You are absolutely amazing!!! Soon, you will be able to assess the mark of your paragraphs before handing them in!! For Thursday:
Homework:
Study for the literary must-haves quiz.
Re-write your paragraph (staple the new version to the older version) and hand in Thurs. If you need more time, email me your request (with an explanation) and a new date and I'll respond.
USSR forms--please do a thorough job of completing the forms so I learn what type of book you like and why.
Finish the corrections for your paragraph so that you can make NEW mistakes next time and not the same old comma error or floating quote error.
Enjoy reading tonight. Windy nights are best for a good book.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
English 10 A
Read Jay Ruzesky's poem, "A Slow Fuse". Create a detailed TICK chart to assess the poem's theme. Write a phrase or a sentence to synthesize the ideas you create in the chart. Make sure to include an aspect of each section of the chart in your theme; otherwise, you may miss some key parts.
Theme: What is the author revealing about the topic? A poet reveals the theme through tone, diction, structure, sound, title, etc. Have fun. It's an amazing poem with a sad and revelatory theme.
Define theme: _______________________________
Theme: What is the author revealing about the topic? A poet reveals the theme through tone, diction, structure, sound, title, etc. Have fun. It's an amazing poem with a sad and revelatory theme.
Define theme: _______________________________
Lit 12 Turning the Quote Log into an Introduction
Turning the Quote Log into an Introduction
Step 1: Divide the quotations into three categories. It's possible that you won't use all the quotes. You need three quotes to make a category.
Step 2: Name each colour. For ex. Lear's revelations, Lear's reluctance to admit mistakes, Lear's madness
Step 3: Turn each phrase into a strong topic sentence. These sentences will become the body paragraph topic sentences.
For example: Cordelia's steadfastness becomes:
Cordelia's steadfastness reflects her belief in the Renaissance philosophy called The Great Chain of Being--she never falters due to her faith in the cosmos; this faith teaches Lear to be a father.
or Lear's suffering becomes:
Lear's personal revelations are based equally on his daughters' kindnesses and rebukes because he must suffer in order to understand the depth of Cordelia's love.
Step 4: Now, synthesize these three sentences into their essence. Turn these three sentences into a THESIS. Include author and title in your sentence.
Step 5: Writing the introduction. Use these four sentences and add two more.
1. Hook (Choose a statement, a question, a quotation from the play, a quotation from a famous source, a definition, an anecdote, etc)
2. Thesis
3. First category colour statement
4. Second category colour statement
5. Third category colour statement
6. Re-state the thesis in a short, dramatic way. Make it emotional.
Once you have written your introduction, double space it, and email it to me so that I can revise it / give you feedback before we meet to write the body paragraphs in the lab on Thursday. Some of you will email me tonight, some tomorrow night, a few students (in the musical) can email me their paragraphs by Thurs. morn. 8 a.m.
Good luck. Don't worry too much about the syntax and diction at this point. You simply want to know what you are proving and how to proceed. I'll check for insight and assess the probability of your thesis statement's success.
Step 1: Divide the quotations into three categories. It's possible that you won't use all the quotes. You need three quotes to make a category.
Step 2: Name each colour. For ex. Lear's revelations, Lear's reluctance to admit mistakes, Lear's madness
Step 3: Turn each phrase into a strong topic sentence. These sentences will become the body paragraph topic sentences.
For example: Cordelia's steadfastness becomes:
Cordelia's steadfastness reflects her belief in the Renaissance philosophy called The Great Chain of Being--she never falters due to her faith in the cosmos; this faith teaches Lear to be a father.
or Lear's suffering becomes:
Lear's personal revelations are based equally on his daughters' kindnesses and rebukes because he must suffer in order to understand the depth of Cordelia's love.
Step 4: Now, synthesize these three sentences into their essence. Turn these three sentences into a THESIS. Include author and title in your sentence.
Step 5: Writing the introduction. Use these four sentences and add two more.
1. Hook (Choose a statement, a question, a quotation from the play, a quotation from a famous source, a definition, an anecdote, etc)
2. Thesis
3. First category colour statement
4. Second category colour statement
5. Third category colour statement
6. Re-state the thesis in a short, dramatic way. Make it emotional.
Once you have written your introduction, double space it, and email it to me so that I can revise it / give you feedback before we meet to write the body paragraphs in the lab on Thursday. Some of you will email me tonight, some tomorrow night, a few students (in the musical) can email me their paragraphs by Thurs. morn. 8 a.m.
Good luck. Don't worry too much about the syntax and diction at this point. You simply want to know what you are proving and how to proceed. I'll check for insight and assess the probability of your thesis statement's success.
Writing 12
I read Jackie's and Ariel's story beginnings today and they are absolutely brilliant. Ariel's is a time montage and Jackie's is a space montage and a time montage combined. She's got three characters on a plane for the space montage and then she goes back in time and creates scenes for each one. Absolutely scintillating and the writing is hilarious. You heard Ariel read her gas station scene to the class last week, remember? She's finished that story so I'm looking forward to reading it.
March 8--is your big deadline. NO EXTENSIONS, PLEASE! You need to hand a clean, double-spaced copy to each member of your workshop group. The group list is below. We will want to pass these out quickly at the beginning of class as Terence Young will be reading to us that day.
Workshop groups: Bring a copy of the story for each member of the group. If you are having trouble printing it, do so in the computer lab as it's fast and easy. Make sure that your story has been edited well (spelling, grammar, scenes, language, sentence variety) and that it meets the criteria. Be sure to read and re-read the criteria.
Jack has finished reading Mean Boy. As I look around, most of you have hardly scratched its surface.
I want you to read, read, read. If you are not reading that, what literary fiction are you reading? I want to know. Reading great, literary fiction is a writer's best friend.
Jackie, Liam and Karen
Jack. Alexis and Harrison
Ariel, Kaylaa, Isabella and Adam (Adam, no pressure--but if you want to join us for editing, please do, even if you don't have a story ready, you may read your group's stories and respond)
Gave, Sena and Sophia
We meet in the lab next class and will continue to do so until March 8th. If you need some editing assistance, let me know.
March 8--is your big deadline. NO EXTENSIONS, PLEASE! You need to hand a clean, double-spaced copy to each member of your workshop group. The group list is below. We will want to pass these out quickly at the beginning of class as Terence Young will be reading to us that day.
Workshop groups: Bring a copy of the story for each member of the group. If you are having trouble printing it, do so in the computer lab as it's fast and easy. Make sure that your story has been edited well (spelling, grammar, scenes, language, sentence variety) and that it meets the criteria. Be sure to read and re-read the criteria.
Jack has finished reading Mean Boy. As I look around, most of you have hardly scratched its surface.
I want you to read, read, read. If you are not reading that, what literary fiction are you reading? I want to know. Reading great, literary fiction is a writer's best friend.
Jackie, Liam and Karen
Jack. Alexis and Harrison
Ariel, Kaylaa, Isabella and Adam (Adam, no pressure--but if you want to join us for editing, please do, even if you don't have a story ready, you may read your group's stories and respond)
Gave, Sena and Sophia
We meet in the lab next class and will continue to do so until March 8th. If you need some editing assistance, let me know.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Ap Lit
We started Albert Camus' novel, The Outsider, today. I did a short intro to the concept of absurdity and how Camus defines, uses that concept in the novel. If you were absent, get the notes from a friend. I also assigned the ABSURDIST JOURNAL. Due 2 weeks from today. Get the criteria from a friend. Completing the journal is the best way to internalize these absurdist concepts.
A good source to read is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Myth_of_Sisyphus.
I read a comical article written by Susan Musgrave, called "The Art of Small Talk," which exemplifies some of the scripts that exist in Canadian society.
We started reading, discussing, taking notes on the novel. You can pick up a copy on Wed. if you were away today.
Homework: Prepare for the free-response essay on Joyce. You'll write it on Wednesday.
A good source to read is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Myth_of_Sisyphus.
I read a comical article written by Susan Musgrave, called "The Art of Small Talk," which exemplifies some of the scripts that exist in Canadian society.
We started reading, discussing, taking notes on the novel. You can pick up a copy on Wed. if you were away today.
Homework: Prepare for the free-response essay on Joyce. You'll write it on Wednesday.
Friday, February 24, 2012
English 10A
Sheri-d Wilson's website is www.sheridwilson.com You can email her from there as well to thank her for her presentation or to ask her questions or YOU COULD WRITE A SKETCH POEM (based on the Jack Kerouac tradition she spoke about) which reveals your impressions of Sheri-D, the class today, spoken word, New York, Airplane Paula, Google, you pick. Could be fun. She would love it!!
Homework: Please write and edit your best ever literary paragraph. See previous blogposts for the questions.
