13 and 14 December

AP Language

Today we focused on non-fiction, genres, and a new type of non-fiction called process analysis. This allowed us a chance to go back to the end of Chapter 7 and see the process of Myrtle's death in a new light. I think that we were able to understand a lot more about what Fitzgerald was trying to accomplish in that scene now than we did before. Be sure that your group work on Woolf/Petrunkevitch is submitted so that I can review that - just one for the team.

Tonight you need to complete and submit your prompt for your rhetorical analysis. For this I need your prompt (see the samples in the folder), your excerpt, and then your rationale for the excerpt. It must be submitted to Schoology so that I can print them for you. Next class, you'll complete the timed write!

The last reading - Chapters 8 and 9 will be covered at the end of the week (or beginning of January). I hope you enjoy the end of this book - the last paragraph is one of the best written paragraphs in American literature, I think. I've also posted your final choice articles for our seminar in January. Lots of stuff to get ahead on - but be sure that your prompt is submitted ASAP!

English 10

Today's day was a day for us to focus on Step 3. At the beginning we codified our choice of which author/creator we'll study and now we'll move into Step 3B - Which text/piece will we study? Use the slides from today's class to select your note taking method for your text. Based on the type of text, you'll want to select a note taking method that works best.

I recommend using TP-CASTT for songs/poems, the idea web is great for paintings, sculptures, and non-fiction pieces, the story map is fantastic when studying fiction or short stories. Pick your text(s) and begin your notes. Next class is going to be what I call a "reading day" - you'll have all class to work through your reading notes and hopefully have those done before the end of the week.

When we return from break we'll work through Steps 3C and 3D. Keep in mind that these are our last major grades of the quarter - be sure that you're meeting your goals and staying on your grind!

Homework for B Day Students - 7 December 2017

English IV

Today, we worked through more of Twelfth Night, getting caught up with our counterparts in 2A. We read and discussed Act II, Scene II before moving into some close reading of Act II, Scene III with special focus on Malvolio as a character and a word. Oh, and how can I forget the beginning of class, where we worked on our Shakespearean insults by letting Mr. Miller have it, and then learning about practical joking and what it means for someone to be a "mark." Next class, you will work in small groups to prepare for reading the next scene, so arrive prepared to be productive! Today was a great class, let's keep the positive momentum moving forward!

AP English III

Today, we had a couple of fantastic classes. We began with group work reimagining Gatsby's death, which led to some great creativity in reading the novel. We also analyzed Baz Luhrmann's interpretation of Gatsby's death, thinking a little bit about the ways we can break down films much the same way we break down novels/poems/essays. For the last bit of class, we worked through many of Fitzgerald's most prominent symbols/motifs, including the green light, the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg, the valley of ashes, cars, and Gatsby's clothing.

At the end of class, I asked you to consider the following question: If the American Dream is a lie and with money comes unhappiness, what do we live for? As you continue thinking about Gatsby, I want you to work through this question. What do we work for everyday? Why do we wake up in the morning and go about our lives?

For next class, please read and heavily annotate Audre Lorde's "Poetry is Not a Luxury." If you have time, read this essay twice. When you're annotating, think about how Lorde is similar/different to Langston Hughes in "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain." Also, I would like to come up with an answer to the question, what is Audre Lorde's "dream?" This will inform much of our discussion on Monday. Have a wonderful weekend, and see you soon!

Homework for B Day Students - 5 December 2017

English IV

Today, we took a quiz on Act I of Twelfth Night before continuing to develop our skills with Shakespeare's vocabulary. We ended class with a writing exercise involving Shakespeare-style insults, which I hope you all have been able to put into use already! Next class, we're going to return to the insults before reading and watching more of Act II from the play. Have a great day, see you soon!

AP English III

Today, we spent a good deal of class analyzing Virginia Woolf's "The Death of the Moth" alongside passages from The Great Gatsby. If you missed class today, make sure you see me to get the classwork for the day, which involved planning an AP-style rhetorical analysis essay. Near the end of class, we thought about the way Woolf/Nick/Fitzgerald use various kinds of tone to accompany death sequences in their work. For next class, make sure you're looking at your annotations for the following five motifs/symbols:

1. The green light
2. The eyes of T.J. Eckleburg
3. The valley of ashes
4. Cars/driving
5. Gatsby's clothing

For class, please write one paragraph that describes how Fitzgerald uses this symbol/motif to further his argument about the American Dream. Have a great day, see you soon!