"Spring Ahead" Weekend!

DON'T FORGET TO TURN YOUR CLOCKS AHEAD ONE HOUR ON SATURDAY NIGHT!


Sophomores: We started reading Act V, scene 1 in class today. When the play is over, we will have a quiz on Acts IV and V.

Freshmen: Here are the notes from today's class. We used Theodore Roethke's My Papa's Waltz as our sample poem to read and explicate.

COMPLETE EXPLICATION OF A POEM

To explicate a poem means to clarify it, illuminate it, expose information about it, explain it, and reveal meaning about it.

Step #1: Read the Title of the Poem
The title is a big clue as to what the poet wants you to give your attention.

Step #2: Get an Overall First Impression
Read the poem through once and think about the overall feelings, emotions or gut response that you are experiencing. Write down the overall tone of the poem and, if possible, a brief summary which states what you think the poem is about.

Step #3: Examine the Words
Look up any whose literal meaning you are not absolutely sure of or consider looking up words that may possibly have any connotative meanings. Be sure to look out for words you think you may know because they are used commonly in our language, but might have other meanings (these are the words where symbolism may lie). Find the dictionary meaning of these words for clarification.

Step #4: Translate the Poem on a Literal Level
What does the poem seem to be about in its literal, or actual, meaning?

Step #5: Translate the Poem on a Symbolic Level
First, read through the poem again replacing your circled words with their actual and alternate definitions. Ask yourself if the poem seems to make more sense now, if there is any symbolism that you may have missed before that is now apparent, and if there is any pattern in word usage.

Now look at how the overtones of the words used affect the feeling level of the poem. This may reveal an even deeper level of understanding of the poem’s meaning.

Step #6: Apply the Author’s Biography to the Poem’s Meaning
Although this step may not always suit the poem, looking at the author’s biography or historical context of the poem’s origin may add a deeper understanding as to what message the author was trying to convey. Apply what you know about the author’s background, beliefs, or life history and the date that the poem was written to see if there are any connections relating to its theme or topic. note: A Roethke biography appears in the textbook a few pages after the poem itself.

updates for all the traveling students

It seems as if a lot of people have been out of class this week because of various school activities. I hope that everyone is doing well (especially DECA, Damn Yankees, and Kickline nationals)! Here is what you've been missing in English class.

9th Grade: We just started a poetry unit that includes writing an original poem modeled after George Ella Lyon's "Where I'm From." Today in class we started our mini-author study on Edgar Allan Poe, reading his biography and the poem Annabel Lee.

10th Grade: So far we've read up to the end of Act IV in Julius Caesar. Expect another short test when the play is completed. Tonight's homework was to complete study guide questions on page 777 of the text: 2-6, 8.

Questions for 9H Book Review (due Wed 3/4)

Evaluate the author's descriptive abilities. Which settings are you best able to picture in your own mind?

Comment about the characterization in your novel. What makes the characters so memorable?

Does the story keep you guessing? What are some of the most suspenseful moments?

What do you think is the main theme? How does the author develop the idea?

Julius Caesar Test Acts I-III

There will be a full-period test on Julius Caesar Acts I-III tomorrow in class. Here are the review sheet questions:

1. Why does Brutus decide to join the conspiracy against Caesar?
2. What does Brutus decide might happen to Caesar once he is crowned?
3. How does Decius convince Caesar that he should go to the Senate on March 15th?
4. Why does Caesar call out, "Et tu, Brute?" as Brutus stabs him?
5. When Marc Antony arrives to the Senate to speak to the conspirators, what two things does he ask of them?

How to get to the Manners Wiki

Attention 9th grade:

http://hmanners.wikispaces.com

Please request membership if you have not already done so.

For sophomores only

Here is the link to the online survey:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=patEmRiCGZlpLz1f5GtY6Dw

Inquiry Circles Feedback

Please take a moment to respond to the following questions about this quarter's research assignment. Your feedback will help me and my colleagues teach the Research Paper unit in the future.

---

* Required

Name *

Email

Did your group work well together? * By working well together, I mean that your group agreed on a common topic, shared responsibilities, and made good use of class time

	1	2	3	4	5
Not At All						Extremely Well

Which of the following forms of technology did you find most useful? * Check all that apply

• The Class Wiki (e202 Online)
• Your group Wiki
• Google Docs
• Library Databases
• the Plagarism Help Site

Evaluate your group experience If you have any concerns about the work of group members, please express them here. All answers are kept confidential

In the future, would you rather * write a research paper in a collaborative group that my teacher creates Write a research paper in a collaborative group of our own choice Write a research paper on our own

Please add any additional comments here

Powered by Google Docs Terms of Service - Additional Terms

Great Expectations for 9H

Please read through chapter 14 for homework this weekend.

