Homework for 8/26

Seniors:

Tonight you are going to finish reading book one of Great Expectations. This is quite an accomplishment. As we discussed today in class, Pip is beginning to change. Pay attention to this change, because it is quite stark. Don't forget - vocabulary cards are due on Thursday! You only have to do three, for three days of reading homework.

If you were absent from class today, you will definitely want to see someone for the notes - there were some very good points brought up by many in the studio audience. Again, continue to pay attention to the tiniest details.

Finally, those of you interested in the 8-__ page paper option will want to begin thinking about a topic now. This is a very wide open assignment, and I will need to work with each of you individually in the beginning to help you decide on a topic. Please come and see me.

Freshmen:

Tonight you need to read "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell. It's the first story in your literature books. Many of you, who have read The Hunger Games will appreciate a lot of the similarities between the plots. It's a really fantastic story that, I think, will satiate a lot of desire amongst you for a bit of a change of pace in the reading.

Furthermore, we will begin reading our novel A Separate Peace very soon. I would recommend that if you are, like me, a slower reader that you begin reading in advance. I'll be giving out novels very soon if you would like one to accomplish this. This coming weekend would be a great chance to try chapter one on for size...

Homework/Announcements for 10/25

Freshmen:

Tonight you should all be getting ready for your vocabulary exam. We will start class with this tomorrow and Wednesday. Also, if you are going to do the extra credit assignment - you need to get that turned in tomorrow for A-day and Wednesday for B-day.

Seniors:

Only students who need to resubmit their assignments for a new grade need to turn in their paper tomorrow. Other students don't necessarily need to do anything tonight - enjoy your night off.

The 400th Post

Seniors:

Tonight/Over the weekend you will need to read and annotate chapters fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen of Great Expectations. We will be taking a small break from the text in the not too distant future, at the end of book one. Book one will end at the beginning of chapter twenty. Start paying attention to how things are changing in the text from the earlier chapters. Also, notice new conflicts and new developments.

Furthermore, if you need to resubmit your paper - please do this by Tuesday. Also, I am more than willing to go through your paper with you to explain your grade. Make an appointment to see me to do this.

Freshmen:

On Tuesday/Wednesday you will be having your Wordskills Unit 1 Exam. Use the guide I provided today in class to prepare for this examination. I will not collect this for a grade. Use it to study. Also, if you choose to complete the extra credit assignment, that will need to be turned in on Tuesday/Wednesday.

Homework - 10/21

Seniors:

Tomorrow you will have your first major assessment on Great Expectations. You will need to focus on the information presented in chapters one through fourteen. Be sure that you understand the major plot events from these chapters. Also, you will be asked to make connections between 1984 and Great Expectations - be sure that you are putting some thought into these connections. We went over one today in class, you will want to think about others.

Another section of this assessment will focus on the use of satire. I will be giving you a small passage and you will need to annotate the passage and compose a brief essay on the elements of satire used in the passage. Be sure that you can use your literary vocabulary to discuss satire.

Lastly, remember that redone vocabulary cards will be due tomorrow. I will not be accepting these late. If you are going to do this, have them tomorrow.

Freshmen:

Tomorrow we are going to finish our Wordskills Unit One information in preparation for your exam next week. I would begin to study for this now. Also, you have an extra credit assignment due on Tuesday/Wednesday. Spend some time putting this together, I will not accept these assignments late.

Freshman Extra Credit - 1st Nine Weeks

For extra credit, you have the opportunity to read an extra short story and answer some questions. This assignment will replace a zero, or add points to your overall average in the class. The story is called "Marigolds" by E. Collier, it is in the textbook. Read the story and answer questions 1, 5, 7, 9 and 11. The extra credit will be due on Tuesday/Wednesday of next week. I will not accept this late.

Senior Homework 10/19

Your dramatization assignments will be due on Thursday. I look forward to seeing good acting, good costumes, accents and props. Be sure that you practice as a group before the big show. Remember that for the group to get full credit I need a copy of your script at the beginning of class, typed.

