Mr. O'Connor's Class Blog

And we're off...

2012-01-11T12:44:00.000-08:00

The 1st week of the 2nd semester has come to a close. We're off to a strong start -- let's keep up the momentum and before you know it, it will be Spring Break.

1st Period:
What's the difference between criminal and civil law? How do societal norms and morals lead us down the path to the creation of a law? We'll learn all this and more and we move forward.

2nd Period:
A wall begins with a single brick -- as we learn about systems of linear equations, just remember -- it's' one big wall made of many bricks. We will learn to lay one brick at a time and build that wall. Stay with me, we can do it.

3rd Period:
He's a doctor now?! After nearly getting caught in Miami, con man Frank Abagnale continues his trek across the globe. Does he take over as Head of Pediatrics? What does he think of next and how will he deal with the law breathing down his neck?

7th Period:
We learned about our first national bailout as Alexander Hamilton proposes a way in which to eliminate national and state debt as well as keep the administration in the hearts of Americans. How do we move forward as a country next?

2011-11-07T11:49:00.000-08:00

Week of November 7, 2011

Two weeks and closing until our Thanksgiving celebration! Get the hamster wheels rolling and come up with ideas for your Thanksgiving tables of the Past, Present, & Future!

PSAE: We begin a new unit this week that will cover ACT Reading components such as author's purpose, types of writing, context clues, and more.

Algebra I: I can't stress enough the use of your notes when doing homework each night as well as review in general. Nobody would expect you to make a cake without a recipe so there's no need to be embarrassed about needing a little guidance as we learn our new graphing concepts.

English: Was Grandpa selfish or brave? Was Oskar's mom a dedicated or absentee parent? Though we're done reading, the start of the real discussion begins as we dive into our charaters' minds, author's purpose, and symbolic nature of the novel. Check out this link for the movie trailer with the movie due out this holiday season -- Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.

US History: Our nation is born as the The Treaty of Paris creates the formation of these United States of America. Now a new chapter begins -- one in which will shape and form the political infrastructure that stills lasts today.

Week of October 18, 2011

2011-10-18T18:54:00.000-07:00

Nice job at Camp Sunrise everyone. It's amazing what we can accomplish when we work together and are willing to help others and accept help ourselves.

PSAE: As we continue working on literary analysis and recognizing such components, pay special attention to the difference between tone (the author's attitude) and mood (the way in which the author wants you to feel).

Algebra I: Remember the rules to solving equations --

Identify the variable
List what is happening to the variable
Do the opposite (inverse) to isolate the variable
Repeat until the problem is solved.

English: We're slowly coming to the end of our novel. Pay close attention as many of our characters' secrets come to light. Check out this link for the movie trailer with the movie due out this holiday season -- Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

US History: We will begin reviewing for the exam as the American Revolution culminates through the rough winter at Valley Forge, the Treaty of Paris, and the forging of a new nation.

Have a great week everyone!