Have a Great Break!

After reviewing the multiple choice from yesterday, we had a look at an ironic holiday classic: Nicholas Was" by Neil Gaiman.

Timed Essay & Multiple Choice

Today we waved a temporary goodbye to Frankenstein with a timed essay and some Romantic multiple choice practice.

FrankenThemes

Thinking About Frank

Frankenstein Begins for Real

After a quiz on the second half of Frankenstein, we had a Socratic seminar and students talked in a general way about the book.

Recitations and Work Time

In period two, we almost finished Poetry Out Loud recitations. In period three, students had some time to work on late work and Frankenstein.

Rounds 1 and 2

Today, we continued with the POL presentations.

Round 1 Begins

...and it was amazing!

POL Practice

Today we headed to the library and students had a chance to practice recitations multiple times with peer partners. We headed back to the classroom for an exit ticket and some time to work on wrapping up loose ends.

Frank WU & POL Practice

FrankenPOL

After a bit of work on Frankenstein, students had the period to work on their poems.

The Uncanny & Poetry Readings

Today we started thinking about how the uncanny applies to Frankenstein, then practiced poetry recitations a bit after examining the rubric.

Frank Gets Goth

Today we had a quick quiz, talked a bit about Frankenstein so far and then zeroed in on the Gothic Romance with notes on a short film about the period and a short film about creepiness and the uncanny valley.

Monday & Tuesday

We spent these two days on pacing and tone, and students had the opportunity to annotate their POL scripts. Initial annotations were due today.

Figurative Language, Style, and POL

Today we reviewed figurative language and style with a quick quiz. Students had the rest of the period to work on their POL poems.

Timed Essay Review and POL

Today we started by reviewing the Candide timed essays. The link to the review activity is at the Candide Class Page. After we talked about the AP Ashland trip in May, students had some time to work on their POL poems.

Walton's Letters & MC Review

After spending some time considering Walton's letters which open Frankenstein, we reviewed the multiple choice passage from the Candide timed essay before break.

POL Work Time

Frankly Romantic

The introduction to Frankenstein and the Romantic period slides are at Class Pages. Reading assignments are below.

Goodbye to Candide

After some final discussion of Candide on Thursday, we wrapped up the week before Thanksgiving with some multiple choice practice and a timed essay.

Terms & Targets

After reflecting on yesterday's seminar and debriefing the quiz, we spent some time in groups looking at Voltaire's satire and wrapped up the day with an exit ticket.

Socrates & Voltaire

After a quick quiz today, we circled up and had a Socratic Seminar on Candide. We will continue our work with the text tomorrow.

POL & Satire

Poetry Out Loud

Today we had a rather free-form day because of the many absences. Students who were here got started on choosing their Poetry Out Loud poems. Assignment details are at our class page, but we'll talk more about it tomorrow.

Monday & Tuesday

Monday we began the day with a bit of reflection, looking at our Q1 grades and making goals for Q2. We then wrapped up our poetry review and look at "Reapers."
Tuesday we defined and looked at some examples of satire and then had a brief introduction to Candide. Slides and assignments are at our PS Class Page.

Multiple Choice and "Reapers"

Today we reviewed the multiple choice from last Friday and started our poetry unit with a look at Jean Toomer's "Reapers."

College Essay Tips & Prewriting

Today we worked a bit more on the college essay. Links are at our Class Page.

The College Essay

Today we spent the period looking at some college essays and talking about what makes them good. Slides, handouts and links are at our Class Page.

Oedipus Timed Essay & Some MC Practice

Today we had the timed writing for Oedipus and practiced a bit of multiple choice.

Final Thoughts

Today we spent the day talking about the Oedipus Tyrannus study guide and a bit more about translation (and how to choose your copy of Candide). Timed essay tomorrow.

Figurative Language & Translation

After looking at a passage from near the end of Oedipus, we finished the irony presentations, talked a bit about the study guide (due Friday & available at PS Unified Classroom), and wrapped up the day with some consideration of translation.

Irony Presentations

After a quick review of irony, we had a short discussion of the play. Students then wrapped up their presentations and we started them. We'll finish them up tomorrow.

Oedipus & Irony

After a quick quiz on Oedipus Rex, students had the period to work alone and then in groups on the Irony Hunt project. Handouts and slides are at PS Unified Classroom.

Isn't It Ironic?

Today we spent the period reviewing irony. The slides and videos are at our Class Page.

The Greeks & Oedipus

We spent the period learning about Greek culture, drama, and myth today in preparation for our reading of Oedipus Tyrannus. Notes are available at our PS Class Page. Students should have the entire play read by Monday.

The Awakening Timed Essay

Today we began the period talking about the expectations for the first timed essay, and then students had the entire period to write.