For tonight, as well as the rest of the week, you should be reviewing, rereading (or perhaps reading for the first time) chapters 1-14 of Great Expectations in preparation for your exam on Friday. If you would like to redo one of your vocabulary card assignments for a new grade you can do that this week - you have to do new words from the first set, and I will not take redo's late.

Let me know if you've got any questions while you're reading. Looking forward to film day tomorrow. Be sure that you understand and have thought about chapter eight before class tomorrow.

Homework for October 18th

Freshmen:

You have a quiz coming up on short stories. Be sure that you can discuss in depth many of the elements in each of the short stories that we have read so far. Your quiz will focus on the stories of "The Lottery," "The Necklace," "The Cask of Amontillado," and "The Interlopers." As you are studying for these stories, you will want to pay attention to literary devices as well as the plot events of each stories. Below is a list to get you started with your studying, this is not everything - just a list to get you started. For each of the terms below you should be able to give an example from a story we've read as well as comment on the importance of the device in the story.

• irony (situational, verbal, dramatic)
• unreliable/reliable narrator
• first person narrator
• third person limited/omniscient narrator
• setting
• foreshadowing
• protagonist/antagonist
• mood
• tone
• climax
• suspense
• conflict

Your quiz will be forty multiple choice questions, short answer questions and quote identifications for Honors students. If you have any questions while studying, please leave a comment below!

Seniors:

I hope that you all enjoyed our character roundup today. I certainly enjoyed watching you all make links between the characters. Hats off to Mr. McGibney for the link between the convict and Joe Gargery. For tonight I would like for you to begin your review of chapters one through fourteen. You will have a sizeable assessment on Friday on this opening chunk of the book. Review your annotations, reread certain passages, and make sure that everything is clear. I will be offering a review session for this exam on THURSDAY after-school. As we work through the week we will have a bit more time to prepare for the exam. You may also tonight want to begin to think about your dramatization activity. I will be giving you the majority of class tomorrow to work on this assignment.

Homework for the Weekend

Seniors:

Read and annotate to the end of chapter fourteen in Great Expectations. This is going to be our first break in the text - we'll be spending the next few classes reviewing the information in chapters one through fourteen and really understanding the opening chapters to lay a foundation going forward.

Freshmen:

Be sure that you're reviewing your notes for your quiz next week! Also, be sure that you finish your movie poster and get it in the box for Monday/Tuesday.

Quick Note:

When citing the TCLC or CLC you will have to cite the original source and the TCLC/CLC. You may want to see me in the morning for some last minute help. I'm also on Google chat if you need help from 7:40 - 8:30.

Useful Links for Seniors

Bibliographies for your papers:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

http://citationmachine.net/index2.php?reqstyleid=1&newstyle=1

**Be sure that you're citing everything that is not your original thought. Including images! I need to know where everything is coming from. Be sure that within your paper you are using parenthetical citations to show me any ideas, quotes, or paraphrases that are not your ideas. Don't plagiarize, even by accident!

For Vocabulary Cards:

http://dictionary.reference.com/

Using this page, you will insert the word in the search box at the top. For the word's entry find the information under Origin. This is the information that will provide you the etymology of the word. Be sure to look for the root of the word and its meaning.

http://www.merriam-webster.com

This is another good source for you. You may need to click on "show full entry" to get to all of the information. Again, look for the Origin information.

Homework for 14 October

Freshmen:

Over the weekend you should begin to study for your short story quiz. Focus on the main aspects of the stories, literary devices apparent in the stories, and also the plot events in the stories. Also, you need to be sure that you complete your movie poster review activity. Be sure that on the poster you include the requried information of: title, image, quote, critic's quote, characters and what actors would portray the characters.

Be sure that your movie poster gets to the box on Monday/Tuesday.


Seniors:

You've got a few things to accomplish tonight:

1. Complete your paper! I appreciate the fact that so many of you have come to see me to review these essays. Finish your papers and turn them in to me tomorrow.
2. Complete your vocab cards and bookmarks. I'll be collecting these tomorrow too. Make sure that you take the time and get them completely finished.
3. Watch an episode of The Simpsons tonight - we'll be looking at an episode in detail tomorrow to discuss satire. You will want to consider the elements of satire and how they are seen in episodes of The Simpsons.