Criteria: You can discuss the effectiveness of the literary technique, i.e. how it emphasizes the poem's attitude toward its topic. In Owen's case--war. In Crozier's case--child abuse.
Keep writing poetry. We'll be doing more writing in class next week.
I liked Sheri-d's adage: to write poetry, DON'T WRITE POETRY. INSTEAD, TELL THE TRUTH.
But remember, the details do not have to be factual, you just have to make the reader believe them. You have to believe them. She suggested that one way to edit is to have your editor ask: what is the poem about? what is the poem about? What is the poem about? Until you get your AH-HA!!
Good luck.
No poem due on Tuesday. There will be one due on Thursday, though.
Homework: Please write and edit your best ever literary paragraph. See previous blogposts for the questions.
Criteria: You can discuss the effectiveness of the literary technique, i.e. how it emphasizes the poem's attitude toward its topic. In Owen's case--war. In Crozier's case--child abuse.
Keep writing poetry. We'll be doing more writing in class next week.
I liked Sheri-d's adage: to write poetry, DON'T WRITE POETRY. INSTEAD, TELL THE TRUTH.
But remember, the details do not have to be factual, you just have to make the reader believe them. You have to believe them. She suggested that one way to edit is to have your editor ask: what is the poem about? what is the poem about? What is the poem about? Until you get your AH-HA!!
Good luck.
No poem due on Tuesday. There will be one due on Thursday, though.
Lit 12
Superb work in the computer lab today. I heard a few pins drop!! Thank you for respecting the time I give you to get your work done. You should be pretty close to finishing the quotation log. Bring all the quotes plus your insightful responses to class on TUES. for the most-important class of the YEAR!
HOMEWORK: FINISH THE QUOTE LOG!!
HOMEWORK: FINISH THE QUOTE LOG!!
English 9
I started marking your literary paragraphs and I'll return them to you on Tuesday.
Study your literary must-haves list so that you have them all under your belt and can move beyond the basics in your next paragraph.
This weekend--finish a book! All forms due at the end of the month. Since we don't have class, Feb. 29th, I'll give you an extra day. Forms due Thursday, March 1. I emailed you the form the other day so you can print out a bunch and fill them in at home or fill them in electronically and email them to me.
Study your literary must-haves list so that you have them all under your belt and can move beyond the basics in your next paragraph.
This weekend--finish a book! All forms due at the end of the month. Since we don't have class, Feb. 29th, I'll give you an extra day. Forms due Thursday, March 1. I emailed you the form the other day so you can print out a bunch and fill them in at home or fill them in electronically and email them to me.
AP Lit
Prepare for the composition on Tuesday by creating a strong, elaborate chart with quotations that you can easily memorize. Also, please review the criteria for the composition. If you wish to read samples of student free-reponse essays, visit the AP central website.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Lit 12
Quotation Log: YOUR TOPICS SOUND AMAZING--DO I HEAR SHAKESPEARE SCHOLARS, ANYONE???
Homework: You need to have your quotation log completed by Tuesday so today's class and tomorrow's classes in the lab should be a great use of your time and then supplement with time at home as needed. Please follow the criteria so that you can easily achieve 100% on this project.
More time spent at the quote log level = an excellent essay.
Tuesday's Class: DON'T MISS IT. IF YOU ARE SICK, WEAR A MASK AND SIT AT THE BACK. This is THE class of the year. I'll show you a method of creating the introduction that you can then apply to all essays in all subjects from now until eternity. Yay. (Sorry, I get a little excited, sometimes).
Homework: You need to have your quotation log completed by Tuesday so today's class and tomorrow's classes in the lab should be a great use of your time and then supplement with time at home as needed. Please follow the criteria so that you can easily achieve 100% on this project.
More time spent at the quote log level = an excellent essay.
Tuesday's Class: DON'T MISS IT. IF YOU ARE SICK, WEAR A MASK AND SIT AT THE BACK. This is THE class of the year. I'll show you a method of creating the introduction that you can then apply to all essays in all subjects from now until eternity. Yay. (Sorry, I get a little excited, sometimes).
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Lit 12
Homework: Re-read Act 5 scene 3 to ensure that you realize how the play ends and how Lear and Gloucester die. All three sisters die and Edmund. There are references to original sin in that scene as well. Look at Lear's speeches carefully.
Choose a topic for your essay. Something that can be argued. Make it contentious--that way it will be easier to prove in a persuasive and lively manner.
Tomorrow, meet in the south computer lab. Arrive with all of your notes and your play. Your job will be to choose quotations and to start to respond to them.
Here are our deadlines:
Thurs. Feb 23: work on the quote log in the south computer lab (Aim to find and write on 4 to 5 quotes) See the handout for the criteria
Friday. Feb. 24: South computer lab to complete the quote log 9 to 12 fully explained quotes
Homework: Complete the typed quotation log (follow all the criteria.
QUOTE LOG IS DUE TUES. FEB. 28 (I can't offer any extensions). You'll see why below.
Tues. Feb. 28th: We turn the quote log into a thesis and then we write the introduction during class. Take it home. Type it up and bring it to class so I can edit it. Double space. (I will give you a sample and a clear set of criteria for the intro. An excellent intro assures and excellent essay).
Thurs. Mar. 1 HAND IN THE INTRODUCTION DOUBLE SPACED TYPED. We meet back in the computer lab where you start writing the body paragraphs. (These paragraphs are similar to the literary paragraphs which we have been writing all year. However, you need to be aware that you are proving your large essay thesis, so somewhere in the para. or in several places, you keep referring back to the original introduction)
Mon. March 5: Finish writing the body paragraphs and the conclusion.
Wed. March 7: Arrive with your first draft of the essay (double spaced, completed) We peer edit.
Take the edited essay home and revise, revise, revise.
Essay is due: Tues. March 13.
If you keep up during class, you will have very little homework to do other than study for your Renaissance test which is in SDS for March 8 but I will switch it to March 9.
Renaissance Test Review: Thurs. March 8 (Start reviewing now. Look on your core list. It starts with the sonnets "Whoso List to Hunt", Shakespeare, Donne, the Cavaliers: the pastoral and anti-pastoral, Milton, Pepys' diary, and King Lear.
Outline for the Renaissance Test:
1. 15 multiple choice
2. sight poem or passage (you read the poem and answer a question in a formal literary para. )
3. Lear passage (You are given a passage and you are asked a question. Answer the question based on the passage (but also make connections to the play as a whole. Marks awarded for your ability to write with style and infer and support those inferences with well-integrated quotations).
The sight poem could be from anywhere--Anglo-Saxon to modern or it could be a piece of prose.
Study your notes on the era: Renaissance. Study your notes on the sonnet, the pastoral, anti-pastoral, carpe diem theme, metaphysical poetry, Cavaliers, Puritans, John Milton's epic and his sonnet.
If you have been reviewing regularly, this test will be a breeze. If not, now would be a good time to create cards for each piece of literature and to create cards for all the literary terms.
Literary terms for this test will be drawn from the examples we studied:
sonnet (volta, sestet, octave, iambic pentametre, rhyme scheme) heroic couplet, Petrachran, Shakespearean,
pastoral, anti-pastoral: serene imagery, idealization,
Cavaliers: iambic tetrametre, simile, quatrains, rhyming couplets, carpe diem, paradox
Vocabulary from Paradise Lost: peridtion, penal, vnaquish, Leviathan, oracle, transgress, ehtereal, dluge, eify, extort, dubious, wrath, ignominy, ignominous, providence, apostate, guile, vanting, obdurate, sufferance, impetuous, prone
Milton: invocation, periodic sentence, similes, allusion, sonnet, pun, metonymy, synecdoche, blank verse
Donne: metaphysical conceit, free verse, sonnet, personification, apostrophe, valediction,
Pepys: authentic journal from that time period, very specific use of imagery, he's quite shallow,
Choose a topic for your essay. Something that can be argued. Make it contentious--that way it will be easier to prove in a persuasive and lively manner.
Tomorrow, meet in the south computer lab. Arrive with all of your notes and your play. Your job will be to choose quotations and to start to respond to them.
Here are our deadlines:
Thurs. Feb 23: work on the quote log in the south computer lab (Aim to find and write on 4 to 5 quotes) See the handout for the criteria
Friday. Feb. 24: South computer lab to complete the quote log 9 to 12 fully explained quotes
Homework: Complete the typed quotation log (follow all the criteria.
QUOTE LOG IS DUE TUES. FEB. 28 (I can't offer any extensions). You'll see why below.
Tues. Feb. 28th: We turn the quote log into a thesis and then we write the introduction during class. Take it home. Type it up and bring it to class so I can edit it. Double space. (I will give you a sample and a clear set of criteria for the intro. An excellent intro assures and excellent essay).
