Dear students:

These are your lesson plans (assignments) while I am away.

Keep all of the following assignments until I return.

A copy of these lesson plans are on my website—djyostenglish.pbworks.com—so you have

NO excuses for not finishing!

These assignments will be due AS YOU WALK IN THE DOOR.

Due date for Purple Day: Thursday, December 13th

Due date for Silver Day: Friday, December 14th

The assignments must be stapled together IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER.

I will allow you to work with one or two people for these assignments. HOWEVER, if you are disruptive or off task, you will work independently for the rest of the class period. You have been warned!

ASSIGNMENT 1:

Bring a dictionary/thesaurus to your desk.

Take out a sheet of paper. Title the assignment: “To a Mouse vs. OMAM.”

Read:

Read Robert Burns’ “To a Mouse” found below.

Burns’ Original / Standard English Translation
Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie,
O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty
Wi bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
Wi' murdering pattle.
I'm truly sorry man's dominion
Has broken Nature's social union,
An' justifies that ill opinion
Which makes thee startle
At me, thy poor, earth born companion
An' fellow mortal!
I doubt na, whyles, but thou may thieve;
What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!
A daimen icker in a thrave
'S a sma' request;
I'll get a blessin wi' the lave,
An' never miss't.
Thy wee-bit housie, too, in ruin!
It's silly wa's the win's are strewin!
An' naething, now, to big a new ane,
O' foggage green!
An' bleak December's win's ensuin,
Baith snell an' keen!
Thou saw the fields laid bare an' waste,
An' weary winter comin fast,
An' cozie here, beneath the blast,
Thou thought to dwell,
Till crash! the cruel coulter past
Out thro' thy cell.
That wee bit heap o' leaves an' stibble,
Has cost thee monie a weary nibble!
Now thou's turned out, for a' thy trouble,
But house or hald,
To thole the winter's sleety dribble,
An' cranreuch cauld.
But Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!
Still thou are blest, compared wi' me!
The present only toucheth thee:
But och! I backward cast my e'e,
On prospects drear!
An' forward, tho' I canna see,
I guess an' fear! /
Small, sleek, cowering, timorous beast,
O, what a panic is in your breast!
You need not start away so hasty
With hurrying scamper!
I would be loath to run and chase you,
With murdering plough-staff.
I'm truly sorry man's dominion
Has broken Nature's social union,
And justifies that ill opinion
Which makes thee startle
At me, thy poor, earth born companion
And fellow mortal!
I doubt not, sometimes, but you may steal;
What then? Poor beast, you must live!
An odd ear in twenty-four sheaves
Is a small request;
I will get a blessing with what is left,
And never miss it.
Your small house, too, in ruin!
It's feeble walls the winds are scattering!
And nothing now, to build a new one,
Of coarse grass green!
And bleak December's winds coming,
Both bitter and keen!
You saw the fields laid bare and wasted,
And weary winter coming fast,
And cozy here, beneath the blast,
You thought to dwell,
Till crash! the cruel plough past
Out through your cell.
That small bit heap of leaves and stubble,
Has cost you many a weary nibble!
Now you are turned out, for all your trouble,
Without house or holding,
To endure the winter's sleety dribble,
And hoar-frost cold.
But Mouse, you are not alone,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes of mice and men
Go often askew,
And leaves us nothing but grief and pain,
For promised joy!
Still you are blest, compared with me!
The present only touches you:
But oh! I backward cast my eye,
On prospects dreary!
And forward, though I cannot see,
I guess and fear!

Comprehension:

On your sheet of paper, answer the following questions in complete sentences:

  1. What did the narrator accidentally do to the mouse’s home?
  2. How does the narrator feel about the accident?
  3. What is the tone of the poem?
  4. According to the last stanza, how is the mouse more “blessed” than the narrator?

Connecting Texts:

  1. Why would Steinbeck title his novella “Of Mice and Men”?
  2. Which character in “Of Mice and Men” can best relate to Burn’s mouse? Explain.

ASSIGNMENT 2:

Take out a sheet of paper. Title the assignment: “Commonly Confused Words Practice”

Comprehension:

On your sheet of paper, fill in the blank with the correct word. You may use your TX Write Source book to help you!

Homophones: There/Their/They’re

Copy each sentence on your own sheet of paper. Fill in each blank, using there, their, or they’re.

  1. I see a squirrel over ______by the tree.
  2. ______dog is a German Shepherd.
  3. ______going to Las Vegas.
  4. ______are only 59 Mexican grey wolves surviving in the wild.
  5. When I saw Becky and Jacob, ______car had stopped on the train tracks.
  6. ______is a $500 fine for littering in Texas.
  7. Will you please wait over ______until I return?
  8. You can tell ______hardcore football fans.
  9. Barbara and Desiree need to commit to ______responsibilities of a student.
  10. ______the smartest people I know.

Commonly Confused Words: Then/Than

Copy each sentence on your own sheet of paper. Fill in each blank, using then or than.