See you tomorrow!

Homework for All Classes - 12 October

Freshmen:

Tonight for homework you need to read the story "The Necklace" by Guy DuMaupassant. Be sure as you read that you read all of the related information connected to the story. Including the note on "Separate Spheres" and any important literary device information before the story begins. When you finish the story, try answering the questions to yourself. This is a great tool to see if you comprehended the story or not. "The Necklace" will be our last story before you have your first short story quiz next week.

Seniors:

Tonight you need to complete the reading of chapters eleven and twelve. We'll be slowing down the pace of the reading relatively soon to allow those of you a bit behind to catch up. Be sure that you're keeping up with vocabulary bookmarks, cards, and your annotations!

Homework for 10/11

Seniors:

Tonight your homework is to continue along with the reading of Great Expectations. Tonight you are to read chapters nine and ten. If you did not have a chance to finish reading chapter eight, I would highly recommend that you re-read it tonight. I would actually recommend that you reread it tonight because Miss Havisham and Estella are supremely important characters in this story and you'll want to pay attention to first meeting them.

I know that the reading has been at a relatively strict pace, we're going to scale it back in a bit, I just need to you to really get into the book before we can move on to some more specialized areas of focus.

Furthermore, you may want to take a minute to reflect on the Housman poem today. Go back and reflect on the poem later - you may find that you get a lot more out of it this way.

I look forward to class tomorrow before our mini-break on the 13th. I've got something special up my sleeve for when we get back on Thursday.

Homework for the Weekend - 10/8

Seniors:

Over the weekend you need to complete chapters seven and eight of Great Expectations. Be sure that you continue with your annotations and with your vocabulary bookmarks/cards. We have yet to have a reading quiz - be aware that we will have one or two during the time that we study this text.


Freshmen:

Your task over the weekend is to rewrite a portion of the story "The Cask of Amontillado" from the point of view of Fortunato. You can rewrite this in a variety of ways (Facebook statuses, journal, story, poem, text messages) - but I want to see that you're really getting into the head of Fortunato. Use creative language and have fun with this creative writing assignment. It will be due on Tuesday for A-day and Wednesday for B-day.

Homework for 10/7

Seniors:

Tonight you need to complete the reading of chapters five and six. Make sure that you keep up with your annotations and your vocabulary assignment. Try to look for words that you can add to your working vocabulary and USE THESE WORDS! That way, you'll actually remember them. You'll be amazed how high your SAT Verbal score will go.

Freshmen:

Finish reading "The Cask of Amontillado" - we're going to discuss that in depth tomorrow.

Homework for 6 October

Seniors:

Tonight you will need to finish reading chapters three and four of Great Expectations. Remember as you read that you will need to keep up with your annotations and your vocabulary assignment. Vocabulary is always due on Friday. As you begin to move deeper into the book, look at the patters. Do you see any motifs developing in the text? Do you see a tone developing? Remember to focus on the details but keep an eye out for the bigger picture at the same time.

Furthermore, your papers will be due soon. Please come and see me to review your drafts so that I can give you some more guidance on these.

Freshmen:

Tonight you need to finish reading the story "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allen Poe. The language in the story is relatively complex, please use your resources to define vocabulary words that you don't know so that you can understand the story.

Homework for 10/5

Seniors:

Tonight you need to read the first two chapters of Great Expectations. Take your time getting through the first two chapters. Keep up with your vocabulary bookmarks and cards. Remember that vocabulary cards are due for all of you on Friday!

Also, tomorrow we will look at drafts of the ABC assignments. Bring the beginnings of your drafts!

Freshmen:

You don't have any homework tonight. Take the night to relax and get ready for tomorrow!

Weekend Work for Seniors - 10/1

Seniors:

This weekend you should spend your time creating your rough drafts of your final assignment for 1984. Be sure that everything is clearly cited and that you have a thorough bibliography. I will not accept final assignments without these two elements.

Also, you may want to begin reading Great Expectations this weekend. We will begin our study of the text on Tuesday.

Enjoy the long weekend. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.