13 April - Still Gone, End of the Week/Quarter

I'm very sorry to be away from you all on the last day of the quarter. I appreciate that I have seen a lot of things get turned in. I'm grading and giving feedback as you complete items. Here are a few quick reminders for the long weekend.

AP Language

Be sure to submit your final assignment for this unit. Your grades will be resetting pretty soon once we finish the scoring of the practice AP Examination. If you have missed any or part of the practice exam, please see me next week to get that settled. The best times would be Wednesday after school or Thursday at Lion Time. Juniors won't have Lion Time on Tuesday because of required programming.

AP Research

We'll have one final working day and then begin our presentations. I'll schedule those with you on Monday. Use this last weekend well! You'll be getting your first AP Exam out of the way, and then we'll move on to reflecting on the year and having some fun before graduation.

English 10

Today is our first day of Quarter 4 and our unit on graphic novels and Middle Eastern literature. We're going to start by diving in with our country of focus and our type of literature to focus on. If you didn't finish the assignment today in class, please do so by the next time I see you. Go to EdPuzzle, log in with your FCPSSchools account, and find your assignment. You can always redo this if you'd like. We'll start reading our book from Iran next class, so knowing this information about the country will help you to better understand the book.

12 and 15 November - Beginning Unit 3

AP Language

What a great day! I'm feeling a lot better and getting back to myself. I was very glad to be with you all today and take you through our overview of The Great Gatsby. The slides from today's class are posted as is the recording of the overview. Feel free to review these documents as you check and review your notes.

Over the weekend, and to start the unit, we'll be reading some parallel texts to help us better appreciate the novel. Tonight, it's Joan Didion. You can find her in the Unit 3 Folder. Read and annotate this text. Consider the idea of the observer, the idea of honesty and memory and accuracy, and the idea of a reliable narrator. These connections will help us to better understand Nick when we meet him. I would also recommend beginning your vocabulary now - don't wait!

Websites are due at the end of the weekend. Hit publish, and then turn in the link. Only one person needs to do this for the group. If there is anything else that you need to turn in from Unit 2, be sure to do so quickly, as it will soon incur a late penalty.

As always, if there is anything I can do for you, please let me know!

English 10

A good day filled with some good work! I am very glad to see how well you are completing your work and wrapping up this unit. Today we took time to read our books, finish our character trackers, and review our final projects for class. Next week we'll pivot over to our writing and start finishing our projects.

Over the weekend, be sure that you have any of your previous assignments complete. Especially the vocabulary and the character tracker. The character development tracker is a great tool to help you write your paragraphs for your soundtrack project - you'll use a lot of those ideas as you write your paragraphs.

I've included our screenshot from our notes today in class - this may be a useful document for you as you're thinking about your books, characters, and your soundtrack project.

10 and 11 November

AP Language

I'm back! Not at 100%, but good enough to be with you all today, and I am very happy to be with you instead of where I was. Today was a pretty simple day, and I appreciate you all being nice to me. We took time to talk, work through some big ideas related to our unit, and then we finished our day as we needed.

As a reminder final tasks from Unit 2 are due or now past-due. If you are missing something, be sure to complete it as soon as possible so that I can finish my grading quickly. Your websites are due by the end of the weekend. Be sure that someone from the group submits the link. On Friday/Monday we'll be starting our unit on The Great Gatsby. I'm excited to share this text with you - it's one of my favorites.

English 10

Today was a very easy day for us since I'm still riding the struggle bus and recovering from my procedure on Monday. I appreciate all of you being kind and following instructions today. We completed a grammar assignment before we took some time with our books. As we are reading, it's important to note that there are only FOUR classes left until our projects are due. 

After reading time, we met in small groups to collect information related to our characters and how they are changing. I think that this is very helpful as you are working to complete your soundtrack projects. Remember that if you have anything missing (like vocabulary) that you submit that as soon as possible. I'll be finishing your grades for this unit over Thanksgiving.

Beginning Quarter 2 - 11/4 and 11/5

AP English Language

Happy Diwali everyone! Due to the fact that today was a holiday, we took it pretty easy. Our main goal at this time is to construct our websites and focus on our assessments coming next week. Here is our to do list for the weekend and into next week.

1. To open the week you'll have your end of unit assessments. There is the mini-project (visual and essay) as well as your annotations of The Crucible and your timed essay. Keep in mind that the essay will be open book/open annotation. There are also vocabulary cards due.

2. Our website presentations will be run as a seminar. Be prepared to discuss your individual text as well as your group's argument. I'm looking forward to our symposium on social commentary. More details next week. Your websites will be assessed at the end of next week. This will give you time for further edits and revisions before they are assessed.

Keep in mind that we will begin our tardy policy next week. See the letter posted for more information. This quarter is where things are going to start getting real - it's time to start chipping away at things bit by bit instead of trying to do one big push. 

