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We are finishing our poetry unit on Monday. We will end with a poetry coffeehouse, where students are invited (and required!) to read two poems of their choice in front of the class. Students are all invited to bring whatever coffeehouse-like drink they want. I'll have hot water urns set up with cups, and students may bring coffee, tea, hot chocolate, etc. I've been very pleased and impressed with the students' poetry. There's a lot of natural talent there!

We will also be taking a poetry test on Monday. We reviewed for this test today, but students should look over their poetry terms (which are in their poetry packets) and be ready to define the words and give an example. Feel free to quiz your students on these words: onomatopoeia, alliteration, assonance, rhythm, rhyme scheme, oxymoron and personification. Students will also be turning in a poetry book of their favorite ten poems on Tuesday.

Next on our agenda is a speech unit. Students will be required to do a demonstration speech on a topic of their choice. All next week, I will teach them how to be comfortable in front of the class, teach them not to use "filler" words, to make eye contact, and what it means to have poise. Topics for this speech unit are up to the student. In the past, we've had students de monstrate how to do karate, how to make origami swans, how to take care of triplets, how to groom a dog, how to make smoothies, how to make nachos, how to straighten hair, how to play Texas Hold "Em, how to stay organized, how to do ballet, etc. Students should think about what they are good at and comfortable doing. Props are required for this speech, but please know that students DO NOT have to spend any money to do this speech. They should, however, be thinking about what topic they want to choose. We will give speeches on the following dates, and the students will choose what date works best for them:

March 31st, April 5th, April 6th, April 7th, April 8th