May 15th (A day) and 16th (B day)

If you missed today, you can catch up in Jane Eyre by reading the summaries of chapters 24-33 here.

Response: Identify a symbol in the movie and explain its significance. 1/2 pg.

May 11th (A day) and 14th (B day)

If you missed today, you can catch up by reading the summaries ch. 17-23 here.

May 9th (A day) and 10th (B day)

We watched the 2nd part of Jane Eyre. If you were gone, read the summaries of chapters 14-17 here.

After reading, write 1/2 pg. in response to the idea that some of the guests have about "good blood" and "bad blood." Do you believe that people are pre-destined to be good or bad? Or, do you believe that the choices people make make them good or bad?

May 7th (A day) and 8th (B day)

We had a guest presenter today :)

Be sure to turn in your progress reports and any missing work that you have!

May 3rd (A day) and 4th (B day)

Journal: Choose one quote from this list to write about. 1/2 pg.

We watched the first part of Jane Eyre today. To catch up on what you missed, read the summaries of chapters 1-13 here.

May 2nd (B day)

Journal: What advice would you give to someone about interacting with other cultures/people with difference points of view? 1/2 pg.

Then, we finished reading Things Fall Apart.

B6 and B8 read "The Second Coming" by Yeats. Read and and annotate the poem. Make 3 connections to Things Fall Apart.

May 1st (A day)

Journal: What advice would you give to someone about interacting with other cultures/people with difference points of view? 1/2 pg.

April 30th (B day)

We finished the short stories that we started last time and voted for the contest winners. Then, we read from Things Fall Apart.

B5: Ch.19 and 1/2 of ch. 20 (through pg. 174)
B6: Ch. 19
B8: Ch. 21-22

April 27th (A day)

Journal: Make a prediction about the ending of Things Fall Apart. 1/2 pg.

Finish reading Things Fall Apart.

Read "The Second Coming" by William Butler Yeats. Achebe got the title of his novel from this poem. Annotate the poem as you read and write three specific points that you can relate to Things Fall Apart.

April 26th (B day)

Journal: Who is the most interesting person you've ever known? 1/2 pg.

From Things Fall Apart  we read:
B5 ch. 16-18
B6 ch.17-18
B8 ch. 19-20

Using the person you wrote your journal about as a character, write a 2 page short story.

April 25th (A day)

Journal: Who is the most interesting person you've ever known? 1/2 pg.

Read chapters 20-22 of Things Fall Apart.  Write 1 paragraph comparing Mr. Brown and Mr. Smith's teaching and leadership styles.

 Then, use the person you wrote your journal about as a character in a short story. The story should be about 2 pages long.

April 24th (B day)

After finishing the speech presentations, we read chapters 15-16 of Things Fall Apart. After reading, write 1/2 pg. about your impression of the missionaries so far.

Make sure you've turned in your book review!

April 23rd (A day)

Journal: There are 25 school days until graduation. What do you think about that? 1/2 pg.

Then, we had make up speeches. All speeches that have not been presented in class must now be done after school and will not be eligible for full credit.

We turned in book reviews after sharing them, and then we read chapters 17-19 in Things Fall Apart.

April 20th (B day)

Journal: There are 27 school days left until graduation. How does that make you feel? 1/2 pg.

After speech presentations, we read from Things Fall Apart.

B5: ch. 12 and 13

B6: ch. 14 and 15

B8: ch. 15 and 16

April 19th (A day)

After speech presentations, we read chapters 15 and 16 in Things Fall Apart.

After reading, write a 1/2 page response to the missionaries' arrival. How do you think this will affect the Ibo people? What do you think of their interactions so far?

April 18th (B day)

Today was the first round of speeches. Be sure you're prepared to present on the day that you signed up for. If you are absent or unprepared you must be ready to present on the make up day. B5 and B8's make up day will be next Tuesday and B6's make up day will be next Thursday. If this doesn't work, you need to make special arrangements with me. Otherwise, all presentations given after the make up day will not be eligible for full credit, even with a late pass.

Things Fall Apart Reading:
B5: ch. 11-12
B6: ch. 12-13
B8: ch. 12-14

April 17th (A day)

Today was the first round of senior speeches. Remember, if you missed the presentation date that you signed up for you will have to present on the make up day and use a late pass to get full credit. If you miss the make up date, you will not be able to get full credit for your speech or use a late pass.

