Homework for 11/2 and 11/3

And we keep on rolling, merrily along.

AP English III:

Please keep up with your Huckleberry Finn reading schedules. By next class you should be to the end of chapter eighteen. This next section of the novel will provide a lot of opportunities for us to discuss some really important scenes in Huck's life. Annotate closely, think deeply. In addition to that reading, I want for you to begin compiling your vocabulary bookmarks. You'll be turning in your second bookmarks on Tuesday/Wednesday of next week. Lastly, I have asked all of you to get a Gmail account if you don't already have one. Please go to this link and fill in the required information so that I have a record of your e-mail addresses.

English I:

You have an exam coming up on short stories on Friday/Monday. So, you need to study. I will be here late on Thursday if you'd like to come by for individual questions.

Homework for 10/31 and 11/1

Welcome to the second nine weeks everyone!  I find that this quarter of the year goes by really quickly what with Thanksgiving Break and Winter Break in the middle.  So, this means that we'll get a lot done this quarter, but you'll need to make sure you're staying on top of everything.

AP English III:

You need to be sure to read and annotate thoroughly the piece from The Narrative of the Life of Oluadah Equiano.  This piece provides some excellent insight on some of the true horrors of slavery from the perspective of a slave, one Oluadah Equiano.  As you read, you may want to think about his audience and how he crafts his message to be perceived by his audience.  Also, be sure that you're keeping up with the reading of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  You should always try to be ahead of the reading schedule -- and always annotate!

Further, you will want to start culling vocabulary for your second vocabulary bookmarks; we're actually going to go a bit further with vocabulary this nine weeks, so be on the lookout for that.  Finally, get yourselves a GMAIL account if you don't already have one.  This will make a project that we'll be starting later this week a lot easier to complete.

English I:

Next class you will all be preseting your group projects, so your biggest thing to work on for tonight is getting that project finished.  Be sure that you've done your part and that you've communicated well with your group mates.  Remember that one copy of your group's script will need to be turned in to the box for your group to get full credit.  If you have anything that needs to be projected onto the SmartBoard, please bring that on a flashdrive or be sure to e-mail it to me in advance.

If you've not started studying for your short stories test, I would recommend doing that.  Any time left in class on Wednesday/Thursday will be spent reviewing for the short stories test which will be on Friday/Monday.

Homework for the Long Weekend - 10/26 and 10/27

AP English III:

I'm really looking forward to reading your timed writings. I want you all to remember that this class is a marathon, not a 100 meter dash. Keep the stamina up as we move forward. Continue to review your progress and your work. For the weekend I want you to read and annotate Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman" which can be found in 50 Essays or here. This is probably one of the better versions online because it retains Truth's vernacular as well as most of her physical additions to the speech. Due to the fact that the speech is so short, please read it thoroughly and be ready to discuss it as well as the Amy Tan piece. Also, I expect that you will all be to the end of chapter twelve and ready to discuss those chapters from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This weekend provides you a great chance to get ahead in your reading schedules.

English I:

After today's mega testing I'd like for all of you to reflect on your progress in the first nine weeks. Some of you have really been working hard, and some have not. I don't want any of you to be surprised when report cards come out. So, really think to yourself, "Is this the best that I can do?"

You may want to get yourself a copy of our novel Animal Farm this weekend. We'll begin studying the novel in the second week of November.

Enjoy the long weekend everyone. I'll see you all on Monday for the beginning of our second quarter of the year.

Homework for the Last Week - 10/24 and 10/25

Studeefnts,

It's our final week of the quarter - there's a lot to be sure that you're prepared for. Look below for reminders.

AP English III:

Do your reading. Do your reading. DO YOUR READING! By Wednesday/Thursday you should be to the end of chapter six in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I would recommend that you get yourselves ahead in the reading schedule as opposed to being behind. We'll probably not have a chance to really start getting into the book until next week. Next class you'll have your first timed writing assignment - be sure that you have your favorite pen for this. Then pen you'll use for all of our timed writing assignments.

Lastly, be sure that you organize your annotations on Amy Tan's "Mother Tongue" using the question sheet I gave you today in class.

English I:

You need to prepare for two tests - the district test which will (I think) be very similar to the last one you took; and then your Wordskills exam. You'll have both on Wednesday/Thursday. You should also be sure that you're working on your review project. Make sure that you've got your portion done so that when you meet back with your groups next week you'll be ready to put everything together and practice your skits!

As always, ask for any assistance you may need!

AP English III - MASSIVE ANNOUNCEMENT

I was really proud of those reading bookmarks that I gave you all, and then I realized that the schedule is completely wrong. Dang. Below is the revised schedule, I'll review this with you all in class on Monday/Tuesday.

Chapters 1-6: A day - 10/26 B day 10/27
Chapters 7-12: A day - 10/31 B day 11/1
Chapters 13-18: A day 11/4 B day 11/7
Chapters 17-22: A day 11/8 B day 11/9
Chapters 23-28: A day 11/10 B day 11/14
Chapters 29-33: A day 11/17 B day 11/18
Chapters 34-43: A day 11/29 B day 11/30

Basically this pushes everything back one class. Sorry for the confusion. Notice that there's a week in the middle where the reading is a bit heavy, I would try to really be ahead that week.

Homework for the Weekend - 10/20 and 10/21

We've only got one more week until the end of the quarter. I hope that you all are working hard to a strong finish and preparing to move forward to the second nine weeks. Remember, things will only get more difficult from here on out. It's important that you ask for help if you need it!

AP English III:

Remember that you have your reading assignments for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn on your reading bookmarks. Even if I don't remind you of these assignments, it is my expectation that you will follow the schedule that you were given. For Monday's class I would like for you to read Amy Tan's "Mother Tongue" which can be found in 50 Essays or at the following website. Please annotate the article heavily. As you read, you may find it productive to think about the idea of language and what it says about a person; the same way that we discussed this idea of language and identity in Twain's "Explanation." It's a very intersting piece which I hope you will all enjoy.

Furthermore, I did want to let you all know that you will have your first timed writing assignment in class on 10/26 (A-day) and 10/27 (B-day). You will get the prompt as we begin and then you will have 50 mintues to draft an essay. Please be ready by reviewing all of your bootcamp notes.

English I:

I think that slowly but surely we're starting to reach an understanding about what I expect in this classroom. Don't just look at your grades and get angry, do something about it. Come see me outside of school, start changing your behaviors so that your grades will also change. Ask for help!

Tonight for homework I would like for you to reflect on the stories we've read in this unit. They are:

• "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe


• "The Necklace" by Guy Du Maupassant


• "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson


• "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell


• "The Interlopers" by Saki

In your reflection I want you to tell me which story was your favorite and why.  Your response needs to be one page long. Make sure that you use good details, but as we discussed in class, don't just list the details - explain why the details are important - how they make you like the story.  Use quotations and explain their meaning.

Also, you should begin to study for our vocabulary unit exam. This will be happening on the 26th and 27th of next week which is the same day as your district test.

Homework/Announcements - 10/18 and 10/19

AP English III:

Phew, take a break. Tonight I'd like for all of you to recover from your first big test. Eventually I'll write a test that you can actually get done during class. But for now, I appreciate the fact that you're coming outside of class to get things done. Tonight, all you need to do is get yourself a copy of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. If you need me to get you one from the bookroom, please let me know either by speaking to me or sending me an e-mail. I'll try to get a few extra copies for Thursday/Friday so that you can check one out if needed.

English I:

I'm starting to see some improvement in all of you regarding what we talked about last class. Keep coming during lunch, and keep asking for help. Tonight, for homework, you need to read our final story in this unit which is called "The Interlopers" by Saki. It starts on page 151. After you read, I would like for you to answer questions three, five and six in your literature notes. We'll then use your responses and notes to get ready for our class discussion. I will check your notes for a grade.

Attention B-day Students!

Your assignment to prepare for Wednesday is in the post below.  Remember everyone that the quarter is ending next Thursday - if you've got outstanding assignments that can still be made up, you need to get on this.  All of you will be getting progress reports this week too - AP students can expect theirs on Tuesday/Wednesday; Freshmen will get reports on Thursday/Friday.

Homework for the Weekend - 10/14

A few things for all over the weekend and on into Tuesday/Wednesday of next week.  Review, prepare, finish the quarter strong.

AP English III:

Over the weekend you have one major thing to do - which is to study for your examination on Transcendentalism. As I stated in class today, portions of the multiple choice will be open book, but you won't be able to use your notes at all. You should still study those pieces thoroughly so that you use the book as a resource and not as a crutch. Half of your exam grade will be multiple choice and half will be short answer. There are four sections on the short answer, each with two questions, you will choose one question from each section to answer. Recall that these are not meant to be essays, but you may need more than just one paragraph to answer a few of these questions. If while you're studying you have questions, please e-mail me or leave me a comment in this thread so that I can get back to you as soon as possible.

