Start the Research Paper

By now, students should have finished reading “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”  and completed the Study Guide (Assignment M5-3). This week, you will start work on your research paper. Rob Darrow, our principal, has put together a series of short assignments that will help you do your paper. These assignments use something called the Big6, which is a method of doing research and writing papers.

There are five assignments due this Sunday, Feb. 14. These are M5-4, M5-5, M5-6, M5-7, and M5-8. If you get right to work, you can get them done on time.

Remember to do the SAT Question of the Day every day, and attend the Elluminate session on Thursday morning.

Word of the Day: Annie Oakley

Pronunciation: (AN-ee OHK-lee)

noun: A complimentary ticket; pass

Etymology: After Annie Oakley (1860-1926), U.S. markswoman renowned for her skill at shooting, from association of the punched ticket with one of her bullet-riddled targets.

Joke of the Day

A little girl had just finished her first week of school.

“I’m just wasting my time,” she said to her mother.

“I can’t read, I can’t write and they won’t let me talk!”

Don’t Panic!

Today, I’m opening the rest of Module Five. You will see that there are two major projects, 13 lessons, and 17 assignments. You have three more weeks to complete everything; the module ends on Feb. 28. Fortunately, most of the assignments are short ones

Again, I suggest that you get right to work and don’t get behind. E-mail me whenever you have questions. Remember, when you turn work in before the official due date (on the Moodle), you’ll get 5 percent extra credit. And, all work may be turned in for full credit until the end of the module. After Feb. 28, your grade will drop.

You will see that Rob has included a lot of information about the Big6, which is a method to make it easier for you to do research and write papers. Please pay close attention to it.

Word of the Day:  hagiography

pronunciation: (hag-ee-OG-ruh-fee)

noun

1. A biography of a saint.
2. An uncritical biography, treating its subject with undue reverence.

Etymology: From Greek hagio- (holy) + -graphy (writing). A related word is hagiocracy (a government by holy persons; also a place thus governed)

Joke of the Day

“Doctor, I keep thinking I’m a goat.”

“How long have you had this feeling?”

“Ever since I was a kid.”

How Was the Exit Exam?

1) I’d like everyone to send me an e-mail and tell me what you thought of the High School Exit Exam. Thanks.

2) We will have our regular Elluminate session at 10 a.m. Thursday.

3) Please don’t get behind on your Module 5 assignments this week. I’m working on getting the later assignments ready, and there are lots of them for the next three weeks. They should be ready, and on the Moodle, in the next two days. At that point, you will have plenty of work to do.

4) Here’s something to remember about “Midsummer Night’s Dream”: Shakespeare mixed up many different characters and settings in the play, and they don’t really make much sense. But, it’s a comedy and it doesn’t have to make sense.

For example: The story is supposed to take place in ancient Athens, Greece. So, what are Bottom and his friends (a bunch of goofy Englishmen) doing there? They’re just there to be funny.

Theseus and Hippolyta are characters in the old Greek myths; Shakespeare did not invent them. Pyramus and Thisbe (the characters in the play performed by Bottom and friends) are characters in Roman myths.

Oberon was also not invented by Shakespeare; he was traditionally a Medieval king of the fairies (long after the days of ancient Greece).

Titania was not traditionally the queen of the fairies. Shakespeare made that one up.

Puck was a mythological fairy in old England. Like Oberon, Shakespeare placed him in the much-older setting of ancient Athens.

Shakespeare invented the other characters, such as Lysander, Hermia, Helena, and Demetrius.

Word of the Day: heliolatry

Pronunciation: (hee-lee-OL-uh-tree)

noun: Worship of the sun.

Etymology: From Greek helio- (sun) + -latry (worship). A related word is heliotrope (a plant that turns toward the sun).

Joke of the Day

A man was pulled over by the police for speeding. The cop walked up to the car and said to the driver, “Sir, did you know that you were going 60 miles an hour?”

The driver said, “Officer, there is no way I could have been going 60 miles an hour!”

The cop said, “Really! Why is that? “

The driver replied,” I could not have been going 60 miles an hour because I’ve only been out driving for 25 minutes.”

Write in Complete Sentences

I hope you’re all enjoying the Exit Exam.

As you work on Assignment M5-3 (the study guide on “Midsummer Night’s Dream”) this week, please remember to write your answers in complete sentences.

We will have our regular Elluminate session at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Word of the Day: artiodactyl

Pronunciation: (ahr-tee-o-DAK-til)

adjective: Having an even number of toes on each foot.

