26 August

English 11

Really fantastic day today as we worked through three texts and understood the importance of reading closely, determining main ideas, and focusing on key language. We finished our work with Jefferson's "Declaration of Independence" before going on to the Preamble to the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. Our reading work focused on determining main idea, understanding key words, and seeing the tone implicit in the language. I'm really pleased with the work that we put up.

After that, we closed class with some writing and personal reflection where I asked you about the values we should use as we center our class community. I'll take a look at what you wrote in a bit and we'll start with these ideas on Wednesday as we write our classroom norms and guiding principles together.

Other than that work on Wednesday, we will also have a small reading test. This will not be for a grade. It's just a diagnostic to see where you are coming in the door. Come to class with a charged laptop next class. Your test is computer based. It'll be a pretty simple day to end our week together. See you on Wednesday!

22 August - Finishing Week 1

English 11

Great first week together, everyone! I was glad to see so many of you commit to our classroom rules, keep your electronics away, and stay focused for all of the great work that we'll be doing together. Today we had an community builder where we shared some boring facts, then we talked about America and some American problems, before we started our first reading.

We read "The Declaration of Independence" by Thomas Jefferson and discussed his rhetorical situation. Next class, we'll spend a bit more time looking at this text and understanding how Jefferson makes choices and arguments for each of his audiences. We'll also look at some other important documents like the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. 

Over the weekend, complete your DRC Form - I linked it below. Also be sure to review your slides, recordings, and other resources. I'll see you on Monday!

7 September - End of the Week

AP Language

Welcome to Unit 2! Throughout this unit we will focus on analyzing different definitions of America. We started to do this today in class as we worked through Thomas Jefferson's "Declaration of Independence" and applied reading structures to enhance our understanding. I was very happy with the engagement in the room and the attention to detail that we brought to our task today. Keep in mind that audience is one of the most important factors when analyzing a text. The audience, and remember there can be many, is for whom the author creates a text, so it's important to see how choices are made for them.

We got our first feedback today on the tone quiz. Remember that you'll get multiple grades for assessments based on how many skills are being assessed at the time. Also, keep in mind that there are routes to reassess on your skills to show growth and development toward mastery. Here are your routes:

• Reading Comprehension: Complete a DIDLS annotation of your selected text for What's the Situation? You'll need to analyze at least two paragraphs of text.
• Reading Interpretation: Complete a tone analysis of the opening of your selected text for What's the Situation? You'll need to define the tone and then write an analysis of how the author conveys that tone in the text. Use the sentence structures from today's class and our feedback to help you do this. 

Next class we will be taking our FCPS Reading Inventory test. Please have your computers, remember it doesn't count for a grade, it's just a way to see where you are at the beginning of the year. We'll also get into feedback on our Benchmark Examination. If you are missing part of the Benchmark, please see me to schedule a make-up time.

7 September - Blue Day - Wednesday

AP Language

Great day today in AP Language - we reviewed our diagnostic exam (I'll have the scores in soon) and then got started with the main thrust of our class, "What is America?" Throughout the year we'll be exploring the concept and working to define it using our various texts and authors through the year. We're starting with our first reading tonight - Thomas Jefferson's "The Declaration of Independence". Find it in your textbook, or the scanned copy in the folder, and annotate for purpose and audience (consider that there are multiple audiences and the purpose will shift for each one). Keep your textbook at home, but have your notes in class!

AP Research

We continue to build our research question by refering to the work of others in our field. This is the first and likely one of the most important steps of our whole process this year. Working with our Body of Knowledge is key to ensuring success in this class and the work that you'll be doing through the year. 

Continue farming the databases, ask the librarians for help, and begin to work with your classmates who are in similar fields or disciplines. You are your best help in this process. Building your source list will help you to check for holes in your QUEST - if you find them, plug them. And let me know how I may be able to help.

See you Friday!

Friday and Monday - Day 3 - First Weekend!

AP Language

Great First Friday, y'all! We looked at some art, reviewed the idea of deep looking to record our thinking with art or other non-print texts, and then we also learned about the structure called the rhetorical situation. This is a great structure that we're going to continue to use through the year to analyze and think about the moving parts that create meaning. 

For tonight/the weekend, I want you to practice deep looking with Ana Juan's New Yorker cover. Be sure to do your annotations and use the three questions from the end to check your understanding and prompt your thinking. Continue to review the table of contents regularly and consider the voices present and absent. Lastly, I'd like for you to continue to consider the Rough Draft of the Declaration of Independence - how does the difference between parts of the rhetorical situation change the overall meaning or impact of the document? I've re-posted the rough draft to help you. Don't forget the forms if you haven't filled them out!

English 10

We became constitutional scholars today in English 10! We took time to talk about navigating difficult documents, determining main ideas and understanding how constitutions work like cultural artifacts. I was very happy to also collect your paragraphs about your single stories - I look forward to reading these and getting you feedback next week.

Over the weekend, be sure to complete any resubmissions you may need to. The syllabus is published and ready for you to review and sign. See you next week for the continuation!