Answer these questions for homework:
1. At this point in the novel, with which character do you most identify? Why? Do you have something in common with the character? Have you shared similar thoughts or reactions?
2. Why is Pip sent to the home of Miss Havisham? How does Pip feel after he leaves, and
why does he decide to lie about his experiences there?
3. If you could sample a life completely different from your own, what kind of life would you choose? Why? In what way is this life different from your own. Why does it interest you?

Notes:

Satire is literature that uses humor or sarcasm to ridicule human vices or follies. Dickens was interested in social reform, and passages of the novel often reflect his feelings toward people and institutions in nineteenth-century English society. Dickens’s satire emerges in his colorful descriptions of characters,places, and events.

In his fiction, Dickens combines humor, sentimentality, and elements of the grotesque—a type of literature in which characters’ outstanding physical or personality traits are exaggerated for comic or dramatic effect.

Vocabulary:
capricious adj. unpredictable; inconsistent
conciliatory adj. intended to restore harmony or goodwill
felicitous adj. happy
imprecations n. curses
penitent n. person who repents sin under the direction of a religious confessor
perspicuity n. clearness
remonstrance n. criticism
trifle n. small amount
clemency n. mercy; forgiveness
disconcerted adj. confused
latent adj. hidden; undeveloped
malignant adj. evil; bitter

Announcements

Hello, and Happy New Year!

English 9: Your Romeo & Juliet critical lens essay is due Friday, January 9th. I have reserved the Library computer lab on February 7th for your use. Please plan to bring some sort of removable media (a thumb drive or similar) to class so that you may carry your work back and forth with you. If you prefer, you may also use Google Docs or something similar.

English 10: Please continue to check the class wiki for important information for the research paper project.

Holiday Break Message

Wishing you and your families a very Happy Hanukkah, a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year (and everything in between this Holiday season!) Be safe and have a great 2009!

Extra Credit Opportunity

Contribute a book to the National English Honor Society book drive and get a "free A" quiz grade for the second quarter. Donations are due in E 202 by December 23rd. New and gently used books are acceptable!

9H Tanzania Pen Pals

Attention 9H:

If you missed class the yesterday (12/10), you missed a short video about Opportunity Education. You can view the video on the organization's webpage if you'd like. We are partnered with the St. Anne School in Tanzania. Please write a letter to a student and bring it to me in class before next Friday. Your letter should be brief - but be sure to provide little details such as your name, where you live, what you like to do in school, and your hobbies & interests. It should not be addressed to anyone specific.

Please see me if you have questions.

Updates

Grade 9: By now you should have completed reading Romeo & Juliet Act III Scene ii. We will continue reading on Thursday when everyone returns to class after the Multi-Faith Forum.

Grade 10: This is the Wiki that was created for as a demonstration model for our research project. Check it often to see if there are any updates.

Attention 10th Grade

Thank you to those students who submitted their Lord of the Flies expository paragraph on turnitin.com. I have started downloading them to grade and re-send, so keep an eye on your e-mail inbox this week to ensure they come your way.

We will be spending a lot of time working in the computer lab this month. It may be helpful for you to start using Google Documents or an ISB media drive to take work back and forth with you.

Stay tuned to this blog for additional project details and helpful links.

• Your group name and topic is due WEDNESDAY, DEC 10th
• Your Wiki must be created by FRIDAY, DEC 12th

Happy Researching!

Greetings from San Antonio

Hi Everyone! Hopefully the next few days will go smoothly. Sophomores will be watching the Lord of the Flies movie in class, and Freshmen will be finishing Act I of Romeo & Juliet in the textbook. I will be updating LiveJournal from the convention in case anyone is interested in checking for updates. I will be holding a special office hours session on Monday after school as well as Tuesday. Please come and see me for extra help or if you have any questions about your first quarter grade.

Sophomores: please DO NOT return your copy of Lord of the Flies just yet. We have a short writing assignment to complete next week, and you will need your book to find quotes and other D/F/E from the text.

If you need to take a make-up test for Lord of the Flies, please plan to do it before we leave for Thanksgiving break.

Enjoy the last two days of the week!

Announcement:Office Hours

I will be holding an abbreviated Office Hours schedule tomorrow (11/14) from 2-2:15 only, as I must leave early to attend funeral services in Connecticut.

I have an English Department Meeting at High School East Tuesday, 11/18. In place of Office Hours on this day, I will stay after both Monday 11/17 and Wednesday 11/18.

I'm also generally available 7th and 9th period.

I'm sorry for any inconvenience that this schedule adjustment might cause you.

Note about papers: If you'd like to see me about an essay, please be sure to bring in the printed copy of the corrections/grade essay that I mailed back to you. Please be sure that the comments in the margin print out as well.

Homework Clarification for 10th grade

Please continue to follow the green schedule - read chapters 7 & 8 for Monday.

Don't worry about study guide questions. There will be a quick quiz on Chapter 7 Monday. We will discuss Chapter 8 questions in class.

Pass the word along about the quiz- and have a great weekend!

Lord of the Flies Review Ch. 1-6

Tip: You will not need to create a Frayer Model for tomorrow's test, but you WILL need to know antonyms!

