English 8 students had some front-loading for the next story we read in the immigration unit eighth-grade students are currently working on. We practiced group discussion and collaboration in preparation for “The Tears of Autumn,” a story we’ll read tomorrow.

Notes from fourth period (fifth period’s were virtually identical)

English I students began Romeo and Juliet. Rather than spending a lot of time front-loading and pre-teaching, we dove right into the prologue. We’ll go back and get context and vocabulary later this week, but I always think it’s important to get students quickly to see that Shakespeare isn’t as mind-numbingly difficult as they anticipate.

Homework

• English 8: 
  • students who have not yet completed the quote integration project from “The Christmas Gift” (on Google Classroom) need to complete and to submit it by Thursday;
  • No Red Ink is due this week (don’t blow a straight-forward 100).
• English I Honors: 
  • groups that didn’t turn in their instructions and questions from the Odyssey project need to do so;
  • individuals who did not complete the project self-evaluation need to do so;
  • No Red Ink is due this week (don’t blow a straight-forward 100).