After the speeches, we read ch. 13 and 14 in Things Fall Apart.

April 16th (B day) 6th and 8th periods

Today in class, we practiced senior speeches. Be ready to present them to the class next time!

We also finished reading ch. 11 of Things Fall Apart.

April 6th (A day)

Today in class, we practiced senior speeches. Be ready to present them to the class next time!

April 5th (B day)

B5- Free write, read the 1st part of ch. 11.

B6 and B8- Read half of ch. 11. Then, revise speech and be prepared to turn in the final draft.

April 4th (A day)

Read ch. 12 of Things Fall Apart and answer the following questions.

1. Why is everyone in the neighborhood in a "festive air"?
2. Why is Okonkwo so tired? (Describe what he did the last night.)
3. What does this show about Okonkwo?
4. What happens to cause all of the women to leave their cooking in a hurry?
5. What do the people sing about Okonkwo when they sing around the fire?
6. Do you see any similarities between the Ibo wedding traditions and those in the U.S.?

Then, we worked on revising senior speeches. Speeches will be presented the week after spring break, so don't forget which day you signed up for!

April 2nd (A day) and 3rd (B day)

Article of the Week: Read the article "5 Foods That Can Change the World." Then, write a 1/2 pg. response.

Today, we did a peer review of our senior speeches. If you were absent, or unprepared to participate in class, please have 4 people help you review your paper. On your review form, have them write two things you did well and two things you could improve in your paper.

March 29th (A day) and 30th (B day)

After silent reading, we wrote the rough drafts of our senior speeches. Rough drafts were due at the end of class. If you were absent, please write your rough draft at home and bring it with you to class next time.

March 27th (A day) and 28th (B day)

A day: Read ch. 11 of Things Fall Apart and pay special attention to the trickster archetype.
B day: Read ch. 9 of Things Fall Apart

Today we wrote the outlines for our senior speeches. They are due next time at the BEGINNING of class, so be sure to finish at home if you didn't finish in class.

March 23rd (A day) and 26th (B day)

Journal: This year's graduation theme is "Live the life you've imagined." What does that mean to you? 1/2 pg.

Then, we talked about the senior speeches that we will be doing. They follow the same requirements as the official graduation speeches, so you could audition to speak at graduation with the speech you give in class.

After looking at last year's graduation speeches, we read chapters 9 (in B day classes) and 10 (in A day classes).

March 21st (A day) and 22nd (B day)

Article of the Week: Read the article, "Your Brain on Fiction," and then write 1/2 pg. response.

Read Things Fall Apart ch. 8-9 and be prepared to discuss them in class.

Theme Interviews: Interview 10 people about their favorite movie and what it's theme is. Remember, the theme is the lesson to be learned from a story, not just what it's about.

March 19th (A day) and 20th (B day)

Journal: Describe your family. Who are you closest to? Who are you most like? 1/2 pg.


Create a character map for the main characters that we've been introduced to so far in the book (like the map we had for Hamlet).


We read ch. 7 and started 8 (in A day classes) and 6 and 7 (in B day classes).

March 15th (A day) and 16th (B day)

Journal: "Hard work is the road to self-respect." Do you agree or disagree?

We finished reading ch. 4-6 of Things Fall Apart. The comparison diagrams are due next time.

March 13th (A day) and 14th (B day)

Article of the Week: Read the article "Google's Goggles: Is the Future Right Before Our Eyes?"  Then write 1/2 pg. in response. Consider the following questions:

• Do you think new developments in technology, like the Google goggles, are exciting?
• Or, do you share some people's concerns that we are becoming too dependent on technology?

Be sure to finish reading chapters 4-6 of Things Fall Apart, and don't forget to finish the cultural comparison chart.

In class, we had a LOT of advisory time to work on missing work. Please remember that ALL work for 3rd term MUST be turned in by Friday, March 16th.

March 9th (A day) and 12th (B day)

Journal: "Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter." What do you think this quote means? How do you think it could apply to Things Fall Apart.

Choose 3 American proverbs and 3 African proverbs. Explain what you think the proverb means.

Read chapters 4-6 of Things Fall Apart. As you read, complete the comparing cultural ideals worksheet.

March 7th (A day) and 8th (B day)

Journal: Free write! Write 1/2 pg. about anything you want.

We reviewed some of the introductory material that we covered before starting Things Fall Apart.

