Assignments for November 3, 2026

 We are getting to longer, more difficult assignments. The Fix-it lessons are also getting more complicated. Make sure you understand the instructions before attempting a lesson. That means you should always re-read the instructions and the portions of the lesson covered in class before you start your homework. 

Journal: Column poem. See the handout instructions.

Fix-it: Week 9

Upper Elementary/People, Places:

I took up Lesson 7 "Recycling." We started Lesson 8 "The Bank." This lesson introduces the who/which clause dress up. You have already been identifying it in the Fix-it lessons; now you need to create your own. You should find a noun first in a sentence that you can tell more about. Who/which clauses are added to a sentence. They will not begin a sentence--that is either a fragment or a question. 

For homework: Lesson 8 "The Bank." Do p. 66. Find a noun to tell more about with a who/which clause. Finish the KWO. Write a rough draft. Optional: do the coin game on page 68. 

Middle School/Investigations: 

I took up Lesson 5/6 "Old Woman." Remember to underline and label your dress ups! I checked outlines for lesson 7. This lesson added in the strong verb dress up and added in banned verbs. We mapped the story arc for Lesson 8, "Theseus and the Minotaur." I started the KWO for you. 

For homework: Lesson 8 "Theseus and the Minotaur"--finish the KWO and do p. 70. Try to write a partial rough draft. (We will choose either lesson 7 or 8 to polish into a three-paragraph final draft.) Next time we will add the new dress up "because" clause. 

High School I: Voyage of the Dawn Treader--read chapters 1-4. If you have time, go ahead and read chapters 5-7. 

Narnia: I took up the final drafts of the narrative story assignment. I took up the drafts of Lesson 7--our first lesson in the summarizing a longer source lesson. We started Lesson 8, "RMS Queen Mary." It did not have time to read the source text in class; I did give you the topic sentence key words and started you on taking notes. Remember, you cannot use all the facts; you must choose which facts you believe support the topic sentence ideas. Next time we'll discuss the rest of the lesson. You are encouraged to pre-read the rest of the lesson.

Homework: Lesson 8 "RMS Queen Mary." Read the source text. Finish the KWO. Write a rough draft. Next week we will discuss pages 66-70--pre-read it.

High School II:

Fallacy Detective: do the exercises with lesson 14, pages 85-87.

Lord of the Flies: read chapter 11.

Windows to the World: Polish the final draft of Exercise 5, suspense essay. Four paragraphs with in-text citations. 

Data Centers: I added another article to your stash to preview. 

Assignments for October 27, 2026

 Hope you are enjoying these cooler temperatures. 

Spirit Day: Who are you? Wear a costume and have friends guess who you are.

Journal: Letter and envelope. Write a letter to a friend or older relative. Ask them questions. What are their favorite activities? What was their childhood like? Also address an envelope to this person. 

Fix-it: Week 8

Upper Elementary/People, Places: I took up Lesson 6 "Mail Carriers." Some of you had already started Lesson 7 on Recycling--that's fine. We reviewed it anyway. We reviewed creating a title. We also reviewed nouns. 

For homework: Lesson 7 "Recycling"--do page 59. Finish the KWO and write a rough draft. Try to add a new title. 

Middle School/Investigations: I checked or took up Lesson 5/6 "Old Woman." This assignment is different from previous ones. In addition to a new structure, we are also writing three paragraphs. Each paragraph needs each dress up. One alliteration is needed for the entire assignment. You will also need a new title. 

We started Lesson 7 which is also a narrative story. This one is on a character who ran a marathon before it was called a marathon. Again, remember we are not taking sentence-by-sentence notes; instead, we are asking questions.  Your KWO will not match the paragraphs in the source text. We are looking for a problem and then how the problem gets solved. I started the KWO in class. 

For homework: Lesson 5/6 "Old Woman" final draft. Lesson 7 "Ph. and the Battle of Marathon"--finish the KWO. Write at least a partial rough draft. You will choose to polish either lesson 7 or 8. Next time we will add strong verbs to our checklist for lesson 7. 

