Frankenstein PC

Today we had the pressure comp for Frankenstein followed by a very brief intro to Voltaire (the notes are at GC, especially for you second period folks who had a shorter period today).

HW Finish Candide and post at least 2x to the discussion form at GC by 1/4/2010.

Finally Frank

Today we spent the whole day discussing Frankenstein. Yeah! PC and SG tomorrow.

Fun with Highlighters

Today in second, we wrapped up the CRA assignment by highlighting the CRA revisions and examining a few after I collected them. We spent the rest of the period reading and scoring sample essays using the HSU rubric.
In sixth period, we did the first part of the CRA project (group highlighting, group sharing) and students will revise those paragraphs for HW. We spent the rest of the period scoring sample essays using the HSU rubric (we started this Friday). Students will have ten minutes to finish scoring essays tomorrow in class. Many took an essay home to score (especially those folks who were absent Friday).

New Due Dates:

Frankenstein PC and SG 12/18

Rushing Headlong into Break

In second period we finished our Romantic poetry presentations and spent the rest of the period on the CRA evaluation assignment. Students will do a quick revision of those paragraphs for homework.

Poetry Presentations and Frankenstein

Today we had the next two poetry presentations and went over the rest of the Frankenstein quiz.

Frankenstein CRA

1) Choose a Passage from the Novel: the passage should be in the neighborhood of 16 to 20 lines.
2) Annotate the Passage.

• You may do this in your book or you may print a copy of the passage (while looking at the online text, use the “find” command to locate your passage, copy and paste it into Word, and print).
• Note figurative and stylistic devices, theme, tone, etc.

3) Choose one aspect of your passage and write a CRA paragraph explaining how that aspect affects theme and/or tone. Be sure to quote the passage liberally.
4) Reread and Revise.
5) Revise (for HW if necessary) and bring in three, TYPED copies on Friday.

Ashland & Poetry

We started the day by finishing our discussion of the Ashland field trip. There are tentatively 14 spots and those will be given to the first 14 people who see me starting Wednesday morning.

Most of the period was spent on two poetry presentations, followed by a brief discussion of Frankenstein.

Back in the Saddle

Today we began with a quiz on the end of Frankenstein and spent much of the period in catch-up mode, talking about the state of things at the moment. At the end of the period we drew the order for poem presentations and started talking about the May Ashland trip.

The Romantics: Probably My Last Post Until 12/7

Today we spent the period discussing the Romantic Movement in preparation for our reading of Frankenstein and the upcoming Romantic Poetry unit. Notes are at GC.

New Due Dates:

• Frankenstein 1/2 by 11/30 & finished by 12/7
• Post Twice to the Frankenstein forum, once by 11/30 & once by 12/7
  

Finishing Faulkner

Wednesday we wrapped up our Faulkner discussion--yes, it could have gone on for several more days, but we had to call it eventually. Today enjoyed a bit of faux Faulkner on football and then had the pressure comp. I collected study guides and Faulkner questions.

Faulkner Discussion: Day 2

Today we had one more poetry presentation and continued our Faulkner discussion, including references to Of Mice and Men, Lord of the Flies, and the work of Sigmund Freud.

Finally Faulkner

After one poetry presentation, we finally had some time to discuss the Faulkner questions from last week.

New Due Dates:

• Faulkner PC & SG 11/19
• Own Frankenstein 11/20
  

Thursday: Essay #1 Due

We began the day by collecting the first formal essays (and in period two, we read the titles). Students spent the rest of the period working on the Faulkner discussion questions (available at GC). Period two has no homework, but period 6 earned homework by not following directions. Pity.

Poetry Presentations

Today we talked a bit about MLA format and spent the rest of the day on poetry presentations. Lots due Thursday. Enjoy your day off!

Poetry Presentations

We began by briefly talking about essay final drafts which are due this Friday, moved on to some poetry presentation final prep time, and had our first two poetry presentations in each period. We wrapped up the day talking a bit about Jason Compson and what a lovely human being he is.

Reponse Groups & Project Time

Thursday
Groups finished response groups as necessary today and spent the rest of the period working on poetry presentations.


Friday
After some discussion about the essay drop box at GC, students had the rest of the period to finish up poetry analyses and presentations. Presentations begin Monday.

Essay Drafts

Tuesday
Today we practiced response groups by working through the process with one group in the "fishbowl." I also checked off rough drafts.

Wednesday
Today we did actual response groups in class. Most groups got through two of the three groups members. We'll finish tomorrow.