Also, please get yourselves a copy of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - we'll begin our study of this novel on Thursday/Friday. If you need me to get you a copy from the bookroom I will, but you will need to get some post-it notes so that you will be able to annotate in the text. I'm really looking forward to moving forward with all of you beyond the summer reading an on into the later portions of American literature.

Study hard, ask for help if you need it. I'll be here late on Monday if you'd like to come by and ask questions.

English I:

First, if you did not turn in your writing assignment to the box or in class be aware that you are losing points due to lateness.  This does count as a test grade. Make it a priority to get this turned in to me as soon as possible to lose as few points as possible. Over the weekend I would like for you to complete a creative writing assignment based on Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado." Please rewrite one of the scenes in the novel, but instead of using Montressor's perspective as Poe does, tell it from Fortunato's perspective. The point here is that it's the same story, but a different viewpoint.  You should also review the story again and reread it.  There's a really neat song/video of the story that may help clarify the plot. Review it and then reread the story.  Remember to do the vocabulary, which this song doesn't really have...



Also, we're going to be wrapping up our unit on short stories soon. You would do well to start reviewing in preparation for your unit examination.  Remember, A games.

All:


You're getting progress reports next week.

Mad Props!

AP English III:

I'm glad that I can say this for all of you now - mad props to all of you! The past two classes have been absolutely fantastic; you've ripped apart a flawed argument and showed to me that you know how to do all of this stuff. I hope that Friday and Monday will be as good as today when we discuss the end of Grapes of Wrath and King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail". Your assignment is in the previous post.

Homework - 10/11 and 10/13

Remember that this week we have a strange schedule. These assignments will be due on Friday for A-day students and not until next Monday for B-day students. B-day students will not have their normal class until Thursday as Wednesday's classes will only be about 30 minutes long.

AP English III:

First off, A-day kids, amazing job today. I can't begin to express how impressed I was. I'm looking forward to reading your journals and reflections and getting everything back to you by Friday/Monday. To prepare for our next class I want you to review a few chapters from Grapes of Wrath as we wrap up this unit on Transcendentalism. Please read an annotate chapters 19-21, 25-26, and 29-30. As you read and consider these chapters, try to look for links to Transcendentalism and any other ideas that we've been discussing.

Also, we will be having an exam on the 18th and 19th on Grapes of Wrath and Transcendentalism. In class on Friday/Monday I will give you more details about this test.

English I:

I would like for all of you to read the story "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe from the textbook. As you read, you will encounter a lot of vocabulary that may be new to you. I would like for you to complete a vocabulary log in your notes where you write down the word, the page number, a definition for the word, and then finall the part of speech. Please do this in your vocabulary section.

Also, don't forget that on Friday/Monday you will need to turn in your writing assignments and worksheets to the box. Remember that this assignment is counting as a test grade! Do your best and be sure to refer to your notes on writing to help you complete this assignment

Homework for the Weekend - 10/7 and 10/8

All classes have work to accomplish this weekend - B-day Freshmen will get this writing assignment on Monday. B-day AP students should take some time to read the King piece this weekend so that you're ready for next week.

AP English III:

All of you need to continue to reflect and improve on the writing instruction that we've started today. Remember, it's bootcamp! After today you should feel a lot more comfortable about thesis statements and what exactly a thesis should look like. Remember that we'll be building on all of these skills and then we'll culminate with an in-class essay so that I can see how you're doing with these skills.

Over the weekend keep living as a Transcendentalist. Remember that your journals and reflections will be due on Tuesday/Wednesday. We will discuss King in class on Tuesday for A-day and Thursday for B-day as Wednesday's class will only be about thirty minutes long.

English I:

Over the weekend you should begin your writing assignment on The Simpsons and "The Most Dangerous Game" - I'm including the link to the video clip here so that you can rewatch it if you need to. Remember to use the notes we went over today to accomplish this assignment. See me during lunch or at study hall to get help. These are going to be due on 10/14 for A-day and 10/17 for B-day. Remember that it will count as a major test grade.

Have a lovely weekend!

Attention Juniors!

Here is the link to a version of King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail". Be sure to read it closely and annotate it heavily. As you read it, you may want to consider the Transcendental ideas that King is also incorporating into his letter. As I said in the previous post, it's pretty lengthy - all of you would do well to take your time in reading it this weekend. It's also available in 50 Essays.

Homework for 10/5 and 10/6

Sorry that I'm late in posting this.  It just slipped my mind as I was leaving.

AP English III:


I've finally finished those summer assignments.  And now I know where we all are as to writing and looking at literature.  I think that a lot of you have really improved the way that you're looking at literature from our first few weeks together - but we haven't spent any time working on writing.  As I said today in class, we start bootcamp soon.  We're going to spend time every day of class looking at a particular element of writing and then working on that element.

Your homework for tonight is to finish your first vocabulary bookmarks and to continue living as a Transcendentalist.  Please make sure that you follow the instructions on the bookmarks.  Also, I suggested that you all get going on reading Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" - this will be assigned next class, but it's pretty weighty, so you may want to take a bit of extra time on it.

Lastly, we're going to start reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn very soon.  I would recommend that you secure yourself a copy in the next few days and start reading.

English I:


In a strange turn of events you all don't have any homework tonight.  Though, you do have another major writing assignment coming soon related to "The Most Dangerous Game" - I would have given it to you today, but we didn't have a chance to discuss the assignment.  To prepare for this assignment you could review the story and pay particular attention to the characters of Rainsford and Zaroff - these may be focal points of your assignment coming up.  Also, you will have a grammar test before the end of this quarter - studying your grammar packets would be a good idea.

Lastly, we will be studying our novel for this year - Animal Farm - next month.  You may want to get yourselves a copy of this book.

Homework for 10/3 and 10/4

To prepare you for class on Wednesday and Thursday I would like for you to do the following.

AP English III:

Before you come to class next you should make two entries in your bluebooks about your life as a Transcendentalist. Remember that you are expected to make an entry every day and that these will be collected next week. In addition to your writing I would like to be sure that you've read the piece by Thoreau and the piece by White in 50 Essays. The White piece can be accessed at the following link. Thoreau can be found either in the earlier post or at this link. Please be sure to read an annotate heavily. As you read the Thoreau, definitely consider the ways in which Thoreau is exemplifying the philosophy of Emerson. As you read White, consider the fact that this is written after Thoreau's time.

We will spend the majority of class on Wednesday/Thursday working through these pieces and playing some poker.

Lastly, I'll be collecting vocabulary bookmarks soon. Be sure that it's complete!

English I:

Today's class was cut a bit short due to our district test. I'll be sure that we get that time back on Wednesday/Thursday. For tonight I would like for you to review your reading of "The Most Dangerous Game" - think especially about those ideas we discussed in class. Then, based on your reading and our discussion I'd like for you to answer question three in paragraph form. This homework will need to be turned into the homework box to recieve credit.

Online Textbook

The freshmen already have this information, but I figure that it may be helpful for those juniors who would also like to review the passages we study from the textbook.

To access the book, go to http://my.hrw.com.  You'll need a username and password to access the book.  I can generate a personalized one for you at school, but to access it this weekend you can use the following username (generic68) and the password (t9v2a).

Let me know if you have any questions!

Homework for All Classes - 9/30/2011

I know that yesterday and today have been a bit hectic. I want to use this post to reiterate what needs to get done before you all come to class on Monday/Tuesday.

AP English III:

Over the weekend I would like for all of you to read Thoreau's "Where I Lived, and What I Lived For" - it can be found in 50 Essays or at the following link. As you read, please annotate. Think especially about what we were talking about with "The Over-Soul" and Emerson's other pieces. In class on Monday/Tuesday we will dive deeper into Transcendentalism by discussing Emerson's "Nature" and "Self-Reliance" as well as a bit of this Thoreau. Please have everything read and considered before you walk in.

Also, I will be collecting vocabulary bookmarks next week to begin our vocabulary process. I'm looking for twenty complete entries.

English I:

Over the weekend you all need to read "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell - it can be found on page five of your textbook. As you read I would like for you to do something. Once you finish reading a full two pages of the story, I would like for you to write down one quotation from those two pages and next to the quote write a brief explanation as to why you wrote it down. For example, if you see suspense or imagery in a quote, you would then want to include that in your response. These quote logs will be helpful in beginning to discuss the story on Monday/Tuesday.

Also on Monday/Tuesday you all will have your first district assessment. To prepare for this, I would recommend that you study your notes from our first unit on Autobiography and Memoir. Pay particular attention to our discussion of plot, tone, foreshadowing, theme, and other important literary devices. Come to class prepared!

Enjoy the weekend - enjoy your reading and studying!