High School I: Prince Caspian--finish the book. Find Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Narnia: I checked any drafts of lesson 6. We started Lesson 7, a new unit which focuses on summarizing. We discussed adding a clincher--which repeats key words from the topic sentence. The new dress up is a www.asia clause (which is similar to the "because" clause). 

For homework: Polish your final draft for lesson 3, 4, 5, or 6. Use the checklist for lesson 6 regardless of which assignment you polish. Each paragraph will need all the dress ups and one alliteration. You also need to create a new title. 

Also--Lesson 7. Write a rough draft from the KWO I gave you. Add the clincher sentence. Extra credit if you polish it according to the checklist with lesson 7. 

High School II:

Fallacy Detective: We covered the answers to Lesson 12 questions. Lesson 13 is different. You need to read the story and perhaps go back to the story to answer the questions. So, read the lesson and answer those questions for homework. 

Lord of the Flies: Read chapter 10

Windows: I checked drafts of the body paragraphs of our essay for Exercise 5. We added the introductory and concluding paragraphs. Next time we will work on Chapter 6, Writer's Toolbox. 

For homework: Second draft of exercise 5, adding in the introductory and concluding paragraphs. Final draft due in two weeks. 

 

Assignments for October 20, 2026

 I hope you all had a pleasant week off. Now it's time to get back to work. 

Journal: Cowboys and cowgirls work with cows and horses. How many horse or cow breeds can you name? 

Fix-it: Week 7

Upper Elementary/ People, Places: I took up lesson 5 "Trains." I checked Lesson 6 drafts of "Mail Carriers." If you are confused, review the directions for changing the title in the lesson. This lesson needs one or both vocabulary words and an -ly adverb in addition to a new title. We did not get to lesson 7 as I had hoped. You are welcome to work on the recycling craft on page 60, though.  

For homework: Lesson 6 "Mail Carriers"--final draft. Optional--recycling craft on page 60. You do not have to do the one in the lesson. You may bring any craft made from recycled materials if you like. 

Middle School/Investigations in Writing: 

I checked Lesson 5, part 1 rough drafts. Lesson 6 is a continuation, focusing on the dress ups and new decoration--alliteration. Only one of those is required per assignment, not per paragraph. However, each paragraph will have dress ups. Please use the practice pages in the lesson to help you with creating and placing those. 

For homework: Lesson 5/6 "Old Woman"--second or final draft, three paragraphs with dress ups in each paragraph, one alliteration, and a new title. Next time I hope to start Lesson 7, so please pre-read the source on page 58. 

High School I: 

Prince Caspian: read chapters 14-15.

Narnia: I checked rough drafts for Lesson 5. I gave out sample KWOs for Lesson 6. This lesson involves an alternate ending. You may use the one I gave you--matching the lesson story--or change it to something else. Try to add in character descriptions--see the first page of the lesson for hints. The final checklist will be with lesson 6 regardless of which lesson you choose to polish for a final draft. Note the new banned words on the checklist and all the dress ups plus the alliteration decoration. 

For homework: Lesson 6 very rough draft. Choose one lesson from the story sequence chart lessons to be your final draft. Start polishing it using Lesson 6 checklist. A second rough draft is due next week; final draft due in two weeks. However, you are welcome to turn it in next week. We may start lesson 7 next week. 

High School II: homework

Lord of Flies: chapter 9

Fallacy Detective: Lesson 12 exercises, pages 71-73

Windows to the World: We discussed the parts of the lesson regarding present tense, topic sentence, plot summary, quotation blending, and commentary. Please review the sample paragraph on page 54 in the lesson. Also review the thesis statement template on pages 50-51. 

For homework: Exercise 5, write your graphic organizer into sentences to create two body paragraphs. Be sure to have quotations, in-text citations, and commentary. Next time we'll tackle the introductory and concluding paragraphs. 

Assignments for October 13, 2026

 Just a reminder: we're trying something new at the co-op--a Fall Break. So, no co-op classes next week, October 6. 

Spirit Day (Oct 13): Cowboy/cowgirl. Wear your Western gear. 

