Vocab Test 5.1

Today was the vocab test, focusing mainly on poetry so it may have been slightly harder than normal. Remember that we still have a lot of words left so make sure you are studying a little bit each night rather than cramming the night before each test.
After the test we worked with the Helen poems. For poetry essays make sure you look for some unique ideas and look at everything they give you on text.
Upcoming: Debate and parent letter
Have a nice weekend!

Counselor Extravaganza

I'm behind in the posting again but it's for a good reason. With so many students staying after for help on their papers I haven't had a chance to post. Today the counselors came in and talked about some important college information. Yesterday we had our final Huck discussion that went well in both classes. Again I would push people to tray and focus more on some specific passages.
We also began our initial set-up of the Great Debate--make sure you talk with your group members to divide up the timing and questions.
Tomorrow is the vocab test and then we will look at a little more poetry.
Upcoming: Debate/letter 12/21 and timed MC 12/17

Huckarrific

Today we took a reading check quiz on the first half of Huck Finn. Sadly it looks like several people did not complete the reading again, although it was significantly better than TOTS. Please make sure you get caught up. It isn't very enjoyable to discuss a book you haven't read. I attempted to just give a few ideas about the novel but of course barely even touched on everything I wanted to say. So
here are some general notes to think about in regards to the novel. This would also be some good stuff to discuss Wednesday.
Violence—very graphic images, Tom’s games, feud, Boggs, Huck’s beatings (7 deaths by first half)
Religion hypocrisy—slave owners, praying, killing neighbors,
Romantic ideals—Tom’s schemes, Huck mimics with realism (fake death, robbers, feud, fake identity, prison break)
Education—Tom (imagination, formal) versus Huck (logic, street)
Portrayal of Jim—superstitious, takes care of Huck, loyal, logical (hairball, king solermun, French)
Power issues between Huck and Jim, does Huck care for Jim? (he seems to forget about him a lot)
Alcoholism—how many times does it show up
Portrayal of women—clever, discover Huck’s lies
Signs of Huck maturing—scene with Buck (p. 116), decision about Jim
Reliable narrator?—13 year old boy
Symbolism of the river
What is Twain’s purpose in writing this novel? Remember it was published in 1898
Role of identity—King and the Duke, Huck’s constant changes
Portrayal of slavery—is it realistic, romanticized?
Why would this book be banned? Are the reasons different in 1900 vs. 2000?


Ending—dues ex machine, cyclical, Bildingsroman

Key Passages
P. 35 Huck’s dad and voting
p. 91-92 Jim buying his family back and Huck’s guilt

Upcoming: Two questions for discussion on Wednesday.
TOTS Paper two copies due Friday--make sure your thesis answers the "so what" questions

Poetry Nibble

Today we had our first tiny taste of poetry. Now I know poetry scares a lot of people but you just have to give it a chance and be open to picking it apart.
You got your next set of vocab dealing with poetry and the test will be 12/11
Then we worked with a little love poetry. Remember the first tips for poetry: 1. Don't let it scare you. 2. Look for some type of contrasts. 3. Find something you do understand to start with

Upcoming: Multiple-choice tomorrow and read Huck 1-22 for Monday.
TOTS paper due 12/4 (bring two copies)

Vocab Test 4.1

Happy Friday!
We closed the easy week out with a lovely vocab test and then had a rare study period. It was good to see that at least some people took advantage of the time to read Huck Finn or brainstorm about their papers.
Next week we will move into the Civil War time period and begin some painless poetry.
Upcoming: TOTS Paper plan for Dec. 4th and read 20 pages of Huck a night.
Next Tuesday the first timed MC!

Battle of the APEs

Dang, I feel behind again. Monday we had our official discussion of Turn of the Screw. I thought all groups did pretty well. Remember if you get stuck it might be helpful to go back and look at some specific passages. That will give you something concrete to work with and discuss.
Today you all worked on a multiple-choice passage as a class and we will see tomorrow which class scored the highest. I know it's difficult to agree as a class but I do think that the debating back and forth is helpful in determining the right answer. You should have a fairly valid reason for why you are choosing your answers.
Upcoming: Vocab Test on Friday (make sure you are studying this one is tough)
Next week work on TOTS paper and timed MC on Tuesday.

Oh and congrats to Leif for being the first one to be a follower this year--you may claim your late voucher.

Work Day

Easy day today--you all just had work time with your groups. Remember this is the final thing to go in the grade book and it will go under discussion so make sure the presentations are spectacular. I should have the timed essays corrected by tomorrow so we'll spend about half the period going over them and then I will give you the rest of the period to finalize things with your group. (That means working not reading Ebony--Holly)
Upcoming: Presentations 11/13 and vocab test next Friday.
Crucible Paper due Thursday

Timed Write # 1

Sorry, I've been remiss about updating this lately. Today was the first in-class essay. Hopefully it went okay for everyone, at least the text was interesting (who doesn't love The Onion). I'm hoping to have these essays back to you by Tuesday but we'll see how my weekend goes.
To finish out the quarter then we will just be working on the TOTS presentations.
Upcoming: Crucible Final draft due 11/12
Presentations next Wednesday and Thursday

Don't forget to reread TOTS. I promise you will get a lot more out of it the second time around. I think I've read it ten times and I still get new stuff out of it.

