13 November - Middle of the Week

English 11

Today was a great day in English 11 because we were working on speeches and arguments. I loved the way that you were making connections to other authors and texts in this unit and the concept of responding to conflict. We focused on Booker T. Washington and ideas like conformity and appealing to audiences. It's also good that we see that there are two different approaches to the same idea in the same time period. There was a multiple choice review to get us ready for next class (we have a quiz) and we did some work on understanding writing and writing structures.

The end of class looked at preparing for future tasks. We've got a vocabulary quiz coming next week on List Three words, and we'll keep working with our research work as well. Remember that the goal is to find multiple sources that you can use in your letter. We'll be moving into the planning and writing phase soon.

Next class is a substitute day - you'll have time to work on your Research Write-Up, focus on vocabulary development, and then you'll take a quiz on reading non-fiction. Follow the rules of the classroom and support our guest in the classroom. I look forward to a good report. I look forward to seeing you all next week!

Getting into September - Mid Week Check-ins

English 11

Thank you all for being so good while we had technology problems in class today. Unfortunately, this means that we won't have a recording for today posted over on Schoology. Oh well. 

Today's class started with a quotation response in our notebooks followed by our first graded class discussion. Y'all did a fantastic job reviewing the four authors that we've read so far and discussing some of their major conflicts, resolutions, and perspectives in their texts. We made some great connections between the various authors as well. Some of these connections were a bit ironic, but that makes them even more powerful. As we keep going through this unit and year, consider how more texts combine together to create richer meanings and ideas.

We started reading one of the longest pieces of this unit called "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong" by Tim O'Brien. This is a war story that blends a bit of fact and fiction. We'll finish the story next week. To end our day, we looked at vocabulary. Remember that you have a quiz next week (Thursday). Be sure to complete your review assignment before Thursday. Don't forget that you also have your discussion board due this week.

On Monday we had a good day as we read and studied "The Gettysburg Address" by Abraham Lincoln to review the ideas of the rhetorical situation as well as the ways in which emotions are created in a text by an author for a purpose. We also closed out our first vocabulary list. We'll have time next class and Friday to prepare for next week's first quiz. Remember to focus on learning the words and their meaning. This will take you into most of the quiz. 

Next class is Picture Day! We'll take pictures at the beginning of class. After that, we'll take lunch and finish our day with writing. I hope you enjoyed today. See you on Friday!

5 September

English 11

Thanks for spending my birthday with me today, y'all!

Fantastic day today to end our week together in English 11. We did a bit of everything today. We started off by discussing genres and sorting them into being generally fiction or nonfiction. I love the way that you all are engaged in reminding and remembering key ideas from earlier English classes. From there, we applied our literary devices and narrative elements to understand that generally reading nonfiction is a bit more straightforward than fiction because fiction has a lot of artistry and details involved in creating message.

The bulk of our class focused on reading and understanding "Go Carolina" by David Sedaris. We were able to see elements of irony, conflict, characterization, and theme in the story as he talked about his experiences in speech therapy. I'm so proud of the fact that we completed a whole article in our class today. We finished with five more vocabulary words to end the day together.

Remember to get your syllabus form signed. It's also important that you study your vocabulary words regularly. You'll need to know the words and their meanings. Check out the recordings and uploaded slide decks to help you with this. We have some graded work coming up soon, be sure to keep up and stay accountable. If you've missed anything, please reach out!

14 February - Happy Valentine's Day!

AP Language and Composition

Today we spent some time with Brent Staples and his article "Just Walk On By: Black Men and the Public Space". I appreciated the connections that you all were making between this text, Ellison, and all the way back to DuBois. I really like the way that Staples acknowledges alternative perspectives, confronts his audience, and crafts a message for them. Consider this as you write your own arguments.

