Quick Note:

When citing the TCLC or CLC you will have to cite the original source and the TCLC/CLC. You may want to see me in the morning for some last minute help. I'm also on Google chat if you need help from 7:40 - 8:30.

Useful Links for Seniors

Bibliographies for your papers:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

http://citationmachine.net/index2.php?reqstyleid=1&newstyle=1

**Be sure that you're citing everything that is not your original thought. Including images! I need to know where everything is coming from. Be sure that within your paper you are using parenthetical citations to show me any ideas, quotes, or paraphrases that are not your ideas. Don't plagiarize, even by accident!

For Vocabulary Cards:

http://dictionary.reference.com/

Using this page, you will insert the word in the search box at the top. For the word's entry find the information under Origin. This is the information that will provide you the etymology of the word. Be sure to look for the root of the word and its meaning.

http://www.merriam-webster.com

This is another good source for you. You may need to click on "show full entry" to get to all of the information. Again, look for the Origin information.

Homework for 14 October

Freshmen:

Over the weekend you should begin to study for your short story quiz. Focus on the main aspects of the stories, literary devices apparent in the stories, and also the plot events in the stories. Also, you need to be sure that you complete your movie poster review activity. Be sure that on the poster you include the requried information of: title, image, quote, critic's quote, characters and what actors would portray the characters.

Be sure that your movie poster gets to the box on Monday/Tuesday.


Seniors:

You've got a few things to accomplish tonight:

1. Complete your paper! I appreciate the fact that so many of you have come to see me to review these essays. Finish your papers and turn them in to me tomorrow.
2. Complete your vocab cards and bookmarks. I'll be collecting these tomorrow too. Make sure that you take the time and get them completely finished.
3. Watch an episode of The Simpsons tonight - we'll be looking at an episode in detail tomorrow to discuss satire. You will want to consider the elements of satire and how they are seen in episodes of The Simpsons.

See you tomorrow!

Homework for All Classes - 12 October

Freshmen:

Tonight for homework you need to read the story "The Necklace" by Guy DuMaupassant. Be sure as you read that you read all of the related information connected to the story. Including the note on "Separate Spheres" and any important literary device information before the story begins. When you finish the story, try answering the questions to yourself. This is a great tool to see if you comprehended the story or not. "The Necklace" will be our last story before you have your first short story quiz next week.

Seniors:

Tonight you need to complete the reading of chapters eleven and twelve. We'll be slowing down the pace of the reading relatively soon to allow those of you a bit behind to catch up. Be sure that you're keeping up with vocabulary bookmarks, cards, and your annotations!

Homework for 10/11

Seniors:

Tonight your homework is to continue along with the reading of Great Expectations. Tonight you are to read chapters nine and ten. If you did not have a chance to finish reading chapter eight, I would highly recommend that you re-read it tonight. I would actually recommend that you reread it tonight because Miss Havisham and Estella are supremely important characters in this story and you'll want to pay attention to first meeting them.

I know that the reading has been at a relatively strict pace, we're going to scale it back in a bit, I just need to you to really get into the book before we can move on to some more specialized areas of focus.

Furthermore, you may want to take a minute to reflect on the Housman poem today. Go back and reflect on the poem later - you may find that you get a lot more out of it this way.

I look forward to class tomorrow before our mini-break on the 13th. I've got something special up my sleeve for when we get back on Thursday.

Homework for the Weekend - 10/8

Seniors:

Over the weekend you need to complete chapters seven and eight of Great Expectations. Be sure that you continue with your annotations and with your vocabulary bookmarks/cards. We have yet to have a reading quiz - be aware that we will have one or two during the time that we study this text.


Freshmen:

Your task over the weekend is to rewrite a portion of the story "The Cask of Amontillado" from the point of view of Fortunato. You can rewrite this in a variety of ways (Facebook statuses, journal, story, poem, text messages) - but I want to see that you're really getting into the head of Fortunato. Use creative language and have fun with this creative writing assignment. It will be due on Tuesday for A-day and Wednesday for B-day.

Homework for 10/7

Seniors:

Tonight you need to complete the reading of chapters five and six. Make sure that you keep up with your annotations and your vocabulary assignment. Try to look for words that you can add to your working vocabulary and USE THESE WORDS! That way, you'll actually remember them. You'll be amazed how high your SAT Verbal score will go.

Freshmen:

Finish reading "The Cask of Amontillado" - we're going to discuss that in depth tomorrow.

Homework for 6 October

Seniors:

Tonight you will need to finish reading chapters three and four of Great Expectations. Remember as you read that you will need to keep up with your annotations and your vocabulary assignment. Vocabulary is always due on Friday. As you begin to move deeper into the book, look at the patters. Do you see any motifs developing in the text? Do you see a tone developing? Remember to focus on the details but keep an eye out for the bigger picture at the same time.

Furthermore, your papers will be due soon. Please come and see me to review your drafts so that I can give you some more guidance on these.

Freshmen:

Tonight you need to finish reading the story "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allen Poe. The language in the story is relatively complex, please use your resources to define vocabulary words that you don't know so that you can understand the story.

Homework for 10/5

Seniors:

Tonight you need to read the first two chapters of Great Expectations. Take your time getting through the first two chapters. Keep up with your vocabulary bookmarks and cards. Remember that vocabulary cards are due for all of you on Friday!

Also, tomorrow we will look at drafts of the ABC assignments. Bring the beginnings of your drafts!

Freshmen:

You don't have any homework tonight. Take the night to relax and get ready for tomorrow!

Weekend Work for Seniors - 10/1

Seniors:

This weekend you should spend your time creating your rough drafts of your final assignment for 1984. Be sure that everything is clearly cited and that you have a thorough bibliography. I will not accept final assignments without these two elements.

Also, you may want to begin reading Great Expectations this weekend. We will begin our study of the text on Tuesday.

Enjoy the long weekend. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Homework for All - 9/30

Freshmen:

Tonight your goal is to complete the story "The Interlopers" by Saki, found on page 150 of your textbook. Be sure that you understand the story completely and that you remember the main events of the plot. We will work on the story tomorrow in class.

Seniors:

Tomorrow you will have a timed writing in class. Your preparation in class today should have gave you some ideas to ponder in preparing for tomorrow. Make sure that you're continuing to work on your final papers - drafts are due on Monday! And, you need to have a copy of Great Expectations on Monday. Please be sure that you have your copy of 1984 with you tomorrow.

Office Hours!!!

Seniors:

On Wednesday of this week and Friday of this week, I am going to make myself available for extra help in preparing your papers. I'm here from 3:00 to 4:15 for extra help. If we get backed up or need more time, of course I'll stay later. But, if nobody shows by 4:15 - I'm out, or moving on to something else.

Please don't forget with these papers to cite everything! I will return papers without proper parenthetical and bibliographic citations. Everyone needs to cite everything; this includes any images that you use, or anything that is not your original thought. Those of you working with the critical collections will want to talk to me about citations if you haven't ever cited a TCLC or CLC before, it's a bit tricky.

I'm looking forward to reading A Clockwork Orange with you tomorrow.

9/28 - Homework for Tonight

Seniors:

Today was a relatively productive day in the library. You should continue to work on your final 1984 assignments. Please come to see me this week if you're having trouble or to begin working on your thesis. Once you have the basic idea charted out, the assignment should fall into place.