New Vocab

Happy November!
Today we got new vocab words. Remember if the movie goes too fast all the words are on-line as well. The next vocab test will not be until the next quarter.
After the vocab, we spent some time looking at an argument prompt and some sample essays. The one issue I've seen with most of the outlines I've looked at is being specific with your evidence.
Upcoming: TOTS for Wednesday and Paper for Thursday

Vocab Test

An easy Friday today (after the test anyway).
Today we just took the vocab test and then practiced some "critical thinking" skills.
I must say that both classes came up with some interesting combinations of words. Although I think shaved hot-dog might have been my favorite.

Upcoming: Crucible Paper due Thursday and don't forget to read your ghost story for Wednesday.

How to analyze like a pro!

Today we went over some basics for how to analyze literature. Analyzing is definetly a skill that takes time and practice but there are some short-cuts. Please make sure you hang on to the sheet I gave you today. I guarantee you will see those things show up in the novels we will read this year.
Upcoming: Vocab Test this Friday--you should be studying every night.
MC is also due Friday--please work with your friends and look up the words
Read TOTS by next Wednesday
And thanks to Zoe your paper is due next Thursday.

Crucible Discussion

Today we had a wrap-up discussion on the play. I thought they went much better this time around and both classes had a pretty good flow almost the entire time. I know discussions are difficult are first so please let me know if anyone feels they are not going well or there is some aspect that needs to be changed. Also just another gentle reminder to try and get more of the quiet people involved. There were several times where I saw people who don't speak much with their hands up and they weren't seen.
Upcoming: Crucible Paper due 11/4 START NOW!
Vocab test and last take home mc due 10/30

Next week we start a new book!!

Winding down with The Crucible

Okay, we finally finished up the play and I hope everyone enjoyed it. Today we talked about some factors that contributed to the hysteria in Salem and in turn influences other examples of hysteria.
I made a master list of the ideas both classes came up with so you have something to refer back when writing your paper.
Isolation
Ignorance
Fear of the unknown
Class issues
Small/close knit community
Boredom--lack of creative outlets
Change occuring in society
Pressure to conform
Afraid to admit wrong--saving face
Reward/Punishment--forced testimony
Unresolved conflicts
Belief in a privilleged society
Power issues
Revenge
Fear of others/outsiders
Commonly held traditions
False assumptions
Divided community

That list should give everyone a good start on thinking about their topics but if you get stuck please come and see me. The commentary sections also are great if you are looking for quotes or connections.

Upcoming:
Vocab test next Friday
Read and make a comparison list of the Jordan articles for tomorrow.

Vocab Day

Today we got our next round of vocab words. Again I apologize for the video quality but at least it's something. This vocab test won't be until Oct. 30th due to the lack of upcoming Fridays!
After the video we started act 3 with some excellent readers today.
Remember the homework for tonight is to read and mark the AP essay prompt.
Upcoming: Puritan Ad for Wednesday.

Vocab Test 2

We rounded off our lovely homecoming week with a wonderful vocab test. Hopefully this one was a breeze for most people as it was the easy matching style. The remainder of the hour we used to finish up act 2.
Next week we get new vocab and don't worry there is a video for this one.
Upcoming: Puritan Ad due Wednesday

Bonus: The first person to tell me they actually read this gets an extra late voucher.

Homecoming

As disappointed as I am about the vandalism that's been going on I have to admit that I'm excited it fits in so well with what we're reading. False accusations, rewards for pointing out others, a few guilty people ruining it for everyone else... The Crucible connections are every where.
Today we spent some time reviewing the vocab words for tomorrow and then we started act two.
Upcoming: Vocab and essay due tomorrow
Puritan Ad due next Wednesday.

Remember if you are stretched for time on the essay feel free to use your late voucher so you have the weekend to make it phenomenal!

See you at the game!

Movie Day

Okay, I'm back and I'll try to stick with it this time. Today was a nice relaxing day. We opened with a little venting session and then talked about the Puritan Ad assignment. For the assignment you need to market a product aimed at Puritans using at least two of the persuasive techniques we've learned.
Then we watched act 1 of The Crucible.
Upcoming: Hurston essay due Friday
Vocab test 2.1 Friday
Puritan Ad 10/14

Vocab Test 1

Today you all took your first vocab test. Hopefully it was pretty easy for everyone. Remember these words will be with you for the entire year (at least until May) so make sure you keep studying them. After the test we went over the answers to the multiple choice test from the other day. The average score was two and I only made it out of four in the grade book so you can all breathe easy.
We finished by briefly prepping ourselves for our next unit and getting into the Puritan frame of mind.
Homework: Read the angry God sermon and make a list of as many devices as you can possibly find. Enjoy your weekend.

