Dec. 18-20

For homework:

Wednesday:  Three word challenge.  Make the sentences more complex by adding THREE more words.  Be sure the sentences make sense after your revisions (All sentences come from To Kill A Mockingbird).

For example:   Atticus reached out and rubbed Jem's hair.
Revised:  As we walked, Atticus reached out and rubbed Jem's hair

1.)  Atticus said it was polite to talk to people.

2.) They were not the men I saw last night.

3.) A flash of plain fear was going out of his eyes.


Thursday: Word outta order.  Re-write the sentences so they make sense to the reader (All sentences come from To Kill A Mockingbird).

For example: Hot shot embarrassment through me: I had leaped into people a ring I did not know. 
Revised"  Hot embarrassment shot through me: I had leaped into a ring of people I did not know.


1.)  He Jem yanked nearly off his feet.

2.) Jem stayed moody and silent a week for. 

3.) The second grade was bad as as the first, worse only.


Friday:  Read over the text for next month.  I will post information over break that may be useful as you prepare for next month!


BE SAFE!  Message me if you have any questions.

December 16-17

Hello everyone!

I hope you had a pleasant weekend.  Below you will find your homework assignments for the week.  

In class we are working on final projects based on the book To Kill A Mockingbird.  Friday will be presentation day!


If you have any questions about the homework, please do not hesitate to ask.  

Monday: Dec. 16  
Edit the sentences (all sentences are from TKAM-Chapter 29)

1.) he was still leaning against the wal.

2.) His Face was as white as his hans, but for a shadow on his chin

3.) When i pointed to him his palms slipped slightly, leaving greasy sweat streaks on
the wall, and he hooked his thumbs in his belt?

4.) hey, Boo, I said


Tuesday: Dec. 17
Put the sentences in order (sentences come from TKAM- Chapter 30)

“Won’t you have a seat, Mr. Arthur? This rocking-chair’s nice and comfortable.”

 

Yes, a right pretty spell.

 

My small fantasy about him was alive again: he would be sitting on the porch... 

right pretty spell we’re having, isn’t it, Mr. Arthur?

 

Boo would feel more comfortable in the dark.

Feeling slightly unreal, I led him to the chair farthest 

from Atticus and Mr. Tate.

 

It was in deep shadow. 

 

Homework for the week of Dec. 9 to Dec. 13

Hello everyone!  I hope everyone had an AMAZING and SAFE weekend.

Posted below is the homework for the week.  You can either turn the homework in on lined paper, typed OR post your response in the comment section below.  When you post a comment, please put the date of the homework you are completing.

Parents:  In our classroom we are working on a three check system.  If a students receives more then three checks in behavior management, I will call home.   Please do not hesitate to call or send a note with your child if you have any questions.

Note: Behavior management refers to students ability to have control over their bodies and voices.  Their ability to follow directions, and their ability to appreciate how they are coming across to other students.  In our classroom we want everyone to have access to a space where they can learn and feel safe. 

Homework: 

Monday- Dec. 9	Tuesday-Dec. 10	Wednesday-Dec. 11	Thursday-Dec. 12	Friday-Dec.13
As punishment, Jem had to read to Mrs. Dubose.  Do you think this was a suitable punishment? Why or why not? OR What do you think about Jem and Scout’s experience at Cal’s church.  How did it affect the children’s understanding of Cal?	If you were in Atticus’ shoes, how would you handle defending Tom Robinson	What do you think of TKAMB so far? Come up with three statements or questions about TKAMB so far.	What theme from TKAMB will you take into your life? For example: Don’t make a judgment until you have walked in the other person’s shoes.	Why is it important to hear what your classmates have to say in class?

If you have any questions, please post a comment, call, or email me.
Have a wonderful week and thank you for all of your help and hard work.

Ms. Tuck

Dec 5

Good Afternoon!

Hope everyone is have a great week back.  

Updates:  The Metro North debate team did an amazing job yesterday.  Thank you for all of your hard work!!

For Homework: 

 Sketch what other characters say or think about Atticus Finch.  You can use speech bubbles or thought bubbles.  Have at least three bubbles.

                     

Dec. 3

Hello Everyone!

Just a reminder: Tomorrow is the Debate.  Be sure to cheer on your classmates and let them know they have your support!!


For Homework:  Pick one

Answer one of the following questions in 2-3 sentences.

1.) Why does Scout call her father, Atticus, by his first name?

2.) What kind of person is Miss Caroline?


OR

Create a semantic web about the 1930's.  Ask a family member and friends for their help!

Dec.2

Hello Everyone,

We have started To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  As promised here is a link to an online version to the text in case you did not bring your book home. 

ONLINE BOOK

I do suggest you read the chapters we have gone over in class.  Read with a friend or family member.

