Period 1--ELA 20
While several students went across the school yard to the elementary school, the remainder of the class stayed behind and worked on their To Kill A Mockingbird essays. Those reading did an excellent job, and we will continue until everyone has read to the little kids.
Period 2--AP 30/ELA A 30
The four kids in ELA A 30 presented their speeches to the rest of the class about who they would nominate as the most admirable Canadian of all time. The speeches were excellent! When they were finished, the kids used the time to finish up many of their assignments that need to be completed.
The AP 30s did their literary devices quiz that we should have done earlier in the week, and then we continued our discussion of Romantic poetry.
Period 3--ELA B 30
We almost finished Act IV today, so we should be able to clean this up tomorrow. We notice that the scenes are moving much quicker in this act as we move toward the resolution.
Period 4 & 5--AP 10
The grade 10s are off at a ski trip today, so I spent these two classes covering grade 6 science and grade 9 math--now I remember why I'm a high school ELA teacher!
Period 6--AP 20
They had this class to work on their Life of Pi essay.
Thursday, 27 March 2014
Wednesday, 26 March 2014
March 26, 2014
Period 1--AP 30
We looked at Romantic literature with a focus on Coleridge today and "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." We had just enough time to look at a sonnet of Wordsworth's but the students will need a bit more time to examine the rest of the booklet I gave to them in order to get a good idea of the Romantic genre.
ELA A 30--the students had this last class to prepare their speech for tomorrow.
Period 2 & 3--ELA B 30
We had just a few minutes of the play to view before we settled into work. The students were given a summary of Act III to go with the notes they have been taking. Then, we worked through several quotations from Act III to ensure student understanding before moving onto reading Act IV. We should be able to finish up the Act tomorrow.
Period 4--ELA 20
We went over how to write a formal essay. We didn't quite complete this, but they will have time to finish it up later. Tomorrow begins our reading to the Kindergarten kids; while they read, the remainder of the class will be working on their essays.
Period 5--AP 10
We finished reading the play "The Veldt" and were just doing some discussion of what they learned when the bell rang to end the class. The students requested one more day to finish up their Fever Charts for Dracula on Friday since it is due on Monday. I was agreeable to this, so that's the plan! I hope they have fun on their class ski trip tomorrow!
We looked at Romantic literature with a focus on Coleridge today and "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." We had just enough time to look at a sonnet of Wordsworth's but the students will need a bit more time to examine the rest of the booklet I gave to them in order to get a good idea of the Romantic genre.
ELA A 30--the students had this last class to prepare their speech for tomorrow.
Period 2 & 3--ELA B 30
We had just a few minutes of the play to view before we settled into work. The students were given a summary of Act III to go with the notes they have been taking. Then, we worked through several quotations from Act III to ensure student understanding before moving onto reading Act IV. We should be able to finish up the Act tomorrow.
Period 4--ELA 20
We went over how to write a formal essay. We didn't quite complete this, but they will have time to finish it up later. Tomorrow begins our reading to the Kindergarten kids; while they read, the remainder of the class will be working on their essays.
Period 5--AP 10
We finished reading the play "The Veldt" and were just doing some discussion of what they learned when the bell rang to end the class. The students requested one more day to finish up their Fever Charts for Dracula on Friday since it is due on Monday. I was agreeable to this, so that's the plan! I hope they have fun on their class ski trip tomorrow!
Tuesday, 25 March 2014
March 23, 2014
Period 1 & 2--ELA 20
We finished going over the power point I had created with thought on the novel including motifs, themes, characterization, etc. We had some great discussion. In the second half of the double period, we went to the library for the students to choose a children's book to get ready to read to the Kindergarten kids later on this week. They also had a survey the school required them to do, so it was a busy class.
Period 3--AP 30
The students did a timed write on Blake companion poems. They were only allowed the class period so they can start pushing themselves to finish quickly.
Period 4--ELA B 30
We continued watching the video of Act III and have a few more minutes to complete before we move on.
Period 5--AP 10
We began reading the play version of Ray Bradbury's "The Veldt" today. We aren't quite done, so we'll have to finish up tomorrow.
Period 6--AP 20
We deconstructed the various prompts for their essay on The Life of Pi. They will have some class time to work on this.
