Homework for English 10

You need to take the WRITING PRACTICE TEST at the USOE site here
Compare your answers to their answer key AFTER you take the test. Turn in your score on Friday.

You should have brought your book with you to class TODAY!

Basic Skills Test Writing Test Review

Today we looked at a professional essay from Time magazine. We looked at what made the essay good. Each group read the essay, outlined the essay, and then we discussed the organization of the essay as a class. The article is here.

We also discussed how the picture functioned as a grabber and how the quotes and style of the article worked as great focus. The writing test is the FIRST of the basic skills test on February 2nd.

Have a great weekend!

Utah Basic Skills Competency Test here.  There are sample tests and it will answer questions at the link as well. :o)

Absolute Phrases

Absolute Phrases are sentence parts that describe the rest of the sentence in which they appear.

Sentence OPENERS:

1. Taking heavy fire, he ducked behind the trench.
2. Dancing quickly, her sister's dress was flowing.
3. His legs burning, he was the first cow to jump over the moon.

Subject-verb Splitters
1. The seminary teacher, raising his voice in righteous discourse, bore testimony as he was carried away by the feeling of the holy spirit.
2. Standing in front of the class, his face flushed red, he realized his zipper was down.
3. Up in the mountains, his tent not functioning, he had to go home for shelter.

Sentence closers
1. Evelyn blushed a violent shade of scarlet looked down only to see Asher's grinning reflection staring back at her in the extravagantly polished mahogany floor, his eyes wild with bubbling sparks of suppressed anticipation.
2. The thunder rumbled above them, the ground shaking as it came.
3. The cookies smelled divine, their sweet aroma rising gently from the oven.

Friday, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday

As a class we watched "Welcome to the Future" by Brad Paisley. We "deconstructed" the video viewable here (unless you are at the school). Here's what the record company (Sony) says about the video: In a bid to promote his single "Welcome to the Future", Brad Paisley has premiered a music video for the track. This video captures kids sharing what they want to be in the future. Fire fighter, architect, doctor, designer and singer are some of the occupations these kids are dreaming of.
"Welcome to the Future" is taken from Brad Paisley's June release "American Saturday Night". This song was written by Paisley based on his observations from Times Square on election night, November 4, 2008. The track was performed in "Country at the White House" event held by First Lady Michelle Obama to encourage arts education. The gig will be televised on August 15 on GAC.
"To have a song about the times we're living in and the effect of an election and how its changed life and politics as we know it and to get to play it to this man [Barack Obama] is surreal beyond belief," Paisley said. "Over the next few days, it will be wild to think about this."
Watch Brad Paisley "Welcome To The Future"  New HQ HD CDQ Official Music Html Video.

As a class, we looked at CONTEXT, IRONY, SYMBOLISM, TONE, CONNOTATION, DENOTATION, THEME, SYMBOLISM, ALLUSION, & SHIFTS in all of the above. It was a review of all the things we had studied in first and second quarter. It was also a set up for what we are going to study in third quarter.


We also watched Brad Paisley speak to President Obama at the White House here.


Next time, we will be comparing and contrasting Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcom X.


Have a great Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday, and we'll see you back for a short week!

Honors English Grammar Jeopardy 13 Jauary 2010

Today, we looked at the UBSCT test (discussed the reading section and how the questions are formulated.) We also had a review game of "Grammar Jeopardy." A good review game might include this.

Next, we discussed Participial Phrases. Please see this handout. (Yours was purple.)

You will have a quiz next time (worth 15 points) on participial phrases.


Remember to choose a book by Wednesday, 20 January 2010.

New Term, New You...

Term 3, "Regular" English 10:
Today was the first day of Term 3 for most of you. You should have received back most of your papers. We collected them as a class. You have a grade printout. You probably wrote about your grades and your experience (in A2). You stapled all of your work together and put it together for your portfolio for Parent/Teacher Conference.

Important Dates to Follow in Term 3:
First Day off, week 2
Next Monday 1/18 Martin Luther King, Jr Day (Human Rights Day, national holiday)
Week 3 is a normal week
Week 4, you have 3 days of testing
   2/2 Tuesday: BSCT Writing
   2/3 Wednesday: BSCT Math
   2/4Thursday: BSCT Reading
   2/5 Friday: NO SCHOOL for students (Teacher Development Day)
Week 5 is a normal week
Week 6 you have 2/15 off for President's Day (a national holiday)
It is also PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCE on WEDNESDAY of this week, 2/17, and we will have portfolios--which we started today in class--and we will meet in the main gym.
Week 7 is a normal week
Week 8 you have 3/5 Friday: NO SCHOOL for students (Teacher Development Day)
Week 9 is a normal week
Week 10 is a normal week, but it is the END OF THE TERM.

New Semester! Honors English 10

Today starts the new semester. You should have received back a printout of your grades and all of your work back. You should also have a good idea of what your grade for second quarter is. Grades will come to you on Friday and are handed out in the commons area.

We discussed the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test (UBSCT--called biscuit). We went over the writing portion of the exam, specifically the essay portion of the exam. We'll be working on the writing section of the exam for the next couple of weeks. The test will be given February 2, 3, and 4th.

HOMEWORK: Please choose a new book from the AP literature list. Due next Tuesday.