Picture Day

Well I'm sure you all missed me terribly but let me assure you that I had a riveting day in the auditorium--hopefully my voice will be back to normal by tomorrow.
Today in class you worked in groups to score some essays and tomorrow we will go over what the actual scores were and see how close you were. Tomorrow will basically be a catch up day from stuff we didn't finish earlier.

Upcoming: Vocab test and essay due Friday. I can't stress enough how crucial it is to avoid just studying the night before and if you need help on the essay please come see me after school.

Return of the summer work

Okay, I'm hoping someone is actually reading this thing otherwise I will feel like a fool. Today I gave you the assignment for in class tomorrow (please be nice to the sub) and I gave you an essay that is due Friday. Remember I'm giving you a week to do this one so please come see me if you need help. The rest of the class (after my tragic story) we spent going over writing tips from the summer assignment. Hopefully everyone still feels okay.
Upcoming: Vocab test 9/25
AP essay 9/25

Practice Discussion

Okay we have now completed a little taste of just about everything. Today we started with a little visual analysis and then moved on to our first discussion. Overall I thought both classes did very well. Just remember to work on including everyone a little more.
Homework: Hogan piece read and answer the questions on the back. Please don't write on this one.
Upcoming: Vocab test 9/25

AP Essays

Today we looked at the basics for the AP style essays. The main thing to keep in mind is that you want to make sure you answer the question and that you are very clear. We used the "Indian Education" piece as sample to practice writing parts of the essay.
Homework: Read Harjo and Standing Bear. Mark up the paper. Everyone should be dressed for fall.
Upcoming: Vocab Test next Friday 9/25

What's my tone?

Today we started our investigation of tone. Again, I'm slightly sorry for scaring everyone in 4/5 unfortunately I didn't get a chance to do it per. 9 but don't worry I'll get them some other way. We went over Modes of Discourse and LIDDS and watched a fabulous vocab video. If you missed the words they are all on my website or just get notes from someone else in the class.
Homework: Read the Silko piece and do the questions on the back side. Please remember to write on a separate sheet of paper.

Farewell to the Five

Okay so it's only day three and I already forgot to post one day.
Today we discussed the painful Blake essay and informally went over some things not to do when writing. I passed out a basic essay structure sheet and we talked about how to properly organize a paper.
Homework: Read the "Drunk of Legend" piece and analyze/annotate it. You should specifically be looking for the thesis. Happy reading and make sure you come to class fully dressed!

Day One

Welcome new AP students! If you are reading this hurray for you. If you are absent or just need a little more English before you go to bed this is the place to come. I will try to post what we do each day and put any extra tips or stuff I just forget to include in class. You are also free to leave comments and I'll try to respond within a day (or two).

Finally done

AP testing is finally done! Congratulations everyone. I know it's a rough two weeks but it is smooth sailing from here on out.
Tomorrow we start some college stuff which will come in very handy next year.

Last Vocab!!!

I know it was painful today but it is your last one for the year! All the hard stuff is over with now (aside from the actual tests). Next week we will just do a little reviewing and then believe it or not we will watch a movie. My only requirement is that the movie was at some point based off a book. So start thinking of some possibilities and we will vote on Monday.
Also as a help to some people's grades,I'm going to let people revise their book papers and turn them back in for a new grade. I realize that this paper was hard for people because the book analysis was more on your own and I'm guessing some people ahem... felt rushed doing their papers in only a day or two due to procrastination.

The wonderful number 9

Ah, it's good to be back in charge. Today we looked at sample essays that were all 9s. If you didn't get to see a sample of each type and would like to please let me know and I will happily give you a copy. I will look over all your lists and make one master list to give you. I also passed back the mc tests for better or worse. I strongly encourage everyone to come in and look over the questions they got wrong. I am happy to spend time explaining them to you.
Upcoming: Timed essay tomorrow (Last One!!) Gigantic vocab test on Friday don't forget to study. Also I have some excellent study sheets (with every word condensed onto a two-sided sheet)available first come first served.
Peace out studes

Last MC Hurray!

No posts for a while because we were doing presentations and discussions. So far I've been really impressed with everyone. I think the presentations have gone well.
Today we took our last practice MC test. Can you believe the tests are coming up so quickly?! Next week we will finish up the group stuff on Monday and Tuesday and then start reviewing for the tests.
Wednesday we will look at some fantastic essays, Thursday you will write some fantastic essays and Friday you will take a gigantic final vocab test. Please make sure you review your words a little bit each night.
Enjoy your weekend!

