Progress reports and Winter Break!

This week we are wrapping up our Anne Frank and the Holocaust unit with an overview of genocides that have taken place since WWII.  Not terribly cheery during the holiday season, but an important part in understanding why we study the Holocaust and how the world's declarations of "never again" haven't come to pass.

Progress report grades are due on Tuesday.  All grades are entered and up on Synergy with the exception of their Holocaust Novel Projects.  I am still grading those and should be finished by the end of the week. We will spend the last few days of the week watching the BBC Masterpiece movie of The Diary of Anne Frank.  It should appeal to students more than the classic film from 1959 and it is significantly shorter in length.

When we return from break, we will be reading To Kill a Mockingbird and writing our first literary analysis essay of the year in preparation for high school.  Students will be developing their skills writing thesis statements and supporting their analysis with examples from the text.

The only homework during winter break is for students to be reading a new novel for their next Independent Novel Project.  I hope everyone has a wonderful and relaxing winter break.

Safe travels and happy holidays,
Ms. Hermes

Wrapping up Anne Frank and the Holocaust

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving vacation.  We are wrapping up our unit on Anne Frank and the Holocaust.  Independent Novel Projects are coming in tomorrow, December 3rd. I'm looking forward to hearing about the various books that they read and to see what creative projects come in.

Study questions and vocabulary are due on Monday, December 8th.  Those activities should prepare students for the Unit Test on Thursday, November 11th. We will do a test review on Wednesday, November 10th in class. We've had a lot of fun using an online quiz/review game called Kahoot!

As we end this unit, we will watch two films -- Anne Frank Remembered (an Academy Award winning documentary) and the BBC film version of The Diary of Anne Frank.

Assignments:
Act 2 Study Questions -- Due Monday, December 8th along with the vocabulary packet posted earlier