We finished going over the power point I had created with thought on the novel including motifs, themes, characterization, etc. We had some great discussion. In the second half of the double period, we went to the library for the students to choose a children's book to get ready to read to the Kindergarten kids later on this week. They also had a survey the school required them to do, so it was a busy class.
Period 3--AP 30
The students did a timed write on Blake companion poems. They were only allowed the class period so they can start pushing themselves to finish quickly.
Period 4--ELA B 30
We continued watching the video of Act III and have a few more minutes to complete before we move on.
Period 5--AP 10
We began reading the play version of Ray Bradbury's "The Veldt" today. We aren't quite done, so we'll have to finish up tomorrow.
Period 6--AP 20
We deconstructed the various prompts for their essay on The Life of Pi. They will have some class time to work on this.
Monday, 24 March 2014
March 24, 2014
Period 1--ELA B 30
We finished reading the last scene of Act III with just a few minutes to spare. We barely started viewing the play to help support their learning, so that will continue tomorrow.
Period 2 & 3--AP 30
This double period was great for getting through William Blake. We studied the two companion poems of "The Chimney Sweeper" as well as the "Holy Thursday" poems. They will have a timed write tomorrow comparing two of Blake's poems.
Period 4--ELA 20
The students were to be completely finished with the novel. We started going over some of the finer points for discussion. I also gave out the essay topics so the students could jot down notes that might be applicable to their essay topic choice.
Period 5--AP 10
We did our literary devices quiz today and then I handed out their next novel which will be Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. They have to have it read for after Easter. To prepare them for reading "The Veldt" (also by Bradbury), we engaged in quite a lengthy discussion about technology and the impact it has on society and familial relationships. We will start in with "The Veldt," in play form, tomorrow.
We finished reading the last scene of Act III with just a few minutes to spare. We barely started viewing the play to help support their learning, so that will continue tomorrow.
Period 2 & 3--AP 30
This double period was great for getting through William Blake. We studied the two companion poems of "The Chimney Sweeper" as well as the "Holy Thursday" poems. They will have a timed write tomorrow comparing two of Blake's poems.
Period 4--ELA 20
The students were to be completely finished with the novel. We started going over some of the finer points for discussion. I also gave out the essay topics so the students could jot down notes that might be applicable to their essay topic choice.
Period 5--AP 10
We did our literary devices quiz today and then I handed out their next novel which will be Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. They have to have it read for after Easter. To prepare them for reading "The Veldt" (also by Bradbury), we engaged in quite a lengthy discussion about technology and the impact it has on society and familial relationships. We will start in with "The Veldt," in play form, tomorrow.
Friday, 21 March 2014
March 21, 2014
Period 1--ELA 20
This was the students' last class to work on reading and reading logs for To Kill a Mockingbird. Everything is due on Monday.
Period 2--AP 30/ELA A 30
We continue our study with William Blake and spent the entire class on "The Tyger" and had some interesting discussion about this.
The ELA A 30 kids were given the assignment to come up with a speech for the most admirable Canadian of all time.
Period 3--ELA B 30
We read through the rest of Act III, scene ii and also completed scene iii. We will review on Monday and carry on to finish the act.
Period 4--AP 10
This is the last class for the students to work on their fever charts. They will have to work on their own to complete this assignment that is due for April 30.
Period 5 & 6--AP 20
We finally finished our discussion of Life of Pi and they were also given their essay topics. We discussed the topics and then they had a bit of time to work on choosing their topics.
This was the students' last class to work on reading and reading logs for To Kill a Mockingbird. Everything is due on Monday.
Period 2--AP 30/ELA A 30
We continue our study with William Blake and spent the entire class on "The Tyger" and had some interesting discussion about this.
The ELA A 30 kids were given the assignment to come up with a speech for the most admirable Canadian of all time.
Period 3--ELA B 30
We read through the rest of Act III, scene ii and also completed scene iii. We will review on Monday and carry on to finish the act.
Period 4--AP 10
This is the last class for the students to work on their fever charts. They will have to work on their own to complete this assignment that is due for April 30.
Period 5 & 6--AP 20
We finally finished our discussion of Life of Pi and they were also given their essay topics. We discussed the topics and then they had a bit of time to work on choosing their topics.
Thursday, 20 March 2014
March 20, 2014
Period 1--ELA 20
The students worked hard this period to finish up the novel.
