Week at a glance Oct 4 - 8, 2010

Curriculum focus: determines word meanings through knowledge of word structure: Greek and Latin roots and prefixes and suffixes (11.1.3.k3), uses information from the text to make inferences and draw conclusions (11.1.4.K5), identifies persuasive techniques (11.1.4.K14a-f), distinguishes between fact and opinion and recognizes propaganda (11.1.4.K15a), analyzes how the author’s use of irony contributes to his/her purpose (11.1.4.K11c), contextual aspects of setting: how history, society, and culture influence events in the text (11.2.1.K2), and analyzes how the problem or conflict advances the plot of a narrative (11.2.1.K3a).

Root words for this week (root - definition - examples):

1. belli - war - rebellion, belligerent, bellicose
   
2. fac - do or make - factory, facilitate, manufacture
   
3. mort - death - mortal, morbid, mortician
   
4. poeia, poie, peia - make/create - poem, onomatopoeia, mythopoeic
   
5. the, theo - god - atheist, theology, monotheism
   
6. tox - poison - toxicology, toxic, botox

Mr. Ritchie will be gone Oct 6 - Oct 8. I will be gone for the last three days this week because I will be attending, presenting at, and helping to run the 2010 Kansas Association of Teachers of English Conference. I am sorry to miss any time with my students. However, KATE is a strong and worthwhile professional organization. I will be exchanging ideas with more than 200 English teachers from across our state. I am confident that I will return bursting with enthusiasm and fresh ideas for our class for the rest of the year. If you are curious to know more about the conference, my presentation, and my role in KATE, visit the conference program at http://web.jccc.net/orgs/kate/Conf%20Program%202010.pdf

This week, we'll be doing some quick review as students prepare to take the KS Reading Assessment on Wednesday, Oct 13th. We'll begin the week with some review notes over figurative language and text structure. On Tuesday we'll do some review notes over persuasive techniques. Students will then have a chance to practice with their notes for the rest of the week. We'll wrap up the week, as usual, with a Root Words Quiz.

• Mon: New root words; quiz on Friday. Discuss last week's exams and pass out progress reports. KSRA Review - Figurative Language and Text Structure notes.
  
• Tues: KSRA Review - Persuasive Techniques notes. Discuss lesson plans and expectations for Wed - Fri.
  
• Wed: KSRA Narrative structure review - read and discuss Irving, "The Devil and Tom Walker," pages 242 - 252.
  
• Thurs: KSRA Narrative structure review - complete questions over "The Devil and Tom Walker by the end of the hour. For Friday, read "Rethinking Race in the Classroom" (class handout)
  
• Fri: KSRA Persuasive structure review - complete questions over "Rethinking Race in the Classroom" by the end of the hour.