"The Beast from the Water," Regents Practice and Final Exam

10R

• Check essay completion
• Note about owed work
• Finish discussing chapter 4, "The Beast from the Water," with emphasis on "why things fall apart" and the "Beastie" as projection of human fear, and "water" as a metaphor for conscious vs. sub-conscious.
• HW: read chapter six. Write reading log. Logs will be checked on Monday for final grade of marking period.

11R

• Finish critical lens essay

English Lit

• Final exam
• All work and last presentations will be on Monday.

LOTF Quiz, Critcal Lens Essay, Author Presentations

10R



Both classes took a quiz on chapters 3 and 4 of Lord of the Flies. Reading logs for chapters 3, 4 and the first part of chapter 5 were checked for a major grade. Final two paragraphs of the critical lens essay were checked for a minor grade in period 4. Period five had to show the first two paragraphs.



Homework: both classes have to finish chapter 5 and write a reading log. Period 7 also has to finish the last two paragraphs of the critical lens essay.



Tomorrow, another critical lens essay will be give for a major grade.



11R



Both classes: Some students are finishing up the last essay, others are beginning the last critical lens essay before next week's Regents exam. Some students still haven't handed in their poems.

English Lit

Author presentations, essays due. Final exam tomorrow.

Regents Practice, Research and The Presidential Inauguration

10R

• Period 4 continued practice on the critical lens part of the Regents Exam. Paragraph two was added:

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).

• Period 4 also went over last weeks benchmark exams. weaknesses were discussed.
• Period 5 viewed the presidential inauguration. they will catch up tomorrow.
• Both classes should be sone with chapter 4 in LOTF. Quiz tomorrow.

11R

• Continued Regents part 1 practice. Will finish tomorrow.

English Lit.

• Computer lab work. Author presentations and essays this Thursday. Final exam on Friday.

LOTF Chapter 3, Regents Practice, Research

10R

• Went over yesterday's quiz.
• Discussed chapter 3 with emphasis in the growth of the idea of "The Beast."
• HW: Chapter 4 plus reading log. There will be a quiz.

11R

• Review Critical Lens Essay
• Start Part 1 practice. Discuss the instructions and the poem. Continue on Tuesday.

English Lit

• Literature period essays are due.
• We'll be in the computer lab on Tuesday and Wednesday.
• Author presentations will be Thursday and Friday. Author essay due at that time.
• Final exam on the follwoing Monday.

Benchmark and LOTF, Poetry, Research

Apologies for falling a bit behind!



10R

Tuesday and Wednesday students took benchmark on Regents Exam part 2. Anyone not done has to finish for homework. Some students were on a field trip yesterday and have yet to finish.

• Today, students will write paragraph 1 for quote 3 and hand it in for a minor grade.


• Quiz on chapters 1 & 2 of Lord of the Flies.


• Check reading logs 1&2.


• Discuss Chapter 2.


• HW, read chapter 3 and write reading log.

11R

• We've done lots of poetry the past two days, especially in period 1. Tuesday we read and discussed Frost's "A Dust of Snow" and Longfellow's "A Psalm of Life." A short essay was assigned for the Longfellow poem (questions 7 & 8 in the handout). Wednesday students were given some time to edit and rework their essay. Period 7 was given the whole period as many were absent due to a field trip. Period 1 read and discussed Frost's "An Old Patch of Snow" and "A Time to Talk" with emphasis placed on their central theme and how it compares to Lonfellow's "Psalm of Life" (living in the moment, mindfulness).


• Today Period one read Frost's "The Road Less Traveled" with special emphasis on rhyme scheme and rhythm. We also read and discussed Holme's "Old Ironsides." Assignment: original poem written according to directions in the handout.

English Lit

• Continued research in the library. Literary period essays due tomorrow. Students were told that this research project wuill be counted as part of the final exam for the class, and to make extra copies as the ones handed in won't be returned. Students were also reminded to review class material for the multiple choice portion of the final.
• All overdue work needs to be handed in as soon as possible.