Day 2 - 25 and 26 August

AP English Language

Today we took time in class to brush off our skills of annotating and to work with what is our anchor document for this unit - "The Declaration of Independence" by Thomas Jefferson. We talked about topics and motifs, main ideas and arguments, as well as the diction that Jefferson uses to appeal to his audience (as well as who that audience was). 

Tonight, spend time with the document posted on Schoology, the "rough draft" and see what changes you note. What may have motivated Jefferson to make those changes? Is the document significantly changed from one to the next? Remember to annotate! There are also the forms to the syllabus and the optional summer assignment open for submission.

English 10

Thanks for a great day today, everyone! We started our day reflecting on the concepts of culture clash and conflict before building a bridge to the idea of stereotypes. I loved the discussion we had around how stereotypes can be indicative or a product of a culture clash. 

We then spent time with a TEDTalk from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie called "The Danger of a Single Story" and answered some questions ans we considered her speech. Tonight, keep thinking about your single story versus your full story - we'll finish our reflection next class.

Remember to access the syllabus and signature form on Schoology to complete that task. The syllabus is under Materials - Course Resources. 

Homework for the Weekend - B Day Students - 15 December 2017

English IV

Your homework for the weekend is the same as your counterparts from 2A. Make sure you're studying your notes on Act II, and are prepared to answer short and long questions about irony and other details from the play. We also began watching She's The Man, a modern adaptation of Twelfth Night. Next class, we will complete the film and the viewing guide, which will take us into Act III of the play before winter break. Have a good weekend, and see you on Tuesday!

AP English III

Today, we had a good class with a timed writing to kick everything off. Mr. Bernhard will be working on grading and giving feedback to those as soon as he can; he's aiming to have them returned to you on Thursday of next week. The second half of class today functioned as a quick review session before the test on Tuesday. We did careful analysis of each of the five major characters from The Great Gatsby: Nick, Gatsby, Tom, Daisy and Jordan.

In both classes, we didn't get through all of the supplemental essays, so make sure you are revisiting your notes and annotations on those pieces before Tuesday. These essays, in case you don't remember, are Thomas Jefferson's "Declaration of Independence," Langston Hughes's "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain," Andrew Carnegie's "The Gospel of Wealth," Virginia Woolf's "The Death of the Moth," and Audre Lorde's "Poetry is Not a Luxury."

For each of these essays, think about the author's central argument/thesis, as well as possible connections between the pieces and the themes of the American Dream and the overall takeaways from Gatsby. Have a great weekend, and see you soon!

Homework for B Day - 11 December 2017

English IV

Today, we learned the terms "projection" and "elocution" as they relate to performance and acting in Shakespeare's plays. We also did some vocabulary practice before moving into group work and a class presentation of Twelfth Night, Act II Scene IV. In this scene, we saw a whole bunch of irony as Viola and Duke Orsino talk about love with each other. For next class, make sure you are prepared to finish up Act II and move onto the rest of the play. For most of today's lesson, we were on-task and focused; thank you. For some of it, however, we need to do a better job putting forth effort to stay engaged and productive. See you all soon!

AP English III

Today, we had a couple of very productive lessons related to Audre Lorde's "Poetry is Not a Luxury." We discussed the ideas of Black feminism and intersectionality, and applied our understandings of rhetorical strategies and devices to Lorde's work. We also laid out the next few weeks. There is a timed writing this Friday, and you will have a test on The Great Gatsby next Tuesday.

For next class, make sure the back covers of your copies of The Great Gatsby are entirely complete; you need to have at least three major themes/motifs identified. For each of these themes, come prepared with a few passages from the novel that support these themes. For example, if one of your themes is disillusionment, you should find passages that express a certain kind of disillusionment. Each of these passages should be longer than a sentence, but less than a page.

In addition, revisit the other readings we have completed this unit: Carnegie, Woolf, Lorde, Hughes, the Declaration of Independence. Check those readings for other passages that may relate to the same theme you are exploring from Gatsby. These will eventually pay off when you complete a lengthy writing/planning assignment to conclude the unit.

Have a wonderful couple of days, and see you soon!

Homework for B Day Students - 7 November 2017

English IV

Today, we had a productive review session in preparation for our unit test on Thursday. We also learned a little bit about puns and how they work with regard to Shakespeare's language. After the test, we are going to move forward learning about different kinds of humor and reading Twelfth Night. As you prepare for your test, remember the different qualities Chaucer likes and doesn't like, as well as plot details and characters from The Canterbury Tales. Good luck studying, I look forward to seeing you on Thursday!

AP English III

Both sections had a very productive first day of the unit on The Great Gatsby. It was a lot of fun for me and Mr. Miller to see how each of you processed the visual discussion as well as the reading of the Declaration of Independence. For next class, you will need to read the first chapter of Gatsby, making careful annotations that relate to Fitzgerald's strategies and purpose. Why is he making the choices as a writer he is making? Like I said, today was excellent. Let's continue to stay focused and do well as me move through the unit together.