Mrs. Cook's Blog

Feb. 22-26, 2010

Monday - Students will read a column of words from the Dolch sight words list.  I will give them flash cards to study the words they missed.  Students will do a timed reading and answer the comprehension questions.  We will discuss the answers.

Tuesday -   Students will do exercises on vowel sounds in the workbook.  Students will read about finding main ideas and themes in readings (from the Reading Strategies book and the GHSGT workbook).  We will discuss these strategies.

Wednesday - Students will read their flash cards of the sight words.  We will read the article in The Laureate about Haiti and discuss it.

Thursday - Students will read 2 passages and answer questions about the main idea or theme.  They will read for other content areas.

Friday - Students will do a timed reading and answer the questions about it.  They will do exercises on vowels in the phonics workbook.

Feb. 22-26, 2010

Monday - We will read and discuss the introduction to The Odyssey on the website mythweb.com.  I will check the homework from the workbook (pages 183-189).

Tuesday - We will go over the workbook questions from Monday.  Students will read Book 10 of The Odyssey and write a summary in their Reading Journals.  We will play a review game for the vocabulary.

Wednesday - Students will take a vocabulary quiz.  In the textbook, we will read the story about the Lotus Eaters in The Odyssey  and discuss the character of Odysseus.

Thursday - I will check the Reading Journals. We will find examples of flat characters and round characters in The Odyssey.  Students will read aloud about Odysseus' return to Ithaca.

Friday - We will read the ending of The Odyssey.  I will explain the project on the epic.  Students will plan their projects.

Feb. 16-19, 2010

Tuesday - Read pages 13-20 in Strategies... Reading and discuss different types of test questions and tips for answering these.

Wednesday - Work on recognizing letter sounds and do pages 3-4 in the phonics workbook.  Read the first timed reading passage in the Jamestown book and answer the questions.

Thursday - Study day.

Friday - In the newspaper, read two articles.  Students will be reporters and give facts and opinions about the reading, writing these in their Reading Journals.  Review letter sounds and work on pages 8-10 in the phonics workbook.

Feb. 16-19, 2010

Tuesday - Students will find literary devices in the newspaper and list them and analyze them.  They should share these with the class.

Wednesday - Students will look at the posters about poems up in the English hall.  The class will discuss what a hero is.  Then students will write in their Reading Journals about a favorite hero.

Thursday - Students will find vocabulary definitions and write these.  They will determine the part of speech of each.

Friday - Students will read part of The Odyssey and answer the questions in the workbook.

Feb. 8-12, 2010

Monday - Wednesday - Take the ACCESS test.  On Wednesday, while not taking the ACCESS, find images, figurative language and musical devices in the newspaper.

Thursday - Study day.

Friday - Do cloze exercise.  So spelling exercise.

Feb. 8-12, 2010

Monday-Tuesday - We will be taking the ACCESS test.  When students are not taking the test, they will work on the Poetry Notebook which is due on Friday.

Wednesday - Students will take the Speaking portion (individual) of the ACCESS test.  While not testing, work on the Poetry Notebook.

Thursday - Continue working on the Poetry Notebook.

Friday - Share Poetry Notebooks and turn them in to me.  Find images, figurative language and musical devices in the newspaper.  

Feb. 1-5, 2010

Last week - We did not do the newspaper assignment.

Monday - Students will read haiku and sonnets.  We will discuss the images in each poem.  Then students will write their own haiku.

Tuesday - I will check the Reading Journals.  Students will read "The Seven Ages of Man" in the lit workbook and discuss the meaning.  Then they will answer the questions in the workbook. We will do a vocab. review game.

Homework - Study vocabulary.  Finish the questions on the poem.

Wednesday - Take the vocab. quiz.  Discuss the Poetry Notebook assignment which is due next Wednesday.  Work on memorizing the poem for tomorrow.

Thursday - Recite the poems.  Use the laptops to find poetry for the Poetry Notebook.  Work on the poetry analyses.

Friday - Read and analyze the rhyme scheme for "A Dream Deferred".  Find musical devices and figurative language in the newspaper.  Work on the Poetry Notebook.

Feb. 1-5, 2009

Last week - We watched the movie The Gods Must Be Crazy, instead of the movie mentioned in last week's blog.

Monday - We finished the movie.

Tuesday - I will check the notes from last week's article.  We will discuss the article and movie about tribes in Africa.  Then students will write about similarities and differences in the two works.  Students will take the San Diego short test on sight words.

Wednesday - Students will take reading diagnostic tests.

Thursday - Students will take a diagnostic writing test.

Friday - Students will discuss the tests.  Then we will do spelling exercises.