Winding Down the Year

Students!  Happy Friday!

By this point all of you have taken your AP Exams for me and now we just need to move forward to our actual examinations.  AP Students - I'll be announcing your exemptions on the 20th and 21st.  Remember that absences do count as well as grades. 

AP Juniors - Remember that your motif and calligraphy projects are due next week.  This is really your final chance to bring up your grades for the quarter - be sure that these projects show a level of sophistication and style.  I'll be able to collect your projects before school, after school, or during lunches.  Remember that you need to come with your copy of Invisible Man for a quick annotation check when you submit your work to me.  I will not be able to collect projects on the 17th (Friday) due to the fact that I will not be in the building.  Please plan accordingly.

English IV - Please work to complete your final projects on A Day in Your Life.  Consider your presentation and your commentary as you work.  B-day students, I will need to change your due date due to my absence next Friday.  I'll be sure to find a plan that will work for you all and be fair.

Freshman Focus - Next week we will be constructing our children's books.  Remember to bring any materials that you may need.  I'll have the basics of colored pencils, markers, glue and colored paper - but you will need to bring clip art or collaging materials if you're not hand drawing your illustrations.

Lastly, if you have any materials or books from me please start bringing those back!  I don't want to hunt you all down at the end of the year.

Freshman Focus Announcement

Today in class we began our major research project related to a country's culture.  You don't have any homework tonight except to continue working on your projects.  I would focus right now on finishing your notes and research before moving on to constructing your Powerpoint.

Focus for today on your information that you need for your presentation.  As you move forward you can focus on making your presentations fancier by adding images and other graphics.

Homework for 2/6 and 2/7

Here are your reminders for tonight.  I'm not going to be here for the B-day classes - so if any of you have any specific questions please be sure to e-mail me or see me on Friday.

AP English IV

Next class we are going to take a full length AP Multiple Choice exam.  To prepare for this, I would recommend that you spend time taking a look at our previous practice sets to look over question types and the reasons why you got questions wrong before.  You'll have sixty minutes to complete this in class on Friday - come prepared.  

Also, you'll need to read Wilfred Owens' "Anthem for Doomed Youth" - it's our bridge text to our final short story in this unit.

AP English III

You all are also going to have a full length AP Multiple Choice exam next class.  You've had a lot of practice sets, so be sure that you use those to review.  Look at question types, review your terms and tone words, and be sure that you're always thinking!  Outside of this you need to put in some good work on your essay outlines.  I would like to remind you that next week is still open for conferences and toward the end of next week you should have at least half of your draft done.  Work hard, ask for help if you need it.

English IV

You all tested today, so no homework tonight.  We'll continue with Act II next class, it's just going to get zanier from here!

Freshman Focus

With the news article you all read in class today with the substitute you have a reflection to complete for homework.  Please make sure that you follow those guidelines on the assignment so that you get full credit for this assignment.  Have it ready to turn in on Monday!

Homework for the Weekend 1/31 and 2/1

Sorry for not posting the announcements and reminders yesterday.  I had meetings during my planning and after school, so this just slipped my mind.  Here are your reminders to prepare for the weekend.

AP English IV

Over the weekend your main priority is to complete your poetry projects, which will be submitted to me on Monday.  During Monday's class, each of you will come to the front to present your memorized poem - as a class we will clap - you'll then turn in your work and we'll go from there.  The rest of class will be spent doing a read aloud/think aloud of another short story, so Monday will be a pretty relaxed day.

AP English III

This weekend you have two main things to occupy your time.  First, you need to read Act III of The Crucible.  This is the climax of the play and also provides a lot of important development of key motifs and ideas that we've seen Miller establish in the first two acts of the play.  Remember to add to your annotations and start to notice how particular characters are changing.  Be sure that you note why they change, to and from what they change, and if that change is particularly significant.

Besides reading you should also be working on your outlines.  Now that you have my feedback on your proposals you should begin fine tuning your argument and finding your specific textual support which you will use in your essay.  I fully expect that next week you will all want to begin conferring with me about your papers and your outlines -- be sure that before you come in to meet me that you have completed a full outline with citations and that you are coming with questions.