____awesome: inspiring a mixed feeling of fear and wonder; dreadful A:_____________
____intimidated: to be made timid or afraid; threatened A:______________
____demoniac: possessed or influenced by a demon; fiendish A:______________
____oppressive: hard to put up with; overbearing A:______________
____diffident: lacking confidence in oneself; shy A:______________
____malevolent: wishing evil or harm to others; spiteful A:______________
____embroiled: confused or mixed up; entangled A:______________
____derisive: showing contempt or scorn; ridiculing A:______________
____impervious: not affected or influenced by; resistant A:______________
____inarticulate: unable to speak clearly; not expressive A:______________
____daunting: making afraid; discourage A:______________
____indignant: feeling or expressing anger or scorn; enraged A:______________
____furtive: done in a sly manner; sneaky A:______________
____ludicrous: causing laughter because of absurdity; ridiculous A:______________
____truculent: cruel or savage; ferocious A:______________

1. What is Jack’s biggest priority?
Jack seems to be really focused on hunting, whereas Ralph thinks that keeping the fire lit and trying to get rescued is more important. As well, Jack thinks that the boys should be allowed to have fun while they are on the island, but Ralph thinks that fun is secondary to fulfilling responsibilities (like keeping the fire lit and building shelters to keep them safe).

2. Explain the attitude and the behavior of the littluns.
They don't really care about much, nor do they fully understand the seriousness of their situation. They're just interested in having fun.

3. Explain some of the conflicts that Piggy and Jack face with each other.
Piggy does not agree with Jack most of the time. Jack bullies Piggy.

4. How does Jack's attack on Piggy and the breaking of one of the lenses in his spectacles symbolize the degeneration of the group?
If Piggy's glasses are a symbol of wisdom, intelligence, and resourcefulness... then we can only assume that breaking them is a symbol of how all of these things are destroyed.

Close Reading is a method in which you read a small section of text closely and pay close attention to what is written, either in order to observe striking features or the "beauty" of the language, or in order to understand exactly WHAT is being said. An example of close reading is the attention that we paid to the beginning of Chapter 3 in class Monday.

For tomorrow's test, I suggest you read the following passages closely:

86-87 (midway) Percival is a littleun who is scared. When the kids start chanting "What's your name?" over and over again - he recites his full name and gives his address. He stalls with reciting his telephone number... maybe he forgot it? Regardless - think about the significance of this moment. Why would a scared little kid recite his full name, address, and telephone number?

95-96 What was the message from the grown-up world?

60-62 Roger is watching Henry, a littleun, play near the shore. He starts throwing rocks, but does not HIT Henry with any. He thinks of how there is some element of the "old life" there that prevents him from actually hurting Henry. Do the best you can to understand the significance of this.

English 9H - prepping for The Odyssey Exam

Hello, all!

I said that I would post some study information here. Sorry it took me so long to do it!

Please review the study guide questions on the handout you received in class. As well, study the key terms and people on the review sheet. You should have some notes in the literature section of your notebook that define terms such as epithet, epic hero, and epic simile - review those and know how to spot them when you see them!

The test is mostly multiple choice with a few fill-in-the-blank and a short (1 paragraph) essay question.

Enjoy the weekend! As well, if you have a little free time on your hands...check this out: http://www.nanowrimo.org/

Extra Credit for 10th grade

Period 1: National Security
Period 4: Taxes
Period 6: A topic of your choice.

Please submit a short (1 page) written reflection to Turnitin.com by 5pm on Friday 10/31. Some prompts are listed below to guide you.

• What was the main point of the initial presentation about "Why are we here?"
• What was one question posed during the debate you saw? Why do you think this is an important issue?
• Which side handled the questions better, in your opinion? McCain or Obama.
• If you had the opportunity to ask a question, what would you have asked?

If you have already signed up for turnitin and submitted your Inherit the Wind essay to me, the information below is NOT for you:

If you have not signed up for a turnitin.com account, you MUST do so. All you need is a valid e-mail address, the class ID, and the enrollment password.

Class ID: 2470888
Enrollment password: proverbs

I will NOT submit handwritten work. If you have trouble signing up for an account, see me in class on Friday.

A Writing Contest:

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Fine Arts and Essay Display

New York State schools are invited to submit student artwork based on Dr. King's Six Principles of Nonviolence and essays on celebrating his birthday throughout the year. The categories are writing, painting, drawing, sculpting and photography. All entries must be postmarked by December 5, 2008 and will be placed on display for viewing one week prior to the King Holiday January 19, 2009 in Albany, New York. This event is co-sponsored by the New York State Education Department and the NYS Office of General Services.

For more information visit:
http://www.oms.nysed.gov/hr/MLK08Arts_EssayMemo.html, and http://www.oms.nysed.gov/hr/2009mlk.pdf (pdf), http://www.oms.nysed.gov/hr/2009mlk.htm (html