Mostly Faulkner

After talking a bit about the rough drafts that are due tomorrow, we spent much of the rest of the period talking in general about the first half of Faulkner. The last bit of the period was spent on the poetry project (while I graded and returned the dialectical journals).

Thus Endeth the Quarter

Today we began with a brief-ish warm-up on Poe's poem "The Raven," after which I collected warm-ups.
In 2nd period we began our first poetry project, choosing groups and poems, and in 6th students continued their poem analyses, which should be more-or-less complete at this point.

More Poetry

Period 2
Today we took some notes on poetic meter and the spent some time memorizing the metric feet.

Period 6
Today we began our first poetry project, choosing groups and poems.

Poetry and Fun with Meter

Period 2
Today we had a look at the poem "Reapers" and took copious poetry notes.

Period 6 
Today we had a little fun with meter, learning some mnemonics to help us remember the different metric feet.

Topics, Topics and More Topics

Today we spent the period reading and commenting on draft essay topics.

More Poetry in P6

Period 2
Today we recapped Friday a bit and finished the Faulkner introduction. Tomorrow, poetry!

Period 6
Today we talked a bit about Faulkner, finished our look at "Reapers," and took notes on some terms specifically related to metered verse.

The Authorfest and Poetry Review

Period 2
Today we enjoyed an interesting presentation by visiting author Pamela F. Service. We will continue Faulkner and poetry Monday. Bring Sound and Sense.


Period 6
Today we talked a bit more about Faulkner and began our first poetry unit with a review of poetic terms focusing especially on Jean Toomer's poem "Reapers."

Finally Faulkner

Period 2
Today we talked a bit about the Oedipus PCs, had the Ceremony PC, and had the briefest Faulkner intro ever (more Monday). Meet in the Lecture Hall tomorrow.

Period 6
We spent the day talking about Faulkner.
The Sound and the Fury Due Dates:

• Parts 1 & 2    Due 11/2     (+2 GC posts)
• Part 3         Due 11/9     (+1 GC post)
• Finish        Due 11/12     (+2 GC posts)
  

Differing Paths

Tuesday

Period 2
Today we wrapped up the Ceremony questions, which were collected; went down and checked out our poetry book, Sound and Sense; and spent the rest of the period talking about the first formal essay (assignment at GC).
Period 6
After some final Ceremony thoughts, we checked out Sound & Sense and spent quite a bit of time discussing the essay.

Wednesday

Period 2
Today we turned in Ceremony study guides, read Pamela Service's story "Lioness" and prepared for the presentation Friday. Finally, we began the introduction to The Sound and the Fury.
Period 6
After turning in study guides, we spent the rest of the period on the Ceremony PC.

Essay Due Dates:

• Topics Due 10/27
• Drafts w/ cover sheet 11/3
• Final Drafts w/ cover sheet 11/12
  

Ceremony Presentations

Today we continued with the Ceremony presentations in period two and finished them in period six. I collected the period six questions today and will collect second period's tomorrow.

New Due Dates:

• Ceremony PC and SG 10/21
• Bring The Sound and the Fury 10/22
  

Thursday & Friday

Thursday, we spent all of second period finishing the Ceremony discussion questions.  In sixth period we began presentations and got through three questions.

Friday the few of us who actually made it to class basically played Free Rice and hung out.

Ceremony Questions

Today, after a short warm-up, we spent the rest of the period working on the Ceremony discussion questions. These presentations will begin tomorrow in 6th period. 2nd period TBA.

If only I had some plaid shoes to go with my tie-dyed socks...

In period two we finally wrapped up the "Eleven" assignment we started last week. In period six, we began the day with a quotation warm-up from Ceremony, had a final thought or two about the "Eleven" assignment, and began a group discussion/presentation assignment. I'll post the questions at GC. Most groups got through question 2.

A Ceremonial Quiz

Today we began with a quiz on Ceremony and it pretty much ate the rest of the day. Happy Homecoming!

Thursday and Friday

We have spent the past two days working with Sandra Cisneros' short story "Eleven." We started by reading the story together and discussing our initial reactions. Students then marked and labeled figurative language and stylistic techniques on their copies (for homework), which we then discussed in class. Next, students were asked to plan an essay in 8 minutes based on this prompt (for extra credit, students may actually write the essay):

Read the following short story carefully.  Then write an essay analyzing how the author, Sandra Cisneros, uses literary techniques to characterize Rachel.

Finally, in period 6, we read, scored and discussed some essays written in 1995 on this prompt.

Eleven

We began the day with a short journal about being eleven-years-old. In second period, we wrapped up the figurative language game and talked about tomorrow's lock-down drill. In sixth period, we read Sandra Cisneros' short story "Eleven" and discussed it a bit.
HW Sixth period only. Re-read "Eleven" marking and identifying figurative and stylistic devices.