English IV

You have no official homework this weekend but you will want to start to prepare for your test on Act I of Twelfth Night.  I would focus this weekend on studying characters and what we have learned about them thus far.  If you missed any reading in class I would get those notes from me or from a classmate so that you can begin to prepare.

Freshman Focus

You have no homework this weekend.

Focus Homework - 1/22/2013

Freshman Focus

For tonight I want you to do a bit of research about the value of money.  Talk to people older than yourself and figure out what you could get for twenty dollars.  Go back as far as you can thinking of your own experiences and those of your parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and grandparents.  Remember to look at three categories:  basic necessities, luxury items, and fun.

Homework for the Weekend and Monday - 1/11 and 1/14

Here are your tasks to prepare for Tuesday/Wednesday which will be the final full days of this nine weeks.

AP English IV

This weekend you have two poems to read and consider - Countee Cullen's "Yet I Do Marvel" and Claude McKay's "The White City".  As you look at these poems, consider the elements of the acronym that I gave you last class to help you understand what these authors are trying to accomplish.  Further, try to tease out any connections between these pieces and Ha Jin's "A Contract".  We will discuss all these pieces on Tuesday's class.

Also, don't forget that you have your Wordskills exam on Thursday.  Be ready!

AP English III

As promised here is the link to the Purdue OWL for help on completing your MLA citations.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/1/

Use this site to your advantage and remember to ask any questions that you may have.  Over this weekend your focus needs to be on your websites.  As a group you will have ten minutes to present your sites to the class.  After presentation, your content will be graded.  Grades and comments will be done in Jupiter Grades.  Please e-mail me through the weekend and I will get back to you as soon as I can with answers.

The story we started today in class will be discussed on Thursday (A-day) and Tuesday the 22nd (B-day).  Have it read and annotated.  This will serve as our bridge to our next piece, The Crucible.

English IV

Your final essays are due next class.  It is imperative that you submit anything that you have for this essay so that you can get some if not all credit.  Today in class we reviewed the rubric that I will use to grade this assignment.  I hope that you will use this rubric to edit your assignment so that you earn as many points as possible.

Also next class we will have our grammar test and start our work on William Shakespeare.  It'll be an exciting day for all involved.

Freshman Focus

No homework for Monday night.  If you're missing anything from Jupiter Grades make sure that you've seen me to get anything you're missing.

Homework for All Classes - 1/9 and 1/10

To prepare for Friday and Monday's classes please be sure that you have completed the following tasks.  Be especially clear about the fact that all work will need to be submitted to me no later than 3:00 pm on Thursday the 17th.  This is the last day of the quarter.  Please use your Jupiter Grades login to see if you are missing assignments; if you are, ask if these assignments can be made up.

AP English IV

For our next class we will be looking at another short story.  I would like for you to read Ha Jin's "A Contract" in our Perrine books -- there are no questions connected to the story, but be sure to annotate it heavily.  Keep an eye out for irony and satire as Jin is pretty critical of the Chinese government, its agencies, and representatives of that power.  Also, the majority of class will be spent working through Donne and Marvell, taking another look at those poems given our work with today's class would be productive.

Lastly, Mrs. Mausi (AP over English) was impressed with your poem dramatizations today.  Mad props!

AP English III

Tonight your priority should be your websites.  I hope that you are now at the point where you are revising your work, putting finishing touches on your site, and beginning to plan for your presentations.  Next class the Guidance department will be coming in to speak with you all about registration for next year.  Following that, we will go through some maintenance issues related to your websites -- If you have any questions related to websites you will want to ask them during Friday/Monday's class.

Also, don't forget that we will be starting our study of The Crucible on the 23rd and 24th of the month.  Be sure that you have your copy of the text.

