Work over Break - AP English III and Russian I - 12/20/2013

Time for the last post of 2013!  To all my students - I hope that you have a wonderful and restful break!

AP English III

As you know you have your website projects and your completion of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  I'll be checking in on your websites sporadically over break, not for a grade but just to see how things are coming.  Remember that I'm only an e-mail away.  Feel free to drop me a question and I'll respond as quickly as I can.  Anywhere I'm going to be over break will have Internet access.

Enjoy the ending of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, it's hard to find a book with a happy ending in high school; this is the best that I can do.

Russian I

Over break you have two things to complete for sure, but many of you have additional tasks too.  I need for all of you to be confident and sure in your abilities to decline adjectives, nouns, and pronouns in all six cases.  When we return from break we will continue to move forward with our content which requires that these declensions are firm in your wheelhouse.  Make flashcards of endings, drill yourself, use some of the internet resources below to help too.

You have your writing project as well as your extra credit to complete over break.  The extra credit is due on the 7th/8th and the project is due on the 9th/10th.  Remember that for the project you can send me as many drafts as you need to in order to get a perfect score, which all of you can attain.  Use your notes!  Learn your cases (notice how everything seems to come back to that).  Also, use vocabulary from the course, don't rely on Google at all, many times it will give you a word which you don't know how to use yet.

Here are some good resources for help in Russian.  Use these!

Master Russian - This site offers grammar outlines as well as sample exercises to quiz yourself and check your understanding.  This site is exhaustive and goes over all topics all the way back to the alphabet and handwriting.  This site also has a link to a java Russian keyboard so that you can type, and then copy/paste your content from the website to your word document.

Russia Today - Language - I don't know much about this site but it comes from a really good source.  There are lessons and activities on this page which will help for a variety of topics.  Remember to focus on the topics we've covered in class.  Explore a bit if you want, but stay focused on shoring up your skills to this point!

Homework for Winter Break - B Day Students

Honors English II

Over break your priority is to work on the formative steps of your essay and then complete your rough draft of the assignment.  Here is your process, as I would recommend you complete it:

1. Complete your argument.  Make sure that it fully answers the question and deals with the greater significance of what you are discussing.
2. Divide the argument into topics.  Which elements of the story will you need to discuss?  How will you organize and link the topics?  How can you break your argument into pieces?
3. Find evidence to discuss within the topics.  Annotate panels.  Organize your notes and develop your commentary.  Explain how your argument is true based on the information.
4. Construct your draft.

Your drafts are due on the 8th of January.  Make sure to have them this day.  I'm available to you over break via e-mail if you have any questions while you're working.

Homework for A Day Students - 12/18/2013

AP English III

Tonight you should prepare for your timed writing on Friday as well as for your journal check.  Make sure that all of your journal entries are complete and thorough.  I'll be checking them on Friday as you write your rhetorical analysis.  Also, keep in mind two very important dates for January.  On January 15 you will present your completed websites.  On January 17 you will have your final exam on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Over break you need to finish your reading of the text and put in work on your websites!  Remember to monitor and assist your group as necessary.  Enjoy this work!

Russian I

Your extra credit sheet is due in full on the day we return to class.  Your family paragraph projects are due on the 9th and 10th of January.  This allows all of you the chance to see me a few times to review your writing and get help.  Remember over break to use the time to complete your solidification of these grammar concepts - you have to know your conjugations and your declension patterns.  Spend a bit of time each day of break working and when you come back you'll be golden.

I'm available after school on Friday for any help you may need.  Also remember that I'm always only an e-mail away.

Homework for B-Day Students: 12/17/2013

Honors English II

I hope that our revision and review of the argument statements was useful for all of you.  Many of you were able to take the instructions and tips I gave you and turn them immediately into strong and persuasive argument statements.  Once you've received an "all clear" from me then you can move on to the next phase of your essay which is annotating specific panels and collecting your "research".  Remember that you can only do this once you know what you're trying to prove, so that as you annotate and pull out details you keep that larger point in mind.

