Week at a glance August 20 - 24, 2012

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

1. ante - before - antecedent, antebellum
2. brev - short - abbreviate, brevity
3. fin - end - final, infinite
4. pan - all - pandemic, panorama
5. poly - many - polygamy, polytheism
6. vac - empty - vacation, vacuum

This week we start in on our Root Words unit.  This is our vocabulary focus for the semester.  Students will identify and analyze six roots derived mostly from Greek and Latin roots.  Being able to identify and analyze the roots will give students tools that will help them define unfamiliar words in the future.  We'll also start our first essay of the school year: the Place-based Descriptive Narrative.  Our goal for this essay is to help students develop ideas, organizational strategies, and descriptive word choice.  Since it is our first essay, we'll move through the writing process together step-by-step.  We're also starting in on our unit over Arthur Miller's The Crucible as we take a look at a Brief History of Witchcraft in Christianity.  We'll wrap up the week with a Root Words Quiz, a review of literary terms, and time to read for the Independent Reading Project.

• Mon: Introduce Root Words; quiz on Friday.  Place-based Descriptive Narrative -- discuss assignment and expectations.  Pre-writing graphic organizer due Tuesday.
• Tues: Place-based Descriptive Narrative -- Pre-writing graphic organizer due.  Discuss essay structure.  Begin writing the rough draft.
• Wed: Place-based Descriptive Narrative -- Continue writing the rough draft.
• Thurs: Place-based Descriptive Narrative -- rough draft due at the beginning of the hour. The Crucible, pre-reading: A Brief History of Witchcraft in Christianity, notes in class.
• Fri: Root Words Quiz.  Literary terms review, notes in class.  20 minutes for the Independent Reading Project.