From there, we looked at our Research Questions and refined them through the lens of the problem statement. Remember that you don't need to be looking at a "problem" per se - you could be looking at the problem of not knowing something and its effect on you or society. No matter what, be sure that you are focusing on being specific in your scope and focus. Use today's slides and assignment to refine and then post in the discussion board. Be sure to get and give feedback in the discussion board.

Next class we're headed back to New York and TIM's adventures. We've got more of the city in Chapter 8 and then a few key conversations in Chapter 9. Enjoy your reading! Try to make sense of what you can. Be sure to refer to your motif charts. See you Friday!

12 February - Chapters 5-7: Saying Goodbye to the South

AP Language and Composition

Fantastic day today in AP Language as we leaned into our reading skills and our presentation skills to work through Chapters 5, 6, and 7. In these chapters, we finish up our time in the South and at the College. TIM won't be returning, but the lessons - or lack thereof - will continue to follow him into New York. I really love the fact that so many of us were contributing to our class learning today. Great work with your new approach to Key Passages. Remember to continue to use these tools as you are working through this novel - especially the motif tracker.

Next class we'll be revising research questions and working through Brent Staples's "Just Walk on By: Black Men and the Public Space." It's a short article, so read deeply and carefully. Consider the connection to stereotypes and invisibility. This is a key connection between Ellison and Staples. We'll have our next set of chapters on Friday. Try to get ahead, we have some large chunks coming later. If you haven't submitted your research work, please do so ASAP so that you can fully participate in our lesson on Wednesday.

10 November - Happy Friday and Veterans' Day!

AP Language

Wonderful end to the week today in AP Language. We explored one of my favorite authors, Joan Didion, and her ideas around truth, memory, the past, and the issue of bias. I appreciated the conversation we were having and the connections that we built back to The Great Gatsby and our narrator. Remember that as we look at these parallel pieces we are building our analysis of non-fiction skills, our analytical writing skills, and our reading skills that are key for the AP Examination.

Over the weekend, read and annotate Chapter 7. Focus on using your motif tracker to follow major ideas in the text. Remember that we're moving to the end of the novel, so it's important start to draw your focus in on key motifs and meanings in the novel. We'll be finishing the project in the week after Thanksgiving Break, so putting in adequate time now is important. As always, reach out with anything that I can do for you to assist.

27 October - Feminism and Weekend Time!

AP Language

What a great day to end the week in AP Language. We dug into Deborah Tannen and looked at the marking of women, the ideas of power, politics, and access, and of course feminism. This is another article that we're going to come back to a few times this year as we consider the roles of women in the texts that we read and the roles of women in our American society. We flexed our precis muscles at the end to get ready for our next round of FRQ 2 - Rhetorical Analysis. Remember how our work in class will always support the development of our skills.

Over the weekend, there are two chapters to read because they work together very well. Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 give us the opportunity to learn a LOT about Gatsby, Daisy, Nick, and the world of the 1920's. Pay attention to the idea of the past. We'll be building a timeline, so you may want to pay attention to what happens when in the lives of the characters.

Remember that revised projects are due by the 31st of October. I can give a bit of flex time if needed, but the majority should be submitted by then. Remember to focus on your audience, purpose, and message slides. Accomplish the goal of the rubric. Come to Lion Time or after school to conference. 

25 October

AP Language

Solid day today in AP Language as we had our first synthesis day. As we keep reading through The Great Gatsby we will gather our thoughts every three chapters. Today we discussed most of the major ideas in the book and the key arguments that Fitzgerald is presenting to us. Keep using our key passages, our annotations, and our conversations to track these major developments.

We also discussed our final project on The Great Gatsby and the tools you'll use to complete it. Track the motifs as you keep reading. Notice how the ideas build on each other in order to accomplish a full argument. Work with friends to track ideas - it makes life easier. At the end, we'll build a visual of the motif and write about a key passage in which the meaning is developed. 

For next class, read and annotate Deborah Tannen's article "There Is No Unmarked Woman". Think about the women we've met in The Great Gatsby. Consider their roles and the way in which they're marked. Don't forget that project revisions are due by 10/31. Remember to give me your rubric and resubmit the project on Schoology.