New Year's Eve - 9/28

Just as a reminder, no homework for all classes.  Enjoy the New Year :)

B-day Students - thank you for being prepared for class (for the most part) - I think our discussion was pretty productive and I hope that you walked out understanding what Emerson is doing a bit more effectively.  Try to spend some time reflecting on these ideas and how they intersect with The Grapes of Wrath before we get back together next week.

L'Shana Tova!  Happy New Year, 5772!

Homework for 9/20 and 9/21

Seeing as I will not be here on Thursday in observance of the Jewish New Year I am not assigning any homework tonight.  However, you will all get an assignment to complete from the substitute in class on Thursday.

Since you have nothing due next time I see you, you should use tonight to get caught up.

AP English III:  I wasn't super impressed with the annotation check.  Go back, actually read the article, and think.  Remember, I'm not asking you all to do anything that I'm not doing either.  The piece is difficult, but it doesn't mean that you have the right to quit.  You all need to rise to the expectations, not meader in the dust.

English I:  If you didn't turn in your reminisicence assignment today, please make sure that you turn it in to me on Friday or put it in my box.  Get it in as soon as you can, remember that this counts as a major test grade and that you will lose ten points for every day that it is late.

Homework for 9/23 and 9/26

Finally, the weekend.  A-day students, I hope that you enjoy the reading this weekend.  B-day students, you'll get this on Monday.

AP English III:

I really want for all of you to hold on to everything that we said about Reverend Casy today in class.  It'll help you to understand what Emerson is writing in his article called "The Over-Soul".  For the weekend, please read and annotate heavily this article.  This should provide you a lot of vocabulary words for your bookmarks as Emerson's vocabulary is pretty expansive.  This article is definitely not easy to read, and you will probably need to read certain passages more than once.  Please, as you annotate, write down any questions that you have - we will try to answer these as a class in our seminar on Tuesday/Wednesday.  There are a few ideas that I noted while I was reading that you may want to look for as you read to give you a bit more help in understanding:

1. Look for the idea of unity throughout this piece.  Remember that this is one of the most important things about Casy.
2. Pay attention to how Emerson refers to G-d throughout the piece.  There are areas where he begins to change this conception.
3. Think about all of the absolutes that we have in life (time, morality, etc.) - What is Emerson's approach to these things as stated in the article?
4. Pay attention to goodness, this goes along with number three - but is slightly different.
5. Investigate the importance of simplicity in Emerson's work - this may be especially interesting to consider given the increasing complexity of the Joad family's world.

Annotate, annotate, annotate.  Read and think.  It's not an easy piece, but I'm sure that you all are up for the challenge.

English I:

You all have two things to accomplish before our next class.  First, you need to complete your reminiscences and have them ready to turn in.  Remember that you will need to turn in your final draft, your rough draft, and your peer editing sheet.  Failure to turn in all the required pieces will hurt your grade.  If you've given me a draft, or if you need to meet with me to go over your draft to earn back points, your final opportunity to do this is going to be Monday study hall.  I'll be here late to help you.

The second thing that you need to do is read Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" - as you read, in your notes, complete a character list and jot down important quotations from the story related to the characters.  You should be able to write down at least two to three quotations for each character you list.  Remember that quotations are anything from the story - not just what people say.  I hope that you all enjoy reading this a lot - it's a great way for us to start this unit.  Keep your notes in your notebooks - I'll check them at the beginning of class.

Have a lovely weekend!

Homework for 9/21 and 9/22

AP English III:

For tonight I want you to go back and reconsider some of the earlier portions of The Grapes of Wrath.  Please reread and annotate heavily the following sections - remember to look especially close for the following topics or motifs in each section:

• Chapter 4 - Starting at paragraph which begins with "Joad carefully drew the torso" (23) to the poem in the Christmas card (27).  Here pay attention to Casy's philosophy and any irony you see.
• Chapter 5 - Pay attention to symbolism and the idea of the American Dream.
• Chapter 7 - Look at money and greed.  Perhaps consider the conflict between morality and money.
• Chapter 8 - Look for the person to animal motif; also, begin paying attention to the different characters and make your character list.

On Friday we'll begin to break down this section of the text and then move forward to more of our philosophical dealings.  Don't forget to bring your copies of Grapes for next class.

English I:

You, officially, have no homework tonight.  Relax after your exam.  Work on your reminiscence.  Make time to see me to get my feedback.

Homework for 9/19 and 9/20

AP English III:


For our next class you should spend some time relaxing, relaxing with the Joad family.  We're going to begin our study of The Grapes of Wrath next class - it's my goal that those of you who didn't like this book this summer will find something to like by the end of our consideration of it.  Begin by rereading and annotating chapters one through three.  We'll begin discussing on Wednesday/Thursday.

English I:


You all have your first test next class.  STUDY!  Use your notes, your copies of the stories, and anything else that would be helpful for you.  Be ready!  As of now this is a closed note exam!

Also, revise your writing assignments.  I will be available after school on Wednesday and Friday to look at essays and offer feedback.

Homework for the Weekend - 9/15 and 9/16

AP English III:

Juniors - What you need to do over the weekend is finish all of the stuff in the previous post.  The most important thing is to be ready for your assessments on The Great Gatsby - the skit and the quest.  We'll be doing both of these on Monday/Tuesday.  Also, I'll be collecting your Petrunkevitch/Woolf tone comparison essays on Monday/Tuesday as well.  This is meant to be a way for me to see how your analytical and formal writing skills are.  Please come and see me Friday afternoon if you need any help with it.

Lastly, you will want to find The Grapes of Wrath and begin rereading.  I would recommend you start with chapters one through three.

English I:

Over the weekend you need to complete the draft of your reminiscence assignment.  Remember that you aren't telling the story of your whole life but of one particular moment in time.  You need to fill your story with details and imagery that will then make everything clear to me.  We will be peer editing these assignments on Monday/Tuesday as well as reviewing for our exam.  These writing assignments will count as a major grade - so they need to show off your skills.

Speaking of major grades, you should probably start studying this weekend too.  I would suggest spending the weekend reviewing "About School" and the pieces by Malcolm X.  Next week, work on reviewing the remaining pieces.

If anyone needs help on anything, please come see me Friday or Monday afternoon.

Homework and Announcements - 9/13 and 9/14

AP English III:

For tonight you have a few things to be working on, they're listed in the order of importance.

1. Be aware that your Gatsby skits need to be ready and rehearsed by next week. These should be polished performances that are captivating and show a high amount of attention to detail in the text. Follow the guidelines in the assignment sheet.


2. You will have a quiz on The Great Gatsby next Monday and Tuesday. The quiz will have quotes and short answers - begin to reconsider some of the important quotations of the novel - try to find some new ones. Remember to always consider and reconnect to the author's purpose.


3. Today in class I handed out the Petrunkevitch article as well as a graphic organizer to prepare you for your compare/contrast assignment on tone. We will not discuss the article in class - it is meant solely for you to use in constructing your response. These writing assignments are also due next Monday/Tuesday.


4. Finally - we will wrap up Gatsby on Thursday/Friday - if you have any residual questions that you feel have not yet been addressed, please bring those with you Thursday/Friday.

English I:

Tonight for homework I want you all to reflect on the piece "How to Eat a Guava" by Esmeralda Santiago. I want for you to use the notes that we took on writing last class to construct an effective paragraph answer to a question about the story. Honors students should answer question eight on page 546. Standard students should answer question nine on page 546. These paragraph responses will be due to the box before Thursday/Friday and they will count as a quiz. Don't miss this chance to improve your scores - come see me if you need extra help.

Also - a quick note on textbooks - if you have trouble with the online textbook please let me know via e-mail immediately. A lot of you told me that you couldn't complete the assignment because of technology issues - I can't fix these problems after the fact. Let me know once it happens so that we can try to find a solution.

Lastly, Freshmen will have an exam next week on autobiography and memoir. Begin to study now! The test will happen on 9/21 and 9/22.

Homework - 9/9 and 9/12

Welcome to the weekend. It's not a long weekend, unfortunately, but we do have a PLC day next week to make life a bit easier.

AP English III:

Today in class you got some time to begin your final assessment on The Great Gatsby - your dramatization project. This will count as a major grade and I've already given you the rubric for how you're going to be graded. You have ten days to prepare, which is a lot of time. Make sure that your presentations are polished and show a lot of time and attention to detail.

Over the weekend I'd like for you to read Virginia Woolf's "The Death of the Moth" which is in 50 Essays and also available at this link. Remember to bring a copy to class that has been heavily annotated. In addition I'd like for you to reread and annotate chapters seven and eight of The Great Gatsby. I think it's pretty obvious given what the title of the essay is and what happens in these later chapters what we'll be discussing on Tuesday/Wednesday.

As I said today, it's important that you begin to look at all of these small details and see how they're coming together at the end to really reinforce Fitzgerald's purpose.