Thurs. Mar. 1 HAND IN THE INTRODUCTION DOUBLE SPACED TYPED. We meet back in the computer lab where you start writing the body paragraphs. (These paragraphs are similar to the literary paragraphs which we have been writing all year. However, you need to be aware that you are proving your large essay thesis, so somewhere in the para. or in several places, you keep referring back to the original introduction)
Mon. March 5: Finish writing the body paragraphs and the conclusion.
Wed. March 7: Arrive with your first draft of the essay (double spaced, completed) We peer edit.
Take the edited essay home and revise, revise, revise.
Essay is due: Tues. March 13.
If you keep up during class, you will have very little homework to do other than study for your Renaissance test which is in SDS for March 8 but I will switch it to March 9.
Renaissance Test Review: Thurs. March 8 (Start reviewing now. Look on your core list. It starts with the sonnets "Whoso List to Hunt", Shakespeare, Donne, the Cavaliers: the pastoral and anti-pastoral, Milton, Pepys' diary, and King Lear.
Outline for the Renaissance Test:
1. 15 multiple choice
2. sight poem or passage (you read the poem and answer a question in a formal literary para. )
3. Lear passage (You are given a passage and you are asked a question. Answer the question based on the passage (but also make connections to the play as a whole. Marks awarded for your ability to write with style and infer and support those inferences with well-integrated quotations).
The sight poem could be from anywhere--Anglo-Saxon to modern or it could be a piece of prose.
Study your notes on the era: Renaissance. Study your notes on the sonnet, the pastoral, anti-pastoral, carpe diem theme, metaphysical poetry, Cavaliers, Puritans, John Milton's epic and his sonnet.
If you have been reviewing regularly, this test will be a breeze. If not, now would be a good time to create cards for each piece of literature and to create cards for all the literary terms.
Literary terms for this test will be drawn from the examples we studied:
sonnet (volta, sestet, octave, iambic pentametre, rhyme scheme) heroic couplet, Petrachran, Shakespearean,
pastoral, anti-pastoral: serene imagery, idealization,
Cavaliers: iambic tetrametre, simile, quatrains, rhyming couplets, carpe diem, paradox
Vocabulary from Paradise Lost: peridtion, penal, vnaquish, Leviathan, oracle, transgress, ehtereal, dluge, eify, extort, dubious, wrath, ignominy, ignominous, providence, apostate, guile, vanting, obdurate, sufferance, impetuous, prone
Milton: invocation, periodic sentence, similes, allusion, sonnet, pun, metonymy, synecdoche, blank verse
Donne: metaphysical conceit, free verse, sonnet, personification, apostrophe, valediction,
Pepys: authentic journal from that time period, very specific use of imagery, he's quite shallow,
English 9
Great job with the USSR. Please keep those forms coming in. If you know of a book students will love, please make sure Mrs. Tweedie has it in our library. You are welcome to give us a book talk, too!
Thanks to you all for providing Jackie with such a grand welcome. She has to present as part of her Writing 12 mark so writing and sharing your work so heroically was a real benefit to her. I liked what you wrote, too.
If you have poems that are starting to emerge from the exercises, feel free to type up a draft and submit it to me for editing.
Friday: Meet in the north lab! Bring your USSR books, your text books, your edited paragraph and notes. If you don't think you will be able to complete the paragraph in 50 minutes, prepare it part way before hand.
All paragraphs are due at the end of Friday's class unless you ask me today or tomorrow for an extension. Thanks.
Thanks to you all for providing Jackie with such a grand welcome. She has to present as part of her Writing 12 mark so writing and sharing your work so heroically was a real benefit to her. I liked what you wrote, too.
If you have poems that are starting to emerge from the exercises, feel free to type up a draft and submit it to me for editing.
Friday: Meet in the north lab! Bring your USSR books, your text books, your edited paragraph and notes. If you don't think you will be able to complete the paragraph in 50 minutes, prepare it part way before hand.
All paragraphs are due at the end of Friday's class unless you ask me today or tomorrow for an extension. Thanks.
English 10
Wonderful work today. If you had to leave early, be sure to create notes on your response to the last stanza. Look for more techniques that he uses. He addresses the reader twice in this paragraph. That technique is called apostrophe (look it up). We also did parallelism, couplet, heroic couplet, iambic pentametre, iamb, (if you left early, look up those definitions also.
Choose either question A or B below and create a formal, literary paragraph (300+) words to elucidate Crozier's or Owens' poems.
A. "The Child Who Walks Backwards" by Lorna Crozier Discuss how Crozier's uses of literary techniques such as hyperbole, imagery, sound, puns, point of view, understatement, etc serve to emphasize the theme that child abuse is secretive yet we are aware that it exists.
or
B. "Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owens. Discuss how Owens uses literary techniques to inform a pro-war audience the truth about war. Choose the best three techniques such as hyperbole, imagery, caesura, punctuation, juxtaposition, apostrophe, allusion to Horace, sound techniques--dissonance, assonance, etc
Friday: A Special Presentation by performance poet, Sheri-D Wilson. Have a look at her site http://sheridwilson.com/ so that you'll be somewhat familiar with her work. I suspect she may do writing exercises with us as well which will be great for your poetry writing.
Your paragraph is due on Tuesday. If you will need an extension, please email me well in advance; otherwise, I will expect them all on Tuesday.
Homework: Create a new poem (based on your anthologies or what you wrote during class). Type it up and submit Friday.
Choose either question A or B below and create a formal, literary paragraph (300+) words to elucidate Crozier's or Owens' poems.
A. "The Child Who Walks Backwards" by Lorna Crozier Discuss how Crozier's uses of literary techniques such as hyperbole, imagery, sound, puns, point of view, understatement, etc serve to emphasize the theme that child abuse is secretive yet we are aware that it exists.
or
B. "Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owens. Discuss how Owens uses literary techniques to inform a pro-war audience the truth about war. Choose the best three techniques such as hyperbole, imagery, caesura, punctuation, juxtaposition, apostrophe, allusion to Horace, sound techniques--dissonance, assonance, etc
Friday: A Special Presentation by performance poet, Sheri-D Wilson. Have a look at her site http://sheridwilson.com/ so that you'll be somewhat familiar with her work. I suspect she may do writing exercises with us as well which will be great for your poetry writing.
Your paragraph is due on Tuesday. If you will need an extension, please email me well in advance; otherwise, I will expect them all on Tuesday.
Homework: Create a new poem (based on your anthologies or what you wrote during class). Type it up and submit Friday.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
AP Lit
We did it!! Joyce. O Joyce! O uncontrollable! (he he he, inside Shelley joke).
Wed: Sight composition (You've done this type many times. Remember to focus on the language and style of the passage. Do not skip over the text. You may also refer to the work as a whole where applicable. 40 minutes. After the 40 minutes, you'll have 25 minutes to work on multiple choice questions based on Joyce. These questions will not be a part of the test but we will mark them together. Take you time on them. Take them home to complete.
Fri: Response Question. We'll correct the multiple choice section from Wed. I'll be giving you more multiple choice questions to take home.
Next class: Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind". Understanding this poem will help us to understand the role of the artist.
Wed: Sight composition (You've done this type many times. Remember to focus on the language and style of the passage. Do not skip over the text. You may also refer to the work as a whole where applicable. 40 minutes. After the 40 minutes, you'll have 25 minutes to work on multiple choice questions based on Joyce. These questions will not be a part of the test but we will mark them together. Take you time on them. Take them home to complete.
Fri: Response Question. We'll correct the multiple choice section from Wed. I'll be giving you more multiple choice questions to take home.
Next class: Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind". Understanding this poem will help us to understand the role of the artist.
Writing 12
Choose one of the types of prose we discussed today:
Exposition
Narration
Scene
Half-Scene
and try to write one . . . The length will reflect the style you choose.
Come to class prepared to discuss what you noticed while trying that style.
I.E.
When you might use it.
What worked?
What didn't work?
Where you got stuck.
What questions you have about it.
Also, go out into the world with your fiction caps on. Observe how people talk. Do they speak in complete sentences? What are the rythms? Visit a UVic cafe, a mall in Langford, Brown Hall, a Tim Hortons downtown on Yates and sit with your journal and write down what you hear.
Intersperse the writing of the dialogue with descriptions of the location. How does the dialogue influence what you decide to describe? Notice whether you are focusing on just one sense--sight tends to dominate. Try writing an entire scene just from smell details or taste or sound.
Keep practicing the sentence exercises as they are the story building blocks.
Exposition
Narration
Scene
Half-Scene
and try to write one . . . The length will reflect the style you choose.