I'm looking forward to what you come up with here. Also, start reading Great Expecations -- get ahead!

English Work - 9/27

Freshmen:

Tonight I would like for you to think a bit further on the story "The Lottery." Please answer questions two, six, and eight. Remember to follow writing rules, use a clear topic sentence to answer the question, and use quotes to support your answer. Furthermore, be sure to explain the quote/detail so that I can see how it proves your topic sentence. Answers should be three to five sentences. I will be very precise when grading these, I ask that you be precise when answering.

Seniors:

I think that we had a good discussion today about punishment and its goals. I would ask that you come back to these ideas as we move through the week. Tonight, you don't have any homework that will be turned it, but it would be a good idea for you to spend some time planning for your final assignment with 1984. Begin thinking of a thesis, think of ideas that you'd like to explore in a criticism, think of an important concept. Don't wast time tomorrow in the library, we'll only go back one more day this week before drafts are due.

Further, make sure that you get your copy of Great Expectations. Beginning the reading this week will be very helpful for you as we move forward. The first six or seven chapters are bland and will take a lot of getting used to.

Have a question, ask it.

Seniors: Discussion Board 2 is Posted

One of the biggest hang-ups that I have as a reader is with endings of
books. If a book has a bad ending then I think that the whole experience of
reading the novel can be ruined. So, here's the discussion board posting
for this weekend:

Are you satisfied with the ending of 1984? Why or why not?

Of course, be specific in your answer. Use quotes if you feel it necessary
to prove your point. Remember that if you use a quote then you should
provide a page number.

I look forward to your responses!

If you choose not to respond to the discussion board posting, then I will collect a response via this website or on paper in class on Tuesday.

Homework for the Weekend - 9/24

Freshmen: Please refer to yesterday's post to remind you of what needs to be accomplished over the weekend.

Seniors:

Over the weekend you need to finish reading 1984. On Monday we will wrap up the book and begin moving on to some other parallel texts before we move back in time to the 1800's. Be aware that I will be collecting your novels to check annotations soon for a final grade. Once you finish the book, please answer the Discussion Board 2 posting on the google group. You may complete the assignment on paper and turn it in to me. Posting to the Discussion Board is due by midnight on Monday.

Also, today I gave you the final assignment for 1984. You have a lot of freedom in completing this assignment and I'll be looking forward to what you produce. Please let me know if you have any questions getting started with this. The rough drafts of this assignment will be due on October 5th. Also, you need to be sure that you have a copy of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens in class on the 5th. As this will be our next major piece.

Homework for 9/23

Freshmen:

Over the weekend I would like for you to review the story "The Lottery." If you couldn't answer the question I asked at the opening of class, you may want to reread the story to review key details. Remember, a key to remembering what you read is to be an active reader. Take notes, underline, highlight, be active!

Once you finish reviewing the story, please answer question one at the end. Bring this question to class with you so that we can work on these together.

Finally, make sure that you have your final draft of your assignment ready to turn in. I will be collecting your final draft, rough draft, and your peer editing checklist.

Seniors:

You should continue reading book three though we have not yet discussed much of it. I will be giving your final assignment to you soon; having this reading done will make your life a lot easier. Also, you may want to go out and get a copy of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, our next novel. You will need to have this book in class the day after we finish 1984.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Homework for Seniors - 9/22

Seniors:

Tonight you need to keep up with the reading of 1984. Keep reading book three. This can be one of the most challenging portions of the text, but you've got to push through. Keep annotating as you read. Especially pay attention to the information that you should include on the back of the book: themes, motifs, symbols, etc.

Tomorrow we will get into discussing 3.1 and maybe 3.2. Make sure that you review the information in this portion so that we can have a productive conversation.

Let me know if you've got a question...

Apologies

Sorry that I didn't update sooner. I just found myself thinking of it as I was wrapping up some grading.

Freshmen:

I'd like for you to read the story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. Tonight, I would like for you to read the story all the way to the end. As you read, track any new words that you come across. If you don't know what the word means, then you should note it. You can list the words, or you can just mark them in the text (highlight, underline, circle, etc.) I hope that you enjoy this story, the end is pretty intense.

Seniors:

I hope that you appreciated the costume today. Tomorrow we'll spend a bit more time with Marx and then talk about the end of Book 2. We also have our final presentations. Tonight I'd like to set a goal that you read 3.1 and 3.2. Be sure that you annotate. We will move quickly through the end of the text - keep up with the annotations and the reading goals.

Good night!

The beginning of a new week...9/20

I can't believe that September is almost over. I feel like we just got started a few days ago. Anyway, today's post is relatively short, not a lot to get done.

Freshmen:

You should be relaxing. You don't have anything to complete for class.

Seniors:

After speaking to a few groups I've decided to keep the pages open. Some groups were having technical problems and I want to be sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to get their project accomplished. I think that the presentations today were all very well done; they showed me that you all are really looking at these ideas and considering them within the text. As for homework, I would like for you to be reading Book Three. I will not give you a reading goal until we finish up with Book Two, which will hopefully be tomorrow. Keep reading! Keep annotating. Be thinking of what you would like to cover for your final project, details about that are just around the corner.

Tomorrow is Friday!

I want to start off by saying that I'm really happy to see so many of you coming outside of class to receive extra help. I saw a lot of people today about their essays and to redo homework assignments. Thank you for that! Keep it up! If you haven't seen me yet outside of class, please do so!

Seniors:

I was particularly impressed to see everyone working in the computer lab; there were some technology problems, but I think that we all adapted well. I was really happy to discuss the thesis statements with groups, and I look forward to all of the presentations. Remember that the pages will be "locked" at midnight on Sunday evening. Be sure that all of your work is done by that point.

A few quick things to consider about the group project:

• When you're coming up with the thesis statements, examine the small details in the text. Look at the detail and nuance in the text and explore the issue of why these seemingly insignificant patterns are significant.
• Make sure that everyone in your group understands and can discuss the quotes. I want to see that this is a team effort in which everyone contributed.
• There is no minimum on the number of quotes. I would rather you have five really good quotes with thorough, shared explanation than fourteen poorly done ones. Sometimes less is more.
• Be sure that with the quotes with images you've discussed the connection between the quote and the thesis and the quote/image.

Lastly, I will be collecting papers from you tomorrow. Remember that this should not read like a typical essay: it's more of a creative writing assignment. I'm looking forward to reading your personal philosophies through narrative this weekend. Don't forget to finish reading book two...it's a real kick in the face.

Freshmen:

Your first test is tomorrow - any final questions?

Homework - 9/15

Freshmen:

Tonight you should wrap up studying for your Autobiography/Memoir Test. A-day students will have this test on Friday. B-day students will be tested on Monday. Also, today in class we did peer editing. I would like for you to take the edits from class and improve your draft. Make sure that you have a clear tone, that you have a lot of sensory details and imagery, and that you're focusing just on one specific moment. Everything needs to revolve around that one moment. I'll be collecting your final drafts and rough drafts/peer editing on Monday the 27th for A-day and Tuesday the 28th for B-day. Please come see me if you want help.

Seniors:

We're drawing to the end of the week very quickly. Your Utopia papers are due at the end of the week! I've started to see more of you for conferences, this makes me happy. Remember that the point of this is to not only express your philosophy but to do it in the form of a narrative. Don't just say "My perfect world is..." -- instead, present the life of a character/yourself in such a way that your philosophy becomes clear.

