March 14

Quiz today over daily oral language sentences that we do at the first of the period.  Hand in sentences and other notebook entries.
Test over Bean Trees
Hand in Comic books and we will share!

Friday, March

1. Quiz--Vocabulary for the week is found here
2. Finish Reading Test
3. Work on comic books

Homework: finish The Bean Trees if you haven't already.  
Test on Bean Trees Tuesday.  Comic book version of the book due Thursday--30 points

Comic Book

• 40 points   Due March 14, 2013  NOTE: Comic book has to show understanding
• 10 pages. 
• Note: the novel covers 17 chapters but you only have to make 10 illustrated pages.  Since the comic book must cover the entire novel, your summary will need to cover chapters that aren't illustrated. The summary has to be well-written.  This is a 10th grade assignment, so don't whip it out the way you might have done in 6th grade
• Front cover: illustration that deals with a key scene in the book.  Most likely this scene will touch upon a theme in the novel.
• Page 1 Kingsolver biographical information OR interesting discussion of the book to hook the reader.  Your choice, but make it helpful to the reader.  No plagiarism!
• Next 10 pages are to consist of illustrations with dialog and page numbers.  
• Illustration with speech bubble (top half of each page)
• Summary (bottom half of each page).  Be sure to cover all of the most important parts of the book
• Theme (last page)
• Rear cover: your choice! Look at other books you own and see what is often done and do that

You may work with a partner.  
Not all chapters need to be covered, but be sure to include what you think are the most important parts of the book, including important quotes.  If something important happens in a chapter you don't have an illustration for, be sure to summarize just a bit of that important part.
Each page needs:
Picture with people talking to each other.  Quote the actual dialog and list page number
1/2 page summary of the story.
At the end you will write 1 page discussing a theme in the book. We will discuss themes later.

OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT:
Make Xtranormal.com animated video
If you make the video, it must do everything that the comic book does, but it can cover just one scene if you'd like.  Here are a few ways to do it:
1. Have Taylor Greer tell her story.  She could summarize the first part of the book for the reader and then you could show an important scene with other characters in it.  Then Taylor could finish up telling the rest of her story and she could discuss a theme.
2. You could interview Taylor and Lou Ann and cover the entire story and discuss a theme in the book
3. You could write a summary of the entire novel and have it scroll down.  This would probably take 1-2 minutes.  Then show your scene.  Be sure to fit in discussion of the theme somewhere.
4.  Film a scene and then type up the information mentioned in 3 above

March 4

Vocabulary for the week is found here

Homework: read chapter 15, The Bean Trees

I hope you're enjoying reading The Bean Trees.  This week we will make comic book versions of the novel.  Here's what you'll need to do:
Comic Book

• 30 points   Due March 12, 2013
• 10 pages. 
• Note: the novel covers 17 chapters but you only have to make 10 illustrated pages.  Since the comic book must cover the entire novel, your summary will need to cover chapters that aren't illustrated.
• Front cover: illustration that deals with a key scene in the book.  Most likely this scene will touch upon a theme in the novel.
• Page 1 Kingsolver biographical information OR interesting discussion of the book to hook the reader
• Next 10 pages are to consist of illustrations with dialog and page numbers.  
• Illustration with speech bubble (top half of each page)
• Summary (bottom half of each page)
• Theme (last page)
• Rear cover: your choice! Look at other books you own and see what is often done and do that, or . . 

You may work with a partner. 
Not all chapters need to be covered, but be sure to include what you think are the most important parts of the book, including important quotes.
Each page needs:
Picture with people talking to each other.  Quote the actual dialog and list page number
1/2 page summary of the story.

At the end you will write 1 page discussing a theme in the book. We will discuss themes later.

OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT:
Make Xtranormal.com animated video

February 28

Today we will listen to a very powerful song by STING called "They Dance Alone."  It's about people who disappeared in Latin American countries during revolutions during the 60's and 70's

They Dance Alone

Dosomething.org  This site gives you information on all sorts of causes that you should know about and, more importantly, causes that you can do something about.  Do you remember the part in The Bean Trees wherein Estevan tells Taylor that she lives in a horrible world where people have to make the decision to help those in need or to refuse to help.  "You live in that world, Taylor."

February 25

Here's this week's vocabulary list

February 21

Spelling Bee today after school in my room at 2:40

1. Vocab test on Bean Trees list, words "dormant" through end (see earlier blog for words)
2. Journal entry:
On page 117 Lou Ann says, "I always wondered if that night we got drunk had somoething to do with shy I lost him . . .you know, something went wrong.  You're supposed to love the same person your whole life long till death do you part and all that.  And if you don't, well, you've got to have screwed up somewhere" (117).  Write a 1/2 page journal on one of the following

• Why do some people feel guilt about things they really shouldn't feel responsible for?
• OR Does our society encourage people to feel guilty?
• OR Try to predict what it would take for Lou Ann to stop feeling guilty about her divorce

3. Reading time.  Finish chapter 9 this weekend
4.Continue working on characterization charts.  Fron now on you need to find your own examples from the book for the following characters.  I've indicated how many examples you will need.  When we finish the book you will hand in your characterization charts for 20 points
Taylor (7 examples.  You'll probably need to start a new sheet for her and Lou Ann)
Lou Ann (6 examples)
Mattie (4)
Angel (3)
Estevan (4)
Esperanza (2)
Turtle (2)

February 19

1. Sentence corrections
2. vocab test on Bean Trees list, words "dormant" through end (see earlier blog for words)
3. Continue working on characterization charts.  Lou Ann, page 101, Taylor 102
Taylor 107, Mattie 108
Reading time.  Finish chapter 7 by the beginning of the period Thursday