Tuesday: Agency Fair & Figurative Language

Today we reviewed the figurative language HW and, in 6th period, played the figurative language game.

Ceremony: Part 1

Today we looked at another Ceremony quoatation in lieu of a quiz (see below) and spent the rest of the period discussing the novel in general.


HW: Fill in your wheel of figurative devices with an example of each type of figurative language following the theme we came up with in class (period 2 "food" & period 6 "sports/exercise").
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Everywhere he looked, he saw the world made of stories, the long ago, time immemorial stories, as old grandma called them. It was a world alive, always changing and moving; and if you knew where to look, you could see it, sometimes almost imperceptible, like the motion of the stars across the sky”(95).

More Figurative Language

 Today we began with the figurative language warm up below and spent the rest of the day reviewing the figurative language terms we researched yesterday.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Examine the quotation below.  Identify the figurative device Silko relies on here.  How does her use of this device impact the meaning of the quotation?  Be specific.
“[Tayo] could get no rest as long as the memories were tangled with the present, tangled up like colored threads from old Grandma’s wicker sewing basket when he was a child, and he had carried them outside to play and they had spilled out of his arms into the summer weeds and rolled away in all directions, and then he had hurried to pick them up before Auntie found him”(7).

Figuratively Speaking...

We began the day with an discussion of the difference between literal and figurative language. We spent the rest of the period finding examples of each type of figurative language on our "Wheel of Figurative Devices," making a list on a separate piece of paper. Tomorrow we will fill out the wheel and perhaps play the figurative language game.

Ceremony

After looking at the poem "Evolution" by Sherman Alexie, we discussed Ceremony, the next text we will be studying.

New Due Dates:

• Post twice to the Ceremony discussion board at GC (once by 10/5 and again by 10/12).
• Read roughly the first half of Ceremony (100+ pages) by 10/5
• Finish Ceremony by 10/12.
  

Monday and Tuesday

Monday: Surprise, No Pressure Comp

Today, we explored the pressure comps on A Doll's House in hopes of being better prepared for tomorrow's Oedipus Tyrannus PC.

Tuesday: The PC

Today we used the entire short period on the Oedipus Tyrannus PC.

Friday: Wrapping Up Oedipus

Today we began with this warm-up: Paying special attention to his use of apostrophe, examine Oedipus' long speech near the end of the play where he explores the crimes against him. What are the effects of the apostrophe on the meaning of Oedipus' speech and perhaps on the meaning of the work as a whole?

After spending some time discussing the study guide and filling in gaps, we did the short writing assignment below, which was collected.

Choose either your stichomythia/antilabe example or the example of apostrophe in today's warm-up and write a formal CRA paragraph. Your paragraph should address the theme and/or tone of the passage, should begin with a clear topic sentence and include direct references to the passage and quotations where appropriate.

Sticho-what?

Today we continued our examination of stichomythia and antilabe. We also added "apostrophe" to the notes and breifly considered its role in the play. More tomorrow.
PC and SG Due Monday

Irony and Some Odd Greek Vocab

Today we began the day with a discussion of irony in Robinson's "Richard Cory." We then had a lively, yet moderated discussion of theme and introduced the terms "stichomythia" and "antilabe."

HW: Be prepared with your favorite example of stichomythic dialogue (or antilabe) from Oedipus Tyrannus.

Irony of Ironies

Today, after a short warm-up, we spent the day examining the irony examples from last night's HW.

Oedipal Quiz

We began the day with a quiz (which was not a pop quiz, because you should expect a quiz whenever a reading is due, but I digress). After rehashing the quiz a bit and talking about the play in general, we spent the rest of the period on three types of irony: situational, dramatic, and verbal.

HW: Find, in Oedipus Tyrannus, an example of each type of irony. Quote and cite them on a separate sheet. Due 9/22.

@ GC: Find an example of any of the three types of irony in modern pop culture and post it to the appropriate discussion thread with a correct MLA works cited entry. Due Friday.

The Greeks

Today we spent the day in a rather lively discussion of those crazy Greeks and the origins of drama (notes available at GC).

HW Finish Oedipus Tyrannus due 9/21

The First Pressure Comp

Today we eased into the first timed writing of the year with some general discussion of my expectations and a group dissection of the prompt. Study guides were collected.

The End of The Doll's House

Today we wrapped up our discussion of the study guide in preparation for our first pressure comp tomorrow.