Testing, testing, and more testing

Today we had our first presentation, at least in 4/5 we did. For the rest of you make sure you look at the requirements for the presentation and make sure you have a presentation that will engage the class. The group that went today offered a good model. Tomorrow will be a discussion day for both classes so the rest of the class will have a QUIET work day.
Remember to continue working on your various assignments and please see me if you have any questions.
AP Language countdown 21 days!

What's a stanza??

Today we took another computer MC test. If you missed today just go to Sparknotes and take the Lit. practice test. Sorry about the confusion on that first poem. Overall scores were dramatically lower, but it is difficult to take that type of test on the computer (especially when it is noisy in the room). I'm not going to put these scores in the gradebook since it was such a weird testing environment. I was more concerned with you having some more practice and looking at the feedback that they provide you.
Tomorrow we have our first group discussing so the rest of you should bring something to quietly work on or since your brains will be fried after the math test bring a pillow.

Yet another bird reference

Okay, so after my hiatus I'm back. I stopped blogging because I didn't think anyone was actually reading this, but now that I have a total of four followers I'm kicking it in gear.
Today we did a timed essay. I hope to have them back to you by Monday but it depends how long it takes my to find all my hidden Easter eggs. Over the weekend you should just be reading your book (Kyle and the entire Invisible Man group) and working on your group stuff.
Remember Monday that you can go directly to the lab and we will be doing the Lit. practice test online.
I hope everyone has a nice three-day weekend.

AP Essays

I forgot to post again yesterday so I'm going to attach some of my notes that I didn't get to yesterday. I thought the discussion yesterday was great and although it may feel a little awkward to talk about I think it's important that we do.
Today we worked on AP essay prompts. I can't stress enough that it is absolutely crucial that you answer the question with specific references or examples.
Upcoming: Question 2 for Monday (spend 40 mins on it) and finish Flight for 3/20

Flight Notes

Class vs. Race—which is more of a hindrance?

Stereotypes: Bigger as ignorant, violent, poor home life, whites, women, men, communists

Media: how the media is portrayed and how does the media portrays various groups—whites, blacks, communists. Newspapers—256-57, 280-83

Issue of power—what gives Bigger strength? Bigger’s willingness to kill again?

Blindness—more than just literal. Aside from her blindness what else is unique about Mrs. Dalton.

Questions:

Several instances are made about the communists in a negative light. Where is this information coming from? Bigger is fairly uneducated, yet even he has a low opinion of them.

How are stereotypes being played on, embellished, corrupted? Does it seem strange that a black author would make such an unlikeable black protagonist? What would be the possible reasons behind this? Along with this, what is the purpose behind the graphic violence. Wright isn’t just disturbed so why is it such a main focus? Hint: What is your reaction to it?

Is Bigger justified? I am in no way trying to say brutal violence is acceptable but try to get inside Bigger’s head. Is he medically insane? If so, was he born crazy or was he created? (This might also tie in with the title). Is he smart?

Both Jan and Mary attempt to befriend Bigger, yet it only seems to make Bigger more angry. What is Wright trying to say with this?

Flight

We had the discussion on "Flight" today but I'm going to hold off on posting my comments until after I talk in class tomorrow. Just a note that the final section is a little slower reading, but it has some of the crucial commentary. If you only read the first two sections you will get a vastly different idea about both the novel and Richard Wright.
Until tomorrow...
Upcoming: Finish the novel for next Friday 3/20

Quack 4

New vocab today and the video worked in both classes! If you missed the words you can copy them from someone or get them from the website. http://www.comosr.spps.org/SAT_Terms.html
Then we looked at another poetry essay piece. I know the poetry is tricky so I'll try to put together a sheet that has some things to look for. I will also make a MC tip sheet especially for people who are having trouble finishing all the passages.
Upcoming: Finish Flight for Wednesday. Finish the novel for Friday 3/20

Speechs/Registration

Sorry I forgot to post yesterday but all we did in class was a timed essay. I'm hoping to have them back to you by Friday so we can talk about them after the test but no promises.
Today per. 4/5 had the speech discussions. Overall, I think they went fairly well. It seems like most people prefer the smaller groups; it's just harder to hear what everyone says so I have to go with a rough estimate.
Tomorrow per. 9 will have their discussion while per. 4/5 registers. Updated note: DO NOT go to the computer lab. The online thing isn't working so they are coming to the classroom. For the two people that actually read this please spread the word. You also should bring something to work on since there is down time while you wait your turn.