The draft of your essay will be due when you return from break - not the 6th of January, but the 8th - our second day back.  Keep this in mind.

For tonight, you should prepare for next class's open-note quiz on Persepolis.  Study and review tonight.  Make sure to look over the text and check that your notes are complete as these are all you will be able to use on the quiz.

ESL English III

You also have a quiz next class on grammar, vocabulary, and your writing skills.  I'm looking forward to seeing how much you've grown in all of these areas in this class so far.  Study your journals and your notebooks to prepare for this assessment.

Homework for A-Day Students - 12/16/2013

AP English III

I spent last week going through your assignments for this week so let me just quickly review what you have to accomplish for tonight.  Read to the end of chapter thirty-three four Wednesday's class.  Make sure that your covers as well as your pages are thoroughly completed so that I can see that you are doing this thinking as you read and that you are practicing with your analysis of the text.  In addition, you will have time in your group meetings on Wednesday's class.  Bring anything that you need for that time together.  I will give your group some goals to complete on Wednesday's meeting, so be ready for that.

Lastly, remember that you will have a timed writing on Friday's class.  If you will not be here on Friday I ask that you make up this writing assignment before class on Friday so that I can get everything done over break.

Be sure that you have your books with you next class.

Russian I

Tonight you should be working on your family projects.  Make sure to remember that you can always see me for extra help with editing your Russian sentences and paragraphs to check your grammar.  Follow the outline that I've given you on the assignment sheet and in the website to complete this assignment.  Do not use any online translators for this assignment - use only language you've learned in class.

The final due date for this writing assignment is January 9th (A-Day) and January 10th (B-Day).  Remember that this is the final due date for you - you can submit the work in advance but you must have it done by this final due date - all paragraphs written with images!

Tonight you should continue to work on your vocabulary and grammar!  Study and review.  Learn this information!

Homework for the Weekend - B Day Students - 12/13/2013

Honors English II

Your homework over the weekend is to finish reading Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis.  As you finish reading you should continue to finish your notes on the family members and the different changes you've seen from each of them.  Remember that by taking notes you are much more active as a reader and thus you will remember more of the reading.  After you finish your reading, please respond to the prompt below.  Remember that you may submit your response on paper, via e-mail, or by completing a comment on this post.

What preconception about Iran has this text helped you to disprove?  How has the text done that?  Does this relate to one of Satrapi's larger purposes in this text?  Why or why not?

Please make sure to make specific references to the text as you compose your reflection.

In addition, you should continue working on your essays.  You will get your argument statements back from me on Tuesday with feedback.  Use the framing strategy we did today in class to begin your research of the specific frames that you will use in your essay.  Remember to focus on detail within the frames (language and graphics) and how these details relate to your overall argument.

ESL English III

No homework for the weekend, but do spend time reviewing your writing notes.  I'm happy to see so much growth in your writing as we've been spending a lot of time working on writing skills.  Continue to improve and develop your skills!

Homework for A-Day Students: 12/12/2013

AP English III

For tonight you should continue working on your websites.  Make sure that all of your pages and sub-pages are set up.  You don't need to have the content filled in, but the framing should be done.  Also remember to keep a backup saved of everything you do for this site.  There have been instances of sites and pages being deleted by accident.  Don't let this happen to you.  Have everything saved on your computer just in case.  Remember to focus first on content - then work on design last.

Over the weekend complete your first reading goal for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - the schedule is in the previous post.  Also, don't forget that you will have your rhetorical analysis timed writing on the Friday before we leave.  Be prepared!

Russian I

Over the weekend you should revise your first two paragraphs and then continue to the next three.  Make sure to use only vocabulary that we've learned in class and in the notes - this way you can have more ownership of what you are saying.

Next class we're going to look over the review packet I gave you today on cases and then watch Doctor Zhivago since we didn't get to that in class today.  Work on your writing - I was pleased by the amount of growth that I've seen.  Keep going.  Next week I'm available on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday for extra help after school.