Period 2--AP 30/ELA A 30
We continued our look at William Blake. We examined "The Lamb" and started looking at "The Tyger" but the bell rang before we could finish.
ELA A 30--the students continued to work on their reading assessments.
Period 3--ELA B 30
We continued with Act III, scene ii. We had quite a few interruptions during class, so we didn't get as far as I wanted, but we will pick it up tomorrow.
Period 4--AP 10
They used this penultimate class to work on their fever charts.
Period 5--Mentor
We had an assembly put on by the SLC during this period.
The students worked hard this period to finish up the novel.
Period 2--AP 30/ELA A 30
We continued our look at William Blake. We examined "The Lamb" and started looking at "The Tyger" but the bell rang before we could finish.
ELA A 30--the students continued to work on their reading assessments.
Period 3--ELA B 30
We continued with Act III, scene ii. We had quite a few interruptions during class, so we didn't get as far as I wanted, but we will pick it up tomorrow.
Period 4--AP 10
They used this penultimate class to work on their fever charts.
Period 5--Mentor
We had an assembly put on by the SLC during this period.
Wednesday, 19 March 2014
March 19, 2014
Period 1--ELA 20
I went over some of the major events of the novel in part II up to Chapter 24. The students used the rest of the class to continue working on finishing up the novel.
Period 2--AP 30/ELA A 30
The AP kids and I continued to talk about Romantic literature and then we backtracked a bit to get into some William Blake poetry which straddles the Neoclassical era as well as has some Romantic tendencies. This will lead into our study of the Romantic masters.
ELA A 30--This group is working on their reading assessment.
Period 3--ELA B 30
We continued our comparison of the Brannagh "To be or not to be speech" vs. the Gibson presentation of the soliloquy. We examined technical aspects and considered how that affected the tone of the play. We summarized Act III, scene i together on the board for notes and then carried on with scene ii. We didn't get terribly far before the bell rang, so we will continue with this tomorrow.
Period 4 & 5--AP 10
The students made excellent use of this double period to work on their fever charts for Dracula.
Period 6--AP 20
We continued our discussion of Life of Pi from our power point. This resulted in some very interesting discussion about the novel, and a few tangents, too! The students were also given their next set of literary devices words for a quiz. Their quiz will be on next Tuesday.
I went over some of the major events of the novel in part II up to Chapter 24. The students used the rest of the class to continue working on finishing up the novel.
Period 2--AP 30/ELA A 30
The AP kids and I continued to talk about Romantic literature and then we backtracked a bit to get into some William Blake poetry which straddles the Neoclassical era as well as has some Romantic tendencies. This will lead into our study of the Romantic masters.
ELA A 30--This group is working on their reading assessment.
Period 3--ELA B 30
We continued our comparison of the Brannagh "To be or not to be speech" vs. the Gibson presentation of the soliloquy. We examined technical aspects and considered how that affected the tone of the play. We summarized Act III, scene i together on the board for notes and then carried on with scene ii. We didn't get terribly far before the bell rang, so we will continue with this tomorrow.
Period 4 & 5--AP 10
The students made excellent use of this double period to work on their fever charts for Dracula.
Period 6--AP 20
We continued our discussion of Life of Pi from our power point. This resulted in some very interesting discussion about the novel, and a few tangents, too! The students were also given their next set of literary devices words for a quiz. Their quiz will be on next Tuesday.
Tuesday, 18 March 2014
March 18, 2014
I hope the students enjoyed their extra long weekend while the teachers were at their PD! Back at school, this is what our day looked like:
Period 1--AP 30
The students were given 10 new words for their literary devices quiz. Because of the short week and so many senior students being gone for band, we will have our quiz next Monday. We started in with Romantic literature by looking at at comparison between it and the Neoclassical movement that came before it. There was a power point with Romantic characteristics we were discussing, but didn't quite finish it up today.
ELA A 30--They were given a reading assessment to complete.
Period 2 & 3--ELA B 30
We reviewed our reading from Act II last week to remind the students of the events of the play. Then, we began our reading of Act III. As part of this, once we got through scene i, with the "To be or not to be" speech, we backtracked to look at different interpretations of the speech. To do so, we viewed the Mel Gibson delivery of it and contrasted that with the Kenneth Branagh one. We have a bit more to do with this tomorrow before we carry on.
