9-19 Bellringer English III

Of Benjamin Franklin’s thirteen virtues, which do you think you need to work on the most? WHY?

9-20 Bellringer English I

In two columns, list three adjectives converted to adverbs simply by adding ly.

Adjective Adverb Cautious Cautiously Extreme Extremely

9-21 Bellringer The Fight of Your Life

Imagine that you are a soldier fighting in a war that will determine the fate of your homeland. Your family, friends, and way of living are all in danger. It is the middle of winter and you and the soldiers around you are all dressed in ragged clothes and only a few have shoes. Everyone is hungry and huddled in tents without floors. You were badly defeated in the last battle and everyone is thinking about home.

What spoken words would you provide to keep the desperate soldiers fighting?

Write a brief motivational speech that you would give the troops.

9-22 Bellringer Oh Yeah?! Oh Yeah?!

You’re never as witty and smart in the middle of a confrontation as you are after it’s over, when suddenly you can think of a million things you should have said. Imagine you are back in the thick of an argument you once had, and write out the eloquent, intelligent remarks you should have made at the time.

9-23 Bellringer “The best education in the

world is that got by struggling to get a living.” – Wendell Phillips

Many students sick of high school make arguments similar to Philliops’s. Do you agree with Phillips that hard work provides a sufficient education, or do you think success is more likely for those people who receive a traditional education?

9-26 Bellringer English I Personification is a literary device

that gives a nonliving object the characteristics of a living thing. For example, a writer might say that the wind “sighs,” the rain “laughs,” and the leaves “whisper.”

“The fog comes on little cat feet.” Write a second line, rhymed or

unrhymed, to follow this line. For Example:

The fog comes in on little cat feet.And creeps silently past my bedroom window.

9-27 Bellringer “What we call education and culture is

for the most part nothing but the substitution of reading for experience, of literature for life, of the obsolete fictitious for the contemporary real.” – George Bernard Shaw

Someone who hates reading could use Shaw’s words to argue that books merely distract from real life. Whatever your feelings on the matter, write a response to the anti-reader, explaining why literature is an important part of life.

9-28 Bellringer September is National Book Month.

A new type of book, an eBook, is making its way into homes and classrooms around the world. An eBook does not use paper and is listened to by the “reader.”

Would you rather read a paper book, listen to an eBook or a combination of both?

WHY?

9-29 Bellringer “Each of us has the right and responsibility

to assess the road which lies ahead and those over which we have traveled, and if the future road looms ominous or unpromising, and the road back uninviting, then we need to gather our resolve and carrying only the necessary baggage, step off that road and into another direction. If the new choice is also unpalatable, without embarrassment, we must be ready to change that one as well.”

Maya Angelou

9-29 Bellringer cont… What is Angelou saying about courage

and decisions? Do you think this is a helpful way to look

at life? (Not just yes/no) Talk about a time in your own life when

you had to change courses.

9-30 Bellringer “An educational system is not worth a

great deal if it teaches young people how to make a living but does not teach them how to make a life.” - Anonymous

React to this quotation by reflecting on how it applies to you and your future. Do you feel your education (thus far) has taught you how to make a living and/or how to make a life?

Will you rely on college to teach you about life, or do you feel your current level of education is sufficient?

10-4 Bellringer Different Drummer “Why should we be in such desperate

haste to succeed, and in such desperate enterprises? If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away.”

Henry David Thoreau

10-4 Bellringer cont… Thoreau urges us to follow our

instincts rather than mindlessly rushing to compete with our peers. Do you know someone (possibly yourself) who marches to the beat of a different drummer?

How does this person live differently from others?

Do other people consider this person weird or misguided?

10-5 Bellringer Musical Memories Songs can invoke vivid memories;

hearing a particular song can rocket you back to seventh grade or last summer. Write about a song that is really evocative of a certain time in your life.

10-6 Bellringer Standing Up… Laying Down You just saw some upperclassmen

picking on a freshman, who was crying. You’re kind of friends with these upperclassmen, but you are not totally comfortable with them. Do you intervene or just walk away?

WHY?

10-10 Bellringer From Passive to Active“We have not passed that subtle line between

childhood and adulthood until we move from the passive voice to the active voice – that is, until we have stopped saying ‘It got lost,’ and say ‘I lost it.’”- Sydney J. Harris

Harris uses grammar to make a larger point: that only when we start taking responsibility for our actions can we call ourselves adults. Write about a moment when you were tempted to use the passive voice (that is, to refuse to take responsibility) but ultimately decided to use the active voice.

10-11 Bellringer Copy the following sentences

and underline all pronouns.Waking suddenly, I heard

something in the hallway.I know how disappointed he

felt, but I liked neither of the movies he rented.

These are the types of problems that make me want to scream.

10-18 Bellringer English III On this day in 1767, the Mason-

Dixon Line was established. This line was very symbolic in the minds of the people of a young nation struggling over slavery.

Conduct a brief online search and discuss three facts that you found most interesting.

10-18 Bellringer English I If you don’t’ use it, why

keep it? Write about an item in your house,

in your closet or the pantry etc… that no one ever uses but miraculously avoids being thrown away.

Why do you or your family keep this item around?

What would happen if you actually got rid of it?

10-19 Bellringer Taking Orders If you were given an order by an

authority (parent, teacher, law enforcement, the government, etc…) and you knew what you were asked to do was wrong and would not have a positive outcome, would you do it anyway?

10-20 Bellringer Copy each sentence. Find the error in

each sentence and make corrections. When I looked beneath the cushions on the

sofa, I discovered the remote control, and two dollars in change.

Vintage clothes, for some odd reason, fetch higher prices now then they did when they were first for sale many years ago.

In the refrigerator is pizzas and hamburgers that are left over from last weekend’s party on the pier.