English I:

You all need to read a very short piece called "How to Eat a Guava" which is in your textbook on page 542. As you read I want you to do the following in your literature notes section. First, make a list of any quotations in the story which contain imagery. Then after you've read the story state the topic and the theme of the story. Remembering of course our discussion from a few days ago on the difference between topic and theme.

Also, we're almost done with our first unit, you'll have your first test very soon!

Homework - 9/7 and 9/8

Welcome back after the long weekend. I hope that all of you enjoyed the mini break - especially the fact that you didn't have any English homework. Tonight, however, you do have a few things to accomplish.

AP English III:

I think that today's exercise in interruped reading went really well. Remember that the thing about AP is to look at all of those minute details and see the trends and then comment on the author's purpose. Always tie it back to purpose. For tonight's homework I want you to reread and annotate chapters five and six of The Great Gatsby. I'm only planning on us spending about two more days on Gatsby so you will want to find the Joad family and get them all piled up in the truck - we'll be seeing them soon.

Furthermore, you'll have time next class to work on your group assignment. It may be a good idea for you to think about who you'd like to work with tonight as well as which section of the text you'd like to cover.

English I:

I hope that after today's class the idea of theme will be a lot clearer. For tonight you have an assignment that is due to the box on Friday (A-day) and Monday (B-day). Everyone will need to read "Go Carolina" by David Sedaris and complete the worksheet. The worksheet should be turned in to the box. Honors students also need to read Sedaris's "Me Talk Pretty One Day" but you won't need to worry about answering questions until your first test. This test is coming soon! Start to prepare!

Just a little reminder...

Namely to the AP kids, but Freshmen take notice.

We're outside of the "beginning of school adjustment period." I've noticed a lot of you in class haven't had the reading assignment, there have been a bevy of excuses. All of which I've tolerated. This ends tomorrow and the gloves come off.

No homework tonight for B-day. Get your minds right.

Next time I see you all, you should all have everything you need to be successful and capable in class (brains, books, blue books).

Weekend Work - 9/2

A-day students in all classes have no homework over the weekend.  I'll be enjoying the weekend and celebrating my birthday, I hope that you all will too.

B-day students, you won't have any homework on Tuesday night, please remember that you do have assignments due on Tuesday morning.  Look in the previous post to remind yourself of what they are.

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Homework and Reminders - 8/31 and 9/1

I'm really enjoying the fact that we're getting into the swing of things. Thank you for a productive and interesting conversation today in all of my classes - below are the assignments for you to complete in preparation for the next class.

AP English III:

Today's discussion did not cover nearly the amount of detail that I wanted to about chapters two and three - we'll pick up with that on Friday/Tuesday. So, definitely revisit your annotations and your reading. For the next class I would like for you to read and annotate Stephanie Ericsson's "The Ways We Lie" - this can be found in 50 Essays or at the following link. Print a copy and bring it with you to class. We will have an activity tying The Great Gatsby and this piece together.

Also, don't forget that your "Introduction" pieces are due on Friday/Tuesday. Please have both your final draft and your rough draft.

English I:

For tonight you have one assignment that needs to be turned into the box and one assignment that should be brought to class. Your "The Me You Don't See" paragraphs should be turned into the box on either Friday (A-day) or Tuesday (B-day). Remember that the final draft will count as a quiz grade for everyone. The rough draft will count as a homework assignment. You also need to read the excerpts by Malcolm X and complete the worksheet as notes - we will review the worksheet in class on Friday/Tuesday. Be sure that you complete all parts of the worksheet and bring any questions you have to class.

Also, Freshmen, if you didn't get your "About School" worksheet to the box, make sure that you go to study hall. Get your points back!

And now it's time to really get going

It's time for us to have a full week of school.  I know that I'm looking forward to getting to know you all better as readers and writers this year.  Below are the different assignments for each group.

AP English III:

Today's seminar began to scratch the surface on these two pieces which we will continue to study throughout this unit on The Great Gatsby.  For our next class, we will really begin getting into Gatsby - starting with chapters two and three.  Make sure that you have reread and annotated chapters two and three.  Remember as you annotate to look for EVERYTHING - we'll talk more about how to annotate in class on Wednesday/Thursday.

In addition to this reading you also should be revising and polishing your introduction assignments.  I'll be collecting these on Friday/Monday.  Be sure that you see me for my opinions/critiques if you need it.  After-school on Tuesday or Wednesday would be a great time to see me.

English I:

It's time for us to start using the homework box.  Your worksheets on the poem "About School" are due to the box on Wednesday (A-day) and Thursday (B-day).  Any homework not submitted on time will need to be completed during study hall.  I was impressed with the fact that a lot of you had your assignments today.  Keep that going!  The paragraphs that you edited today will be collected on Friday/Monday.  These paragraphs will count as a quiz grade.  Make sure that you see me if you need extra help.  Also, don't forget when you turn in your final draft that you also turn in your rough draft.  I'll remind you of this next class.

See you all on the flip side...

The First A-Day of School!

Just think, tomorrow you get to do the first day of school all over again. It was really great getting to meet all of you this morning; I'm really looking forward to working with you all this year. Below are the assignments for the weekend. I will post every A-day; if there are changes for B-day students, that will be noted after the B-day.

AP English III:

There are a few things to get done this weekend for me. First, you should all begin by reading and annotating Barbara Lazear Ascher's "On Compassion" - this can be found in 50 Essays and online at the following website. Copies will also be available for pickup from my room Friday. Second, you should all reread and revisit your annotations for "On Dumpster Diving" by Lars Eighner. On Monday/Tuesdsay we will have a seminar on these two pieces. Be ready to discuss them and rip them apart as only AP students can. Finally for reading, I would like for you to begin rereading and annotating chapters two and three of The Great Gatsby - we will begin studying this text on Wednesday/Thursday.

For writing over the weekend I would like for you all to complete the "Introduction" assignment as explained on your handout. Remember to follow the guidelines and have fun with this assignment. We will edit these in class on Monday/Tuesday.

For AP students, the online parent form can be accessed by following this link.

English I:

This weekend you have some business to take care of for next week. First, if you didn't complete the "Tell Me About You" questionairre, plese finish that over the weekend and have it ready on Monday/Tuesday. You also need to complete the paragraph assignment called "The Me You Don't See." Remember that this also needs to be brought to class for peer editing on Monday/Tuesday. Use the guidelines that we discussed today in class to finish this assignment and do it well.

Finally, make sure that you get your school supplies and that your parents fill out the parent contact sheet. The online form for English I can be found by following this link.

All Students: If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me or leave a comment on the blog. Have a great weekend!

Done! Donezo! Finito!

I think I just needed to do the requisite end of the year post.  I hope you all come back and visit me next year; I'll probably be in a new room next year - so work hard to find me.

I'm at a workshop all week - summer starts for me on Friday afternoon.  I hope you all have wonderful summers:  relax, read, get tan, and ride your bikes!

Juniors - Preparing for Next Week

Juniors:

Your exam is scheduled for the morning of Thursday, June 2, 2011.  We will have a review period on Wednesday afternoon.  If you were not in class today (or just aren't sure)  you should e-mail me and figure out if you are exempt from the exam or not.  Don't just assume something and then get a phone call from me on Thursday about why you aren't taking your exam.

For those of you that are exempt I will be figuring out your grades over the weekend - you may want to take the exam in order to push you up to the next grade level.  Numbers and grades will be ready on Tuesday.  See me AFTER SCHOOL for this information.

FRESHMAN LDOC!!

WHOOO!  All of you are done with class and now you start exams.  The schedule of exams was in the last post as was the review sheet.

For tonight, get a good night's sleep.  Eat a good breakfast tomorrow (eggs, yogurt, peanut butter and carrots, oatmeal) and be ready!

Think about the matchboxes we've done lately - what kinds of questions have you missed (literary terms?  comprehension?  opinion?  grammar?).

There are some online practice examples that you can use if you feel it necessary.

Texutal Analysis: Literary Devices, Opinion, Style, Comprehension

Grammar and Editing

See you soon - feel free to come by after school for extra help if you need it.

Juniors - Final Day of Class

Tomorrow we'll finish presentations and wrap up the end of your Junior year.  I know that you all are looking forward to summer, I am too.  We've done a lot of good work this year and I've really enjoyed a lot of your discussions and insights about literature.  I've been making it a point to grade research papers so that I can give it back to you after you present your final project.

Those of you presenting tomorrow - I'll have your papers ready by the time I leave the building on Friday, which is usually around 4:00.  Please come and get your graded papers then or inquire via e-mail.  I'll also have exemption information for you all tomorrow.  Remember that the final can only help your grade if you are exempt.  I should have your grades figured out for those of you that are exempt by Tuesday (maybe even Friday afternoon).

The review session for our class will be held Wednesday afternoon and the exam on Thursday morning.  I expect you to attend if you are taking the final exam.

