HMS

Today, after we collected homework, we continued with the book, reading and responding to several more chapters.

More HMS

Today we began with a quick look at homework and a portfolio check and spent the rest of the period reading The House on Mango Street: "Cathy Queen of Cats" through "Gil's Furniture Bought and Sold."

HW: HMS Personal Narrative #2 (options below), Due 4/30

• Sibling story
• Crazy or unusual neighbor
• Bike story
• Thought sharing story

Planner Check and More HMS

Today we began by copying the homework options and expectations into planners. Students without planners were reminded to get them and use them (students were provided with planners at the beginning of the year).


HMS Personal Narrative Expectations:

1. Write on only ONE of the options given.
2. Writing should be 1 page MINIMUM.
3. Writing must include at least two examples of figurative language.

Today's Options (Due 4/29)

• Description of a place you’ve lived
• Memory connected with a smell
• How boys and girls “live in separate worlds”
• Write about you name in the style of "My Name."

Welcome to Mango Street

Today we started The House on Mango Street. Students wrote about their own name in warm-ups and then, after a reminder to bring planners everyday, we read, wrote about and discussed "My Name."
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“My Name”

1. How does Esperanza feel about her name? Explain.
2. Quote at least 5 examples of figurative language (e.g. simile, metaphor, personification, etc.) from this chapter.
3. Respond to this chapter personally in some way.

•  What questions does it raise?
•  What associations does it call up?
•  What is your favorite line? Why?

"Sonrisas"

We spent today looking at Pat Mora's poem "Sonrisas." We annotated it, discussed it and then period 1 answered the questions below on the back of the annotation (period 5 will do these tomorrow). Finish these for homework if needed.
Sonrisas

I live in a doorway
between two rooms. I hear
quiet clicks, cups of black
coffee, click, click like facts
budgets, tenure, curriculum,
from careful women in crisp beige
suits, quick beige smiles
that seldom sneak into their eyes.

I peek
in the other room señoras
in faded dresses stir sweet
milk coffee, laughter whirls
with steam from fresh tamales
sh, sh, mucho ruido,*
they scold one another,
press their lips, trap smiles
in their dark, Mexican eyes.

1. On the back of your annotation, do the following:

Sketch (draw) the poem in some way, either literally or symbolically. Be prepared to explain your sketch.

2. On a separate sheet of paper, answer these questions.

In what way might you live in a doorway between two rooms? What would the two “rooms” be? What would be happening in them? Explain.

Thursday and Friday

Thursday we finished the story and started the questions on page 35. Friday we finished the questions, I collected the questions and Wednesday's vocab homework. We finished the day with the unit test.

The Week So Far

Last week, McDougal. This week, Holt.
We continue our two weeks of textbook piloting, reading "The Most Dangerous Game" from the Holt text. Moday we reviewed the elements of plot (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution) added 5 new vocabulary words to the notes, and started a new chart for tracking foreshadowing and making predictions about the story. Tuesday and Wednesday were spent reading, and almost finishing, the story.

Wednesday Night HW=Vocab Worksheet given in class.