28 October - End of the Quarter

It was an early release yesterday, and updating the blog must have slipped my mind. I'm working this weekend to finalize grades and score submissions. Remember that anything submitted by Monday morning, 9:00 am, will be scored before grades are finalized.

English 10

Today was a big writing day for us in English 10. We worked through the first portion of our first essay - the introduction paragraph and the first example and commentary in our body paragraph. Remember for this essay I want you to have two pieces of evidence and commentary (at least). You can choose to select a different character/person or you can focus on another thing that the person/character did. At the end of class we took time for Membean training. Remember to stay focused on Membean when you're working. Don't get wasted minutes, they'll bring down your completion score and your accuracy.

Over the weekend, enjoy the end of the quarter. I think we've been doing really well in here so far. If you see anything missing, please turn it in. If you want to do a redo, you can submit by Monday morning. If you were absent, be sure to see the recording on Schoology and complete the writing workshop we did today - the handouts are posted in Schoology for you.

26 and 27 October

The blog was blocked yesterday, so here are updates for yesterday's English 10 class and today's AP Language and AP Research classes. Remember that tomorrow is the last day of the quarter and an early release day, there's no Lion Time. Any work (or revisions) submitted by 9:00 am on Monday will be scored for this quarter.

English 10

Great day today in English 10 as we got started on our first major writing assignment - our definition essay. For this assignment we're defining a concept - a hero or a villan - and using a text or several to provide examples. Remember that you'll get a full grade for this assignment - on each part of your essay. Today we worked through the assignment and the outline; we also planned our evidence. This will put us in a great place for our writing workshop next class. We also finished up with Membean. Remember that we'll take time each class for this, so have your laptops ready.

For tonight, be focused on the end of the quarter. If you have a project resubmission, be sure to give me the rubric. If you see any missing assignments, now is the time to complete them to raise your grade for the end of the quarter.

AP Language

Great day today in AP Language as we focused in on lies, Chapter Three, and the simmering conflict between fantasy and reality in the text. We discovered the ways in which many of the characters, including Nick, lie and began to understand some of the reasons for those lies. Continue to notice trends in the text related to this essential conflict.

Over the weekend, we're taking a break from Fitzgerald and spending time with Andrew Carnegie. The article is posted on Schoology for you. Read and annotate. Consider what Carnegie's burden is for other rich people. How do the people of The Great Gatsby measure up? 

If you have any work to submit - vocabulary or America projects - they are due. I'll be able to score work submitted by Monday morning and update grades.

AP Research

Easy day in AP Capstone today as we had our end of unit working day. The priorities in our room are as follows:

1. Complete any tasks for the end of the quarter. Some of you are missing your reflections for the quarter and your Annotated Bibliography. If you would like to do a reassessment of either task, be sure that the reassessment is in by Monday morning to be rescored.

2. Your next class is for your poster and pitch. You'll have two minutes to present your pitch. Fill in the blanks on the three sentence starters. Use the template provided. Submit a PDF of your poster to the assignment to the space. We'll be focused on giving and getting feedback next class - it's your first presentation day!

3. There's a new reflection question posted for your PREP. Be sure that you are avoiding vague language or concepts. Define everything. Don't just say method - which one? Why that? Evaluate, define, and specify at all times. 

25 October - Tuesday

AP Language

Solid conversation this morning across time periods. Looking at Hughes, Lorde, and Steele gives us some interesting ideas to track like identity, power, truth, and the fleeting nature of money. It's important to ask ourselves where we put our power as people. These three authors show us various routes to power and various points of view. The recording summarizes our key takeaways.

Tonight you have Chapter 3. Read and annotate for details. It's another party and all the colors are at play. Consider how identity is in flux in this chapter and what we learn about our main characters and how we learn it. Keep building vocabulary and tracking your color as you move through the novel.

Lastly, as I said, if you have things that are out there - turn them in. Get a grade and then my feedback to improve your tasks/work. I will be actively grading this week to update scores before the end of the grading period.

AP Research

Today's class focused on the final aspect of the introduction of the paper - the literature review. This section will serve many important roles for you and do a lot of the heavy lifting to support your research question. The ideas we came to about showing links and conversations between the sources is key. Consider how the earlier source list and annotated bibliography can help you to complete these tasks.

Next class will be a workshop day focused on our posters and pitches. We'll present these next week. If you have tasks to complete for the first quarter, be sure that those are in as soon as possible. My scores are due on Monday.

Friday the 21st - End of the Week

English 10

Super easy day today leading into the long weekend. We finished our work with Spirited Away in order to understand some elements of Asian culture at play in a text - I hope that you noticed the hero, the elements of their culture, and the idea of mindfulness and focus on the moment. I love this film and the director/writer has a lot of other great films out there too.

We then moved on to two computer based tasks - Membean and NoRedInk. Thank you for your efforts. Please get your permission slip signed this weekend. We'll use Membean in class every day to help improve our vocabulary through the year. Next class is going to be a writing class, note that we'll be starting Quarter 2 with a major grade, so be ready for that! Enjoy the long weekend! Happy Diwali!