Tomorrow we will be going to the computer lab to work on the group pages; we will also schedule all the groups to present. Remember that you need to have book two of 1984 done by this Friday. I want to start seeing more of you speak up in class. Tell me what you think, tell me what ideas you're coming up with.

Finally, if you'd like to sit down with me to review your test or any other assignment, please let me know. The goal is to always improve your standing in class, and not to backslide.

Let me know if you need anything!

Homework and Announcements 9/14

All of you have something due in the next few days. I wanted to go over all of that with you as well as your upcoming assignments.

Freshmen:

The rough draft of your memoir writing assignment is due to class Wednesday/Thursday. We will be peer editing these drafts in class. Also, you have a test coming up. Be sure that you're studying the material and using good study habits (be active, summarize, look for common traits).

Seniors:

Tomorrow you will be getting back your tests on Book One of 1984. I'm seeing a lot of strengths in your analytical skills and writing skills, but I'm also seeing some areas for improvement. We'll start the improvement and building process tomorrow.

I really liked today's discussion on "Oranges and Lemons." There's a lot going on here in the text. Personally, I think that there's something really interesting in all of the songs/rhymes that Orwell includes in the text, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Tomorrow, I want us to discuss in some detail 2.7 of the text. Be ready to discuss and answer questions. It's going to get intense.

Finally, I'm seeing a lot of progress in some of the groups pages. I'd like to see more groups putting in data. Remember that the idea here is to discuss the quotes. These things are open to more than one interpretation - if in a group you can't come to a clear consensus about a quote, then this could be telling you something. Our final in-class group day will be Thursday; presentations will begin on Friday.

Alright, time to get back to my book. Almost done with Waiting by Ha Jin (Chinese-born, but now an American) - it's a beautiful story, very interesting. Reminds me a bit of 1984 but it's much happier. Love is doubleplusgood in this book as opposed to doubleplusbad.

G'night.

Homework/Announcements for 9/13

Freshmen:

I really want you to continue the process that we started today in class when it comes to studying and study skills. Go through everything that we've studied this unit and review it. Look at some of the major concepts that we've discussed including tone, conformity, irony, and family (just to name a few). If you want to study with me on Thursday afternoon, or during lunch this week - I would really recommend it. It'll be like a party, but we bring our own lunches and talk about literature...wait, that is a party to an English teacher.

Additionally you have the rough drafts of your personal narratives due to class for peer editing on Wednesday/Thursday. From looking at a few drafts today - I want to make a few brief reminders: most of this assignment is based on you writing about one specific moment and using imagery and sensory details to make that moment come alive for me, as a reader. Make sure that as you're writing, you keep coming back to these two main points. If you want to bring me a draft, great! Make sure that you have time to sit with me for edits.

Seniors:

From logging in to the group, I can see that there is some movement on the group project front. This makes me happy. Remember today's alterations to the overall assignment:

1. You do not have to dramatize a scene from the novel.
2. Instead of this, you have to present three of your quotes with a non-textual representation. Use the magic of technology. You have to be able to explain the connection of the NTR to the quote and the connection from the quote to the thesis.
3. I want you to include a thesis for your quotes. Some overall idea to bring everything together. You can then use this as an anchor for your discussion of the quotes as a group. Anchors are always a good idea.

We'll talk about formatting the assignment in the group page on Wednesday in the computer lab.

Make sure that you keep up with the reading. You need to be done with book two by Friday. I will be setting you a reading goal really soon - be sure that you can reach it.

Finally, your papers are fully due on Friday. I have talked to a few people about the assignment, and I saw one or two drafts. Remember that if you want to go over a draft with me, you need to be willing to sit down and conference about it. Sometimes things are easier to understand face to face as opposed to my scribbles on a paper. I've got A-lunch, after, and before school for meeting space.

Whew...that was a long post. Any questions?

Weekend Work - 9/10

Students,

All classes have a lot to work on over the weekend.

Freshmen: You should be working on the rough draft of your reminiscence assignment. Remember to use the assignment sheet to give you guidelines. I want to be sure that you're focusing on one specific event, using sensory details to show me the event, and fill your piece with imagery and details that reveal your tone. Also, we have a test coming up next week! You should take the weekend to begin studying.

Seniors: I think that today's class discussion on 2.3 went really well. I hope that as you're reading you're slowing down to examine some of the deeper elements within the text. Be sure that this weekend you spend some time working on your utopia papers, working on your group assignment, and reading book two. Next week we're going to spend some time every class working on the group assignment as well as continuing to study in depth certain sections of book two the way that we did today. Presentations of the group assignments will most likely begin at the end of next week.

All students: Don't forget that I'm always available after school and during lunch for extra help. You've all got papers coming due soon, I'd like to see you to work through any issues that you're having in working on these assignments. Remember, ask for help early to keep little problems from turning into big ones.

Have a good weekend! Happy New Year!

Gut Yontiff!

Freshmen:

Tomorrow (9/9) you will receive your first paper assignment. Your due dates will be given to you tomorrow. Use your brainstorming as a start to begin your memoir. Continue the process. I will be available for assistance in getting started on Friday and Monday afternoons. You can always bring me a draft for me to look at as well.

Seniors:

I hope that you enjoy watching the film that I've selected for you tomorrow. I think that it's a really enjoyable movie and a good rendition of a great book. Remember that you need to be ready to discuss anything from 2.1 to 2.3 in class on Friday. In addition we are going to have a draft workshop on Friday. Come prepared with something to share. Finally, continue working with your groups - I've set up every motif's page in the google group - you can start actually working on your final project there whenever you'd like. I may even drop in online to give some of my own comments.

For those of you who are a bit lost with annotations, I'm making myself available Friday, Monday, and Thursday afternoons of next week for some help sessions. Come and read with me for a bit to get some of the nuts and bolts to annotating successfully.

If you've got questions about anything, feel free to ask! See you on Friday in 5771!

Homework - 9/7

Freshmen:

Tonight your homework is to brainstorm three important events in your life. With each event, list as many details as you can remember, down to the smallest possible detail if you can! Also, with each event think about what you learned from this event. What is the message that you came away with?

Seniors:

I went ahead and set up your group pages in the google group for your book two project. You can begin using those to collect data and collaborate. Tomorrow you have an exam on Book One of 1984. Remember the activity that we did today in class - important/unimportant. I'm going to be asking you about big ideas. Study, know your information, and be ready to explain your ideas.

Also, today I gave you a paper assignment. Your draft workshop will be on Friday. Papers will be accepted from 9/13 to 9/17. Please let me know if you need any help with anything.

9/3 - English IV Homework

Seniors:

This weekend I'd like for you to spend some time and reflect on what we've gone over so far in 1984. Please respond to one of the following prompts either in the google group discussion board or on paper. Make sure that you have responded before class on Tuesday! I will collect any paper responses then. The prompts are given for you below:


1. In "Welcome to North Korea" it is possible to see many connections between the society and culture in 1984 and that of North Korea. What do you think is the most interesting similarity? Why is this similarity important? What does reading a text like 1984 do to help readers understand life in a totalitarian society?