Then, we read chapters 1-3 of Things Fall Apart and completed the character chart. You should have at least three things in each category, except for the physical traits for Nwakibie which will be blank.

February 28th (A day) and 29th (B day)

Today was the last day for research presentations. If you did not present during your scheduled time or during the make up time, you will need to set up a time to come present to Mrs. Harrell after school. Additionally, you will not be able to receive full credit (even with a late pass) unless you have discussed any mitigating circumstances with the teacher. This is pretty strict, but we can't use more class time for this part of our projects and that is why you were responsible to be prepared for a specific day.

After presentations, we read an article titled "Is the ‘Right To Be Forgotten’ The ‘Biggest Threat to Free Speech On The Internet’?" Read the article, then write a 1/2 pg. response. Here are some questions to consider:

• Do you feel like having a law that would make companies remove "mistake" content is a good idea?
• How responsible should people be held for the pictures (and other things) that end up online?
• Do you think part of free speech is "the right to be forgotten"?

Don't forget to be working on your book reviews! They are due next week!

February 24th (A day) and 27th (B day)

Today was another presentation day. If you missed the day you signed up for, please be ready to present during the make up presentation day NEXT TIME. If you are not ready then, you may not be able to receive full points on your presentation.

February 22nd (A day) and 23rd (B day)

Today was a presentation day! Please make sure you're ready to present your research on the day you signed up for. Also, be working on your book reviews, they're due in just a few weeks.

February 17th (A Day) and 21st (B day)

Journal: Describe the main character in your book. What are some of their main character traits? How do those personality traits affect their interactions with others? 1/2 pg.

After reading, we had the first of our research presentations. Be sure to be prepared for the presentation day that you signed up for.

Then, we worked on creating an analysis of setting and historical context in the books we're reading for book groups. If you were absent, please see me for an explanation of how to create your own visual analysis of these important elements.

February 15th (A day) and 16th (B day)

Today we...

1. Read for about 30 minutes.
2. Worked on our research presentations.
3. Had a short advisory time to work on missing work and finishing up research papers.

Research papers were due today. If you didn't finish on time, you'll need to turn your paper in with a late pass ASAP!

February 13th (A day) and 14th (B day)

Today was a work day. During class, you could choose to read your book group book or work on your paper if you needed more time. Remember, the research papers are due NEXT TIME!

February 9th (A day) and 10th (B day)

Today we worked on revising research papers. Please remember that they are due:

• Wednesday, February 15th (A day)
• Thursday, February 16th (B day)

These essays will have a BIG impact on your grade, so please do your very best on them!

February 7th (A day) and 8th (B day)

Today was reading day #4. Make sure you're caught up with your reading!

Things that should have been turned in today:

• 4 discussion questions.
• 1/2 pg. exit slip: How are discussions going with your group? What is going well? What could go better?

Progress reports were passed out today and we had some advisory time. The progress reports, and all missing work from them will be due:

• Thursday, February 16th (B day)
• Friday, February 17th (A day)

Please don't forget that research papers are due next week on Wednesday (A day) and Thursday (B day).

February 3rd (A day) and 4th (B day)

Today we completed the reading day #3 reading assignment. We also did a peer review of the 1st drafts of the research paper (which were due last time).  If you were gone, you can have someone peer review your paper by having them read it and answer the following questions:

1. Is it double-spaced?
2. Is it in Times New Roman, size 12 font?
3. Are margins 1" on all sides?
4. Is there a header with the author's last name and page number?
5. Is there a works cited page?
6. Did the author use in-text citations?
7. Name 2 things the author could do to improve their paper.
8. Name 2 things you think the author did well in their paper.

February 1st (A day) and 2nd (B day)

Today we worked on typing up the first draft of the research paper we've been working on in class. Rough drafts were due by the end of the day; we will be doing peer reviews and teacher conferences with them the next two class periods.

The final due date for the research paper is:

• Wednesday, February 15th (A day)
• Thursday, February 16th (B day)

Make sure you're working on this assignment at home if you have missed class. This essay counts as your TMU and will significantly influence your grade. Please let me know if you need any help!

Also, please notice the due dates for your book review for this term are posted. This book review needs to be for a book you've read outside of class, not your book your group book.  The due dates are:

• Thursday, March 8th (B day)
• Friday, March 9th (A day)

January 30th (A day) and 31st (B day)

Today was a book group reading day. Refer to the reading schedule to figure out what you need to read.

