Since I flubbed up last week's entry, I'm starting early this week. Sorry sorry sorry for the inconvenience and confusion . . . But now I'm back on track and all should be right with the world.

So, where are we? In terms of our learning, we've been spending time on details in writing - especially on distinguishing between GOOD details (potatoes) and BAD details (snoozers) and on working to include more of the potatoes in our writing. We're even getting started thinking about characterization - how authors develop characters and how to use potatoes to better develop them. We're going to be SUCH GOOD WRITERS! In C period, we're working on smiley-face tricks: magic three, repetition for effect, expanded moments, and hyphenated modifiers to begin. We read The Rattletrap Car - remember how much fun that was? "Junie shook her head. Jakie shook his head. The baby shook her three-speed, wind-up, paddle-wheel boat."

We've also been working on the strategies of good readers. We've explored the strategy known as "ACCESSING BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE." We've made text-to-self connections, text-to-text connections, AND text-to-world connections. The text-to-world connections piece led to some excellent discussion about racism and segregation in the past, in society, and in our school. Next we'll be talking about how to practice these strategies when you are faced with a difficult text on your own.

Let's quickly review the upcoming assignments:

B period - Vocabulary 13 sentences and quiz due Thursday; drafting pages due Thursday; polished writing piece due Friday 1/4.
C period - Vocabulary 7 quiz due Thursday; writing piece due Thursday.
D period - Vocabulary 13 sentences and quiz due Thursday; drafting pages due Thursday; polished writing piece due on
Thursday. Let's have dialogue journals due on 1/4.
F period - Vocabulary 13 sentences due Wednesday; Vocabulary 13 quiz due Friday; drafting due Friday; polished writing piece due Thursday, 1/3.
H period - Vocabulary 13 sentences due Wednesday; Vocabulary quiz 13 due Friday; drafting due Friday; polished writing due on Friday; dialogue journals due Thursday, 1/3.

Okay? Also, we've discussed the mid-term exam. Start planning now.

Vocabulary 13 -

1. bellicose - adj. - war-like, quarrelsome
2. abjure - v - to renounce; to shun or avoid
3. ingratiate - v - to get on someone's good side
4. judicious - adj - wise, showing good judgment
5. levity - n - lightness, lack of seriousness
6. corrosive - adj. - acidlike, eating away; bitterly sarcastic
7. pariah - n - outcast
8. stentorian - adj. - extremely loud
9. obviate - v - to anticipate and prevent; to eliminate
10. retrogress - v - to move backward

Honors only -

11. browbeat - v - to bully or intimidate
12. brazen - adj. - bold and shameless
13. jubilation - n - joy, rejoicing
14. reprehensible - adj. - terrible and deserving blame
15. waggish - adj. - mischievous

Extra credit:
kobold -n
pandect - n
polyhistor - n
tummler - n
ziggurat - n

I know, I know. I'm running late. I've been grading and interim reporting and just going generally CRAZY. Here are this week's vocabulary words . . .I'll update everything else tomorrow.

Vocabulary lesson 12:

1. circumspect - adj. - careful, cautious
2. histrionic - adj. - over-acting, dramatic
3. debilitate - v - to weaken
4. gesticulate - v - to make gestures while talking
5. dismantle - v - to take apart
6. bucolic - adj. - rural, country, bucolic
7. enervate - v - to weaken
8. evanescent - adj. - fleeting, short-lived
9. didactic - adj. - instructive, meant to teach
10. garner - v - to collect
11.squander - v - to waste, to use extravagantly
12. pandemic - adj. - epidemic over a large region
13. grueling - adj. - exhausting, difficult
14. belligerent - adj. - ready to fight
15. lurid - adj. shocking and sensational; glowing through flames
Extra credit:

pye dog - n
purulence - n
doggo - adv
belles lettres - n

Okay - more tomorrow!

It's already TUESDAY!!! How can that be? The weeks between Thanksgiving and vacation seem to go by soooooooo quickly. So much to do, so little time . . . Speaking of SO MUCH TO DO, have you been doing all of your required STUFF? You do, too, know what I'm talking about!

By tomorrow, Wednesday, EVERYONE in class periods B, D, F, and H should have handed in a polished draft. I want to get another polished draft from D and H periods BEFORE vacation. Yes, BEFORE.

Vocabulary sentences are due in F and H periods on Wednesday. Quizzes are on Friday.

Vocabulary sentences are due in B and D periods on Thursday. Quizzes are on Thursday for B, C, D periods.

Dialogue journals are due in D and H this week. It's next week for B and F.

Everyone has drafting pages due on Thursday and Friday this week . . . and EVERY week. That just makes it so easy, doesn't it?

Did you know that interim reports go out on 12/11? Neither did I, but they do! We all better get cracking.

Vocabulary Lesson 11:

1. ingenuous - adj. - innocent and sincere
2. altruistic - adj. - selfless
3. arduous - adj. - difficult, hard
4. venal - adj. - open to bribery, corrupt, unethical
5. capricious - adj. - changeable, unpredictable
6. sycophant - n - suck up, one who will do ANYTHING to get on someone's good side
7. vacuous - adj. - empty; stupid and ridiculous
8. ungainly - adj. - awkward, clumsy
9. quell - v - to suppress or quiet
10. strident - adj. - loud and harsh, discordant

Honors only:

11. cherubic - adj. - angelic, innocent
12. meddlesome - adj. - nosy, interfering
13. reprisal - n - retaliation
14. ebullient - adj. - enthusiastic
15. dogged - stubborn, persevering

Extra Credit:

straw boss - n
ennead - n
susarration - n
compendium - n
lachrymose - adj.

Hey, while you're reading, notice yourself making text to text and text to self connections. . .

Are you using smiley-face tricks in your writing? Are you revising your writing? After it's graded, you can revise and hand it in again for a revised grade. That's what I WANT you to do!!! So do it, silly!