The Study Guide Continues

Today we started by practicing the art of the short summary. The rest of the period was spent working through numbers 3-6 on the study guide, including notes on character (flat/round, static/dynamic) and symbol versus motif.

Starting the Study Guide

Today's warm-up was the first questions on the study guide. We discussed the warm-up at some length and then finished up the RRL presentations.


New Due Dates:

• A Doll's House Study Guide and Pressure Comp 9/17
• Own Oedipus Tyrannus 9/18
• Read Oedipus Tyrannus 9/21
  

Quiz #1: Entering A Doll's House

We began the day with our first "old school," ten-question quiz. Following that, we split the remainder of the period between a general discussion of A Doll's House and another RRL presentation.

HW Continue today's A Doll's House discussion on the discussion board at Global Classroom. Post twice by Sunday at 10 p.m.

Presentations and Pictures

We continued the RRL presentations/notes today and also squeezed in a trip to Marshal for some school pictures.

A Doll's House quiz tomorrow.

RRL Jigsaw Continues

Groups began the day by collaborating and preparing to present. We spent the rest of the period presenting, taking notes, and discussing the first part of the article.

A Doll's House Intro & Essay Jigsaw

Today we began with a brief introduction to A Doll's House, and spent the rest of the period reading parts of an article called "Reading and Responding to Literature" (available at GC), which we will continue to work with tomorrow ibn groups.


HW

• Finish notes on RRL passage if necessary. Due 9/9
• Finish A Doll's House by 9/11.
  

The End of the Week...

Today we talked a bit about "Literature" and "Literary Merit," followed by some comment on the course description and the demise of concurrent enrollment. We wrapped up the day looking a few of the CRA examples (which I collected in period 6).

Enjoy the three-day weekend!

Focusing Foster

Today we continued looking at short stories, examining a passage from Sarah Orne Jewett's A White Heron. We began with the same notice focus activity we used on the Blake painting the first day. Students were then asked to focus their thoughts and write up one observation in a succinct close reading analysis paragraph. These paragraphs should be in class Friday.

It's All About Theme

Today we began the day with a short warm up defining theme and extracting themes from the three stories you read over the summer, with special focus on Neruda's "The Three Lilies."

I also assigned homework, announced the first three books (A Doll's House, Oedipus Tyrannus, and Ceremony), and showed students in 6th period this blog).

HW: Find credible definitions of the terms "literature" and "literary merit" and post them to Global Classroom. Be sure to cite your source or sources in correct MLA style. Due 9/4

The First Two Days

And so we have begun... The building looks great, the classes are full, and life is good.

Monday: In today's short period, we started by having a look at the Blake's Newton and doing a bit of writing and discussion. At the end of the period, I handed out the course description and addressed the homework.
HW: Read the course description, and then Find (at GlobalClassroom), Print, Sign, and Return the AP Honor Statement. Due 9/4.

Tuesday: Today we started the day by creating name tags, handing out school picture forms, and discussing a few course policies. We spent the rest of the period wrapping up the Newton discussion and talking generally about Foster. Tomorrow we will address Neruda's "The Three Lilies," so bring a copy if you have one.

Re: The Home Stretch

To Clarify:

post 1) Thoughts on Foster's Text
post 2) Foster in the Real World: Your Post
post 3) Foster in the Real World: Respond to someone else's post
post 4) Respond to two short stories

The Home Stretch

I write with a couple reminders:

1. Your second and third Foster posts are due today at midnight. I have read many posted so far and have been quite impressed. Though "the quest" seems to be the most popular, I notice and appreciate that most of you are bringing in more than one of Foster's concepts.
2. The final part of the summer assignment is now posted and is due 8/28 at 3:15. Detailed directions are at GC, but basically, you need to read and respond to two short stories. Again, there are three posted, but only respond to TWO. (By the way, I recently changed the third story option. If you were ahead of the game and already chose and downloaded the Cisneros story, then you may use it as one of your choices.) I have also posted "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver, but this is NOT an option for the assignment as Foster has already discussed it at length. I just thought some of you might want to see it.

As always, feel free to email with any questions.

See you in a couple of weeks.

Mr. Staiano

An August Beginning...

Six days into August and just two days from our first due date (and with the days dwindling until school begins in earnest), I believe the time has come for me to interrupt your summer.