Also, here is a link to a video summary of the book. 

Here is an audio version of some chapters in the book (I will post a better version later in the week).

For homework:

Please complete your sketch of Scout's neighborhood.  (Reminder: You are completing the sketch based on the image you created in your head while reading sections of chapter one).


Folks at home: We are reading To Kill A Mockingbird.  In my class, we will be covering ten chapters per week.  Today we started with chapter one and tomorrow we will cover chapter two and three.  Above is a link to an online version of the book.  Please feel free to read with your kids and ask them questions based on the chapters covered in class.  They have many great ideas and things to say.

Any questions comment below.

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday break,
Ms. Tuck

Nov 26

Hello everyone! 

For homework: please complete multiple choice take home quiz on the themes of Things Fall Apart.

Nov 27

Hello everyone! 

Today we talked about the final chapters of Things Fall Apart.  

For homework: write an alternate ending for Things Fall Apart.

This can be completed in the comment section below or on loose leaf paper.  

Nov. 25

Today We talked about Self-Efficacy and Self-fulfilling prophecy.   

FOR HOMEWORK: Please complete the graphic organizer for homework.

Self-efficacy: the belief that one has control over one’s own life

Self-fulfilling prophecy: is a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true

Today you are going to set goals for yourself.  Taking part and having control of your life is called SELF-EFFICACY.

Below is a graphic organizer.  Fill out the graphic organizer with the information needed.

One Day: At the end of the day I will…	One Week: At the end of this week I will…	One Month: At the end of this month I will…	One Year: At the end of this year I will…
To meet this goal, I will need the support of…	To meet this goal, I will need the support of…	To meet this goal, I will need the support of…	To meet this goal, I will need the support of…
These are the skills I need to meet this goal…	These are the skills I need to meet this goal…	These are the skills I need to meet this goal…	These are the skills I need to meet this goal…
Here is my plan to meet this goal…	Here is my plan to meet this goal…	Here is my plan to meet this goal…	Here is my plan to meet this goal…

Nov. 21

Hello folks!
 Great job on your writing today. Tomorrow we will finish up your writing and begin talking about sins.

For homework: How do you know if you did something wrong? What rules do you have at your house?

Write down the rules your family lives by.

Nov. 20

Hello Everyone,

For Homework:

Finish writing your essay on proverbs and their meanings.  

Be sure to include: What is a proverb?  What proverb did you choose?  What is the meaning of the proverb? And why did you choose this proverb?

Any questions please feel free to contact me.

Nov. 19

Hello Folks,

 

For Homework:  Finish writing the meanings of the proverbs.  You will be using them for class tomorrow.

Nov. 18

Good Afternoon!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

FOR HOMEWORK: Write the meaning of the Proverbs below.

1.     Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

2.     The grass is always greener on the other side.

3.     It takes two to tango.

4.     A leopard cannot change its spots.

5.     Money doesn’t grow on trees

Nov. 14

Hello Everyone!

I hope you all had a great day!  Today we reviewed chapters 1-4 of Things Fall Apart.  

These chapters help the reader understand the clan of Umuofia and our main character Okonkwo.

For Homework: Read the following quote and discuss it's meaning.

"Okonkwo did as the priest said. He also took with him a pot of palm-wine. Inwardly, he was repentant. But he was not the man to go about telling his neighbors that he was in error. And so people said he had no respect for the gods of the clan. His enemies said his good fortune had gone to his head. They called him the little bird nza who so far forgot himself after a heavy meal that he challenged his chi." (This quote can be found in chapter 4, the 23 paragraph).

HINT: Okonkwo is not a person to show his emotions, but what did people think of him because he didn't show others he was sorry.

Nov. 13

Hello Folks!

I hope everyone had a great day back to school.  Today we are continuing our conversation on masculine and feminine traits as they pertain to Okonkwo and Things Fall Apart.

For Homework!

Watch the video on TED Talk.  

What does our society tell us about what it means to be a man?

What does Okonkwo believe makes a man?

Nov. 12

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  It was also a pleasure to meet your families.  If there are any family members who were not able to make Open School Night please let me know and I will set up a phone conversation or send a letter home.

For homework: Below are the quotes we read in class today. Please answer the question written in BOLD.

In Okonkwo’s clan, what traits are men and women given?  Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

1.) Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper […] (2.12)

2.) Even as a little boy he had resented his father’s failure and weakness, and even now he still remembered how he had suffered when a playmate had told him that his father was agbala. That was how Okonkwo first came to know that agbala was not only another name for a woman, it could also mean a man who had taken to title. (2.12)

3.) “He belongs to the clan,” he told her [Okonkwo’s eldest wife]. “So look after him.”

“Is he staying long with us?” she asked.

