6 March - Monday Monday!

AP Language

I love watching y'all collaborate and discuss good texts, and that was at the heart of our class today as we had our final group meeting. We discussed overall impressions, checked on our research topics, and then moved into some bigger reflections on some of our POG skills. This is the end of group meetings since we're focused on writing moving forward.

For the next two classes you'll have writing workshops to finish your AB and your SourcePacks. These assignments should be completed on time. We'll be doing a lot of work to start writing, brainstorming, and building this response over the next few weeks. Be ready to write and create! It's time to make the magic!

AP Research

We're in our second string of independent working days, and there are a few items that we can be working on right now. First, we have peer review coming up on Friday. You are expected to have two sections of your paper complete and able to be reviewed - Introduction / Literature Review / Method. You pick two. Please submit these items to Schoology so that I can input a grade.

Next class will be just like today. We'll be soon wrapping up Unit 4 and moving to Unit 5 - Final Considerations. Keep in mind that you should be essentially done with all elements of your work (except writing and presenting) by the time we go out for Spring Break.

10 January

AP Language

A bit of a Groundhog Day situation in AP Language as we finished our second AP Examination of the year. Our midterm exam. Over the next few days I'll be reviewing your work and giving feedback on AP Classroom. We'll have a day in the next unit devoted to reviewing feedback for the good of the group and understanding our grades in our skills. 

Tonight, be sure that you've completed your remaining assignments like your discussion board post and your vocabulary cards. Next class we'll be getting into groups and having books issued to us; we'll start to understand what a good research question is and how that will guide us throughout the next unit. We'll be focused on the Synthesis Prompt - Question 1.

If you've missed part of the exam or need to use extra time for whatever reason, be sure that you've coordinated that with me. I'd like to have all exams in to be scored by the end of the week.

AP Research

Wonderful day in AP Research today as we went back to Manzanar and understood the way to construct the method section of our academic paper. The method section is ironically one of the most important sections and one of the shortest actual sections. Note the way that the student highlights their assumptions, hypothesis, the breakdown of their method and of course, justifications of choices. There are also some great moments of reflection in the paper. 

We should all be focused on writing at this point. Next class we will have a whole class working and conferencing day. Some of you will need to clear edits with me, some of you will move forward to data collection. Remember to use your sample papers wisely as you are writing. Next week we'll begin to end this unit on method with our final assignment. 

Off to Thanksgiving Break - Blue Day

AP Language

Today was our day to finish our work and conversation on The Great Gatsby. We focused on conclusions and arguments - it's important to notice how Fitzgerald is completing the novel by making his various points clear to us as an audience. There are so many messages in this novel - consider the ones that you understand the most thoroughly. You don't have to understand everything, but you need to understand something and thoroughly.

We finished class by focusing on our motif trackers. These should be mostly complete when we return to school so that you can complete your visual and the questions at the back of the tracker. We also have vocabulary due the week that we return. The week we return is for summatives and wrapping up the unit. We'll soon move on to Unit 4 and The Crucible.

Note that if you were not in class for the writing day, then you'll need to come on 11/30 to complete your double timed write. If you are not satisfied with your writing scores there will be a reassessment option. Enjoy Thanksgiving. There's no work assigned, but if you are behind then you should get caught up.

AP Research

Easy day today in AP Research land. We took a quick assessment to check our ethical practices and alignment to our guiding principals of beneficence and non-maleficence. The rest of our class time was given over to preparing for our IRB meetings.

Remember that all of your documents to support your research proposal should be completed by the week of December 5th. The IRB will meet, review proposals, and then give approvals and/or edits. Remember the principal of alignment between the steps of your proposal. Check your surveys for bias and leading questions. Working with your peers is great during this time as they will often see your blindspots.

Enjoy Thanksgiving! I hope that it's a restful and relaxing time! Eat lots of pie!!

7 November

AP Language

Lovely day for feedback in AP Language today. We updated our score sheets, saw a bit of growth, and reviewed targeted feedback for our next writing assignments. Keep in mind that the feedback you get is derived right from the work you've done. Take a look at the rubric you received and the work you did. Do you see the feedback in your work? You may want to annotate your work in order to prepare for your next attempt. We'll be doing a timed write again soon to resubmit these writing skills.

