: "Now that I've introduced myself, I'd like to answer any questions you may have."
WEDNESDAY	Prepare for Colonial Day. If you're in a re-enactment, please memorize your lines.
THURSDAY	Prepare for Colonial Day. If you're in a re-enactment, please memorize your lines.
FRIDAY	There is no homework. HOWEVER, if you have anything to revise, to correct or to add to, please use your break to make that happen. I am thinking of your multi-paragraph colonial essay and research for the research paper.

Week of: Nov. 7-11

MONDAY	Create your working bibliography. Attach it to your research cards when you turn them in tomorrow. Here is a reminder of the steps you take: 1. Go to your school e-mail account 2. Click on "More" in the menu along the top of the page. 3. In the drop-down menu, Choose "Easy Bib" 4. Make sure "MLA" is always bolded. 5. Click on the type of source for each book, website article, database article, etc. you enter. If you don't have all the information, then you need to go back to the source, either on line or in the hard copy to get the copyright date, authors, and whatever is asked for. For a book, it is ALWAYS easier to type in your ISBN #, which is located on the back, bottom corner of your book. 6. Enter the information and click "Create Citation". 7. When you have finished entering each source, click "Copy and Paste" above where it shows your alphabetically ordered list and save your document under "Colonial Bibliography". You should also e-mail it to yourself in case you lose it.
TUESDAY	History: Read pp. 109-111. You can stop at "The Fall of New France." Answer the following questions: 1. If Britain had not entered the conflict between the French and the Colonists, how might the conflict have ended? (p. 109) 2. Why was the war between France and Britain called the French and Indian War instead of the French and British War? (p. 109) 3. Read the primary source on page 110. What is Washington saying about Braddock's strategy? 4. What is another name for Britain's war on France starting in 1756? (p. 110) 5. Which side appears to have had an advantage early in the war? Name three factors that contributed to its success.
WEDNESDAY	History: Read p. 111 (to the end). Do the following activity: * Create the front page of a British newspaper after the Battle of Quebec. Use descriptive terms to help readers visualize the battle and what its outcome meant for the British. The best one gets to be displayed on the wall of our tavern. Make it big and try to make it authentic. FOR TOMORROW: Whichever group will have one of the Humanities classes tomorrow will get to start painting and building! I have smocks for you, but you should wear comfortable pants and shoes.
THURSDAY	History: Read p. 112 and answer the following questions: 1. What did the British do to anger the Native Americans after the French and Indian War? 2. Why were some colonies angered by the Proclamation of 1763? TOMORROW IS BUILDING, PAINTING, AND FIXING UP THE ROOM DAY! Wear comfortable work clothes, please. Some of you will be building stocks and signposts, while others will be helping to build a fireplace, while others, still, will be making signs and painting folk art and backdrops. This will be fun and exciting; however, the success of this day depends entirely upon your ability to follow directions and remain in control of your impulses. Let's be a team and make some magic!
FRIDAY	Humanities: (1) Newspaper article: CHOOSE ONE of the following: A) Create a newspaper article on *Pontiac's War* (p. 112). I am hoping to be able to put it inside Sarah Wolfe's folding newspaper, so please make it authentic looking, once again. B) Creat a newspaper article on *The Proclamation of 1763. Make sure it also explains why come colonists were angered by the Proclamation. Use 8 1/2 X 11" paper. I need to make it fit inside the pages of Sarah's newspaper, so I need space for other topics. (2) Jot down a list of 20 questions you would like people to ask you about yourself and your topic on Colonial Day.* Be ready, also, for questions you may not be prepared for. If you are performing the sermon and/or the witch trial, start memorizing, if you haven't done so already.