A few notes on the summer work:

1. Your first post about How to Read Literature Like a Professor is due by midnight 8/8. The posts so far have been excellent. However, I do implore you to READ the posts of others before you comment. This way you may say something new and interesting, instead of saying what has already been said. Please remember that this is a DISCUSSION board.
2. A few of you have completed the second posting assignment as well. If you haven't, please have Foster finished and post to that forum by midnight 8/15. By the way, you may comment on each other's posts after these due dates; I simply would like your initial posts up by then.
3. The final part of the summer assignment should be posted by early next week. It will involve written responses to three very short stories (a la Foster's practice with "The Garden Party" at the end of the book). This will be due the 28th at 3:15, and will be graded before the first day of class.

To close, I would like to make some general comments on various things that have come up.

• Use paragraphs in your forum posts, especially those of you who are a bit more verbose. People fear walls of text and are less likely to read them.

• If you use outside sources (which you shouldn't need to do at this point--in fact, I'd rather you didn't), you must cite them correctly in MLA style (not just the URL) at the end of your post.
• A couple of you have brought up a question many of you perhaps share, namely, "Does Foster expect us to have read all these book and stories he keeps referencing." The short answer is, "No." The long answer is that Foster's audience is, by definition, made up of people who have not read anywhere near as much literature as a college professor or even high school English teacher. One of the things I like about the book is the way he manages to weave in the many, many examples he requires to make his points without confusing his reader too much or becoming boring (you may disagree). Even I, who am pretty well-read, have read only perhaps half of the texts to which he alludes, but I'm OK with that, and you should be too.
• Finally, I can promise nothing, but at this point there are still two class sections and I don't anticipate that changing. My expectation is that even those of you "conditionally" admitted are reading the Foster book and will have at least A Doll's House and Oedipus Tyrannus when school starts. You can get the rest of the books when we're 100% sure.

That's it for now. Please do not hesitate to email with questions, comments, or whatever.

Enjoy the remaining weeks of your summer.

Welcome to AP Literature

I imagine you all taking advantage of our beautiful summer weather, lounging in hammocks and perusing Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor. I know, wishful thinking.

I email, not to interrupt your idyll, but to let you know that should you be interested, the online course is now up and ready for you to enroll. The directions on your handout seem to be accurate as several of you have already managed to join the class successfully.

Once there, you will find several things of some potential interest:

• Part 3 of the Summer Assignment—This consists of two separate discussion boards due on 8/8 and 8/15 respectively; however, I encourage you to post early and check back regularly. If you do so, the experience should be helpful and intellectually rewarding, not just busy work. At the very least, log in and read through the assignments.
• The 2009-10 Syllabus—The tentative version of the syllabus, including expectations and a rough course outline is now posted.
• The Interactive 2009-2010 Reading List—This includes links to all the texts available in free, online versions (everything but Foster’s text, Beloved, The Sound and the Fury, and Ceremony). Remember, you still need printed copies (or e-book versions) in class.

Finally, I have not heard from a few of your peers (remember that numbers are critical). If you know any students who have not yet contacted me, please remind them to drop me an email ASAP.

I look forward to your thoughts on How to Read Literature Like a Professor. Enjoy the rest of your summer. I will try to stay out of your lives until August.

This is the End... Nearly

So we went over the calendar for the rest of the year today. Groups had their final literature circles and I collected lit circle work.

Presentations begin Monday the 15th.

Transcripts

Learn how to request your HSU transcript here.

Growth.

Today I returned the essays you wrote to get into this class. Most of you saw growth. That is good.

Lit Circles and More Lit Circles

From now on I will post only if we do something other than literature circles. Thus, unless otherwise posted, you should be moving ahead with your reading and the assignments.

Lit Circle #2

All lit circle all day. Most groups got some reading done in class today. Let's shoot for more of the same tomorrow.

Academic Fair and the 1st Lit Circle

Today we talked about the academic fair and then spent the rest of the period on literature circles. Tomorrow the whole period will be devoted to lit circles.

HW: Your next reading and role.

The Final Project

Today, after finishing Waiting for Godot, we started the final book project in earnest. the first homework assignment is due Monday.

Godot Act 2

Today, after some discussion of the book project and Ashland, we watched the rest (nearly) of Godot.

Bring book project books on Friday!

More Godot

Today we talked about portfolios and the AP test for a bit and then watched a bit more of the movie started Friday.

The Day Before the Test

Today we did a bit more Q3 practice and talked a little bit about the test. Then we worked on the book project.

Good luck tomorrow!

Last Minute Prep

Once again we had a small class. Today we went over some last-minute strategies for the AP Lit test and then concentrated on the book project.

Does 10 People Make a Class?

Today slightly under a third of our class showed--the rest being occupied with the AP Government test--so we talked a bit about the final book project and did a bit of Q3 practice.

Portfolio Madness

We polished up and handed in portfolios today. Aren't you glad that's done?

