I hope you all are enjoying the weekend. On Friday we had our weekly vocab quiz. We then continued reading in Act II. We finished reading through Scene iv; Romeo makes arrangements with the Nurse to have Juliet meet him in Friar Lawrence’s cell. The Friar has agreed to marry Romeo and Juliet in hopes that their union will end the feud between the families.

This weekend: Complete your “Dinner” post on your blog AND comment on the blogs of two classmates by Sunday at midnight (or BEFORE school starts on Monday).

If you are interested in taking the optional National Mythology Exam, you need to submit $3 to me by Friday, February 3. The test will not be administered until March 28. Check the exam website for more information, old tests, etc. : http://www.medusaexam.org/

I want to first thank you all for your well wishes for my son. At this time (Wed. 1 PM), my husband is taking him to the doctor again for the third time in less than a week. I know he will have great immunity when he is older after having all of these sicknesses (thanks to daycare), but I am ready for him to be healthy again! Words of advice for all of you–be sure you have family and a support system nearby when you settle down to start your own families.

On Tuesday we

1) reviewed this week’s vocabulary words, completed vocab matching exercise

2) worked with a partner to write and decorate a “Lazy Sonnet”

3) individually composed “Interior Monologues” for two scenarios

Today we

1) completed optional “match” surveys for FBLA

2) reviewed answers for Act I questions (1-50)

3) shared Interior Monologues (yesterday’s classwork/homework)

Tomorrow and Friday we will continue with Act 2. As usual, we will have a vocabulary quiz on Friday.

Reminders: Update blog by Sunday @ midnight. Don’t forget to post comments on the blogs of two classmates.

Assignment: Suppose you could invite any 3 people to dinner. You may choose fictional characters from movies or books or you may choose real people (living or dead). Explain in a well-developed paragraph or two WHY you would choose each guest, and predict how the three of them would get along at dinner. Also describe your menu for the evening.

Over the weekend you posted your 4 paragraph essay on your blog; you then commented on the posts of two of your classmates’ blogs.

Today we watched the Romeo & Juliet movie (through Act I only). Each time we finish an Act, we will then view through that part of the movie.

Tomorrow we will check your Act I questions and continue reading Act II.

Together we read information about men during Shakespeare’s time, masks, masquerades, tragedy, foils, feuds, and fate. (Notice the alliteration?)

We read more of Act I; specifically, we finished reading through Mercutio’s Queen Mab monologue.

Here’s a brief recap of today’s reading (in my own words): Capulet’s servant is given the task of inviting people to the masquerade ball. The servant cannot read, and he encounters Romeo and Benvolio in town. He asks Romeo if he can read the list, and Romeo agrees to do so. Romeo notices Rosaline’s name on the list. He is in love (or so he thinks) with Rosaline, though she has rejected him and taken a vow of chastity. Nevertheless, Romeo decides he will go to the party (in disguise) in order to see his love. Benvolio plans to show Romeo that there are more fish in the sea   girls in Verona than Rosaline.

In the meantime, Lady Capulet and the Nurse talk to Juliet about her wishes to marry. Juliet says it is an honor that she dreams NOT of. Her mother tells her that when she was her age, she was already a mother. (How many pronouns can I work into one sentence?) The Nurse rambles on about when Juliet was a child, and Lady Capulet tells Juliet to study Paris as though he were a book. Juliet agrees to give Paris a chance.

Romeo, Benvolio, and Mercutio prepare to enter the Capulet’s party. Romeo mopes along, and Mercutio dramatically gives his famous Queen Mab monologue.

Tomorrow– R & J meet!!! <3

Reminders: Friday-Vocab Quiz; before Sunday (midnight)- post your 4 paragraph essay AND comment on the blogs of 2 classmates

1) We completed the Georgia Health Survey. (All NHS students will do this in January in their LA classes.)

2) Any students who have still not approved the comments made by their classmates from last week made the necessary changes to their blogs.

3) Blog Post #2/Essay: Save Our World Essay. Due Sunday, Jan. 22 by midnight. Don’t forget to read and comment on the essays of 2 classmates.  See link: Save the World Project-Hunt-2012

Tomorrow: Bring lit books to class. We will continue reading Act I of R&J.

Reminder: Vocab Quiz on Friday (See word list below)

Week 2 (January 15-20)

1. aftermath- a consequence of
2. aggrandize- to exaggerate
3. ajar- partially open
4. alienate- to cause to feel unwelcome
5. alleviate- to make less severe
6. allure- to entice
7. aloof- distant, reserved in manner
8. also-ran- one who is defeated
9. altercation- a heated quarrel
10. alternative- a choice between 2 possibilities
11. cerebro [brain] – cerebral- relating to or located in the front part of the brain cerebrum; involving the psychological processes of thinking and reasoning rather than the emotions
12. circum [around]- circumnavigate-to sail or fly around something such as the world or an island
13. contra/counter [against]- contradict- to disagree with; to show to be wrong
14. de [from, down]- degrade- to treat somebody humiliatingly; to worsen;    demote- to reduce somebody to a lower rank or position
15. di [two, twice] divide-split into parts; go in different directions;  dilemma-situation with unsatisfactory choices

I have been grading your blog posts and comments all afternoon. While most students posted in response to the technology articles, many students have not commented on classmates’ blogs. Please check your email or log in to your own blogs and APPROVE COMMENTS so your classmates will receive credit for their comments.

After reviewing the quiz, we continued reading Act I, Scene i.

Sampson and Gregory discuss how much they hate the Montagues. Servants from the Montague family approach, and Sampson bites his thumb. (Remember our discussion of this insulting gesture.) Benvolio appears, always the peacemaker, and tries to separate the servants. Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, also shows up and the fight erupts. Tybalt ignores Benvolio’s pleas to help him stop the fray. An officer breaks up the fight. The Prince arrives and states that this is the third fight between these two feuding families; if another brawl occurs, the Prince threatens that the offenders will pay with their lives. 

Romeo’s parents pull  Benvolio aside and ask him what caused the fight. After Benvolio gives his side of the story, Romeo’s parents want to know if Benvolio can tell them why Romeo is upset. Romeo’s dad explains that he (R) keeps to himself and will not share his problems with anyone. Benvolio tells Lord Montague that he saw Romeo earlier that morning going into a grove of sycamore trees. It seemed that Romeo wanted to be alone, so Benvolio did not pursue him. Lord Montague fears that something “black and portentous” will occur if they do not soon find out what is going on with Romeo so that they can help him.

TOMORROW: Vocabulary Quiz  (See Wednesday’s post for words)

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