English IV

I would like for all of you to continue working on your essays for tonight's assignment.  Remember that this will be one of your last major grades of the quarter and will create a large impact on your grade.  Even if you are unable to finish the whole essay you should turn in a partial draft as that will earn you more points than no draft.  On Friday/Monday we will spend our last day in our workshop mode and I will go over the rubric so that all of you understand how you will be graded in this assignment.

Freshman Focus

After our time in the lab you should have your resume finished and ready to submit for Monday's deadline.  Also, be ready to teach your lesson!  Remember to have a formal lesson plan which you can turn in to me as well as any needed materials.  This is our last activity in the education unit and soon we will be moving on to a unit on cultural diversity and appreciation.  Let me know if you need anything from me in completing your assignments.

Homework for 1/7 and 1/8

Students,

We have only a few classes left before the end of the grading period.  Please make sure that you're keeping up with your deadlines.  Be especially clear about the fact that I will not accept late work on the teacher workday.  Here are your reminders to prepare for our next class.

AP English IV

Tonight you will need to read two poems out of our Perrine books to prepare for next class.  First, read John Donne's "Valediction: A Forbidding Morning" and complete the questions following the poem.  You will want to make sure that you do keep your vocabulary on a separate sheet of paper in your notebooks as I will often check vocabulary.  Also be aware that with a poem, vocabulary is of the utmost importance -- if you don't know a word, look it up.  You'll then read Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress" and consider questions one and three through seven. 

Next class we're going to focus on how to read a poem in an AP class and build on the skills we already have.  We also have another poem to look at connected to "Hills Like White Elephants".  I was really pleased with our discussion today.  Keep it going!

AP English III

You've read the book so now it's time to take the test.  Next class you will have your final exam on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  Make sure that you're prepared.  In order to prepare for the exam be sure that your books are in good shape as I will be collecting books and checking annotations while you work on the test.  I'll also be looking at your journals, so have those too.  I hope that our conversation on themes and motifs was helpful to you - it's important to think about those bigger issues especially as we finish a text.

Your website projects are going to be due on the 15th (A-day) and 16th (B-day).  At this point you should be revising and finishing those.  Remember to ask for help if you need it.

English IV

Your biggest priority is to work on your essays.  These assignments will be due on the 15th for A-day students and the 16th for B-day students.  Remember that this is your final major grade of the nine weeks and will serve to either lift you up or bring you down.  If you need help, let me know.

Freshman Focus

I'm hoping that after our time in the lab that your resumes are beginning to look more finished.  These resumes will be collected from you on Monday the 14th and they will count as a major project grade.  Also you have your lesson plan presentation.  Be sure that you and your partner have clearly defined what you're trying to teach, how you will teach it, how you will know that your classmates have learned what you want them to learn, and how you will assess that learning.

Enjoy your afternoon everyone!

Homework for the Break - 2012

Assuming that we all survive the end of the Mayan calendar tomorrow you have some tasks to complete over break to be ready for your return to school.  Look below for some refreshers.

Freshman Focus

You all have no work to complete over the break. I hope that you all enjoy your time off and settle in with a good book or two.  If you're traveling, safe travels.  If you're staying home, enjoy the time off.  It'll be lovely.  See you in 2013.

AP English III

Over the break you have two major priorities.  First, you need to finish reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  We are going to have relatively quick turn around between our final discussion of the text and our examination of the book.  You should all expect your exam to happen the week of the 7th of January.  Pay close attention to Tom Sawyer at the end of the novel - he becomes an important force.

Furthermore, you need to put in a lot of work on your website projects over break.  There are a few goals that I am setting for you outside of any goals that your group has made.  First, all members of the group must have their annotations, text, and analysis uploaded for review by the end of the break.  I would suggest getting this completed by the end of next week.  Then, in your groups, you will want to review and edit the various analyses.  This editing and reviewing portion will then begin to prepare you for the synthesis.  I will be giving you some direct instruction on how to complete this portion of the assignment when we return, but remember that by using the mock-up page you will get some good overview information on this part of the assignment.