2. Throughout book one of 1984 the reader is introduced to the world of Winston through a distinct third person narrator. There are several areas in the text where the narrator presents seemingly shocking events as if they were completely normal. However, there are also several places where the narrator presents very everyday scenes in a way that makes the event seem abnormal. Find an example of this in the text and comment not only on the scene presented, but also the way that Orwell uses tone and diction to send a subtle message to the reader about the world presented in 1984.

3. Many readers argue that Orwell's use of irony is one of the most important elements of this text, that without the irony in this story, the novel would not function. Find a scene or moment in the text that is particularly ironic and comment on the importance not only of the scene but also on the importance of irony in this scene. What effect does Orwell's use of irony have on this text as a whole up to this point?

Finally - you will have a quiz/test on Book One on WEDNESDAY! Use the opportunity over the weekend to collect any questions that you may have so that you can get some clarification on Tuesday in class. If you have any problems completing the homework assignment, let me know as soon as possible so that we can try to work that out.

Homework - 9/2

English I:

This weekend you will be reading excerpts from David Sedaris. He's a pretty humorous author, and I think that you're really going to enjoy these pieces. Be sure that you read "Go Carolina" thoroughly and then complete the worksheet. Make sure that the worksheet gets in to the box before 7:30 on the day it's due.

Also, Honors students need to read the additional piece "Me Talk Pretty One Day." Those of you learning a new language will really associate with this piece.

English IV:

Tonight I would like for you to finish book one. Make sure that you are keeping up with your annotations. After you've finished reading, you may find it helpful to go through the first book of 1984 and notice the things that you noticed your first time through. Try to figure out some of the deeper messages and movements in this text.

Homework for 8/31

Freshmen:

Tonight for homework you need to read both parts of The Autobiography of Malcolm X and complete the worksheet. Answer the questions on the worksheet like notes. We will go over the piece and the worksheet in class on Thursday/Friday.

Seniors:

Tonight I would like for you to read and annotate 1.5. Tomorrow in class we will be discussing and reviewing 1.2-1.5; make sure that you are ready for this by reviewing your annotations and your reading from the past few days. It looks to me that a lot of you are starting to figure out some really interesting things in this text - keep working.

Also, make sure that you join the google group! If you haven't given me your gmail address yet, please e-mail it to me. Once you've done that, check this account for your invitation to the group.

Homework - 8/30

Seniors:

I think that we had a really great discussion today in class. It's obvious to me that you are reading and doing a lot of thinking as you read. For tonight, read 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4 - be sure that you annotate as you read.

Also, get your gmail account established and e-mail me or in some way give me the address. I have been sending out group invitations for our google group to these e-mail addresses. If you have gotten an invitation, please join by Wednesday! We are going to start using this group later this week.

If you have any questions - feel free to ask!

Weekend Homework - 8/27

Seniors:

Using the guide that I gave you today in class I would like for you to begin reading and annotating your copy of 1984. You are, of course, invited to adapt the annotation assignment so that it is easier for you, but you must make sure that you have the required information. For the weekend, finish reading chapter one of book one. As we did today in class, stop after every paragraph or every page to review what you've read and take notes. Underline passages you'd like to discuss in class. Mark questions that you have or things you don't understand.

You may read ahead in the book - this will actually be really helpful for a lot of you. Just make sure that you don't spoil things for other people.

A-day Freshmen:

I think that we had a great conversation today about the poem "About School" - tonight I'd like for you to finish the worksheet about the poem. Make sure that you follow the homework policies for completing the assignment and turning it in. It's due to the box by 7:30 am on Tuesday!

Of course, let me know if you have any questions!

English I - B day Homework

B-day Students!

Bring back your parent contact forms tomorrow or Monday! Please put them in the box!

English IV Honors - Homework

Seniors!

Make sure that you come to class tomorrow with your copy of 1984. Try to get the Signet edition if you can. If you don't have your own copy for tomorrow then I will issue you one from the bookroom. If you are using a school copy of the book, make sure that you have some post-it notes or index cards to annotate the text. We'll talk more about annotations tomorrow.

Also, if you haven't turned in your parent contact form yet - please get that to me with your google account information ASAP!

Here are some of the links that I shared today in class. I think that the timeline is pretty interesting and goes into a lot more detail than we did today. Also, we've got our map of the British Empire and the image of the Bayeaux Tapestry and Stonehenge.

See you tomorrow!

Wow - Just remembered that I need to update this thing...

Hello Seniors and Freshmen!

I think that this is going to be a really exciting year for all of you! I know that I'm really excited and I think that we've started the year off well.

I wanted to remind you all of the homework that you need to complete tonight:

Seniors:

As I said in class today, we will be beginning our first novel and unit on Friday - 1984 by George Orwell. If you plan to purchase a copy of the novel I would like for you to try to get the Signet Classics edition. This way we'll all have the same page numbers. Of course, if you can't find that, any edition will do. Bring your book to class on Friday so that you will be prepared. If you don't have a copy in class on Friday, I'll issue you a copy for as long as you need it.

Furthermore, make sure that you bring back your parent contact form! On the form you can include your gmail account so that I can begin to set up our group.

If you've got any questions/concerns about any of this - see me tomorrow so that we can resolve the conflict.

Freshmen:

Your assignment is to bring back your parent contact form! Consider this your practice run with the homework box. Next class, we will begin studying literature and we will have our first warm-up. We're going to start off with studying a bit of autobiographical poetry to begin talking about autobiography, literature, and memory. Make sure that you're prepared for class!

EOC Review Sheet

Literary Terms – Be sure that you know what these literary devices are!


• alliteration
• assonance
• character
• direct and indirect characterization
• character trait
• connotation and denotation
• conflict (man vs. man, man vs. self, man vs. nature, man vs. society)
• internal conflict
• external conflict
• figurative language
• hyperbole
• imagery
• onomatopoeia
• metaphors (direct and indirect)
• simile
• epic simile
• extended metaphor
• allusion
• aside
• author
• autobiography
• ballad
• blank verse
• climax
• comedy
• comic relief
• couplet
• dialogue
• diction
• drama
• monologue
• epic
• epithet
• flashback
• flash-forward
• foil
• foreshadowing
• free verse
• haiku
• iambic pentameter
• meter
• irony (situational, verbal, dramatic)
• lyric poetry
• mood
• myth
• narrator
• paradox
• personification
• plot (plot diagram pieces)
• poetry
• point of view (1st, 3rd limited, 3rd omniscient)
• protagonist
• antagonist
• pun
• rhyme (end and internal)
• rhythm
• setting
• short story
• solilioquy
• sonnet
• speaker
• stanza
• line
• style
• suspense
• symbolism
• theme
• tone
• tragedy

Memorial Day Weekend, part deux

Juniors,

You have your final exam on Tuesday. If you have questions while you're studying, feel free to ask.

Memoiral Day Weekend

English I Students:

Next week we will begin taking the EOC for English I. If you would like some more sample items to prepare yourself, please use the following links.

For grammar items, copy and paste these links in your browser:

http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/testing/eoc/sampleitems/1a

For literature items, use this link:

http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/testing/eoc/sampleitems/1b

The answers for the questions are provided at the end. If you get a question wrong, think about why the answer given is the BEST answer. Remember that it's not always the right answer, but it is always the best answer. If you have specific questions, please let me know.

5/25 - Almost at the end...

Juniors:

Those of you who handed in papers today are basically done. I would spend the remaining days preparing for your final exam and getting ready for your presentations.