Journal: "What Is?" poem. This type of poem begins with the phrase "what is." Finish out the question. It could be happiness, a grandfather, school, grief, friendship, fun, etc. Write a poem of at least 6 lines explaining what that term means. Rhyming is optional. Here's a sample: 

What is happiness?

Happiness is a warm summer day,

An ice cream cone along the way.

It's a sprinkler to run through,

A dip in the pool,

A good friend to share them with--

That's really cool. 

Fix-it: Week 6

Upper Elementary/People and Places: I took up Lesson 4 "Pilots." Lesson 5 "Trains"--I checked rough drafts. I was looking to see if papers had a vocabulary word and an -ly adverb. We started Lesson 6 "Sending Things." We started the KWO on pages 50-51. We discussed the new requirement of new title (see p. 52). Page 53 has practice for the -ly adverb. Page 54 discusses an activity of addressing an envelope to later mail a copy of one of your papers. 

For homework: Lesson 5 "Trains." Final draft due with one -ly adverb (underlined) and one or both vocabulary words (also underlined). Lesson 6 "Mail Carriers." Finish the KWO, write a rough draft, review the title rule, and review the -ly adverb. 

Middle School/Investigations: I took up final drafts of Lesson 3 "Dead Sea." Lesson 4 we are not doing, but we did cover the new title requirement instructions and the who/which clause (a new dress up). 

Lessons 5 and 6 cover one assignment and a new unit--the Story Sequence Chart. We are pulling apart a story by asking questions. We worked on the KWO in class. (Contact me if you need copies of the KWO.)

For homework: Lesson 5 part 1--using the KWO we discussed in class, write three paragraphs. These do not need to be polished as yet. Lesson 6 will add to the paragraphs. Next time I will check drafts, we'll add dress ups, add the new element of alliteration, and create a new title. 

High School I

Prince Caspian: read chapters 12-13.

Narnia: Lesson 4 "Prunes, Prisms"--I took up rough drafts. 

Lesson 5 "Fix Your Eyes." We read page 39 and charted the story on page 42. We started the KWO. Pages 43-46 discuss the new dress up and banned words--quality adjective. 

For homework: Lesson 5 "Fix Your Eyes." Finish the KWO. Write a rough draft. Review the quality adjective discussion on pages 43-45. (We will be using the checklist with lesson 6 for any final draft you choose to write from the four lessons.)

High School II:
Fallacy Detective: work on Lesson 11 exercises pages 66-68,

Windows: We reviewed plot analysis. Lesson 5 covers the instructions and format for the first literary analysis essay. Please review the structure. I handed out sample suggestions for techniques and quotations. I gave out copies of the graphic organizer for the two paragraphs you will write. We talked about building the thesis.

For homework: Exercise 5 p. 64--instructions for the assignment. Fill in the blanks for the graphic organizer for the body paragraphs. Review pages 47-54.

Lord of the Flies: Read chapter 8. 

We did not add to the data center discussion today. 

Assignments for September 29, 2026

 Fall has supposedly arrived. The daylight hours are certainly getting shorter. 

Spirit Day: next time dress as your favorite superhero or wear a superhero T-shirt. 

Journal: What superpower would you like to have? How would you use it? Would you keep it secret? Try to write at least five sentences. 

Fix-it: Week 5

Upper Elementary/People, Places: 

I checked drafts of Lesson 4 "Pilots." Be sure you are getting your format correct--double space, lesson number on the upper left-hand corner, title centered, spelling errors fixed.

We started Lesson 5 "Going by Train." We started the KWO in class. We have a dress up--our first: the -ly adverb. From here on out you will need to add at least one -ly adverb per paragraph/assignment in addition to using the lesson vocabulary words. I gave out a Writer's Toolbox that contains a list of -ly adverbs. Your textbook also contains a list. If you like trains, you can cut out and put together your own train from page 223 in the book. 

For homework: Lesson 4 "Pilots"--polish your draft. Use the checklist at the bottom of the KWO. Turn this in next week. Lesson 5 "Trains"--finish the KWO. Write a rough draft. Final draft will be due in two weeks and will need one -ly adverb and one or both vocabulary words. 