Remember everyone that this is a team project - if a member of your team is not pulling his/her weight with the group, I expect that you will render him/her any possible assistance before moving to dismissal.  If you need help, you must ask, as soon as you recognize that you need help.  This is not the type of project in which you can wait until the last minute and expect to get good work done.

English IV

Your major priority is to complete the first draft of your essays.  These first drafts can be hand written or typed, but they need to be complete.  Make sure that you have this essay on the first day back from break due to the fact that we will be editing and reviewing these assignments.

That's all!  Have a lovely break and a Happy New Year!  С НОВЫМ ГОДОМ!

Homework for Tuesday/Wednesday - 18th/19th of December

We're almost to Winter Break!  Don't let yourselves slack until the bell rings on Friday afternoon at 2:30.  All of you have something to prepare for your last day of class in 2012.

Freshman Focus

Next class we will be having our skits of examples of positive and negative interview experiences.  I hope that you and your group mates have prepared today during class in order to present these skits tomorrow.  After each skit, the audience will critique the positives and negatives.  Beyond this, remember that you have essays due for me on Thursday/Friday of your college essay.  Remember to turn in your rough draft with your final draft to get full credit.

AP English III

Next class we will have time to meet in our website groups in order to set goals and procedures for working over Winter Break.  The important thing to remember is that these websites should begin to look more complete by the end of break.  As a rule, your analysis, annotations, citations, and introduction pages should be done leaving only the synthesis left to complete.  Make sure that you are communicating effectively in your group and meeting your goals while you keep everyone accountable.

Furthermore, make sure that you have read to the end of chapter thirty-three by your next class.  There are some really amazing things for us to discuss and we'll be changing the structure of our conversation a bit to change things up a bit.  Look forward to that.

English IV

By this point all classes should have a clear understanding of what they are doing in their essays.  Your goal is to finish your draft by the time you return from break.  This is an expectation for all of you.  Next class we will have our second grammar test and finish watching V for Vendetta.  Feel free to bring snacks!

Homework for the Weekend and Monday

And now it's time for the last week before Winter Break.  Pay attention below so that you're prepared for our final days of class. 

Freshman Focus

After today you should have notes on your first draft of your college essays.  If you did not have your essay today in class remember to see me on a B-day at lunch so that you can get your credit made-up.  For homework this weekend you will need to finish your answers on question four related to the film Akeelah and the Bee.  Remember to answer in a complete paragraph using clear details from the film to support your ideas.  I'll collect your notes and responses in class on Tuesday/Wednesday.

AP English III

Today we went over some important information related to your satire projects.  I'm putting that document here so that you can refer back to it as you're working.  The document also has the website address for the mock-up that you should be using to create your final site.

Over the weekend you should be putting in some work on your personal rhetorical analysis and some other work in your collaboration.  On Tuesday/Wednesday you'll have your final timed writing for 2012 and we will discuss a lot of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - please make sure you're to the end of chapter twenty-eight.  Also be aware that I will be checking your vocabulary bookmarks again.  Have at least fifteen new words on your third bookmark.

English IV

Over the weekend you should all be working on your essays.  Remember that rough drafts of the essays in their complete form will be peer edited the day we return from break.  If you need any help, please e-mail me or speak to me so that you can get yourself on a good page.  The assignment that you have due on Tuesday/Wednesday asks you to reflect on the author you read today in class.  Your question to answer in a one page response is:

What would _________ say about the living conditions in 1984?  Why?

Be sure that as you answer this question you draw on your knowledge from the speech as well as your knowledge of the novel.  You should focus on your author that you read and studied.

Posting a Day Late

All,

As the A-day students are aware I was out yesterday.  I hope that you time with the substitute was productive and that you got a lot of individual work completed.  For the most part, the feedback I received was generally positive.  Here are some notes and reminders for all of you moving into Friday/Monday.

Freshman Focus

On Friday/Monday we will be finishing Akeelah and the Bee as well as having a draft workshop on our college essay assignment.  Please make sure that you have your rough draft done and that you bring it with you to class in order to get credit.  You will only get half credit if you just participate in editing with no draft.  Final drafts of the essays will be collected on the final day of the quarter before Winter Break (Thursday/Friday).  Don't miss any deadlines.