Freshmen:

Your (optional) book projects are due on Thursday/Friday. Also, you should begin studying for your EOC. Use the study guide that I gave you today in class as well as all of the grammar sheets and packets that I have given you. Let me know if you have questions.

D-Day - 5/24

Ladies and Gentlemen of Honors English III,

You have papers due tomorrow. Remember to cite everything, follow writing rules, connect your information back to your thesis.

Make me proud. Work hard.

Juniors - Final Weekend

Work on your papers! Some of you gave me drafts and didn't get them this afternoon. I'll give them to you on Monday.

E-mail me if you have questions or need help!

Study and Work - 5/20

We are almost done ladies and gentlemen - but there is much to do!

Freshmen: You have your Odyssey tests coming up! Study your notes and your textbooks to review the reading. You also have the study guide. You also have your book projects due on the last day of class.

Also - bring back the EOC letters. I will make extra copies tomorrow if you've lost yours.

Juniors: I've seen papers from a few of you! I would like to get drafts from more of you. I'll be around on Friday if you'd like to see me then. Final drafts are due on Tuesday! Don't forget the checklist/tips that I gave you today. Follow your writing rules!

Work and Reminders - 5/19

Juniors:

You have rough drafts for your papers to do! Remember that rough drafts are not required but they are STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. When you submit your rough draft make sure that you include a "Works Cited" page so that I can check you with your citations. At the very end remember that the bibliography ends up being work seventeen total points. You will be forced to resubmit if you don't have the bibliography.

Also, remember about the e-mail blackout. I will not speak to you about your papers after 3:45 PM on Monday. Deal with it before the last minute.


Freshmen:

You need to study for your Odyssey test. Use the study guide that I gave you in class. Review the major characters, the events, the chronology of the story. Also, consider the role of women in the story too. We covered a lot with this story - be ready for your test!

Junior Homework - 18 May

You have to do your outlines tonight! Tomorrow I will check-in with each of you about your outlines. What I am looking for in the outlines is clearly given in the previous post. Make sure that you have everything you need!

Rough drafts will be collected on Thursday/Friday. Final drafts will be collected on Tuesday the 25th.

Monday 17 May - Homework

Juniors:

I appreciated checking in with each of you today. Remember that as you are pulling things together you should always see me once you run into questions. Now, Tuesday and Wednesday we will continue to meet in the library to do research. On Wednesday I will be collecting outlines from each of you for this paper. For your outlines I am looking for the following materials:

• Your thesis.
• At least three topics - you may have more...but you need at least three.
• With each topic you should list the research and quotes that you will use to explain and support the topic. Each topic will need a parenthetical citation.
• Under each quote you should have one or two bullet points to connect the quote to the thesis.

Remember that I will be available today and tomorrow after school. Come and see me! Also, rough drafts will be collected on Thursday. Rough drafts are not required but they are strongly recommended.

Freshmen:

You should begin working on your final projects. Please read tonight for one hour. Begin the opening to your project. Also, all library books need to be returned by the 21st of May. You will have your test on part one of The Odyssey on Friday for A-day and Monday for B-day. We will work on a study guide for the test in class on Wednesday/Thursday.

English III - Work over the Weekend

Over the weekend you should begin the process of mining your texts. Find evidence from throughout your novel to support your thesis. Think about the research that you have been doing.

You should be able to find ten to fifteen quotes/examples from your text to support your thesis. Remember, it's better to have more information to begin writing your paper rather than not enough.

Lastly, I am a bit concerned about the amount of work that some groups are doing in class. Most of you are getting good stuff done - but some of you are not really doing much of anything. We don't stop until the final exam. If you need help with the term paper, please come see me Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday after school. Don't come to me at the last minute with problems, those concerns will fall on deaf ears.

E-mail me if you need help this weekend.

Things to do: May 13

Freshmen:

Over the weekend you need to read for 90 minutes in your novel. Furthermore, you are required to answer question thirteen from your independent reading log. Remember that with every answer you need to include a quote as well as a page number. You may also want to begin working on your final writing assignment.

Juniors:

Today was your first day in the library doing research. I know that a few of you felt a bit overwhelmed, but the goal is to push through. Tonight you should revisit your notecards and your thesis - see how you can begin to create your paper and build an argument around your thesis. Furthermore, you should find quotes in your novel to support your thesis as well.

Tomorrow we will meet in the classroom to discuss lesson planning.

Only about two more weeks to go...

English III Homework

Tomorrow we will be going to the library to begin researching for the term paper. I would recommend that you spend some time tonight reviewing your thesis and other information from your first go round. If you have any questions about what to do with the thesis come and see me, or we can conference in the library.

That's where we'll meet in the morning.

English I - Reading

Freshmen! Tonight you should all read in your novels for an hour. You don't need to answer a question in your journal, but you should make sure that your journal is in order for a possible journal check.

English III - We didn't build a fire...

Today's class was relatively lackluster what with the incidences of sleeping and general apathy. I understand that this is the end of the semester - but it's not over yet. You all still have two and a half weeks left of class and we don't stop until the final exam is over.

If you are not going to put forth 100% of yourself for class, then why are you even bothering? Part of this class requires that you find the internal motivation to do well - we are beyond Freshman year. Now is not the time to expect to be coddled by me.

Anyway, tonight you should review "To Build a Fire" in preparation for a brief quiz tomorrow. Furthermore, you should review the information on page 741-742 on The Harlem Renaissance. We will begin studying the Harlem Renaissance tomorrow. Also, you may find it helpful to read over the poem "Incident" by Countee Cullen and "The Weary Blues" by Langston Hughes. Tomorrow's class will focus more on discussing style and the things that create style.

I hope that tomorrow is better than today.

English III Homework - 5/10

Tonight you need to read the story "To Build a Fire" by Jack London. It begins on page 481 in your textbooks. You may find it helpful to also review the information on London's life.

We will review this story tomorrow. I hope that you enjoy it!

9th Grade Homework - 5/7

Over the weekend you all have some reading from The Odyssey to complete.  Honors Students - you should read the packet that I gave you and answer the questions.  You should answer all of the questions.

Standard Students - you should read the excerpt "The Land of the Dead" from the text book.  Answer the questions that you find the answers to.  Do not answer all of the questions.

Please answer the questions in your notebooks - bring the information to class on Tuesday/Wednesday so that we can discuss.

English III - 5/7 - Prepare for Monday

This is the final weekend of reading. You should finish your books this weekend in preparation for your timed writing assignment on Monday. Your timed writing on Monday will focus on the idea of "America." How have you seen the concept of America in your novel? Focus on the topics and motifs of your novel.

You will have to discuss specifics and pull together a thorough argument in one hour on Monday. This is your second timed writing. Be ready!

On Monday I will be handing back your "research papers" and go over some of the common errors with these. If you are absent Monday for AP's - please come and see me individually.

English III - 5/6

Tonight you need to complete a final draft of your mini-research assignment. In the final draft I am looking for the following elements:

• an introductory paragraph which builds to a thesis
• a thorough first body paragraph with a topic sentence, explanation, and examples
• parenthetical citations for your outside sources used effectively
• a conclusion which restates your thesis and begins to wrap up your argument
• a works cited area which has at least your novel citation and your research citation

Use the rubric to help you to complete a thorough draft. I will be grading you based on this. We have spent this whole week working on this assignment and my expectations are pretty high for these pieces.