Come to class prepared to discuss what you noticed while trying that style.
I.E.
When you might use it.
What worked?
What didn't work?
Where you got stuck.
What questions you have about it.
Also, go out into the world with your fiction caps on. Observe how people talk. Do they speak in complete sentences? What are the rythms? Visit a UVic cafe, a mall in Langford, Brown Hall, a Tim Hortons downtown on Yates and sit with your journal and write down what you hear.
Intersperse the writing of the dialogue with descriptions of the location. How does the dialogue influence what you decide to describe? Notice whether you are focusing on just one sense--sight tends to dominate. Try writing an entire scene just from smell details or taste or sound.
Keep practicing the sentence exercises as they are the story building blocks.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Lit 12
We finished Act 4, took notes and finished the Act 4 plot chart. (if you were absent, be sure to borrow the notes). We read Act 5, sc. 1, as well, which is pretty much plot oriented; however, it does reveal more of Edmund's static character traits, so make sure you are clear about his character.
We learn of Goneril's infatuation for Edmund. She wants him more than the kingdom. What does that reveal about her character?
Start thinking about a topic for your paper. Next class, we'll create a list of topics. You choose a topic, go back into the text and into your notes to find quotations, and then you will create a quotation log. We'll spend a number of days in the computer lab writing the log and creating the essay. You'll be amazed by this method. It works and you'll be thrilled with the product. A great tool for post-secondary ed.
We learn of Goneril's infatuation for Edmund. She wants him more than the kingdom. What does that reveal about her character?
Start thinking about a topic for your paper. Next class, we'll create a list of topics. You choose a topic, go back into the text and into your notes to find quotations, and then you will create a quotation log. We'll spend a number of days in the computer lab writing the log and creating the essay. You'll be amazed by this method. It works and you'll be thrilled with the product. A great tool for post-secondary ed.
English 9
Terrific job on the USSR front and on your persuasive essays. We will not be bound by a lack of effort, passion or intellect this term, eh??? Good for you.
We reviewed the properties of the literary paragraph. By now, you need to have the 13 steps memorized. See previous blog posts for ideas and in your notes. Keep reviewing notes daily to feel really prepared.
Next, I passed out a literary must-haves sheet and you checked off all of the ones that you already do.
Using a thesaurus, find good synonyms for verbs such as: depict, portray, elucidate, exemplify, symbolize, emphasizes, illustrates etc. Keep a list handy in your notebook.
We reviewed why we need synonyms in our paragraphs, how to cite and integrate quotations, and the purpose of a literary paragraph.
Finally, we peer edited the paragraphs on the story, "The Father".
Homework: read the suggestions. Make sure you understand them and you may revise this week. Arrive in the north lab Friday prepared to type up a good copy. The more prepared you are the better. Bring your USSR books. We'll write the para. first and then if there is time, you may read.
Wed: Special guests from Writing 12. Bring a fave pen and writing notebook to create innovative poems. Yay.
We reviewed the properties of the literary paragraph. By now, you need to have the 13 steps memorized. See previous blog posts for ideas and in your notes. Keep reviewing notes daily to feel really prepared.
Next, I passed out a literary must-haves sheet and you checked off all of the ones that you already do.
Using a thesaurus, find good synonyms for verbs such as: depict, portray, elucidate, exemplify, symbolize, emphasizes, illustrates etc. Keep a list handy in your notebook.
We reviewed why we need synonyms in our paragraphs, how to cite and integrate quotations, and the purpose of a literary paragraph.
Finally, we peer edited the paragraphs on the story, "The Father".
Homework: read the suggestions. Make sure you understand them and you may revise this week. Arrive in the north lab Friday prepared to type up a good copy. The more prepared you are the better. Bring your USSR books. We'll write the para. first and then if there is time, you may read.
Wed: Special guests from Writing 12. Bring a fave pen and writing notebook to create innovative poems. Yay.
Friday, February 17, 2012
AP Lit
I really enjoyed the presentations on the first four sections of chapter 5 today. Thank you!
Tuesday, Jen, Hannah and Zac will present the final section of the book and then we will share your THESIS statements. Hannah, Joseph, and Zac, I'll email you the notes. Joseph, since you missed presenting today, you can hand me your notes on your section and I'll mark those instead.
TUES: wrap up the novel, final comments, time to ask questions, etc Prep for the two compositions
Wed: Composition on a passage from Joyce
Fri: Compositon on a generic question. I may choose one from the list of previous AP questions. I gave you this handout earlier in the year so if you have misplaced it, ask me for a new one. It has approximately 22 of the previous section 3 essay questions on there. Look there to get a sense of the question. We focused on the artist and his/her role in society. It would be good to review Shelley and Byron for this section as well as Catholic terminology. (Spark notes has an extensive vocabulary list you may wish to peruse).
I also have several Joyce passages with multiple choice questions which I will give you for AP exam prep. They are good to use since they help you review Joyce while at the same time, learning the formulaic way that the questions are asked. Yay....
What shall we do next? Camus or Sophocles before spring break?
Tuesday, Jen, Hannah and Zac will present the final section of the book and then we will share your THESIS statements. Hannah, Joseph, and Zac, I'll email you the notes. Joseph, since you missed presenting today, you can hand me your notes on your section and I'll mark those instead.
TUES: wrap up the novel, final comments, time to ask questions, etc Prep for the two compositions
Wed: Composition on a passage from Joyce
Fri: Compositon on a generic question. I may choose one from the list of previous AP questions. I gave you this handout earlier in the year so if you have misplaced it, ask me for a new one. It has approximately 22 of the previous section 3 essay questions on there. Look there to get a sense of the question. We focused on the artist and his/her role in society. It would be good to review Shelley and Byron for this section as well as Catholic terminology. (Spark notes has an extensive vocabulary list you may wish to peruse).
I also have several Joyce passages with multiple choice questions which I will give you for AP exam prep. They are good to use since they help you review Joyce while at the same time, learning the formulaic way that the questions are asked. Yay....
What shall we do next? Camus or Sophocles before spring break?
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Lit 12
Thanks for your enthusiastic response to our guest poets from Writing 12, Jack Hayes and Kaylaa Dornan. The quick writes which you read out demonstrate a real flair for working with words. If writing is something you enjoy, Writing 12 at SMUS is one of the finest programs in the country. You'll get instruction you'll never get anywhere else.
Create two typed poems which you wrote based on today's exercises or take a line from today and create new poems. Think--image, sound, structure. Show us what to feel but don't tell us. Add a title that resonates, acts as an invitation, and may mean something different at the beginning of the poem compared to the end.
Hand in the poems on Monday.
Create two typed poems which you wrote based on today's exercises or take a line from today and create new poems. Think--image, sound, structure. Show us what to feel but don't tell us. Add a title that resonates, acts as an invitation, and may mean something different at the beginning of the poem compared to the end.
Hand in the poems on Monday.
English 9
It's wonderful to see so many people reading!! When you finish a book, please complete two forms: a quick USSR response form and a SMUS reads form. I mark the USSR forms (they won't take you long and you may complete them during USSR).
Practice: Literary Para. Writing (without looking at last day's blog, fill in the following)
How to write a literary paragraph:
While you were editing today, we focused on a few items:
Verb tense (present)
Citing page numbers and using quotation marks properly
Using synonyms for words or expressions used throughout the paragraph.
Next day, we'll go over the literary must haves list and edit the paragraphs (peer editing).
Start reviewing daily.
If you were away today, write the paragraph to prove the thesis you have created about the father. Double space it so we can edit. Make sure it has at least 10 sentences and includes two transitions.
I handed out a sheet on transitions and a sheet reviewing how to cite.
Homework for Monday:
Each student chose a goal for USSR--some students plan to finish a book. Other students chose 80 to 100 pages. Choose a goal, meet the goal, and let me know how many pages you read.
I'll attach the USSR response form below so you can copy and paste it into word and then you'll have them at home. I lost some formatting below. The responses need to be worthy paragraphs. Thanks.
Have a good weekend.
Practice: Literary Para. Writing (without looking at last day's blog, fill in the following)
How to write a literary paragraph:
- Thesis plus author and title
While you were editing today, we focused on a few items:
Verb tense (present)
Citing page numbers and using quotation marks properly
Using synonyms for words or expressions used throughout the paragraph.
Next day, we'll go over the literary must haves list and edit the paragraphs (peer editing).
Start reviewing daily.
If you were away today, write the paragraph to prove the thesis you have created about the father. Double space it so we can edit. Make sure it has at least 10 sentences and includes two transitions.
I handed out a sheet on transitions and a sheet reviewing how to cite.