AP English III

I hope that the opening of Gone with the Wind has made a bit clearer the antebellum Southern society which Twain so mercilessly satirizes in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  We will not watch more of the film due to the fact that it is about five hours long, but I do invite all of you to finish it as it is a really great movie.

For Friday/Monday I would like for you to be to the end of chapter twenty eight in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as well as having finished the analysis guide on Anzaldua's "How to Tame a Wild Tongue".  We will be discussing both texts thoroughly in class as well as reviewing the answers to the multiple choice questions.  You need to have already finished answering the questions before coming into class.

Lastly, we will have some time to discuss the project more.  I think that after I review the requirements with you a bit more thoroughly that you all will see what you need to be doing now.  Remember that I expect most of the work on these to be done over Winter Break as you'll have finished the book by that point, but you can go ahead and begin sooner, rather than later, which is always the best option.

English IV

Next class we will be working through a discussion of the major points that Liveley makes in her story "Next Term, We'll Mash You" as well as drawing connections to the larger work related to human rights that we've been doing.  Please make sure that you've thoroughly read the story, answered the questions, and that you've completed your vocabulary log.  We will also move forward with our study of Desmond Tutu and Aung San Suu Kyi by looking at excerpts of two of their speeches. 

Lastly, you should be working on your body paragraphs at this point.  Rough drafts of the essays will be checked after we return from break and this will be your task for the holiday.  I would suggest that you spend some time this weekend getting the essay put together so that you have nothing to do over the break for class.

I think that does it!  Enjoy your afternoon, see you all Friday.

Homework for All Classes 12/10 and 12/11

Tonight all classes have goals to accomplish.  Look below for specific notes to help you out.

Freshman Focus

Today in class we began the mock college application process.  By this point you should all have an application on which you are working.  Tonight, I want you to spend some time working through brainstorming your college essay.  If your application does not have an essay which really draws you in or interests you, I offer you this topic:

Describe a risk that you have taken and discuss its impact on your life.

You might want to begin with a few possible ideas to answer this question and then follow the one that you can discuss the most thoroughly.  Remember that you want to be specific and personal.  Rough drafts will be collected from you on Friday/Monday and we will be editing that day.

AP English III

Tonight you have a few goals to accomplish.  First, I would like for you to read Gloria Anzaldua's "How to Tame a Wild Tongue" - it's available in 50 Essays or at this link.  As you read this piece you're going to want to think about a few major ideas:  the idea of language as an act of revolution, the connection between language and identity, and the use of vernacular.  Also, you're going to want to consider how the author manipulates her organization in order to emphasize her points.  You'll be doing a lot of individual work on this piece on Wednesday/Thursday.  So, be prepared for that.

Also on Wednesday/Thursday you will have some time in your groups to work on separating out your work on the Satire websites.  By Thursday you should each have decided on your text that you will analyze and you should begin to create those pages on your website.  Your individual pages must be up by the end of the day on Sunday - that way you can start to fill those pages with content.  

Lastly, stay on your reading schedules.  We will be spending a lot of time on Friday/Monday discussing TAoHF.  Be prepared with thorough annotations!  

English IV

Leaving the room today you should all have your introduction paragraphs done.  Consider yourselves on the way to finishing your essays.  Tonight I want you to collect the evidence that you are planning to use in this essay.  I would recommend that you make a list of page numbers or moments in the text and then organize those moments around the different parts of your thesis.  This will then make your lives a lot easier as you begin to write your body paragraphs.  

Please let me know if you need any help with anything.  Remember A-day students that I will not be in on Wednesday.  See me Thursday or Friday with any questions or concerns.    

Homework for the Weekend - 12/6 and 12/7

Here are your announcements and reminders for the weekend.  Pay attention to the notes below, especially Juniors and Seniors as you will be getting some important notes for completing your assignments.