Week of: Oct. 31-Nov. 4

MONDAY	NO HOMEWORK: Happy Halloween!!
TUESDAY night h-work	Humanities (Eng & His combined): Write out FIVE (5) research cards--not pages. Make sure that at least 3 are SUMMARIES. If you copy directly, please circle "Quote" and make sure what you are quoting is CRUCIALLY IMPORTANT to your research paper. When you summarize, turn over your article or close the book so you don't copy any phrases. Remember: plagiarism can be unintentional and most often is.
WEDNESDAY	Humanities: Write out FIVE (5) more research cards--not pages. Make sure that at least 3 are SUMMARIES. If you copy directly, please circle "Quote" and make sure what you are quoting is CRUCIALLY IMPORTANT to your research paper. When you summarize, turn over your article or close the book so you don't copy any phrases. Remember: plagiarism can be unintentional and most often is. You should have TEN (10) total cards after this (includes Tuesday's cards).
THURSDAY	Humanities: Write out FIVE (5) more research cards--not pages. Make sure that at least 3 are SUMMARIES. If you copy directly, please circle "Quote" and make sure what you are quoting is CRUCIALLY IMPORTANT to your research paper. When you summarize, turn over your article or close the book so you don't copy any phrases. Remember: plagiarism can be unintentional and most often is. You should have FIFTEEN (15) total cards after this (includes Tuesday and Wednesday's cards).
FRIDAY	Humanities: (1) Write out FIVE (5) more research cards--not pages. Make sure that at least 3 are SUMMARIES. If you copy directly, please circle "Quote" and make sure what you are quoting is CRUCIALLY IMPORTANT to your research paper. When you summarize, turn over your article or close the book so you don't copy any phrases. Remember: plagiarism can be unintentional and most often is. You should have TWENTY (20) total cards after this. (includes Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday's cards) (2) Make a list of items needed for your Colonial Station. If you have purchased items already, then make a two-column list, one for what you already have, and the other for what you still need. Everyone needs signs that announce you and your occupation. I can supply everything except for costumes, but I still need a list by Monday. (3) Order or Create a costume in the next few days! You cannot possibly be part of the scene without dressing the part. GIRLS: You can either buy from a place like Amazon OR put one together with a long, ankle-length heavy skirt that is solid gray, black, blue, or tan. Wear a white cotton blouse with puffy sleeves for the top and black shoes or boots. BOYS: Any George Washington or Revolutionary outfit or even Pilgrim outfit should be fine. Think knee breeches, white or dark stockings, and black dress shoes with buckles (you can make the buckle), pull hair back, wear a wig (if you're an aristocrat) or wear a brimmed hat. (4) Remind parents to RSVP and select the event(s) on the Evite. The Tavern is SMALL and we need people to circulate among all of the stations.

Week of: Oct. 24-28

Monday	English: NONE History: NONE, unless you want to start your research on your topic for the Colonial Living History Museum
Tuesday	English: NONE History: Read pages 105 - 107 and respond to prompts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7 (Kodiak Scholars may add #6 for extra points. Remember, though, that everything else has to be done correctly to earn those points.)
Wednesday	English: Type paragraph 1 of your character description. Double space and save in "documents" so that you may come back to this tomorrow to add more. SNOWDAY UPDATE: Many of you have contacted me about what to do for today's homework. The answer is that I think you could easily churn out your first paragraph of your character description. All that you will do in your first paragraph is to introduce the novel, the author, and your character; then, describe (without listing) who your character is (sex, age, living arrangement, vocation, background). For those who need help getting started, here is a first sentence. You may copy directly from mine: "In the historical fiction novel, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, by Elizabeth George Speare, the character of ____ is very dynamic. When we first encounter ____, we learn that ____ is a (give sex and age and then all the rest)." Someone asked me which character he should write about. The answer is: the character you've been working on with your partners for the past two weeks. History: Read through your research for the Colonial Day project. Highlight (if a printed article) or stick post-its (if a book) to those sections that are especially helpful. Show me what you did tomorrow during class.
Thursday	English: Write and type paragraph 2 of your character description. To clarify, here is a rough outline of what you should be covering in each and every paragraph (there are 3): 1st Paragraph: Intro to the novel, the author, the character and your character's age, living situation, background. 2nd Paragraph: Here you will choose two or three IMPORTANT or influential character qualities and give examples of these traits in the novel. "She is old and has cats" are NOT character qualities. "She is kind and generous" are, however. 3rd Paragraph: Here you will give an overview of how your character develops in the novel. Use your character charts to help you briefly summarize these changes. Give one example from each of the three sections of the novel (see your three character charts, which are divided into these very sections). In other words, you should have three examples. For tonight's homework, here is an example topic sentence. I will use an example from a novel you are not reading: "As we read about Huck Finn and his adventures, we discover that he is a very practical minded and reflective person who, nevertheless, has much to learn." I would go on from there to support my topic sentence with examples from the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. History: NONE required, but if you have time, please continue to research your Colonial Day project topic.
Friday	English: Type paragraph 3 of your character description. Here you will give an overview of how your character develops in the novel. Use your character charts to help you briefly summarize these changes. Give one example from each of the three sections of the novel (see your three character charts, which are divided into these very sections). In other words, you should have three examples. Here is an example of how you might write about Prudence: From Section 1(of the novel): She is very shy and timid. (e.g. on the boat) Section 2: She is afraid but loyal to her friends and insistent upon getting an education. (e.g. at Hannah Tupper's) Section 3: She is more confident and capable (e.g. during Kit's trial) Topic Sentence example for Paragraph 3: "Prudence's development through the novel is very dramatic." Clearly, if your character does not make dramatic changes, do not claim that he/she's development is dramatic. Instead, you could say something like, ". . . . is subtle and not very dramatic." As for Hannah Tupper, it may be the case that Hannah changes other people (Kit, Nat, Prudence) more than she, herself, changes. In that case, you could talk about how she helps/changes the three characters who pay her regular visits. History: Read through your research for the Colonial Day project. Highlight (if a printed article) or stick post-its (if a book) to those sections that are especially helpful. Show me what you did Monday during class. You may find that you need more information. Also, be thinking about your costume and begin to make a list of items needed for both your costume and for your station. REMINDER: Make sure you have a separate storage folder for (1) all of your colonial research stuff (it's easy to lose photocopies, notecards, and all the rest). Also: Make sure you have (2) a separate folder with pockets and, especially, *bendable paper fasteners* for your characterization project. The latter does not need to be fancy; just a cheap paper folder will do.

