English 9 - "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" Story & Vocab

Your personal or continued adventures of Walter Mitty short story is due tomorrow-- a link to the assignment can be found HERE and a link to an informational sheet about MLA Formatting (the way to set up any typed assignment) is HERE.


I'll remember to take up progress reports on Friday.

And you should study for your weekly vocabulary quiz on Friday. 

If you were absent today, you have one week from you return to take the test or it becomes a zero (as per class policy).

English 9 - Short Story & Literary Term Test

You have your first test tomorrow.  You received the study guide in class on Tuesday and I hosted a study session after-school on Wednesday.  Look over your class notes as well-- a lot of information that will be found on the tests is related to our discussions in class.

On Friday, you will have a vocabulary quiz and your first writing assignment for my class will be do-- a story that you will write based on the same idea (daydreaming) as "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty."  It is a creative essay, but if it helps you to think of it as a short story written about yourself, feel free.  A link to the assignment can be found HERE and a link to an informational sheet about MLA Formatting (the way to set up any typed assignments) is HERE.

You should also get your progress report signed.  

English 9 - "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" & Vocab Notecards

Tomorrow is Wednesday which, like every week, means your vocabulary notecards are due. 

You should also finish reading "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" and answering the study guide assigned in class-- links to a copy of the story and the study guide worksheet if you have misplaced either can be found under the keywords in the previous text. 

You have your first test on Thursday-- it will be on the short stories and literary terms we have been studying over the past three weeks.  I handed out a study guide today in class, and I will have an afterschool review session tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday) starting at 3:15 for students who want extra help.

Progress reports will go home Wednesday. 

Retakes for Short Story Vocabulary List #2 will need to be done by Monday, February 27.  Makeups for the number of you who missed the quiz on Short Story Vocabulary List #3 will need to have it done by this Friday, February 24. 

And if you didn't catch it in class, your independent reading novel is due Wednesday, February 29th.  Get to it. 

English 9 - "Usher II" Finish

For homework tonight, you should finish reading "Usher II."  You may skip the portion on pg. 139-40 within the squiggly lines-- all you need to know is that the robots are very realistic.  As with most of our stories, audiotexts can be found on my Moodle page. 

You should make sure that you have study questions (found on the final page of the packet) # 1-23 answered (omit 5 and 13).  Separate sheet of paper and complete sentences AS ALWAYS. 

You should also study for your vocabulary quiz tomorrow. 

English 9 - Usher II & Notecards Reminder

For homework tonight, you need read pages 132-138 (stop at "The ape killed Mr. Garrett.") in your "Usher II" story packet.  As per usual, you have access to an audiotext version at my Moodle page.  You should answer the study guide questions 1-11, omitting 5 on a separate sheet of paper and in complete sentences.  You should also look up what the Red Scare and "The Murders at the Rue Morgue" are (give a basic definition-- these things are being alluded to in this story, just like the title of the story itself). 

You should also complete your vocabulary notecards. 

Tomorrow is a half day, but you should come ready to learn. 

English 9 - The Fall of the House of Usher movie

If you did not finish the movie viewing guide and we spoke, you should complete it for homework. 

Vocabulary notecards are due on Wednesday.

Grades are uploaded, but are by no means complete.  As with most things, perpetual low grades for one certain repeated assignment (vocabulary quizzes, reading checks, etc.) should be of mild concern because with some discussion we can figure out how to improve your skills on that assignment.  Multiple zeros, however, simply mean you have not even been trying and you should get your butt in gear.  If you do not do your work in my class, you will not pass. 

English 9 - Cask of Amontillado & Notecards

First Period:  You need to finish "translating" the first paragraph from "The Cask of Amontillado" from class.  If you have lost the worksheet, you can find a copy of it HERE. 

You should read at least 20 more pages in your independent reading book and make a journal entry on the sheet provided in class.  You should aim to fill up both the summary and the reflection part of the page with writing. 

Vocabulary notecards are also due.

Fourth Period:  Read the adapted version of "The Cask of Amontillado" handed out in class.  You may take notes as you read. 

If you did not finish your independent reading journal entry in class, you should do so for homework.

Vocabulary notecards are also due. 

English 9 - Allusions in Song Lyrics Homework

For homework, you need to find 10 allusions from songs other than the ones on the practice sheet in class.  Basic rules:  for each allusion, you need to provide 1) the lyric (and surrounding lyrics if they need to be provided to make sense), 2) the song title in quotation marks, 3) artist, and 4) what is the song alluding to.

You may use two allusions from one song, but no more. If your song has bad words (aka words that would get you in trouble in my class), use the star method: ****** for  the offending word. 

Example:
1) "With them moves like Jagger/ I've got the moves like Jagger"
2)  "Moves Like Jagger"
3)  Maroon 5
4)  The song is alluding to Mick Jagger, the lead singer of The Rolling Stones who is known for shaking his hips on stage.