Platoon Dénouement/ Julius Caesar Act III, continued

College Prep 12

• Finish watching Platoon
• Final discussion.
• Final reading log check
• Start planning essay:

…at the bottom of the abyss comes the voice of salvation. The black moment is the moment when the real message of transformation is going to come. At the darkest moment comes the light. ~Joseph Campbell from The Power of Myth

Only after we have been completely destroyed can we begin to find ourselves. ~Ryan Smithson, from Ghosts of War

Hell is the impossibility of reason. ~Private Taylor, from Platoon

I think now, looking back, we did not fight the enemy; we fought ourselves. The enemy was in us. The war is over for me now, but it will always be there, the rest of my days. As I'm sure Elias will be, fighting with Barnes for what Rhah called "possession of my soul." There are times since, I've felt like a child, born of those two fathers. But be that as it may, those of us who did make it have an obligation to build again. To teach to others what we know, and to try with what's left of our lives to find a goodness and a meaning to this life. ~ Private Taylor, from Platoon

War is hell, but war is also paradise. ~~Ryan Smithson, from Ghosts of War

Discuss the theme of the Transformation of the Hero in both the film Platoon and the book Ghosts of War through the lens of one or two of the quotes above. Where appropriate, illustrate the transformation of the main characters using elements of Campbell’s hero formula. Your essay should include specific details from both stories. You may use your notes, reading logs and book for this assignment. Write in your own voice. This is not a Regents essay!

Grade 10

• Continue Act III (pd 3 up to line 108, pd 4 line 138, pd 8 line 158)
• LINK to play.

Grades officially close tomorrow!

Platoon Continued / Julius Caesar Act III

College Prep 12

• Continue watching Platoon
• Reminder: consider the application of Campbell's stages of the Hero Journey when studying Private Taylor and Private Ryan (Ghosts of War)
• Tomorrow we will finish the movie, final check of reading logs and start planning essay.

Grade 10

• Started Act III
• Read to line 210 in scene 1 (periods 3&8), and line 177 (period 4)
• LINK to play.
• Students were reminded to make sure work is made up.

Platoon / JC Act II

College Prep 12

• Watched Platoon through the beginning of the village scene.
• Note taken on the parallel between the 'straights' and 'heads' scenes; Taylor passes initiation, the lieutenant does not.

Grade 10

• Watched Act II
• Quiz tomorrow: study vocab and Act II

Ghosts Continued / JC Act II

College Prep 12

• Checked reading logs through "The End," chapter 23.
• Distrubuted submitted reading logs. Reviewed expectations.
• Collected permission slips for movie

Grade 10

• Distributed Act I questions (graded). Explained writing expectations and grading rubric.
• Finished reading Act II.
• Questions 3,4,5 page 381 to be handed in.
• Students were told that one point of extra credit will be added to a major grade for every full side of a page writtten in a reflection journal. Each entry has to be about something meaningful, not trite. More will be explained tomorrow.

Ghosts Project / JC Act II

College Prep 12

• Hand our project guidelines for Ghosts.
• Collect permission slips. (If you lost yours, copy-paste-print permission slip below).
• Reminder: Chapters 20-23 due on Monday.
• Movie starts tuesday.
• Permission slip:

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Our school requires parental permission for your student to view movies that are used in our curriculum, or that are selected by our teachers R.

We believe showing your son or daughter full-length movies such as Platoon enables them to benefit from another medium as a resource in their study of current events and history.

The students do not just watch the film. They must take notes and write an essay connecting the themes and contexts with a current unit, in this case Ghosts of War by Ryan Smithson.

Thank you for taking the time to read and sign this permission form.

Sincerely,

 

_____________________ 
Mr. Lambert
English Department
Gloversville High School

Name of Movie: Platoon

Date of Movie: 12/9 - 11

Movie Rating: R

Student Name_____________________________

____ Yes, I give my son/daughter permission to view curriculum and school appropriate full-length movies rated PG-13 or R.

____ No, I do not give my son/daughter permission to view curriculum and school appropriate full-length movies of the types mentioned in this letter. I understand alternate learning experiences will be provided for my child while the movie is being watched.

Guardian signature/date

__________________________

Grade 10

• Reviewed Act II so far. Discussed Brutus's role in the conspiracy.
• Read through the end of Scene ii.
• Will finish Act on Monday and begin the video.

Ghosts and Due Dates / JC Act I Quiz!

College Prep 12

• Project due date: 12/22
• Rd logs for chapters 20 to 23 due 12/7
• Rd logs for chapters 24 to 27 due 12/14
• Film: Platoon: 12/8-11
• Permission slips for movie were sent home
• Essay writing : 12/14-15 (in Computer Lab)
• Utilize class time productively for reading and book logs!

Grade 10

• Quiz on Act I and vocabulary.
• Read Act II summary, discuss play themes: "Does the end justify the means?" "Is such 'preemptive' action moral?"
• Don't forget crossword for Act II for extra credit!

Ghosts Continued / Julius Caesar Act I Video

College Prep 12

• Continued checking reading logs up through chapter 15. (Reminder: There is a 5 point deduction for each day late!)
  
• Checking reading logs through chapter 19 tomorrow.
  
• Print-out of one reading log from "Red Phase" due tomorrow.
  
• Targeting middle of next week for book completion. There are 2 projects attached to this book:
  

  
  

  Essay: this will be assigned after viewing the film Platoon.
  

  
  

  
  

  Self-chosen project from 50 Reading Related Responses sheet or one of your own choice to be approved by me. (Due dates are to be determined.)
  

  
  

  
  
  

  Grade 10
  
  
  

• Copied over answers to questions 6,7,8 from last Tuesday and handed in for a minor grade.
• Reviewed some flaws in the critical lens essays, especially the tendency to summarize rather than use specific details from the story.
• Began watching Act I, up to the middle of Scene ii (line 214: Casca: You pulled me...)
  

Ghost Continued / Caesar Act I, Scene iii

College Prep 12

• Gave one more day to complete up through Chapter 15.
• Should be done through 224, Chapter 19 ("Tears") a week from tomorrow.
• Also due on Dec. 1: one reading log from "Part 1: Red Phase," typed, double spaced to be handed in.
• Distrubuted directions for portfolio project:

1) General
    a) Appearance
        i) Neatly bound to the best of your ability and imagination
        ii) Cover should be sturdy
        iii) Titled
        iv) Designed in a manner indicative of who you are
         v) All pages typed unless otherwise directed
    b) Table of contents
         i) Separated by units/sections.
2) Sections

    a) College applications
         i) All drafts, final on top
    b) Reflection journals
        i) At least 5 per marking period, dated, titled
    c) Literature
        i) Ghosts of War reading logs
          (1) At least 3, one per “Phase”
          (2) Chapter titles, page numbers, date

Grade 10

• Continued reading the play finished:
• PD 3&8, up to Scene iii, line119
• Pd. 4, up to Scene iii, line 44
• Will finish Act I tomorrow. View the video after the break, then take the quiz.

Ghosts Continued / JC Act I Scene i and ii

College Prep 12

• Independent reading. Reminder to finish up through "Satan's Clothes Dryer" for Monday.
  
  

Grade 10

• Vocabulary:

21. iambic pentameter: The most common meter in English verse. It consists of a line ten syllables long that is accented on every second beat
22. Soliloquy: the act of talking while or as if alone
23. Monologue: is an extended uninterrupted speech by a character in a drama.
24. Aside: dialogue intended for the audience and supposedly not heard by the other actors on stage.

• Check crosswords for Act I
• Began reading Julius Caesar, Act I. Finished up through the middle of scene ii, line 178 (Enter Caesar and his Train.)

"This is the House That Jack Built..." / Julius Caesar Intro

College Prep 12

• 
  
  Discussed the parallel between the Mother Goose ryhme with the chjapter "The Town that Achmed Built." Smithoson's use of the rhyme provides a stark contrast with the events of the chapter and the innocence of childhood.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Students were given chapter 15, "Satan's Clothes Dryer," as the target for Monday. Logs will be graded at that time. Late logs will lose 5 points per day until each group of four is completed.
  