Week of: Oct. 10-14 (homework is updated daily)

Monday	English: Read chapter 13 of TWOBP and finish your vocabulary worksheet (remember: I gave you 10 minutes to complete some of this). Be sure your sentences included plenty of context without repeating the definition in different words. There are plenty of examples on the worksheet itself. History: After an oral reading exercise, we all realized that some students are still conflating the Separatists (Pilgrims) and the Puritans. While both groups have been called Puritans, please remember that the Separatists who came over on the Mayflower (1620) DID NOT begin the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The later group (The Puritans), who came over 10 years AFTER the Separatists, were the ones to establish the New England Colony of Massachusetts (1630). Therefore, tonight's History homework is to do one more slight revision to your draft IF you think you made the mistake of conflating the two groups and IF you noticed any other problems as we were listening to and commenting on your classmates' essays.
Tuesday	English: Read chapter 14 of TWOBP History: Read pp. 88-90 in History textbook. Answer the following questions neatly in written form on notebook paper or typed: 1) Do the locations of these cities have anything in common? What? 2) Why do you think landnear a meeting house was called the "green" or the "common"? 3) What role did the colonies play in the Slave Trade?
Wednesday	English: Read chapter 15 of TWOBP. History: Read pp. 91-92 in the History text. Answer the following questions neatly in written form on notebook paper or typed: 1) In what ways were the Middle Colonies shaped by their geographic characteristics?--Geography relates to the physical, environmental, and cultural features of an area. 2) How did the presence of non-English immigrants set the Middle Colonies apart from New England?
Thursday	CATCH-UP NIGHT (have Ketchup tonight as well) English: NONE or finish anything you are missing or work ahead. History: NONE or finish anything you are missing or weren't able to finish earlier in the week or simply work ahead.
Friday	English: Read chapters 16 & 17 of TWOBP. If this is too much reading and you are sacrificing sleep, STOP. Jut read chapter 16 and be done with it. No penalties. History: Answer all the prompts from the "Section 1 Review" neatly in written form on notebook paper or typed. Okay: perhaps the vocab for #1 is a bit ponderous. So, you can take the option of using ALL of the words in a single paragraph, if you'd like, instead of using each one in a separate sentence. Another option would be to incorporate the words into your letter for #6. The letter need only be a paragraph long. Just a reminder: be sure you are using plenty of context. Please recall that you've been reading the accompanying section all week and that we also read/discussed the remaining pages of the section 1 together in class today. So, really, all you should have to do is to answer the questions going back occasionally to remind yourself of the exact facts/information. Things are going to get exciting in the next few weeks, real fast! We will be putting all of your studies to the "experiential" test, so please stay alert, stay tuned, and remember those "ketchup" nights.--;)

Week of: Oct. 4-Oct. 7: Details on the homework are usually added or updated each day.