Freshman Focus

No homework for you all to complete this weekend.  We'll be talking about college searches and researching colleges next week - so you might want to think about the type of school you'd be interested in over the weekend.  I hope that you all will enjoy your weekend without homework and get some good reading and relaxing done.

AP English III

Over the weekend you've got a few things to take care of related to your study of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  You need to make progress on your next reading goal which is to be to the end of chapter twenty-eight by the 10th/11th.  We will likely not be discussing these chapters until the following class as we're about a day behind on our discussions.  Next class we'll be looking at the Grangerford section and the characters of the Duke and the Dauphin.  You may find it helpful to review that section.

Related to your project, there are several things to take care of this weekend.  First, you need to finish your group contract.  I'll be collecting these on Monday/Tuesday and giving you a completion grade for having all of the areas of the contract done.  Also on Monday/Tuesday you'll be getting a grade for having your site set up and shared.  You need to share it with each member of your group and with me.  This will be the second half of your completion grade.

The mockup for the site is available at https://sites.google.com/site/huckfinnsatiremockup/ -- Please use this mock-up to see what you need to include on each page and what you will need to do on each part of the assignment.  This is like your instructions for the project, if you have any questions about this project, do not hesitate to ask.

English IV

Over the weekend I would like for you to complete the introduction of your essay.  You already have a third of your introduction done if you have your thesis statement done.  Your thesis statement will come last.  Before that you will create a hook, and then a link.  The hook should be a sentence or two related to your topic which will grab my attention as a reader.  You could use a quote, you could create an image, or you could ask a thought provoking (not yes/no) question.  In the link you then want to introduce the title and author of the text and explain how the topic is connected to the book.  This then leads to the thesis.

I will be checking these on Monday/Tuesday and we will edit them, please make sure that you're meeting your deadlines on your essay.

Homework for 12/4 and 12/5

All classes have a task to complete for tonight, follow me below the greeting for a quick reminder as to what these things are.

Freshman Focus

Tonight I would like for you to reflect on your classmates presentations of their Utopian schools.  In a complete paragraph for each question, I would like for you to answer the following:

1.  Which of your classmates' schools would you like to attend if you had the chance?  Why?

2.  Which of your classmates' schools would you not like to attend?  Why?

As you answer the questions be sure that you are drawing not only on your personal opinion but also the information presented to you by each group.  I look forward to reading your responses.

AP English III

Tonight you have two things to read for me in order to prepare for next class.  First, you need to stay on your schedule and meet your next major milestone which is to be to the end of chapter twenty-two.  This is a significant chunk of pages, but it does tend to move quite quickly.  Pay attention to the new characters of the Duke and the Dauphin as well as the situation Huck undergoes while he is with the Grangerfords.  We will be focusing a lot on some very specific sections on Thursday/Friday - come equipped with thorough annotations.

In addition, I would like for you to complete the reading of Oluadah Equiano's Narrative - this is an excerpt of a real slave narrative.  Remember that the point to reading this is to get a fuller understanding of the experience of being in slavery and the dehumanizing aspect therein.  Remember that Jim's experiences are severely different from Equiano's, yet Equiano's experiences would be a part of Jim's identity as a slave.  This, in a way, is his ancestry.  We will discuss this piece tangentially as it relates to Jim, read carefully and look for new vocabulary of which there is a lot.

English IV

Walking out of class today you should all have your thesis statements done for your essay as well as having an idea as to what portions of the novel you are going to explain in your essay.  Tonight, I would like for you to continue to devote time and energy into finding examples and organizing them around the bigger topics within your thesis.  We will be working on our essays every day in class over the next few classes.  Be prepared and productive to ensure a solid performance.

Lastly - you all got progress reports today as well as information on how to access your grades through Jupiter Grades.  Please share the login information with your parents so that they can also be kept in the loop.

Homework for the Weekend/Monday - 11/30 and 12/3

Some important reminders for all of you to be aware of this weekend and Monday to prepare for Tuesday/Wednesday's classes.

