Vocabulary Root Lists

Lessons 1-2
cred = believe; deus = God; divine = foretell, omniscient; theos = God; sacre = holy; sanct = holy; hiero = high and holy; pia/pie = pure.

Lessons 3-4
dox/dog = opinion; gno/gni = know; crit/cris = judge; mnem/mnes = memory; phren/fren = mind; ratio = reason; not/nos = know; sap/sag = wise; put = calculate, consider; sci(e) = knowledge, understanding.

Lessons 5-6
litera = letter; scrib/script = write; nom/nym = name; graph/gram = draw; lex/lect = word or speech; logos = word or logic

Lessons 7-8
fab = conversation, storytelling; dict = state, tell; gloss/glot = tongue; clam/claim = shout; for/forum = debate; ling = language; loc/loq = talk; verb = word

First Semester Extra Roots
a = not; hetero = different; homo = same; cracy = government; prot = first; pro = forward; epi = on; pre = before; plebe = commoner, citizen...

Lessons 9-10
geo/gee = the earth, as in the globe; terra = earth, as in the ground; humus = soil; mont = mountain; past = shepherd; rur/rust = country, as in countryside; anima = life force; ether = upper air; fan/phan = to show or appear; spirit/spiro = breath; hyper = over; vent = wind.

Lessons 11-12
ferv = boiling hot; flagr = burning; flam = flame; incend = to set on fire; caut/caust = chemical burn; pyr = fire; scint = spark; flu = flow; hydra = water; mar = sea; naus/naut = ship; pont/pons = bridge; unda = wave

Lessons 13-14
ord = order; stol = to send; regula = to rule; rect = straight, right; stell = star; ast = star; cosmo = universe; mut = change; temer = rash, reckless; turb = disorder; spers = to scatter; temper = balanced; ultima/ultra = last or beyond.

Lessons 15-16

October Book Club Meetings

Your first book club meetings are almost due! We will have a full class book forum during your L.A. period on Halloween, the last day of the quarter. Therefore, the last chance for your clubs to meet would be Thursday night the 30th. Appoint a secretary at your meeting (you can switch off secretarial duties for each meeting if you wish) who will take notes as the group discusses the following questions.

Book Club Discussion Guide - Christian Fiction

1) What would you say is the purpose and audience of this book? Do you think the book succeeded?

2) What about the book seems universal or archetypal? In other words, what aspects of the book might be relevant to ANY audience, not just a Christian one?

3) How does this book depict Christian concepts? Consider the depiction of God, of sin, of hope, and of religion itself.

4) Consider your list of literary terms. Can you come up with a few literary observations relevant to the book? For instance, where was the climax of the story? Was there any use of symbol or motif? Etc.

5) What was the group's opinion of the book? Did you like it or not? Why? Defend your opinions.

At the full-class book forum on October 31st, you are encouraged to contribute snacks and hot drink mixes: hot chocolate, hot cider, tea bags, etc. I will provide hot water and cups. Also, your parents are invited and encouraged to participate in your individual book clubs - and they are free to join us in class as well. Every club that has at least one parent participant at their individual book club meeting will receive one bonus point on book club credit!

Iliad Book One Assessment

This assignment is not a blog assignment. It is due on paper on Monday, October 27 as evidence that you have completed Book One of the Iliad. You have three choices:

1) Three pages-worth of high quality "Who-What-When-Where-Why-How" notes on Book One as a whole.
2) A quiz on Book One to be administered during lunch on Monday at 12:40. Don't be late.
3) Create a 2-page dramatic script or a 2-page comic strip of the argument between Agamemnon and Achilles. Include as many details behind their argument as you can, as well as a lot of good insults!

Strategy and Success Blog

Well, here we are past the interim point of our first semester. How are things going? I've noticed many things about this year's sophomores: you're good natured, you're expressive, and you work well with stories. The bad news (there's always a little bad news) is that you're not testing well, and there seems to be some problems with reading/studying habits. I'd like to work with you to improve the bad news...Your assignment is to answer the following questions:

1) What do you like best about class so far? What's going well?
2) What has been your greatest disappointment so far?
3) Describe how you've studied for tests or prepared for quizzes. Give me time lengths, environment, strategy, etc.
4) Do you know if you're a visual, aural (hearing) or kinesthetic (movement) learner? Answer with a yes or no and an explanation.

BONUS: For extra credit on this blog entry, have a parent leave a comment on your post. Have your Mom or Dad describe their observations of your strengths and weaknesses in study habits and/or comments on what you are learning in class! This additional perspective will help me provide more specific class instruction in upcoming weeks.