Diction!

Today's Goal: Recognizing the intended meaning of a word and understanding how connotations can affect the imagery and tone of literature.

The Plan:

1. Read!
2. Learn about diction (if you are absent, you'll need to get the work from me.)
3. Read some of House on Mango Street together

Homework:

• Read House on Mango Street pg. 21-27:
• "Meme Ortiz" 
• "Louie, His Cousin, and His Other Cousin"
• "Marin"
• STICKY NOTES: One for each chapter. Flag a quote that relates to a thematic concept on your House on Mango Street Bookmark
• Quiz tomorrow - House on Mango Street pg. 12-27
• Letter to Future Self - bring it in tomorrow! We'll seal it in an envelope!
• Literary Devices Quiz on Thursday, December 10

Quote Integration Practice

Today's Goal: Identify "quote bombs" and explain why they don't belong in your analysis.

The Plan:

1. Read!
2. Quote Integration Classwork/Discussion
3. Time to work on "My Name" Assignment

Today's Classwork: Copy and paste the following sentences into your English Journal. Highlight them in green if the are examples of appropriate quote integration. Highlight them in red if they are not good examples of quote integration. You will need to use this as reference for the future.

1. Cisneros uses personification to reveal the way Esperanza views herself. In comparing her hair to others in her family, Esperanza explains that her hair is "lazy. It never obeys barrettes or bands" (Cisneros 6).

2. Cisneros uses personification to reveal the way Esperanza views herself. In the quote, "And me, my hair is lazy" (Cisneros 6).

3. When Esperanza says, "it's small and red with tight steps in front and windows so small you'd think they were holding their breath," she indicates her dissatisfaction with her new house on Mango Street (Cisneros 5).

4.  Cisneros uses metaphors in the vignette "Hairs" to illustrate Esperanza's warm feelings toward her mother. "...is the warm smell of before you bake it" (Cisneros 6).

5. Esperanza feels trapped on Mango Street. She thinks her house is small and run-down. "Bricks are crumbling in places, and the front door is so swollen you have to push hard to get in" (Cisneros 5).

6. Esperanza feels lonely and trapped in her responsibility for her sister before she has made any friends. Until she can have a best friend of her own, Esperanza says she is a "red balloon tied to an anchor" (Cisneros 9). 

Here's how to get 100% on your "Quote Integration Practice" if you don't already have it:

Bring your original practice sheet to me, and show me one PERFECT example of quote integration, including the original topic sentence, context, and a correct citation. It cannot be one of the "good" ones above. This is not something I'm going to spend class time on, though. You need to spend 5 minutes with me at lunch or after school.

Homework:

• Finish your My Name Assignment. It's due TOMORROW! Printed on paper!
• If you're still having trouble, try this website
• Write your "Letter to Your Future Self" and bring it to class on Wednesday, December 9
• You have a quiz on Literary Devices on Thursday, December 10
• Resubmit your Quote Integration Practice. There is no reason not to get 100% on this.

My name; my identity

Today's Goal: Look closely at a small piece of text from House on Mango Street in order to analyze the narrative and figurative devices used to convey an idea

You need two tabs open on your computer because you're going to use all of them today:

1. This blog (always!)
2. Your English Journal (in Google Drive)

The Plan:

1. READ!
2. Check in about yesterday. How'd it go? What worked? What was confusing? What information do I need to know?
3. Close reading of My Name and some practice analysis in your English Journal
4. My Name Assignment Introduction

My Name Narrative:

After rereading the vignette "My Name" together as a class, and doing some analysis of her character, you will write a short narrative that explores your own name. 

CLICK HERE for an example!

CLICK HERE for the rubric!

Homework:

1. Work on your My Name Narrative. It's due on Tuesday, December 8. It should be typed and printed.
2. Write your Letter to Your Future Self (bring it to class on December 9)
3. Continue studying your literary devices. Quiz on December 10.
4. Read your OWN BOOK! (In-class reading will not be enough!)

Quote Integration Practice!

Hello everyone! I apologize that I cannot be with you today. I expect that you will treat the wonderful person that is here in my place with tremendous respect. Thank you for your patience as I attend the training I have to attend. - Ms. Black

Today's Goal: Continue to practice providing context and appropriate transitions for the evidence you use.


