Date Homework
4/21/08 Correct the Art of Swordsmanship" packet pages 137-8.

Begin The Sign of the Chrysanthemum by Katherine Paterson.  Introduction, Read ch. 1 in class.
HOMEWORK:    CH. 1-2            Look up definitions for highlighted words
                                                       Read  and answer questions
4/22/08 Warm up: Similes, Metaphors, & Personification, ch. 1
Review ch. 2;
HOMEWORK:
1. Look for  similes, metaphors, and personification in chapters 1 & 2.
2. Study these dictation sentences:

         1. "On the bank of the shining river sprawled the roofs of the daimyo’s manor, like a great, lazy cat stretched out for a summer nap.  Across the fields the tiny thatched huts of the serfs tumbled upon one another like a litter of newborn kittens, drawing warmth and assurance from one another’s bodies.” (p. 1)

          2.   “Never, never again will I bend, ankle-deep in the mud like a water buffalo until my back wants to scream out.” (p. 2) 

3. “Until now, his mother and he had been like these two tapers in a dark, unfriendly world.” (p. 3)

3. Bring your ISN tomorrow.
4/23/08 High School parent night announcements
Dictation & simile quiz for ch. 1
Group reading: "The Japanese Samurai"
Article # 1 follow-up: Make a graphic organizer showing the content.  Finish today.
Homework:  8th graders and those going to the DELAC meeting tonight have no homework.  For all others: Read the second article, "The Sword of the Samurai".  Answer questions on a separate paper.
 
4/24/08 Share graphic organizers.
 Do Japan Geography Challenge, ISN, pp. 136-7  

Japan Question 1
Label the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea, and the Pacific Ocean.  In what two ways might the seas have influenced Japan’s history?

Japan Question 2
Label Kyushu, Shikoku, Honshu, and Hokkaido. Which of these islands do you think became the center of power in Japan? Why?

Japan Question 3
Label the Chugoku Mountains, the Japanese Alps, and the Hidaka Mountains. What effect do you think these mountains had on Japan’s efforts to become a united country?

Japan Question 4
Which percent—90%, 60%, or 15%—do you think best expresses the amount of land Japan can use for agriculture? How might the amount of agricultural land in Japan affect what is grown or raised there?

Japan Question 5
Label Nara and Kyoto. Nara and Kyoto were two ancient capitals. Why do you think they were good locations for a capital?

Japan Question 6
Use four colors to show on your map the number of people per square mile that live in Japan. Fill in the key to explain the meaning of your colors. Where do most people live in Japan?

Japan Question 7
Label the Kanto Plain. Why do you think the Kanto Plain is the most populated area in Japan?

Japan Question 8
Look at the map on page 423 of your book. List two of Japan’s neighbors. How do you think these neighbors might have affected Japan’s history?

Finish for homework. Make sure your use colored pencils. Make sure your answers are in complete sentences and contain necessary key words.

*** READ "THE SWORD OF THE SAMURAI" and complete the 5 questions on a separate paper.
4/25/08 Stamp homework.
   Trade and correct: ISN pp. 136-7.  Turn in for points.
                              Correct "Sword..." questions.
Vocabulary for ch. 3 and 4.
HOMEWORK:  Do Sign... chapters 3-4  (That means:  Review all Vocabulary; look up highlighted vocabulary; Read ch. 3-4 and answer the questions in your packet.)