Poetry, LOTF, Researh

10R

• Short review of Regents part II for tomorrow's benchmark exam
• Discuss Chapter 1 of Lord of the Flies.
• Benchmark test tomorrow and Wednesday
• Read Chapter 2 for Thursday plus reading log. There may be a quiz.

11R

• Read "A Little Hole in the House:"

A Hole in the House

There is a little hole in the house;
Here on the bed,
There on the chair.

There is a little hole in the house;
In the floor’s windowlight;
Before the winter fire.

There is a little hole in the house;
On the stair,
Soft foot thumping.

There is a little hole in the house;
Warm and rumbling,
Near my ear.

There is a little hole in the house;
Where the dogs worry,
And the children sigh.

• Write about possible meaning, metaphors, tone.
• Discuss.
• Review metaphor, alliteration
• Read "I heard a Fly buzz--when I died--" by E. Dickinson
• Discuss poem.
• Critical lens essays should be handed in by now.

English Lit

• Meeting in the library this week to work on research papers.

Critical Lens Practice Continued, LOTF Activity, Macbeth Exam

Critical Lens Paragraph 1: Introduction

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 (underlined) by author’s name, and Title of Work of Literature (underlined) by author’s name, illustrate the truth (or fallacy) of this theme.

10R

• Write paragraph 1 for quote 2 and review
• Seperate into groups, do "Stranded" Activity in preperation for reading Lord of the Flies. Discuss.
• Distribute books. Preview chpater 1 vocab. Start reading chapter 1.
• Finish chapter for homework. Write book log concentrating on character analysis. Chapter 1 vocabulary:

• efflorescence: the period or state of flowering

  enmity: ill will; hatred; especially mutual ill will or hatred

  matins: service of morning prayer

  precentor: leader of the singing of a choir or congregation; directing
  singer

  proffer: to offer for acceptance

  eccentric: varying from what is usual or customary; odd; strange

  decorous: proper; suitable to the time, place, and occasion

  pallid: pale; wan

  suffusion: to flush or blush

  hiatus (hi-ate-us): an opening; gap; a break with a part missing

11R

• Finish critical lens essay

12R

• Macbeth exam, finish essay at home
• Report to Library on Monday.

Stranded!, Critical Lens Practice, Macbeth's Final Breath

10R

• Word of the week!

Precedent (noun)-
1) an earlier occurrence of something similar
2) something that may serve as an example or rule to authorize or justify a similar
future act or statement

• Critical Lens practice
• Distribute handouts
• apply quote 1 to essay formula and write intro paragraph together:
• 
  

  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.

• Students will write intro paragraph at start of class tomorrow
• Distribute intro activity for Lord of the Flies.
• Do journal activity
• HW: consider survival activities

11R

• continue critical lens practice essay for quote 10.

English Lit

• Watch Act 5 of Macbeth
• Exam tomorrow

Back to Work?

Well... due to the two hour delay, periods 1 and 2 fall behind. Not a problem with period 1, but I'm concerned about you English Lit students. Many of you haven't turned in your Macbeth questions for acts one through four. Also, I had planned to finish the play today, test tomorrow and get to the library for research on Thursday, but as I won't be in tomorrow and Wednesday is looking questionable (snow day?), I've pushed library time back to Monday.

You really need to be collecting info for the project. Library will be used for filling in the details and writing.

10R

• Continued "The Blue Carbuncle." Period 4 didn't finish due to shortened classtime, but period 5 did. (Note: Find one of the two 'flaws' in the sotry for 5 extra credit points on tomorrow's assignment.)
• Tomorrow, classes will work on questions pertaining to Capote's "A Christmas Memory" read before the break.

11R

• Period 7: Continue regents prep: quote number 4, complete first three paragraphs. Special attention paid to the literary elements needed to complete body paragraphs 1 and 2.