Period 4--ELA 20
Yes, we are still on To Kill a Mockingbird, moving at a snail's pace, it seems. The students are to have this book finished (read) and the reading logs done for the end of the week.
Period 5--AP 10
They continued to work on their Fever Charts.
REMINDER: Students were told of the necessity to get their assignments in. There are a number of names up on the board; if those aren't in by Friday, then students will be facing in-school suspensions and/or loss of spares.
Period 1--AP 30
The students were given 10 new words for their literary devices quiz. Because of the short week and so many senior students being gone for band, we will have our quiz next Monday. We started in with Romantic literature by looking at at comparison between it and the Neoclassical movement that came before it. There was a power point with Romantic characteristics we were discussing, but didn't quite finish it up today.
ELA A 30--They were given a reading assessment to complete.
Period 2 & 3--ELA B 30
We reviewed our reading from Act II last week to remind the students of the events of the play. Then, we began our reading of Act III. As part of this, once we got through scene i, with the "To be or not to be" speech, we backtracked to look at different interpretations of the speech. To do so, we viewed the Mel Gibson delivery of it and contrasted that with the Kenneth Branagh one. We have a bit more to do with this tomorrow before we carry on.
Period 4--ELA 20
Yes, we are still on To Kill a Mockingbird, moving at a snail's pace, it seems. The students are to have this book finished (read) and the reading logs done for the end of the week.
Period 5--AP 10
They continued to work on their Fever Charts.
REMINDER: Students were told of the necessity to get their assignments in. There are a number of names up on the board; if those aren't in by Friday, then students will be facing in-school suspensions and/or loss of spares.
Thursday, 13 March 2014
March 13, 2014
Period 1 & 2--ELA 20
For the first class of the double, the students continued to work on their To Kill a Mockingbird reading and reading logs. They worked extremely well. In the second half of the class, we switched to creative writing. The students had to consider what they would do if they won $50 million. This was fun to talk about, and then the students had to write about their plans.
Period 3--AP 30
This is the students' last class to work on their Great Gatsby essay. It is due April 14th.
ELA A 30--They students used this class to work on their editorial. It is due March 21st.
Period 4--ELA B 30
We spent this class viewing the second act of Hamlet. Throughout the viewing, I paused the play to support what they were seeing and draw their attention to various parts of the play.
Period 5--AP 10
The students continue to work on their fever chart for Dracula and are making excellent progress. I agreed to give them some more time to work on this next week since they were digging into it so thoroughly. We set the due date for it on March 31st.
Period 6--AP 20
We began our study of Life of Pi and spent the majority of the class discussing the concept of versimilitude and how Yann Martel incorporates it into his story. The deep discussion of truth and perception were particularly discussed.
For the first class of the double, the students continued to work on their To Kill a Mockingbird reading and reading logs. They worked extremely well. In the second half of the class, we switched to creative writing. The students had to consider what they would do if they won $50 million. This was fun to talk about, and then the students had to write about their plans.
Period 3--AP 30
This is the students' last class to work on their Great Gatsby essay. It is due April 14th.
ELA A 30--They students used this class to work on their editorial. It is due March 21st.
Period 4--ELA B 30
We spent this class viewing the second act of Hamlet. Throughout the viewing, I paused the play to support what they were seeing and draw their attention to various parts of the play.
Period 5--AP 10
The students continue to work on their fever chart for Dracula and are making excellent progress. I agreed to give them some more time to work on this next week since they were digging into it so thoroughly. We set the due date for it on March 31st.
Period 6--AP 20
We began our study of Life of Pi and spent the majority of the class discussing the concept of versimilitude and how Yann Martel incorporates it into his story. The deep discussion of truth and perception were particularly discussed.
Wednesday, 12 March 2014
March 12, 2014
Period 1--ELA B 30
We finished reading Act II, scene ii and had some good discussion about Hamlet's madness, or lack thereof. Toward the end of the class, we began viewing the video to provide visual support of for the students.
Period 2 & 3--AP 30
The class worked very hard this class to get ahead of some of their work. They have one last class tomorrow to work on their Gatsby essay.
ELA A 30
These four students used this time to work on the editorial assignment that goes with the essay they read yesterday. They will get tomorrow to finish this up.