First, all of you will be getting official progress reports on Tuesday/Wednesday.  I expect that you will take these home and get them signed so that I know that you have been in communication with your parents.  If you receive any additional paperwork to take home, I expect that you will also return that to me.

Freshman Focus

No homework for the weekend; we will have an assignment related to the Utopian School Projects on Tuesday/Wednesday night, so do be prepared for that.

AP English III

Over the weekend you need to be working on meeting your next reading goal which is to be to the end of chapter twenty-two by the class on Thursday/Friday.  This next section is vitally important in Huck's development.  Also, we will begin on our major project related to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and satire.  Make sure that your google accounts are active.

Next class you will have your first rhetorical analysis.  Prepare by reviewing your notes.  This will be a prompt you've never seen before, but the process is always the same.  Just be sure that you're ready.  Remember - car and driver - you've got to have both.  While you complete the timed writing I will be grading your journals and your vocabulary bookmarks. 

English IV

Now that we've finished reading 1984 I want you to tell me what you thought of it.  Please answer the following question in a one page response, using clear details from the text to explain your opinion. 

What did you think of 1984?  Why?

 

I will be collecting this assignment for a grade on Tuesday/Wednesday.  Also, if you have any tests that need to be turned in or any other make up work to turn in, get that done this weekend too as the window to submit those assignments will soon be closed.  And by soon, I mean Tuesday/Wednesday, after I give out progress reports.

Homework for 11/28 and 11/29

Apologies for not posting your assignments last night.  Here are your reminders to prepare for Friday/Monday.

Freshman Focus

Your presentations will be next class.  We will begin presentations right when class begins so if there is any preparation that needs to be done in advance it needs to happen over the weekend.  Remember that there will be two grades here, your shared group grade for the powerpoint and then your individual grade for the presentation.  Your individual grade will also include your question and answer session in which I test your knowledge of your content.  Make sure that you are fully prepared.

AP English III

There are a few things going on over the next few days, here we go.  First, you need to give me your gmail account using the form in the previous post if you haven't already done that.  I need this information soon because we will begin our website project and that project will require the use of a gmail account for ease of creation.  Second, we will have a timed writing on Tuesday/Wednesday.  The timed writing will be a rhetorical analysis.  We've spent several classes preparing for this new task; I look forward to seeing what you all produce for me.  Remember that timed writings do count as a test grade.

Third, you need to stay on your grind, and by grind I mean reading schedule.  Remember that your next checkin is to be to the end of chapter sixteen, there was a misprint (my mistake) on your bookmarks.  Fourth, I will be checking your vocabulary bookmarks for completion on Friday/Monday.  I expect to see words from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Great Gatsby on these bookmarks.  Fifth, and very lastly, make sure that you've reviewed the reading by Sojorner Truth for a brief discussion and review on Friday/Monday.  There are a few important ideas that I want to go over with you all related to how Truth uses rhetoric to persuade her audience.

English IV

Today in class we had a great conversation related to the next to last chapter as well as some of the big ideas in this text:  power, humanity, authority, and truth or reality.  These ideas are all some that you can incorporate into your papers if you wish.  Tonight, you need to begin your first portion of your paper - your thesis statement.  On Friday/Monday I will conference with each of you about your thesis statement and we will make sure that you're starting off on a good point - then we'll move to the next phase of the essay which is collecting evidence and organizing it.

Essays are challenging because of all of the pieces that must be done in order for the essay to be successful.  This will be a very major test grade for you this quarter, please make sure that you meet your goals and are working hard to accomplish this.

Homework for 11/26 and 11/27

Freshman Focus

Your presentations of your Utopian Schools will be happening on Friday/Monday.  Please make sure that you are moving toward perfection with your presentation.  Remember that you need to be an expert on one aspect of the school.  If you feel as though you need to work on the powerpoint, work on that tonight.  Remember that our final day in class to work in the media center is going to be on Wednesday/Thursday.

