Elements of the Novel

Time, place, characters mood and conflict are all basic elements of a novel.

Answer the questions handed out in class in your English notebook tonight.

We'll review the elements of our novel tomorrow.

Job Assignments

Architect? Teacher? Musician?

Most students today have a choice of what they want to be. But not Jonas. His future will be determined by The Elders.

How would it feel to have your career chosen for you? In class, we handed out 'assignments.' Answer the questions about your assignment on a separate sheet of paper to be handed in on Thursday.


Feel free to leave a brief comment about your job assignment here, too.

Shi Huangdi

He was kind of a nasty fellow, and he only had a short reign as emperor. No matter, he did leave a mark. For one, Shi Huangdi united China on two fronts:

1. He developed a common writing system

2. He standardized measurements

But wait, there's more. In addition to those two great achievements, Shi Huangdi is also credited with starting construction on The Great Wall.

For Wednesday, find eight great facts to share with the class about The Great Wall.

Editing and Philosophy

English:
Edit and revise the sentences handed out in class (due Friday)

Social Studies:
Think of a problem you face. Explain how the three teachers would answer you: Confucius, Lao-Tze and Buddha. (due Monday)

Vocabulary - The Giver

For Monday, complete the vocabulary worksheet. You should have synonyms, antonyms and sentences for each word.

A perfect day

We're about to start the novel The Giver. In the book, a perfect society is created. We often call this a utopia.

Creating a perfect world is a difficult task ... but how about a perfect day?

In one page, tell me what you would do on a perfect day.

Blog Response

Calendars. Bronze. Writing.

The Shang may have been the first dynasty of China, but they left many important contributions.

Which was the most significant? Tell us your opinion and why you think so.

Sentence Practice: Run ons and Expanding

RUN ON SENTENCES
Run on sentences occur when you have two complete sentences (subjects and predicates) together.

Me and my friends went to the movies, we saw Twilight.

You can break up these sentences in two ways:
1. Put a period between the two sentences.

Me and my friends went to the movies. We saw Twilight.

2. Use a conjunction to separate the two sentences

Me and my friends went to the movies, and we saw Twilight.

The acronym FANBOYS can help you remember all the conjunctions.



EXPANDING SENTENCES
You may need to expand your sentences, though, if you don't have enough information in your sentence. Compare the difference.

It dragged him down. (Who? Where?)

The 'Wool Pooh' dragged Kenny down into the murky water.

For Thursday finish both sides of the handout given in class. Be prepared to share your answers.

Ancient China Geography

Please complete the map handed out in class. Color it, and glue it into your notebook. We will be referring to it as we study our new unit, Ancient China.