  
  

Grade 10

• 
  
  Julius Caesar by Shakespeare was introduced. Students were given the following handouts: act summaries, character descriptions and crossword puzzles for each act.
  
  
  
• 
  
  5 points will be added to each act quiz with the completion of that act's crossword before we begin reading that act.
  
  
  
• 
  
  10 points will be added to the unit test if all vocabulary from the crosswords is written in notebooks.
  
  
  
• 
  
  The major characters were introduced, and we read the summary for Act I, which we will start reading tomorrow.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Absent students NEED to check here for what was covered and use the above link to read what was missed.
  
  
  

More Ghosts / Critical Lens Continued

College Prep 12

• Since college application deadlines are fast approaching, I decided to give my seniors the rest of the week free from homework... unless they are behind. Many seemed very pleased with this idea.
• However, many are behind in the reading. I checked logs through chapter 11, "Basic Training Part II." I would like to be done through page 223 by next Monday.

Grade 10

• Continued writng critical lens essay. Time will be given tomorrow to finish up if necessary.

A Soldier and Death / Critical Lens Essay Take 2

College Prep 12

Last Friday 2nd period watched the video "A Soldier and Death" as period 7 was going to be attending an presentation by the author of Ghosts of War, Ryan Smithson. Today, period 2 went to an award assembly so period 7 watched the video, which is an old Russian folk tale. Students should have read through page 138 in Smithson's book, the end of "Relief." There should be a total of 12 reading logs so far.

English 10

• Critical lens essays from last week were returned. Students were reminded of the importance of including litereary elements as per directions. On the the Regents exam students will lose 3 out of 6 possible points for neglecting this directions. Many students neglected this on this last essay, which was scored as a minor grade.
• After review, a new critical lens exam was distributed. Appropriate parts were underlined. Students were offered 10 extra credit points for including a competent planning page. Essays were begun and colected. We will continue tomorrow.

Ghosts Continued / Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin

Apologies for the lack of posts over the past week. I will be out again tomorrow.

Grade 12

• Continue reading Ghosts of War.
• Checked reading logs for first three chapters today. Will check through 6 on Thursday.
• Should be up to at least chapter 8 by Thursday.

Grade 10

• Finished kate Chopin's "Story of an Hour."
• Tomorrow is an exam on vocab 1-20 and the short stories done over the past two weeks: "The Monkey's Paw," "The River, the Bass and Sheila Mont," and "Story of an Hour."
• Vocab is as follows:
• 1. Theme: a unifying idea that is a repeating element in literary or artistic work
  
  Ex: “Never give up.” “Accept what can’t be avoided.” “The need of the one outweighs the need of the many.”
  2. Tone: a literary technique, that is a part of composition, that shows the attitudes toward the subject and toward the audience implied in a literary work. Tone may be formal, informal, intimate, solemn, sad, playful, serious, ironic, condescending, or many other possible attitudes.
  3. Irony is a literary or rhetorical device, in which there is a clash or discordance between what a speaker / writer /actor says or does, and what he or she means or what is generally understood. There are three types of irony: verbal, dramatic and situational.
  4. Allusion: An indirect reference to some piece of knowledge not actually mentioned. Allusions usually come from a body of information that the author presumes the reader will know.
  5. Symbol: something used for or regarded as representing something else; ex. The grim reaper=death, huskie=football team, eagle=America
  6. Allegory: a story meant to be read symbolically.
  7. Elfin: Relating to or suggestive of an elf, Having a magical quality or charm
  8. Empathy: understanding and entering into another's feelings. Different than sympathy which is to feel sorry for; empathy is to feel the same as.
  9. Hedonism: Pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, especially to the pleasures of the senses
  10. Anguish: excruciating or acute distress, suffering, or pain
  11. Anecdote: short account of an incident (especially a biographical one)
  
  12. Profound: showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth; great, important meaning
  
  13. Thesis: A statement that is maintained by argument
  
  14. Annotate: to supply with critical or explanatory notes; comment upon in notes
  
  15. Poetry: the art of rhythmical composition, written or spoken, for exciting pleasure by beautiful, imaginative, or elevated thoughts.
  
  16. Prosody: study of poetic meters and writing verse; the particular system of verse in a poem.
  
  17. Prose: the ordinary form of spoken or written language
  
  18. Metaphor: A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily means one thing is used to mean another, thus making a comparison, as in "a sea of troubles" or "All the world's a stage" (Shakespeare).
  
  19. Simile: a figure of speech in which two unlike things are compared using ‘like’ or ‘as’, as in “she is like a rose.”
  
  20. Conundrum - (noun) 1. a riddle whose answer is or involves a pun 2. an intricate and difficult problem
  
  
  

Fertile Ground by Mr. Lambert / Poetry Intro

College Prep 12

• 
  
  Discussed chapter one of Ghosts of War, students gave feedback, all postitive
  
  
  
• 
  
  Identified the heart of the chapter as 9/11, and the authors visit to the site. I then read a personal essay to the class of my own visit to the site.
  
  
  
• 
  
  I will be out tomorrow. Essays are due. I will check logs for chapters one through three on Wednesday.
  
  
  

Grade 10

• Added the following vocabulary words:
• 15. Poetry: the art of rhythmical composition, written or spoken, for exciting pleasure by beautiful, imaginative, or elevated thoughts.
  16. Prosody: study of poetic meters and writing verse; the particular system of verse in a poem.
  17. Prose: the ordinary form of spoken or written language
  18. Metaphor: A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily means one thing is used to mean another, thus making a comparison, as in "a sea of troubles" or "All the world's a stage" (Shakespeare).
  19. Simile: a figure of speech in which two unlike things are compared using ‘like’ or ‘as’, as in “she is like a rose.”
  20. Conundrum - (noun) 1. a riddle whose answer is or involves a pun 2. an intricate and difficult problem
  
• There will be a vocabulary test on all 20 words next week.
  
• Tomorrow, students will write a critical lens essay with the substitute.
  
  
  

Ghosts of War I / Critical Lens Paragraph 3 and Conclusion

College Prep 12

• Distrubute Ghosts of War by Ryan Smithson
• Reading Log Format is as follows:
• One log for each chapter. Use in-class journal.
  Each log must include the date, chapter title and page number.
  Log content:
  Brief summary
  A more extensive personal response. This may include:
  

  discussion of a particular quote from the chapter
  discussion of the
  significance of the chapter title
  personal opinion of something said or
  done
  Creative reaction: poetry, fiction, letter, drawing (occasionally)

• Finish chapter one plus log

Grade 10

• Continue critical lens essay prep. Write paragraph three and conclusion
• Study handout, book lists and literary elements, for assessment on Monday.

Orpheus and Eurydice / Critical Lens Essay II

College Prep 12

• Viewed the Orpheus and Eurydice video.
• Discussed themes and imagery.
• Tomorrow: peer review and distribute The Ghosts of War.

Grade 10

• Handed back Silver Kiss unit tests. Discussed essay performance.
• Wrote intro paragraph independently for:
  "Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts." (Arnold Bennett)
• Discuss quote interpretation.
• Tomorrow: body paragraph number 1.

Theseus, Finally / Critical Lens Part 1

Apologies for missing the last couple days' posts. My cup runneth over onto the table and all over the floor....

College Prep 12

• Yesterday I emphasized the importance of putting real effort into essay rewrites. If I keep making the same corrections, then we are spinning our wheels and not improving.
• Read from the book The Best College Admission Essays a sample essay and advice about mechanics.
• Today: read The Legend of Theseus and discussed the questions at the end of "The King Must Die."
• Tomorrow we will view a video of the story Orpheus and Eurydice.

