Upcoming Units and Assignments 11/30 - 12/18

Over the next few weeks in language arts, we'll be finishing Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. The culminating assessment for the novel will be an essay. Students have been doing a great job in their class discussions of the novel.

In history, we're moving into the Revolutionary War era of American history. Students studied the Declaration of Independence, paraphrasing the entire Declaration and illustrating the complaints. We'll be reading a section of Adventure Tales of America and answering questions, comparing and contrasting the strengths and weaknesses of the Americans and the British forces. We'll also be watching a Discovery Channel film about the Revolutionary War. Before the winter break, students will have a test on the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War.

Upcoming Events and Assignments: November 11 through November 25

In language arts, we'll be expanding our exploration of literary terms and the Hero's Journey archetype by reading Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. We'll be holding Socratic Seminars in class to discuss and analyze the novel. In addition to the resources in students' SPRINGBOARD, we'll be using a series of packets to help access the vocabulary and themes in the novel. Here are links to packet one, packet two, and packet three.

In history, students are jumping into what I think is one of the most exciting units of the year: the Boston Massacre Mock Trial! Here's a link to an overview of the trial and a calendar of activities and assignments. Students will be learning about courtroom procedures and historical figures who were a part of the trial, whether as witnesses, defendants, or attorneys. We'll examine how historical events can be viewed from a variety of perspectives. I invite parents to attend the trials on Wednesday, November 18 from 1:00 to 3:00 for period 6 history students and on Thursday, November 19 from 1:00-3:00 for period 7 history students.