Tonight your goal is to complete Chapter 6. Read and annotate for more information about Gatsby and his past. Your timeline will be a helpful tool here. Also, be sure that you complete your motif tracker as you are reading. Keeping up with this assignment bit by bit will really help you. Consider why Fitzgerald organized the appearances of the color in this way. How does it help him to make an argument about an idea?

AP Research

Today was our kickoff for Unit 3 - Method, Approach and the Design of Scholarly Inquiry. This unit is the make or break method because it's what distinguishes the pass from the fail. You have to have a means to answer your question and you have to be able to explain and justify each part of that plan. I think that a lot of you are now seeing a new way to use your existing work, be sure to keep paying it forward as we move forward. 

For tonight, you should complete your Expert Advisor Research - find one potential expert in your field. Research them. How may they be helpful for you? This is a great chance to try to reach out and get additional help - for some of you it may be a chance to get ready for your futures. We'll discuss these people next class as a means to discuss ethics and proper work in our field. Also, keep writing. Use the plan and sketch your outlines. Putting the content together helps! 

Week 22 - 17 February

AP Research

Today we began Unit 4 which is our unit to complete data collection and to codify our process up to this point - this means writing. By the end of this unit we will have completed a final draft of our Introduction + Lit Review as well as a rough draft of Method. Keep in mind that as you are engaging in your method now, it is important that you track and document your process to make it easier to write about later.

Your first assignment in this unit is your BoK analysis. One of the goals of your academic paper is to fit the style and requirements of your field, so analyzing a paper in your Body of Knowledge will help you in this goal. Complete the document using ONE of your key sources. I would suggest applying the analysis to a source which is very important to your investigation.

As always, if there is anything that I can provide for you, please let me know. I look forward to seeing you Friday for our quick check-in.

End of Week 20 - 5 February

AP Language

Today was a day for us to engage in some critical thinking and reading as we explored DuBois's ideas. The concept of "the veil" and "double consciousness" are going to remain with us for some time, so it's important to continue to reflect on these ideas as we keep encountering them in different spheres.

Over the weekend you should aim to complete remaining research paper tasks. Next week we'll shift gears into writing and drafting, so a thorough outline is key to completing the next step easily. See the recording for information on completing and revising where you are.

Sign up for Office Hours on Monday if needed.

English 10

Today was our final working day in Week 20. This week our task has been focused on researching our one choice museum in earnest to create our presentation about the museum. Be sure that you have completed Step 1 and Step 2 in this project by the end of the week.

Further, as part of our research skills, we've been focusing on learning MLA citation style. Remember that there is a lesson on NoRedInk to lead you through this concept. I have a drag and drop activity to test your skills on this, be sure to turn it in by Monday.

AP Research

It's a bit of a broken record in AP Research since so much of the work is on you right now to hunt down and find your data. We've actually come to the close of this unit on Method. As you keep putting your method into practice, be sure to document the ways in which you implement your method. These contacts and steps are important and should become part of your work. 

Next week we'll meet on Wednesday for Elevator Pitch 2.0. Remember to embrace the beginning of your POD by putting information together on multiple slides. Pitch 2.0 really begins to prepare our POD, so let's feed two birds with this work.

Homework for Monday - 17 February - B Day

AP Literature

Dear Students - Remember that poetry projects are due today to Google Classroom or via hard copy. If you need an extension, I hope that you have already asked for it. Remember that you can submit multiple files on Google Classroom if needed.

For tonight you should read Sonnet 18 and Act 2, Scene 2 and 3. Remember that you are also constructing a vocabulary card for each scene of Shakespeare. They'll be collected at the end of the act. For ideas of what to read for - see the last slide of the set for your anchors.


See you Wednesday!

AP Research

We're just working, working, working as we keep building our task. Remember that you should complete your BOK Analysis and then the two reflections left for you on Google Classroom. Remember that one will focus on presentation, and one will focus on alignment in the paper. Take a look at your findings and takeaways on this assignment. Be sure to use this as you're building your Lit Review. (We'll focus on this next class).