After reading, everyone wrote 3 discussion questions (opinion questions about your book that you'd like to discuss with your group). Then, we had our first book group discussion. Points were given for being on-task and participating. Points were docked for not talking, not listening, texting, etc.

January 26th (A day) and 27th (B day)

After some reading time, we reviewed the citation and formatting guidelines.  Then, students had time to research. The assignment for the day was to check off research notes (with at least 4 sources).

January 24th (A day) and 25th (B day)

Today was our first book group reading day. We met with our groups and did the first day's reading. You can see the reading schedule here.

January 20th (A day) and 23rd (B day)

Today we reviewed plagiarism and how to avoid it. If you were gone, please review the powerpoint here. We also reviewed how to tell whether or not you need to cite something. You can review that here.

Then, we read this article and talked about it.

January 18th (A day) and 19th (B day)

Today was a research day. We went over how to take notes as you research and how to tell if a site is reliable or not. If you were gone, please stop by before or after school and I'll show you how to do these things.

Don't forget, permission slips for your book group choices are due next time!

Research Resources (Jan. 13th and 17th)

Dear Class,

Here are some resources for you as you do your research today. Remember, you have two research goals today.

1. Pick out your top three book choices for the book group.
2. Decide on a topic for your research project.

Book Choices
You can find the powerpoint I showed you in class last time here.
Another resource is this pinboard that shows you each of the books.

 On this board, you click on the picture of a book and it will take you to that picture's page. 

 If you click on the picture of the book again, it will take you to the Goodreads page for the book.

 This page gives you a summary, and, if you scroll down, you can see other people's reviews of the books. These can help you get a sense of whether or not you would like the book.

Remember to fill out your book choice worksheet/permission slip completely so that your parents can get a good idea of what you want to read. They are due next class period.

Research Topic
Remember that your research topic does not have to be the same one as the book you read. You can choose any topic you like as long as...

• It's school appropriate.
• It represents a culture outside of the United States.
• The aspect of culture you choose is relevant to the current time (so, no ancient civilizations/ruins unless they play a big part in the culture right now).
• It is specific.

If you're not sure where to start, think of a place you're already interested in traveling to or learning about. You can start by researching a country or region (say, China) and look for interesting traditions, festivals, foods, etc. that you could focus in on.

You can use any reliable websites your want for your research.  Here are some places where you can find some ideas and information.

• National Geographic- Obviously, this site has a lot of reliable and up to date information
• If you want to look up the National Geographic videos specifically, like the ones we watched in class, you can click here, then look under "Travel & Culture Videos."
• Culture Grams- This is a collection of cultural information.
• World Book Encyclopedia- Great source for general facts about a country/culture.

When you've chosen your topic (which you'll have to stick with, so choose carefully!), fill out the approval form and turn it in to the basket.

Please work hard, stay on task, and be good for the sub! I really appreciate that I can trust you guys to be good even when I'm not there. You're the best!
-Mrs. Harrell

January 11th (A day) and 12th (B day)

Journal: Brainstorm some places you'd like to travel to and cultures you're interested in learning more about.  Why would you choose those ones? 1/2 pg.

Today,  we talked out our research project and got an outline of the requirements.  We also went over the different options for book groups. Remember, if you have a book that you'd like to suggest, you have to

1. Find a book that takes place/teaches about another culture.
2. Find at least 2 other people who will read it with you.
3. Get it approved by Mrs. Harrell.
4. Get your own copies of the book from a bookstore or library.

Next time, you will be choosing your top three book choices and your research topic, so be thinking of those!

January 9th (A day) and 10th (B day)

Journal: Describe the most interesting place that you have traveled to. How was it different from here?  1/2 pg.

Today we discussed culture and looked into a few world cultures. Come see me if you were absent to watch the clips.

January 5th (A day) and 6th (B day)

Today we took the term 2 final. Remember, you have to pass this test to get a passing grade in the class. If you were absent, you must come take is by next Wednesday. I will be going out of town, so I will be submitting grades on Thursday afternoon.  Please do it asap!

January 3rd (A day) and 4th (B day)

Today we reviewed for the final, which we will take next time. You can find the test review here or in the assignment tab. It will be due next time before we take the test.

We also shared and turned in Book Review #4. If you were absent, or didn't have your review today, remember that the deadline for all work for this term is Friday, January 6th.

Then, we had some advisory time to get caught up on any missing work before the end of the term.