Apologies - Homework for 12/11/13

Honors English II:

Tonight you should make your first priority the completion and formalization of your argument statement for your essay. Remember that though you are answering the question and beginning your process of drafting you will still and are expected to revise and clarify your writing as we finish the text and move forward with the process. 

This is also a good time to work with a classmate. Using a peer to read over your writing and give feedback is a great strategy - I had an edit buddy in college and we often exchanged drafts. 

On Friday I will collect your argument statement. We didn't get to the discussion of today's portion of Persepolis so you don't have to keep reading, but I encourage you to. We will be finished with the reading by winter break. 

ESL English III: 

Very good work today with your vocabulary study. You haven't yet has a vocabulary assessment like a test, so expect one soon. We will work on those questions I gave you next class to start the class then we will move on to the next chapter. 

Russian I:

Your homework is the same as a day, like always. Complete your first part of the vocabulary project for our workshop next class. I've put together a good review on cases for you for next class. Look forward to that. 

Homework for A-Day Students: 12/10/2013

AP English III

Tonight for homework you have two key things to accomplish.  First, make sure that your group site is up and shared with all members of your group; also, be sure to think through what you need me to cover with you at our tech help session next class in the Dell Lab.  This will give you all an opportunity to get some of your pages created as well as start plugging in media.  In addition to this, be sure to read Gloria Anzaldua's "How to Tame a Wild Tongue" - it is available in 50 Essays as well as at this link.  As you read Anzaldua you will be struck by her use of Spanish in the piece - consider her rhetorical purpose behind this.  In addition, consider the connection between language and identity that Anzaldua presents as well as the link between language and revolution.  This is a highly political and provocative piece; I'm looking forward to our seminar on it.

What follows is your reading schedule for the next few classes as well as winter break.

• Chapters 23 - 28:  Monday, December 16th
• Chapters 29 - 33:  Wednesday, December 18th
• End of the Book:  Tuesday, January 7th

Don't forget that you will have a timed writing - RHETORICAL ANALYSIS - on Friday, December 20th before we leave for break.  If you are going to be absent on that day, please get your Timed Writing done before you go!

Russian I

For tonight's homework you will need to get started on your writing project.  Follow the outline that I gave you on the assignment sheet in order to complete this assignment.  The outline is below in case you forget your handout:

• Sentence One – Introduce person by name.  State relationship to you.  Possessive Pronoun.  Agreement.
• Sentence Two – State where person lives.  Verb – жить.  Prepositional case.
• Sentence Three – Describe the person using an adjective.  Adjective.  Agreement.
• Sentence Four – State something the person likes.  Verb – любить.
• Sentence Five – State something the person does.  Verb – choice.
• Sentence Six – State something the person wants for the holidays.  Verb – хотеть.

Remember that next class we will be having a writing workshop on these paragraphs.  Please be sure to bring what you have and make sure to try!  We won't be able to do much of a workshop without any work.  Use your vocabulary lists for this and dictionaries.  Do not translate whole sentences.

Monday Homework - B Day - 12/9/2013

Honors English II

Tonight you need to read the next three chapters in Persepolis - "The Trip", "The F14's" and "The Jewels".  As you read these chapters consider the way in which the country is changing and how Marji's family reacts and adapts to those changes.  You should be thoroughly adding to your notes with this.

Furthermore, you have your essay question for Persepolis.  Tonight you should to the translation of the question into your own words and then your one sentence answer of the question.  It is important that you get this work done tonight as next class we will be working on writing our thesis/argument statements.  You will want the translation and the one sentence answer done as this is the pre-work for the completion of the argument statement.

Homework for the Weekend - A Day - 12/6/2013

AP English III

Over the weekend you have a few things to accomplish.  First you need to finish the reading of the Grangerford section.  Be sure to consider what Twain is able to accomplish through his writing of this part of the text.  Why would he stop the main story to present this?  Obviously there must be a big point he's trying to make.

In addition, make sure that you have created and shared your website with your groupmates and with me.  Use my school gmail account for this project (mrmillerjhs @ gmail . com) and also use that to communicate with me any questions or issues you may have.  Since we went through how to do a rhetorical analysis today you should also begin going through your selected piece to complete your own analysis.

