Sunday, December 5, 2010

LITERATURE: Homework, December 6-17

This is a house in Wethersfield, Connecticut that was built in the late 1600s

We are now well into the novel, The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. And we’re about to find out that in this case, sadly, fiction is not far from the truth when it came to witch hunts in the early colonies.

Below are your assignments and spelling words for the next two weeks.

For MONDAY, December 6: You should have read Chapters 3 and 4 in The Witch of Blackbird Pond and have written two more entries in your Reader’s Journal. After our discussion on Monday, you will have a quiz over the first 4 chapters of this book. I will also take up your Reader’s Journals to read your entries. HOMEWORK: Read Chapters 5 and 6 in WOBBP; write in Reader’s Journal; Spelling—write your spelling words three times each in Modern Manuscript—due on Tuesday.

TUESDAY, December 7: Discuss Chapters 5 and 6; Share Reader’s Journals. HOMEWORK: For Wednesday, read Chapters 7 and 8 in WOBBP; write in Reader’s Journals; Review Chapters 5-8 for Quiz tomorrow. Spelling—write your spelling words as the shapes of the letters of the name of your favorite character in WOBBP—due Thursday.

WEDNESDAY, December 8: Discuss Chapters 7 and 8; Quiz over Chapters 5-8. Turn in Reader’s Journals to be checked. HOMEWORK: For Thursday, read Chapter 9 and write in Reader’s Journal. Your spelling from Tuesday is due tomorrow.

THURSDAY, December 9: Discuss Chapter 9; Turn in Reader’s Journals. Do Map of the routes of Kit’s mother, Kit’s aunt Rachel, and Kit. HOMEWORK: Study Spelling for tomorrow’s test. Read Chapters 10-12 for Monday, write in Reader’s Journal, and review Chapters 9-12 for Quiz on Monday.

FRIDAY, December 10: Spelling Test. Turn in Reading Log. HOMEWORK: See Thursday’s assignment for Monday

MONDAY, December 13: Discuss Chapters 10-12; Quiz over Chapters 9-12. Turn in Reader’s Journals. HOMEWORK: Read Chapter 13 and 14 in WOBBP; write in Reader’s Journal. No spelling homework this week. No Reading Logs required.

TUESDAY, December 14: Discuss Chapters 13 and 14; Turn in Reader’s Journals. HOMEWORK: Read Chapters 15 and 16 in WOBBP; write in Reader’s Journal; go over Chapters 13-16 for quiz on Wednesday. Watch the United Streaming film on the Witch Hunts in Salem, Massachusetts. Discuss the novel and the relevant issues from the film.

WEDNESDAY, December 15: Discuss Chapters 15 and 16; Quiz over Chapters 13-16. Turn in Reader’s Journals to be checked. Go over directions for tomorrow’s centers. HOMEWORK: For Monday, January 3: Read Chapters 17-21 in WOBBP; write in Reader’s Journals. Review those chapters for last quiz over book on Tuesday, January 4, 2011.

THURSDAY, December 16: Students will predict what they think Christmas was like in the Puritan colonies. Go over Colonial Christmas packet which includes an article from the internet for each student to read. Play DVD of New England Christmas.

FRIDAY, December 17: Students will report in on their reading about the Puritan “celebration” of Christmas. Watch short United Streaming film on Colony of Connecticut, which mentions how the Puritans “celebrated” Christmas.


SPELLING/VOCABULARY List for Test on Friday, December 10

1. placating = calming or pacifying someone

2. aghast = showing sudden dismay or amazement

3. indulgent = kind or lenient often to the point of spoiling someone

4. timorous = fearful or timid

5. tactless = to be without manners, or say something that might offend others

6. condescend = to look down upon others, to patronize

7. conspicuous = easy to see, obvious

8. hypocrite = a person who pretends to be what he or she is not

9. dubious = causing or feeling doubt about something

10. auspicious = of good omen, favorable

11. inexorable = cannot be influenced or persuaded

12. sepulcher = a vault for burial, a grave or a tomb