Upcoming: Flight for 3/11 Vocab for this Friday--vocab and sentence types
Extra Credit due 3/16 For more info: http://www.bestprep.org/essay.html

Today was our first discussion of Native Son and I’m glad to hear that most people really like the book despite its disturbing nature. I’m just going to recap some of the key points that were brought up during discussion and of course add a few of my own. First, just a historical note: after WWI there was a large migration of Southern blacks to the North for jobs. In particular Chicago and New York (Harlem) become hot spots for growing African-American neighborhoods. Unfortunately, a lot of whites were not pleased with this new situation and blacks were essentially cordoned off in sections called “black belts.” Even if apartments were available in other parts of the city, whites were not allowed to rent to blacks. This then drove up the rent prices in the black belt (supply and demand) so blacks were often paying more for a run-down apartment then a nicer one in a white area of town.

How are stereotypes being played on, embellished, corrupted? Does it seem strange that a black author would make such an unlikeable black protagonist? What would be the possible reasons behind this? Along with this, what is the purpose behind the graphic violence. Wright isn’t just disturbed so why is it such a main focus? Hint: What is your reaction to it?

Is Bigger justified? I am in no way trying to say brutal violence is acceptable but try to get inside Bigger’s head. In the 1930s, for a black man to be caught in a white woman’s room meant almost certain death. Not to mention he has had virtually no contact with whites prior to this night, so he has nothing to help him think logically.

What is the “fear” that is so prominent in this chapter? Is Bigger crazy? If so, was he born crazy or was he created? (This might also tie in with the title). What does he mean when he says “living behind a wall” (9).

Both Jan and Mary attempt to befriend Bigger, yet it only seems to make Bigger more angry. What is Wright trying to say with this?

Contrasts: I always think it’s helpful to look at any contrasts that an author presents. For this opening section the one that stands out to me is the different settings—Bigger’s apartment vs. the Dalton’s home. In addition to the spacial issues you also have the contrasting animals. (Watch for a parallel rat scene at the end of “Flight”)

Several instances are made about the communists in a negative light. Where is this information coming from? Bigger is fairly uneducated, yet even he has a low opinion of them. This should lead you to look at how the media is portrayed and how the media portrays various groups—whites, blacks, communists. Watch for more media influence throughout the novel.

Blindness—more than just literal. Bonus points to Haley for remembering back to that sheet I gave out at the start of the year. Now that we’ve read quite a few novels I would highly encourage you to take another look at the list.

Key Passages:
Mary 23, Bigger 20
Contrast Bigger’s home p. 1 to Dalton’s home
Treatment of Bigger from his mother—manhood, “why I birthed you”
Living behind a wall p. 9
Activities of Bigger’s friends—rob blacks, “play white” 18,
Flight imagery—plane 17, pigeon 22
Bigger’s behavior when in presence of whites—54

MC Test

Okay, I know today was kind of painful but on the good side you only have two practices left!
I really don't have anything else to report so I hope you are all enjoying Native Son.

Upcoming: Finish Fear, read some famous American speeches, make a snow angel.

Poerty Returns

We started off the hour with some work time on the speeches. Remember to read the other speeches for your groups and summarize by Wednesday (read the assignment sheet).
Then we looked at one of the poetry essays for the lit. test. I know poetry is sometimes intimidating especially weird ones about hawks, Plato, and leaky pipes. Some hints for poetry:

• look for some type of contrasts, shifts, etc.
• look for repetition
• look at types of images created (positive/negative)
• look for anything that stands out or doesn't seem to fit
• Finally when in doubt look for something to do with nature, death, love, loss of innocence

Upcoming: MC tomorrow, Speeches for Wednesday, Fear for Monday

Reminders: Get your registration forms signed and please bring Eyes Were Watching God on Friday since I forgot to collect them today.

A.P.

Today we played with mini whiteboards. We looked at some past AP essay questions from the Lang. test and worked on only correctly answering the question. It was a day a BSing and some of you maybe enjoyed it a little too much.
You also had some work time with your partners on the speech assignment. Tomorrow will be basically the same structure.
Upcoming: Lit. Review tomorrow; MC Thursday (sorry)

What does the title of this post refer to?

The Death of Quack

Okay, we did several things today, starting with a new set of vocab. I know it's hard to believe but we are nearing the end of our list of words. My apologies to per. 9 that the video was killed by Hannah in 4/5 so it is now resting in peace (in the trash can). On the plus side per. 9 gets to hear some of weird stories so it all balances out.
After the vocab the Gatsby papers were returned (passive)! Main things I saw with these papers: 1 you have to have strong and specific claim. 2. you have to make sure you develop your one claim throughout the whole paper. 3. you have to have evidence that supports your claim and hopefully it fits in smoothly. 4. you have to avoid meaningless phrases and redundancy 5. you have to sprinkle your paper with cologne (it makes me happy and I grade easier :o)
We also started our next novel/dictionary today. Yes it is rather fat but size is no way to judge. The pace is still 20 pages a day so everyone should be able to survive. If you have questions while reading just ask me but please don't spoil things (Stefan) for other students.
Finally, you all paired up and picked a speech to rip apart and discuss.
Upcoming: Lit. Review Wednesday; Fear for Monday.