“Do what you are told, woman,” Okonkwo thundered, and stammered. “When did you become one of the ndichie of Umuofia?”

And so Nwoye’s mother took Ikemefuna to her hut and asked no more questions. (2.16-19)

4.) His mother and sisters worked hard enough, but they grew women’s crops, like coco-yams, beans and cassava. Yam, the king of crops, was a man’s crop. (3.28)

5.) Only a week ago a man had contradicted him at a kindred meeting which they held to discuss the next ancestral feast. Without looking at the man Okonkwo had said. “This meeting is for men.” The man who had contradicted him had no titles. That was why he had called him a woman. Okonkwo knew how to kill a man’s spirit. (4.1)

6.) Inwardly Okonkwo knew that the boys were still too young to understand fully the difficult art of preparing seed-yams. But he thought that one could not begin too early. Yam stood for manliness, and he who could feed his family on yams from one gravest to another was a very great man indeed. Okonkwo wanted his son to be a great farmer and a great man. He would stamp out the disquieting signs of laziness which he thought he already saw in him. (4.32)

7.) [Okonkwo]: “I will not have a son who cannot hold up his head in the gathering of the clan. I would sooner strangle him with my own hands.” (4.33)

8.) As a matter of fact the tree was very much alive. Okonkwo’s second wife had merely cut a few leaves off it to wrap some food, and she said so. Without further argument, Okonkwo gave her a sound beating and left her and her only daughter weeping. Neither of the other wives dared to interfere beyond an occasional and tentative, “It is enough, Okonkwo,” pleaded from a reasonable distance. (5.10)

Nov. 6

Hello everyone!

I hope everyone had a good and safe day off yesterday.

Reminder: Parent/Teacher conferences are tonight and tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon.

For homework: Read the following quote and answer the question  (this will be used for Friday's writing).

"The first cup went to Okonkwo, who must taste his wine before anyone else.  Then the group drank, beginning with the eldest man.”  

Question:  Why did Okonkwo have to drink first? 

Nov. 4

Hello Hello!

Today we started reading chapter 1 from Things Fall Apart.

For Homework: Read the following sections and answer the questions.

 Section one:

Okonkwo was known in the nine villages. When Okonkwo was 18 he beat the Cat.  The Cat was the great wrestler who never lost.   He was called the Cat because his back would never touch the earth. 

1.) What did it mean if Okonkwo beat the Cat?

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 Section Two:

When Okonkwo walked, his heels hardly touched the ground.  He seemed to walk on springs.  He had a slight stammer and whenever he was angry and could not get his words out, he would use his fists. 

2.) Some would say that Okonkwo walked as if he was going to POUNCE on somebody.  What does the word POUNCE mean?

___________________________________________________________

  Section three:

Unoka was never happy when it came to wars.  He was in fact a coward and could not bear the sigh of blood.  And so he changed the subject and talked about music, and his face beamed. 

3.) What traits would you give Unoka?  How does Unoka compare to Okonkwo?

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

REMINDERS: Parent/Teacher conferences are WEDNESDAY NIGHT and THURSDAY AFTERNOON.   There is NO SCHOOL tomorrow.

Be safe.  See you Wednesday.

Oct 31. Happy Halloween

Hello Everyone!

A year ago today we were in the clean up stages of Super Storm Sandy.  Many of us were displaced and had to spend the Halloween season somewhere other then our homes.

For Homework:

Please read the article  Surviving Hurricane Sandy and answer the questions at the end of the article (you have to click the arrows  <--  or  --> to get to the next page).

**What is neat about this online article is that there is an option for the article to be read aloud.  Click the purple Listen button the on bottom right and the article will be read aloud.

Have a safe Halloween!

Oct 30

Happy day before Halloween!

As I mentioned in class, tomorrow I will tell the story of the Headless Horseman.

For Homework:

Please read some quick information about the Headless Horseman (or read the excerpt below) and answer the following questions.

1.) Where does the tale of the Headless Horseman take place?

2.) Who are the main characters in the Headless Horseman tale?

3.) Who is the Headless Horseman?

4.) What happens to Ichabod Crane?

The story of the Headless Horseman takes place during the 1790s in a community referred to as "Sleepy Hollow" near Tarrytown, New York. Ichabod Crane (a schoolmaster from Connecticut) competes with Abraham "Brom Bones" Van Brunt (the local thug) for the hand of Katrina Van Tassel (daughter of a wealthy farmer). 

According to the story, a Hessian trooper (who lost his head to a cannonball during the American Revolution) was buried near the Old Dutch Church and was known to haunt the area every night in search of his missing head, harming anyone who stands in his way. One autumn night as Crane leaves a party at the Van Tassel Home, he encounters this Headless Horseman and is never heard from again.