Acting Day 1

Today we briefly discussed the homework from yesterday and hopefully I clarified any questions you had. I will collect the assignment tomorrow so you have a chance to fix any mistakes you had.
We then finished up the background notes on The Crucible and then got to start act 1.
So far we only read a few pages but the acting has been passable. Remember it is more than okay to over-act a little! If you were gone we only read up to page 14.
Upcoming: Vocab test on Friday and MC due Monday

Purtian Intro.

Today we had our intro. on Puritan values. We started by looking at the sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." While we are reading The Crucible please keep in mind the values/beliefs that Puritans had. There is a lot going on in this play but so much will be lost if you try to look at it solely from a contemporary perspective. The homework for tomorrow is to read the Miller and McCarthy articles and answer the corresponding questions.
Upcoming: Vocab Test Friday and MC due Monday

Indian Ed.

Today we looked at the Sherman Alexie piece and practiced writing some thesis statements and body paragraphs. Click on the title for a copy of the outline. Almost every group had a passing thesis and body--now just remember to include the same things when you are writing on your own. Today we wrapped up our Native American unit and tomorrow we become Puritans!
Remember to read your sermon seriously and make a list of values and devices.
Upcoming: MC due next Monday and vocab test this Friday.

Thesis Writing

Today we spent some time going over what makes a good thesis statement and then we discussed the Hurston prompt. The notes from today are linked to the blog title. Hopefully, you all took some notes on p.o.v and diction to get you a good start on the essay. Make sure you answer the prompt clearly and with support.
We ended class with a lovely Harry Potter vocab video. If you would like to watch it again it is of course on-line.

Return of Summer Assignment

Okay, I hope everyone is satisfied with their summer assignment grades. I know my expectations are high but they have to be in order to make you all phenomenal writers. Today we went over some notes on writing the longer essays and you got your first AP practice essay to do. We will talk about the essays in class this week but please come and see me if you need help getting started. If you missed the notes today you can magically click on the blog title and it will take you to them.

Upcoming: AP Essay due Friday
Vocab Test next Friday

Happy Friday

Today we worked with different textual perspectives. Remember to keep in mind that audience and purpose are heavily influenced by style and language of the writer.
Upcoming: Tone Sheet for Monday
Vocab Test 1 Oct. 1st

Best Friend Day

Today we worked with analyzing a speech using your rhetorical diagrams. Hopefully the analyzing is starting to become more clear. No homework tonight so enjoy it while you have it.
Upcoming:
Vocab Test 10/1
Tone Sheet for Monday

Analyzing Cheat Sheet

Okay, so it's only the second week and I already forgot to post for an entire week.
If you actually read this please just remind me to post. Today we had a first vocab video. Your first vocab test will include those twenty words plus the four modes of discourse we talked about last week. I will let you know when the exact date of the vocab test will be but plan on about three weeks.
We also went over some of the most common patterns used in literature. Hopefully it will help you look for more interesting ideas in the novels we read. We ran out of time to talk about the "Drunk of Legend" piece so we'll cover that tomorrow. Please make sure to mark up the text with things you find interesting.
HW: Analyze and find the thesis.