9 December - End of the Week

English 10

Solid work today in English 10. We had a great conversation and seminar around some major themes in this unit including heroism, bravery, villany, and justice. I was happy to see a lot of engagement, collaboration, and critical thinking. We ended class with reading "Misrule of Law" and discussing the rhetorical triangle in the text. Keep in mind that you can use this text as you are writing your essay, which we'll get started with next week. We have one more thing to read too - it's a fun story about ghosts and Russia.

Enjoy the weekend. If you have missing assignments, be sure to get them in!

Welcome Back! 28 November

AP Language

Today was a workshop day to construct our visuals displaying color at work in The Great Gatsby. The goal in this summative assessment is to display your skill as a reader and understand the way that Fitzgerald uses a specific color to create a meaning in his novel. The organization and construction of the meaning in this novel is painstakingly built by Fitzgerald, this is a means to display your understanding of that.

Be sure that you have submitted your reflection questions which display your thinking in words. Sometimes art can be difficult to understand, so the reflection questions will help you display your skill. If necessary, your motif tracker MAY be assessed if skill demonstration is lacking in the other areas. 

Next class will be our end of the unit seminar related to non-fiction connections to The Great Gatsby. Select one of the posted articles and read/annotate. Consider connections to the unit and novel. Be thoughtful and critical. We'll be starting our next unit on The Crucible this week as well. Be aware of your due dates for vocabulary to round out Unit 3.

AP Research

Today was a day for our first POD viewing. We watched, we analyzed, and we discovered the route to a high scoring presentation. The rest of this week is devoted to completing your proposal form and any supporting documentation for that proposal (consent forms, surveys, etc.). The IRB is going to meet next week, so everything needs to be completed this week/weekend. 

The next two classes this week are going to be workshop days. We will meet together to discuss your work to this point as a graded conference. I'll see half of you on Wednesday and half on Friday for conversations. Be ready to show me your IRB/Proposal at this point. 

Thursday the 20th of October

AP Language

Solid day today in AP Language land. We discussed Joan Didion's "Keeping a Notebook" and focused on the ideas of truth, memory, and accuracy. I loved the outcomes that we came to related to the purpose of truth and the way in which it can be modified as needed. I also really enjoyed the conversation around credibility and irony. The thinking is getting pretty high level, which I enjoy. Keep in mind connections to The Great Gatsby as we are working through parallel texts. 

Over the weekend there are a few things to settle up - here they are listed out for you:

1. Complete your Unit 2 Tasks. You have a project due. Some of you are still missing vocabulary. All assignments are due so that I can complete your grading for first quarter. 

2. Select an article from the folder and read this weekend. Annotate for the ideas of power and privilege. These articles are all written by African American authors, a population absent from The Great Gatsby. We'll be having a seminar on these texts next week.

3. Begin tracking your color from The Great Gatsby. This novel exists as a PDF, so find that and use the find feature to find your color easily. Use the tracker posted and begin to track your color. I think that white, blue, green, yellow, and grey are really productive colors.

AP Research

Easy day to end the week this week in AP Research as we are in a working day. To end the quarter, you need to submit your Annotated Bibliography and your Quarter 1 PREP reflections. There will not be an additional question this week to give you the chance to get caught up. Today we spent our time in class writing, practicing our pitches, composing our posters, and/or reflecting on our research up to this point. 

Next week we'll have a short week due to Diwali - Happy Festival of Lights! We'll see a College Board lesson on turning our AB into a Literature Review and have additional time to write. Your posters and pitches will be due the week of November 1.

22 and 23 March

AP Language

Today's class looked a bit like a reality show. We had a quick challenge followed by several rounds of conversation around our articles for class. I was happy to hear your outcomes and conclusions related to Tannen, Steele, and Sullivan. It's wonderful to see the way that you are all seeing elements of the veil and double consciousness at play.