Etymology: From Greek artio- (even in number, perfect) + -dactyl (toed, fingered). The mammal order Artiodactyla is made up of animals such as pig, camel, and giraffe. Those having an odd number of toes are called perissodactyl, from Greek perisso- (uneven, strange). Examples: horse, tapir, and rhinoceros.

Joke of the Day

A first grade teacher was looking at her students as they were trying out their computers.

One boy was staring at the screen, looking dumbstruck and confused. The teacher came and read what was on the screen and in her most reassuring voice said, “The computer wants to know what your name is.”

The boy then leaned over and whispered to the computer, “My name is David.”

Exit Exam Starts Tuesday

All 10th-graders at the Online School will take the California High School Exit Exam from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 2-3, at the school campus.

Students will still have their SAT Question of the Day each day.

Due this Sunday, Feb. 7: Assignment M5-2 (students need to send me an e-mail after reading “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”) and Assignment M5-3 (complete the study guide about the play). I do recommend that students find a movie version of the play and watch it. Remember that Youtube has a complete version of the movie from 1935.

Word of the Day: oligopoly

Pronunciation: (ol-i-GOP-uh-lee)

noun: A market condition where there are few sellers

Etymology: From Greek oligo- (few) + -poly, patterned after monopoly, from polein (to sell).

Joke of the Day

Mo is at church, listening to the sermon. After a while, the pastor asks anyone with needs to come forward and be prayed over.

Mo gets in line and, when it’s his turn the pastor asks, “Mo, what do you want me to pray about?”

Mo says, “Pastor, I need you to pray for my hearing.”

So the pastor puts one finger in Mo’s ear and the other hand on top of his head and prays for a while.

He removes his hands and says, “Mo how’s your hearing now?”

Mo says, “I don’t know pastor, it’s not until next Monday.”

Exit Exam Practices Due Sunday

Today (Friday) I opened the last of five practices for the California State High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) that you will take next week. All five will be on the Moodle through Sunday, and then they’ll disappear. They are worth 10 points each. Thanks to all of you have been doing these regularly, and also thanks to those of you who attended yesterday’s Elluminate session. Next week we’ll have more information on Shakespeare and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at our Thursday Elluminate class.

Literary news: the famous writer J.D. Salinger died on Wednesday at the age of 91. He was famous for the four books he wrote in the 1950s, and for the fact that, for more than 50 years after he wrote those books, he was practically never seen by the public. You should all try to read his books in the next few years – especially “Nine Stories” or “The Catcher in the Rye” or “Franny and Zooey.”

Word of the Day: surcease

Pronunciation: (suhr-SEES)

noun: Stoppage, especially a temporary one.

verb tr., intr.: To bring or come to an end.

Etymology: From Middle English sursesen/surcesen, via French from Latin supersedere (to refrain from), from super- + sedere (to sit). Ultimately from the Indo-European root sed- (to sit) that is also the source of sit, chair, saddle, assess, assiduous, sediment, soot, cathedral, and tetrahedron. The word cease is unrelated, though its spelling has influenced the word.

Joke of the Day

A man received a call from his credit card company,

“Sir, we have detected an unusual pattern of spending on your card, and we are calling to see if everything is all right.”

“Yes,” replied the man. “My card was stolen over a month ago.”

“Why didn’t you report your card as stolen?” asked the card company representative.

The man replied, “Well, whoever stole my card is spending a lot less than my wife!”

Elluminate on Thursday

After a week off, we are back on our normal schedule and will have an Elluminate session at 10 a.m. Thursday. If you’re attending the Organization Workshop on Thursday morning, you can sign in late to Elluminate, or you can send me an e-mail and let me know that you can’t be there. The link is on the Moodle page.

Thanks to those of you who are turning in your CAHSEE practice work every. Remember, if you don’t turn them in by Sunday, you will receive no credit.

Word of the Day: asperity

Pronunciation: (ah-SPER-i-tee)

noun: Harshness or roughness.

Etymology: Via French from Latin asper (rough).

Joke of the Day

“Whom would you like to invite to your wedding?” the father asked his son.

“All except you and Mom,” the son replied.

“But why?” Father angrily shouted.

“Because you didn’t invited me to YOUR wedding!”

Remember the Exit Exam Practice

This week, in addition to the SAT Questions of the Day and the regular assignments, we have a daily practice for the California High School Exit Examination, which you will take next week. I will add one practice each day, Monday-Friday, and I’ll leave them online through Sunday. Your assignment is to follow the daily directions and send me an e-mail (a new e-mail for each practice). Each one is worth 10 points. Remember – after Sunday they’ll be gone from the Moodle, and you won’t be able to earn those 50 points.