10-24 Bellringer Copy each sentence. Find the error

in each sentence and make corrections.

Sometimes it seems that everyone in America has a cell phone except for I.

On our field trip last week, we went not only to the art museum but plus to the science and history.

Four Little League teams advanced to the state tournament one of them, the team sponsored by First State Bank, is from our hometown.

10-25 Bellringer Copy the following sentences and

capitalize the proper adjectives. While on vacation, we visited the

aztec monument. During the race, the american runner

lost his balance and ended up with the bronze medal.

The african prince was fooled by the clever Anansi.

10-26 Bellringer America is dependent on foreign oil, a fact that

dismays many Americans. Hybrid cars, most of which run of gasoline or diesel and electricity, can help America reduce its dependence on foreign oil. They also reduce pollution. Energy sources like electricity and solar power cut down on the harmful emissions that contribute to allergy-aggravating smog. Lobbyists say that eventually hybrid cars will be just as affordable as gasoline-powered and diesel-powered vehicles. However, the auto industry contends that the cost of research and development of hybrids will drive the price of the product higher than consumers will accept.

10-26 Continued The passage implies that many

Americans… A. dislike the fact that the U.S. depends on

foreign electricity and solar power. B. dislike the fact that the U.S. is independent

of foreign countries. C. appreciate the fact that lobbyists are

working hard to reduce smog nationwide. D. disapprove of America’s reliance on foreign

oil. E. have test-driven hybrids.

10-26 continued Which of the following is true about the

author of this passage? A. The author is probably sympathetic to the

auto industry. B. The author is probably in favor of the use of

hybrids. C. The author is probably annoyed by

lobbyists. D. The author has probably participated in

studies on the effectiveness of hybrid cars. E. The author probably knows someone who

purchased a hybrid.

10-31 Bellringer Complete the sentence by choosing

the best answers. Von Trapp ____________ along the

narrow mountain trail, never moving in the same direction for more than a few yards A. rocketed B. barreled C. dashed D. meandered E. galloped

10-31 continued Theo’s friends ___________ him not to

move to Idaho, but his mind was made up. A. inveigled B. demanded C. implored D. wheedled E. pleaded

11-3 Bellringer Write about a time in your life when

time seemed to go by very quickly. What about a time when it seemed

to go by very slowly? What do you think caused the time

to pass in such a manner?

11-4 Bellringer Once and for all… In Romeo and Juliet, civil peace and

order in Verona is repeatedly disrupted by fights between the Capulet and Montague families.

In a well developed paragraph, create a proposal for ending this feud. (How would you have them end it?/How would you solve the problem?)

Make sure you discuss past events as reason to end the conflict.

11-7 Bellringer a city bus or subway train an unusual room a child's secret hiding place a bowl of fruit an item left too long in

your refrigerator backstage during a play or

a concert a vase of flowers a rest room in a service

station a street that leads to your

home or school your favorite food

a locker an accident scene a waiting room a basketball, baseball

glove, or tennis racket a cell phone a treasured belonging a laptop computer a favorite restaurant your dream house your ideal roommate a closet your memory of a place

that you visited as a child

11-8 Bellringer Expository Paragraph Write a “How To…” paragraph about

one of the following topics: How to send a text message How to make a sandwich (any type) How to play a sport How to get a date Check with Coach Roberts if you have an

idea of your own!

11-9 Bellringer Persuasive Paragraph Write a persuasive paragraph using one of

the following topics: Dieting makes people fat High school graduates should take a year off before

entering college. Participating in team sports helps to develop good

character. The production and sale of cigarettes should be

made illegal. People have become overly dependent on

technology.

11-10 Bellringer Literature and film are full of

characters who fall in love at first sight.

Do you believe this kind of love is possible?

Do you believe two people can look at each other and fall instantly in love, knowing they are meant to be together?

Has this ever happened to you? Explain how you feel about this

idealistic notion.

11-14 Bellringer Define love in as many ways as you

want.  Use examples to support your definition.  Or, write a poem.  However you want to do it is fine.

11-15 Bellringer Imagine you are Romeo/Juliet and write a

letter to your parents informing them of your decision to get married without their permission.

Consider the following: the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets, Juliet’s planned wedding with Count Paris, other family members (Tybalt), what the people of Verona will think, etc…

What will you say to avoid harsh consequences?

11-16 Bellringer Reflect on your current

grade in this course. Make a plan to keep your

grade the same if you are satisfied with your grade.

Make a plan for improvement if your grade is not where you think it should be.

11-17 Bellringer Behind Closed Doors Many families and/family members fight

or argue differently. Some get very angry and loud, some use name

calling and sarcasm to get their point across. Some families use the “silent treatment” when

they are upset with each other. Day to day family conflicts are usually settled

and/or forgotten about within minutes, hours, or even days. Write a paragraph explaining how you and your

family handle daily conflicts.

11-28 Bellringer Write a paragraph using three (3) of

the following five (5) words. Mirror SUV Remote Tree Shirt

11-29 Bellringer Write a paragraph using four (4)

of the following six (6) words. Rug Clapping Juice Drive Horizon Watch

11-30 Bellringer Write a paragraph using five (5) of

the following seven (7) words. Bagel Fridge Hole Edge` Pressure Cause Pocket

12-1 Bellringer Write a paragraph using six (6) of the

following eight (8) words. Tray Flood Pickles Book bag Pencil Paper Windex Charlie Sheen

12-2 Bellringer Write a paragraph using seven (7) of the

following nine (9) words. Button Temperature Color Light Switch Animal Arrange Serve Snap

12-5 Bellringer On this day in 1901, Walter

Elias (Walt) Disney was born in Chicago.  What is your favorite Walt Disney movie and why?  If you haven’t seen any Disney movies, which movie would you like to see and why?