Monday Night Homework	No School Today: Refer to last Friday
Tuesday Night Homework	TUESDAY English: Write a sentence for each new vocabulary word (see below). Use coordinating conjunctions for 5 of your sentences; use semi-colons for the other 5 (You choose which ones and arrange them as you see fit.). As discussed in class today, the words are: Precarious (adj.): Dependent upon uncertainty (see page 85 in the novel, The Witch of Blackbird Pond) Obstreperous (adj.): Marked by unruly or aggresssive noises (p. 87 in TWOBP) Priggish (adj.): Strict adherence to rules and conventions (p. 88) Decorum (Noun): Polite and conventional behavior (p. 90) Consternation (Noun): A state of confusion (word is yet unfound) Raiment (Noun): Clothing and garments (p. 88) Sanction (Noun or Verb): A solemn agreement or oath (as a noun); to approve something as an authority figure (as a verb): (p. 88) Unorthodox (adj.): Not conforming to rules, especially religious rules (word is yet unfound) Dismay (verb): To deprive of courage and action by making a person feel confused; Dismayed (adj.) To be unable to act or to have courage because you are being made confused. Apprehension (Noun): Suspicion due to fear or evil or danger. History: Write 3 body paragraphs on the TEST essay question #6 from page 84 of your textbook. Save your writing of the introductory paragraph (with thesis) and the conclusion for class tomorrow. I'll help you with those: ESSAY PROMPT: "Discuss the social, economic, and political diferences of the New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies." You will need to refer to the answers to your "Essential Questions" in the section reviews and the Foldables Study Organizer (we created this about 3 weeks ago). Your essay should include: the reasons behind the founding of each of the colonies (could be political, economic, or social) how New York and Pennsylvania became English colonies, and how other colonies developed from them (economic) settlers' relations with Native Americans (social) types of commerce that developed in the different colonies (economic) the circumstances surrounding Bacon's Rebellion (social). SOCIAL refers to relationships between people living in communities and relationships between one community of people and another. ECONOMIC refers to trade, commerce, goods and crops used to make money. POLITICAL refers to the principles upon which a colony is founded and to how a government is established and organized. ORGANIZING YOUR ESSAY: You can organize your essay in whatever way helps you to integrate all of the information: Option #1: Devote one paragraph to the New England Colonies, the second paragraph to the Middle Colonies, and a third paragraph to the Southern Colonies. Option #2: Write about all three colony groups in each and every one of your three body paragraphs. The first paragraph could cover the social differences, the second paragraph could cover the economic differences, and the third paragraph could cover the political differences. We will continue to workshop this essay tomorrow. This is a work in progress, a ROUGH DRAFT!
Wednesday Night Homework	WEDNESDAY English: Read chapter 10 of TWOBP. History: Today, we worked on our essays in a workshop format. Tonight, for homework, you will simply revise two of your body paragraphs and that is all. This will be a multi-day process that will end, hopefully, by the end of the week. To revise (and to repeat), make sure EACH one of your paragraphs begins with a topic sentence that tells the main idea of your paragraph. EXAMPLES: "The origins of the Middle Colonies are primarily economical, more than social and political." OR "Though the origins of the Middle and Southern colonies are primarily concerned with economics, the New England colonies are primarily concerned with social and political principles." contains information that is correct (check your facts!). Is not so long that it takes up a full page (consider breaking into another paragraph, in such a case). uses precise words, such as exact nouns and actual names. Tip for getting at the right topic sentence: Have another person read your paragraph and tell you what he/she thinks is your main idea. Tip for making things clear and precise: Have another person read your paragraph and tell you if there is anything that is NOT clear. Have them point out the problem sentence(s). Revise for better clarity and precision.
Thursday Night Homework	THURSDAY English: NONE or finish anything you are missing or work ahead. History: NONE or finish anything you are missing or weren't able to finish earlier in the week (like your essay!) or simply work ahead.
Friday Night Homework	FRIDAY English: Read chapters 11 and 12 of TWOBP. History: Put the finishing touches on your revised essay and hand it in TYPED and attached to all of your previous drafts. Do a quick check to make sure you have done ALL of the following: Paragraph 1: Do you introduce your topic in a formal manner? Do you end with a thesis statement? Paragraphs 2, 3, and 4 (or more): Do your body paragraphs have topic sentences? Do your body paragraphs demonstrate why your topic sentences are correct, using detail, specifics, and examples? Do these paragraphs together prove that your thesis statement is true? Final Paragraph: Did you write a concluding sentence or two to sum up your main point and echo the thesis statement? (this does not have to be 5 sentences).