We'll be peer editing our papers on the 25th. Be sure that you have a complete introduction, lit review, and method (as much as possible). Remember that you can write based on projections and then make edits later.

We're Back! 6 January 2020 - B Day

So good to see all of you and your beautiful faces! Remember that the year is going to be moving really fast as we go to our next big checkpoint - AP Examinations. Stay on your work and keep meeting your goals.

AP Literature

Hey everyone! Thank you for contributing great insights about Plath's "Metaphors." I am so impressed that we understood her overall message when reading the poem for the first time. I would encourage everyone to look at some of Plath's other poems!

Make sure that we study the TPCASTT process and how to apply it to a given poem.
If you want to practice TPCASTT for the quiz on Wednesday, I would apply it to Adrienne Rich's poem, "Miracle Ice Cream."

Also, don't forget that your poet projects are due next Tuesday! This is a hard and fast deadline! 


AP Research

Great work today and so good to see all of you! Remember that there's a lot for us to accomplish moving forward and that class is going to start moving in a lot of different directions as we work to collect and analyze our data. Work with each other. Help each other. Reach out to me when you need me.

Remember to fill out our checkpoint for today's PREPTime. Additionally, we have a writing goal coming up. You should be writing! Put things together. Use your templates.


Reach out with any questions you may have. Your final PREPCheck will be at the end of the quarter and will count double. I'll be checking the same folders, you'll just be adding two more reflections for this week and next.

Homework for A Day - 19 November 2019

AP Research

We were a bit of the lab classroom this morning with guests and visitors streaming in. Thanks for being a wonderful group during all of that. Today we were focused on developing, clarifying, and defining a specific method for your specific question. This was a way for me to provide feedback to all of you on your method section of your draft proposal. Tonight you should take a look at the questions and the work that we have done today. What questions can you answer? What clarity can you provide? What can you do to make sure that your method is workable to others? Have you clearly defined all of your tools to complete your method?

It's important that everything aligns. Can you draw a straight line through all of the parts of your proposal? Make changes, make updates and edits. We'll conference on Thursday about your proposals.

Russian 1

Today in class was all about reviewing everything we've done. We conjugated verbs, applied prepositional case, and we worked through a review of our cities. Next class we'll finish our review of the cities and then we will have our retake of our quiz on verb conjugation. Be prepared for that! Study and review. Know how to use the word wall as a resource. If you need additional help, let's meet up at lunch this week!

Advanced Russian

Today in class was all about time. Telling time. Working with time expressions. Understanding that numbers don't really change, but they cause a lot of changes around them. I hope that as we are practicing daily you're getting better and stronger with using and navigating our use of numbers.

For tonight we have our exercise on translation. Read through the letter in English. Find what you can translate related to time expressions and work through those translations. Use the notes and work we did with filling in the blanks.


This is a great way to prepare for your quiz on numbers next class. It's a spelling quiz, so, can you spell and translate your numbers?

Homework for Monday - 11/18 - B Day

AP Literature

We had our final work with The Stranger today in class as well as a circle discussion to review some of our main themes and takeaways from the novel. I was really happy to see you all in the circle room as you tried something new, listened and respected each other, and you all engaged in creative and critical discussion about the novel. Молодец! Wonderful! All of this discussion is key in preparing for Q3 next class - Hopefully you see the connection to the various themes.

Tonight you should spend some time at AP Classroom. Look at your Unit 1 MCQ - What did you get wrong? Why did you get it wrong? Why is the correct answer the better answer? Be sure that you're looking at the specific verbs and adjectives/adverbs - that's usually the difference between better and best.

Prepare for Q3 (The FRQ) by reviewing your annotations. Checking in on your back covers and understanding connections between those elements is key. Also, be sure to look at the practice we did in class related to Q3.


Lastly - we'll start Dostoevsky on Friday. Get yourself a copy of the novel - or save the link here for a copy of it. Remember, no matter how you read, you are still expected to annotate. We'll be reading this book fast - it's a quick read.

