Summer Reading Test

All five sections of English I took a test over Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. Students who missed the test today should immediately make arrangements upon their return to school with Mr. Stone to make-up the test. Late registrants, who did not have the summer to read the book, will be tested over the book in one month.

Students in periods one, two and seven were directed to read Saki's "The Interlopers." There will be a quiz over "The Interlopers" for these periods at the beginning of class on Friday.

There is no homework over the Labor Day weekend.

Analyzing Sequence in a Story and Drawing a Plot Line

Devotional Text & Prayer:

"A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger."

Proverbs 15:1

Quiz: "The Interlopers"

Students identified the the three major types of conflict in Saki's "The Interlopers" and the one major type of conflict in Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game."

They worked in groups to determine the order of ten events from "The Most Dangerous Game" and then on a separate sheet of paper, drew a plot line with the six six major parts of a plot line labeled. They then wrote the letter of each of the given ten events on the plot line in the proper sequence and location.

If time allowed at the end of the class period,the class shared their favorite hobby/pastime.

Homework for Periods 5 & 6: Study for the summer reading test.

Homework for Periods 1, 2, & 7: No homework over the Labor Day weekend

First Notes: Parts of a Story, Conflict & Plot

Tuesday 27 August 2013 for Periods 2, 5 & 6 and Wednesday 28 August 2012 for Periods 1 & 7

Devotional Text: Philippians 1:6

Study Skills are a part of Loma Linda Academy's Expected School-wide Learning Results (ESLRs).

Mr. Stone discussed the importance of Organization. Keep like items in the same place. Students should keep all of their English I papers in either a three-ring binder devoted to the class or in a general three-ring binder that has a divider that is clearly labeled English I. Mr. Stone will check to make sure students have set up a binder for English I late next week.

Students practiced a form of the Cornell Method of Note Taking. Each page is divided into two columns. The lefthand column equals one-third of the width of the page and the righthand column equals two-thirds of the width of the page. Initial notes are taken in the right column. Later, students use the lefthand column to analyze or annotate the notes previously taken.

Mr. Stone lectured on five basic parts of a story, definitions of conflict (external and internal), specific types of conflict, and elements of a plot line.

Students received a handout listing the major elements of the short story genre.


Mr. Stone discussed the remaining elements of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet study guide: theme, point of view, genre, and symbol.

Homework for Periods 5 & 6: Read Saki's "The Interlopers."

Homework for Periods 1, 2, & 7: Finish studying for the summer reading test over Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.

Summer Reading Review: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Monday 26 August 2013 for Periods 1, 2, 5, & 6 and Tuesday 27 August 2013 for Period 7

After prayer Mr. Stone reviewed a portion of the syllabus and collected the signature sheet from students. Students should have had their parents/guardians read the English I syllabus and sign it over the weekend. To allow for parents being out of town, students may turn in the signature sheet by Thursday for full credit.

Students received a hard copy of the review sheet for the summer reading, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. Mr. Stone noted one error in the copy that he passed out in class: Ethel Chen is Henry's wife and not his mother. (This error has been corrected on the version available in the right-hand column of this blog.)

Journal Entry #1: Did you like or dislike Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet? Explain why. (Students who have not finished reading the book should write about why they have not read the book.)

Homework: Finish the journal entry if not completed in class and study for the test summer reading test to be taken on Thursday.

Following the rule of thumb for assigning homework--two minutes per grade level achieved--ninth-grade students should spend about twenty minutes a night studying for English I.

First Day: "The Most Dangerous Game"

(Thursday, August 22 for Periods 1 & 2. Friday, August 23 for Periods 5,6, & 7.)

As students entered, they selected their own seats in the room, printing their names on a sticky note for the seating chart.

Class began with a reading of John 1:1 and prayer:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning."

Students received a hard copy of the class syllabus. Both students and parents need to review the syllabus, sign it, and return it at the beginning of the second class period. (If a parent is out of town, full credit for this assignment will be available until next Thursday, August 29th.)

Students listened to a dramatic recording of "The Most Dangerous Game" with most following along in their textbooks. Mr. Stone informed students that they should bring their "big green literature book" to class every day unless directed otherwise. Students who have not yet purchased the Vocabulary Energizers text or the research handbook should acquire those in the next couple of weeks.

Students need a composition notebook for journaling in this class.

Homework: Both students and parents should read the syllabus, sign the last page, and return it to Mr. Stone at the beginning of the next class period.

Students should begin studying for the Summer Reading test that will be next Thursday.

Welcome!

Tomorrow begins the first day of the 2012-2013 school year--the first day of high school for most of you in English I.

I look forward to meeting you and getting started. We will begin with short stories. Bring your big green literature book to class. I will let you know when you need to bring the other texts. If you don't have your book yet, you will get by with out it, but it will be better for you to have it. Consider borrowing a classmate's from another section.

As I pray for our first day together, I'm remembering Jeremiah 29:11:

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"


I'm also claiming the promise of my favorite text, Philippians 1:6:

"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."


Welcome, again, to the high school of Loma Linda Academy.

Summer Reading Test: Thursday, August 29, 2013

Freshmen will be tested over Jamie Ford's Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet on Thursday, August 29, 2013.