Ending the Week - Thursday, 10 December

AP Language

Today was time to review the requirements and process for the group argumentative essay as part of the Satire Website project. As a group, you had time to generate an argument (or the beginning of an argument) so that you all know from which perspective and for what purpose to use your text now. Over the weekend, you should take time to work through this and anything else required with your project. I'll be available on Monday to review your work and conference in Office Hours.

Next class is devoted to the websites. You'll have nothing but time in your group to write, edit, revise, and construct. I'll be available throughout class for help. Don't forget that vocabulary cards are due, and the place to submit them is posted.

I'll have quizzes scored and returned to you by the end of the day on Monday. If you want to retake or apply extra credit points, let me know via email.

English 10

Today we took time to do some individual reading and study in Persepolis as well as a brief grammar review. Remember to submit your slide from your reading today - it's a small ten point assignment.

Over the weekend, you should finish your work on your comic book and turn that in. Use the recording on Google Classroom to review how to turn in pictures of your work for this project. If you need help, come see me on Monday during Office Hours. I'm looking forward to seeing your stories!

Ending Week 10

English 10

Great work today in class everyone. We had a full day discussing rebellion and the way in which Marji and her parents are acting as rebels. Then we connected and thought about how music is used in the book as well as in our own lives.

We finished the day writing about a song (show or video game) that we use to escape and rebel - like Marji has Kim Wilde, we all have something too.

Be sure to check in on any missing work this weekend. If you haven't turned in the Scavenger Hunt, Day 16 Assignment, or Brainstorming for Project, then be sure to turn them in this weekend so I can update scores in SIS.

AP Language

Our presentations in class today were very rich and thorough - wonderful job groups on taking your first task and knocking it out of the park. I'd suggest going back to that document we created as a group to further refine and improve your own annotations.

Over the weekend you should focus on reading. We have our next chapter set in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as well as the selection of our text for our analysis project. Bring this text with you on Tuesday as we'll have time to do a close reading and annotating workshop to begin writing our analysis.

On Google Classroom, I've posted our video on building a website. If you need anything, please reach out or visit on Monday. If you have any missing assignments, please work to get them completed and submitted this weekend.

End of Week 9 - Grey Day - 6 November

Reminders and announcements for English 10 and AP Language are posted below. Be sure that this weekend you complete the asynchronous assignment from Day 16. There are also final projects you can begin to think about and plan, but remember we'll have more time on Wednesday to complete tasks such as the group contract (AP) or the brainstorming (English 10).

AP Research

Happy Friday/Working Day Researchers. Keep in mind that you should be focused on your three essential assessments in this unit. There's the Annotated Bibliography, the Poster, and the Pitch. These assignments are all connected to each other - so, I hope you can see the usefulness of working on all three at once. 

Remember that you have templates to help you with all three assessments as well as the rubric for the Annotated Bibliography. During today, I hope that you took time to work, collaborate, and practice pitching with Ms. Greeves or the librarians. 

I've posted your new reflection question in the document on Google Classroom. Be sure to take a look and answer this weekend in your PREP folder. This is also a great time to continue writing and planning. Our next step is to complete our proposal form!

Blue Day - 5 November - Hybrid Learning Begins

Dear Students! 

Thanks for being with me on this journey as we figure out what it is to learn in school and at home at the same time. If you watch the news, I hear that we'll be on Channel 4 today this evening, so keen an eye out for your English teacher tonight...notes and updates for classes are below.

English 10

What a great day today in English 10 focusing on literary devices. We focused today on six key devices which will all probably show up on your SOL Reading test next year. We then did a scavenger hunt in Persepolis to find these devices.

Over the weekend, be sure that your scavenger hunt is turned in as well as the Day 16 Assignment. If you've finished that, then go on to the brainstorm for the final project, but know that we'll spend time on that in class next week - so you don't need to get it done now.

Have a great weekend! Come to Office Hours on Monday if you need anything!

AP Language

Well - we survived our first hybrid class! I was glad to have you all along for the ride. Today we had a great discussion on symbols and discovered wonderful connections between four key symbols. Keep looking at the way in which these symbols interact and develop as we move through the text.

Over the weekend, focus on vocabulary cards and your next chunk of reading (all the way to Chapter 27). There will be more time for group contracts and group tasks next week. The next chapter set is an adventure called "The Grangerford Event" - there's a lot of satire here, so keep those eyes peeled. Look out for new characters too - lots of routes for satire coming into this text in this section.

As always, please reach out for any questions.

Homework for the Weekend - B Day - 18 November

AP English III

This weekend you should be putting all of your energies into finishing your website projects and preparing to present on Tuesday.  Make sure to share your websites to Ms. McCormick so that she can give help and prepare for the presentations.

In terms of the presentation you will need to be able to discuss your own piece and your analysis of it.  You will also want to contribute to your group's explanation of their argument for the synthesis assignment.

Make sure that you have uploaded all citations for all of your information.  If you need help, you need to ask.

English II

Based on what we completed in class today you should move forward with the planning and writing of your essays.  Start to take your ideas and weave them together into complete thoughts, sentences, and paragraphs.  Don't worry too much right now about having the writing perfect - we'll go through an editing step.  Try to edit what you've already done to make it stronger, then add more.

Also, everyone, don't forget your permission slips for Ms. McCormick.

Homework for B Day Students - 26 October 2016

AP English III

For Friday's class you should be read and annotated through to the end of Chapter Twenty-Four.  In this section you meet two important characters to put on your front covers and they will bring out a lot of satire in the next few sections of the book.  Watch them carefully!

Further, you and your partner should have finished your cartoon today and on Friday you and your partner will present it to the class.  Before your presentation, however, your cartoon will be analyzed - maybe your classmates will be able to figure it out.