Lastly, if I've given you your paper - please make it a point to put it in your writing portfolio.  If you did a group paper, make copies for everyone.  I can even do this for you if you'd like.  Just give it to me Friday.

EOC Review Sheet

Freshmen:

It's the end my friends.  Time to study.  Time to be ready for your exam.

A1 - Your exam will be Friday morning in one of the two computer labs.  Remember to show up early to the exam room as showing up late will likely lock you out of the system.

A2 - Your exam will be on Tuesday beginning at 11:12.  Remember to take the first lunch after your B1 exam and then report immediately to the computer lab.

B1 - Your exam will be on Tuesday morning.  Don't be late!

B2 - Your exam will be on Wednesday morning.  Don't be late.

Below are the terms from the EOC review sheet.  Remember that you should know what all of these terms are and be able to apply that knowledge in identifying their use in reading passages.  As you study, don't just think of definitions, but think of examples of the device too.

• 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

Homework for Juniors - 5/24/2011

Juniors:

There's a few things that you need to accomplish for tomorrow's class.  Here they are:

1.  You need to complete your character worksheet and then complete your reflection on the activity today in class.  I'll collect both of these tomorrow.

2.  You'll need to turn in your rough drafts of your research papers.  Remember, like I said today in class, you should aim to make these as good as you can.  I'll be assigning you a grade based on the rubric and then I'll have these ready to give back on Tuesday.  Come and see me to get the papers.  Revised papers will be due NO LATER THAN 4:00 pm on Friday.

3.  Have your presentations ready.  I'm looking forward to them.

Today was the last Monday of the School Year

Isn't that exciting?!

Juniors:


I really hope that you enjoyed O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find" - I saw a lot of good thinking going on in the room as we were reading and discussing.  We'll finish discussing the story on Wednesday before we begin presentations.  Don't forget that tomorrow we'll be taking C-lunch.  Feel free to come by in the morning to drop off food/snacks/drinks/materials for the party.  Also, don't forget that I'll be collecting your worksheets about your characters to start class.

Lastly, your drafts of your papers are due on Wednesday.  Some people turned them in today which was good - I look forward to the rest of them.

Freshmen:


I think that today's activity in going through our portfolios really goes to show just how far you've come as writers this year.  Remember that this is a journey that never really ends.  You always continue moving forward and developing.  Make sure that you spend a good chunk of time over the next few days reviewing those literary devices - as I said in each class, you need to know these things easily off the top of your head.  We'll have our final matchbox on Wednesday and spend some time looking at some literary terminology before the EOCs begin.

Last Weekend before Exams

Juniors:

This weekend you should attempt to finish your research papers.  Remember the requirements.  Remember what you need to do.  I'm here if you need me.  I'll be collecting these from you on Wednesday.  On Monday we're going to spend some time reflecting on ourselves and our writing for this course as well as move on to the last piece of the year.

Also, remember the order of the presentations.  We'll begin those on Wednesday!

Freshmen:

Your priority at this point is to focus on preparing for your EOC.  Use the review guide.  Learn those literary terms.  We'll review this sheet in a lot of detail on Monday/Tuesday as well as get our writing portfolios ready for next year.  Wednesday/Thursday will be our final Matchbox and review.

Enjoy the weekend.  Not much more left!

It's time for the end...

Freshmen:

From here on out you should all be focused on preparing for your English I EOC - use the review guides that I gave you last week to get yourselves ready.  Remember that you need to know all of those literary terms so that you can identify them on the EOC and answer questions about them.  You've started seeing sample items the past few days in class - take this practice to help prepare you.

Oh, if you didn't turn in a project, make sure it comes in ASAP.  As I've said, you've had about two months to work on this, waiting until the last minute is only going to cause problems for you.

Juniors:

The drafts of your research papers are due no later than Wednesday of next week - which is the first day of our presentations.  Today was the final day of class time to be spent preparing for these papers.  I highly recommend that you put the papers together over the weekend and then come see me on Monday with a draft.  Use the rubric in your research packs to help you to construct your paper.

Also, you're going to want to think about who you want to be next week and what you're goign to bring for our Lavender Room party.  I'll collect your character choices tomorrow as you spend our final day working on your presentations.

9:41 pm - No More E-mail

Ok.  Done checking e-mail tonight.

Some Reminders - 5/18/2011

Juniors:

Today was basically the last day of new content before the final exam.  You should now spend the remaining energy that you have for this course in working on your research papers and your final projects.  We will be spending tomorrow's class in the library so that you can finalize your research and (hopefully) begin writing your papers if you've not yet done so.  Drafts of these papers are coming due soon, don't wait until the last minute.  Tomorrow I will also be giving you the information you'll need for your final assignment - "The Lavender Room."  Look forward to that tomorrow.  Friday will be your final group meeting day.

Freshmen:

Research projects!  Get them done, get them turned in.  Follow all of the guidelines.  Also, start reviewing for your EOC - use the review guide.  Every class we will complete a Matchbox as a means to prepare for the exam, be sure that you are spending time thinking about these concepts and ideas to prepare for the exam.

As always, if you need help or have questions - e-mail me!

Homework - 5/17

Remember, just a few more days...just a few more days...

Freshmen:


A lot of you have been working very hard on your research projects over the past few classes and that hard work will soon pay off.  It's time to get ready to turn them in.  In the previous post I outlined for you the order of the assignment and what you need to do at each section of the assignment.  Tonight, I'll be reposting the document for all of you for easy access.  Follow this link to access the project document.  I'll also embed it below for you.

It's important to remember that this is a research project - you're writing historical fiction.  Include your parenthetical citations after every instance where you include research in your writing.  Don't forget that your parenthetical citations and works cited page should align entirely.

It's also important to remember that you've had a lot of time to work on this project.  Your complaints are falling on deaf ears.  If you need help, ask.

Juniors:


Class discussion today - better.  I hope that you all enjoyed "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" - it's a really moving poem.  Of course, consider the big motifs that we discussed today (especially identity and how identity is established) - there's a lot of overlap to your own novels in a lot of what we've been discussing; I hope you all are seeing and exploring these overlaps.  We didn't get a chance to talk about Bonner today - that will dominate a lot of what we do tomorrow.  Be sure that you read and annotate it for tomorrow.  There's also going to be one additional poet - Claude McKay with "The Tropics in New York."  You should also be working on your papers!  Last day in the library is Thursday - come in with a draft, let's conference.

Don't forget to return your textbooks, all of you.


Seven more days until exams begin.

Monday, May 16th - Homework

Juniors:  It's imperative that as we're winding down the year that you all give me a full ninety minutes to work with you in class.  Today was a bit rough; it shouldn't have taken nearly the time that it did to get through our notes on the Harlem Renaissance.  Tomorrow we will continue with the TP-CASTT of the three poems as well as have our theme battles on these three different poems by Langston Hughes.  In addition, we will discuss the two pieces that I gave you for homework:  Hurston's "How It Feels to Be Colored Me" and Bonner's "On Being Young -- a Woman -- and Colored."  I expect that you will read and annotate these two passages heavily.  There are spaces in the bottom margins for you to do so.  Remember one of the key things to consider here in these passages is how these two writers are both similar and different - think about their style, their writing, and their purpose in both pieces.

Freshmen:  Very impressive work with your Act III Translation projects.  This week, your only homework is to work on your projects in advance of Thursday/Friday's due date.  In case you missed it, here's the structure of the project:

• Page One:  Header information (name, date, class, period), Title of Project (centered), Introduction to Character, Thesis.  You've already done the intro and thesis - just revise it!
• Pages Two through Five/Seven:  Stories on the different topics.  Be sure to include research in your stories as well as parenthetical citations.  We reviewed how to do these on MLA day.  If you have questions, ask.
• Page Six/Eight:  Conclusion.  Restate your thesis on the living conditions of your character and review the main points that prove your thesis.  This should only be one paragraph, through it should be a weighty paragraph.
• Page Seven/Nine:  Works Cited Page in MLA format.

Happy writing and reading!  Only a few more classes to go.

Homework for 5/12/2011

Freshmen:

Don't forget that your presentations are tomorrow and Monday.  Before school you will need to make sure that a member of your group has turned in a copy of your script to the box, failure to do so will negatively impact your group score.  Those of you with a lot of props and costumes can drop off your things in the morning and leave them in the classroom until the end of the day.  Those people who haven't turned in their worksheets will need to turn these in at the beginning of the period.

After presentations we will continue with Romeo and Juliet and see just how these crazy kids get themselves into so much trouble.

Juniors:

Tomorrow you will have three vocabulary cards due at the beginning of the period.  Make sure these are complete and well done, some of you have been slacking on vocabulary.  You'll be working the whole period in your groups to prepare for your presentations.  I'm going to start off by telling you a bit about planning a lesson and what a lesson plan needs to have in it.  This will be a major focus for your groups tomorrow, to complete a vast majority of your lesson and revisit your goals as well as your essential questions.  As I said today in class, tomorrow will be your second to last group meeting.  We have this week and then next week to prepare, presentations will be held during the final week of the quarter.

