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.