Period 4--ELA 20
We reviewed their discussion from yesterday. Then, they were working on their next group of chapters (ch. 23-27). They were told that they will be reading to the Kindergarten class in the next couple of weeks, so they need to consider who they would like to pair up with and what book they would like to read.
Period 5--AP 10
The students had this class to work on their Dracula fever charts. They get tomorrow as well, and we will determine what kind of time is needed after that.
We finished reading Act II, scene ii and had some good discussion about Hamlet's madness, or lack thereof. Toward the end of the class, we began viewing the video to provide visual support of for the students.
Period 2 & 3--AP 30
The class worked very hard this class to get ahead of some of their work. They have one last class tomorrow to work on their Gatsby essay.
ELA A 30
These four students used this time to work on the editorial assignment that goes with the essay they read yesterday. They will get tomorrow to finish this up.
Period 4--ELA 20
We reviewed their discussion from yesterday. Then, they were working on their next group of chapters (ch. 23-27). They were told that they will be reading to the Kindergarten class in the next couple of weeks, so they need to consider who they would like to pair up with and what book they would like to read.
Period 5--AP 10
The students had this class to work on their Dracula fever charts. They get tomorrow as well, and we will determine what kind of time is needed after that.
March 11, 2014
Period 1--ELA 20
We finished reading chapter 22 in the first part of class. We then went through the verdict of the trial and the fall-out it has on various characters in the play. We discussed: why the verdict was a foregone conclusion and how that was paralleled in part I, where is Boo Radley in part II, appearance vs. reality, and identified some mockingbirds.
Period 2--AP 30
As per our agreement, they have this week to work on their Gatsby essay.
ELA A 30
They started a new piece of literature called "Canadian Personality" which is an editorial essay. They were to highlight important phrases throughout. They will have time to work on their assignment for this tomorrow.
Period 3--ELA B 30
We continued reading in Act II, scene ii of Hamlet.
Period 4--AP 10
They are working on their Dracula fever chart.
Period 5 & 6--AP 20
We finished with our multiple choice today. Then it was time to look at our last FNMI poem of the unit which was "Waking Up"--an Inuit poem. The students looked at medicine wheels and made their own as well as spent some time analyzing the poem.
We finished reading chapter 22 in the first part of class. We then went through the verdict of the trial and the fall-out it has on various characters in the play. We discussed: why the verdict was a foregone conclusion and how that was paralleled in part I, where is Boo Radley in part II, appearance vs. reality, and identified some mockingbirds.
Period 2--AP 30
As per our agreement, they have this week to work on their Gatsby essay.
ELA A 30
They started a new piece of literature called "Canadian Personality" which is an editorial essay. They were to highlight important phrases throughout. They will have time to work on their assignment for this tomorrow.
Period 3--ELA B 30
We continued reading in Act II, scene ii of Hamlet.
Period 4--AP 10
They are working on their Dracula fever chart.
Period 5 & 6--AP 20
We finished with our multiple choice today. Then it was time to look at our last FNMI poem of the unit which was "Waking Up"--an Inuit poem. The students looked at medicine wheels and made their own as well as spent some time analyzing the poem.
Monday, 10 March 2014
March 10, 2014
Period 1--ELA 20
We are looking at the verdict from the trial today. I read a section from chapter 20 and then began reading chapter 21 aloud to the students today. We spent time discussing reactions to the verdict and disappointments.
Period 2--AP 30
The students were given the prompts for The Great Gatsby. They will have this week to work on their essay in class and then after their four day weekend, we will be picking up the pace and prepping them for their exam.
Period 3--ELA B 30
We did a review of Act I together as a class by identifying who said what quotation. Then, we took a few notes on what we have already seen in Act II. Finally, we finished reading Act II, scene i and reviewed it.
Period 4--AP 10
The students had this class to work on their Fever Charts for Dracula.
Period 5--Mentor
The grade 12s built their portfolio for next week's three way conferences.
We are looking at the verdict from the trial today. I read a section from chapter 20 and then began reading chapter 21 aloud to the students today. We spent time discussing reactions to the verdict and disappointments.
Period 2--AP 30
The students were given the prompts for The Great Gatsby. They will have this week to work on their essay in class and then after their four day weekend, we will be picking up the pace and prepping them for their exam.