The Plan:

1. Read your Book Love books!
2.  Take your first quiz on The House on Mango Street. You will need to use your book for one of the short answer questions, therefore, this quiz is timed. You will have 8 minutes. You can do it. I promise. (If you were absent yesterday, the homework was still on the blog, and the quiz was posted in School Loop. You will need to take the quiz anyway.)
3. Receive your 9th grade Literary Devices Vocabulary. You will have a quiz on these definitions in exactly one week. (December 10)
4. Today's classwork is on paper. It is an extension of what we did in class yesterday. Everything you will need to remember what we did yesterday is on this piece of paper. It is due at the end of the period. I do not mind if you work together, but what you write down needs to be in your own words. 
5. Once you have turned this in, you may work on your homework.

Homework: 

1. Read The House on Mango Street, pages 12-20
2. Flag four more pieces of evidence that relate to a thematic concept on your bookmark (one from each vignette that you read)
3. Study the definitions of the literary devices you received today in whichever manner you deem appropriate for you. (flashcards? Write examples of each? Etc.)
4. Have a wonderful night.

Quote Integration (TCE Practice)

Source: How To Empower Your Mind Through Reading

Today's Goal: After we begin reading The House on Mango Street, we will practice using quotations from the novel to support an argument.

The Plan:

1. Read! Yay!
2. Talk about the the Letter to your Future Self
3. Learn about your English Journals
4. House on Mango Street reading!
5. Quote Integration Activity (which you will write in your English Journal!)

Quote Integration Activity:

You will be given a statement that makes an argument about something that has occurred in the book (This is called a Topic Sentence), and a direct quote from the book (This is called Evidence).

Your job is to take that quote and embed it in a sentence that gives context to the evidence you are using. You will also give it a proper MLA Citation. There is no partial credit for this. You will all learn how to do this beautifully.

Helpful transition words that might be useful.

Homework:

1. Read Vignettes 1-4: "The House on Mango Street;" "Hairs;" "Boys and Girls;" "My Name"
2. For every vignette, place one sticky note on a quotation from the book that relates to at least one of the thematic concepts listed on your bookmark (make sure to label the sticky).
3. You're going to have a quiz tomorrow on those vignettes. (This is your fair warning.)

Orienting Ourselves in History

Oh man we have so many things to do today. We can totally do it. I believe in us.

Today's Goal: Explore a little bit of historical context for our class reading, The House on Mango Street, while simultaneously learning about our Chromebook procedures and a few other tools we'll use this year.

The Plan:

1. Read! When the bell rings, you have a book out.
2. Sign up for Remind. We should have done this yesterday. I forgot.
3. Learn about Chromebook procedures
4. Access a tool called "Go Formative" and practice using it together. (I'll give you the code in class)
5. Start reading The House on Mango Street.

If you are absent, you'll need to visit me one day soon to learn about Go Formative so you may try it out yourself (and complete the assignment.)

Homework:

1. Get your Student Data Form and Syllabus Signatures submitted
2. Check out The House on Mango Street (They have enough copies, I promise!)
3. Make sure you have a book love selection to read in class!

Hello and Welcome!

Hello everyone!

Welcome to Trimester 2, and English 1A! I'm Ms. Black. I'll be your host this trimester, and this website will be your home base for all of our daily tasks. Learn it and love it. 

The website is MsBlack9th.blogspot.com. It may be a good idea to bookmark it the first time you access it from your computers (both school computers and home computers).

Today's Goal: Get oriented inside our classroom, learn about expectations, and learn about some of the people you will be spending time with this trimester.

The Plan:

1. Introductions
2. An Activity
3. Some procedures you should know about
4. A little bit of writing

Links you Need:

• The Syllabus
• The Abbreviated Syllabus
• The Book Love Assignment
• Recommended books you might look for for Book Love Reading
• Student Data Form

Homework:

1. Go to the SCHS library to check out: House on Mango Street
2. Find yourself an independent reading book (the SCHS library is good for this too!)
3. Have your parent or guardian sign your Acknowledgement Form
4. Visit the blog to fill out the Student Data Form (That's a link. Click on it.)