Sorry one more thing: Registration is next Wednesday or Thursday so make sure you get your forms filled out and signed and you will of course all miss me next year so the best way to handle the withdrawal process is to join yearbook!

Teacake--What's up with him?!

Okay, I'm doing my best but it is hard for me to hold back on this book (especially for four discussions). After the vocab test be prepared for me to just burst. Today we had our third discussion and it was a little difficult to avoid talking about later stuff which is fine but I think tomorrow's discussion will be much more satisfying. In the mean time I'd like you to think about how readers are supposed to react to Teacake. Why does Janie like him? Why do readers like him and are we supposed to?
I promise that tomorrow you will finally get your essays back.
Upcoming: Vocab Test Friday; Quotes Monday; Lit Review Wednesday.

Lit. Review

Ah, much easier to write than it was to talk today. Today the Gatsby papers were taken off your hands by me. (what's wrong with that sentence?) I also took back the books, so if you didn't have them with you today please bring them tomorrow. You also got a new assignment today. The good news is that you won't be writing a formal paper for Their Eyes Were Watching God but instead looking at other people's papers. I gave you some class time today to get started on finding your articles, but I quickly realized why I don't like to give work time. Remember your articles should be analyzing the text not just summarizing or reviewing it. The easiest way to tell if it is the right thing is to look at the title--if it's long and pretty specific then it is probably correct.
Upcoming: Finish the novel by tomorrow (that means you should be reading right now!)
Quotes due Thursday and vocab test Friday.

Extra Credit: Reminder that the extra credit for this quarter is to write an essay for the bestprep contest. For more info. go to http://www.bestprep.org/essay.html
Extra Credit will be due 3/16

Hurston Essay

Today was a slightly painful in-class essay. Hopefully you were able to determine that this was an analysis one and follow the prompt directly since this one was specific. My goal is to have them back to you by Monday but no promises as I don't know what the weekend will hold.
I just want to make a few more comments on the novel after yesterday's discussion.
First, Chris I hope you sincerely apologized to Hannah.
I was glad to see that both classes talked about the buzzard scene. Hurston incorporates a lot of folktale into her work and I think this scene is influenced by that. I think the key idea is the analogy that people made with this scene to Jody and the town. It's also important to remember that they are picking apart the mule and what two groups have been called mules so far?
I'm curious about what people think of Janie's love life. Is she ever going to be satisfied or is she just too picky? Also, does anyone find it interesting that her marriages just magically end for her without any real consequences? Very unusual for the time.
Some things to think about for the second half: what is Hurston saying about race? It comes up a lot but in a rather subtle way.
Finally, could this be satire???
Upcoming: Papers due Tuesday. Finish the novel for Wednesday. We will have discussion Wednesday and Thursday.

Eyes 1

Yesterday we did a paper workshop so hopefully everyone got some constructive feedback. Remember some things to check yourself would be: quote support, clear and specific thesis, stays on topic, smooth writing style.
Today we had a quiz on the first half of the novel and then had discussion number one. I know it's a little tricky to stick with discussing a smaller section of a novel but it might help to look at some specific passages. It would also be nice for the leaders to try and get some of the more reticent people involved.
Upcoming: Paper Final Draft 2/17
Finish Eyes 2/18

Here are some of my notes from the first half of the novel.
Hurston's language use--What is going on here? Is the slang overdone or realistic? If the author was white would this still be considered a classic or a racist manifesto?
What is the opening scene talking about?
Look at how Jody is described, especially in comparison to the other characters. Is he the symbolic white master? Notice he owns most of the land, runs the town, has the big white house, etc.
Views of marriage--is Nanny right for being so logical or is she tainting Janie?
Pear Tree symbol--it's obviously Janie's identification with love but why a Pear tree? What are the implications here? What does this image convey?
Fluid P.O.V--the point-of-view for this novel switches between 1st and 3rd omniscient often without readers even noticing. What are the differences between the voices? Are there certain parts where one voice is stronger and why?
Pretty hard to ignore race in this book but even harder to figure out exactly what is going on. Remember Janie only has one black parent and one black grandparent and didn't even realize she was black until she was 6. Why is her hair (white style) he most attractive feature?
The Dozens--ok probably the best part of the book is at the end of chapter 7 when Janie verbally castrates Jody. If you don't know what the dozens are someone remind me to talk about it in class.
Debate question: Is this a feminist novel? Is Janie a strong female character?
Finally--why is there no mention of babies? Natural part of marriage before birth control and it would be a high expectation for Janie and most likely seen as a weakness if she didn't produce, so what's going on there?

Quack!

Today we had another fabulous Quack video with your new set of vocab words. If you were gone today they are posted online or you can get them from a friend. We also got an intro. to active and passive voice and those sheets should be online as well under the grammar section. There were multiple things passed back including the synthesis essays and we briefly went over those. The main thing to keep in mind is to read the prompt carefully.
Upcoming: Gatsby papers due tomorrow and Zora for Wednesday.