AP Research

Today was a workday for all of us. I was reviewing your proposals and you were working with each other or on your own. I'm planning to sit with you at the beginning of next week to go through your proposals and address feedback. As you are working this week, don't forget that we have a new reflection posted.

I would highly suggest that you all spend the time that you need this week working through your method. Do you have a firm understanding of what data you need to collect and how you are going to get it? How are you taking these generalized methods and making them specific to your question and study?

You'll have the chance to recoup your points this week if you missed any. Please review your work as it is returned to you. I'll hopefully have them all returned to you on Google Classroom by the end of tomorrow.

Homework for the Weekend - B Day - 14 November

AP Lit

Today in class we had a great time discussing elements of rationality and irrationality in the text and the way in which they are connected to some of the major themes of this novel. Are there ways that these ideas also connect to some of our philosophies as well?

From there we spent the great majority of class preparing for our assessment on The Stranger. Next week you'll have our Unit Multiple Choice Practice as well as the Free Response. The free response essay will be a Question 3 and you'll be expected to use The Stranger for your response.


For tonight, construct your book card for The Stranger. Read Chapter 5. Be ready for our final class on The Stranger in which we'll make a circle and some big discussions.

AP Research

Today we had an assessment followed by working time. I was happy with what I saw on the assessment. If you missed something, it was probably because you were confusing unethical practices with poor method design. Remember that if we're working in the spirit of ethics, we are doing what is needed. There are some issues that we can't correct, but we need to be able to explain them clearly.


Tonight your first priority is to complete your DRAFT proposals. Submit that to Google Classroom so that I can read and review. After that, it's time to start constructing the pieces for your beast. Think about your method. Conference with your peer. Log your work and conferences! Think about your consent forms and instruments. Keep grinding away!

Homework for B-Day / 5 November

AP Literature

As we discovered in class today, this book isn't all gloom and doom. There's a bright side to absurdism too as it leads us to a certain amount of satisfaction with our life as it is. We recognize what we can fix and what we can't. We also learn to accept ourselves for who we are, no matter what others may say or think.

Take this with you as you go into Chapter Two. Look at how Mersault and others react to the idea of change. Why is change an important idea in this book? How could it connect to our philosophies?

Don't forget that if you missed the Part One test that it should be made up this week. We are also missing annotations from some of you. If your pop-culture/philosophy project is missing, be sure that it is complete and shared/turned in to Ms. Metcalf by the end of the week.

AP Research

Today was all about making sure that we work with a mind on making the most ethical choices that we can given the limitations that we face. Remember that this class is a process and that it will reveal a lot of moments for us to reflect on the work that we have done so far. Take this time to reflect. Have you checked for ethics in your BoK? How about your expert advisers? Are you asking the right questions? Are you citing everything?

Next class we're going to have a workshop on method and development of the method. I'll also be conferencing with each of you about your work so far this quarter - be ready for our conversation!

Homework for Monday - A Day - 4 November

Welcome to Q2! We're going to keep the party going as we move toward our breaks in this quarter of the year.

AP Research

Today we had a very thorough lesson on ethics as it pertains to designing our method and making sure that we always work with ethics in mind. I've posted today's slides as well as the TEDxVictoria talk on ethics and honesty in research/science.

These issues are all important for us to consider as we develop our means of completing our research and fill out our proposal to Durham Public Schools. Remember that part of submitting our work to outside review is to ensure that we are working ethically.

Tonight, prepare for our workday next class. I'm going to sit down and speak with you about your expert advisers. Are you prepared for that conversation? Are you completing your proposal? Are you making decisions with justification? We should be working and chipping away regularly - that's how we will get this finished!

Russian I

Today in class we reviewed the process for completing First and Second Conjugation! Now we know a lot about how to work with verbs. Remember that we either drop ть or we drop it like it's hot. Then we add the ending. Remember the key questions:

1. Who is doing the action?
2. Is it first or second or a mutant?
3. If you know these questions you can do the conjugation.


To review tonight we have an exercise focused on just second conjugation and then a mixed one! Do what you can and be ready for another help session! We'll have our quiz on Friday.