Week of: Sept. 26-Sept. 30: Details on the homework are usually added or updated each day.

Monday Night Homework	English: Read chapter 6 of TWOBP. Be ready for a reading quiz. History: Finish classwork on the colony you chose to talk about tomorrow in front of the class. You must also write a single sentence about the founding of the colony for our bulletin board time-line. You can find the dates of all thirteen colonies' first settlements on page 79 of the textbook. Include in your sentence the name of the founder(s) along with the date. For your short presentation (about 15-to-30 seconds), you should include more information than what you included in your sentence for the bulletin board. Consider conveying your information in the form of a commercial or as a tour guide telling about the origins of your state when it was still a colony. Remember, though, the information is more important than the entertainment value, although I'm a real sucker for entertainment.
Tuesday Night Homework	English: Read chapter 7 of TWOBP. Continue to highlight vocabulary words in YELLOW only. Always be ready for a possible reading quiz. History: Revise Immigrant story for public display. Follow all of my calls for correction as you revise. Refer both to the draft and to all comments and values not awarded on the accompanying rubric to see what you need to correct or to include. When finished, please attach your new copy to the previous draft. Include the original rubric. Remember that I cannot grade you fairly unless I take a look at what was changed. I will probably hand it back to you without both the previous draft and the completed rubric. *Remember that every GOOD writer is a REVISER!*
Wednesday Night Homework	English: Read chapter 8 of TWOBP. History: Go to the class blog site and respond to a question about the documentary we saw in class today. The blog assignment is called "Blog Assignment #3: God in America". Follow the directions under this assignment. BLOG ADDRESS: http://csshumanities.wordpress.com Please do not copy phrases from the teacher's "Notes on the Documentary, God in America". Use your own writing. If your response is not at least a FULL paragraph and is not grammatically and mechanically acceptable for public display, I will not post it, and you will have to do it over for a compromised grade. Please, let's get it right the first time; otherwise, this makes more work for both you AND me. I strongly encourage you to write your paragraph(s) on a Word document first so you can check your grammar and spelling, and revise. Then, copy (do not cut) and paste your final version into the comment box. Remember that your comment won’t show up until I approve it.
Thursday Night Homework	English: NONE or finish anything you are missing. History: NONE or finish anything you are missing.
Friday Night Homework	English: Read chapter 9 of TWOBP. History: Review Chapter 3, sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 (pp. 56-83) by 1) Answering each one of the "Essential Questions" in the section reviews, and 2) Completing your foldable study organizer on the important events in the American colonies: "New England Colonies"; "Middle Colonies"; and "Southern Colonies". There will be a combination "group" test and test workshop on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. The types of questions (including essays) are easier versions of the types of questions found on Advanced Placement History examinations. I am going to take two days to introduce the students to this critical thinking writing exam. Yes, I will physically check your foldable and your answers to the essential questions.

Week of: Sept. 19-Sept. 23: Details on the homework are usually added or updated each day.

Monday Night Homework	English: Read chapter 3 of TWOBP. Be ready for a reading quiz. History: Continue to prepare for your group skit on how a colony got started: Jamestown, Massachussettes Bay, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. You will probably need to text or call each other or do a conference call (if this is possible), or you can e-mail chat with your group members. The goal here is NOT to be entertaining. The paramount goal is to deliver (as much as possible) an accurate and full retelling of the story. Of course, if you are entertaining, too, then your paramount goal will be accomplished more effectively.
Tuesday Night Homework	English: Read chapter 4. There will be a QUEST (combination quiz and test) on chapters 1-4 tomorrow. History: Write a two-paragraph essay on how the New England Colonies were started (i.e., so don't include Jamestown). Be sure to include as much detail as you can, including the dates these colonies were founded. Here are the range of dates I found: Massachusettes Bay Colony: 1629-1630 Connecticut Colony: 1636 Rhode Island: 1636 You may write your essay by hand or type it. Check your essay for grammatical, spelling, and punctuation problems; I will be taking off for fragments, run-ons, mis-spellings, and other careless oversights. Share your essay with a study buddy or a parent for a second pair of eyes. Write 5 or more sentences per paragraph for acceptable credit. Here is a suggestion for your essay: 1. Write an introductory sentence with a thesis statement. For instance, you might claim that the New England colonies are a reaction to or against religion. 2. The Massachussettes Bay Colony has a deep history. I would devote a whole paragraph to it. 3. I would devote your second paragraph to the Rhode Island and Connecticut colonies. You can also divide this into another (third) paragraph if it starts to get too long. 4. End with a statement that sums up how you have just proved your thesis.
Wednesday Night Homework	English: Find and write out the definitions for the second set of vocabulary words from the PINK sheet. It is under "Section 2". Do the first column starting with "modish" and ending with "veritable". Include other forms of the word as well (adjective, noun, etc.). History: Finish reading Chapter 3, Section 3 in History text. Complete the Note-Taking Worksheet.
Thursday Night Homework	English: Write 15 sentences using your new vocabulary words. Underline the SUBJECT of each sentence once; double-underline the PREDICATE of each sentence (starts with the verb); circle the VERB of each sentence. History: Revise your two-paragraph essay on the New England Colonies. Do so according to my marginal comments on your paper; your new, improved grade will depend upon whether or not you have done everything I have asked of you. Attach your revised copy to the original. Do the check-list I gave you.
Friday Night Homework	English: Read chapter 5 of TWOBP. History: Read chapter 3, Section 4 in History text. Be ready for a reading quiz on Monday.