Homework for Monday:
Each student chose a goal for USSR--some students plan to finish a book. Other students chose 80 to 100 pages. Choose a goal, meet the goal, and let me know how many pages you read.
I'll attach the USSR response form below so you can copy and paste it into word and then you'll have them at home. I lost some formatting below. The responses need to be worthy paragraphs. Thanks.
Have a good weekend.
USSR Response Form
Name: ____________________________________________________
Date: _____________________________________________________
Title: _____________________________________________________
Author: ___________________________________________________
Genre: ___________________________________________________
Why I chose this book: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Why I do or do not recommend this book: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What I plan to read next: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
English 10 A
Absolutely astounding interpretatin of Lorna Crozier's poem today.... WOW. I think I will call her up and see if she can come and give us a reading. What do you think?
If you were absent today, be sure to get the notes from a friend as we filled in at least four boards full!
Next, we wrote down a terrific question which you will answer next week unless you choose to write about the Owen poem.
In a literary paragraph of 300+ words, evaluate the way that the poet uses literary techniques (such as enjambement, sound, image, simile, understatement, etc) to reveal household abuse, a tacit neighbour and . . .
Next, I returned the wonderful poetry anthologies (if you were absent, be sure to pick up your anthology tomorrow). Choose any one of the suggestions I made on your anthologies, and use it to create a wonderful poem. Type up the poem and edit as you do so. Hand in on Monday for further editing.
Modern poems as you know include the following:
1. images (appeal to the five senses)
2. surprise (they don't just describe a dead dog on the side of the road as motionless or bloody)--poets make us look i.e. He plummeted down the stairs like a wounded bird.
3. sound (assoanance, dissonance, alliteration, repetition, rhythm, internal rhyme (not on the ends of lines)
4. show don't tell (start in the middle of the action--get out of the poem but don't sum it up--they are open - ended--not necessarily a resolution more of a snapshot--a flash!
5. vision--poems make you feel--you laugh, cry, get angry, grieve, feel confused, guilty, exhilarated etc--the poems show you something in a new way--silence, November, love, war, abuse, peace, how it feels to be 16, losing innocence, craving freedom etc.
6. point of view is key
7. structure--line break, stanzas, titles, pauses, placement of words on a page, suspense, punctuation
8. tone--diction is absolutely key in poetry--don't say skinny if you mean thin, or anorexic, or twig-like, or skinny as a .... or just right, or starved! Use a FLIP dictionary or a thesaurus to ensure accuracy
Editing:
Cut out unnecessary words, make the verbs work for you, cut is, has, feels, use --slinks, slumbers, crafts, crawls,
Cut adjectives and adverbs and use strong, accurate words instead.
If a reader can predict the next line, cut it or change it--make your characters and settings unique
ie.
She turned to face him (what do you expect to come next???)
Exactly.
Sooooo, have her do something surprising--she takes her gum out of her mouth and puts it in his ....oooh
way better than a sloppy kiss, right?
Avoid cliches--if the language you are using has been said before--don't use it--hungry as a horse, tears rolled down her cheek, etc
Make sure we know who is speaking to whom, where we are, and why we should continue to read the poem--don't make the reader ask -- What is going on? That is a mistake.
Good luck. If you want to send me a draft before Monday, please do so.
Also, if you have a lot of time this weekend, feel free to write poems on all of the ones in your anthology that I marked. Also, if you write new poems this weekend you are welcome to hand those in.
You want to write and revise (2 to 3 times) at least 4 poems for your portfolio. We'll use these poems to send off to contests. Prepare to WIN!!
If you were absent today, be sure to get the notes from a friend as we filled in at least four boards full!
Next, we wrote down a terrific question which you will answer next week unless you choose to write about the Owen poem.
In a literary paragraph of 300+ words, evaluate the way that the poet uses literary techniques (such as enjambement, sound, image, simile, understatement, etc) to reveal household abuse, a tacit neighbour and . . .
Next, I returned the wonderful poetry anthologies (if you were absent, be sure to pick up your anthology tomorrow). Choose any one of the suggestions I made on your anthologies, and use it to create a wonderful poem. Type up the poem and edit as you do so. Hand in on Monday for further editing.
Modern poems as you know include the following:
1. images (appeal to the five senses)
2. surprise (they don't just describe a dead dog on the side of the road as motionless or bloody)--poets make us look i.e. He plummeted down the stairs like a wounded bird.
3. sound (assoanance, dissonance, alliteration, repetition, rhythm, internal rhyme (not on the ends of lines)
4. show don't tell (start in the middle of the action--get out of the poem but don't sum it up--they are open - ended--not necessarily a resolution more of a snapshot--a flash!
5. vision--poems make you feel--you laugh, cry, get angry, grieve, feel confused, guilty, exhilarated etc--the poems show you something in a new way--silence, November, love, war, abuse, peace, how it feels to be 16, losing innocence, craving freedom etc.
6. point of view is key
7. structure--line break, stanzas, titles, pauses, placement of words on a page, suspense, punctuation
8. tone--diction is absolutely key in poetry--don't say skinny if you mean thin, or anorexic, or twig-like, or skinny as a .... or just right, or starved! Use a FLIP dictionary or a thesaurus to ensure accuracy
Editing:
Cut out unnecessary words, make the verbs work for you, cut is, has, feels, use --slinks, slumbers, crafts, crawls,
Cut adjectives and adverbs and use strong, accurate words instead.
If a reader can predict the next line, cut it or change it--make your characters and settings unique
ie.
She turned to face him (what do you expect to come next???)
Exactly.
Sooooo, have her do something surprising--she takes her gum out of her mouth and puts it in his ....oooh
way better than a sloppy kiss, right?
Avoid cliches--if the language you are using has been said before--don't use it--hungry as a horse, tears rolled down her cheek, etc
Make sure we know who is speaking to whom, where we are, and why we should continue to read the poem--don't make the reader ask -- What is going on? That is a mistake.
Good luck. If you want to send me a draft before Monday, please do so.
Also, if you have a lot of time this weekend, feel free to write poems on all of the ones in your anthology that I marked. Also, if you write new poems this weekend you are welcome to hand those in.
You want to write and revise (2 to 3 times) at least 4 poems for your portfolio. We'll use these poems to send off to contests. Prepare to WIN!!
Writing 12
Great work today. Looking forward to reading your scenes. Bring them to class Friday. You will be reading it aloud but not handing it in at this point. Play with point of view, setting and verb tense. Try imitating one of Coady's scene styles to give you a structure.
See if you can find stories from any of the following authors:
Alice Munro
Margaret Atwood
Anton Chekov
Raymond Carver
Terence Young
As you read, look for the technique--space montage or time montage.
Look for the form:
social realism (D.H. Lawrence)
psychological realism (this style is still the most popular in third person, past tense, why?)
surrealism
magic realism (South American)
meta-fiction (Joseph Heller, Catch 22)
stream of consciousness (James Joyce, Ulysses)
intertextuality
See if you can find stories from any of the following authors:
Alice Munro
Margaret Atwood
Anton Chekov
Raymond Carver
Terence Young
As you read, look for the technique--space montage or time montage.
Look for the form:
social realism (D.H. Lawrence)
psychological realism (this style is still the most popular in third person, past tense, why?)
surrealism
magic realism (South American)
meta-fiction (Joseph Heller, Catch 22)
stream of consciousness (James Joyce, Ulysses)
intertextuality
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
English 9
See if you can recall the FORM of the literary paragraph before reading on . . .
1. Thesis
2. First Opinion
3. First piece of evidence
4. Explain the evidence / elaborate / explain how this evidence proves your thesis
5. Transition
6. Second opinion
7. Second piece of evidence (another quote or a paraphrase of an action in the story)
8. Second explanation
9. Transition
10. Third opinion which proves your thesis (think of it like a debate--keep the opposition on its toes!)
11. Third piece of evidence
12. Third piece of evidence explained and connected to the thesis
13. Conclude by repeating the thesis (make sure the thesis, evidence, and opinions all match with your concluding sentence)
The above formula means that you will always have at least 13 sentences in your paragraph. A sentence can be 15 to 30 words in length; consequently, the length is often 300 to 450 words for a typical literary paragraph.
REVIEW
Define the purpose of a literary paragraph.
State the criteria of a strong thesis statement.
State the purpose of a what / so what chart.
Define literary must-haves and explain why there is a poster advertising them on my wall.
What do English professors profess?
How is a literary paragraph similar to a debate?
Why do we use synonyms in our paragraphs--for example--the father becomes the incompetent dad . .
Homework: Read your USSR books at least 10 but up to 30 pages would be best.
Always review each day's lesson.
Please remember to bring your books to class as we always use them.
Thanks for the great skits today!!