Grade 10

• Yesterday we constructed the outline for "The Bass, the River and Sheila Mont:"
• 
  "The Bass, the River and Sheila Mant" by W.D. Wetherell
  The "Big Four"
  Characters: Sheila, W.D., the fish
  Theme: know what you really want, set your priorities correctly, be realistic about your chances, don’t let fleeting desires control you
  Plot: W.D. wants to go out with Sheila, she says yes, he puts his fishing stuff in the canoe and drops in the line, picks her up, hooks a huge bass, he is torn between the fish and Sheila who thinks fishing is dumb, chooses Sheila who doesn’t even care about him and gets left for another guy
  Setting: Vermont, on a river, summer, in the country
  Plot Breakdown:
  Motivation: W.D.’s attraction to Sheila
  Conflict: Fish or girl?
  Complication: he hooks a fish, she doesn’t care about him
  Suspense: keeping Sheila from finding out about the fish, what will he choose
  Climax: he cuts the line
  Denouement: she dumps him, he’ll never make the same mistake again
  Analytical Elements:
  POV: first person
  Other literary elements: imagery, characterization, irony, setting, conflict
• Today we studied the introductory paragraph for the critical lens essay. Students copied the following model:
• 
  According to Duff Brenna, "All literature shows us the power of emotion. It is emotion, not reason, that motivates characters in literature." In other words, literature shows us the power of feelings. Feelings, not thoughts, inspire characters in books to act. The Silver Kiss, by Annette Curtis Klause and Romeo and Juliet, by Shakespeare illustrate the truth of this theme.
• Then they copied the following quote:
  "In literature, evil often triumphs, but never conquers." (Anonymous)
• We discussed how to praphrase the quote. Specifically, identify the most improtant words and generate a list of synonyms. Choose the best ones. So this quote can be reworded to: In litereature, evil can win much of the time, but in the end does not succeed.
• A full introductory paragraph was generated from this.
• No homework.
  

Rewrites / Sheila Mont

College Prep 12

• The next two classes wil be dedicated to rewriting essays and completing "The King Must Die" and questions at the back of the story. Absences have been high and I hope everyone will be caught up by Monday

Grade 10

• Students finished reading "The Bass, the River and Sheila Mont." They are to annotate the text, concentrating on character development, plot and conflict. Story outlines must be completed for tomorrow. Both highlighting and outlines will be graded.

Ritual - The King Must Die Part 3 / Critical Lens Essay Prep

College Prep 12

• Define ritual, discuss
• Identify and discuss ritual in the story so far
• Discuss ritual in terms of myth functions
• Start reading "The King Must Die" pg. 248
• Finish tomorrow with subsitute.
• Thursday: essay rewrites

Grade 10

• Generate list of books read in preparation for writing critical lens essays
• Students should prepare for critical lens writing by: reviewing story characters, plot, themes, etc.
• Distribute critical lens handout:
• 
  Critical Lens Essay Layout
  Introduction Paragraph: All of the information in regular font is information that you will need to "plug in" to the critical lens introduction formula. All of the information that is in italics is information that you copy down- your formula.
  
• According to author of quote, "quote the critical lens statement word for word." In other words, re-word or paraphrase the critical lens statement in your own words. Title of work of literature by author’s name, and "Title of work of literature" by author’s name, illustrate the truth (or fallacy) of this theme.
  
  Body Paragraph One: In body paragraph one, you will be discussing the first work of literature, a literary element from that work of literature, and how they relate to the critical lens statement. This body paragraph should have a strong topic sentence, and should tie all of the above information together using SPECIFIC examples from the work of literature that have to do with the literary element of your choice. These specific examples should PROVE the quote to be true or false, depending on whether or not you agree with the critical lens statement. An example of a topic sentence (first sentence in paragraph) is as follows:
• 
  Title of work of literature, by author’s name, proves author of critical lens statement theme to be true (or false).
  
  Body Paragraph Two: For this paragraph, you will use the same directions and topic sentence as body paragraph one, only you will use a NEW work of literature, and a DIFFERENT literary element.
  
  Conclusion: In the conclusion, you should ALWAYS restate your thesis and your main ideas (it is okay to repeat, in other words, important points you have made, such as: what the critical lens statement means, briefly how it ties in with both works of literature, and/or the literary elements that you chose).
• New Vocabulary:
  Anecdote: short account of an incident (especially a biographical one)
  Profound: showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth; great, important meaning
  Thesis: A statement that is maintained by argument
  Annotate: to supply with critical or explanatory notes; comment upon in notes
  

Theseus Goes to War and other Dalliances/ The Silver Kiss Exam Part II

College Prep 12

• Review story so far. Continue reading, focusing on emerging character traits of Theseus, the main character.
• Finish for HW. Underline, highlight and annotate for a minor grade.
• Essay 5 due Tuesday.

Grade 10

• Period 3,4: Continue book exam
• Period 7: pep rally. Will finish exam on Monday.

Theseus Goes for a Swim and the 2nd Deady Sin/ The Silver Kiss Part X

College Prep 12

• Handed out the Second Deadly Sin of Writing.
• Discussed briefly
• Handed out chapter 3 from The King Must Die. Started reading.
• Tomorrow: peer review

Grade 10

• Journal: How did the story end? Was it a good ending? Why or why not?
• Discussed the dream imagery of chapter 13 and the significance of the discussions Zoe had with lorraine and her father.
• unit test tomorrow, including all ten vocab words:
  Theme: a unifying idea that is a repeating element in literary or artistic work
  Ex: "Never give up." "Accept what can’t be avoided." "The need of the one outweighs the need of the many."
• 
  Tone: a literary technique, that is a part of composition, that shows the attitudes toward the subject and toward the audience implied in a literary work. Tone may be formal, informal, intimate, solemn, sad, playful, serious, ironic, condescending, or many other possible attitudes.
• 
  Irony is a literary or rhetorical device, in which there is a clash or discordance between what a speaker / writer /actor says or does, and what he or she means or what is generally understood. There are three types of irony: verbal, dramatic and situational.
• 
  Allusion: An indirect reference to some piece of knowledge not actually mentioned.
• Allusions usually come from a body of information that the author presumes the reader will know.
• 
  Symbol: something used for or regarded as representing something else; ex. The grim reaper=death, huskie=football team, eagle=America
• 
  Allegory: a story meant to be read symbolically.
• 
  Elfin: Relating to or suggestive of an elf, Having a magical quality or charm
• 
  Empathy: understanding and entering into another's feelings. Different than sympathy which is to feel sorry for; empathy is to feel the same as.
• 
  Hedonism: Pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, especially to the pleasures of the senses
  Anguish: excruciating or acute distress, suffering, or pain
  

Hero Review - Passive Voice Oh No!/ The Silver Kiss Part IX

Apologies for the missed days. Sometimes some of the balls fall on the floor and roll under the couch...

College Prep 12

• Collected Essay #4
• Reviewed the two types of hero in terms of essay #3, which could have been done better in too many cases.
• distributed handout on the Passive Voice: The First Deadly Sin of Writing.
• Students were reminded that if they didn't know the rules for writing dialogue (essay #5) they had to find out!
• There will be a break after essay #5 for students to work on rewrites.

Grade 10

• Checked reading logs for chapters 10 and 11
• Discussed the significance of 'the silver kiss' in chapter 9, the emerging theme of the story (acceptance of death) and the stages of denial, anger, bargaining, grief and acceptance.
• HW: Finish the story. We will finish discussion tomorrow. Unit test on Thursday.

The King Horse Part III / The Silver Kiss Part VI

College Prep 12

• Continue and finish the story.
• Look for central theme(s)
• Define 'moira'
• Be ready to address the functions of myth in the story.

Grade 10

• As the copy machine was down, test is postponed until tomorrow.
• Logs for chapters 6 through 9 were checked.
• Students began chapters 10 and 11, to be finished for HW.

The King Horse Part II / The Silver Kiss Part V

College Prep 12

• Journal: Children live in a magical world and they swim in the functions of myth like a fish in water: unaware. Later in life, how might Thesues recall his encounter with the king horse? What function might be served? Why? Discuss
• Continue reading.
• Peer Review of Essay 4 this Thursday. Reflection journals due.
• Essay 5 will be question # 88: If you could meet any famous person, living or dead, who would it be? Write a dialogue between you and that person.

Grade 10

• Journal: Explain the nature of Simon’s attraction to Zoë.
• Discuss
• Review highlights of chapters 6 & 7.
• Continue reading. Chapters 8 & 9 due tomorrow.
• Test on book up to this point tomorrow.

The Horse King / The Silver Kiss Part IV

College Prep 12

• Applied Campbell's four functions of myth to the Greek creation story. Discussed.
• Began reading "The Horse King" in Man the Myth-Maker, with the purpose of applying the four functions.
• Final draft of essay 3 due tomorrow.