Advanced Russian

Today in class we were working all together to review the essentials of aspect and then we split to look at our individual topics in more depth. Remember that there will be a quiz on Friday related to new vocabulary (Russian III and IV) and key words related to aspect (Russian II). Start preparing now for this quiz.

Tonight you should continue to work through exercises to practice with your skills. Russian IV and III have exercises on paper. Russian II are on page 215. Be sure that you find the key words to choose the aspect, then use the list of verbs to find the right verb and put it in its proper form. Don't forget - lose the coin toss - show me your work!


Next class we're going to the post office! Be ready!

Homework for the Weekend - B Day - 31 October

Happy Halloween from Ofdaniel and Boris the Russian peasant! Enjoy the evening and the long weekend! Remember that since we had an assessment in AP Literature there are no posts in Google Classroom. If you were absent, be sure that you have scheduled your make-up test.

AP Literature

This weekend there are two things to complete in order to prepare for Tuesday. First, finish your mini-project on Pop Culture and Philosophy. Remember that in this assignment you are applying the game plan to a piece of pop culture to argue that it is indicative of one of our three key philosophies. Your piece of pop culture should be cited.

Be clear in your claims about the piece. Use clear examples. Explain how they lead to the philosophy.

Additionally, spend time with Mersault in prison. Read Chapter 1 of Part Two. How does the new setting make Mersault feel? How is irony at play? What changes do you notice from Part One to Part Two?

AP Research

Be sure that this weekend you begin to work on your work moving forward and that you organize your PREP folder completely. Remember that there should start to be content in more of your sub-folders like PROPOSAL and CONFERENCES. Also, the Planning Out the Work log should reflect all the tasks you've completed in the first quarter.

This weekend research THREE potential Expert Advisers. These should be people you could actually contact. You can have more than one and they can be shared. Create a Google Doc in WEEKLY WORK and explain why they are a good adviser for you. Do research into the work they do.


Don't forget that you should be working on your PROPOSAL Draft daily as well as your REFLECTION for the week on today's lesson. Do a bit every day and this will get done!

Homework for the Weekend - A Day - 30 October

AP Research

Here are today's slides where we reviewed method. Be sure that this weekend you begin to work on your work moving forward and that you organize your PREP folder completely. Remember that there should start to be content in more of your sub-folders like PROPOSAL and CONFERENCES. Also, the Planning Out the Work log should reflect all the tasks you've completed in the first quarter.

This weekend research THREE potential Expert Advisers. These should be people you could actually contact. You can have more than one and they can be shared. Create a Google Doc in WEEKLY WORK and explain why they are a good adviser for you. Do research into the work they do.


Don't forget that you should be working on your PROPOSAL Draft daily as well as your REFLECTION for the week on today's lesson. Do a bit every day and this will get done!

Russian I

Today in class we thoroughly reviewed the way in which we complete FIRST CONJUGATION and the different endings and how we use those endings to discuss who is doing what. This weekend be sure that you are practicing by completing the exercises. Read the sentence. Who is the noun? What ending do they need?

Also, remember that some verbs have to be memorized - these are the mutants. Be sure to go back and look at how we conjugated the verb TO LIVE as you do that exercise.

We'll have more time to work on our projects next class and on Wednesday. Be ready for a spelling quiz on Friday!

Advanced Russian

Today we had a class focused on exercise review in order to understand the new concepts that we are learning. The homework that you have this weekend will review those concepts. Here are some notes for each of the groups.

Russian II - We have to focus on how to pick the proper aspect. First, think about the key words that indicate a repeated action versus a one time action. Use the words in Chapter 5 (page 200-201) and the other words you see in the exercises. As you complete your exercises, be sure to pick the right verb for the situation.

Russian III and IV - Focus on learning your declensions! It helps so much to have it memorized. Consider which case is needed for the situation and which words help you to finish the task. Fill in the blanks and check yourself!
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Homework will be checked on Monday for evidence of completion. Also, if you did not see one of the parts of Anna Karenina, please watch on YouTube and complete the viewing guide.