IR #1 Timed Essay

Today students had basically the entire period to work on the timed essays for their independent reading books.

Response Groups

Today students spent the period in essay response groups.

Revision Time

Today students had time to revise their essays. Bring printed drafts for response groups tomorrow.

POL, Poetry MC, & Revision

Today we spend a few minutes wrapping up POL with a few more recitations and a bit of reflection. Students spent the rest of the period on the Unit 5 MC practice at College Board and beginning the revision process on their essays. MOre revision tomorrow.

POL, Essay Drafts, and Ashland

After wrapping up Poetry Out Loud, we talked about the essay (drafts due Monday) and the AP Ashland trip. The first 13 students to get me deposits or notes of commitment on Monday morning will get spots; then the waiting list starts.

Rounds 1 & 2

Today we wrapped up Round 1 and started Round 2 of our poetry recitations. And it was AMAZING.

Three Days

On Monday we spent the day in the computer lab reviewing the Unit 2 poetry test on the College Board My AP site. Afterward, students had a bit of work time.
On Tuesday, we prepped for POL presentations with some practice in the library.
Today, Wednesday, we began round one of those presentations.

Friday—Work Day

POL Practice & Some Essay Time

Today after going over the POL practice log and expectations, we spent the rest of the period drafting the POL Essay. Slides are here and the handout is here. Drafts are due 12/16.

Scoring Practice & Essay Prep

Today we went over the POL rubric and then practiced using it on a few models (these are linked to the slideshow at PS Unified Classroom). We wrapped up having a look at an essay prep handout which students should finish for homework.

Tone, Pacing, and Essay Planning

After a bit of tone mapping practice with "Jenny Kissed Me," we worked on pacing with some recordings of Hamlet. Students should start annotating their own recitation scripts as detailed on today's handout. We wrapped up the day thinking a bit about our next essay.

Welcome Back Poem Work

Poem Work

We began the period watching a model poem recitation to inspire students to work on their poems over break. After some work time, we wrapped up the period with some ideas for working on their poems over the vacation.

TPCASTT Intro and Some Work Time

Today we talked about the TPCASTT analysis students will be doing on both their poems. After that, students had the remaining time to work.

Annotation & Poem Time

Today we practiced annotation and then spent more time searching for poems.

Poetry Out Loud Begins

Slides, the poem selection assignment, etc. are on our class page.

The First Real Timed Essay

Today we wrote the first full timed essay of the year, by hand no less.

Final Antigone Claims & IR

Antigone & Hegel

After wrapping up our monologue discussion with some claims, we did a bit of thinking and writing about German philosopher Hegel's (1770-1831) interpretation of the play, followed by an interesting round of philosophical chairs.

Claims & Monologues

Today we worked on making and revising claims, slides 12 through 19 in this slideshow.

Focus on Monologue

Irony & Independent Reading

Irony & Alanis

Today we reviewed irony with a slideshow (at Class Pages) and look at Alanis Morissette's "Ironic." We wrapped up with a bit of work on the homework (below).

More Metaphor

Today we did a bit more work with figurative language in the warm-up, and then split into groups for some general conversation about the play.

Antigone—Day 1

New Seats, Antigone Quiz, & Some Goal-Setting

After getting new seats, we had a quick quiz on Antigone and then spent most of the period thinking about Q1 grades and did some goal-setting for Q2.

Happy Halloween!

Today we wrapped up our look at the college essay with a tips scavenger hunt and some prewriting. We ended the period with a brief consideration of Poe's "The Raven."

Mini-Unit—The College Essay: Day 1

Today we analyzed some model college essays. Essays and slides are posted at our class page.

Silent Reading

In anticipation of the power outage that never came, I planned some silent reading time with my sub. I hope it was peaceful and useful.

The Greeks and Antigone

Today we talked about the Greeks, especially Greek drama and Antigone. The slides, which I didn't use, are at our class page. Have Antigone read by Thursday.