Grade 10

• Journal: What new information do we learn from about Simon in chapter four?
• Discussed chapter four and five.
• Started reading chapter six while I checked reading logs (major grade!).
• HW: Chapter six and seven plus reading logs.

Peer Review / The Silver Kiss Part II

College Prep 12

• Peer Review
• Students were informed of a college application process presentation at the high school on Wednesday October 7th at 6:00 P.M. Those interested signed up.
• Question number 59 (Explain how your experiences as a teenager significantly differ from those of your friends. Include comparisons.) was assigned for next Thursday.
• Students were reminded of the assignment due tomorrow. (See previous post.)

Grade 10

• Two new vocab words were introduced:
  Elfin: Relating to or suggestive of an elf, Having a magical quality or charm
  Empathy: understanding and entering into another's feelings. Different than sympathy which is to feel sorry for; empathy is to feel the same as.
• The reading log for chapter 1 was copied down as a model:
  Book Log Model
  Journal Section
  The Silver Kiss by Annette Klause
  Date 10/1 Chapter 1 Pg. 1-12 "Alone"
  Zoe’s Mom may be dying from cancer, her father has become distant, her best
  friend is moving. She’s alone, frustrated, hurt, and angry. Her friends don’t
  know how to deal with her, she isn’t allowed to spend time with her mother. She
  sits in the park at night, sees a boy whose beauty breaks through her defenses
  and she cries.
  The tone is lonely and sad. Death or abandonment seem to be
  developing themes.
  Author’s language is very descriptive.
• The parts are 1) heading, 2) plot summary, 3) theme/tone statement, 4) personal observation.
• Students read chapter 2 and wrote log in class. Chapter 3 + log for homework.
• Chapter 2 and 3 will be for a minor grade. However, every two chapters thereafter will be for a major grade.
  

The Gods Eat Their Children / The Silver Kiss Part I

College Prep 12

• Made a few comments about essay writing. make sure these college app essays are narrative. Tell short but highly detailed anecdotes to create memorable impact. Too many of these, even though they are technically essays, read too much like essays and not enough like a story, especially on this last assignment. The one due tomorrow (Imagine you are a hero for one day during any time period and under any circumstances. Describe your experiences.) especially requires a narrative style. Tell me a story!
• Finished reading "The Beginning of Things," the Greek creation myth. Students were told to read in terms of Campbell's four functions of myth, look for theme and possible metaphors. Discussion ensued.
• Peer review tomorrow.

Grade 10

• Introduced The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause. Read the first chapter to them. Tomorrow studetns will copy a model of a book log for the chapter.
• No homework.

Greek Creation Story / Unit Test

College Prep 12

• Collect Essay 2
• Review Prof. Jewkes intro in Man the Myth-Maker; what is the theme? What are Jewkes' assumptions? What does he say about the purpose of literature and imagination?
• Start reading "The Beginning of Things."
• "Where the wild Things Were" by Stefan Block; Tease out the theme and metaphor in class journals. Be ready to discuss on Friday.
• Essay 3: #62 in question packet. Draft ready for peer review on Thursday

Grade 10

• Short Story unit test

How to Work a Metaphor (12 and 10) /Jewkes Again (12) / "The Open Window" Video

College Prep - 12

• "Hubris can kill you." ~ Richard Burton
• In groups, students examined the above quote in terms of metaphor. How does one work a metaphor? What is the mental process involved if the understanding isn't intuitive? Discussion ensued.
• Read the Introduction to "Many the Myth-Maker," quotes were pulled from the text, written in quotes section of notebook.
• Essay # 1 handed back. General feedback given. Students told they could sign up for conferences.

Grade 10

• Same task (but not in groups) as in the 2nd bullet above, except the quote worked is "That will be a difficult mountain to climb." Responses were written in journals.
• Viewed the video for "The Open Window." Elements were discussed afterward in comparison to the text.
• Short stories were collected.
• Unit test is tomorrow so the homwork is STUDY.

Facebook - Hero Journey / "The Open Window" Part III

College Prep - 12

• Discussed with the studetns that it has been brought to the attention of the faculty that Facebook, and probably MySpace, is being used for the purposes of cheating on school assignments and tests. I emphasized the danger in this, as such can result in expulsion from college. Most importantly, such behavior compromises one's honor, integrity and, thus, reputation. I acknowledged that students today are under a great deal of pressure to succeed, and that the temptation to cheat can be seductive. Also, such behavior seems endemic in our culture where so many popular figures are caught doing the wrong thing, sending a message that the only time such actions are wrong is when one is caught. A primary theme for this course is that of the Hero Journey, which we all are invited to take in many different ways. However, honor, integrity and sacrifice are critical in such an endeavor. There is no evidence that any of my students have engaged in this behavior. However, it is an important topic that needs to be addressed.
• Class activity: students applied the stages of the Hero Journey to last night's reading, "Just Drawn That Way" (see yesterday's post). Discussion ensued.
• HW: In class journal, process this Hero Journey idea. define it, discuss it, associate the idea to your life and those around you so it is no longer Joseph Campbell's idea, or Mr. Lambert's. make it your own.

Grade 10

• Students answered questions in their notebooks:
• Why is Framton Nuttle living in the country? Why is he visiting the Sappletons?
  How does Vera explain the open window?
  Explain what causes Framton to rush from the house so suddenly.
  How does Vera explain Framton’s departure?
  At what point do you realize Vera is telling a story? Cite evidence from the story that shows her intent.
  What is Vera’s tone when speaking to Framton? What evidence proves this?
  Find two examples of verbal irony in the story.
• Answers were discussed.
• Checked the outline for the story:
  
  "The Open Window" by Saki
  The Big Four
  Characters: Vera, Framton Nuttel, Mrs. Sappleton, Mr. Sappleton, two brothers, dog
  Theme: Don’t always believe what you’re told. Be a bit skeptical.
  Plot: Nuttel arrives at Sappleton’s; Vera spins her tale; Mrs. Sappleton comes downstairs; husband comes home; Nuttel panics and rushes out; Vera spins her tale about Nuttel
  Setting: Sappleton’s home, October at dusk, living room, early 1900’s
  Plot Breakdown
  Motivator: Nuttel’s nervous condition
  Conflict: Vera’s deviousness and Nuttel’s nervous condition
  Complication: husband comes home, Vera’s deviousness
  Suspense: what will come in through the window
  Climax: when Mr. Sappleton comes home, Nuttel freaks
  Denouement: Vera’s lie about Mr. Nuttel
  Analytical Elements
  POV: 3rd person
  Spec. Techniques: irony, imagery, romance, character development
• Short stories due Monday.
  

Peer Review / "The Open Window" Part II

College Prep - 12

• Peer review of essay number 2.
• Checked reflection journals for period 2.
  

Grade 10

Pd. 3 & 4:

• Journal: Write a paragraph on each of the two main characters in "The Open Window." Cite evidence from the story to support your conclusions.
• Discussed the language in the story which develops each character.
• HW: Lit. Rev. Outline in notebook
  

Pd 8 (Substitute):

• Journal: Write a paragraph on each of the two main characters in "The Open Window." Cite evidence from the story to support your conclusions.
• Start story questions, finish for HW.
  

Mythology Slideshow/ Poe Part IV - "The Open Window" Intro

College Prep - 12

• Viewed Slideshow: myth defines, myth's four functions, stages of the Hero Journey.
• Discussion
• HW handout: "Just Drawn that Way", by Michael Arthur
• Read in terms of Campbell's work and the slideshow.
• Essay drafts due tomorrow for peer review.

Grade 10

• Students were told that work missed due to absence have 5 school days to be handed in before grade becomes a zero. It is the student's responsibility to ask for missed work.
• Collected HW.
• Went over Lit. Rev. Outline for Masque:
• 
  "Masque of the Red Death"
  By Edgar Allen Poe
  The Big Four
  Characters: Prince Prospero, Death, all guests
  Theme: Death is unavoidable
  Plot Summary: Prospero locks his friends and himself in a palace to avoid a plague; he throws a masque; people freak when the clock chimes, mysterious figure arrives at midnight, everyone follows him into the black room, and dies
  Setting: night, in a palace,
  Plot Breakdown:
  Motivating factor: avoiding the Red Death
  Conflict: Man vs. Death
  Complication: the Clock, which reminds people of time passing, Death arrives to party
  Suspense: is built by description of setting, reads like a nightmare
  Climax: Starts at the stroke of midnight
  Denouement: everybody dies
  Analytical Elements:
  POV: 3rd person
  Techniques: intense, symbolic imagery, irony, allegory
• Intro "The Open Window" by Saki.
• Reading for character development. Read story and highlight or underline clues to each character's nature. Finish for HW.
  