Portfolios are due tomorrow!

Wordsworth's Boat

A little Q2 practice and some work time.
Also, I announced a voluntary AP Test Practice Session this Sunday (5/3) from 4:00 to 7:00 pm, in my room at EHS. We will consider general test prep strategies, practice some multiple choice and a few essays.

Monday and Tuesday: Prep Time

Both these days were spent primarily working on revision for the portfolio. Monday we began the day with a review of passive and active voice and Tuesday we began with a short multiple choice practice section. The rest of the week will consist mostly of revision and AP practice.

Portfolio Time: Avoiding "Uses"

We began the day with a discussion of ways to avoid the verb "uses" and its synonyms in analytical papers. Students worked on their portfolios for the remainder of the period.

Crunch Time

Today we went over the multiple choice from earlier in the week, and then spent the rest of the period talking about the portfolio, including handouts and resources available at GC.

I'm Baaaack...

Today we spent the period talking about upcoming events and then reviewed the essay practice assignment from yesterday. We will go over the multiple choice practice tomorrow.

Portfolio handouts and AP Practice are available at GC.

New Due Dates:

• The HSU Portfolio 5/1 (no late portfolios can be accepted)
• The AP Test 5/7

Mrs. D Cont.

Today we continued the graphic organizer activity, using it to put some order and thematic framework on the text. We spend the second half of the period in small groups doing the following:

• Groups find a quotation (roughly the length and quality that I choose for warm-ups).
• Individuals write up a short warm-up-like analysis, including an analysis of style and theme.
• Be prepared to share tomorrow.

Monday & Tuesday: Mrs. D

Monday we spent much of the day on a Mrs. Dalloway quiz and then did a short graphic organizing activity, which we continued on the board Tuesday after a discussion of a quotation from the novel.

Rough Drafts, Very Rough in Most Cases

Friday we talked about heading off senioritis, spent some time discussing the poem from yesterday, and then had a bit of a read-around of some generally (with a handful of exceptions) incomplete essay drafts. Don't fall apart now.

Yea! More Work for Me to Grade

Today I collected the poetry homework and checked the Mrs. D journals and essay outlines. Meanwhile, students wrapped up the poetry unit with a timed essay.

Have a draft of your final thematic essay in class tomorrow.

Best Prank... Ever

So in class today, we had our last two poetry presentations and said goodbye to the Germans, but really, all that was just a prelude to the April Fool's Day destruction of Garett's cell phone. Well played, my friend, well played indeed.

Oh, and there's homework. Clearly outline your thematic essay. I will check these tomorrow, and I expect to see a detailed outline indicating the topic and the focus of each paragraph.

Poetry PC tomorrow as well.

All About Mirrors

Today we had examined two poems centered symbolically on mirrors. Final poem presentations tomorrow.

• "Grace to be said at the Supermarket" ~Nemerov (the link is here, but it's a bit buried)
• "Ode to the Maggot" ~Komunyakaa

More Poetry

Today we had two more excellent poetry presentations. In between we talked about keeping the Mrs D forum appropriate (watch the sarcasm; it doesn't translate well) and the 2nd chance at posting topics for the ten of you who didn't manage (please see GC for details).

HW Respond to others' topics by 11:55 p.m.

Tonight's Poems

• "Poverty of Mirrors" ~Alexie
• "Mirror"~Plath

Thursday & Friday

Thursday we had a couple more poetry presentations--Cisneros' "After Everything" and Snyder's "Avocado"--and then talked a bit about the next paper.
Friday we started the day looking at cummings' "In Just," and then spent the rest of the time talking about the next essay and Woolf.

Poetry HW

• "I heard a fly buzz when I died" ~Dickinson
• "Innocence" ~Kavanagh

Paper #4 Due Dates

• Topics Posted 3/28
• Topic Responses 3/30
• Typed Roughs in Class 4/3
• Final Draft TBA

Poem Presentations Begin

Today I checked last night's poetry HW and we had the first of two poem presentations. There was a bit of chaos there at the end regarding tomorrow's poems. I have decided that we will forge ahead as scheduled with "After Everything" by Sandra Cisneros and "Avocado" by Gary Snyder.

New Due Dates:

• Your first Mrs D post is due today.
• Essay #4 Topics are due this weekend (posted 3/28).

A Slacker Repents

OK, I know, it's been days. Today we worked on the poetry project and I assigned the poetry HW which you should do every night on the next day's poems.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Poetry HW

1. Paraphrase the plot of this poem. Briefly, what is it about?
2. What is the overall tone of the poem?
3. Note a few literary techniques which stand out in this poem.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tonight's poems:

• "To an Athlete Dying Young" ~Housman
• "Leda and the Swan" ~Yeats

Forty People in One Room! Craziness!