Independent Reading Check In

Today students spent the day reading silently as I checked in with individuals about how their books were going.

Assessment Time

Today we wrapped up our first short poetry unit with the Unit 2 FRQ and MCQ practice at the College Board website.

"Theme for English B" Wrap Up

Today we finished up our look at Hughes' poem with some claims and a final paragraph. Some students took the poem home to finish their work. It is due tomorrow.

"Theme for English B"

Today we shifted focus to Langston Hughes' poem "Theme for English B." The slides are here.

Homecoming Low-Key Reading Time

Structure & Metaphor

Today we finished our work with Baca's poem and students handed in the handouts. Writer's notebooks are due tomorrow!

More Poetry!

After we finished up "Reapers," we started work on Baca's "I am Offering You This Poem." Slides and handouts are at our class page.

Poetry Begins

Today we started our first of several poetry units with a look at Jean Toomer's "Reapers." The slide show and the poem are at the class page.

Awakening Assessment

Independent Reading

After a short warm-up asking students to think about their reading habits, we discussed the independent reading project and students had time to work on that or their study guides. Handouts and links are at the Independent Reading page at PowerSchool Unified.

Study Guide—Day 2

Today we finished our look at the study guide which is available online and is due at Unified Classroom on Monday before the online essay.

10/9—The Great Power Outage

Today we began our study guide work. More on 10/10.

CRAs & MC

After wrapping up the CRAs from yesterday, we spent the rest of our library day working on some MC practice at the College Board MyAP website.

CRA—Chs. 6 & 39

Today students annotated this text and then we discussed it a bit. We're in the library tomorrow.

One Day, Four Questions

One Day on One Question

Today we wrote about and talked about the ending for the whole period.

Quizzes and Conversation

Today we had a quick quiz and then a rousing conversation in the library.

"Eleven"—Day 2

Today we discussed "Eleven" in groups and as a whole class and then practiced claim writing. We wrapped up the period with some student writing from the actual test in 1995.

Figurative Language & "Eleven"

Figurative Language

Today we spent the period on the figurative language side of this handout, clarifying definitions and coming up with examples.

FRQ Review

Today we spent the period considering the FRQ stories with some very insightful group presentations.

Seminar: Day 2

Today we spent most of the period finishing up our seminar and reflecting. FRQs tomorrow.

A Quiz and a Socratic Seminar

After a quick quiz on the reading, we talked about seminar expectations and then had a rousing discussion of The Awakening.

FRQs & Jostens

Today we started an FRQ assessment and then students got called away to hear from Jostens. Students should finish the FRQ at College Board by Wednesday. Tomorrow we will spend the day on The Awakening.

CRAs!

Today we did some work on paragraphs and even had some reading time! The slides are here!

Planners and the Reading Schedule

Today we talked about the planners for a bit. Then we spent the period discussing chapter one of The Awakening. The reading schedule is below.

The Awakening

After sharing the presentations from yesterday, we had a brief introduction to The Awakening. Students should read and annotate chapter one for tomorrow.

"The Story of an Hour"

Today we continued our short story unit and transitioned into our study of The Awakening with a look at Chopin's "The Story of an Hour." Students annotated and responded to the questions below, then groups shared ideas and started on the one-page graphic organizer (also below).

Critical Theory & Online Assessments

Today groups presented on their critical lenses from yesterday. Then we took our first crack at an assessment at the College Board website. Absent student and students who weren't able to finish today should log in and finish over the weekend.

Paragraph Revision

After having a look at some basic guidelines for academic writing, students worked on analyzing and revising their paragraphs. The assignment to type and hand-in these revised paragraphs is at our class page.

The Meaning of Phoenix

What is Lit? Continued...

Today we continued defining literature and literary merit, looking up definitions and contrasting two texts, the short story on the slide below and Jamaica Kincaid's "Girl." Sherman Alexie tomorrow.