Thursday the 20th of October

AP Language

Solid day today in AP Language land. We discussed Joan Didion's "Keeping a Notebook" and focused on the ideas of truth, memory, and accuracy. I loved the outcomes that we came to related to the purpose of truth and the way in which it can be modified as needed. I also really enjoyed the conversation around credibility and irony. The thinking is getting pretty high level, which I enjoy. Keep in mind connections to The Great Gatsby as we are working through parallel texts. 

Over the weekend there are a few things to settle up - here they are listed out for you:

1. Complete your Unit 2 Tasks. You have a project due. Some of you are still missing vocabulary. All assignments are due so that I can complete your grading for first quarter. 

2. Select an article from the folder and read this weekend. Annotate for the ideas of power and privilege. These articles are all written by African American authors, a population absent from The Great Gatsby. We'll be having a seminar on these texts next week.

3. Begin tracking your color from The Great Gatsby. This novel exists as a PDF, so find that and use the find feature to find your color easily. Use the tracker posted and begin to track your color. I think that white, blue, green, yellow, and grey are really productive colors.

AP Research

Easy day to end the week this week in AP Research as we are in a working day. To end the quarter, you need to submit your Annotated Bibliography and your Quarter 1 PREP reflections. There will not be an additional question this week to give you the chance to get caught up. Today we spent our time in class writing, practicing our pitches, composing our posters, and/or reflecting on our research up to this point. 

Next week we'll have a short week due to Diwali - Happy Festival of Lights! We'll see a College Board lesson on turning our AB into a Literature Review and have additional time to write. Your posters and pitches will be due the week of November 1.

19 October - Grey Wednesday

English 10

We almost finished Spirited Away but got caught by the last ten minutes, oh well. We'll finish it up on Friday. Friday is going to be a working day for us - there's going to be time for finishing the viewing guide and then we've got two online assessments to take care of - vocabulary and grammar. These two assignments are completion based, so get them done and get your A. These are also going to likely be the final grades for the quarter. Finish strong, raise your grades, show your skills!

18 October - Tuesday!

AP Language

Today's class focused on a recap of the major ideas in Chapter One and the key changes to Chapter Two. We discussed characters, first impressions, Nick's tones, and the importance of Nick's actions in framing the narrative we have. We did some close reading in class as well with some key passages of Chapter Two and noticed the key similarities and differences between Chapters One and Two. The more things change, the more they stay the same, right?

Tonight we're taking a break from The Great Gatsby. Be sure to complete and submit any Unit 2 tasks like vocabulary or your project. I look forward to reviewing your work. You'll also want to go back to Chapters One and Two and begin your color tracker. Follow the directions in the assignment on Schoology. Tonight you're reading and annotating an article by Joan Didion. Focus on the ideas of memory, truth, and accuracy. This is a great way to contrast Nick and consider the ideas of honesty and reliability with narrators.

AP Research

Today was our second AP Research lesson from College Board devoted to our presentations of our research. Our next major assignment is going to be our Research Poster version 1.0 and our Elevator Pitch. This will be our summative assignment to show the completion of our Unit. I hope that you can all also see the connection between the poster, elevator pitch, and your eventual introduction of your paper. In effect, the poster is the outline of your introduction.

Your AB is due. Be sure that you submit no later than Thursday so that I have time to review your work and get you feedback. This is one of your last major grades of the quarter. I'll also open up a space to submit your reflections up to this point. These will be reviewed for thoroughness of thought and apparent effort. I'm sorry that I missed some elements of our work today, I wasn't very good with the recorder. I hope the slides help.

17 October - Beginning the Week

English 10

Today we started our viewing of our major text for this unit Spirited Away. It's a great film from Studio Ghibli which really brought Japanese animation to America. We focused on the characters of Haku and Chihiro and the establishment of the plot and conflicts that will drive the film.

Next class we'll be viewing to finish the film. We have a bit more than an hour left in the movie. The viewing guide is going to be a major assignment for you - so be ready to finish strong. We'll do some writing about the movie after we finish it and start next quarter with our final project on the unit. Be ready for a strong finish!

14 October - The Real End of the Week

AP English Language

Whoo! Lots going on in AP Language as we begin Unit 3 - The Great Gatsby. Today was a day about framing the novel for you - we considered some of Fitzgerald's main settings, his topics and motifs, the conflicts in the text, key characters, and the symbols that we'll be focused on as we are reading. All of today's work is guided to help you read and interpret this novel. The recording is gold. Use it as you are reading and annotating.

This weekend is a weekend for finishing Unit 2 tasks and getting into Gatsby. If you have work outstanding, it needs to be completed. Focus on your final project - This is (my) America. Use the recordings, template, and rubric to help you navigate this work. We'll also work through Chapter Two next class - note the differences between Chapter 1 and 2. There are a lot!

AP Research

Great day in AP Research land! We completed our College Board lesson on definitions, hypothesis, and assumptions (as well as biases) in our research papers. The work that we were doing today was geared toward the writing of our introductions of our academic papers as well as understanding the use of our annotated bibliography entries. Consider what the sources are giving you. How can you show that in your reflections on the sources?

