Homework for 1/6 and 1/9

A few things to accomplish over the weekend.  Spend some time to get prepared and make sure that you're ending the quarter on a really good note.

AP English III:

You're all at very different places in the drafting process which is fine.  You have all of the next two weeks to complete drafting.  Remember that you have your rubrics that will be used to grade the essays.  This should be by your side as you draft so that you know what you're going to be scored on.  Please try to see me next week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) after school for conferencing on your papers.

Over the weekend you also need to finish reading The Catcher in the Rye - this should be a quick finish for you as the ending of the book moves quite rapidly.

Lastly, you need to know that you will have another timed writing soon.  It will be an analysis.  Please review your notes on crafting a good analysis so that you are prepared for this timed writing adventure.

English I:

Your biggest priority this weekend is to finish your propaganda homework assignment.  This assignment is due on Tuesday/Wednesday.  Remember that you need to turn in not only your poster but also your worksheet with all seven slogans on it.  Also, Honors kids, remember that you have an additional writing assignment to complete with this poster as well.  The other major priority you have to is to begin revising your essays.  Remember that the essays will be due on the 19th (A-day) and 20th (B-day).

Next week you have your vocabulary quiz.  This will happen on Thursday/Friday.  We also have that Animal Farm examination.  I know that there's a lot to get done here at the end of the quarter, but I'm sure that you all can rise to the challenge.  Please be sure to see me after school to get help on your essays or anything that you're working on for me.

Homework for Winter Break - Get it Done!

Here are your guidelines for Winter Break.  You do not need to complete any of this work for Tuesday.  On Tuesday we're going to have a nice relaxing day of films and review.  A smooth transition to the break!  Remember that it's a B-day when we get back.  B-day students, we'll be having our movie day the first day back for a nice smooth transition.

AP English III:

You have two massive priorities for Winter Break:  your term papers and your reading.  Let's deal with the reading first and then the papers.  By the end of Winter Break you need to be to the end of chapter twenty-one in The Catcher in the Rye.  This is a good chunk of reading to get done over break, but it's not impossible.  Some of you may even be able to finish this in the first few days of break.  As you read, continue to develop your annotations and look closely at the deeper issues that we've begun discussing as a class.  I look forward to seeing what you all come up with after Break.

Your other major goal for Winter Break is to complete a draft of your term paper using the Google document that you've shared with me.  If you have yet to construct and share your document you are falling behind!  This is not the type of paper that you can throw together in a weekend and expect to do well on.  Once you've completed your brainstorming and gotten my approval, you should then begin your outline.  Once I see that your outline is fully developed, then I will tell you to start drafting your essay.  Remember the important steps of the outline process:

1. Construct your argument.  What is this essay going to prove?  We used to call this your thesis, but I prefer to call it an argument.  Make sure that as you construct your argument you make sure it's got DADS (debatable, analytical, defensible, specific).
2. Pull out all possible quotes from your sources and group them together.  As you do this, think about how you're going to organize your essay.  What will you need to discuss first?  What will you need to discuss second?  And so on...
3. After you've pulled out the quotes and examples, begin to connect them to your argument.  How do these different quotations support and prove your argument to be true.  Put this information under the examples and explain!  Remember, you want to leave absolutely no doubt in my mind that your idea is valid.

Once you've done this, you'll be ready to draft.  The idea that I always get back to with writing essays is that if you spend a lot of time preparing, then you'll have an easier time writing the essays.  Your first drafts will be due to class for editing on the 6th of January for A-day and the 9th for B-day.  Then you'll have a week to make your edits before the final drafts are due.  Please ask for help as you're working.  I'll keep checking in on you over break.

English I:

Over break you all have an essay to be working on as well.  Hopefully by this point you've figured out what your introduction paragraph is and you've pulled out your nine examples that you'll discuss in the essay.  Your rough drafts are also due on the 6th of January for A-day and the 9th for B-day.  Please make sure that you're keeping everything focused on the novel Animal Farm and your concept and definition.  Tie all of your examples back to your definition through your explanation.  I will be available the first week that we get back for any individual conferencing that you may need. 

I did also want to let you all know that you should expect an exam on Animal Farm in the second week after we get back from Break.  Review the story and your notes over the break to make sure that you're prepared.  This exam will also cover some of the concepts we've studied in the first semester, making it more of a midterm.  It would be a good idea to also take a look at your earlier literature and writing notes to prepare for this exam.

I hope that you all have a lovely and restful break!  Enjoy the time off but make sure that you get done what you need to get done.  A-day kids, I'll see you on Tuesday.  B-day kids, I'll see you in 2012!