POM Part IV / Poe Part IV

College Prep - 12

• Collected essay finals
• Essay 2 first draft due Thursday.
• Reviewed yesterday's POM segment.
• Viewed final part of Episode 1.
• Discussion

Grade 10

• Checked HW: Entire story should be annotated, Literature Review Outline completed.
• Finished discussion of story.
• Questions handed out to be finished for homework. Emphasis on COMPLETE SENTENCES!:
• What mood or effect is created by the colors and the lighting in the rooms of the ball?
• Why does the clock have such a dramatic effect on the dancers?
• Why does the masked visitor frighten the guests so?
• Explain how Poe develops the story to build a feeling of terror.
• What might each symbol from the story represent?
  Prince Prospero
  The masquerade
  The masked figure
  The number 7
  The clock
• What is the allegorical lesson Poe is presenting in the story?
  

POM Part III / Poe Part III

College Prep - 12

• Reviewed Friday's installment.
• Viewed part III.
• Took notes.
• Final copy of essay #1 due tomorrow.
• Essay # 2, question 27 in CollegeApplication Essay Questions handout: You have just completed your 300-page autobiography. Please submit page 217. (University of Pennsylvania)
• First draft due Thursday.
• Note: I will check response journals on Thursday during peer review.

Grade 10

• Journal: on page 176 column 1, Poe writes that a multitude of "dreams" stalked to and fro. "Dreams" refers to what? How do you know? Read that section over for a moment before answering.
• Discussed the imagery in the weekends reading. Emphasis on how his language is building momentum toward the introduction of the new character at the stroke of midnight.
• Period 3: handed back essay final copies, placed in portfolios, collected.
• Period 4: Collected essay final copies.
• HW: Finish reading the story (underline or highlight, anotate), fill out a literature review outline in notebooks (same as was done for "The Last Unicorns" and "There Will Come Soft Rains.") in pencil or erasable pen.

POM Part II / Masque Part II

College Prep - 12

• Discussed yesterday's peer review process. Was it beneficial? Were comments of value?
• Continued with The Power of Myth, took notes.
• Essay finals due Tuesday.

Grade 10

• Journal: Describe the palace. What words may poe be using symbolically?
• Discussed last night's reading in depth, emphasizing the symbolism as the 'east room' and the 'west room' as birth and death. Also discussed the impact of the clock on the reverlers.
• HW: Read to the bottom of 177, highlight and annotate.

Essay Peer Review / Starting Poe's "Masque"

College Prep - 12

• Directions were given for peer review:
• Read as many essays as you have time for.
• After the first reading, set a reasonable time limit for each round.
• Make no mark on the essay. On a separate sheet of paper for each essay, note line numbers and comments.
• Comments may question mechanics (punctuation, etc) but should concentrate on voice and imagery. Is the image clear enough, would an adjective be needed, etc.
• Ask questions!
• Be positive! Make a point of identifying what is fluid, clear and interesting.
  Examples:
  13: great image!
  17: interesting, more detail?
  19-23: Powerful but
  21: sp?
  28: word rep, syn?
  Author: Don’t assume a particular criticism is valid. Some may be matters of opinion that can go either way. However, if there is a common comment, consider it carefully.
• The activity went very smoothly. Final copies are due Tuesday morning.

Grade 10

• Students were given a question on TWCSR. They were to find a correct answer and three 'distractors' as in a multiple choice question.
• Vocabulary 5 and 6:
• Symbol: something used for or regarded as representing something else; ex. The grim reaper=death, huskie=football team, eagle=America
• Allegory: a story meant to be read symbolically.
• Introduced "Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allen Poe. This story is an allegory and may be a challenging read for many students. If this is the case, students were advised to focus on, highlight or underline, elements of the story that they can understand.
• Read, explained and discussed the first two paragraphs.
• HW: read through to the end of the last full paragraph on page 175. Credit will be given for those whose texts are highlighted and annotated.
  
• Pd. 2 vocab quizzes were returned. Final essay copies due tomorrow.
• Pd. 3, first drafts returned. Final copies due Monday.
• Monday is the last day to retake vocab quiz.
  

The Power of Myth / There Will Come Soft rains

College Prep - 12

• Checked and discussed last night's HW.
• Introduced and viewed first 15 minutes of Power of Myth (POM)
• Discussion
• Students were reminded about the essay due tomorrow and advised that anything deemed too personal for a peer to read should be constructed in a manner that will ensure the desired level of privacy. The final copy can be as personal as the student's comfort level allows.

Grade 10

• Journal: what was the most disturbing image in the story and why?
• Homework was checked.
• Journal entry was discussed
• Story's theme was discussed.
• Went over HW. Outline should look as follows:

"There Will Come Soft Rains"By Ray Bradbury

I. The Big Four

a. Characters: the house, dog, fire

b. Theme: technology makes life easy, but it can also control and destroy us.

c. Plot: automated house provides for a missing family, continues operating until a fire starts and destroys it; family killed in nuclear blast

d. Aug. 4, 2026, Allendale, CA

II. Plot Breakdown

a. House is trying to survive after family is gone

b. House versus nature

c. Tree branch crashes through window, fire starts

d. Suspense: where is everybody?

e. Climax: house trying to fight the fire

f. Denouement: House dies, but it still is giving the time

III. Analytical Elements

a. Third person

b. Personification, imagery

• Pd. 3: Essays were returned. Final copy due Friday.
• Pds 4&8: Vocab quizzes returned. Can be retaken. Friday is the deadline.

The Fall of Innocence / Vocab Quiz and a New Story

College Prep - 12

• Read an essay by Prof. W.T. Jewkes in his book Man the Myth Maker, pg. 142. Students wrote quotes from the passage in the 'Quotes and Words' section of their notebooks. A fine discussion ensued. The theme of the essay is 'The Fall from Innocence;' the movement from the magical world of childhood to the hard world as adults know it can be, and that this experience is archetypal across cultures. It was noted that this interesects with the theme for the essay assignment due Thursday.
• An article on student honesty was distributed for homework. Students are to read, annotate and respond to the article in their classroom journals. Some class time was given for this as Mr. Lambert tangled his technology, canceling the first installment of Joseph Campbell's Power of Myth until tomorrow.
  
• Reflection journals will be checked early next week when six or seven entries should have been completed.

Grade 10

• Took short quiz on first three vocab words. Results were rather poor. Students were told that they can come after school to retake the quiz. A deadline for this will be considered.
• Added word number 4 to the vocab list:
• Allusion: a reference an author makes to people, places, and events from history or literature outside his or her own work.

• Started "There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury. Students are to finish the story for homework, and apply the Analyzing Literature outline presented yesterday and applied to "The Last Unicorns." This should be done in pencil with lines skipped to allow for corrections.
  

Note Taking, Essay Samples, Info / Themes and Tones and Unicorns

College Prep - 12

• No matter what I'm talking about, students are encouraged to begin a routine of note taking practice in class. College classes can be large and note taking skills are critical. Each student should develop a technique that is effective and efficient.
• Shared more info regarding the application process including changes in the financial aid formulas for private institutions. Discussed the common application, in which one app can be sent to numerous institutions.
• Discussed SAT 'super scores:'
  

Many colleges will take your best critical reading score, your best math score and your best writing score on the SAT and combine them into one super score even if they come from different test dates. For example, let’s say you take the SAT the first time and get a 650 critical reading, a 720 math, and a 700 writing score. You then take the SAT a second time and get a 750 critical reading, a 700 math and a 650 writing score. Many colleges will combine the best of these sub scores to view your test score as a 750 critical reading, a 720 math and a 700 writing for a combined total of 2170. LINK

• Went over essay samples with special attention on language and content. While the essay should contain a sense of personal voice and specific anecdotes, it should also convey that the writer has experienced some transformation and specific reasons why the particular institution is the right one for the candidate.
• Valuable links:
• College Board
• College Confidential
• Questbridge ("QuestBridge is a non-profit program that links bright, motivated low-income students with educational and scholarship opportunities at some of the nation's best colleges. QuestBridge is the provider of the National College Match Program and the College Prep Scholarship.")

