Ms. Bakin's Board

Upper School Teacher

About Ms. Bakin

 

 

My name is Brigid Bakin and this will be my 5th year here at Naples Classical Academy! I have taught a variety of subjects across the years, but this year I am happy to announce that I will be returning to the 8th grade Literature and 11th grade Philosophy classrooms, as well as beginning a new (to me) venture into the world of 6th grade Grammar and Composition! I am beyond excited to embark upon this noble endeavor with your students, and I hope that your scholars will enjoy my class as much as I enjoy teaching them!

Before gracing the halls of NCA however, I spent my intellectually formative years at Ave Maria University where I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities and Liberal Studies, as well as a minor in Politics and a minor in Shakespeare in Performance. One of the most important lessons I learned while at undergrad is the importance of truly desiring to learn. I hope to instill this love of learning in my scholars, and I do hope that you will assist in facilitating this by encouraging your scholars to share the discussions in class and perhaps introduce similar conversations with the family at home. For the families of my Philosophy students: Be Prepared! We will be discussing many “Hot Button” topics during class, so be prepared for a handful of seemingly absurd questions and propositions. I promise there is a method to my madness.

In terms of housekeeping: I am chronically online, for better or for worse. If you ever need to reach me for any reason or have any question about the syllabus, class procedures, homework, et cetera, please do not hesitate to reach out to me via email! While I cannot promise an immediate response, I will do my best to respond within 24 hours. However, between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 a.m., (and over the weekend), I turn into a pumpkin and will be unable to reply to any emails. If you do happen to send an email between those hours, I will reply as soon as I can once I am at work.

Once again, I want to extend a warm welcome to those of you who are new to NCA, and also my gratitude for lending your precious bundles of joy to me for the next 10 (or so) months. While this bio might seem a bit light-hearted, I do take my job very seriously. You scholar will receive, to the best of my abilities, an excellent education in Literature or Philosophy.

I cannot wait to meet all of you! You will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Warm regards,

Brigid Bakin

Sign up now for my Shakespeare club!

Homework

01/21 Homework

Bell work:

Why do you think Crusoe didn’t build a fire for a rescue smoke signal?

Vocab:

  1. Laborious
    1. (adj) requiring a lot of time and effort
  2. Tedious
    1. (adj) too slow, too boring
  3. Egress
    1. (noun) the act of leaving
  4. Regress
    1. (noun) devolving

Reading Questions:

  1. What does Crusoe discover are on the island?
    1. How does Crusoe keep track of the days?
    2. What does Crusoe say he doesn’t need to be worried about, and why?
      1. Describe Crusoe’s journal
      2. What does Crusoe decide to do with his shelter, and why?
        1. What does Crusoe decide to start doing?
          1. What do we find out this book is?

            Homework:

            Read the first half of chapter 5 (pgs. 55-68)

            01/20 Homework

            Bell Work:

            What do you think has happened to the rest of the crew?

            Vocab:

            1. Truncheon
              1. (noun) a short thick stick used as a weapon
            2. Diligence
              1. (noun) careful and persistent behavior
            3. Ravenous
              1. (adj) wild with hunger
            4. Apprehended
              1. (verb) understand or perceive
              2. Unusual definition

            Reading Questions:

            1. What kind of shape does Crusoe see the ship in?
            2. Where does Crusoe decide to sleep for the night, and what does he do before that?
              1. What does Crusoe realize about the ship that makes him sad?
                1. What are some of the things Crusoe brings to shore from the ship?
                  1. What does Crusoe say when he finds the money, and what does he end up doing with it?
                    1. What does Crusoe decide he must do next?
                      1. What four qualities does he think makes up good land?
                      2. How would you describe the shelter that Crusoe makes for himself?

                        Homework:

                        Finish reading chapter 4.

                        1/15 Homework

                        Bell work:

                        How well do you think Crusoe is going to survive?

