We had a wonderful day in class today. A lot of the hard work of the semester is over, so our "work" today was a little more fun.
Quick Write
We had the opportunity to write about a memorable gift you have given or received.
Writing
I handed back the rough drafts of their History Essays. I really enjoyed reading these; they've chosen some fascinating topics, and they're becoming better writers. The final drafts are due next week.
Grammar
I assigned the Parts of Speech Post-Test. With the exception of the fast page, it will be identical to the Pre-Test. Although the best way of learning grammar is through lots of reading and writing, direct instruction of grammar is important and helpful, and combined with literature and writing it can be pretty potent. Next semester we'll be working on sentence structures.
Literature
This is where we had some fun today. We have finished our second book, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. The class was divided into 4 groups and were given types of presentations using A Christmas Carol characters and scenes. They were to create a one minute story , a late night talk show, a news broadcast, a mime of a scene, or a new ghost for Scrooge. They did a marvelous job, and I loved their creativity!
Next Week
Our last week of the semester is next week, December 15. All work should be handed in by that date. That said, I've given them until Sunday, December 18 to get any last work in. They should not wait until then to do their work and hand it in. Next week we will have our "Classy Classmas Party." I will bring warm drinks, and students can bring goodies if they like. We will have a contest, play a Jeopardy Review Game, along with other games.
Assignments for Next Week:
Discussion Question–Top Ten Movies