Grade 10

• Journal entry: Recall a movie or book, describe and explain the theme and tone. Share and discuss.
• Started "The Last Unicorn" by Howard Koch. Discusses the language that reveals the tone of the story. Also discussed how the author's word choice creates deep meaning when considered carefully.
• Reviewed directions for Monday's assignment. (See yesterday's post.)
  

College Info, College Apps / Themes and tones

College Prep 12

Materials for Class:

• Three subject notebook
• Reflection journal, preferrably hardcover comp book

Handouts:

• College Search packet
• College Application Essay Questions
• Sample application essays
• Bloom's taxonomy

• Reflection Journal: five entries per week are required. entries should be about one half side of a page and dated. Each page must be numbered. Content can be anything but should be meaningful. the goal is to develop an expressive, conversational writing tone or 'voice' which is critical for writing acceptable college application essays. Ideas can be taken from the list of college application essay questions from today's handout.

Good website for college search:

U.S.News & World Report

A+ Options for B Students

HW: read all sample essays; underline examples where the writer's 'voice' is apparent.

Grade 10:

Journal: If your life is a story, what is the title?

• Review theme and tone:
• Theme: a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in literary or artistic workEx: “Never give up.” “Accept what can’t be avoided.” “The need of the one outweighs the need of the many.”
• Tone: a literary technique, that is a part of composition, that encompasses the attitudes toward the subject and toward the audience implied in a literary work. Tone may be formal, informal, intimate, solemn, sad, playful, serious, ironic, condescending, or many other possible attitudes.
• Add irony to vocab list, discuss the different kinds: situational, verbal, dramatic
• Irony is a literary or rhetorical device, in which there is an clash or discordance between what a speaker / writer /actor says or does, and what he or she means or what is generally understood.
• talked about 'mindfulness' as paying attention; what is done mindfully can't be done any better in the moment it is done.
• HW: Theme/Tone assignment:
• *Introduction*Discuss the "biographical" theme and supporting details. What is the theme of your life right now? Why? Themes may center around a conflict (you against _________.), desire (I want _________, but __________ is in the way.), good fortune, friendship, family, etc. If you have difficulty finding a them, please see me for guidance. One way to think about it is to ask yourself, "If my life is a story, what is the title?" The answer will lead you to the theme.*Discuss your "biographical" tone. What is the primary feeling in your story? Why? Give examples.*Conclusions: Did you learn anything from this exercise?
• OR Write an actual narrative... the story of this stage of your life. Use language that will imply the tone. Again, think of a title that will point you in the direction of a theme... but don't state the theme directly. Write this from either the first or third person.
• First draft due Monday

Computer Lab / F451 / Review -- Regents Practice

10R

Poetry review:

Reread and consider the following poems:

• Danny Deever, by Rudyard Kipling:
• The Wreck of the Hesperus by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
• Sonnet #18 by Shakespeare
• "La Belle Dame sans Merci" by John Keats

Consider the following questions for each:

• What kind of poem is it? (narrative, lyric, sonnet, etc)


• What is the tone?


• What is the theme?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• Period 4 continues working on their research reports in the computer lab.
• Period 5 is in class. Monday they were given the opportunity to read in class and work on their logs due to my absence. Yesterday we reviewed "Danny Deever" and read F451. Today we'll review "The Wreck of the Hesperus" and discuss the central theme of F451.
• HW: Finish the book. Complete reading logs.
• Also, a vocabulary review sheet was distriubuted. Needs to be completed by Monday.

11R

• Continue with Regents practice.

Research Day 4; Research Presentations - Critical Lens Essays

10R

• Continued gathering data in library
• Tonight's reading assignment:
  

PG. 113-129 log 8 focus questions:
· What happens to Mildred?
· How did Montag feel as he burned his own house, and why?
· Who turned in the alarm on Montag?
· What causes Montag to burn Beatty?
· Why does Montag think Beatty wanted to die?
· What does Montag do next? What information does the seashell provide for him?
· What was so hard about crossing a street?

• Next week period 4 will begin writing the research report in the computer lab on Monday. Period 5 will be in the computer lab on Thursday, and should be ready to continue working the book in class on Monday.

11R

• Continue critical lens essay
  

Research Day 3; Research Presentations - Critical Lens Essays

10R

• Continued research in the library
• Checked reading logs
• Distributed tonights assignment:

Pg 93-110 focus questions:

1. How does Montag upset Mildred's guests?
2. How do the women take care of their kids?
3. Why does Clara cry?
4. Why does Faber warn Montag?
5. What does Montag give Beatty upon his return to the firehouse?
6. Beatty quotes some great writers of the past, but what do all
   the quotes say about knowledge and learning?
7. Whose house do they next go to to burn?

• Starting today, I will host a book discussion in my room from 2:30 to 3:00. Students who participate will receive 3 extra credit points toward a reading log grade. (Each reading log is worth 50 points. Every 2 reading logs are added together for a major grade. Extra credit points will be awarded to that sum.

11R

• Continue presentations and essays.

Research Day 2; Research Presentations

10R

• Continued gathering notes and sources for research report.
• F451 assignment:
  

1) It is important you understand what Captain Beatty told Montag on pages 53 to 62. I want your explanation of what he said to Montag written out and handed it. It should be at least half a side of paper and handed in by Friday for a 50 point major grade.

2) Tonight’s reading: Pages 80-93. Log should include the answers to the following:

• Why does Montag tell Faber he came to see him?
• What is Faber's and Montag's plan?
• How does Montag force Faber to support him?
• What does Faber say happened to his drama class and the newspaper?
• Why does Faber find himself contemptible?
• What does Faber give Montag in order to help him face Beatty?
• What does Montag give to Faber?
  

11R

• Presentations.
• May start a critical lens essay.
• Students were told that for every summary (minimum=one side of a page) of each book they've read from 9th through 11th grade, I will add two extra credit points to their research project grade. Doing these summaries will be an invaluable prep activity for the Regents exam.

Research Day 1; Presentations and/or Regents Review

Note: I've upgraded the blog appearance and now allow comments. However, comments are moderated, so they wil not appear until I have viewed them. This may come in handy, especially later in the day when I may be able to respond quickly.

10R: Research Day 1

• Students began gathering data for research reports. Librarian presented the schools online resources. We will be in the library for the rest of the week.
• F451:
• Some students did NOT show me their HW (questions and reading logs). Make sure last Thursday's work is done and checked in.
• Tonight's HW is to read pg 71-80. The following questions should be answered within the context of the reading log:

• Who is Faber?

  What priceless book does Montag have?

  Why does Montag recall a summer at the beach where he played
  with a sieve and the sand?

  What does this have to do with him tryng to read a book while on
  the subway?

11R

• Research presentations begin tomorrow.
• Today we listed novels and authors in prep for Regents Critical Lens Essay
• Students are encouraged to refresh their knowledge of these stories. i am offering 3 extra credit points for every one page review they can hand in before the end of school.
• We will start a practice essay after research presentations.

Fahrenheit 451 IV; Research Continued

10R: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

• Students reported their research topics. Anyone who doesn't have one on Tuesday will be assigned one.
• Discussed the significance of last night's reading, particularly the burning of the woman, what she said, Capt. Beattie's knowledge of what she said, the 'relatives' in the television walls and the possible circumstances of Clarisse's death.
• HW: Read from page 44 to 68 (end of Part One).
• HW: Summarize Captain Beattie's explanation to Montag.
• HW: 20 questions from handout

11R

• Continue in computer lab. This is the last day to finish research reports. presentations start Tuesday.