Middle School/Investigations: Lesson 3 "Dead Sea." I checked rough drafts. I noted a lot of capitalization errors--check your source text to see what words are capitalized. Your checklist for the lesson is on page 33. We will not be doing a paragraph from Lesson 4; however, it does add some important concepts. This lesson contains instructions on adding the who/which clause (p. 39) and changing the title (p. 38). 

Our next lesson will be a different structural model. We will be asking questions rather than taking sentence-by-sentence notes. 

For homework: Lesson"--final draft due with one -ly adverb labeled and one or both vocabulary words (also labeled). Lesson 4--do pages 38, 39, and 40 to learn the new concepts. Please pre-read the source text for lesson 5 on page 46. 

High School I: Prince Caspian--read chapters 9-11. 

Narnia: We reviewed two new requirements--p. 27 new title and p. 27 strong verb/banned verbs. Check your checklist with each lesson because the banned word list randomly grows. (Banned words are boring words. They do not relay vivid information.) 

Lesson 4 "Prunes, Prisms" on Charles Dickens. We discussed the instructions on p. 31. We started the KWO on p. 34. Be sure you are asking questions to fill in the blank lines. We are adding two new final draft requirements: the "because" clause (p. 36) and alliteration (p. 36). One is a dress up and the other is a decoration, so they appear in different places on the checklist. 

For homework: Lesson 4 "Prunes, Prisms"--fill out p. 35. Finish the KWO. Optional--3 paragraph rough draft. Remember we are doing several rough drafts and will later pick one to polish into a final draft. Please also read the source text for Lesson 5. 

High School II: 

Fallacy Detective: For lesson 10 "Faulty Appeal to Authority"--do the exercises pages 60-63. 

Lord of the Flies: read chapter 7

Data Centers--read and annotate the new articles. 

Windows to the World: We're discussing the ways authors create suspense. Re-read Lesson 4 if needed. Complete as much as you can for Exercise 4 "Plot Analysis" pages 44-45. Read p. 46. 

Assignments for September 22, 2026

 Maybe it's fall? We'll soon see if the cooler temps hold. It's almost fair season. The Western Carolina (Aiken) State Fair is October 16-25. The South Carolina State Fair (Columbia) is October 15-25. In the meantime, check out some local corn mazes. There are at least two in Trenton.

Just a reminder that October 6 is our Fall Break--no co-op. 

Journal: Sports Figure--Who is your favorite? What makes him/her your favorite? Any character traits you admire? Any skills you want to learn? Try to write at least five sentences. 

Fix-it: Week 4

Upper Elementary/People, Places: 

We started Lesson 4 "Airports." This is the first lesson that formally asks students to write out a draft from their key word outline. Note the checklist at the bottom of the KWO. Page 41 includes instruction for the checklist. Also new are vocabulary words. These fit the subject we are studying. Try to use at least one lesson vocabulary word in the draft. 

For homework: Lesson 4 "Pilots." Finish the KWO. Write a rough draft. Try to use one or both vocabulary words in the paragraph. Also try to write the draft double-spaced. The final draft will be due in two weeks. That gives me time to check rough drafts and offer suggestions for improvement. Optional activity--make a paper airplane from the lesson instructions. 

Middle School/Investigations: 

Lesson 2 "Ring of Fire"--I took these up to grade. 

Lesson 3 "Dead Sea"-- The new vocabulary words that go with this lesson are under "Goals" on the first page of the lesson. We read the source text and started a KWO. Please note the capitalization instructions at the bottom of the source text. We also discussed spelling out numbers (see p. 21). Before you finish the KWO, you should re-read the source text so that you will better understand the material. You should also try to find the Dead Sea on a map. 

For homework: Lesson 3 "Dead Sea." Finish the KWO. Write a rough draft of about nine sentences. Do the style practice on page 32 to help you with dress ups and vocabulary words. 

High School I: Prince Caspian--read chapters 5-8. 

Following Narnia: I took up Lesson 2 "Suits." Quite a few of you did not have these available to turn in. You will need to email me your final draft, preferably by Friday. 

