Happy Banned Book Week!

This is Banned Book Week, sponsored by the American Library Association. It's an occasion to reflect on the freedoms we have in this country. It's also a reminder of how we must be viligant to retain those freedoms. More information on Banned Book Week is available here:
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek.cfm
Head to the school library and check out a banned book ASAP!

Ultima is no Picnic

Here's the prompt for the "Picnic" bonus essay. Performances are Saturday night at 8:00 PM and Sunday afternoon at 2:00 PM. I've already been twice, so you won't see me there (with seating limited, I hate to take up a space that someone else could use). Be sure and get your program signed by either Mrs. Tolleson or Miss Aker.

Picnic Bonus Essay
Research the economic future of small town America in the period immediately after World War II. Consider the importance of agriculture, as well as job opportunities for young men and women. Why do so many of the young people in Picnic seek to escape?
Write a well-researched, thoughtful essay of at least 1 page )double-spaced, Times New Roman 12), but no more than 2 pages.

I considered posting the vocabulary and study questions for the first three chapters of Bless Me Ultima, but decided against it because if you weren't there Friday, you don't have the book anyway. I'll pass it out to those who were absent Monday.

Grammar Week Continues

Here's a link to today's poem: http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/020.html

Here's today's quote: "When people are bored, it is primarily with their own selves that they are bored." - Eric Hoffer

We will finish up studying grammar in Chapters 1 & 2 Wednesday. Your grammar exam over the materials studied will be on Thursday. The vocabulary quiz has been moved to Friday this week.

Week 5 Begins

Here's a link to today's poem: http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/019.html

Here's today's quote: "A room without books is like a body without a soul." - Cicero

Homework tonight: Exercise 3, Page 16 in your grammar textbook.

Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Here are the vocabulary words for this week:

1. A (AN): “not,” “without”
amoral (adj)
amorphous (adj)
anemia (n)
anesthesia (n)
anhydrous (adj)
anomaly (n)
anonymous (adj)
anoxia (n)
aseptic (adj)
atheism (n)
atrophy (n)
antonym- hypertrophy (n)
atypical (adj)


2. ARCHY: “rule”
anarchy (n)
autarchy (n)
hierarchy (n)
matriarchy (n)
monarchy (n)
oligarchy (n)
patriarchy (n)'

Your home work is Exercise 2A on page 8. Do 1-10.

Remember I offered you extra credit for seeing "Picnic". More information on the play is available here: http://www.thespiansr.us/

Have a great weekend!

Hang in there baby, Friday's coming!

We're about to wrap up Week 4. Tomorrow we will finish up the film, "To Kill a Mockingbird". We will then begin our 1st week of grammar. If you haven't yet been issued textbooks, you need to go to the bookroom before or after school or during lunch to make arrangements.

Here's a link to today's poem: http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/017.html

And here's today's quote: "Do you love me because I'm beautiful, or am I am beautiful because you love me?"

- Oscar Hammerstein III

In Living Black and White

No one mentioned it today, but students usually comment when I show a black-and-white film.
Here's a link to an article that discusses the attitudes of youth toward black-and-white, among other things.
http://www.city-journal.org/2008/18_3_urb-black_and_white_movies.html

Here's a link to today's poem:
http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/015.html

Here's today's quote: "Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." - Albert Camus