Homework - 5/11/2011

Freshmen:

We're nearly to the end of the year.  For Friday you will be expected to turn in a copy of your group's script for the presentations to the box.  Make sure that every member of the group has a copy as well.  If you have a lot of costumes and props, feel free to drop them off in the morning before school and then pick them up at the end of the day.  I look forward to seeing your presentations.  We'll also move forward into Act IV on Friday/Monday with hopes of finishing the play on Tuesday/Wednesday as we begin reviewing for the EOC.

Don't forget about quiz redos on Friday/Monday as well as your Rough Drafts due at the end of next week.  Please ask for help if you need it.  Lastly, remember that if you didn't turn in your worksheets today, they will be due on Friday/Monday.

Juniors:

Tonight you should finish reading "To Build a Fire" by Jack London.  In addition, you should heavily annotate the story.  I would like to finish up the discussion of the story that we started last class tomorrow.  Also, you will have a timed writing to accomplish tomorrow as well.  Be sure that your book is with you and annotated well because you will be able to use these notes/books to accomplish the assignment.

Finally, don't forget that you have three vocabulary cards due this week.  This will most likely be the final round of vocabulary for the quarter/year.

Keep on keepin on...

Homework for All Classes - 5/10/2011

Juniors:

I hate the fact that the online textbook wasn't functioning well last night - please take the copies of "To Build a Fire" and have them thoroughly read for when we meet on Thursday.  We'll finish up our conversation of the story then.  Also on Thursday you'll have a timed writing on your novel.  It's important that you have a good chunk of your book read by this point so that you will be able to complete the assignment well.  Consider what we did today in class (looking at sample essays/prompts) as a way to prepare for this in-class writing assignment.

Tomorrow we will be spending a bit of time in class talking about the research papers and then moving to the library to spend time researching.  Come prepared to work hard on your papers tomorrow.  You may even want to start drafting so that you're not left scrambling at the end.

Freshmen:

Next class will be our final class to work on the in-class projects.  As I discussed today and yesterday in class, the research projects are coming due soon - namely the rough drafts on the 19th and 20th.  If you put forth a lot of energy to the rough draft you will not need to turn in a final draft.  Be sure that you make any changes to your introduction and thesis, and have this ready as the first page of your project.  After that come the stories on the different topics, and at the end the conclusion and works cited page.  On Wednesday/Thursday you will also be getting progress reports as well as a lot of returned work.  Don't forget what I said about quiz redos on Friday and Monday.

Junior Work - 5/9/2011

Juniors:

Tonight for homework I would like for you to complete the reading of Jack London's "To Build a Fire."  It's probably one of my favorite stories that we read all year.  As you read, be sure that you take good notes that will prepare you for our inside/outside circle discussion.  Here are some ideas to think about as you read the story:

• describe the narrative voice of this story - how effective is it - how would this story be different if it were told from another perspective - what is the narrator's tone toward the different topics of this story
• how does the idea of naturalism come into play - what determines the behavior of the man in this story
• who are the significant characters in this story - what role do they play - in what ways are they symbolic
• how does setting effect the characters in the story
• how does the main character change throughout the story
• what is the theme of this story

Keep track of important quotations and insights as you read.  I look forward to your inside/outside circle discussion tomorrow.  I'm sure that it will be impressive, as it often is.

Freshman Work

This post is mostly in the form of announcements - please pay attention to them all.

1.  Groups 1-4 will need to turn in their worksheets at the beginning of class on Wednesday/Thursday.  Groups 5-7 will need to turn in their worksheets on Friday/Monday.

2.  Group presentations will happen for everyone on Friday/Monday.  You'll need to be sure that one of your group members turns in a copy of the script to me before class begins.

3.  You'll be getting progress reports on Wednesday/Thursday.  On these reports you will see your grades up to this point - you will be able to redo your quizzes on Act I and II to earn back points.  This redo opportunity will happen on Friday and Monday after-school.

4.  Your Research Projects:  Rough drafts of the research projects are due on the 19th and 20th.  Thursday and Friday, next week.  With the rough draft, you will need to turn in your Introduction and Thesis, your stories (Honors students need to submit three stories, Standard students need to submit two stories), and finally your conclusion and works cited page.  With the stories, you'll need to include your research with parenthetical citations so that I can see how the research supports what you're saying.  If your Rough Draft is good enough, then you won't need to submit a final draft.

Remember - you really only have two grades left this quarter:  the translation project and then the Research Project.  Don't fall behind with either of these - they're major grades.

5/6/2011 - Junior Weekend Homework

Juniors:

Over the weekend I'd like for you to start pulling together the work that you've been doing in the library.  Here is what I will be looking at on Monday in class:

1. A works cited page that has all of your sources on it in the proper order.  Be sure that you alphabetize this list and do it in the proper MLA format.
2. A revised thesis statement that reflects some of what you've learned in your research.  Begin to make your thesis more specific and stronger.
3. A rough outline which begins to organize the quotes and other notes that you have begun to find.

Don't worry about the London story.  We'll get into that next week.  Thank you for working hard these past two days in the library.  We'll return to the library next week.

Homework for 5/5/2011

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Freshmen:

Tonight you will need to finish your introductions and thesis statements for your research projects.  There are a few things that you need to do with the project.

• Review the preliminary introduction you wrote for your character and make any necessary revisions in light of your research.


• Write a preliminary thesis statement that summarizes the main point you will be making about life for this character in Elizabethan England. Print a copy of the introduction and thesis for class.

In terms of structure - you should put the introduction paragraph at the top of your paper and then the thesis underneath.  I would recommend typing this and saving it as it will eventually be reprinted as the first page of your project.  You may also want to do some work on your Act III projects, you will have classtime in the next few days, but getting ahead is a good idea.
 
Juniors:
 
For tonight you need to finish your poetry writing assignment - the "Song of Myself," remember to follow the instructions on the assignment sheet.  I look forward to reading these over the weekend.  Also, you will have vocabulary cards and bookmarks due at the beginning of class tomorrow.  Be sure that you have three cards and one full bookmark.

5/4/2011 - PLC Day

A few things that you should all take care of this afternoon as you are home early and I am in meetings.

Freshmen:

Don't forget that your take-home exams are due at the beginning of class on Thursday/Friday.  I will not accept these late.  Whatever you get done will be taken tomorrow.  I will not really have a lot of sympathy for those who did not finish the whole exam - you've had two days and all of your resources to get this done.

Juniors:

Tomorrow we will have a brief quiz on Walt Whitman - if you haven't yet caught up on what we did in class on Monday, go back a few posts to see the pages that you should review for this information.  Furthermore, don't forget about your writing assignment due on Friday - the "Song of Myself."  Put some thought and effort into these and make sure that you deal with all of the listed elements in your poem.  Finally, I would like for you to spend some time tonight as you read your novels to think about your thesis.  Begin to clarify it now so that this paper doesn't sneak up and bite you at the end of the semester.

See you all tomorrow!

Homework for 9th and 11th Graders - 5/3/2011

Juniors:

For tonight you should begin working on your own "Song of Myself" - please finish reviewing the instructions that I gave you today in class and realize that these will be collected from you on Friday.  As I said in the instructions, for the most part there are "no rules" in this assignment as I want you to be as creative as possible and for the poem to be a true reflection of who you are.  Please be sure that you integrate the ideas and literary devices at the bottom of the sheet - do these artfully and skillfully and be sure that you really engage with the topic.  Tomorrow we will begin work on our RESEARCH PAPERS - which are the final papers of the year!  This is a long term investigation and will take time to get started.  Remember what I said about your learning goals that your groups created, these are great jumping off points for the thesis statements you'll investigate in your essays.  Oh, don't forget #lrndneng3

Freshmen: 

Your priority for tonight will be to complete your Act II Take Home Test.  Be sure that you follow all instructions on the exam.  You may use your book, the Internet, your notes, or any other resources you see fit; however, you may not confer with each other.  Any evidence of cheating will be dealt with swiftly and with no mercy.  Tests will be collected at the beginning of class on Thursday/Friday.  We will also pick up with our study of Act III on that date as well as begin our final in-class group project on Romeo and Juliet. 

Work for Juniors - 5/2/2011

This is mainly for those of you not in class today due to AP Exams.  Today in class we spent time reviewing the information about Walt Whitman and two of his poems from the collection Song of Myself.  To those of you not in class today I would like for you to read in the textbook the biographical information on Whitman as well as #10 and #52 in the textbook.  You will want to answer the questions related to each of these poems as a review.  Just answer them in your notes - if you have questions, please let me know.