Next class is a substitute day. I'll be on campus, but won't be with you because of some other responsibilities. You'll have a working and reading day. Keep in mind that the quarter will end next week. Any resubmissions of research papers or other late/missing work must be in by the end of the day on March 31 to be scored. Your work right now is relatively light, so focus on catching up or getting ahead as you need to.

English 10

Today we took time to finish our work on the concept of the doppelganger. We finished reading Cortazar's "The Night Face Up" and then worked through an episode of The Twilight Zone called "Mirror Image." I think that each of our texts has shown the concept of the doppelganger in an interesting way which has power in its own way. 

Next class will be our day for our end of year grammar diagnostic. This won't be for an accuracy grade, just completion. If you have any zeroes in the gradebook, now is the time to submit late work. I will not accept any work past March 31, so the time is now! If you have any questions about anything, please let me know. 

14 and 15 February

Happy Valentine's Day! Remember everyone, "If you can't love yourself, then how in the heck are you going to love somebody else?" Be sure to always take time to love yourself and your amazingness! I love all of you and am so happy to be your teacher. Now, on to the business.

AP Language

Today's class was a bit of a set-up and then delivery as we discussed some of the requirements and suggestions around building your eventual paper. The important thing is to realize that this paper is very different from what you've done in the past, even though it looks similar. Beware the temptation to turn this into a body of quotes and paraphrases with a bit of context - this isn't a report, it's an argument. The evidence is here for YOU to present and prove YOUR argument as valid.

We discussed ways to revise the argument, the goal of using evidence in the body, and some other suggestions - put these forward as you work through your outline. The next step of the process is also part of today's lesson. This is a very simple assignment - basically just a copy and paste job. See the template and the samples posted.

As always - let me know if you need me. Lion Time can be very useful right now!

English 10

Today we had a solid day where we took a bit of a thematic diversion away from Russia and Eastern Europe to investigate Burma. The line to connect the two areas is unfortunately not a very good one - the connection betwen authoritarianism and the limiting of personal freedom and expression. Our author Aung San Suu Kyi is a victim of these same policies today - an important reminder that the ideas we explore in class are more than ideas for some people in this world.

Class focused on our law and justice seminar and then we read and analyzed her speech "Misrule of Law" - see the recording if you were absent. Next class we'll make some more connections back to our unit and take time for test corrections. If you haven't yet finished your test, come and see me tomorrow during LT to finish that.

13 and 14 December

AP Language

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

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

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

English 10

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

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

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

9 and 10 December - The End of the Week!

Just one more week of school until Winter Break! Keep pushing!!!

AP Language

Today's class we kept zooming in in order to strengthen our annotation skills. Today it was all about two lines of dialogue since Chapter Seven is so dialogue heavy. We read, we illustrated, we annotated, we worked! I love what you were able to find and note - especially related to how decisions are being made in the text. Remember, we're nearly done.

Over the weekend I'd recommend re-reading the end of Chapter Seven (Myrtle's death) and consider the slide we didn't get to today. The reading for the weekend is a choice - either Woolf or Petrunkevitch. Both texts are what we call a process analysis so pay attention to the steps in the process in the article. We'll also return to our projects next class - be sure to have an excerpt, Level 2 annotations, and your rationale for the passage's importance.

English 10

Today's class was a day for us to start to transition into our final step of our research process - Step 3. In this step we're focused on ONE creator from our country and an item (or items) that they've created. This is where our research on the culture and history of the country will come into play since so many authors reflect their culture in some way in their texts.

Tonight your country slides are due for Step 2. Please submit your work to Schoology when you're finished. Follow the template for what to do with each slide. From there, we'll move into Step 3 next week. First you'll pick your creator and then you'll move into your reading notes.

Also keep in mind that if you would like to resubmit your soundtrack projects, you now have your feedback to use in that process. If your soundtrack is missing, work to complete that project as soon as you can - get your points because we only have a few weeks left in the quarter.