Today we continued our look at "Richard Cory," by examining and color-coding a CRA paragraph. We spent the rest of the period rather noisily working. More was planned, but, sadly, we did not get there. Perhaps next week.

The Final Poem Project: Modern Poetry

Today we revisited the poem "Richard Cory" and then I assigned the latest (and last) poetry project. Groups formed and poems were chosen. Absentees will form groups tomorrow.

Mrs. Dalloway

We spend much of the period introducing Mrs. Dalloway and talking about modernism.

Due Dates (revised since class):

• Finish Mrs. Dalloway 4/6
• GC Posts 3/25 & 4/5
• Dialectical Journal (roughly 40 entries) 4/6 (but will be checked randomly)

Godot Arrives... in PC form

Today we had the PC for Waiting for Godot. Mrs. Dalloway and contemporary poetry tomorrow.

Finishing Up Godot

Today we finished up what were a very entertaining and enlightening series of presentations from Waiting for Godot. Well done all!

Pressure comp Monday.

Presenting Godot

After some preliminary activity involving voting, new ed. code, and some thoughts on Godot symbolism, we began the Godot presentations, which were excellent. Act 2 continues tomorrow.

Working on Godot

Today was spent working on the Godot presentations. These will begin tomorrow; however, I have decided to alter my overly ambitious due dates. Thus, the PC and study guide will now be Monday, 3/16. Other dues dates remain the same.

Into Godot

We started with some new due dates (see below), and then moved on to a discussion of a few central points about Waiting for Godot. We spent the second half of the period on the Waiting for Godot presentation assignment.

New Due Dates:

• "Hollow Men" Assignment @ GC (Questions 3/12 & Posts 3/13)
• Godot Presentations 3/12
• Godot PC & SG 3/13

Godot 2

We began the day by turning in essay final drafts and reading the titles (which were fantastic this time). We then had the quiz on the second act of Godot and discussed it.

Waiting...

After an extensive recap of the senior class night festivities, we had a short quiz on act 1 of Waiting for Godot, followed by some discussion.

Read act 2 for Monday, and don't forget that essays are due!

Godot Arrives

Well, at least the play has arrived. We introduced it today. Read act 1 for tomorrow.

"No Exit" PC

Today I collected the "No Exit" quick writes, the study guide, and we had the PC.

HW Bring Waiting for Godot

Our New Home, A116

Today we chatted about technical issues and revision with regards to the current paper assignment. After that, we spoke a bit more about "No Exit," specifically the importance of the Earth visions.

New Due Dates:

• GC Paper Assessments Extended-- Due 3/2 evening
• "No Exit" PC & SG-- Due 3/4
• Bring Waiting for Godot--3/5
• Essay final draft with cover--Due 3/9

MLA Madness

Today we spent the period considering the overall structure of longer expository essays in general and, eventually, of your individual papers in specific. There was also, however, a lengthy and surprising freak-out about MLA format. I reiterate: There should be no question about whether you need to document your sources (both parenthetically and at the end of the paper). This is academia; of course you must.

It's All on You

Today we spent the period in lively discussion about Jean-Paul Sartre and Existentialism.

Due Dates:

• Read No Exit by Friday
• Essay Rough Drafts posted to GC by Saturday night

Lear PC

Today we wrapped up King Lear with the timed essay (I collected study guides as well). Afterward, I demonstrated how to search English-specific journals through the HSU library database.

Bring No Exit tomorrow.

The End of Lear

Today we talked a bit about the paper and then finished up act 5 of King Lear. The essay is tomorrow and study guides are due if you have not yet turned them in.

Due Dates:

• Bring No Exit on Wednesday.
• Complete, typed essay drafts are due Friday.

The Next Essay and a Bit o' Lear

So today I assigned the next essay (see GC for details) and then we watched a bit of King Lear featuring Ian Holm as the venerable monarch.

HW Topics are due to GC by Tuesday night at 11:55.

So Close... and Yet So Far...

OK, so things have changed in Lear Land. My overly ambitious plan has succumbed to the realities of time. Though we managed part of act 5 today, we did not finish, and many of the actors will be gone tomorrow for Limited, so we will move on to the newly minted plan B.

Tomorrow, we will speak some about the next essay and view part of King Lear (I know, a film in AP! Can you imagine?). Presentations will commence when we return.

Due Dates (revised):

• PC and SG 2/24

Acts 2, 3, & 4!

