Close Reading & Paper Planning

From Sartre to Beckett

Today we bounced from Sartre to Beckett, starting Waiting for Godot. The notes are here. Students should have the whole play read by Friday. Tomorrow we'll be looking at essay topics.

A Quiz & The Meaning of Life

After a quick quiz on "No Exit," we spent the rest of the period talking about Sartre's philosophy as it shows up in the text.

Essay #2, More Existentialism, & the After Life

We began the period thinking about our second major essay of the year—all the handouts are at Google Classroom—and then watch a short video recapping the major facets of Existentialism. We wrapped up by reading the first few pages of "No Exit" and clarifying the setting.

Existentialism & "No Exit"

Today we shifted from Shakespeare to Sartre, talking about "No Exit" and Existentialism. Here are the notes and here is the play. Read it and take some notes by Wednesday.

Presentations & Pressure Comps

After the last three presentations, students had the timed writing on Othello.

More Presentations

Today we continued the Othello presentations. We'll finish them tomorrow and then have the timed essay.

Presentations

Today we started presentations but didn't finish, so we'll finish Monday, which means the timed essay and study guide are Tuesday.

CRAs & Work Time

Today students had the chance to work on their presentations after we reviewed the expectations for CRA paragraphs.

Work Day

After a bit of talk about coming events and date changes, students had the period to work on the Shakespeare annotations.

Othello Presentations

Today we wrapped up our discussion of Act 5 and then students had a chance to work on their Othello presentations. Details are at Google Classroom.

Act 5

Today we wrapped up our synopsis of Act 4 and started our synopsis of Act 5.

Act 4

Today we discussed Act 4. Slides are Google Classroom. Act 5 Monday.

Act 3 Synopsis

Today we posted quotations, shared headlines, and discussed Act 3 a bit. Act 4 tomorrow.

Act 2 Synopsis

After wrapping up the presentations from yesterday, we did the same thing with act 2. Act 3 tomorrow!

Act 1 Synopsis

The presentation for today, a rather lively group-by-group review of scene one, is posted at Google Classroom. Act 2 DJs are due tomorrow.

A Start on Othello

Read Act 1 and do the following:

Othello Intro

Here are today's intro notes.

More Big Book Groups

The literature circle study guide is due tomorrow to TurnItIn.com before the timed essay.

Big Book Groups

We began the period in literature circle groups, where students had the opportunity to finish discussing the questions from Friday. The remainder of the period was spent in large groups, where all the students who read the same group had an opportunity to share ideas.

Well, that was useful...

Because two-thirds of the class was out taking the test for the Seal of Biliteracy (Impressive!), we passed the time with some discussion about Othello (among other things) and a bit of vocabulary building.

The Final Lit Circle

Today we had the final literature circle and then groups started on the questions I posted to Google Classroom.

The Final Exam Essay

Today we reviewed and scored some sample essays written to the prompt from the final exam. Students wrapped up the period scoring their own essays.

Literature Circles Continue

This week we have continued to work in our literature circle. Today (Wednesday), I added an updated calendar to Google Classroom with new dates for the study guide and timed essay (2/15). Novels should be completed by Friday.

Up the Stream of Consciousness...

Today we did a bit of practice with stream of consciousness which should help students with the stranger bits of their literature circle novels.

Lit Circle #1

Today we reviewed expectations, I checked homework, and groups had their first literature circle. LC#2 tomorrow.

Literature Circles Begin

Today, literature circles met for the first time, going over the calendar and assigning reading homework. Handouts are at Google Classroom. Absent students should contact their group for tonight's assignment or, at the very least, read the first 20 or so pages of their novel.

Goodbye, Frankenstein, Finally...

After a quick discussion centering on the themes of the novel, students had their timed essay (finally) on Frankenstein.

Bring Lit Circle Novels Tomorrow!

Essay Groups

We spent today reviewing the essays students read for homework last night. Groups discussed their discoveries and created posters we will share tomorrow.