Next week we will begin turning these smaller research assignments into a full paper.

Homework for All Classes - 5/5

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Juniors: Today in class we spent a lot of time talking about breaking your thesis down into topics for your research paper. Please follow the guidelines that I went over with you in class. Tonight, you need to construct your first body paragraph. Remember to make your topics as specific as possible - part of writing this paper is to show how the specifics lead up to the bigger idea that you are discussing.

Be sure that you have your data in the paragraph and that you are clear and precise.

Don't forget that you need to be done with your books this weekend!

Freshmen: You need to read for one hour tonight in your novel and answer question ten. By this point, you should be more than halfway through your book. If you need to get caught up - please do so!

English III - 5/4 Review and Reminder

Today we spent our time in the library doing research on criticisms of your texts. You will want to spend some time tonight reviewing your data and thinking about any changes that you may want to make to your thesis. What I want you to realize about this is that writing this kind of paper will have you constantly go back to your thesis and revise. Take time tonight to begin doing that.

Also, tomrrow we will begin looking at outlining skills as well as how to use this information in your paragraphs - your rough drafts will be due on Thursday and your final drafts on Friday.

Please come see me if you run into problems or questions.

English I - Reminder

YOUR FACEBOOK PROJECTS ARE DUE NEXT CLASS! WEDNESDAY FOR A-DAY AND THURSDAY FOR B-DAY.

English III Work - 5/3

Today in class you got progress reports - please take them home and share them with your parents. Bring them back to me signed.

We are starting one of the most difficult things of the year - your term paper. In this assignment you will come up with an idea about the novel that you are reading and then prove your idea through research and discussion. Tonight, we are beginning the opening step. Come up with your thesis!

Your thesis should examine how one of the motifs is used in the text and what the message is. Remember to take it beyond the text. What is this motif showing us about humanity or about America?

Once you have your thesis - you need to find two quotes to support your thesis. Remember to put the citation at the top of the card. One quote per index card.

Tomorrow I will check your thesis and index cards. We will meet in the library to begin looking at research.

Freshman Homework for the Weekend

First, your facebook projects are due on Wednesday for A-day and Thurday for B-day. Bring your projects with you to class.

Your assignment for the weekend is to read in your novel for ONE HOUR! Then you need to answer question seven and either six or eight.

Freshmen!

Don't forget to put your bibliographies in the box. I've already graded a few that were turned in this morning. What I've seen so far has been good but there have been minor errors. Please pay attention to things like capitalization, punctuation, formatting, etc.

Let me know if you need any help!

Announcements for English III - 4/28

Students,

The final drafts of your "Song of Myself" will be due on Friday. If you have questions or concerns about this assignment - please come and see me ASAP to conference on your writing. Remember that I'm specifically looking for the imagery of your piece as well as interesting word choice and an overall message.

Furthermore, we will have a quiz on Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman on Monday. You will be asked about two poems by these author's you've not seen before. Spend time over the weekend investigating and reviewing important elements of their style.

Don't forget that you have a group meeting on Friday. I'll be checking in with your groups again this week. Read your books!

Looking forward to our scavenger hunt tomorrow!

Homework for All Classes - 4/27

Juniors:

Today you'rea going to do one of the best writing assignments of the course. You're going to write a poem about one event in your life. Remember, you want to select an event about which you can write in a lot of detail. Take time to remember the event. What did you feel? What did you see? What did you learn from the experience?

Bring in a draft tomorrow. The more complete your draft, the better the final draft will be.


Freshmen:

Tonight you have to compile your bibliography for your facebook project. Remember that you should show all of the sources that you used for this assignment in MLA format. When you submit the bibliography, make sure that you alphabetize the sources.

Ask for help if you need it.

B-day Homework - 4/26

B-day Students:

Tonight you need to read in your novels for thirty minutes and answer either question number three OR question number four. In addition, you need to complete the reading of the myths I gave you today in class.

We will go over the information about the myths on Wednesday.

English III Homework - 4/23

Over the weekend you should all read your novels. Get ahead on your reading so that next week you will not be behind on Friday. Keep up with your group members' pacing.

I was very impressed by the level of discussion that I saw today with most of the groups. Keep going back to your notes and discussions as you continue to read. As you read, if you have questions, please ask!

Finally, I want to address Sparknotes. Sparknotes will be helpful for you in providing summaries and some ideas about the text, but you cannot rely on these to do well on this project. Do not rely on the Sparknotes - do the reading and ask me if you don't understand something.

English III Homework - 4/21

Tonight for homework you don't have any assignments to complete for me. But, you probably have reading to accomplish for your group. Spend some time tonight and tomorrow night accomplishing your goals.

Thursday I will not be in class - you will watch two video biographies of authors that we will study next week. I will not assign any reading for Thursday night either, so that you can finish your group assignment.

On Friday I will spend some time checking in with everyone about your reading. If you've got questions, please come with those.

Lastly, if you didn't finish your reading of "A Rose for Emily" please reread it or finish the reading by next week.

English III - Work for 4/20

Ladies and Gentlemen!

Tonight you need to read the story "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner. Complete the worksheet as well as read the story. As I said in class today, it's best to complete the vocabulary before you read, then read the story, then go back and answer the questions. Things will make much more sense after you read the story once.

We'll discuss it tomorrow in class.

I really hope you enjoy it - it's one of my favorites.

Homework for 4/19

Juniors:

Tomorrow you have an exam on Transcendentalism and Romanticism. We went over the pieces that you need to know for the exam tomorrow today in class. Be sure that you know the poetry written by Longfellow and Bryant as well as the essays by Emerson and Thoreau. Your exam will have multiple choice questions about each piece as well as some short answer questions.

Freshmen:

Finish reading the excerpt about the Trojan War. Also, read your novel for thirty minutes and answer question two from the Independent Reading Journal sheet. Be sure that you use a direct quotation to answer your question.

Junior Work - 4/16

Juniors - This weekend you should begin reading your novels. Hopefully you came up with an acceptable reading schedule amongst your groupmates. You should focus on reading and accomplishing your goals this weekend.

Furthermore, it would be a good idea to begin studying for your Romanticism/Transcendentalism Quiz. You should be acquainted with "Nature" and "Self-Reliance" by Emerson as well as "Walden" and "Resistance to Civil Government" by Thoreau. These will be the pieces you should know for the exam.

Lastly, bring your books to class on Monday. I would like to spend some time reading in class on Monday.

Homework for All Classes - 4/15

Juniors: Don't forget tomorrow to bring in your reflections on your new experience as well as your novels for the independent project. Tomorrow we are going to spend time going through the project so that you understand all of the components. Furthermore, don't forget to finish reading Thoreau's "Resistance to Civil Government." You've got the last three pages of this piece to read. We'll review the last bit of information tomorrow.

Freshmen: Your final drafts of your movie reviews are due on Monday/Tuesday. Please staple your rough draft to the back of your final draft and turn it in to the box. Also, you should spend some time this weekend reading your novel. Remember to have your book with you every day of class for independent reading time.

English III - Homework for 14 April

This assignment is not due until Friday. The first thing that you need to do is think of something that you have never done before. Think of a new experience. Then - go out and do it. Gather proof of this experience: if you're going out for dinner to new food, keep the reciept; take a picture of you in the woods; find some way to prove your experience.