English 10

Today's class was a very easy class due to the fact that we have a religious observance today - Happy Diwali! We reviewed the final project for this unit, completed our NRI diagnostic, and took time to complete our vocabulary documents and submit them. 

As a reminder, the final project will be due the week we go out for Thanksgiving Break. I know this feels like a while away, but it'll be here pretty soon! Remember that there are three parts to this project - the album cover, track list, and then the paragraphs. We will have future time to work on this in class, but be sure to begin so that you can chip away at your assignments bit by bit.

19 and 20 October

AP Language

Solid work today, y'all! I was happy to see a lot of great engagement around our lesson on objectivity, subjectivity, and sensationalism via Colonial Era Captivity Narratives. All of these lessons recently are devoted to allowing us the context to understand the end of The Crucible. I hope that you've enjoyed the readings.

If you did not finish the activity today in class feel free to finish it for homework or during our next Lion Time (tomorrow). I'll score them over the weekend. Remember that this is one of our last grades for the quarter. Next class we'll be looking at Act III. Be sure to read and annotate in advance. Pay close attention to the courtroom - note the irony in the scene and the way in which things quickly escalate against John.

English 10

Today's class was a day for us to finish things up - we finished up our reading of "The Forsaken Olive Trees" and took a bit of time to tie up loose ends. Remember that any missing work for Quarter 1 is due on the 22nd. That is this Friday! Don't miss this chance to turn in your work for credit. 

Next class we'll be playing our review game to get ready for our Quarter 1 Exam. The exam will be on Monday the 25th or Tuesday the 26th (depending on your class). You have the study guide and all the materials you need to prepare. This test is going to be a lot of points - so it will have a strong effect on your grade. Prepare and be ready to do your best work!

15 and 18 October

AP Language

Today's class was focused on a bit of a review of the beginnings (rhetorical appeals) as we looked at excerpts from Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States. Remember that right now we're focused on understanding more of the context for the people in The Crucible before we work through the end of the play. We also took time to set up our websites and work on our projects a bit - the rhetorical analysis phase.

Over the weekend you have an option of what to read - both are posted in Materials and one is also in your textbook. Choose either Rowlandson or Equiano. Consider their situation, their voice, and how they convey the troubles of their captivity. Understand their audience - it's always key. You should come to class on the 25th/26th with a rough draft of your analysis for your website project. There are only a few grades left in the quarter and little time to resubmit or submit items. Submissions will end by the 22nd of the month.

English 10

Great day today, y'all! We spent time in Palestine as we worked through the first part of "The Forsaken Olive Trees" by N. Farah. This story gives us a great opportunity to examine the importance of land and the connection between characters and their land. It's complex, but so interesting.

Over the weekend you should be focused on any missing work as well as your Quarter 1 Exam study guide. Your Quarter 1 exam will occur on Monday the 25th or Tuesday the 26th. You will be able to use your notes, books, and your study guide. Be prepared to show what you've learned so far this year in English class.

Enrichment Day - 14 October

AP English Language

Today was our Rhetorical Analysis enrichment day! I hope that you appreciated the lesson, time for reflection, and the group based practice. As you work through this project, your first goal is to complete your rhetorical analysis. Remember, we're all focused on social commentary so first you have to think of an issue that needs comment. Use your passions as a guide. If you care about climate change, then find a text which comments upon or satirizes that issue. The goal of your analysis will be to show and explain how the commentary is made clear.

I've posted the resources from today's lesson on Schoology. Blue Day students - I would suggest checking out this video as you are building and planning your rhetorical analysis. We'll have more time next class for project time. Remember that your choice of Zinn reading is due next class.

English 10

Today was our enrichment day! It was a day to explore around the world and learn a bit more about where our book and our main characters come from. I hope that you enjoyed the time to explore and travel a bit, no matter where you found yourself going.

If you didn't complete the assignment today in class, be sure that you complete and submit as much as you can by the end of the weekend. If you're missing any assignments, this can earn back some points. If you don't have any missing work, than this work can add points to a low scoring assignment.

Next class we'll be reading one of our anchor texts in this unit - a beautiful short story from the Palestinian Territories. I'm looking forward to us reading something as a whole class and then exploring one of our main themes in this unit - the connection between land and people.

6 and 7 October

AP Language

Great day today, y'all. I'm very happy that the groups were formed quickly and then worked effectively to complete the first task. Remember that this is a very long-term project. I'm teaching you a lot of things through this work, so we will not finish this until the end of the unit (around November). 

Next class we'll have our quiz on Acts 1 and 2 of The Crucible. It's a timed writing. You'll receive a grade for your essay and then a grade for your knowledge of the play. Review your annotations, review key scenes, and work to understand what's happening.

Next week will be strange for our schedule. There will also be a bit of a break from The Crucible. We'll be looking at some choice readings from Howard Zinn (a modern historian) and then two narratives from the time period. One narrative is posted, the other is in your textbook on page 193. You'll need to have one Zinn excerpt read for the Zinn day and then one captivity narrative for that class.