1. Thesis
2. First Opinion
3. First piece of evidence
4. Explain the evidence / elaborate / explain how this evidence proves your thesis
5. Transition
6. Second opinion
7. Second piece of evidence (another quote or a paraphrase of an action in the story)
8. Second explanation
9. Transition
10. Third opinion which proves your thesis (think of it like a debate--keep the opposition on its toes!)
11. Third piece of evidence
12. Third piece of evidence explained and connected to the thesis
13. Conclude by repeating the thesis (make sure the thesis, evidence, and opinions all match with your concluding sentence)
The above formula means that you will always have at least 13 sentences in your paragraph. A sentence can be 15 to 30 words in length; consequently, the length is often 300 to 450 words for a typical literary paragraph.
REVIEW
Define the purpose of a literary paragraph.
State the criteria of a strong thesis statement.
State the purpose of a what / so what chart.
Define literary must-haves and explain why there is a poster advertising them on my wall.
What do English professors profess?
How is a literary paragraph similar to a debate?
Why do we use synonyms in our paragraphs--for example--the father becomes the incompetent dad . .
Homework: Read your USSR books at least 10 but up to 30 pages would be best.
Always review each day's lesson.
Please remember to bring your books to class as we always use them.
Thanks for the great skits today!!
Writing 12
The Sentence!!
I'm so excited by the sentences you wrote today!! Wild and wonderful.
The boy hit the ball.
Subject (1) Verb (2) Object (3)
When writing sentences focus on adding information to ONE of the sections. By doing so, your writing is transformed and you CUT MOST if not ALL your adjectives and adverbs.
Example of adding info to the subject:
Although the boy had not slept, did not yet know the enormity the next second would have on his life, he hit the ball.
2=The VERB
THe boy hit like he needed to break a pinata, or soemthing bigger maybe, like Montana--yeah, he needed that: he needed to smack Montana but instead, he hit the ball.
3-THe OBJECT
The boy hit the ball, not a real ball, something he had made with Safeway bags and string, something only a small boy's imagination knew how to do; there was no shame in it--nothing but pride.
If you want to add info to your basic subject, verb, object sentence, only ever all to two sections, i.e. 1 and 2 or 2 and 3 or 3 and 1 etc.
Below is an example of adding info to one and two, the subject and the verb:
Although the boy was new to Farmington, he had somehow made it into the lineup and hit the ball while blowing a kiss to the crowd who watched a star sing its way to the gril in right field.
If you missed today, here is your homework, write four sentences--one of each type and come to class prepared to discuss what effect each type of addition has on the meaning and structure of the sentence.
Review: effects of point of view, verb tense, dramatic, limited omniscient or omniscient point of view, space montage and time montage. If you missed yesterday's class, be sure to get the notes.
If you missed today's class, talk it over with someone who was here.
I'm so excited by the sentences you wrote today!! Wild and wonderful.
The boy hit the ball.
Subject (1) Verb (2) Object (3)
When writing sentences focus on adding information to ONE of the sections. By doing so, your writing is transformed and you CUT MOST if not ALL your adjectives and adverbs.
Example of adding info to the subject:
Although the boy had not slept, did not yet know the enormity the next second would have on his life, he hit the ball.
2=The VERB
THe boy hit like he needed to break a pinata, or soemthing bigger maybe, like Montana--yeah, he needed that: he needed to smack Montana but instead, he hit the ball.
3-THe OBJECT
The boy hit the ball, not a real ball, something he had made with Safeway bags and string, something only a small boy's imagination knew how to do; there was no shame in it--nothing but pride.
If you want to add info to your basic subject, verb, object sentence, only ever all to two sections, i.e. 1 and 2 or 2 and 3 or 3 and 1 etc.
Below is an example of adding info to one and two, the subject and the verb:
Although the boy was new to Farmington, he had somehow made it into the lineup and hit the ball while blowing a kiss to the crowd who watched a star sing its way to the gril in right field.
If you missed today, here is your homework, write four sentences--one of each type and come to class prepared to discuss what effect each type of addition has on the meaning and structure of the sentence.
Review: effects of point of view, verb tense, dramatic, limited omniscient or omniscient point of view, space montage and time montage. If you missed yesterday's class, be sure to get the notes.
If you missed today's class, talk it over with someone who was here.
Monday, February 13, 2012
AP Lit
We spent the entire period reading and annotating Chapter 5 since it is a long one. There are four sections to this chapter. Please bring notes on each section. If there is one section that interests you the most, be prepared to discuss that section.
We're hoping to have Jen Fraser speak to us on Wednesday. Yay!
We're hoping to have Jen Fraser speak to us on Wednesday. Yay!
Friday, February 10, 2012
English 10A
Tuesday: Bring your completed anthologies to class. No lates accepted on this one, remember? If you have questions regarding the criteria, be sure to contact your homework buddy. Choose only the poems that you ADORE!! You will be using these poems to inspire you to write. We'll also be having Writing 12 students visit to do a reading. They will inspire you, too.
Lit 12
Loving the grade 11 giggles!!
Wonderful interpretations of the last two scenes in Act 3. We agreed that at the end of Act 3, we have:
Keep taking good notes while in class and while you are reading. They will be do when we finish reading the play. The week after next.
Start thinking of an essay topic you would like to write on.
You will need to find 9 to 15 passages that elucidate your topic and you turn these into a quotation log. From that document, you will write the essay. A great log makes writing the essay an opportunity to focus on style and insight (Lit 12s two great loves).
Wonderful interpretations of the last two scenes in Act 3. We agreed that at the end of Act 3, we have:
- Unleashed violence
- Self interest -- selflessness
- Political now seems personal--no courts, no judges, simple anarchy--rendom/horrible/individual vengeance--no talk of what is best for the kingdom
- Suffering touches all
- Before there was hope as we looked for reasons to explain the actions of Regan and Goneril but now all hope is lost--they are "monsters"
- All the low characters have risen and the characters of high status have fallen
- All the key characters have fallen
- Lear was blind to the suffering in the world and blind to the duality of man and blind to true love and true loyalty--he was living a life of the personified king rather than a true king-- exemplified when he takes off his clothes in the hovel
- the play is a condemnation of self-centeredness
- the tables have completely turned
- Lear is carried off stage--lost his mind and his body
- yet Edgar is inspired by Lear's suffering and vows to be loyal to him and to take off his disguise to face his fate
Keep taking good notes while in class and while you are reading. They will be do when we finish reading the play. The week after next.
Start thinking of an essay topic you would like to write on.
You will need to find 9 to 15 passages that elucidate your topic and you turn these into a quotation log. From that document, you will write the essay. A great log makes writing the essay an opportunity to focus on style and insight (Lit 12s two great loves).
English 9
Bonus: What features are key in a thesis based on answering a question?
What is the purpose of a what? / so what? chart?
Homework: Essay 5 (Persuasive Essay) due Tuesday. Good luck.
Today's Class: if you were absent, be sure to call your homework buddy to get the notes.
Today we learned:
What is the purpose of a what? / so what? chart?
Homework: Essay 5 (Persuasive Essay) due Tuesday. Good luck.
Today's Class: if you were absent, be sure to call your homework buddy to get the notes.
Today we learned:
- how to cite
- how to write a thesis
- how to create a what / so what chart
- how to predict an answer to the question
- we read our USSR books for 15 minutes
- we checked that we had our supplies (including post-it notes)
- we pondered the character's defensiveness and tried to find his motivations
AP Lit
We read and discussed chapter 4. Please annotate chapter 5 ane be willing to present next class. Great job on the poetry test!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
AP Lit 12 Wed. Feb. 8
Poetry Test today.
Homework: Friday: Please have chapter 4 read and annotated. Look for what experiences are key in shaping Stephen as artist and what does the chapter have to say about the role of the artist.
Re-read the notes from the first three chapters. I suggest you create TICK charts for each chapter as a handy study review and then turn the charts into a thesis statement--oooh! Now, that's a good strategy.
Homework: Friday: Please have chapter 4 read and annotated. Look for what experiences are key in shaping Stephen as artist and what does the chapter have to say about the role of the artist.
Re-read the notes from the first three chapters. I suggest you create TICK charts for each chapter as a handy study review and then turn the charts into a thesis statement--oooh! Now, that's a good strategy.
Lit 12
Sorry we had problems today, Geoffrey. We'll make sure you get the notes.
Thanks to all the readers and moderators today--absolutely excellent work. It was great to see so many people involved with incredible theories--Keenan, Leanne, Anders, Sydney, Josef, Orla, Natrine, Meriah, Natasha. If I've missed anyone, let me know. If your name is not on here, let's here from you more tomorrow. Marita, be sure to get the notes. We discussed the significance of the repetition of "foul fiend" and the use of foul imagery--toads, newts, rats, mud etc.