Jeopardy

Today we went over the sentence types sheet and hopefully it is starting to make sense. The main thing is to always look for the subject-verb combos. We then played Jeopardy to review for the test on Friday.
I'm hoping papers are being worked on. A few people have come in to see me but more are always welcomed. Tomorrow someone should remind me about the extra credit for this quarter.
Upcoming: Vocab Test Friday, Gatsby papers Tuesday. Our next novel begins Friday...

Timed Essay

Just a sneaky timed essay today. Although I'm sure most of you had an inkling that it was coming when I passed out the prompt the day before.
Upcoming: Vocab test Friday, Gatsby papers due Tuesday. You will be getting your next novel on Friday so I hope you have started your paper already.
Wednesday we have a surprise guest coming in!

Gatsby Discussion

Today we finished up our discussion of Gatsby. Some great points were brought up some I'm just going to ramble off some other things to think about that may help people with paper topics.
The idea of change was brought up in one of the hours and that is something that could be investigated further. Who does change and who doesn't? What causes the change or allows them to remain the same?
What view of marriage do we get? Are there any stable/happy relationships portrayed?
Is Myrtle a one time thing for Tom? If you said yes think about where he was the night of his daughter's birth (p. 17) and who he got in a car accident with (p. 78).
Weather was touched on briefly but I think the contrast of settings is also interesting. Look at the opening scene of the novel. Nick walks into the Buchannan's house with women dressed in loose white clothing while the warm wind blows through. In contrast to Myrtle and Tom's apartment with a "small living room, a small dinning-room, a small bedroom, and a bath. The living-room was crowded to the doors..." (29). What's going on here? Also compare it to the scene in the hotel.
Why is Nick so depressed about turning 30? page 136 He says they "drove on toward death." What a downer!
Finally, three pages that need to be looked at p. 69 weird inversion scene
Duality idea page 36 and the entire last page--what is Nick talking about?

Bonus: On page 115 there is a weird scene on the subway that I still can't figure out. Any takers on explaining it to me?

Upcoming: Paper due next Tuesday with 2 copies and Vocab test this Friday. Don't forget to glance at the sources tonight.

Aladdin

What a nice easy day for all of you! Today we started picking apart Disney. We are watching Aladdin and analyzing it using the various literary theories. Hopefully, with a new perspective on the movie some new things are popping out to you.

Upcoming: Don't forget to finish Gatsby and the sheet. You should also be thinking about your paper topics. Procrastination is not your friend!

MC Review

Today was a relatively light day. I assigned the Gatsby paper so if you were gone make sure you get a copy of the assignment either from me or print it off the website. Then we spent the rest of the hour going over the last multiple-choice test. Hopefully, you all found the correct answers and understand why they are correct. Remember that you should also be looking up and keeping a list of words you don't know.
Upcoming: Gatsby for Friday and an interesting analyzing surprise tomorrow.

Random: Nice work on whoever got the queue answer yesterday.
I'll give you a harder one today. Where does the term honeymoon come from?

Lit. Theory

Today was packed with entertaining and informative nuggets. We started off the hour with a new set of vocab and if you missed any words the set is online under SAT terms. Then we had a quick intro. to literary theory and did a little dissection of The Lion King. Don't worry there will be more deconstruction of Disney coming up soon. While you are finishing up Gatsby try to look at it from the various theories we talked about today. They actually make analyzing a little easier.
Upcoming: Finish Gatsby for Friday along with the guide.
Gatsby final paper will be assigned tomorrow and we will review the MC test.

Random: Nice guess on the wife of man (although I think I might have said that one in class).
What 5 letter English word keeps the same pronunciation if you remove 4 of its letters?

Gatsby Part 1

Yesterday was the discussion for the first half of Gatsby. Since it drives me crazy to keep my mouth shut, I'll use this as my outlet.
Some things to consider

Nick as narrator—how reliable is he? He makes a big deal out of saying how honest and nonjudgmental he is but I think the narrator doth protest too much. He definitely makes judgments about Tom, Daisy, and Jordan. Speaking of Jordan why is she such a liar?

Not to mention did anyone catch the Nick is a bit of a player?? (p. 59)

Pay careful attention to the descriptions of people.
Description of Tom—very masculine, physical, cruel
Jordan--very masculine as well but then George Wilson is very feminine--what's going on here?

Daisy's bizarre mothering skills. Why turn your head away and weep at the sight of a girl?

Don't be like the elitist and neglect the Valley of Ashes. There is a lot going on here some hints—desolate, biblical, industrial, lower class p. 24

Watch for parallel scenes. Fitzy is a genius when it comes to this. We already talked about Tom's violence with both Daisy and Myrtle but there are others. Look at the different settings we have between ch. 1 and 2 along with Myrtle's treatment of Tom.