Fahrenheit 451 III; Research Continued

10R: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

• Students were reminded that there is NOT a lot of time left, and that falling behind now could be... deadly.
• Reading logs will be critical. the first two were checked for a minor grade, but from now on each 2 will be worth a major grade.
• We discussed elements of the second reading, specifically that Montag, thorugh his meetings with Clarisse, is 'waking up,' and that the Hound's reaction to him is an indication of this happening.
• For tonight, read to the break on page 48.
• reading logs are assumed for EACH READING.

11R

• Continue in computer lab.

Fahrenheit 451 II; Research Continued

10R: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

• Discussed last night's reading, the importance of the imagery and the characterization of Clarisse, Montag and Mildred.
• Tonight read up to the break on page 32. Write log.
• First two reading logs will be checked tomorrow.

11R

• Continue in the computer lab writing research projects.

Fahrenheit 451; Research Continued

10R: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

• Books were distributed, the story was introduced with particular attention to the theme of character transformation.
• HW: Tonights assignment is to read to the break on page 18 and write a reading log. Reminder: reading logs will count as major grades.
• Students were given time to start the reading or put the finishing touches on the Julius Caesar essays.

11R

• We'll be in the computer lab this week working on research projects.

Caesar Exam; Research

10R: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

• Continue exam; finish short essay
• HW: complete long essay for Monday (see yesterday's post).

11R

Continue Research in library. Next week we're in the computer lab.

Caesar Quiz and Exam; Research

10R: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

• Took Act 5 quiz.


• Began play exam


• Tomorrow, exam will continue. Short essay should be done.


• Long essay (see below) will be due on Monday:


• 
  
  
  "The Tragedy of Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare
  Essay

Your Task:

Write a critical essay in which you discuss Shakespeare’s play from the particular perspective of the statement that is provided for you in the Critical Lens. In your essay, provide a valid interpretation of the statement, agree or disagree with the statement as you have interpreted it, and support your opinion using specific references to appropriate literary elements from the work.

Critical Lens:

"What an immense mass of evil must result...from allowing men to assume the
right of anticipating what may happen." ~Leo Tolstoy

Guidelines:

Be sure to

• Provide a valid interpretation of the critical lens that clearly establishes the criteria for analysis
• Indicate whether you agree or disagree with the statement as you have interpreted it
• Use the criteria suggested by the critical lens to analyze the work
• Avoid plot summary. Instead, use specific references to appropriate literary elements (for example: theme, irony, characterization, setting, point of view, metaphor) to develop your analysis
• Organize your ideas in a unified and coherent manner
• Follow the conventions of standard written English

11R- Research

Continue library work.

JC Act 5 Video; Research

10R: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

• Viewed Act 5 video.
• HW: Select the ten most important events in the play and write them in a list, in order.
• Quiz for act 5 tomorrow and we will start the exam.

11R -- Research

• Continued collecting data for research project. Two more days in the library.

JC Act 5; Research!

10R: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

• Start Act 5


• All essays need to be handed in.


• HW: Summary

11R--Research Project

• We'll be spending the week in the library. Today, the librarian will go over resources and procedures, then studetns get started researching their topics.
• All work from first five weeks needs to be in no later than today.

JC Act 4 Continued; AWAA Exam Continued

10R: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

• Period 4 took Act 4 quiz, continued on Antony Essay
• Period 5 viewed Act 4 video; quiz tomorrow and will finish essay

11R
AWAA

• Began essay. Will finish tomorrow.
• All reading logs must be checked in by tomorrow afternoon.
• All students must decide on a research topic.

JC Act 4 Continued, AWAA Exam Continued

10R: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

• Period 4: Watched act 4 video. Discussed the theme (Brutus' character)
• Gave further explanation of the Antony essay. Students are to continue working on it, but will be finalized in class on Friday.
• Act 4 quiz tomorrow, and At 4 summaries will be checked.
• Period 5: Read the rest of Act 4. Video tomorrow. Finish essay on Friday and will try to complete quiz. If not, quiz will be completed on Monday.
• Will also check this classes summaries tomorrow.

11R

• Continue AWAA exam

JC Act 4; AWAA Book Exam

10R: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

• Finished Act 4. Video tomorrow
• Period 5 is a day behind due to an assembly. We'll finish act 4 tomorrow and try to get the video started.
• Assigned essay:
  

  Marc Antony has revealed his character in numerous, concrete ways, especially when he confronts the conspirators after Caesar’s assassination, in his funeral
  oration and in his discussion with Octavius at the beginning of Act 4. What word or words would you use to describe or define this character? Use evidence from Act 3, Scene 1 (beginning at line 148), Act 3, Scene 2 (beginning at line 74)
  and Act 4, Scene 1 (beginning at line 1) to explain and support your character
  description.Check your writing for accuracy and neatness. This is a major
  grade

• Finished essay due on Friday
• HW: Finish Act 4 summary (Period 4 only)

11R

AWAA

• Started book exam

JC Act 4; AWAA, Reading and Writing

10R: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

• Started Act 4.
• HW: Summary.

11R AWAA

• Reading and Writing
• Test begins tomorrow. Really.

Act 3 Video; AWAA, Reading and Writing

10R: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

• Viewed the video for Act 3. Didn't quite finish, will do so tomorrow before the quiz.
• Also, period 5 was told to go over Antony's speech and double check what's been underlined. You are looking for everything Antony's said where he means the exact opposite.. This will be collected for a grade. Period 4 will be told tomorrow. (Hint: There are are approximately 30 lines that contain irony.)
• Quiz tomorrow.
• Reminder to complete extra credit crossword, word search and vocab for Act 4.

11R AWAA

• Continue reading and writing reading logs
  

Marc Antony Lights the Fuse; AWAA, Reading and Writing

10R: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

• Review yesterday's reading, check homework.
• Add two vocab words:
  Honor: A sense of what is right, just, and true; having a good, respected name.
  Honorable: deserving honor and respect
• Finish reading Act III with emphasis on the details of Antony's famous funderal oration.
• HW: summarize the today's reading
• HW: Underline or highlight every line in Antony's speech that demonstrates an example of irony (in the following exerpt:)

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest -
For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men -
Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
He hath brought many captives home to Rome
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?
When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And, sure, he is an honourable man.
I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without cause:
What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him?
O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
And I must pause till it come back to me.

11R AWAA

• Continue reading and writing reading logs
• Reminder: deadline is Friday

Caesar Act 2; AWAA Reading and Writing

10R: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

• Checked extra credit work
• Began reading Act III, stopping towards the end of scene 1 (last line; "With carrion men, groaning for burial.")
• HW: Summary of today's reading

11R AWAA

• Continue reading and writing reading logs after brief discussion of Peter's goal

Quiz andEssay Review, AWAA- Reading and Writing

10R: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

• Went over the Act 1 quiz.
• Reviewed and discussed the Regents Task 3 essay. Went over a model response.
• HW: Act 3 starts Monday, so get the extra credit work done!
• Also, to help a new student get caught up, five extra credit points will be added to the quizzes of anyone who composes a well written summary of either or both acts.

11R AWAA

• Book deadline has been assigned. All reading logs must be finished by next Friday (5/1). Class time will be spent reading and writing.

Act 2: The Video, AWAA- Are You Caught Up?

10R: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

• Watched Act 2 today.
• Quiz tomorrow, Vocab included!
• Get a leg up: finish the worksheets for Act 3!

11R AWAA

• Finish yesterday's quiz.
• Too many students are too far behind: Finish up through chapter 22 for tomorrow.
• Get your reading logs done.

Caesar Act 2: Portia Gets Agitated, AWAA Quiz 5

10R The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

• Vocabulary:
• Soliloquy: the act of talking while or as if alone
  Monologue: is an extended uninterrupted speech by a character in a drama.
  Aside: dialogue intended for the audience and supposedly not heard by the other actors on stage.
• Reviewed yesterday's reading.
• Finished Act 2
• HW: brief summary
• Act 2 video tomorrow, quiz on Thursday.

11R

• Quiz on chapters 15-20
• Log check chapters 13-20
• HW: Chapter 21

Lulius Caesar, Act 2: Brutus Buys In and Regents Practice Revisited

Note to all students: Any Regents practice exams not yet handed in are losing 10 points per day.