AP English III

Tonight for homework you've got a few things to accomplish.  First, stay on your reading of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - your next checkin date is Friday/Monday.  Next class we're going to go into the details a bit more on the first twelve chapters and do some textual analysis.  Very fun, yes.  Next, please use this form here to give me your gmail accounts.  It's important that you have these accounts by Friday/Monday due to the fact that we will begin our website project then and you will need a gmail account to complete the assignment. 

Also, be aware that there will be a vocabulary check soon - you need to have your second round of twenty words done.  Finally, you need to work on the Rhetorical Analysis prompt a bit today.  Please complete a thesis for this passage and thoroughly annotate the passage looking for examples you could discuss to prove the thesis.  We will spend time prepping this tomorrow.

English IV

Your work tonight is up to you.  Most of you have something to make up to get credit for class.  Make sure that you have this ready to turn in on Wednesday/Thursday.  I'm not going to take any late work past this point unless you have an excused absence on Wednesday/Thursday.

At the very least you MUST have the dialectical notebook done for Wednesday/Thursday's class.

Homework for Thanksgiving Break

All classes have something to accomplish over break.  Please follow the guidelines below to ensure that you come back to school with all of your deadlines met.

Freshman Focus

Over the break I would suggest putting some work into your powerpoints on your Utopian School.  Remember that we will only be in the computer lab for two more classes before we do presentations.  I don't want any of the groups to be left in the lurch, so make sure that you're meeting your goals.  Also, remember that each member of the group needs to be an "expert" on one portion of the school design and implementation.  Each person will have to answer questions, be sure that you've shared your ideas and have good answers.

AP English III

With the student surveys today we did not get through nearly as much as I wanted to; apologies for that.  Over the break you need to keep moving forward in your reading of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  Remember that you should develop your focus on characters as well as topics and motifs.  If I were to check your annotations when we get back from break, I would like to make sure that a full character list is in your front cover. 

In addition to reading your bit in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, you're also going to read Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman" - located in 50 Essays or at this link.  Continue to pay attention to the ideas of language and identity.  We'll be discussing this in comparison to Tan before we begin to crack open Twain. 

English IV

Over break I would like for you to read chapters three and four of Book Three in 1984.  To help you with your reading I want you to complete the dialectical notebook assignment.  For every two pages you should record one quotation and then write down your thoughts or reflection on the quotation.  There are some ideas to consider or questions to ponder to help you with the writing of your reflection on the quotes.  I will collect your quotes and reflections for a grade.

Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I'll see you when we get back together next week!

Homework for the Weekend - 11/15 and 11/16

Below are your reminders for the weekend.  Please continue to work hard, meet your deadlines, and ask for any assistance that you may need from me.

Freshman Focus

I've been really happy to see all of you working hard in your groups to accomplish the goals of your Utopian School project.  On Monday you will have another good chunk of time to continue working and planning your schools.  Please make sure that you are being an active member of your group and working well with others to accomplish your shared goal.  Furthermore, remember that you will need to incorporate Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs into the discussion of your school.  You will want to focus on that as we continue to move forward. 

AP English III

Today I gave you your homework from now until Winter Break - your reading schedule for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Be sure that you meet your deadlines.  Also, be aware that it is better to be ahead than behind - Read ahead especially over Thanksgiving Break!  Over the weekend you will need to meet your first reading goal as well as read the article "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan.  The article is in 50 Essays and at this link.  As you read the article think about the ideas of language and its connection to a person's identity, just like Twain began to develop in his "Explanatory" before the novel began.  Furthermore, you will want to continue to annotate your texts and glean vocabulary from all of the pieces you read.  You should begin to prepare yourselves for another Bookmark check soon!

English IV

If you did not finish your collage/interpretation assignment, you will want to make that a priority over the weekend.  Also, I would like for you to read Chapter II of Book Three.  This is a very long chapter, so I would like to provide you with some areas to focus on in your reading.  Look primarily for the ideas of power, truth, and memory.  Most of this chapter takes place as a dialogue between Winston and O'Brien, so it should read pretty quickly. 

I think that does it.  Enjoy your weekend everyone!