Period 3--ELA B 30
We did a review of Act I together as a class by identifying who said what quotation. Then, we took a few notes on what we have already seen in Act II. Finally, we finished reading Act II, scene i and reviewed it.
Period 4--AP 10
The students had this class to work on their Fever Charts for Dracula.
Period 5--Mentor
The grade 12s built their portfolio for next week's three way conferences.
Friday, 7 March 2014
March 7, 2014
Period 1--ELA 20
This was the last class for the students to work on their chapter 16-20 reading and reading logs. The logs will be due on Monday.
Period 2--AP 30
The students completed their literary devices quiz. We had the chance to finish our discussion of the Great Gatsby and at the end of the discussion, the students had to come up with five questions they still had about the novel. From those five questions, they have to focus on one to create a question paragraph.
Period 3--ELA B 30
We finished watching Act I of the video for Hamlet. We continued to read into Act II.
Period 4 & 5--AP 10
The students completed their literary devices quiz. We continued, and finished, our discussion of Dracula. After this, I introduced the assignment of the "fever chart" that they will have to do to accompany the novel.
Period 6--AP 20
The students completed their literary devices quiz. They then finished their multiple choice questions on "The Corn Husker." We went over them as a class and tried to determine the answer.
This was the last class for the students to work on their chapter 16-20 reading and reading logs. The logs will be due on Monday.
Period 2--AP 30
The students completed their literary devices quiz. We had the chance to finish our discussion of the Great Gatsby and at the end of the discussion, the students had to come up with five questions they still had about the novel. From those five questions, they have to focus on one to create a question paragraph.
Period 3--ELA B 30
We finished watching Act I of the video for Hamlet. We continued to read into Act II.
Period 4 & 5--AP 10
The students completed their literary devices quiz. We continued, and finished, our discussion of Dracula. After this, I introduced the assignment of the "fever chart" that they will have to do to accompany the novel.
Period 6--AP 20
The students completed their literary devices quiz. They then finished their multiple choice questions on "The Corn Husker." We went over them as a class and tried to determine the answer.
Thursday, 6 March 2014
March 6, 2014
Period 1--AP 30
We started off the class with a look at The Great Gatsby and whether or not it deserves the title of "American Classic." In order to facilitate this discussion, we defined the "great American novel" and looked at various examples that have been considered to be such. Fortunately, we've read many of them so our discussion was quite in depth. Discussion of the movie also took place for those who have viewed it and the effect it had on their understanding of the novel. After this, we began a more in depth conversation of the novel. Fabulous, in depth discussion made for a great class!
ELA A 30--They continued working on their Sgt. John ABC booklet. They only get until Friday to finish this.
Period 2 & 3--ELA B 30
We finished reading Act I and discussed it thoroughly and even took notes at the end of each scene to make sure they don't lose track of what we've discussed. Once we finished reading the act, we began looking at the video of the play by Branagh so the students can see some of the aspects that they may have been confused about.
Period 4--ELA 20
We spent some time together discussing the trial in To Kill a Mockingbird. They had a handout with summaries of chapters 16 & 17 and we discussed various aspects of racism and the plight of Mayella Ewell throughout our discussion.
Period 5--AP 10
Our discussion of Dracula continues. We are just in the middle of looking at various themes of the novel and particularly focused on the concept of modernity as it juxtaposes with the supernatural nature of the story. Great discussions in class!
We started off the class with a look at The Great Gatsby and whether or not it deserves the title of "American Classic." In order to facilitate this discussion, we defined the "great American novel" and looked at various examples that have been considered to be such. Fortunately, we've read many of them so our discussion was quite in depth. Discussion of the movie also took place for those who have viewed it and the effect it had on their understanding of the novel. After this, we began a more in depth conversation of the novel. Fabulous, in depth discussion made for a great class!
ELA A 30--They continued working on their Sgt. John ABC booklet. They only get until Friday to finish this.
Period 2 & 3--ELA B 30
We finished reading Act I and discussed it thoroughly and even took notes at the end of each scene to make sure they don't lose track of what we've discussed. Once we finished reading the act, we began looking at the video of the play by Branagh so the students can see some of the aspects that they may have been confused about.
Period 4--ELA 20
We spent some time together discussing the trial in To Kill a Mockingbird. They had a handout with summaries of chapters 16 & 17 and we discussed various aspects of racism and the plight of Mayella Ewell throughout our discussion.