10R

• Note: any student who misses a reading in class, can find the text of the play HERE.
• Checked Act 2 worksheets.
• Scanned Act 2 summary.
• Read Act 2, scene 1 through line 232. (Ends with the line: "Therefore thou sleep'st so sound." just before Portia enters.)
• HW: 3 to 4 sentences summarizing this part of act 2.

11R

• Pd 1: Go over Regents practice exam. Read model essay. Then continue with AWAA.
• Pd 7: Catch up, students will either work on essays or continue reading AWAA.
• HW: Reading logs will be checked through chapter 20 and a quiz will be given.

Julius Caesar Quiz 1, AWAA Discussion

10R

• Took quiz
• Worksheets and vocab for act 2 may still be done for credit

11R

• Went over and discussed Quiz 4.
• Students should be finished with Chapter 20 by the time we return from break. Expect a quiz and log check

Have a fine and safe vacation!

Julius Caesar Act 1 Video, AWAA Quiz 4

10R

• Plans for today were modified to include the video.
• Viewed video for Act 1 with special attention to director interpretation. The combination of a) reading act summaries, b) listening to and reading along with each act and c) viewing the play itself ensures understanding of the story.
• Act 1 quiz, originally scheduled for today, is tomorrow. Worksheets for Act 2 will be checked at that time.

11R

• Quiz 4, chapters 10-14
• Tomorrow we will discuss the book and go over the quiz.
• Students were told to finish up though chapter 20 over the break.

Julius Caesar Scene 3: Cassius Continues to Weave His Web, AWAA continued

10R

• Finished Act 1
• There will be a quiz tomorow
• Students received two handouts today: act summaries + character descriptions and worksheets for Acts 2 through 4.
• HW: Read Act 2 Summary
• Since we start Act 2 tomorrow, worksheets and vocab should be done for bonus points.

11R

• Quiz 4 today for prepared students
• Others can play catch up

Julius Caesar Act 1, AWAA continued

10R

• Took a look at character list on page 345 and read Act 1 summary while worksheets were checked for credit.
• Gave a short background on the plays context: "The date by history is 44 BC. Again by historical record we know that Caesar has just returned from his victory in the land we now call Spain against the sons of Pompey the Great, an enemy Caesar has already killed." LINK
• Read Act 1, scene one and two.
• HW: Summarize today's reading in notebook.
• HW: Any essays from Friday that have not been turned in will not be accepted without penalty after Thursday.

11R

• Worked independently either on book work or make-up work
• quiz on chapters 10-14 tomorrow
• HW: Any essays from Friday that have not been turned in will not be accepted without penalty after Thursday

Regents Exam task III

• All classes reviewed what a "controlling idea" is, and were reminded that the last sentence of the introductory paragraph should clearly state the contolling idea.
• Bear in mind that this is not summarizing. When summarizing, events or ideas in the passage are prioritized and briefly described or explained. For a task of this nature, details associated with the controlling idea are selected, prioritized and explained in terms that connect the two passages.

• 10R classes are reminded to work on their Julius Caesar handouts (see yesterday's post).
• 11R classes should continue reading and complete through chapter 17 by Monday morning.

The Controlling Idea and an Intro to Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar"

All classes will be taking a Regents practice exam (task III) tomorrow and Friday. Today we reviewed the "controlling idea" focus of this part of the exam. Essentially, a controlling idea will establish a connection between two reading passages and the essay will be written around the connecting idea.

This is not summarizing!

The instructions for the essay will be the following:

After you have read the passages and answered the multiple-choice questions, write a unified essay about the discovery of beauty. In your essay, use ideas from both passages to establish a controlling idea about the discovery of beauty. Using evidence from each passage, develop your controlling idea and show how the author uses s pecific literary elements or techniques to convey that idea.

Note that the focus of the controlling idea is already given: the discovery of beauty. All that needs to be done now is to write an introduction which ends with a statement that defines the controlling idea as applied to the two passages, then discuss that idea using details from the passages.

10R

• We also introduced "Julius Caesar" today. Of note is the following:
• Students will be given a word search and a crossword for the vocabulary for each act.
  
• Completed sheets will be worth five extra credit points on the subsequent quiz.
  
• Also, all vocabulary written neatly into the notebook, for each act, will be worth an additional ten points on the exam. These points will only be awarded if all work is done before the start of each act.
  
• In other words, to earn points for the act 1 quiz, both sheets must be done and checked before we start the play.
  
• In order to earn all vocabulary points towards the exam, the definitions of all words must be written into the notebook before the beginning of each act.
• None of this is mandatory, but highly recommended.

11R

• Reading logs for chapters 8 through 12 will be checked during the Regents practice exam.
  

Short Story Exam, AWAA Quiz 3

10R

• Took Short Story exam today
• Tomorrow will prepare for Julius Ceasar!
• Look ahead: Thursday and friday will be a Regents practice exam.
• Marking Period ends Friday!

11R

• Took quiz 3 on the novel.
• Students should have read through chapter 11 by tomorrow morning
• Marking period ends Friday. All back work MUST BE IN BY THEN!

"The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant" par IV; AWAA, continued

10R

• Worked in the computer lab today rewriting Sheila Mant summaries with special attention to sentence combining.
• Exam on the three short stories on Monday

11R

• Went over sentence combining activity from the last quiz
• discussed the character of peter jenkins so far in the story
• HW: should be done through chapter 10 on Monday
• Expect quiz on chapters 7,8,9

"The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant" par III; AWAA, continued

10R

• Checked HW while sentence combining activity was done.
• Discussed the rest of the story in terms of conflict. Students were reminded of the primary focus of the other two stories (irony and foreshadowing repectively for "A Story of an Hour" and "The Monkey's Paw."), and that these concepts will be central to the exam on these stories on Monday.
• HW: Summary rewrite. Students were told that this will be worth a 40 point minor grade. Tomorrow, we will be in the computer lab for a final rewrite focusing on sentence combining. This will be for a major grade. Note: any vocabulary word used correctly and underlined will be worth one extra credit point.

11R

• Went over yesterday's quiz.
• Checked reading logs
• Chapter 9 for tomorrow. Quiz on Monday or Tuesday.

"The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant" par II; AWAA, continued

10R

• HW: finish the story, write summary

11R

• Took quiz
• Chapter 8 for tomorrow. Reading logs will be checked.

"The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant"; AWAA, continued

10R

• Sentence combining activity
• Journal question: What character traits would apply to the main character in the story? What evidence proves this? Disucss.
• Discuss the story elements so far, particularly the symbolism of the opening sentence and the two things Sheila Mant says to the boy.
• HW: Read to the end of 'E' on the next page (247)
• HW: summary

11R

• One more class to prepare for the next quiz:
• Continue reading the book. Quiz will be tomorrow and reading logs will be checked.
• Logs through chapter 6 will be checked tomorrow.

Quiz review and "The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant"; AWAA Chapter 6

10R

• Go over Friday's quiz, particularly sentence combining section
• Monkey's Paw rewrites were handed back and put in writing folders
• "The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant" by W.D. Wetherell was distributed.
• HW: Read the story to page 246. Stop at "forgot all about it." Write summary in notebook.

11R

• Continue AWAA, chaoters 6 and 7
• Quiz tomorrow on chapters 4,5,6
• Quiz will include sentence combining activity

Vocab Quiz and Short Story Review, AWAA Discussion

10R

• Vocab and sentence structure quiz
• Reviewed questions for both "The Story of an Hour" and "The Monkey's Paw"
• Students were reminded that the marking period ends in two weeks. Work owed MUST be handed in.
• No HW
• Have a nice weekend

11R

• Discussed A Walk Across America with particular attention payed to the reason for Peter's walk and the hostorical context: America in the early 1970's
• Finish though chapter six.
• Quiz and log check next Tuesday.

"Monkey's Paw," and AWAA Quiz

10R

• Sentence combining activity
• Discuss story, particularly the author's use of suspense and the reader's imagination to fill details.
• Quiz on story.
• HW: Rewrite summary to hand in. This will be a major grade this time. Length and sequencing will be taken into account, as well as grammar and punctuation.
• Also, there will be a vocab quiz tomorrow.

11R

• Quiz on first three chapters
• Begin chapter 4. Finish for homework and write log. All logs will be checked tomorrow.