Okay, I'll stop now but upcoming pay careful attention to everything surrounding Gatsby and Daisy's meeting...

Vocab Test

The good news is that we are done with the really hard vocab words and now will be moving into the world of SAT words but even better than that--more movies. I now have vocab videos for the rest of the year! Today we took a vocab test while watching TV (good thing you all are great at multi-tasking).
We then spent a little bit of time talking about Gatsby, but we'll have the full discussion tomorrow so bring your ideas to discuss.
If you need some tips look at the 10 step analysis I gave you a long time ago. Gatsby is ripe with interpretive possibilities.
Upcoming: Complete the study guide for Wednesday (yes write your answers down).
Finish Gatsby along with accompanying study guide for 1/30

Random: Woman is also an abbreviation. What does it stand for?
By the way if you want past answers you will actually have to talk to me. I'm trying to encourage student-teacher interaction.

Answer from yesterday

Oops I forgot to give the answer about posh. Port-side out, starboard home. If you need more explanation you'll have to ask me.

Random Question two: Why do Southern people have that type of accent?

Shakespeare's Sister

Today we started with another MC selection. The good news is that there is only one left and hopefully these ones make the real one seem easy. We then had a mini-informal discussion on the Woolf piece about women's writing. Sorry the discussion was a little confusing with the different excerpts. We also ran out of time to really do the piece justice but hopefully it got you thinking about how things are grouped.
Upcoming: Synthesis Essay tomorrow!
Vocab Test and Gatsby due Tuesday 1/20

Sentence Types--more than meets the eye

We started the hour off with a little practice with sentence types. They are a little tricky at first but it does get easier and knowing the different types will improve your writing as well. Once you get comfortable distinguishing the difference then you can start incorporating more of a variety within your own writing.
After the sentences then we took another multiple-choice quiz and had a presentation. Just a note on the presentations: you want to make sure that you have some type of plan of action before you get up in front of the class. You also should have looked up any words that you don't know. I had a good question about the timing issue too. For the test you should plan to spend about 12-15 minutes on each selection of questions. If you are not finishing but are coming within a question or two you are on track. If you need/want more practice I have books in the back you can borrow and I of course have extra samples I could give you.
Upcoming: Synthesis essay due Friday (make sure you come see me if you need help).

Random word fact of the day: The word posh is actually an acronym any guesses what it stands for???

Gatsby Time

Sorry this is late again.
Today we finally started our next novel. The Great Gatsby is where it's at this week. I should have a study guide for the first four chapters by the end of this week. We also did a mini timed MC and then had a group present the answers. For the groups yet to go make sure that you are prepared to explain the right answer and any confusing terms.
Upcoming: Synthesis due Friday and Gatsby 1-4 due Tuesday.

Synthesis Practice

Today we started with some entertaining and somewhat disturbing "I Want a Husband" pieces. I thought all were pretty well done but it was interesting to see how some groups slipped back into mocking men more than women.
We then looked at a sample synthesis question and went over some of the things to look for when analyzing the sources.
Upcoming: Vocab test some time soon.

Work Day

Well I hope you all had a relaxing day. My day was very long but it's great to see so many of you involved in multiple clubs. I think Phung and Sarah win for being in just about every picture today. I'm assuming everyone was able to finish their multiple-choice selection. I would just suggest having someone in your group check their answers with me sometime before or after school because it would be embarrassing to have the wrong answer when you are explaining to the class. Looking forward to the husband pleas tomorrow.
Upcoming: Still nothing! I hope you are using this time to study those vocab words though.

I want a wife (or a husband)

Today we looked at some amusing sarcasm and a creatively structured argument all wrapped in one and then you all had a chance to give it a try. There were definitely some interesting ideas tossed around as I was listening in to the various groups so I can't wait to hear the final results on Friday. Tomorrow remember I will be gone (sad I know try to contain your tears) and you will have a work day for your multiple-choice section.
We will begin the presentations on Monday with probably one each day. The main thing I'm looking for is that your group is able to relatively clearly explain what the right answer is and why. You should also know definitions for any unfamiliar terms.
Finally, I want to know when you would like to have your next vocab test. Your options are: next Friday which would be the standard two weeks or would you like it some time the last week of the semester knowing that you will also have a timed MC that week (most likely Thursday).
I will go with majority rules based on the comments I get.
Upcoming: Still nothing, what's wrong with me!?

Welcome Back

Sorry this is late and I forgot to post yesterday--hard to get back in the swing of things. Well I hope everyone had an enjoyable and relaxing break sans homework. Monday we got new Syntax vocab and the Huck essays back.
Tuesday we talked about gender constraints and still prevalent stereotypes. You also got a multiple-choice selection to work with in groups.
Upcoming: Weird, there is nothing for homework other than the MC right now....