We played team scrabble today.  High team score went to Ben, Sam, Bri and Scott with 1142.  Top scoring word was paleontologist with 513.

HOMEWORK:  Finish reading the novel.

WHAT’S NEXT:  Finish the novel.

I assigned a “Gulliver’s Travels” essay for the vacation.  Download the assignment here.

After that, we did team scrabble, with Suhan, Victoria, Christina and Kaitlyn scoring a record 868 points and using all their letters.

HOMEWORK:  Complete the “Gulliver’s Travels” essay.

WHAT’S NEXT:  “A Modest Proposal”

We played team scrabble today.  All teams did well, but Quinn, Mrugesh, Alison and Kate triumphed with 574 points.

HOMEWORK:  Continue reading Huck Finn.  Review on Monday, 2/26.

WHAT’S NEXT:  Quiz on 19-31 on Tuesday.

We worked on story generators this morning.  I required one to be turned in at the end of the period.

HOMEWORK:  For Monday following vacation, students need to bring in copies of their last four articles and three more story generators.

We finished watching the Twain documentary, and the students turned in the type I writing on Twain’s travels and jobs.

We then listened to chapters 21 and 22 in the novel and learned how Sherburn stared down the mob which was ready to lynch him for his murder of Boggs.  This episode is the basis for the third weblog assignment, currently available at http://mrvarnum.learnerblogs.org.

HOMEWORK:  Continue reading in the novel (through page 164 by 2/28).

WHAT’S NEXT:  The symbolism of the river and the land.

We took the quiz on chapters 1-18 of Huck Finn. 

After the quiz, we began watching “Mark Twain’s America”, a documentary on America during Twain’s life.  A Type I (list) was assigned to go with the film:  List 10 places he lived or visited and 5 jobs he had.  We made it through about half the film.

HOMEWORK:  Continue reading in the novel.

WHAT’S NEXT:  Huck on the river.

We finished watching the Mark Twain film and used the rest of the period to read the novel or work on our blogs.  A new assignment (#3) was posted.

HOMEWORK:  Read up through 164.

WHAT’S NEXT:  Quiz on 89-164 on Friday.

We finished reading all the recent article submissions.  After that, we moved on to doing specific revisions on our own articles.  The assignment was to choose five sentences or pairs of sentences which could be revised in the following ways:

• Eliminating linking verbs
• Combining short, choppy sentences
• Eliminating redundant language
• Reducing wordiness

On a separate sheet of paper, students were to write their original sentence and then write the revision below it. 

 Some finished the assignment, others will finish for homework. 

HOMEWORK:  Revise all articles and submit electronically.

We watched the video “Mark Twain’s America” to get a better sense of what America was like during Twain’s time.

HOMEWORK:  Continue reading and do Weblog Assignment #3.  The weblog is due Wednesday, snow or no snow.

WHAT’S NEXT:  Huck on the river.

We began by getting in groups of 3 to read the Elements of Literature “Satire” section on page 500-501.  The groups did the three questions for a quiz grade. 

After that, we went to the auditorium for encores of the Macbeth presentations.

HOMEWORK:  Do Shaping Interpretations on page 496 and Reading Check on page 500.

WHAT’S NEXT:  Quiz on “Gulliver’s Travels” next class.