Week of: Sept. 12-Sept. 16

Monday Night Homework	English: Revise stories and/or test essays: Please type using 12 font, Times New Roman, unless you are using a special font to replicate the handwriting on a journal. History: NONE
Tuesday Night Homework	English: Use each vocabulary word in a sentence. Use the words on your PINK handout from "SECTION 1", and only the column your class worked on today (1st class: column 1; 2nd class: column 2). Be sure to give me enough context so that you can show me that you can use the word *meaningfully. Here are some examples: 1) "She felt great trepidation."--WRONG (no context); 2) "She felt great trepidation because this was the first time she would ever give a speech in front of a large audience."--RIGHT (proper context) Also, please do not* repeat the meaning of the word in your sentence; use proper context instead. For instance: 3) "She felt great trepidation because she trembled with nervousness."--WRONG (no context; you are just saying the same thing twice) History: Do journal questions 1 & 2 below. Please write a paragraph for each question (5 or more sentences per paragraph). NOTE: You do not have to know the definitive answers to these prompts. These are meant to focus you and to help you make predictions before you read sections 1 and 2. Use your best imaginative and reasoning skills to respond. You are encouraged to use examples. The questions are: 1) Why would a country want to establish a colony in another region? 2) What makes people leave their homeland to live in another country?
Wednesday Night Homework	English: Read chapter 1 of The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Be ready for a short quiz during class on Friday. Because of the attempt on the part of the author to replicate the vocabulary and use of language of the Colonial Era, you should begin reading tonight (Wednesday night) about half of the first chapter, just in case you need extra time to warm up to the language. Read the last half on Thursday night. I've been through this many times when teaching The Scarlet Letter in Upper School. I promise: You WILL get used to the language and become much more fluid at reading TWOBP with continued effort and a bit of patience. History: Read pp. 58-61 on your History DVD or textbook. Answer #1-3 under the "Section 1 Review" on page 61. Here are the questions duplicated below: 1. Use each of the following terms in a paragraph about the Jamestown settlement: charter, joint-stock company, expand, headright, burgesses. 2. Why was the defeat of the Spanish Armada important to England's quest for overseas colonies? 3. How did the Jamestown settlement survive the first two years?
Thursday Night Homework	English: Continue reading chapter 1 from TWOBP. Be ready for a basic reading comprehension quiz tomorrow! History: Unfortunately, because of so many technical problems with the DVDs, and because there are so many games this evening, I have found it necessary to cancel the History homework for tonight. I have issued textbooks to those students who are having trouble with the DVDs. Those who are having success with the DVD had the choice whether or not to take responsibility for having a textbook. Loss or damage to the textbook will result in at least an $80.00 charge. We all want to avoid this, so let's cover our books and take care of them. Thanks!
Friday Night Homework	English: Read chapter 2 from TWOBP. Be ready for a reading quiz on Monday. History: Read pp. 64-66 in your History textbook. Be ready for a quiz on this material for Monday. Here are FOUR of the questions I'll be asking. I will add one or two surprise questions to this quiz: 1) Why did the Separatists leave England and settle in North America? 2) Why did the Puritans leave England and settle in North America? 3) How were the Puritans and Separatists alike? How were they different? 4) Why do you think the "strangers" accepted the Pilgrims' way of life in Plymouth?

