Quarter 1

Describe yourself as a learner. What helps you learn? What doesn’t? Consider the ways past teachers and coaches have instructed you. What works best for you? And what do you like to learn about?

Write a creative/fictional story (1 paragraph) using at least 10 of your Group 1 vocabulary words (pages 5-7). Your sentences must be contextually rich. (This entry does not need to fill ¾ of the page.)

Write a formal introduction and conclusion for an essay about _____ (you choose). Be sure to include and label the four parts of the introduction and 3 parts of the conclusion. This entry does not need to be ¾ of a page.

Think of a favorite quote. Write a mini-paragraph in which you introduce, incorporate, and interpret the quotation of your choice. Label the 3 I’s within the mini-paragraph. (This entry does not have to be ¾ of a page.)

Need some inspiration?• Use a favorite movie quote or song lyric. Quote your coach, a friend, a parent,

or a sibling.

• “Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” -Thomas Jefferson

• “Skill and confidence are an unconquered army.” -George Herbert

• "The only reward of virtue is virtue; the only way to have a friend is to be one.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

• “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below: Words without thoughts, never to heaven go.” -William Shakespeare, Hamlet. Act III. Sc. 3

• “Much tongue and much judgment seldom go together.” -Roger L'Estrange

• "A Friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of Nature.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Quarter 2

In “The Scarlet Ibis,” the narrator states, “…Pride is a wonderful, terrible thing, a seed that bears two vines, life and death” (Hurst 354). What is pride? Is it a good or bad quality? When? Why? What does this statement mean in reference to the story? Is it valid outside the context of the story? Explain.

Reflect on your Thematic Connections Research Essay. In which areas did you excel? In which areas do you need improvement? On your next writing assignment, what will you do differently? Overall, what is your opinion of this assignment?

If you did not hand in an essay, explain why you did not complete this assignment.

Discuss grudges. Should you forgive and forget, forgive but never forget, or something else? When? Why?

It may help to consider/comment on the quotations below:

• “Resentment or grudges do no harm to the person against whom you hold these feelings but every day and every night of your life, they are eating at you.”

• “I've had a few arguments with people, but I never carry a grudge. You know why? While you're carrying a grudge, they're out dancing.”

• “People often grudge others what they cannot enjoy themselves.”

Look over your “Revenge Opinionnaire.” What is your position on revenge? (Choose 2 to 3 statements from the “Revenge Opinionnaire” and elaborate on them, using examples and scenarios.)