This is the work that you have this weekend. Write! Complete your entries! There's also your reflection questions for the quarter, I'll be asking for those in about a week or so to close out First Quarter.

13 October - End of the Week

English 10

Great day today everyone as we spent our class in Japan. We focused on poetry and art today - and this class was our final class before we start our film next week. Remember that the film is the major work for this unit and the last thing that we'll study. 

Over the weekend, focus on any missing assignments that you may have. Most of us are doing fine in the gradebook, but a few could do better. You'll have your final assignment for this unit coming up soon, and those will be your final grades for this quarter. Keep pushing to the end!

Remember that next week is the last full week of the quarter.

AP English Language 

Due to the PSAT and the loss of yesterday's classes - we had a bonus workday today. I hope that you found the time useful. I saw a lot of work on vocabulary and on projects. Use the video below, Mr. Friedman and I are trying to do what we can to provide you support. 

Submit your end of unit tasks as soon as you can. Have the first chapter of The Great Gatsby read for Monday. We have a lot to discuss on Monday related to this wonderful book.

Tuesday the 11th

English 10

Today's class focused on reading and understanding religious texts - we looked at Hinduism, Shintoism, and Buddhism to understand some of the key values of these societies. I also thought we found some interested similarities between these religions and faiths with which we're more familiar. Next class we'll be taking a look at poetry and art before we start our movie next week.

The Seventh Friday - 7 October

We are seven weeks into the school year, that leaves twenty-nine to go! Also, I won't see Blue Day classes for a whole week. Be sure to keep up with what you have coming due.

AP Language

A great end to the week in AP Language. We were seriously focused on writing, especially timed exam writing, as we reviewed our teamwork, the scoring guidelines and anchor papers, and the work of others. I hope that this is helpful to you as you shift your approach to these types of assignments. Looking at the exemplars and the rubric again and again is the best way to do this work.

We are at the end of the unit and moving to Unit 3 - The Great Gatsby. I won't see you again for a week. So, there are a few things to complete.

1. Vocabulary cards are due. Submit your whole set. I'll be grading soon!

2. Resubmissions/Late What's the Situation projects are due by 10/17. Raise your grade. Avoid the NHI.

3. This is My America projects will be due in one week. Use the template that I created to help you. If you have questions, don't wait until the end. Work with me during Lion Time or outside of school. An email can also be helpful.

AP Research

Lovely lovely day in AP Research today. Our conversation was so rich as we discussed our keystone sources, our Annotated Bibliography, and our eventual Literature Review. The connections that we built were so important, the recording is golden.

I won't see you for a week. Use this time to write your AB entries. If you write three or four a day every day then you'll have the assignment complete by the 14th. You should also complete your seventh PREP reflection this weekend - it lines up well with today's work and conversation. Don't be afraid to tweak your research question. If you see something, say something. Right?

Enjoy the long weekend. Learn the history of the native people who were here before us. Know on whose land you tread.

Thursday the 6th - Grey Day

English 10

In class we were focused on Japan and the concept of Zen. This concept we saw at action in several Zen parables today in class. We discussed irony and paradoxes as well as the difference between topic and theme. We read in order to understand and completed a short analysis activity related to the reading.

I won't see you again until Tuesday. On Tuesday, we hopefully won't have any more power outages, and will look at some other religious texts from across Asia. Have a lovely weekend!

Tuesday the 4th! G'mar tov!

AP Research

One of the best days in the world was our day today - it was a writing day. Today we took time to work through the creation of our Annotated Bibliography. As you write your entries, consider the source and what it gave you in your QUEST. Be sure to consider the feasibility and reflect on the usefulness of your source in writing your paper and conducting your eventual study. 

This assignment will serve as your reassessment for your source list, remember to find and correct any errors with citation style and formatting. Next class we're going to do a bit of a guided reading assignment with a source - bring your best source to class - we're going to be analyzing!

AP Language

Wild day in AP Language with a team timed write and our Unit 1 Seminar. I loved hearing your ideas and the connections that you were building across the unit and our authors. We talked about so many of our texts and so many ideas crucial to our final project. Use the recording, I think it's pretty golden.

If you are missing any work from the unit, that work is due. Vocabulary is now due for the unit. Be sure to turn in your complete set of vocabulary cards. Submit any missing What's the Situation projects. If you want to make revisions, please do so. I'm available for help - just let me know!

Monday - 3 October 2022

Happy October my lovelies! One full month done with school. On to the next one, right?

English 10

Great day today in English 10 to start our unit on Eastern and Southern Asia. We'll be looking at literature and writing from Japan, China, and India in this unit. Today was our soft start, we did some research to learn more about heroes, art, and religion in these cultures. We learned mostly from each other as we completed a gallery walk to display our thoughts to each other.

If you're missing a project, be sure to get that completed as soon as you can. Missing scores will go in after the revision window closes. If you're not happy with your grade, we can do revisions or corrections. I'll have your rubrics back to you next class. As always, reach out with any questions you may have!