Holla with any questions! I'm here for you!

English 10

Today we took our day to catch-up on Quarter 1. I am so happy that so many of you got so much done! Let's be sure that as we move forward we don't fall behind. Use the time you have in class, so that you'll have less to do later. If you need to still submit something, be sure to do so today once you get home.

We will have quizzes on our book the week of the 18th. If you're reading Persepolis then you'll need to get to page 134. If you're reading The Kite Runner, then you'll need to get to page 109. Those of you reading How Does It Feel to Be A Problem should read two full stories. The quiz will focus on characters and a lot of the topics we've been discussing.

Next class we'll be talking about writing, have some time to finish our character sketches, and take time to continue reading our books. I'm looking forward to a great Friday!

4 and 5 October

AP Language

Today's class was about breaking open The Crucible in order to set a foundation for the rest of our study. We understood the main characters in the play, their essential motivations, and the way in which multiple conflicts, topics, and forces are working in the play so far.

Next class we'll continue with Act 2. This scene is all about John and Elizabeth Proctor. Notice their relationship, the way in which tension operates, and the speed of the changes in Salem. We'll have an assessment on Friday/Monday which covers Act 1 and Act 2. We'll also begin on the project in earnest next class. Be sure to review the requirements, the exemplars, and the documents in the folder for you.

If you have anything missing from Unit 1 it is extremely important that this is turned in ASAP. The end of the quarter will occur at the end of the month.

English 10

Today we did a lot of great work y'all! I'm so glad that we have time every day to read and enjoy our texts. We focused a bit on how the characters are impacted by the characters and forces at play around them. This is super important as all of our books are about growing up in the world - so we should consider the way in which the characters are affected by the forces around them.

Tonight you have vocabulary due. Be sure to upload your version of the vocabulary bookmark with your ten words, definitions, and synonyms. This should be an easy 4.0 assignment. Use Google Dictionary for help with your words. Keep in mind that you'll keep subitting the same document all year as you get more vocabulary.

Our assignment for the week is our Arts and Crafts on our protagonist. For this I want you to create an image of the main character (some of you may need to pick one). The question for you to answer in your paragraph response is: What is the main character like as the book begins? Be sure to create a clear paragraph that uses evidence from the book. These assignments are due at the end of the week.

Beginning Unit 2 - 28 and 29 September

AP Language

And off we go to Unit 2! In this unit, we'll be looking at texts from the Colonial period of America as we are reading and studying Arthur Miller's The Crucible. For tonight, I want you to get enmeshed in the culture of the Puritan world by reading Jonathan Edwards's "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry G-d". As you read, annotate for tone, the way he uses fear, and his topics. This is a great text for vocabulary as well - remember that you have another set of ten due later in the unit.

Finish and submit your Unit 1 projects as well as your Unit 1 vocabulary to the spaces to the side. I'll have grades updated as soon as I can. Keep in mind that Act 1 and 2 will be discussed next week. Be sure to begin your reading and annotating now. See the unit plan posted below or in the unit folder for your reading schedule.

English 10

Projects are due today to round out Unit 1. Be sure that you have submitted your work to Schoology for this first unit of the year. If you are missing any work from Unit 1, be sure that you've made a plan with me for how to complete and submit that work before the end of this week. It's important that we get everything settled before we move on.

Today in class we took time to get into our novels and focus on characters. Remember that in some cases, the characters are real people, since the books are pieces of non-fiction. We're looking at conflicts and how they impact the characters as well. We're also actively reading for new vocabulary as we work through these books.

If you have your projects done, then tonight should be about vocabulary. If those things are both complete, then take this time to enjoy your book. We'll start reading something together as a class next time.

Ending Unit 1 - 24 and 27 September

AP Language

We've finished Unit 1! Congratulations everyone! I hope that you've enjoyed this introduction to non-fiction genres such as letters, speeches, and essays. We've also gotten our hands dirty with a new method of reading and analyzing readings - annotations and rhetorical frameworks - which we'll use to really extract meaning throughout the year.

Our next unit begins next week. We'll be studying The Crucible by Arthur Miller. The unit plan is attached on Schoology, and I'll give you a hard copy next week. If you want to get your own copy of the play, feel free. There are also several e-copies. No matter how you read, find a way to annotate and be consistent. Reading checks may become more frequent.

Projects and vocabulary are due at the end of the day next class. If you have any questions, be sure to ask!

English 10

Due to an issue with Schoology you're not going to be able to submit your project at the assignment spot. Instead, be sure to share your project with me or to email it to me directly. Use my djmiller1 [at] fcpsschools [dot] net account for this. Be sure that by the end of the weekend that your Unit 1 project is complete so that I can get your grades finalized for this unit.

Today we began our work in Unit 2 - The Middle East. We began reading a bit, talked for a bit, and discussed genres. Over the weekend, keep reading if you'd like, but don't feel any pressure to do so. We'll have more time next week for our novels and to wrap up vocabulary.