29 and 30 of November - Three Weeks to Break

AP Language

Today we read the first chapter of The Great Gatsby and explored the characters, the setting, and the major ideas that Fitzgerald presents in the opening of his novel. I was very pleased to see you annotating closely and paying attention to the details. This is a book that is all about the details - dig deep into those interesting sentences that draw your eye. It's all intentional in this book.

Tonight you have reading and annotating to accomplish. First, read Chapter 2. Pay attention to Tom when he's not with Daisy, the power of alcohol, and the minor characters - you may want to view them as symbols more than actual people. This is also our first party scene.

The other reading is to select either Hughes or Lorde to read as well. These are two African American authors who provide an interesting perspective on Black art - this art was highly consumed by wealthy whites in this time period, so their perspective is key. Also, we don't get any African American voices in this text - so these texts will help provide that.

English 10

Today was our classroom catch-up day for Unit 2. The major task was to complete the soundtrack project and then to submit any missing assignments for the unit. Remember that your work is due at the end of the day today in order to avoid a late penalty. I'll have everything scored soon and then we'll have a chance to do any rewrites or resubmissions.

We also took time to work through our year-long portfolio. For this portfolio you're making one slide for each unit of study we have. So far, that means you should have two slides. For each side include the following:

1. Unit number/name
2. A country of interest from the unit
3. An author or writer who interested you. Why did you choose this particular author?
4. Your key takeaway from this unit. Write this as a whole sentence.

Next class we're going to start Unit 3 - this is our research unit, so we'll be picking our own topics for research and spending time in the library over the next few classes. Be ready!

Homework for A-Day: 23 April 2019

AP English III

Happy Tuesday everyone! Today in class we worked through some of Steinbeck's arguments as we looked at the trends in the text related to the settings as well as Jim Casy. As I noted in class, it becomes obvious when you aren't reading. The discussion suffers, people don't have their books, and the annotations are light or non-existent. I'll remind you that this is our last unit and we are almost done - books will be due soon as well as motif charts. Remember that we're not finished yet.

For tonight we have a few things to settle. First, a reminder that research paper resubmissions are not due until Monday. I think that many of you will need the weekend, and I haven't been free to discuss anything due to AP Seminar presentations. Come and check in - let's discuss what we need to. I will not collect late resubmissions.

You should read "Two Ways to Belong in America" (available in 50 Essays or on Google Classroom). This is a text about immigrants in contemporary America, but I think that there are clear connections to Steinbeck too. Read the article and see if you can make these connections. You may find it helpful to think about the ways in which necropolitics are coming into play in both texts.

We will also have chapter presentations next class. Chapters up to number 26 will be called. Please share any materials you have made.

Lastly, the guided reading notes on literary criticism are due next Friday. Remember that the criticism is meant to help you with your interpretation of the motif/quotation for your final assignment. Be sure that you find an article which aligns with your own understanding of the motif in the novel.

English IV

Today in class we had our Unit 17 Vocabulary Test as well as a chance to correct our earlier quiz on Lesson 17. I hope that you felt prepared for today's assessment. I'll have them back to you next week for our corrections. I think that this vocabulary work that we're doing is some of the most important work for us because it's so helpful for acquiring new words and being able to work with huge words that are new to you.

Remember that you also now know about the two final projects for the novel you are reading. We have a creative project (the book pamphlet) and then the more formal project (the character essay). I'm looking forward to taking you through these last assignments for the year.

Homework for the Weekend - A-Day Students - 15 March

AP English III

Good work today in class with our presentations on The Grapes of Wrath as well as our discoveries about Steinbeck's various purposes in the novel as he creates antagonists. I was very happy with what we were doing in class; please continue this work at home as you keep reading. Over the weekend please complete Chapter 7. Don't forget to finish your motif chart for this chapter as well. Additionally, you'll want to read Amy Tan's "Mother Tongue". This piece really focuses on the idea of language/identity/stereotypes. Consider how this piece and Eighner's help us to add complexity to our understanding of others - especially the poor and people who speak with a non-standard English.