We read Act 3, scene 4 and spoke a lot about the role of disguise in the play and the disguises which Edgar and Kent chose and what they represent. We spoke of the bear image, the storm symbol, the duality of man --sinner and saved, evil and good. We spoke about suffering and I assigned one question which is due Friday. Choose either A 1 or 2 or B 1 or 2.
Literary Paragraphs and what/sowhat charts
A1: In a para. of 300 to 500 words discuss the role of suffering in Act 3.
or
A2: In a para. of 300 to 500 words discuss how the following heading is applicable to Act 3: Loyalty is found in strange places.
or
B1: Create 10 headlines which reveal the pathos in Act 3.
or
B2: Create a diary entry from Lear's point of view to depict what he has learned in Act 3.
Submit a what/so what chart and your response Friday. If you cannot make that deadline, let me know today. Thanks.
Read ahead if you feel you need more time to add to our discussions-Scenes 5, 6, and 7 will be covered tomorrow! Friday, I collect your paragraphs and we start on Act 4.
Keep in mind that Act 3 is the climax of the play. What needs to blow up? What needs to happen as a result of Lear's blindness to his own and to other's "foul fiend"
Thanks to all the readers and moderators today--absolutely excellent work. It was great to see so many people involved with incredible theories--Keenan, Leanne, Anders, Sydney, Josef, Orla, Natrine, Meriah, Natasha. If I've missed anyone, let me know. If your name is not on here, let's here from you more tomorrow. Marita, be sure to get the notes. We discussed the significance of the repetition of "foul fiend" and the use of foul imagery--toads, newts, rats, mud etc.
We read Act 3, scene 4 and spoke a lot about the role of disguise in the play and the disguises which Edgar and Kent chose and what they represent. We spoke of the bear image, the storm symbol, the duality of man --sinner and saved, evil and good. We spoke about suffering and I assigned one question which is due Friday. Choose either A 1 or 2 or B 1 or 2.
Literary Paragraphs and what/sowhat charts
A1: In a para. of 300 to 500 words discuss the role of suffering in Act 3.
or
A2: In a para. of 300 to 500 words discuss how the following heading is applicable to Act 3: Loyalty is found in strange places.
or
B1: Create 10 headlines which reveal the pathos in Act 3.
or
B2: Create a diary entry from Lear's point of view to depict what he has learned in Act 3.
Submit a what/so what chart and your response Friday. If you cannot make that deadline, let me know today. Thanks.
Read ahead if you feel you need more time to add to our discussions-Scenes 5, 6, and 7 will be covered tomorrow! Friday, I collect your paragraphs and we start on Act 4.
Keep in mind that Act 3 is the climax of the play. What needs to blow up? What needs to happen as a result of Lear's blindness to his own and to other's "foul fiend"
English 10 A
Great work today. Follow the two sheets for the anthology project and you should be fine.
The entire project is due Tues. (no extensions) which means you really need to plan your time.
Meet in the computer lab Friday again. Bring your USSR book and then you'll have the rest of the block to work. Enjoy.
The entire project is due Tues. (no extensions) which means you really need to plan your time.
Meet in the computer lab Friday again. Bring your USSR book and then you'll have the rest of the block to work. Enjoy.
English 9
Welcome to the Second Half of the wonderful English 9 course! I am really excited to work with such a dynamic, enthusiastic group.
Tonight's bonus question: What do you need to do to earn an A for USSR?
Review: What is Ms. Stenson's late policy? Does it seem fair? Why or why not?
What book will you read first in USSR? Why? Time yourself. Aim for one minute per page. Read for enjoyment. The brain likes speed reading so it can stay focused.
Homework: read the story on page 42, "The Father". As you read look for examples which reveal the father's relationship to his son. Post-it note the BEST four passages which you feel reveal the most about their relationship. Look for:
Tonight's bonus question: What do you need to do to earn an A for USSR?
Review: What is Ms. Stenson's late policy? Does it seem fair? Why or why not?
What book will you read first in USSR? Why? Time yourself. Aim for one minute per page. Read for enjoyment. The brain likes speed reading so it can stay focused.
Homework: read the story on page 42, "The Father". As you read look for examples which reveal the father's relationship to his son. Post-it note the BEST four passages which you feel reveal the most about their relationship. Look for:
- the father's thoughts
- his actions
- what other characters say about him
- shifts in tone (in movies shifts in tone are often preceded by changes in music (scary))
- symbols (a dead tree outside the son's window is probably not the best omen)
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
AP LIT
We discussed chapters 2 and 3. If you were absent today, ask me for a copy of the chapter 3 notes and I also handed out a poetry practice test and tips for writing the poetry composition. Ask me for the handouts.
Be sure to get the notes from a classmate as well. We worked in groups. Discussing the events is the ONLY way to make sense of it all.
WED: Poetry test: Part 1, read a poem and write a composition (40 minutes), Part 2, Read a poem, and answer 12 multiple choice.
I expect a TICK chart for both poems so that you feel really clear and confident of your understanding before you start to write or answer questions.
Multiple Choice TIPS: As you practice tonight
mater dolorosa (grieving mother)
parsimonious
metonymy
apostrophe
satire
Be sure to get the notes from a classmate as well. We worked in groups. Discussing the events is the ONLY way to make sense of it all.
WED: Poetry test: Part 1, read a poem and write a composition (40 minutes), Part 2, Read a poem, and answer 12 multiple choice.
I expect a TICK chart for both poems so that you feel really clear and confident of your understanding before you start to write or answer questions.
Multiple Choice TIPS: As you practice tonight
- Cover up the answers. Read the question and know what the answer is, then look at their responses. You will most likely find your answer there. This way you will not be tricked!! They cannot distract a resolute reader. At least two questions often require vocabulary. Reading is the best way to improve your vocabulary. If you are not reading regularly, then pick up a SAT vocab. list or something similar and study words and phrases systematically. You'll pick up at least two questions per section based on elevated vocabulary knowledge.
mater dolorosa (grieving mother)
parsimonious
metonymy
apostrophe
satire
Writing 12
I collected the poems for The Claremont Review and the BCTELA contests. We went on line and sent our poems to Aerie International and to Polyphony. If you were absent, please submit asap. You will need the cover pages.
If you were away, go online, follow the steps exactly (especially for Aerie as they have a long list of guidelines) and submit your work today, please. Show me the email so you can receive your mark.
Thursday: BRING YOUR OPENING FROM THE 3 POINTS OF VIEW. IT WILL BE FUN TO DISCUSS YOUR EXPERIENCES. DON'T WORRY ABOUT STYLE/SYNTAX/IMAGERY AT THIS POINT AS YOU ARE NOT HANDING THEM IN. WE WILL JUST BE READING THEM ALOUD AND DISCUSSING WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE SWITCH VERB TENSE AND/OR POINT OF VIEW.
If you were away, go online, follow the steps exactly (especially for Aerie as they have a long list of guidelines) and submit your work today, please. Show me the email so you can receive your mark.
Thursday: BRING YOUR OPENING FROM THE 3 POINTS OF VIEW. IT WILL BE FUN TO DISCUSS YOUR EXPERIENCES. DON'T WORRY ABOUT STYLE/SYNTAX/IMAGERY AT THIS POINT AS YOU ARE NOT HANDING THEM IN. WE WILL JUST BE READING THEM ALOUD AND DISCUSSING WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE SWITCH VERB TENSE AND/OR POINT OF VIEW.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Lit 12
Excellent work today as always.
If you have any questions about Writing 12, English 12, AP Lit or AP Lang. do let me know or visit the English dept. chair, Ms. McCachen as she has taught all of these courses and she is familiar with SMUS policy.
Whatever you choose, I know you will love the course(s) because you are natural writers, incredible readers, and fabulous orators. I'm extremely lucky to get to work with you this year. Enjoy your weekend. Hope you get some time to curl up with a great book to discover more about the world, and most importantly, the human heart.
If you have any questions about Writing 12, English 12, AP Lit or AP Lang. do let me know or visit the English dept. chair, Ms. McCachen as she has taught all of these courses and she is familiar with SMUS policy.
Whatever you choose, I know you will love the course(s) because you are natural writers, incredible readers, and fabulous orators. I'm extremely lucky to get to work with you this year. Enjoy your weekend. Hope you get some time to curl up with a great book to discover more about the world, and most importantly, the human heart.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Writing 12
Reminder: Have your poetry manuscript accessible electronically in the lab on Tues. We will be entering contests. Grade 12s you will need your home addresses and postal codes and phone numbers and home emails as many of these contests will contact you in the summer.