After you complete the experience, write a one page reflection of the experience. Tell me about what you felt while you went through the experience. What did you learn. Did you transcend?

English I - Homework - 4/13 and 4/14

Tonight for homework you need to write the first draft of your movie review. Your rough draft should come to class with you on Thursday/Friday. Your draft needs to have the following elements:

1. Your introduction paragraph should grab the reader's attention, compare the film to the play in a few sentences, and then state your thesis. Your thesis should answer the question, "Did you like the film? Why?"
2. Your second paragraph should summarize the main events of the movie. Use your viewing guide for help. Don't give too much away - like the ending or other climactic events.
3. The last paragraph should be the support of your opinion with details from the movie. Bring it back to your argument.
4. Overall, remember to be interesting and honest.

Your draft should be no more than 300 words - a page and a half double spaced. I look forward to seeing what you think of O.

English III - 4/13 Homework

Tonight you have a bit of Transcendental reading to do. Please read pages 193-198 from Thoreau's Walden. I want you to just read the sections titled "Economy," "Where I Lived and What I Lived For," and "Solitude."

As you read this selection, take notes on the following ideas:

1. How is Thoreau putting Emerson's preaching into practice? Note specific details.
2. Keep track of the metaphors in "Where I Lived..." - Thoreau compares people and society to a lot of things. Keep track of the metaphors and their meaning.

See you tomorrow!

Homework - 4/12

Freshmen and Juniors -

You don't really have any "homework" to speak of tonight. However, all of you have an assignment concerning a novel relatively soon. Juniors - you need to get a copy of your book if you haven't already done so. Be sure that you have a copy with you in class on Friday. Freshmen - we will go to the library on Thursday and Friday of this week to get your books. You may also want to get your own copy or bring one from home to read - if you do this, make sure that you have it by Thursday/Friday so that I can approve it for the nine weeks.

That's all.

Juniors - Have you been misunderstood yet?

SPRING BREAK!!!!

Happy Break!

Read! Play video games! Enjoy the outside. Go camping!

Read!

Juniors - don't forget about your papers. Also, get your books.

English III and English I - 3/31 - Announcements

English I - Tomorrow in class you will have a timed writing activity. B-day students, you will have this activity when you come back from break. You will have to write a letter stating who should be held responsible for Desdemona's death and why. There is no wrong answer. You will instead be graded on how well you persuade me and make your case.

English III - Tomorrow we will have bookstore day. Come prepared to learn about a bunch of new novels and be ready to decide which you will study for the last nine weeks. Also, I will be handing back a lot of work to you tomorrow including your quizzes on The Crucible and your timed writing activities. Finally, your Mean Girls/Crucible papers will not be due until we get back from break. I will gladly take them from you early - but you don't have to turn it in until we're back. Because of the extended deadline, I will not accept late papers. No exceptions.

That's all. One more day until break!!!

English III Reading

Not much reading tonight: In your textbook please read the next poem by Longfellow as well as the information about the poem. The poem, called "The Cross of Snow" is located on page 172 and 173.

Don't forget that your papers are due to class on Thursday. Come see me with a second draft if you'd like my review.

English I and English III

Freshmen - Your projects are due next class! Be sure that you bring everything to class with you tomorrow. Also, if you haven't presented your speech yet, be sure that you are ready to do that next class.

Juniors - Your papers on Mean Girls/The Crucible are due on Thursday. If you are going to be absent on Thursday, be sure that you turn in your paper before you go.

English I - Last Weekend

Students,

This is your final weekend before the Shakespeare/Drama projects are due! If you've been absent the last few classes, it's important to come see me and get caught up.

Let me know if you need help.

English III - Work for Tonight and the Weekend

Tonight your group needs to get the scripts and costumes together for your presentations. Remember that I need a copy of your script with all of the names of the group members on the top. Everyone in the group will get the same grade.

Also, on Monday you will need to come to class with copies of your compare/contrast essay. Remember - try to keep it in the range of 600-800 words. Come up with a good title.

English I Reminder - 3/24

We're almost done with our study of Othello. Remember that on Friday/Monday when we present the group translations you will have to turn in one copy to the box for me. The copy for me must be turned in on time to get full credit for your group.

Also, a lot of you are absent for a variety of reasons (school, sickness, etc.) please make sure that everything gets in when it is due. Shakespeare/Drama projects are coming due soon - 30th for A day and 31st for B day. With the closeness of Spring Break, I can't really take these late.

See me if you need help. I'll be around after school next Monday for Study Hall.

English III Work - 3/24

Tonight I would like for you complete an outline for your Crucible/Mean Girls paper.  Please follow the outlining format as much as you can - show me what your thesis is as well as what elements from the texts you will use to prove your point.  Tomorrow we will finish watching the film version of The Crucible and you'll have time to work in your groups.

We'll present the group assignments on Friday!

English III - Reading - 3/23

Your assignment tonight is to read all of Act IV. I would break this up for you, but I think that it's important for you to read the whole act. There are several things that you should pay attention to as you read this section tonight.

1. How much time as passed between Act III and Act IV?
2. What is going on in the town of Andover? Why is this important when considering the idea of power and authority?
3. What happened to Abigail?
4. What has happened to Parris in Salem? His reputation?
5. Why are the judges so concerned about postponing the execution of John Proctor?
6. What has happened to the town of Salem?
7. The wind reappears toward the end of Act IV - what meaning could this symbol have?
8. Pay close attention to the scene at the end of John's confession. What's going on here? What is the meaning of the scene about honesty and truth?
9. What is the irony of Danforth discussing lies?
10. How is the motif of dark and light used at the end of Act IV?

If you can answer all of these questions about Act IV then you are in good shape. Be prepared to quickly review Act IV tomorrow and then work on a group assignment. Also, continue to work on your thesis statements for your Mean Girls paper. If your thesis was approved today, you may want to think about what you need to discuss to prove this and organizing your information.

If you need help, ask. I'm available after school on Wednesday.

English I - Homework and Reminders

Students,

As you prepare to give your monologue, be sure that you have your written paragraphs ready to hand in when you present your speech. One paragraph is on the context of the speech (what is going on when the speech is said) and one paragraph is on the importance of the speech (why is the speech important to the play). If you don't have these to hand in on time, you will not get the points for being punctual.

Also, on Wednesday/Thursday we will have a quiz on Act III. This quiz will have quotes and multiple choice questions. The quote section will ask you to translate lines from Shakespearean English to modern day English. Use the online text to practice. Look at the original, translate, and then check your answer next to the updated version. Also, be sure that you can recognize literary devices like irony (all three kinds) as well as metaphors, similes, personification, and other types of figurative language. Honors students, you will also need to say who said the quotes and why they are important to the story. Be prepared!

If you have questions - please ask! Currently I'm sitting in an empty study hall - this would have been a perfect time to seek help.

English III - 3/22 Notes

Today we finished reviewing Act III. We reviewed the five questions that I posted in the last post. If you were absent today, it is important that you get this information.

Tomorrow there will be a quiz on Act II and Act III. The format will be much the same as before: multiple choice, quote identification, and drawing. We will begin tomorrow's class with the quiz and then move on to work on the compare/contrast essay assignment.