Monday	Week of: Sept. 5-9 Labor Day: No School
Tuesday	Homework, Due Monday, Sept. 12: Write the story after getting approval and advice from your teacher, either in class or via e-mail or conversation. The story should be 1) typed using MLA format (double-spaced, 12 font, Times New Roman). 2) between 2 and 4 pages long. 3) written using multi-sensory descriptions, similes and metaphors whenever possible and fitting. 4) about the immigrant experience, either from the viewpoint of the immigrant coming to America or from the viewpoint of an American experiencing immigrants. 5) revised and edited for public display. This will include our two-week tour-de-force of 7th-grade Humanities. After Seminar One, we will begin a more deep and gradual unfolding of the American experience through History and Literature.
Wednesday	Seminar One at Round Mountain, Day 1
Thursday	Seminar One at Round Mountain, Day 2
Friday	Seminar One at Round Mountain, Day 3

Week of: Aug. 29-Sept. 2

Monday	Respond to the "quote worksheet". For each quote, identify who is being quoted (the speaker? another character?); What is going on in the story (just a sentence will do); and what is important about this quote (e.g. does it help us understand the character's feelings or personality? Or does it help us to understand more about the character's cultural heritage?). Please write legibly so I can grade you fairly. Use a separate sheet of paper if necessary.
Tuesday	Respond to interpretive questions on Dragonwings. Use complete sentences. The requirement is that students choose 4 out of 5 to complete. If you want to be a Kodiak Scholar and challenge yourself, you should do all 5 questions.
Wednesday	Respond to "Review Questions for Test and Essay" in preparation for tomorrow's novel test on "Dragonwings". This test is a mixture of comprehension, critical thinking, reading analysis, and essay writing. For homework, you only need to plan your essay by filling out the outline. You may copy it on a separate sheet of paper or photocopy it to have during the test. There are two options for the essay: 1) Evaluate Miss Whitlaw's response to the earthquake disaster; and 2) Compare, contrast, and evaluate the immigration experiences of the characters in "Dragonwings" (see p. 12 for old edition, pp. 14-16 for the new edition) and the person you interviewed today (use the notes you took in class); for C bloc, it was Marta Pineda Kunze from El Salvador; for F bloc, it was Mariana Pereda from Argentina. If you earnestly listened in class today and complete the "Review Questions for Test and Essay", you should be in good shape.
Thursday	Well, the test took nearly two full class periods. The students worked hard, at least most appeared to be taking it very seriously. I am going to have to push off the class assignment for today to tomorrow. Therefore, THERE IS NO HOMEWORK TONIGHT!
Friday	(1) Revise any work in which you received less than a C. Due Tuesday, September 6. (2) For those of you who still have a History DVD at home, please bring it back by Tuesday, September 6. During the week of September 12, I will be introducing the History book. You can expect to use your DVD for homework on Wednesday of that week (i.e. Wed., Sept 14). (3) Students began today what I had originally planned for yesterday: we started to write immigrant stories in America based upon a picture or an object in the room. In class, students (a) drew in detail what it looked like and (b) imagined how the scene would appear to the four or five senses. For the objects, a more direct approach is obviously more palpable. (c) The students began to make lists of possible metaphors or similes that might describe such a multi-sensory experience. (d) Finally, students are to come up with the who, what, where, when, how . . . connected to the picture or object. Students should bear in mind that they will likely have to do a little research into the immigrant experience and/or the time period about which they are writing in order to achieve a bit of historical accuracy. For the weekend homework, students should finish what they didn't get done during class today (see above). This, too, is due on Tuesday. The early class will need to either e-mail me their homework, or show it to me during Study Hall. From there, I will instruct the student in how he/she can proceed with the story. Remember: Tuesday before lunch is devoted entirely to preparing for Seminar 1, so I will not be having the early Literature and History classes. These students (should) know who they are.

Week of: Aug. 24-26

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday	FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL: Do blog assignment: http://csshumanities.wordpress.com ; for those who received the History DVD w/instructions, please download and return DVD tomorrow.
Thursday	Reply to another's blog response; for those who received the History DVD w/instructions today, please download and return DVD tomorrow.
Friday	Create your outline for your presentation on a history topic connected to Dragonwings (we did research in class). You will present on Monday. Check your school e-mail to see if you need to revise any one of your blogs for a better grade.