Homework for the Weekend - B Day - 28 April 2017

It's the end of the month! Huzzah! We've only got a few classes left until we begin our final examinations and review sessions.

AP English III:

Over the weekend you have a few things to do and work on to prepare for next week. First, make sure that you read and annotate the article I gave you today in class called "Two Ways to Belong in America." If you lose this piece, then you can access a .pdf of it at this link.

Second, continue to work on your projects in Google Classroom. Remember that we will only have about thirty more minutes in class to complete research, so putting in time over the weekend is important to do. I would recommend trying to finish one of the slideshows/documents.

Third, remember that we will have our final AP Multiple Choice practice on Thursday. On Tuesday I plan to review some of the more commonly missed questions on this test. You may find it helpful to review these yourself and perhaps doa second attempt to prepare.

Fourth, take a quick read/annotation of Articles Four through Seven in the Constitution. Keep these questions in mind as you read:

1. What do these articles deal with or accomplish?
2. Why are they needed?
3. How do the outlying articles relate to the three main articles of the Constitution?

English II:

There is no required homework this weekend. If you would like to resubmit any assignments as we begin to prepare for the end of the year, please study and review and then schedule a reassessment time. I would recommend before school or during lunch. Keep an eye on your progress reports that I gave out last class to prioritize what you should do. We will soon begin our final major assignment which is an essay.

Homework for the Weekend - A Day - 27 April

Advanced Russian

For those of you who left for the senior meeting - please pay close attention to the paper I gave you before you left. That states your homework for the weekend. For Russian IV we are working on vocabulary and our synopsis of the story. Russian III is finishing the work on participles and verbal adverbs from the mystery texts. Russian II students are completing the translation exercise (number nine) focused on adverbs of quantity.

Remember that you will have your final quizzes next Friday and then our final unit examinations.

Russian I

Over the weekend you should use the example paragraphs that we reviewed today in class to complete at least three family member paragraphs as rough drafts. Hopefully most of them will be very grammatically correct since we were able to develop them today in class. On Monday we will be in the computer lab to type and upload our work into Google Classroom.

Please do not use translators to do this work for whole sentences. I understand looking up a word or two, but do not use a translator. The translator will show itself because you will be using words or language that I have not yet taught you. Do your own work. Part of the struggle is the process of learning.

You also have your study guides for your Unit Three exam which will happen on Friday the 5th.

English II

I have now handed back all of your work this quarter as well as progress reports. If there is anything that you need to redo or resubmit then you should prepare for that this weekend and be ready to do your reassessment next week.

Homework for B-Day Students: 26 April 2017

AP English III:

Remember that reassessments of your research paper are due to me on Friday. You will need to turn in the original paper as well as the new paper for me to be able to track changes and see your improvements. I will update grades as I see fit. Make sure that you meet this deadline so that you are able to improve your grade and finish getting feedback before the AP Examination.

Next class we will continue our work through the Articles (up to Article V) - make sure that you are reading and annotating by keeping the key questions in mind as you continue to work through the Constitution.

Also next class we will begin to work on our Amendment as Argument project by completing research. Please read over your instructions form and read your selected Amendment carefully to prepare for our research.

English II:

Today you received progress reports which outline any missing assignments. If you have anything that needs to be turned in or made-up (like a quiz or a test) please make sure that you are working to complete that ASAP. Remember that we only have TEN classes remaining.

Homework for Tuesday - A Day - 25 April 2017

Advanced Russian:

Tomorrow morning at 9:00 you'll be taking your AP Examination. Good luck! Watch your spelling as you type and think carefully! Use the questions as a guide!

Russian II - Make sure that you have submitted and practiced for your presentations on Thursday on the weather in Durham and in your Russian city. You'll be presenting on one day in Durham and in your Russian city. Your work should be turned in on Google Classroom.

Russian III - Continue practicing with participles and verbal adverbs by completing the reading tasks I gave you today. Read the texts and work through the tasks. Feel free to annotate, underline, or mark up the texts to find your needed vocabulary.

Russian IV - Finish and submit the final draft of your essay on character arcs and Dostoevsky.