If you have questions, please e-mail

English III - Weekend of 3/19

This weekend you need to finish reading Act III. As you finish the reading of this scene, look for the following elements:

1. What is the turning point of the play? Why is this so important? What turns? For whom?
2. Look at group mentality - are there more than just the group of girls? How does this group work? Why does it work?
3. Watch Proctor's anger. Why does he get so angry? How does he put his anger out against Abby?
4. Look at Elizabeth's mistake. What is the mistake? Why is it important?
5. What is the scene of hysteria? Who begins the hysteria? Why?

Sick Day - 3/18

A-day students and Juniors -

You both got worksheets today in class which I will check next class for a grade. I hope that you enjoyed the movie day.

Juniors - did you finish Mean Girls?

English III Homework - 3/16

Tonight for homework you need to finish reading Act II. You may find it useful to begin thinking about how some of the bigger ideas and conflicts are working toward some sort of a resolution. How is Miller continuing to develop this idea of honesty and trust? For what reason?

Tomorrow we are also going to read a really fantastic poem - I think that you all will like it a lot.

Finally, if you need to make up the Act II Quiz - you'll need to do that tomorrow afternoon.

English III Homework - 3/15

Tonight you need to continue your reading of The Crucible. Read until the appearance of Giles Corey in the middle of Act II. Please do not read beyond this point.

PS - I understand that today was Monday and that many of you were tired today, tomorrow I expect we'll be more awake.

English III and I and the Weekend

Not much longer to Spring Break. We'll make it. I promise.

Juniors - You don't have anything that you absolutely need to do this weekend. If you were absent today or yesterday, you'll need to make up the Act I quiz on Monday, after-school. If you were absent today or didn't turn it in today, make sure that you get it in on Monday. This weekend you do not have any reading that you need to do. If you would like to read ahead in The Crucible, go for it. This will save you from reading homework down the line. Remember, however, that reading quizzes can happen, make sure you know the assigned reading for the next day's discussion.

Freshmen - Some of you have monologues to perform next week. I have seen some people who have not yet even read their play - this is a problem. Some people have brought me their paragraphs for their monologues. Please continue to do so. Also, remember that you can bring drafts of other parts of your project as well. You have an in-class presentation on Tuesday and Wednesday - be prepared for that. Most of you have used your class time really well to prepare. Finally, I have reviewed Benchmark data with all of you and told most of you areas to work on before the EOC - during upcoming study halls I will be offering help sessions on particular areas. You should make an effort to attend these sessions OFTEN!

I am now going to play a few rounds of Call of Duty before I have to do laundry. Enjoy the weekend.

Work for Thursday, 3/10 - English III

Tomorrow you will have a quiz on Act I of The Crucible. The quiz will have multiple choice questions and quote identifications. You will need to review your notes and reading. Also, make sure that you review the information on McCarthy and the Cold War so that you know about the political allegory.

English III - 3/10 - Reading

Tonight you need to finish reading Act I. Continue to pay attention to the characters and what we learn about them. Also, pay attention to the final bit of Act I - there's a lot of hysteria in the last part.

Tomorrow we will review Act I and have a movie day! Act I Quiz on Friday and Positions Papers due Friday!

Freshmen!

Please come and see me about your projects! If you want to go over a draft with me before the due date - please do it! Remember that our final due date is 3/30 and 3/31 for the whole project, but some of you have speeches and paragraphs due in just a few days!

Be ready!

Reading Homework - English III - 3/9

Tonight for homework you need to continue reading The Crucible. I want you to continue reading Act I. Read until the entrance of Rev. John Hale. As you read, take note of how Arthur Miller builds upon the idea of secrecy and how Miller develops conflict in the text. Note who is against whom and why.

We'll discuss this tomorrow as well as hopefully finish Act I.

Homework for 3/8

Tonight each class has something to do:

Juniors - You need to finish reading the introductory information in Act I of The Crucible. Do not begin reading the actual play. You should also take tonight to make any revisions to your position papers - please come see me to look at your papers. Your final drafts of these papers are due on Friday.

Freshmen - Today you signed up for spots to give your speeches. You should begin memorizing so that you are ready! Also, you should go ahead and write your paragraphs to turn in on the day of the presentation.

Over the weekend

Freshmen - You should prepare for your quiz on Act II of Othello. The quiz will have multiple choice, and a fill in the blank summary which will test your knowledge of plot events, vocabulary, and literary devices.

Juniors - Your rough drafts of your position papers are due on Monday. Remember to work quotes from both the original source and your research into your writing. You don't need to have a bibliography for the rough draft, but you will need to have one for the final draft. Remember to cite your quotes using parenthetical citation of (Author Last Name, Page Number). If you don't have an author, use the title of the article. Follow the formatting rules for a position paper that we went over in class on Friday. We will really get into The Crucible on Monday.

If you have questions - leave a comment or e-mail!

English I and III Notes

Both classes had something relatively major today in class.

Freshmen. You had your Benchmark exam today. I feel for those of you that had two exams today, I know that they can be really mind numbing. Over the weekend you need to prepare for your quiz on Othello, Act II. Use the online text a few pages back to help you prepare. You will have multiple choice questions as well as a fill-in-the-blanks summary activity - study your vocabulary!

Juniors. Today you took a "quest" for me. I'll hand those back to you tomorrow. I'm seeing improvement and I like it. Tomorrow we will begin a new unit on Modern American Drama. We will also spend time in the library researching for the position papers.

As always, if you have any questions, please let me know.

English III - Test Preparation

Tomorrow you're going to have a quiz/test on Early American Literature. The quiz/test will cover all of the pieces that we've studied so far. Here's a quick list.

Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States

Use of primary sources in the piece, rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, logos), "unlearning"

Native American Literature

views of nature, organization of society, purposes of mythology, cyclical view of life and nature

Mary Rowlandson's "Narrative of the Captivity"

use of allusions, attitude toward the Native Americans, strong woman

Oluadah Equiano

use of irony, difference between Oluadah and Mary in their story and narration, purpose and rhetorical appeals, appeal to the audience

Phillis Wheatley

poetic style, the use of the master's letter, revolutionary and conformist

Anne Bradstreet

Puritan life and womanhood, poetic style

English I Homework/Announcements - 3/2

Tonight for homework I want you to do some work for your project. Answer the following question:

Which speech from your play will you present to the class? Why did you choose this speech?

Write your response as a good, well organized paragraph which is insightful. Really answer the question "why" giving examples from the speech.

Also, you have your Benchmark exam on March 4th (A) and March 5th (B). There will be a quiz on Act II of Othello on Monday and Tuesday of next week! Be ready!

English III Homework, 3/2

Tonight you need to read a few things in the following order.

First, read the biographical information on Anne Bradstreet on page 27. Feel free to skim this. Then read the information on plain style and inversion on page 28, and finally the poem on page 29.

After you've done all of that, you can read the article that I gave you. Think about how the article informs your understanding of Bradstreet and the poem.

Homework for English III - March 1

Happy March!

Take the conversation that we had in class today as a kick in the butt. Rise to the new expectations that have been placed on you and meet them!

Tonight for homework you need to read the packet that I gave you. Read the following from the packet:

• The biographical data on Wheatley
• The letter from her master
• "To the University of Cambridge in New England"
• "On Being Brought from Africa to America"
• "To S.M., a Young African Painter, on Seeing His Works"
• "To His Excellency..." and the attached poem which starts "Celestial choir."

Read the poems, mark notes. Underline lines. Be a good reader and really pick these apart!