Lastly, you should have finished your group contract for Friday and in it clearly state what it is that you will be analyzing in this project.  You should have that "text" with you on Friday so that we can begin to do the work of analyzing and building your individual rhetorical analyses.

English II

Keep on keepin' on with your work in The Boy Who Dared.  Next class we'll be hopefully finishing up with Anne Frank and our study of Hotel Rwanda before we start working on our first essay assignment!  Keep up with your reading so that you are ready for what is coming next (unit test).

Homework for B-Day Students: 24 October 2016

AP English III

If you have any questions about the website project your first step is to see if the MOCK-UP PROJECT SITE has the answer.  The link is available in Google Classroom and it's also here.  We're really trying to not have a lot of paper with this project, welcome to the twenty-first century, y'all.  By Friday your group should have the empty frames set up on your site as well as complete the group contract.  We'll start putting in content on Friday, so be ready for that.  You need to state in your contract what each person's role is, i.e. what you will be analyzing for this project (Huck Finn excerpt, modern essay from McGraw-Hill reader, static visual, and non-static visual).

For Wednesday we have the reading of David Sedaris's "Me Talk Pretty One Day".  This article is in 50 Essays and it is available at this link.  As you read, annotate heavily.  Notice how Sedaris creates humor in his writing.  He's funny; you should laugh.

For Friday you have reading in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  Read and annotate to the end of Chapter Twenty Four.

English II

You have your final assignment with The Boy Who Dared.  Read to the end of the book and complete the comprehension questions while you read.  You have to finish the book by next Wednesday.  So you can average about five or six pages a day, you'll finish in no time!

Homework for the Break - 11/25/2014 - B-Day Students

AP English III

Today we introduced our major project on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and satire.  Now you should be moving forward with that.  I would suggest bookmarking the mock-up site which is at https://sites.google.com/site/huckfinnsatiremockup/ - this site goes over what you need on each page and how to set it up.  Make sure that you ask for help regularly if you need it.

Over break, you have two reading goals - you should be reading nightly to meet these goals.  As you read, keep up with your annotations and your vocabulary.

In addition, you have your reading from Oluadah Equiano - this will not be discussed until 12/8 but you may want to get it read now so that you can check it off your to-do list.

English II

As discussed in the post below you have your take-home test to complete on Persepolis.  Use your resources wisely and complete the test by following the instructions.  Remember that this is an opportunity to really boost your grade and show what you've learned so far this year.

Homework for B-Day Students: 11/17/2014

AP English III

Tonight AP students you have two big goals.  Make sure that you accomplish them by the dates listed.  First, for Wednesday you will need to aim to be to the end of chapter three for our class discussion.  Make sure that you have been adding to your annotations especially under motifs, characters, and satire.  You'll need to be to the end of chapter six by Friday, so if you want to keep reading tonight, go ahead.  Don't forget as well that you need to keep up with new vocabulary - there's a LOT of slang in here.

Secondly, make sure that for Friday's class you have read, annotated, and considered thoroughly the ideas brought up by Amy Tan in her piece called "Mother Tongue" which is in 50 Essays or available at this link.  As you read this piece - consider the link between language and identity as well as language and power.  These will be major ideas we will continue to discuss as we move through Twain.

English II

Your homework is the same as the A-day students below.  Make sure that you have finished reading the chapter called "The Shabbat" and then completed your character changes chart.  Follow the instructions on the graphic organizer and have that ready to be handed in on Wednesday.  In addition, you'll need to make sure that you're feeling solid on the information as you will likely have a quiz coming soon.

Lastly, don't forget that your projects are due next week before Thanksgiving Break - we'll be in the computer labs the next few days, but make sure that you're working hard to complete this due date.

Homework for the Weekend - A Day - 12/6/2013

AP English III

Over the weekend you have a few things to accomplish.  First you need to finish the reading of the Grangerford section.  Be sure to consider what Twain is able to accomplish through his writing of this part of the text.  Why would he stop the main story to present this?  Obviously there must be a big point he's trying to make.

In addition, make sure that you have created and shared your website with your groupmates and with me.  Use my school gmail account for this project (mrmillerjhs @ gmail . com) and also use that to communicate with me any questions or issues you may have.  Since we went through how to do a rhetorical analysis today you should also begin going through your selected piece to complete your own analysis.

Russian I

For homework tonight you will be completing the exercise in the middle of the listening activities.  Remember to use the nominative case and change the adjectives to agree with the noun they modify.  I will collect this for an accuracy grade next class, so have it ready.  Use your notes and apply what we have been learning in class.

Homework for A-Day Students - 11/19/2013

AP English III

First I'm going to repost the video we watched today in class from The Daily Show.  Remember the different elements of satire which we see in this clip, especially understatement and hyperbole.  Don't also to notice the tone and irony at work in the piece.

The Daily Show

Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook

Now, remember the big question that we started discussing last class - does altering the language significantly alter the text and its meaning?  How does the altering of the illustrations hyperbolically align with the altering of the language and help show the argument of the show?

Also, don't forget to finish the reading.  You've got to be to the end of chapter six with complete annotations.  Be ready for a thorough discussion on Thursday!  Lastly, there's a timed writing waiting for you on Monday before Thanksgiving break!

Russian I

Tonight for homework you need to focus on finishing your writing and your floor plans for Thursday/Friday.  Remember that you will be reading your description of one room aloud to the class.  Don't forget that right now you can only use your possessive pronouns in the nominative case.  If you try to use them in the other cases this won't count against you, but the sentence technically won't be grammatically correct.

Lastly, you'll be reviewing with me next class to get ready for another quiz on sentence formation next week and the new vocabulary.  Be studying!