Well, OK, one monologue from act 2 and only half of act 4, but we did manage all of act 3 (minus the monologues of two people who were absent, but still).

We WILL finish Lear tomorrow.

ACT 2

Must... move... more... quickly... Nearly through act 2 today... nearly.

Presentations Begin

Today we began King Lear presentations with act one (of course).

Fieldtrip Fun

Fun at HSU. ID cards for everyone!

Cherie Z and McCarthy

Today we spent about half the time reviewing and scoring some essays based on the final exam prompt. Use these essays and the other activity we did this week to revise your McCarthy essay for extra credit if you'd like.

Cherie talked about the AP tests and registration.

Crazy Final Work Day

Today we spent the whole day working on Lear presentations. HSU Forms are due tomorrow!

Work Time

Today we spent a bit more time on the McCarthy essay and HSU, and then wrapped up the day in Lear groups.

Lots of Due Dates

Today we began some work with the final exam essays on the passage from Cormac McCarthy's The Crossing. We then spoke for a bit about HSU and how you need to PAY YOUR BILL now. The rest of the period was spent working on the Lear project.

New Due Dates:

• Pay HSU 2/3 before 5 pm
• HSU Forms 2/5
• Presentations Begin 2/9
• Lear PC & SG 2/13
• Paper #3 Assigned 2/13

Prject Time... Mostly

Today we spent most of the period working on the Lear project. By Monday, students should have a handwritten annotation of their chosen monologue on a separate, printed sheet. In addition, students should have an initial draft of their CRA paragraph about their passage.

In Defense of Lear

Today we talked about the multiple choice a bit. I then ranted at some length in defense of Shakespeare's brilliance and the important of King Lear in the western literary tradition. Students finished up by choosing a monologues for the Lear presentations. More on this tomorrow.

Welcome to Your Group

Today we began with a bit of solo reflection on the multiple choice questions from the final exam. We continued this activity in groups and will finish it as a whole class tomorrow.
These same groups then faced off in a Lear minutia contest to choose acts for our King Lear presentations.

HW Students should consider their monologues and come prepared to negotiate with the rest of the group.

The Lear Project

Today, after a short quotation-based Lear warm-up and a general discussion of the play, we went over the handout for the Lear presentations and watched a short video of a well-performed monologue from act 5.

Welcome to the New Semester

Today we began with a short Lear quiz, talked about next week's field trip to HSU, and read a bit of Lear aloud.

Enter Shakespeare

Today we spent the day talking about William Shakespeare in general and King Lear in specific. In fact, we even read a bit of the play aloud. Fun stuff!

I collected HSU forms and warm-ups today.

Due Dates:

• Act 1 -- 1/20
• Acts 2-5 -- 1/26
• GC Posts -- 1/23 & 1/26

Thus Endeth Candide

Today we wrapped up our discussion of Candide, I collected study guides and Candide questions, and then we had the pressure comp.

Bring King Lear tomorrow.

But What About the Garden?!

Today I gave you the rest of the information for the HSU form and collected some of them (they are due Friday). We finished up the Candide satire CRA discussions and moved on to some final questions. We discussed some of these and I will collect them with study guides tomorrow before the PC.

HSU... Finally

We began the day by filling out HSU forms for concurrent enrollment. Completed forms are due Friday, please.

For the rest of the period, we continued our discussion of various satirical passages in Candide.

On Translation and International Law

Today we spent a few moments in groups and then circled up and began informal presentations of the CRA passages. These will continue tomorrow.

SG & PC 1/15

The Fine Distinction Between a 5 & a 6

Today we finished the norming activity and spent a few moments at the end of class working on the CRAs in groups.

HW CRA paragraphs are due Monday.

Fun with Norming

Today, after a brief discussion about upcoming books and missing poetry project assignments, we spend the period reviewing the HSU Portfolio Scoring Guide and reading three example portfolio papers.

Voltaire's Satire

Today we talked a bit more about Candide in general and then I assigned the Candide Satire CRA. Students worked on this for the rest of the period.

HW Students should be through #3 on the CRA handout.

Today we reviewed the uses of the apostrophe (sadly, it seemed we needed it). We talked about the essays at some length and then turned our focus to Candide.

Apostrophes, Paper Talk, & Candide

Today we reviewed the uses of the apostrophe (sadly, it seemed we needed it). We talked about the essays at some length and then turned our focus to Candide.

Welcome Back. Here's Your Quiz.

We began the day with a quiz on Candide, old-school style. Then, after going over the quiz, I briefly mentioned the essays (which will be returned tomorrow) and we talked a bit about satire.