Period 5--AP 10
Our discussion of Dracula continues. We are just in the middle of looking at various themes of the novel and particularly focused on the concept of modernity as it juxtaposes with the supernatural nature of the story. Great discussions in class!
March 5, 2014
Period 1 & 2--ELA 20
During the first period of this double, we continued with our study of To Kill a Mockingbird. The students should be working on chapters 16-20 with character analyses. For the second period of the double, we did some creative writing. The students had to consider 20 things that annoyed them. After we discussed their top 3 annoying things, they had to choose one of the annoying things from their list and do a 15 minute sustained write about that topic. If they finished early, they could continue on with TKAM.
Period 3--AP 30
We went through a power point on The Great Gatsby. With this, we looked at symbols and characterization.
Period 4--ELA B 30
At the start of the class, we reviewed the events of Act I, scene ii. Then we continued reading Hamlet Act I, scene iii and will continue tomorrow.
Period 5--AP 10
In our study of Dracula, we continued going over a power point. This class's discussion centred on the setting and format of the novel. We also examined the Victorian times and how that impacted the content of the novel.
Period 6--AP 20
We studied the poem "Coyoti in a City" as well as "Corn Huskers." We annotated the first poem together as a class and then the students, in partners, had to create three AP-style multiple choice questions for "Corn Huskers."
During the first period of this double, we continued with our study of To Kill a Mockingbird. The students should be working on chapters 16-20 with character analyses. For the second period of the double, we did some creative writing. The students had to consider 20 things that annoyed them. After we discussed their top 3 annoying things, they had to choose one of the annoying things from their list and do a 15 minute sustained write about that topic. If they finished early, they could continue on with TKAM.
Period 3--AP 30
We went through a power point on The Great Gatsby. With this, we looked at symbols and characterization.
Period 4--ELA B 30
At the start of the class, we reviewed the events of Act I, scene ii. Then we continued reading Hamlet Act I, scene iii and will continue tomorrow.
Period 5--AP 10
In our study of Dracula, we continued going over a power point. This class's discussion centred on the setting and format of the novel. We also examined the Victorian times and how that impacted the content of the novel.
Period 6--AP 20
We studied the poem "Coyoti in a City" as well as "Corn Huskers." We annotated the first poem together as a class and then the students, in partners, had to create three AP-style multiple choice questions for "Corn Huskers."
Tuesday, 4 March 2014
March 4, 2014
Period 1--ELA B 30
We started out the class with a review of Hamlet's soliloquy (and reviewed what a soliloquy is). They did this through a cloze exercise where I gave them the original text as well as a "modern" text with blanks in it. There was a word bank so they could choose words they thought would complete the passage. We also went through it together and discussed what the ideas in the soliloquy were. Finally, we carried on and finished reading Act I, scene ii. We will review it tomorrow before we move on.
Period 2 &3 --AP 30
This class needed to finish our understanding of Francis Bacon's essays (if one can ever fully understand them). We studied "Of Truth," "Of Death," "Of Revenge," and "Of Beauty." They students have to write their own "Of ______________" essay which will be due Monday. In the second class of our double, we decided to begin our study of The Great Gatsby. Before getting into the real meat of the story, we split the main characters up among the students and each of them had to define the characters using one word and find a passage to support their word. We shared and discussed the quotations and words for the majority of the class. Toward the end, we began a discussion about whether or not Gatsby deserves to be considered an American classic. We will carry this on tomorrow.
ELA A 30--They will be working on their ABC Booklet for the duration of the week and then we will be finished with Sgt. John.
Period 4--ELA 20
The students continue to work on reading the chapters 16-20 and the character reading logs they need to complete. They will have this week to finish up.
Period 5--AP 10
We needed to finish up our discussion of "The Lady of Shalott" so we did after looking at the symbols and various artistic representations of the poem. Once we completed that, it was finally time to start our study of Dracula. For this, we are looking back on the legend of Vlad the Impaler and some of the nasty stories about him.
We started out the class with a review of Hamlet's soliloquy (and reviewed what a soliloquy is). They did this through a cloze exercise where I gave them the original text as well as a "modern" text with blanks in it. There was a word bank so they could choose words they thought would complete the passage. We also went through it together and discussed what the ideas in the soliloquy were. Finally, we carried on and finished reading Act I, scene ii. We will review it tomorrow before we move on.