Tomorrow we will spend some time in our groups in preparing for the end of the year.  We will begin working on lesson plans tomorrow.  In addition, we will work on one of our final writing pieces for the year - the autobiographical poem.

Work for the Weekend - 4/29

So - April is over and we're only one month away from summer vacation.  It's hard to believe that we're already so close to the end of the year.  As I always say - don't stop pushing until you come to the end of the last question on the final exam.

Juniors:


I will have your exams graded for you on Monday.  To those of you taking an AP Exam on Monday - good luck, remember that you've been studying this content all year, don't cram and stress out before the exam; that'll just serve to mess you up going in.  Take your time and breathe.  We're going to spend a few days next week looking at the work of one Mr. Walt Whitman, a poet who really changed a lot of the ideas of what it meant to be a poet and poetry.  For the weekend, you should concentrate on reading your novels.  You'll have a group meeting on Tuesday and we'll begin moving to the next step of the project - the lesson plan and research paper.

Freshmen:


I hope that you all enjoyed the new version of Romeo and Juliet - there are a lot of interesting contrasts to Romeo + Juliet which will be interesting to investigate over the next few classes.  Over the weekend you should prepare for your Act II Test which will occur on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week - remember that there will be an in-class portion and a take-home portion.  For homework, you will need to finish your worksheets on Act II, Scene 6.  Make sure that you answer all of the questions thoroughly and that you've followed the instructions.  Someone from your group will also need to turn in your diagram on moderate/passionate at the beginning of class.

If you have any questions - don't hesitate to ask.  Enjoy the weekend!

Homework for Juniors - 4/28

Well, tomorrow's the last day of April which will bring on May - the last full month of school.   It's important that we keep on pushing hard until the end of the year.  Tomorrow you will have your unit test on Transcendentalism and Romanticism due to the fact that the presentations ran a bit over today.  Make sure that you complete the take-home portion of your test tonight and have that ready to be handed in tomorrow at the beginning of class.  Remember what I said in class, I'm expecting good thorough responses to the questions.  Be sure to use specific details from the text to support your opinions and ideas.

Also, tomorrow is a Vocabular Make-up Day for any student who wishes to resubmit new cards/bookmarks for a new grade.  Don't miss this opportunity.

Field Trip! 4/27/2011

Today the 9th graders took a trip to NC State University.  A good time was had by all, except when the bus broke down at the end of the day.  Freshmen will get back to studying Romeo and Juliet on Friday of this week as we finish Act II.  It would be a good idea to take this time to get ahead on your research projects.

Juniors

Tomorrow you will be presenting on your Arab Spring rebellion - please be insightful and prepared.  I will also be collecting your viewing guide on the film Pleasantville.  Lastly, you will have your Romanticism/Transcendentalism exam tomorrow.  There will be no vocabulary this week, but it is a redo week for those student who missed an earlier vocabulary check.  Next week you will have cards due!

Homework for 4/26

Juniors:

I have to begin by saying that I wasn't all that impressed with the reading of Thoreau's "Resistance to Civil Government" - I expect that when I assign a piece to be read that you are going to read it, thoroughly with notes an annotations so that you are prepared to discuss it in class.  I would recommend that if you have been skating by that you go back and read the pieces that you missed before your exam on Thursday.

For your exam on Thursday you will be asked about six pieces in particular:

• Longfellow's "The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls" and "Cross of Snow"
• Thoreau's Walden and "Resistance to Civil Government"
• Emerson's "Self Reliance" and "Nature"

You will be asked some very detailed multiple choice question about all of these pieces.  Be prepared.  There will also be some short answers on this exam.  You may be asked to finish the short answer at home as a take-home portion depending on time after the presentations on Thursday.

Tomorrow I will not be in class as I'll be with the 9th graders at NC State.  You will have a substitute and a film to watch which will help to review some of the main concepts of Romanticism and Transcendentalism.  I will take your film guide up on Thursday for a grade.

Tonight for homework you should begin to study for your exam, do any additional work needed for your Arab Spring presentations, and spend some time reading in your novels.  You will have a group meeting on Friday.

Freshmen:

Your homework is in the previous post.  Remember that I will not be checking your homework until class on Friday (A-day) and Monday (B-day).  It would be in your best interest to begin preparing for your Act II Exam. 

First Day Back From Break - 4/25

I feel completely wiped out.  Phew.  It was really good to see everyone today and to get back to learning and talking/interacting with all of you.  I'm hoping that by the end of the week my jaw will feel a bit less sore so that class can be a bit more engaging.  Here's what you need to do for me tonight:

Juniors:  You need to finish reading Thoreau's "Resistance to Civil Government" - this piece is pretty heady and dense.  I suggest that after every paragraph you stop and review the main ideas and content presented.  This will be one of the only ways to make sense of what he's trying to say here.  Pay attention to his criticisms of government and what he thinks government should be.  Also, note all of the metaphors that he uses to discuss the government and what it does.  We will really break down this text tomorrow to understand what he is trying to do.

Freshmen:  Tonight you will need to read Act II, Scene 6 of Romeo and Juliet - the wedding scene - and complete your Who, What, Where, When notes.  I will be checking these notes on Friday.  Don't forget that with the field trip on Wednesday that you assignment will not be due until then.  I would spend some time reviewing the rest of Act II as well seeing as you will soon have (next week) an exam on Act II.  Finally, those of you not keeping up with your notecards are going to be in for a world of hurt next week as we move foward with the research project.  Please take this week to get your notecards done and see me if you need any help.  We have very few classes left until exams start - you've got to meet every deadline as we come to the end.

Absentees on Friday

To those Juniors absent on Friday, be aware that your papers are due once you walk in the room on Monday the 25th. Failure to turn it in will result in the late penalty.

Work over Spring Break

PHEW!  It is now 4th period, thus, for me it is now Spring Break.  I hope that all of you have a relaxing time and stay safe.

Freshmen:  Over break you should use web resources to do some more research for your project.  Honors students should move on to your new topic of research; Standard students should continue to research your first topic.  The document for the project is a few posts back and there is also the link to the links on the Jordan website for this project.  I will be looking for ten new notecards when you return from break.  I'm not requiring that you read Romeo and Juliet over break - but getting ahead is always a good idea.  We will return from break on an A-day.

Juniors:  I was pretty impressed with the conversations going on in class today.  Over break you will need to meet your group goals.  Read your books and focus on your motifs/characters.  When we get back we will finish up on Transcendentalism and then have a test on this on the Thursday or Friday after break.

If over break you need any help, feel free to e-mail; though it may take me some time to get back to you.

Juniors - Homework for 4/14/2011

Juniors:

Tomorrow in class I will be collecting your Crucible/Mean Girls papers.  I've appreciated the fact that a lot of you have come to see me to review your drafts.  For tomorrow, I only need to collect your final draft - not any of the preliminary materials.  I will also be collecting a completed vocabulary bookmark from each of you, be sure that you have twenty new words all defined with their source.  Tomorrow's class will be spent working in your groups.  I will spend some time getting you started and then you will have approximately seventy minutes to work together to discuss your novel and to begin planning your upcoming paper/lesson.  I look forward to a very productive day with all of you tomorrow.

Freshmen - Homework over the Break!

Freshmen:

Over the break I am expecting that you will take the time to do some more research on your project.  Honors students should begin to move on to their second topic of research; remember that the topics are listed under "Writing Topics" in the document in the previous post.  You are more than welcome to use internet and book sources as you research - just make sure that your information is sound and accurate.  Please remember to use the links on the Jordan website, which you can access by clicking this link.  Those websites are categorized and geared toward this project.

When you get back I'm looking for ten new notecards.  Get it knocked out tonight, and you have no English work to do over the break.

Document for Elizabethan England Project

Here is the document for the Elizabethan England Project.  The topics for research are located under "Writing Topics."

https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=12cI2gJIApT3PT--rKeDcVIuImCkpwjWRU1FrgYdC2Vo

Homework for 13 April 2011

Freshmen:

Next class will be your final class before Spring Break.  To start class we will have a warm-up check and I will be checking your two homework assignments that are due.  Remember that you will need to have your WHO, WHAT, WHEN, and WHERE notes for Act II Scenes 1, 2, and 3.  Furthermore, you will need to have your notecards for your project.  I'll be looking for anywhere from five to ten notecards.  Over break you will not have any additional reading to do, but you will need to keep researching for your project.  You should be moving on to your second topic if you are in Honors or continuing to research for your first topic if you're in Standard.

Juniors:

For tonight I would like for you to do some reading for me.  Take our discussion of Transcendentalism and use that to understand Henry David Thoreau's Walden.  In the textbook I would like for you to read the excerpts "Economy," "Where I Lived," "Solitude," and "The Bean Field."  As you read, you should take notes as to interesting quotations and ideas that relate to Romanticism and Transcendentalism.  We will spend some time working through this piece on Thursday and doing some work on our two Transcendental thinkers - Emerson and Thoreau.  Be sure that you're ready for your group meeting on Friday!