Lessons 3, 4, 5, and 6 are Story Sequence Chart lessons. We will be choosing one of these for a final draft. We are pulling about a story to focus on and examine the parts. Part I is the setting (time and place), characters, and background information. Part II starts with the character's problem. It is followed by the say, think, and do from the characters. This is the meat of the story. Part III starts with the climax of the story--how does the character's problem get solved. It is followed by what happens after and what is needed to make the story feel complete. 

We discussed a sample outline for the story of Aristotle and Alexander. Also in this lesson is a new title and strong verbs. New title words are taken from the very last sentence. This is where you can be creative--add in words that would make a unique title. Strong verbs add vivid action to a story. A good place to add strong verbs is where there are weak verbs. Weak verbs will be our banned verbs. These are listed on the bottom of the checklist. (Pay attention--these get added to.) The lesson also includes sample strong verbs for the banned ones. 

For homework: Lesson 3 "Aristotle" rough draft only. Try to avoid banned verbs. Review pages 27 & 28 for instructions for new titles and strong verbs. Also pre-read the source text for Lesson 4. 

High School II:

Fallacy Detective--Lesson 9 "Tu Quoque"--do the exercises on pages 54-56. 

Lord of the Flies--Read chapter 6 and answer questions.

Data Centers--I had three new articles for your perusal.

Windows to the World: We started Lesson 4 "Plot and Suspense." We stopped on page 41. For homework, read and annotate the handout short story, "Poison." Answer the questions. 

Assignments for September 15, 2026

 Aiken's Makin and Touch a Truck are this weekend. September 19 is SEED day at USC-Aiken. 

Spirit Day: next week wear your favorite sport's team gear.

Journal: Use your senses. Describe what you see, hear, smell, feel, and taste while lying on the beach. If it's been a while since you went to the beach, do the same for your back yard. 5 + sentences.

Fix-it: Week 3 (look up vocabulary words, mark the grammar, fix the errors, re-write the four days).

Upper Elementary/People and Places: We practiced telling the two outlines from lesson 2 out load. Be sure you are also doing that at home. We started Lesson 3 "Information." We are only going to do the source for 3A. I started that KWO in class.

We discussed book covers. These tell the author and illustrator for a book as well as the title and an illustration of the book to get you interested in it. Pages 34-35 have an optional activity of creating your own book title.

For homework: Lesson 3A--finish the KWO. Practice telling the entire outline out loud at home. Run through it several times, making a change or two each time. Optional--book cover on page 35.

Middle School/Investigations: Lesson 2 "Ring of Fire." I checked rough drafts. Remember to review the rule for writing numbers. This is on page 21. Page 26 has vocabulary practice. Your checklist is on page 27. This is how I grade your papers--it matters! Next time we'll start lesson 3 "Dead Sea." 

For homework: Lesson 2 "Ring of Fire" final draft. Be sure you have at least one -ly adverb and one vocabulary word from Lesson 2. These are on the first page of the lesson as well as p. 26 with the vocabulary practice. Also be sure your paper is double-spaced--learn how to set that up before you start typing. Your name and the lesson number should be on the upper left-hand side. The title should be centered. 

High School I: Prince Caspian--read chapters 5-8.

Narnia: I did not get around to discussing the next lesson which is a new unit. The Fix--it lesson took up a lot of class time. I did check rough drafts of lesson 2. We reviewed the checklist which has two dress ups on it--ly adverb and who/which clause. I had hoped to start Lesson 3, a new unit, but ran out of time. 

For homework: Final draft of Lesson 2 "A Suit." Use your checklist on page 19. Be sure you are formatting your paper correctly and have the needed dress ups. Also, please pre-read the source text for Lesson 3 "Aristotle." I did hand out a sample KWO for the three parts, but apparently these were not passed around to everyone. 

High School II:
Fallacy Detective: Lesson 7 exercises pages 46-48.  Write the definitions for the fallacies we are learning on note cards. 

Lord of the Flies: Read chapter 5

Windows: Do Exercises 2 & 3, pages 35-36. Follow the directions and answer the questions. 

Read the two data center articles. Mark them with important facts. You may find pros and cons or you may just find factual information.