Today was the last Wednesday at school of 2011

It really puts things in perspective to think like that, I think.  Here's what you need to do.

AP English III:

Your first priority is to continue working on your term papers.  You should be checking in on the document that you shared with me nightly to see my comments.  On Friday/Monday I'm going to walk you through how to construct an outline that works which will be your second step before you start drafting your paper.  Think about what your argument is going to be.  What are you trying to prove?

The other thing that you will need to do tonight is to read to the end of chapter nine in The Catcher in the Rye.  Keep adding to your covers and keep annotating.  Pay attention to a lot of the ideas that we're playing with in class.  They're important.

Lastly, you have your quiz on the states on Friday/Monday. 

English I:

For tonight I really want you to put a lot of work on your essays.  After today's discussion you should feel a lot more comfortable moving forward and writing your body paragraphs.  Remember the due dates that I discussed with you today in class.  Please come see me if you want me to check what you're doing.  The other major assignment for tonight is to finish reading Animal Farm - I think we'll have a great discussion on Friday/Monday about the ending of this novel. 

Finally, don't forget that you have vocabulary bookmarks due on Friday/Monday.  I'm looking for fifteen words with page numbers and definitions.

Getting ever closer to break...

Students - Below you will find your reminders and announcements for class.  Remember to stay prepared and stay diligent in your work.  You have a break coming up soon, but it's not here yet!

AP English III:

I am so excited to be studying The Catcher in the Rye with all of you.  For tonight, be sure that you've read and annotated until the end of chapter five in the novel.  This book moves very quickly, if you would like to read ahead, please do so.  I would also suggest that those of you thinking that you would like to write your term paper on Catcher do try to get ahead since you'll need to start digesting this book much faster than others. 

On the topic of those papers - please be sure that you have shared that document with my gmail account that all of you are using.  Those of you who have shared to my dpsnc.net account - please also add my gmail address.  I want to see you starting to brainstorm more and get your ideas down on paper.  In a few days we'll talk about how to attack and outline this sort of paper.  I'm looking forward to seeing what all of you come up with for your first term papers.

Lastly, expect your states quiz this week.  Don't say I didn't warn you :)

English I:

It's time for us to embark on our first essay assignment!  Today we went over a lot of the basics of structuring a five-paragraph essay.  For tonight, you need to complete your introduction paragraph.  Please use your notes to complete the introduction, paying special attention to the order of the sentences and what a successful introduction has.  You need to make sure that you bring these paragraphs to class with you on Wednesday/Thursday - so that we can peer edit.

Lastly, make sure that you've read chapter eight of Animal Farm - keep up with your vocabulary bookmarks as I'll be collecting them on Friday/Monday.  Minimum of fifteen words for this round of checkins.

Homework and Reminders for Thanksgiving Break

I hope that all of you have a really restful and enjoyable Thanksgiving Break.  There are a few things that I want to make sure that all of you accomplish before I see you again on Monday/Tuesday; please make sure that while you're relaxing you are getting all of these things done.

AP English III:


After our time together in class today I am hoping that you and your group have worked out a plan moving forward about what needs to get done and when with your websites.  I will continue to check in over the break to see what kind of progress is being made and to give suggestions where necessary.

I do want to remind all of you that before you can create the synthesis piece, you all must do your individual pieces of analysis.  I also expect that in your collaboration you peer edit, advise, and ask for help from each other - you're working in a group for a reason.  As a benchmark for your groups to be highly successful, I would recommend that you aim to have your analysis piece uploaded to the website over the break.

You also need to finish reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn over Thanksgiving Break.  Be sure that you have finished your annotations on the novel and that you are prepared for a lively discussion on my least favorite part of the book.  As you finish the novel, pay attention to how Twain is developing all of these different motifs into more specific arguments and themes on these different ideas.  Also, be sure to follow any symbols and characters to their natural end.

English I:


I apologize to those of you who did not get a chance to present today.  We will begin class on Monday/Tuesday with your presentations.  As I said today in class, it's important to think about what you learned about these different topics or people today as all of these things are represented in some way, shape, or pig in Animal Farm.  As you read chapters two and three over the break I really want you to think about who each of these characters really represents - is it a person?  a group of people?  an idea?  all of the above?

Don't forget that while you're reading you need to keep up with your study questions as well as with your vocabulary bookmarks.  Vocabulary will be collected, study questions will not.  The study questions are meant for you to check your understanding of the story.  If you can't answer a question, that's an indicator that you need to go back and reread the chapter more closely.

Finally, I want to recommend that you take notes while you read.  But we'll talk about how to do that more when I see you next time.

Gobble, gobble!