Homework - 12 April 2011

Only THREE more classes to go until Spring Break!

Here is what I will be looking for next class.

Freshmen:  I will have your exams on Act I graded and returned when we get back from Spring Break.  For tonight I would like for you to read the first three scenes of Act II (don't forget the prologue at the beginning of the act).  As you read, complete your WHO, WHAT, WHEN, and WHERE notes as I will be checking these in class on Thursday/Friday.  Also, you will have your first check-in on your notecards.  I am expecting to see a good amount of cards - anywhere in the region of five to ten.  WIth this kid of assignment, more is better.  Continue to look for information that you can use to create your stories about your characters.  Don't forget to format the notecards correctly, with the MLA source at the top of the card and the parenthetical citation at the end of the quote/note/paraphrase.  Anyone needing help with notecards should see me on Wednesday afternoon.

Juniors:  You have a paper due on Friday.  This should be your number one priority along with reading your group novel.  Follow your group deadlines and be prepared for a productive meeting on Friday.  I will be collecting your final drafts on Friday.  Please come and see me as soon as possible to review drafts and get feedback.

I think that does it.  There's a lot going on in English here at the end, don't fall behind.  Ask for help and work hard!

Homework - 11 April 2011

One more week to go until Spring Break!  Remember that we don't stop until 2:30 on Friday.  This is no time to start getting lazy.  Be sure that you come to class every day with your best effort and your A game.

Freshmen:

As stated in the previous post, now that you know how to research and do notecards, I fully expect that you will be working on this project and research on your own time.  On Tuesday/Wednesday you will have your Act I exam on Romeo and Juliet.  You will want to focus on the following information to prepare:

• new literary devices connected to drama (monologue, tragic hero, soliloquy, aside, dramatic irony, etc.)
• new literary devices connected to poetry (blank verse, iambic pentameter, couplet, sonnet, etc.)
• plot events in Act I - putting the information in order, knowing WHAT happened WHEN
• the characters - which family, what role they play, their importance
• the historical information about the time period

Honors students will have quote identifications and Standard students will have short answers on this exam.  The quotes and ideas that I ask you about will be pretty apparent, but you would do well to review all of Act I before your exam.

For Thursday/Friday I will be expecting you to have read Act II, Scenes 1, 2 and 3 as well as complete your notes for WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN.  You will also need to be ready for your first notecard check that day.  You should have anywhere from five to ten notecards.

Juniors:

Today we got started with ROMANTICISM - this will be something that we will be working on over the next two weeks.  For today, it's important that you understand the key elements of ROMANTICISM as well as the elements of scansion in poetry.  Romantics were great proponents of sacrifice in order to gain understanding about ourselves and the world around us - in that same idea, I am asking you to respond to the following question in a one page response:

What is something that you cannot live without?  Why?

As you answer this question, be specific and personal.  Really try to understand your need for this thing.  Don't tell me about something that every human needs to survive (water, food, etc.) but something instead that is important to you (iPhone, Twitter, car, etc.).  I look forward to reading your responses.

Also, don't forget that you should be reading every night in your novels and meeting the goals that your group has set.  You will have another group meeting on Friday.  Your papers on Mean Girls/The Crucible will also be collected this day - come see me outside of class for draft conferences.

Enjoy the beautiful afternoon - I think I'll ride my bike...home.

Homework over the Weekend - 4/8/2011

English I:  Over the weekend you'll need to spend a lot of time studying for your Act I exam.  This exam is going to happen on Tuesday and Wednesday with a review session on Monday afternoon.  Be ready!  Also, as you now know about the MLA formatting and the notecard structure, I expect that you will be working on your research projects on your own time.  You will have a notecard check next week on Thursday/Friday and you'll need to be sure that you have the required cards by that time.


English III:  Over the weekend your first priority is to create your outlines for your Mean Girls/The Crucible compare/contrast paper.  Come to class with these on Monday.  Also, you'll want to make sure that you're starting your reading of your novels.  The quicker you get through the book, the easier this project will be.  This group project is a big deal.  It's important that you keep yourselves honest and focused.

Homework for April 7, 2011

Juniors:

Tomorrow we are going to have our first group meeting of the nine weeks.  You'll need to have a copy of your novel and be ready to establish norms for your groups so that you can sucessfully complete the tasks ahead.  If you don't have a copy of your novel, I'll have a copy or two for you to use in class that you could check out for the weekend while you get your own.  I am expecting you to annotate your novels and I will be checking in on you as we work through the rest of the quarter. 

On Monday you'll need to bring your textbook to class AND you're going to need to have a rough outline for your The Crucible/Mean Girls paper.  You'll be conferencing with your peers about these outlines on Monday and we'll be doing some draft workshops on Tuesday for these papers.  I'll collect final drafts of these papers on Friday, right before break begins.

Also, don't forget that I'll be checking vocabulary tomorrow:  three cards and ten words on the bookmark.

Freshmen:

You should be reading in Romeo and Juliet.  By next Tuesday and Wednesday you'll need to be to the end of Act II, Scene 2 and have your notes done on these portions.  Don't forget that you'll have your Act I exam on Tuesday and Wednesday!  We'll have a review session on Monday during Study Hall if you'd like to attend.  Don't forget your index cards on Friday/Monday - we're going to research our faces off over the next few days to get ready for the next portion of our research project.

Homework - 4/6/2011

Juniors:

Tomorrow you're going to have your final assessment on The Crucible.  You should review all of the major information in the play and be prepared to show me what you know.  Focus specifically on the idea of social and political change, contrasting settings, and the ending.  I will most likely be collecting annotations tomorrow too.  We're also going to be finishing Mean Girls tomorrow - that means that you'll need to construct your outlines and drafts very soon!

Freshmen:

We will be going to the library on Friday and Monday to continue researching for our Elizabethan England projects.  You'll need to bring notecards with you on Friday/Monday because I will be teaching you a very specific method on how to take notes to complete your research for this assignment.  You will also want to begin reading Act II of Romeo and Juliet.  You'll have a reading assignment over the weekend in Act II.  Take this time to get ahead.  As you read, you should take your basic notes (who, where, when, what) to keep up with the information.

Homework for 4/5/2011

Juniors:

For tonight you don't have any homework that will be collected tomorrow.  It would be a very good idea if you spent an hour or so tonight doing some preliminary work on your compare/contrast papers on Mean Girls and The Crucible.  Seeing as we have finished The Crucible you should be able to get an idea for what idea you'll focus on between both stories and you should begin to pull out quotations and details that you will discuss in your essay.  Tomorrow we'll spend most of class watching Mean Girls and hopefully we'll finish it. 

You will have your final assessment on The Crucible on Thursday and we will begin a new unit on literature of the 1800's.  You should prepare for this final assessment which will cover the whole play and you should have your annotations ready to check.

Freshmen:

Your homework is in the previous post.  Have your notes thoroughly done in your notebooks for class on Thursday.

Homework for Monday, 4/4/2011

Freshmen:

Tonight for homework I'd like for you to finish reading Act I.  You'll need to read the final scene and then begin your notes.  Make sure that you note the WHO, WHERE, WHEN, and WHAT in your notebooks.  We will complete the HOW/WHY in class.  Don't forget that you will have an exam on Act I next week.  Be sure that you are ready!

Juniors:

For tonight I would like for you to reflect on one of the earlier belief statements from The Crucible.  Your reflection should be one page, typed, double spaced.  As you complete your reflections you may want to address the following questions:

1. Why did you have the belief that you did at the beginning?
2. In what ways has your belief changed?
3. What from the play has changed your opinion?

It will be best for you to choose one of these statements that you feel most passionate about - this will lead to a much better statement.  I will read these for thoroughness, use of evidence from the play, grammar, and attention to detail.  Please do not go over one page.

Weekend Homework - 4/1/2011

Freshmen:  Your homework is in the previous post.  Please make sure that you give yourself adequate time to turn in the assignment on Monday to the homework box.  Remember that I will be grading this on thoroughness, content, and grammar/usage.  Be sure that you show your best work for the beginning of the last nine weeks.  This will also serve as a good review of what you've already learned in the play as we prepare for our first test on Act I.  Lastly, if you have some extra time this weekend, start doing some more research for your Elizabethan England project.  We'll take another big step forward with these next week as we start to develop the stories featuring your characters.

Juniors:  Over the weekend you will need to complete the reading of The Crucible.  Pay attention to the end of the play, especially how the characters wind up, how the conflicts get resolved, and all of the irony that explodes in the ending.  You may also want to go back to the beginning "statements of belief" and reassess if you have changed your point of view on these statements from your reading of The Crucible.  Finally, on Monday we will continue watching Mean Girls in order to prepare for our final paper.

Enjoy the weekend!  Don't bite your thumb at strangers!