Timed Essay Focus

Today we did a bit of work with some sample essays on "Eleven" in preparation for the first timed essay tomorrow.

The Study Guide

Today we worked through the final few sections of the study guide. The study guide assignment and handout are posted at Class Pages. Complete study guides are due at TurnItIn before class on Wednesday.

Characters & Kahoot

Today we worked a bit on the character section of the study guide and then tried a bit of Awakening Kahoot.

The Study Guide: Day 1

Close Reading Continued

Gender Roles & Edna

After thinking a bit about gender roles, students started annotating the last chapter as we did chapter 6. More on that tomorrow.

DQs

Today we did a bit of writing about The Awakening and then some talking in small groups.

The End of The Awakening

We started the day with a quiz on the end of The Awakening, and then we spent the rest of the period discussing the novel in general terms.

Guided Peer Response

Awakening Focus

Quotation Analysis & Revision Checklist Cont.

The Revision Checklist

Today students had the period to work on The Revision Checklist assignment which is posted at our class page at PS Unified Classroom. Use the handout and the slideshow to catch up. We will have much of the period to work on this tomorrow as well.

Essay Work Time

Students had the entire period to work on their essays. We reviewed some new slides (posted at PS Unified Classroom) about the body, conclusion, and title. Complete drafts should be ready for revision and editing on Monday before class.

A Quiz & Essay Time

We began the day with an online reading quiz and then students continued to work on their essay bodies.

The Body

Today students had the period to continue the bodies of their essays. As they did, I reminded them that their body paragraphs are essentially CRAs, with topics sentences linking back to the thesis or guiding questions, and with transitions taking us from one paragraph and idea to the next.

Introductions & PODs

Today we continued our incremental essay progress, looking at possible PODs and starting the introduction. Slides are at our class page at Unified Classroom, where students will also find the essay template so they may start working on their drafts.

Chunking, Relationships, & They Say/ I Say

Today we started with a little exercise in essay planning, followed by considering how we might begin by reading a bit of They Say/ I Say. Files are at Unified Classroom.

The First Essay Begins...Slowly

Today we worked through some steps designed to get students focused for their first essay which we'll write, mostly together, next week. The slides are posted at Unified Classroom (Class Pages). Students should also be working on chapters 1 through 16 of The Awakening which is due next Thursday, 9/27.

The Awakening Begins

After wrapping up our work with "Eleven" (for now), we had a brief intro to The Awakening and started reading it in class. The reading schedule is below.

More "Eleven"

In 2nd period, we read "Eleven" (see yesterday's blog for period 3) and then we annotated, shared our impressions, and planned a hypothetical essay about the story (see below). Period 2 students should plan the essay for HW tonight.

"Eleven"

Today we wrapped up our figurative language review and then did a bit of writing about being eleven. 2nd period then had a presentation in the auditorium. 3rd period read Sandra Cisneros' short story "Eleven" and should reread and annotate it for HW. The specifics are below.

Figurative Language

Today we wrapped up our discussion of "The Story of an Hour," and then started a review of figurative language.

A Capstone Story

Today we presented the critical lenses from yesterday, and then we moved on to one final short story allowing students to practice everything we've been working on, Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour."

The Basics of Critical Theory

Today we had a look at some of the schools of critical thought, reading and annotating a handout and then using individual critical lenses to take a second look at some of the short stories we've been studying. Groups created presentations and we will present tomorrow.

Defining Literature

Today we spent the period discussing what makes something literature, comparing two passages and coming up with our own working definition of literature.

CRA Revision & "Unified" Classroom

Today students began by review some rules for writing about literature, spent a bit of time reviewing their own paragraphs, and then braved the uncharted waters of PowerSchool Unified Classroom, where they started typing their revised paragraphs. Final drafts are due at Unified Classroom tomorrow.

This is what it means...

Today we had a circle discussion of Alexie's short story, "This is what it means to say Phoenix, Arizona." For HW, students should do a single CRA paragraph responding to one aspect of the text.

The Rolling Whiteboards

Today we discussed "The White Bedspread" a bit and then groups put together a quick whiteboard presentation, and we concluded class with presentations of their work.
For homework, students should read and annotate Alexie's "This is what it means to say Phoenix, Arizona," the last of the summer homework stories.

"The White Bedspread"

After sharing, posting and discussing topic sentences from their reading of "The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World," students started their reading and annotation of "The White Bedspread." The directions are below and both stories are posted with the summer work at Google Classroom.

CRAs & Drowned Men

We began today by looking at a few of the exemplary CRA paragraphs from yesterday. We spend the rest of the period reading and annotating "The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World" by Marquez. Students should use their frames to write one good topic sentence about the story for HW. By the way, here's the story in Spanish as promised.