Period 2 &3 --AP 30
This class needed to finish our understanding of Francis Bacon's essays (if one can ever fully understand them). We studied "Of Truth," "Of Death," "Of Revenge," and "Of Beauty." They students have to write their own "Of ______________" essay which will be due Monday. In the second class of our double, we decided to begin our study of The Great Gatsby. Before getting into the real meat of the story, we split the main characters up among the students and each of them had to define the characters using one word and find a passage to support their word. We shared and discussed the quotations and words for the majority of the class. Toward the end, we began a discussion about whether or not Gatsby deserves to be considered an American classic. We will carry this on tomorrow.
ELA A 30--They will be working on their ABC Booklet for the duration of the week and then we will be finished with Sgt. John.
Period 4--ELA 20
The students continue to work on reading the chapters 16-20 and the character reading logs they need to complete. They will have this week to finish up.
Period 5--AP 10
We needed to finish up our discussion of "The Lady of Shalott" so we did after looking at the symbols and various artistic representations of the poem. Once we completed that, it was finally time to start our study of Dracula. For this, we are looking back on the legend of Vlad the Impaler and some of the nasty stories about him.
Monday, 3 March 2014
March 3, 2014
Finally! The weather broke and we should have classes for the entire week as the weather warms up! It was a cold few weeks!
Period 1--ELA 20
The students were to read chapters 16-20 of To Kill a Mockingbird and as they read, they are to pick ONE character from each of the chapters and choose ONE word to describe that character. Once they have done this, they need to write a paragraph explaining why that is the best word to describe the character. They will have the week to work on these chapters.
Period 2--AP 30
Finally, we were able to get through our modest proposal presentations and the students did an excellent job of creating satire! I also introduced the literary devices that we will study this week for a quiz on Friday. Finally, we started going over Francis Bacon's essays but didn't get very far, so we'll have to finish that tomorrow.
Period 3--ELA B 30
We continued on with Hamlet but are just getting our feet under us. We reviewed what we learned last week and are just getting to Hamlet's first soliloquy. We will carry on with both me and the students reading aloud as we go.
Period 4--AP 10
The students were introduced to the literary devices we will study for the week and on which they will have a quiz on Friday. We are finishing up our study of "The Lady of Shalott" but didn't quite get through everything I wanted to discuss. When the bell went, we were examining symbols in the play.
Period 5 &6--AP 20
I introduced the 10 literary devices they will be tested on Friday and we discussed their meanings. Then, they had a bit more time to work on their assignment with Gordie Carle's poetry. The students were focussing on diction and imagery throughout the study. This is a hand-in assignment for them to finish. Finally, we did some multiple choice study with some excerpts from FNMI literature. We will finish this up next class.
Period 1--ELA 20
The students were to read chapters 16-20 of To Kill a Mockingbird and as they read, they are to pick ONE character from each of the chapters and choose ONE word to describe that character. Once they have done this, they need to write a paragraph explaining why that is the best word to describe the character. They will have the week to work on these chapters.
Period 2--AP 30
Finally, we were able to get through our modest proposal presentations and the students did an excellent job of creating satire! I also introduced the literary devices that we will study this week for a quiz on Friday. Finally, we started going over Francis Bacon's essays but didn't get very far, so we'll have to finish that tomorrow.
Period 3--ELA B 30
We continued on with Hamlet but are just getting our feet under us. We reviewed what we learned last week and are just getting to Hamlet's first soliloquy. We will carry on with both me and the students reading aloud as we go.
Period 4--AP 10
The students were introduced to the literary devices we will study for the week and on which they will have a quiz on Friday. We are finishing up our study of "The Lady of Shalott" but didn't quite get through everything I wanted to discuss. When the bell went, we were examining symbols in the play.
Period 5 &6--AP 20
I introduced the 10 literary devices they will be tested on Friday and we discussed their meanings. Then, they had a bit more time to work on their assignment with Gordie Carle's poetry. The students were focussing on diction and imagery throughout the study. This is a hand-in assignment for them to finish. Finally, we did some multiple choice study with some excerpts from FNMI literature. We will finish this up next class.
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