The other major work relates to our research papers. Everyone will be required to submit a rough draft (50%) on Tuesday. Remember that if you conference before Tuesday, you will just bring your draft to your conference. We've already had several successful conferences. Be sure that you are ready and prepared to finish the Quarter!

English IV

After a bit of a rocky go yesterday we had a really great and productive day today. Lots of good learning, and I am always so happy to see you all reading and enjoying your books. Remember this weekend to keep reading to get at least to page sixty in your books. This is especially important if you've fallen behind or missed class.

Additionally, remember that this is the last weekend of the grading period. We need to make sure that tests are complete and that everything we wanted to resubmit is in.

Homework for A-Day Students: Monday, 11 March

AP English III

There is no point to studying for the ACT at this point. The best thing that you can do is review your notes and preparation for each section, pack your bag for tomorrow (snack, calculator, pencils, water), and get a good night's sleep. Mint is good for memory - maybe a cup of mint tea in the morning to help you out.

Here are our big reminders for class. They're grouped in terms of reading and then our research papers.

On Wednesday we'll be discussing a non-fiction text, "On Dumpster Diving" by Lars Eighner. It's attached here, and it's also available in 50 Essays. Read the text and consider the presentation and discussion of the poor in this text. How do you see necropolitics related to the poor and homeless? What textual connections can we make between this text and The Grapes of Wrath? Remember that Wednesday is a PLC Day - so we'll likely just have time for Eighner. You have reading in Grapes due on Friday (Chapters 5-6) and we'll have our first run of presentations (Chapters 1-6).

In terms of your research papers outlines should be completed and shared by the end of the day today to be considered on time. I'll start marking outlines and rubrics tonight. Our next deadline is our rough draft and conference. Remember that we'll begin conferences on Thursday. I'll post the signup sheet on my door tomorrow. You must bring a 50% draft to your conference in which you present your introduction/argument and at least one topic. This is your final grade on your research papers this quarter.

English IV

What a great day to do some reading outside! I really appreciated the work that we did to study and review our protagonists to understand key ideas about them like their beliefs, key ideas, and the people that they trust.

At this point we are wrapping up the quarter. Be sure that you've completed all your assignments, that you've put extra credit on anything that you want, and that you have reviewed and revised any assignments that are low scoring. The quarter ends on Friday the 22nd.

Last Week Before Break - 17 December - A Day

Happy Evening Everyone! Sorry to be posting so late, but we just finished up our meet tonight. Another win for the AquaFalcons! Here are your reminders for our class on Wednesday.

English IV

Today we played our review games to remind ourselves about our vocabulary knowledge as well as the main content for Act III of A Doll's House. Next class you'll have your unit examination. There will be questions about characters, questions about the plot, short answer questions, and vocabulary questions. Be sure to use your folders and the notes you've taken to prepare.

AP English III

We worked through some strange elements of Beloved with Chapters 10-13. There's so much going on in this text that I think it may be most important to focus on one character but then keep the other two major ones in mind. Beloved is always a part of the discussion now, so we should keep her/it as part of our understanding of the characters too. Be sure to use the slides and notes to go back and look at how you are annotating the text and what you are looking for. A lot of the annotations look a bit...sparse...as I look at your books in class.

Next class we'll be looking at Equiano's narrative about his captivity and experience on a slave ship. I think that this piece gives a lot of important context for understanding the whole slave experience from beginning to end. Keep in mind Equiano's audience and how he appeals to them.

Your proposals are due at the end of class on Friday; you should have been able to take a look at more research in order to understand what you're going to be saying about your topic. You've got to be giving me a specific insight; we'll talk more about what this means on Wednesday as we go over our most recent writing assignment.