Russian I:

We've started on one of our last projects of our year - the family writing project. For tonight's homework you should write two paragraphs as a rough draft. Use the vocabulary we've reviewed and found in class as well as the writing outline. Do not use online translators for this work. Only write using your own skills. If you need help, ask me. Remember that this is one of the main ways that we will be preparing for our final exam.

English II:

No homework today since we had our major vocabulary assessment today in class. Next class we will keep watching Spirited Away and we will begin to transition to literature and culture from India.

Rainy Monday Homework - 24 April - B Day Classes

English II

There's no official homework for tonight since we had our major vocabulary assessment today in class. Next class we will continue watching Spirited Away and transition to India.

AP English III

Today because of the multiple choice we did not really have the chance to begin the work on the analysis of the US Constitution the way that I wanted. That's okay though - there's always tomorrow.

For our next class, make sure that you have thoroughly read and annotated Article One and Article Two with the main questions in mind. These questions again are:

1. What are the powers outlined within each section?
2. Who gets to exercise those powers?
3. How does the organization of the section as well as of the article as a whole allow us to understand the priorities of the Founders?
4. How does the article as a whole present an argument and evidence? How does this relate to the argument presented by the Preamble?
5. What relationships are emphasized in this section?

You'll also want to take a look at the Amendment as an Argument project and the Amendments themselves. You'll either have one or a small group that go together. It may be worth your while to go through and familiarize yourself with these pieces so that you can make an informed choice next class.

Homework for the Weekend - A Day - 21 April 2017

English II

The homework for the weekend is to study and prepare for your vocabulary quiz on Tuesday. You should know not only the meaning of the words and their part of speech but also the important information about how the words are put together (word parts, prefixes, suffixes). I'll be giving you some words on this test which are not from this unit, but you should be able to navigate them with your skills.

I'll also have a new DVD player next week so that we can watch our film after the quiz.

Russian I

You also have a quiz on Tuesday that you need to prepare for. The quiz will cover singular/plural declensions for all genders with nouns, adjectives, and possessive pronouns. Make sure that you have studied in order to review. There will also be a reassessment section on identifying and translating adverbs in Russian (you have your previous quiz back, so you know what to study there).

Advanced Russian

Students in Russian II will want to work this weekend to complete weather reports on Google Classroom. Given the struggles we had today with technology we will go back one more time (Tuesday) to work on these. You should have a fair amount of the work done so that I can give you feedback on Tuesday before our presentations on Thursday.

Students in Russian III will want to complete exercises 11.13 and 11.14 which focus on using and translating phrases with gerunds. We'll review this as the way that we will cover this information.

Russian IV will want to continue working through the essay on White Nights with the expectation of having one additional session to complete it.

Keep in mind that we will have a quiz on new grammar on Monday, May 1st.

Homework for the Weekend - B Day - 20 April 2017

English II:

Remember that on Monday you're going to have a quiz on your vocabulary words from the Zen Parables - it's going to test your knowledge of the definitions, parts of speech, and your word analysis skills. Make sure that you've not just studied the meaning of the words, but also the prefixes and the roots that we've been learning.

AP English III:

If you were absent from class today because of the matinee production of Legally Blonde then know that you missed a full lesson today on historical context of the US Constitution, a review of rhetorical analysis skills, and a practice analysis of the Declaration of Independence. I would speak to a classmate or to me about the notes you've missed.

Over the weekend you need to read and annotate Article One - the roles and responsibilities of the legislative branch. Also, you'll have your full-length multiple choice practice on Monday. It'll be timed. Review your skills and AP vocabulary in order to prepare for this.

Also, for any of you who missed the Invisible Man timed writing, there will be a chance to make-up the assessment on Monday morning, before school. Remember to bring your book to this make-up assessment since I'll also be checking annotations.

Homework for A-Day Students: 19 April 2017

Advanced Russian:

Tonight you should all continue to work on the assignments which have been created for you in Google Classroom. On Friday we will return to the library in order to finish these.

Keep in mind that you also have quizzes coming up soon. For Russian IV the quiz will focus on White Nights, for Russian III the quiz will focus on который phrases and participles, for Russian II the quiz will focus on weather vocabulary and the use of the double negative.

If you have exercises related to these topics (III and II) I would recommend trying to complete those as a way to review before our class.