  1. Two heads are better ____ one.
  2. He suddenly stopped, jumped on a table, and ____ started dancing.
  3. I think Jade is smarter _____ Garrett.
  4. Do you like pineapples better ____ olives on your pizza?
  5. I remember when I was 15; it has been a decade since _____.
  6. Take out the trash and ____ wash the dishes.
  7. I visited Colorado for Christmas. ____, for Thanksgiving, I traveled to Arizona.
  8. 200 is a larger number ____ 199.

Homophones: Your/You’re

Copy each sentence on your own sheet of paper. Fill in each blank, using your or you’re.

  1. ______the smartest person I know.
  2. ______dog bit my leg.
  3. I can’t believe ______so selfish.
  4. I can’t believe ______mom is so selfish.
  5. I will help ______dad with the dishes.
  6. ______taking a test today, so please take out ______notes.

Homophones: Its/It’s

Copy each sentence on your own sheet of paper. Fill in each blank, using its or it’s.

  1. _____ about time you showed up!
  2. _____ neck is broken.
  3. _____ important to brush your teeth.
  4. The duck uses _____ webbed feet to swim in the water.
  5. Some people think _____ okay to drive in the fast lane, but _____ for passing only.
  6. The building lost _____ roof in a tornado.
  7. Look at that cat! _____ stripes make it look like a tiger.
  8. I can’t believe ____ almost Christmas time!
  9. ____ time to feed the turtle, and don’t forget to clean ____ tank!

Articles: A/An

Copy each sentence on your own sheet of paper. Fill in each blank, using a or an.

  1. _____ elephant stepped on my foot.
  2. _____ gray elephant stepped on my foot.
  3. _____ camel broke its back.
  4. _____ brown camel broke its back.
  5. _____ package was sent to your address, but _____ thief stole it.
  6. Will you do me ____ favor that requires ____ lot of time?
  7. I have _____ aunt to who lives in _____ small town outside of Dallas, Texas.
  8. I ate ____ apple, ____ banana, _____ orange, and ____ amazing sandwich.

Commonly Confused Words: Where/were/we’re

Copy each sentence on your own sheet of paper. Fill in each blank, using where, were, or we’re.

  1. ______are we going, George?
  2. ______going to a ranch.
  3. We ______supposed to go to a ranch, but ______too tired.
  4. ______is Mom? Does she know ______heading to the house now?
  5. ______Mom and Dad mad?
  6. I wish we ______already at the house.

Note: YOU WILL HAVE A TEST OVER THE “ASSIGNMENT 2” WORDS WHEN I RETURN!

ASSIGNMENT 3:

Take out a sheet of paper. Title the assignment: “Exploring Poetry.”

Read:

In the literature book, read pages 608; 609; 719; 720; 721; 722.

Comprehension:

On your sheet of paper, define the following terms (refer to the literature book: pgs. 608-609 AND/OR the Literary Handbook on page R21):

  1. diction
  2. stanza
  3. couplet
  4. quatrains
  5. figurative language
  6. metaphor
  7. simile
  8. personification
  9. paradox
  10. imagery
  11. sensory language
  12. rhythm
  13. rhyme
  14. rhyme scheme
  15. free verse
  16. alliteration
  17. assonance
  18. consonance
  19. onomatopoeia
  20. repetition
  21. narrative poem
  22. epic
  23. ballad
  24. dramatic poem
  25. haiku
  26. sonnet
  27. free verse
  28. blank verse
  29. exact rhyme
  30. slant rhyme
  31. end rhyme
  32. internal rhyme
  33. rhyme scheme
  34. meter
  35. paraphrase

ASSIGNMENT 4:

Bring a dictionary/thesaurus to your desk.

Take out a sheet of paper. Title the assignment: “Paraphrasing Poetry: The Road Not Taken.”

Read:

In the literature book, read “The Road Not Taken” (725).

Comprehension:

On your sheet of paper, paraphrase “The Road Not Taken.” (Refer to the Paraphrase Chart example on page 721.)

ASSIGNMENT 5:

Bring a dictionary/thesaurus to your desk.

Take out a sheet of paper. Title the assignment: “The Road Not Taken vs. We never know how high we are.”

Read:

In the literature book, read “We never know how high we are” (728).

Comprehension:

On your sheet of paper, answer page 729:

Literary Analysis: Rhyme and Meter: #1; #3a; #3b; #4a

ASSIGNMENT 6: PRE-AP CLASSES (1st, 3rd, and 4th Period) ONLY

Take out a sheet of paper. Title the assignment: “Comparing Forms of Lyric Poetry.”

Read:

In the literature book, read page 748.

In the literature book, read “I Hear America Singing” (750), “Three Haiku” (751), “Women” (753), and “Sonnet 30” (754).

Comprehension:

On your sheet of paper, answer page 755:

Comparing Forms of Lyric Poetry: #1b; #2; #3.

ASSIGNMENT 7: PRE-AP CLASSES (1st, 3rd, and 4th Period) ONLY

Take out a sheet of paper. Title the assignment: “My Haiku”

Comprehension:

On your sheet of paper, create your own haiku.