• Bellwork

    We begin everyday analyzing and explaining a new vocabulary term. Vocabulary expansion is one of the main areas that the English department chooses to focus on. We believe that by expanding vocabulary, students become more well rounded. The vocaublary assignments differ between Honors and Regular English classes.

     

    Honors: Honors students will focus on vocabulary terms on an eighth and ninth grade reading level. They will be given the word and the definition. They are then asked to collaborate with each other to find prefixes/suffixes/roots, write synonyms, draw pictures, create sentences, and determine the part of speech in those sentences. They will do this for each word for ten days. After ten days, students will test on the ten vocabulary terms that they have aquired. Vocabulary words from past units may be used on any test.

     

    Regular: Regular students will focus on vocabulary terms on a sixth to eight grade reading level. They will be given the word and the definition. They are then asked to collaborate with each other to write a synonym, draw a picture, create a sentence, and reword the definition. They will do this for each word for ten days. After ten days, students will test on the ten vocabulary terms that they have aquired.

  • Assignments

    Everyday our fifty five minute class period will be broken up into three parts. Students will have a "before" assignment, a "during" assignemnt, and an "after" assignment.

    Before: Before assignments are meant to remind students what we did the previous day. Since our class builds throughout the year, this helps students make connections from one day to the next.

    During: The during assignment is the majority of a days lesson. This is when new content is introduced or old content is practiced.

    After: An after assignment is used to quickly assess whether or not the students understand what we did during the period. It usually only takes about ten minutes and is typically what is turned in at the end of the period for a grade.

     

  • Special Days

    Every FRIDAY is a reading day. Students will be required to bring a novel of their choice to class on those days. Students will read silently in the novel and then complete a reading journal assignment. Students receive a classwork grade for participating and actively reading. Twice a nine weeks reading journals are graded for a writing grade. For more information on reading journals see the "Independent Reading" tab. 

     

    Every other week on THURSDAY we will visit the library. Students will check out/return/renew books. On those days, we will use the computers in the library to have technology based lessons.

     

    On the weeks that we do not have library, we will have one seminar day. Seminar day is when students receive remediation in the area of English in which they struggle the most. For more information on seminar day see the "Seminar Day" tab.