Russian I:

Very good presentations today everyone. For those of you who didn't present today, you will need to be ready for presenting on Friday. You have your quizzes back to you as well as your writing assignments. Remember that you can correct and resubmit your writing assignment. It is a good idea to study and review your quiz so that you are ready for the reassessment/quiz next week.

English II:

Now that you have your vocabulary study aides it's important to practice and study with your dominoes daily. We'll have a vocabulary test next week!

Homework for B-Day - 18 April 2017

AP English III

Good day in class today everyone. I'm going to cover a few things in this post regarding our wrap-up of Invisible Man and our beginning of our US Constitution unit.

1. If you were absent today you must schedule a retake of your exam. I would like for you to come ASAP before school or on Thursday after school. Bring your book for your annotation check. You will have a different prompt.
2. If you forgot your book today then it is due to me Thursday, the 19th, before school begins in order for you to get credit.
3. For tonight you are reading and annotating the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson. It's important to understand this document as a means to understand the framework and goals the Framers had when considering the Constitution.
4. You also need to read and annotate the Preamble to the US Constitution with these questions in mind:
1. Is this the argument of the Constitution? If so, what is its meaning?
2. What does the Preamble represent about our values as a people?

Don't forget that we will have a guest lecturer in class to start our day on Thursday.

English II:

Using your vocabulary resources you should begin to study and prepare for a quiz on vocabulary and word structure. The quiz will be on Monday of next week!

Homework for A-Day Students: 17 April 2017

And after a wonderful break, we're back to it! Keep pushing hard to the end of the year. We've only got 14 A days left.

Advanced Russian: Don't miss your scheduled Oral Proficiency Interview with Mrs. Sudderth, Dr. Oyediran, or Ms. Verdone. Be early! Speak clearly and understand.

Russian IV - Complete the reading of White Nights and continue tracking the relationship between the characters through quotations. Make sure to record one quotation from/about each for each section (this takes you to seven for each of them). Try to interpret and analyze as you work through them. We'll finish the story on Wednesday.

Russian III - In your textbooks, read the information on GERUNDS (pages 475-477) and take notes as you read. Understand how they are translated and how they are formed. Don't forget to complete the earlier exercises on participles (long and short form).

Russian II - After today's workshop you should be able to finish your drafts on the weather in Durham and in your Russian city. Type or finish writing these sentences so that on Wednesday we can pull together our final drafts. Also, work through more of your plural declensions.

Russian I:

You have a quiz on Friday which will focus on forming plurals as well as vocabulary (reassessment). Make sure that you are studying and reviewing nightly in order to learn this content. On Wednesday we will be learning about Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan. On Friday we will learn about Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Armenia, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Be prepared to present. Make sure that your PowerPoint has been submitted through Google Classroom.

English II:

Very good class today - I'm about to sit down and read your paragraphs. Make sure that you're reviewing the new vocabulary; you'll see it on Wednesday when we read some Zen parables.

Spring Break Begins Today

AP English III:

Good work on the mural project today everyone. For those of you on the band trip or who opted to complete the individual project, then know that your work is due on the Tuesday that we return. It is also worth noting that on Tuesday we will have the final assessment on Invisible Man. I will collect and check your text annotations as well as give you the in-class essay. Remember that you have the five options for the essay - it will be one of these five. Prepare for all of them and try to find the commonalities between the prompts.

We will begin our unit on the US Constitution as well after Spring Break. Enjoy your holiday.

For any of you who have not yet submitted research papers I will remind you that time is ticking away. I'll be handing back papers on Tuesday and you'll only have one resubmission available. It's imperative that you turn in your work ASAP.

English II:

No work for you to complete over the break. Try meditation and mindfulness out for a test drive while you're on break. It's a great way to deal with any stress.

Homework for Russian Classes - A Day - 6 April

What an exciting A Day to take us in to Spring Break. Keep in mind that I won't see you again until after break. English II Students - I didn't have you today, so we'll have our class planned for today when we return from Spring Break.

Russian Students:

You have a great vocabulary resource in your hands - the most common 205 words in the Russian language. Focus on studying and learning these words. Don't worry about ones that look too difficult, but the more common ones should be something that you recognize.

Russian I:

Additionally, please read the text I gave you today in class and answer the questions on the back. This is a great text for you to recognize plurals.