Russian I

For homework tonight you will be completing the exercise in the middle of the listening activities.  Remember to use the nominative case and change the adjectives to agree with the noun they modify.  I will collect this for an accuracy grade next class, so have it ready.  Use your notes and apply what we have been learning in class.

Homework for B-Day Students: 12/5/2013 - Weekend

Honors English II:

There aren't many times that you can say that you don't have English homework due to a bank robbery, but that's the situation in which we find ourselves.  Over the weekend you should make sure that you've completed all of the Persepolis reading.  In addition we will be starting our essay on this text soon - you may find it useful to reflect on your essay skills for our workshops in the next few weeks.

As well, be reading your choice novels, remember that you need to finish these books by the time we return from Winter Break!

ESL English III:

Very good improvement on your writing today!  I like that I see you all applying what we are learning in class so that you can be a stronger writer.  Continue to read your choice books and be sure that you have them next week during class since it's a reading week!

Homework for A-Day Students - 12/4/2013

AP English III

Today we introduced our major project on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - our satire analysis websites.  Below is the link to the site mock-up, remember that this is your instruction manual for the project.  All required elements are here and all instructions are here.  Be sure that your group follows them to the letter.  To start tonight, you will want to decide which genre (Huck Finn, video, contemporary non-fiction, or image) you want to analyze for your group.  We will begin working through the skills of rhetorical analysis next week so that you can begin this work in earnest.

https://sites.google.com/site/huckfinnsatiremockup/home

For reading tonight you need to read the excerpt from Oluadah Equiano.  Remember that this is part of the shared slave consciousness - a shared memory.  Think about how this deepens your understanding of Jim and his situation as well as his character.  Don't forget that for Tuesday you need to be to the end of chapter twenty-two, the end of the "Grangerford section."

Russian I

For homework tonight you need to complete exercises 124 and 125 on adjectives and agreement.  Also remember that there will be a scheduled help session this Friday afternoon on verbs.  Those of you struggling in Russian would do well to attend this.  Additional times can be made but you have to ask.

Homework for B-day Students - 12/3/2013

Honors English II

Tonight for homework you need to read "Moscow" and "The Sheep" - our next two chapters in Persepolis.  Remember what I said today in class about the chapter called "The Sheep" - it represents a significant turning point for all of the characters, Iran included.  Make sure to add to your character notes and understand thoroughly how this moment in "The Sheep" develops the main characters.

In addition you need to remember to always be reading in your supplemental novels.  This is a standing assignment, thus you should be always reading.

ESL English III

We did a lot of work today on writing.  Continue to reflect on and build on your skills in this area.  We will continue to do a lot of work on our writing as we move forward.  For tonight, you should keep reading in your individual books.  We will do some writing on these books during our next class.

Russian I - Homework - Extra Credit

Tonight's homework for Russian I is optional - respond to this post by leaving a comment with your name and you will receive two bonus points on today's quiz.  Be sure to respond by the beginning of your next class to get credit.

Which group of characters do you sympathize with more - the lower class represented by Lara and others like her or the upper class represented by Yuri and Tanya?  What in the film has caused you to develop these feelings?  How do you think this is connected to Pasternak's (the author's) larger purpose?

Homework for 12/2/2013 - AP English III

AP English III -

Tonight your key task is to complete the reading of Sanders' "The Inheritance of Tools" - it can be found in 50 Essays or at the following link.  If you use the link be aware that you don't need to answer the questions but they give you something to think about as you're reading.  This is a great piece for you to use to think about family and how a family is created and maintained.  It will provide some excellent perspective on the creation of Huck and Jim's family relationship.

Furthermore, be aware that you need to be to the end of chapter twenty-two by Tuesday, December 10.  We're going to continue working on the section you read over break for the next few classes so continue to bring Huck with you.

Lastly, if you don't have a Gmail account be sure to get one set up.  You'll need this for Wednesday's class as we'll be starting our online project.