                        Vocab:

                        1. Impetuosity
                          1. (noun) making a rash decision
                        2. Consternation
                          1. (noun) anxiety, dismay
                        3. Dismal
                          1. (adj) depressing, somber
                        4. Endeavor
                          1. (verb) try hard to achieve something

                        Reading Questions:

                        1. Why do you think he is so against returning to Brasil?
                        2. What happens to the ship right after they see land?
                          1. What do they do to try to survive the storm?
                            1. What happens to Crusoe?
                              1. What does Crusoe cling onto that helps him survive?
                                1. Where does Crusoe rest himself once he escapes the ocean?

                                  Homework:

                                  Study notes for chs. 1-3 quiz.

                                  01/14 Homework

                                  Bell Work:

                                  Why do you think Crusoe never follows his father’s advice to settle down, even when successful?

                                  Vocab:

                                  1. Procuring
                                    1. (verb) to obtain, to get
                                  2. Naturalization
                                    1. (noun) making a foreigner into a citizen
                                  3. Enjoining
                                    1. (verb) to instruct, to urge
                                  4. Scudding
                                    1. (verb) move fast

                                  Reading Questions:

                                  1. Why does the captain of the Portuguese ship say he rescued Crusoe?
                                    1. What does the captain request to buy from Crusoe that he doesn’t want to give up?
                                      1. What two reasons finally convince Crusoe?
                                        1. What does Crusoe decide to settle down and do in the Brasils?
                                          1. What do his friends in the Brasils propose he join them on?
                                            1. How does Crusoe refer to himself?
                                              1. What happens to the ship when they are 12 days out at sea?

                                                Reading Homework:

                                                Finish ch. 3

                                                Writing Homework:

                                                Write a paragraph (minimum 5 sentences) on the following prompt:
                                                Do you think Crusoe is a good person or not, why?

                                                01/13 Homework

                                                Bell Work:

                                                What would you have done with Moely and Xury?

                                                Vocab:

                                                1. League
                                                  1. (noun) a unit of measurement equaling about 3 miles
                                                2. Apprehensive
                                                  1. (adj) anxious or fearful
                                                3. Thither
                                                  1. (adverb) going to ‘that’ place
                                                4. Pensive
                                                  1. (adj) thoughtful

                                                Reading Questions:

                                                1. What does Crusoe do to Moely, and why do you think he did it?
                                                2. What offer does Crusoe make Xury?
                                                  1. What advice of Xury’s does Crusoe take?
                                                    1. What does Xury find when he goes exploring from the boat?
                                                      1. Who/what spots them at the end?

                                                      Reading Homework:

                                                      Read the first half of chapter 3.

                                                      Homework Questions:

                                                      1. What does the captain request to buy from Crusoe that he doesn’t want to give up?
                                                        2. What do Crusoe’s friends in the Brasils propose he join them on?
                                                        3. Use ‘pensive’ in a sentence.

                                                      01/12 Homework

                                                      Bell Work:

                                                      Do you think Crusoe’s changeability is a sign of weakness?

                                                      Vocab:

                                                      1. Integrity
                                                        1. (noun) quality of being honest
                                                      2. Athwart
                                                        1. (adverb) across, side to side
                                                      3. Dextrous
                                                        1. (adj) having skill
                                                      4. Notion
                                                        1. (noun) an idea, a thought

                                                      Reading Questions:

                                                      1. What is the main reason Crusoe decides to not return home?
                                                        1. Who is the first person Crusoe meets with in London?
                                                          1. How has he acquired money?
                                                            1. What does he find in Guinea, and how much money does he get for it?
                                                              1. What ends up happening to his ship on his second voyage?
                                                                1. Is Crusoe’s lying to Moely and stealing from his master justifiable?

                                                                  Homework:

                                                                  Finish reading chapter 2.

                                                                  Wish List

                                                                  Purchasing classroom decorations is by no means necessary, but is greatly appreciated! By purchasing any of these items you will be contributing to the learning environment in such a way that encourages a love of learning and beauty.

                                                                   

                                                                  Ms. Bakin’s Amazon Wishlist

                                                                  Class Newsletter

                                                                  Helpful Links

                                                                  Here is a pdf of the study guide for the 8th grade Literature midterm. The midterm will consist of 80 questions, so make sure you study carefully.

                                                                  8th Lit Midterm guide