Essay Norming Wrap Up & More Essays

After wrapping up our discussion of the model essays, students did a bit of reflecting on their own essays (below), which I collected. We then turned our attention to an essay critique assignment, and students had the rest of the period to read and annotate their assigned essays. The rest of the assignment is at Google Classroom and is due tomorrow.

Essay Norming

Today we reviewed the rubric I used to score the literary analysis essays and then scored three essays as a class. Students who wish to, after reviewing their own essays and my comments, may make appointments with me to discuss and revise their essays.

"Standard" English

Apropos of our conversation today, here is what seems to be a pretty good summary of Standard English and the controversy surrounding it. A couple of highlights:

"Historically, we can say that Standard English was selected (though of course, unlike many other languages, not by any overt or conscious decision) as the variety to become the standard variety precisely because it was the variety associated with the social group with the highest degree of power, wealth and prestige. Subsequent developments have reinforced its social character: the fact that it has been employed as the dialect of an education to which pupils, especially in earlier centuries, have had differential access depending on their social class background."

"So those who make authoritative pronouncements about a standard English are simply those who, irrespective of accidents of birth, have elevated themselves, or been elevated, to positions of authority in academe or publishing or in other public areas. Whether or not their pronouncements will continue to be accepted is another matter."

"[Standard English] is the variety of English which carries most prestige within a country... In the words of one US linguist, SE is 'the English used by the powerful.'"

Welcome Back!

We began the period with some talk of break and some announcements about essays (grades and comments are at TurnItIn.com), Ashland (there are two spots left), and King Lear (we have free tickets for the NCRT matinee on 1/28/18). Students then had 20 minutes or so in groups to work on the Frankenstein questions interrupted before the break.

Get Your Books!

Your book assignments for semester one literature circles are posted at Google Classroom.; Please get a copy of your text ASAP. I have a few copies to loan, the textbook room has ten of each, and all but Ceremony are available online, but as always, having your own copy that you can write in is best. Local used bookstores (check Arcata and McKinleyville too) or Amazon are good places to start.

Well, that changes everything...

Today we continued our discussion of Frankenstein as a whole class and then broke into groups to write and talk about these questions. We were going to present these tomorrow, but that is obviously not going to happen, so we'll pick it up next year.

• Study guides and the pressure comp will now be due January 9th.
• Please check your email over break so you will know which book you need to get for literature circles.

Have a great break!

Frank, in Ernest

We began the period with a second quiz on the novel and then started a wide-ranging discussion. More tomorrow.

Prometheus & Lit Circle Prep

We began the period with some discussion of the other title of Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus. And then we wrapped up the day with three quick books talks and then students ranked their preferred literature circle novels in order (see below). If you were absent, check out the Amazon reviews of As I Lay Dying, Beloved, and Ceremony. and let me know your preferences as soon as possible, so I can make groups and let you know what you are reading.

Why is the Creature Creepy?

Today we watched this video:

Then we applied the concepts to an excerpt from Frankenstein.

Frankenstein & Some Poems

We started with a quick quiz and some discussion of the novel, followed by a wrap up on those Romantic poems we were looking at. Be sure to get the presentations turned in at Classroom!

Poems and Presentations

We began the day with partners, finishing up the poem work from yesterday. Students spent the second half of the period presenting their poems to each other.

Some Romantic Poetry: Day 1

Today we reviewed the central concepts of the Romantic era and the Gothic. Then we applied those concepts to some poetry.

Frankenstein, Walton, & The Gothic

Today we opened with a discussion of Walton's letters and then transitioned to some discussion of the Gothic, watching this video and taking some notes.

POL & The Romantics

Today, we wrapped up Poetry Out Loud with a few final presentations and then moved on to the Romantics and Frankenstein.

Poetry Out Loud, Day 3

Today, we nearly finished round two!

Tuesday & Wednesday: Poetry Out Loud

On these days, students began presenting the poems they have been working on for the past two weeks. We did the first round and started the second. We'll wrap up the project tomorrow.