Russian II:

Over break, please write the rough draft for your Russian city weather report - you can put this in Google Classroom with your other work. Additionally, make sure that you are practicing your plural declensions in all cases (maybe with the exception of genitive).

Russian III/IV:

We've got participles. Complete the worksheet where you turn the participial phrase into a который clause and also the translation of the short form participles.

Russian IV:

Finish reading White Nights over break. This will allow us to quickly finish our work on it when we return.

Homework for B-Day Students: 5 April 2017

Friday is our last class before Spring Break! Huzzah!!!!

AP English III:

On Friday you'll have your mural construction and presentation day. On this day you'll have forty-five minutes to work as a group to construct your mural and then we will go around and you will explain your mural to the class in a gallery walk. Each member of the group should be able to own the explanation of one aspect of the mural.

I would recommend bringing your quotes and images with you so that these are ready to go. Your group should use your blog as well as your motif chart to bring this together.

For those of you who won't be here on Friday due to trips - I have an individual version of this assignment for you to complete.

Remember that when we return from break we will have our final exam on Invisible Man - this will consist of your timed-writing on Invisible Man (the prompts were given to you today) as well as a final annotation check. Be sure that you use the break to reread, reannotate, and prepare for this test.

English II:

Now that we have begun our study of Asian culture it's important that you stay focused on learning and studying your vocabulary words. Be sure that you are reviewing them daily. Next class we will start in on our study of Japanese culture through the Zen Parables.

Homework for A Day Students - 4 April

Advanced Russian:

Russian IV - Tonight focus on your survey for Russian language skills and competencies. Make sure to evaluate yourself honestly and thoroughly so that we can decide on a plan of action for the last classes before your AP Exam. Also, try to start getting into "Night Four" of White Nights - I'd recommend reading the first two or three sections and tracking your vocabulary.

Russian III - Tonight, now that you better understand how to use который, you will be able to understand the idea of participles. Read through your textbooks in Chapter Eleven and focus on the information around participles. Just read and take notes on your own - we will go over them a bit on Thursday.

Russian II - Tonight you also have reading in your textbooks. Go through the rules on forming plurals in all cases (they're pretty easy with the exception of genitive case). You may want to develop a declension chart or just take notes. We'll start practicing and using the plurals next class. Also, make sure that you've finished the first exercise all the way on your plural review sheet. Lastly, if you have a quiz to make-up or project work to upload, be sure that this is done ASAP.

Russian I:

Tonight to continue your reinforcement of regular plural formation in the nominative case, complete exercise 2A. Rewrite the sentences changing the boldfaced words from singular into plural.

English II:

Your homework is the same as 4B below - bring in an item that represents your personal culture (or a photo of it) for your homework. We'll have show and tell next class. You'll also be doing a bit of writing too.

Ms. Barber's Evaluation

English II and AP English III Students:

Ms. Barber is asking for your anonymous feedback on her teaching and lessons with you this past quarter. If you would like to give her feedback for her teaching portfolio, she asks that you use the link below on Google Forms.

Ms. Barber's Survey

Homework for Monday - 3 April 2017 - B Day

English II:

Today in class you all had a test - so the homework tonight is pretty light. Next class we'll be having cultural show and tell. Your instructions are as follows:

1. Bring in an item (or a photo of the item) that represents your personal culture.
2. Explain how the item represents your culture.

We'll start with our show and tell before we go forward into our study of Asian cultures to end our year.

AP English III:

Tonight you have some Invisible Man work to do as well as a quick writing assignment to finish our work on George Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant."

• Read/Analyze/Annotate Chapter Twenty Five in Invisible Man. It really is the end of the book - we will deal with the Epilogue together as a group.
• Make sure that your BLOG is in good shape. You have to post on Chapter Twenty-Five. This is the last required post. All of this work is key to your murals which we will construct on Friday. You should - as a group - decide on the purpose of your motif within the text by this point. You should also find your quotations and images now; it'll make your work on Friday that much more efficient.
• Complete a quick analysis outline of "Shooting an Elephant" as if you were going to write a rhetorical analysis of it. For the outline identify the authors argument, and then three distinct rhetorical/literary devices he uses to advance that argument. Be able to have at least two examples of each device with commentary. This should only take you about five to eight minutes - it's an important skill for you to get for the timed writings on the AP Exam.