We will resume our weekly Elluminate sessions this week at 10 a.m. We’ll be learning about William Shakespeare, author of the play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Elluminate sessions, along with SAT Questions of the Day, are part of your class participation grade – which is worth a total of 100 points per module.

Word of the Day: eremite

Pronunciation: (AIR-uh-myt)

noun: A recluse, especially for religious reasons.

Etymology: From Latin eremita, from Greek eremia (desert), from eremos (solitary).

Joke of the Day

A man owned a very intelligent dog, so he taught the dog how to play poker.

The dog did very well and won a lot of money for the man, but the man eventually had to pull the dog out of the poker games – when opponents started to notice that, whenever the dog held a really good hand, he wagged his tail.

Second Semester Begins

Welcome to the second semester, everybody, and congratulations on being halfway through the school year.

Please look carefully at the new Moodle for the second semester. If it says both “10th-Grade English” and “English 10,” go to “English 10,” because that’s for the second semester.

Look at the “General Classroom Information” and make sure you understand everything there.

Remember to do the SAT Question of the Day, Monday-Friday.

This week only, do the practice questions on the Moodle for the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) which you will take Feb. 2-3. You have to pass this test in order to graduate from high school, and this will be your first chance. If you don’t pass, you’ll have to take it again next year. These daily practices are part of your grade. If you would like to earn extra credit in English (while practicing Math), do some of the CAHSEE math lessons and then e-mail me to tell me what you worked on and how you did.

Get right to work on the Module 5 assignments that are posted. Start reading “Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Look at the movie on Youtube. Look at Shmoop. E-mail me whenever you have questions. Everybody is starting fresh this semester, and you all have a chance to do well.

Word of the Day: sacerdotal

Pronunciation: (sas-uhr-DOHT-l)

adjective: Of or relating to priests: priestly.

Etymology: Via French from Latin sacerdotalis (priestly), from sacerdos (priest, literally one who offers sacrifices), from sacer (holy, sacred) + dare (to give).

Joke of the Day

The undertaker called the next of kin to confirm the funeral arrangements desired for the dear departed.

As luck would have it, the son-in-law, who was actually delighted to be rid of his mother-in-law, answered the phone.

“We’re sorry to disturb you in this time of personal grief,” the undertaker uttered solemnly, “but there appears to be some confusion as to whether the body of the loved one is to be buried or cremated.”

“Let’s not take any chances,” said the son-in-law.  “Do both.”

Get Back to Work, Everybody!

Okay, here’s the big change in plans for Module Five. We are going to read the play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare. (We’ll read “To Kill a Mockingbird” later in the semester.)

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is my favorite Shakespeare play. I’ve seen it many times, and I always love it. It’s both funny and romantic, and I hope that all of you can see it on stage someday – that’s the best way to experience it. But, for now, you will have to read it.

I suggest that you get started right away – although we won’t have the actual assignments on the Moodle till Sunday or Monday. Here are several things that you should do soon.

1) Go to Shmoop.com and read all about it – the summary, themes, famous quotations, characters, opinion, etc.

2) Go to Youtube and type in “Midsummer’s Night Dream.” As usual, there are all kinds of strange things there – children’s productions, high-school productions, trailers of movies, a ballet. Check them out. Mainly, when you have time, you should watch the entire play on Youtube. There’s a 1935, black-and-white Hollywood movie with several famous stars, including Mickey Rooney, James Cagney, and Olivia de Haviland. That will give you an idea of what it’s all about. (Of course, it looks very dated today.) It takes about two hours, divided into sections.

3) Read the play. You can find it in libraries, in bookstores, and online. Here’s the best way: buy a copy of the “No Fear Shakespeare” version of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” This has the original text (from about 400 years ago) on the left side of the page and a modern text on the right side of the page. And, you actually don’t have to buy it. Here’s a link to No Fear Shakespeare that you can read online.

Please e-mail me with any questions. It’s very important that you get started soon with reading and understanding the play. Module Five will be five weeks long, but we’ll have several interruptions. Next week, we will have some assignments to help you prepare for the California State High School Exit Exam. On Feb. 2 and 3 you’ll take the exam. And, you’ll have Monday holidays on Feb. 8 and 15.

Word of the Day: vatic

Pronunciation: (VAT-ik)

adjective: Of or related to a prophet or a prophecy: prophetic.

Etymology: From Latin vates (prophet). Ultimately from the Indo-European root wet- (to blow or inspire) which is also the source of fan, atmosphere, Vatican, and Wednesday (literally, Woden’s day, after a Norse god).

Joke of the Day

A fool called the airport for flight information.

“How long is your flight from Los Angeles to Denver?” he asked.

“Just a minute,” the agent replied.

“Thank you,” said the fool, and he hung up.