Wrap Up Day

After a bit more recitation practice in pairs, students had the period to wrap up their written poetry work. Recitations begin Tuesday!

Response Groups

Pacing & Tone

Today we worked on adding some nuance to our recitations by considering pacing and tone.

Essay Drafts

 After a bit of recitation practice, students had the period to revise essay drafts.

POL and Essay Prep

Today we began by writing out our POL poems by hand. After some talk about priorities, students had the rest of the period to work.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today we started by chunking our essay and working on plans of development (POD) in preparation for essay drafting over break. Students should post revised thesis statements with PODs to Google Classroom. Also, watch for essay planning and drafting handouts over break. You don't have to use them, but they may be helpful!

Essay Topics & POL

AP Ashland and more POL

We started the day talking about the annual AP Ashland trip—reserve your spot by dropping a note (and your deposit if possible) by my classroom ASAP; it's first come, first served and there are only 13 spots.
The rest of the period was spent on POL annotations, etc.
Essay topics are due tomorrow!

Essay #1 & More POL Time

Today I assigned the first essay (here's the handout), and students had more time to work on finding their POL poems and starting their annotations.

Poetry Out Loud!

We spent the whole day on Poetry Out Loud. Everything you need, including links and handouts, is at Google Classroom.

Circle Time

Today we spent the period discussing some of the big ideas in Candide in preparation for tomorrow's timed essay.

A Return to Candide

Today I collected the exit ticket from the end of class yesterday, and then we applied the same principles of brevity and clarity to today's Candide work.

A Bit of Candide, but Mostly Poetry

Today we spent most of the period on some rather good conversations about poetry.

A Quiz & Some Poetry

We began the day with a quiz on the end of Candide and then began the poem presentations we created Tuesday.

Poetry Mini-Project: Day 1

Today, after reviewing a marking the discussion rubric for Q1, student annotated and analyzed one of seven poems and then discussed them in groups. Tomorrow, we will present those interpretations.
Students also turned in their writer's notebooks.

Candide & Meter Cont.

After some discussion of Candide, we mostly wrapped up the introduction to poetic meter.

More Meter

More Poetry

Today we continued our look at "Reapers" and a review of poetic terms. Meter tomorrow!

Satire & Candide & a Poem

We began the day by reviewing satire again with a short Key and Peele sketch and discussion of yesterday's article. We moved on to a short introduction to Candide and wrapped up with an initial look at Jean Toomer's poem "Reapers."

Homecoming & Satire

Friday, we reviewed the definition of satire and practice by analyzing a short clip from The Simpsons.

Monday, students again reviewed the definition of satire (for the half of the class that missed Friday) and then practiced on a short article from The Onion. Class wrapped up with an assignment at Google Classroom, which should be completed for homework if necessary.

Antigone Timed Essay

After a bit of homecoming voting, students had the period to write their Antigone timed essay.

Wrapping Up "Antigone"

Today we wrapped up our discussion of Antigone and prepared for tomorrow's timed essay by reflecting on the timed essay from The Awakening.

Poster Time

After some discussion of the quick write that began class, groups finished their posters and presented them.

More Antigone

Antigone Discussion & Term Hunt

A Quiz, Some Group Work, and a Fire Drill

More Irony with "Richard Cory"

And... the Internet is Back

Monday we started our look at Sophocles' Antigone. Students should have the entire play read and should post to our Google Classroom discussion by class time on Thursday.
Tuesday we reviewed the concept of irony

and spent a bit of time with Alanis Morrisette and Ed Byrnes.

Timed Essay #1

Today we spend the period easing our way into the first timed essay of the year.

Essay Norming

Today we spent the day looking at some timed essays on "Eleven" in preparation for the timed writing tomorrow.

Study Guide Prep

Today we spent the whole period working through the study guide. The file is at Classroom and should be posted to TurnItIn before the timed essay on Friday.