We had THE most wonderful writing class but we missed all of our musicians. If you were away today, stop by and pick up a novel that you now own. They are in a box on the floor beside my desk. The novel is called Mean Boy and it's been charged to your account. Please bring it to all classes except on day 9s when we are in the lab.
Homework:
You will write one scene three times. Bring all three versions to class next Thursday, Feb. 9. These are not to be handed in but will be read aloud and shared so we can have a discussion on the role of point of view and verb tense in our stories. It will be interesting to see which point of view and verb tense you start with and which one you prefer.
Make the scene a possible opening to a short story. Use some dialogue but not too much.
The point of today's class was to distinguish the difference between truth and fiction. Similar to poetry, you will be showing and not telling. You won't say, Susie was a loser or Susie was isolated. You will describe Susie doing things and saying things and feeling things and we'll figure out--ohhhh Susie is really isolated. She's such a loser.
The other KEY difference is the old adage that TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION.
It is because in fiction the actions, speech, etc. must BE plausible....the character must be motivated, i.e. you've developed your character enough so that we believe it's TRUTH. I know, it's strange, but fiction is much harder to write than non-fiction. You still apply all you learned in poetry--the exact image, surprise, hyperbole, rhythm, repetition, sound devices, etc BUT you are now working with the sentence rather than a line.
The descriptions of the bedrooms this morning were wonderful and memorable.
Here is the trick to writing a great story--if you can read it 6 to 10 times without getting bored, than it is a strong story. It works. It works because we remember the details, empathize with the character, are moved by his / her dilemma, and we can relate to (even if we don't like) the ending. Most modern short stories open up at the end rather than shut down. So . . . we'll learn to do that too.
Things I remember from today's oral stories:
My father paid me 10 bucks for every book I read.
I liked to re-arrange my furniture and my mother would put it all back.
My laundry shoot is a basketball hoop.
I have 7 pillows on my bed and I use all 7.
My room has 13 walls. I painted all my furniture black.
A snake named Flix. A cat named Snitch.
A trundle bed, a collection of yogourt containers organized by flavour
A guy gets paid to paint murals on bedroom walls
A house in Prince Rupert where I grew up. We still own it so I can go back there and sleep in my childhood room.
A room with all the months of the year on the walls.
A girl who has nightmares about an erg machine.
My parents store boxes in my room. It's a trick just to make my way in. I look out my window at the bonfires of university students.
A pink chair that has been passed down via grandmothers for four generations.
An 8 year old bringing an enormous chair home from India.
A room decorated with fairies.
Bedsheets with LA Lakers on them.
Cutouts of favourite outfits taped on top of fairy drawings and pictures of friends partying.
Giant locks on bedroom doors
dogs and cats that steal things
These details are all unique, accurate, surprising, wonderful. Listen to each other's stories. Start asking perfect strangers to describe their bedrooms. Everything you need for a story is there.
Think about all the stories you could write based on these stories. Wow.
We had THE most wonderful writing class but we missed all of our musicians. If you were away today, stop by and pick up a novel that you now own. They are in a box on the floor beside my desk. The novel is called Mean Boy and it's been charged to your account. Please bring it to all classes except on day 9s when we are in the lab.
Homework:
You will write one scene three times. Bring all three versions to class next Thursday, Feb. 9. These are not to be handed in but will be read aloud and shared so we can have a discussion on the role of point of view and verb tense in our stories. It will be interesting to see which point of view and verb tense you start with and which one you prefer.
Make the scene a possible opening to a short story. Use some dialogue but not too much.
- 1st version: 3rd person past tense-- He/She went to the store. She bought a coke.
- 2nd version: 1st person present tense-- I am going to the store. I go to the store. I buy a coke.
- 3rd version: 2nd person future tense -- You will go to the store. You will buy a coke.
The point of today's class was to distinguish the difference between truth and fiction. Similar to poetry, you will be showing and not telling. You won't say, Susie was a loser or Susie was isolated. You will describe Susie doing things and saying things and feeling things and we'll figure out--ohhhh Susie is really isolated. She's such a loser.
The other KEY difference is the old adage that TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION.
It is because in fiction the actions, speech, etc. must BE plausible....the character must be motivated, i.e. you've developed your character enough so that we believe it's TRUTH. I know, it's strange, but fiction is much harder to write than non-fiction. You still apply all you learned in poetry--the exact image, surprise, hyperbole, rhythm, repetition, sound devices, etc BUT you are now working with the sentence rather than a line.
The descriptions of the bedrooms this morning were wonderful and memorable.
Here is the trick to writing a great story--if you can read it 6 to 10 times without getting bored, than it is a strong story. It works. It works because we remember the details, empathize with the character, are moved by his / her dilemma, and we can relate to (even if we don't like) the ending. Most modern short stories open up at the end rather than shut down. So . . . we'll learn to do that too.
Things I remember from today's oral stories:
My father paid me 10 bucks for every book I read.
I liked to re-arrange my furniture and my mother would put it all back.
My laundry shoot is a basketball hoop.
I have 7 pillows on my bed and I use all 7.
My room has 13 walls. I painted all my furniture black.
A snake named Flix. A cat named Snitch.
A trundle bed, a collection of yogourt containers organized by flavour
A guy gets paid to paint murals on bedroom walls
A house in Prince Rupert where I grew up. We still own it so I can go back there and sleep in my childhood room.
A room with all the months of the year on the walls.
A girl who has nightmares about an erg machine.
My parents store boxes in my room. It's a trick just to make my way in. I look out my window at the bonfires of university students.
A pink chair that has been passed down via grandmothers for four generations.
An 8 year old bringing an enormous chair home from India.
A room decorated with fairies.
Bedsheets with LA Lakers on them.
Cutouts of favourite outfits taped on top of fairy drawings and pictures of friends partying.
Giant locks on bedroom doors
dogs and cats that steal things
These details are all unique, accurate, surprising, wonderful. Listen to each other's stories. Start asking perfect strangers to describe their bedrooms. Everything you need for a story is there.
Think about all the stories you could write based on these stories. Wow.
AP Lit
Poetry test is rescheduled to Wednesday. It will be a poem that we haven't studied. Read it, create a tick chart and answer the question in a literary composition. The second section will be a poem a a set of multiple choice questions.
Annotate chapter 3 for Tuesday. Prepare chapter 4 for Friday and Chapter 5 for Monday Feb. 13 (arg, it's first period)
See encouraging notes below: (LOL)
The hard part of teaching a novel is getting students to read it. You need a good hour to annotate each chapter. And then you need another 20 minutes to go back and think about the chapter with our two guiding questions: What is revealed about the artist (ie what is Stephen learning, experiencing and how will that shape him as an artist?) and what is revealed about the role of art? What attitudes toward art are depicted. We spoke about the Romantic attitude, in particular Shelley's, in chapter 1, and today, Byron (Aprostrophe to the Ocean) and the Bryronic heor and Wordsworth (The Prelude) initially called The Growth of a Poet's Mind (Wordsworth never felt it was complete. published after his death, and his sister gave it the title).
The reason we are treating the novel in such detail is to prepare you for the final essay on the AP exam. Whatever book or play you choose, you need to be able to recall key events and characters and ideally quotations in order to support your opinions and prove the thesis. A shallow, vague discussion will not work. To prepare for the exam, I suggest that you
Your poetry essays were eloquent, provocative, engaging. Well done.
Annotate chapter 3 for Tuesday. Prepare chapter 4 for Friday and Chapter 5 for Monday Feb. 13 (arg, it's first period)
See encouraging notes below: (LOL)
The hard part of teaching a novel is getting students to read it. You need a good hour to annotate each chapter. And then you need another 20 minutes to go back and think about the chapter with our two guiding questions: What is revealed about the artist (ie what is Stephen learning, experiencing and how will that shape him as an artist?) and what is revealed about the role of art? What attitudes toward art are depicted. We spoke about the Romantic attitude, in particular Shelley's, in chapter 1, and today, Byron (Aprostrophe to the Ocean) and the Bryronic heor and Wordsworth (The Prelude) initially called The Growth of a Poet's Mind (Wordsworth never felt it was complete. published after his death, and his sister gave it the title).
The reason we are treating the novel in such detail is to prepare you for the final essay on the AP exam. Whatever book or play you choose, you need to be able to recall key events and characters and ideally quotations in order to support your opinions and prove the thesis. A shallow, vague discussion will not work. To prepare for the exam, I suggest that you
- Read with a pen in your hand.
- Annotate.
- Pick a key event from each chapter to represent it.
- Name the chapters.
- Pick a key quotation from each chapter.
- Memorize it.
- Create note cards for studying purposes.
- You won't be able to re-read all the works we've done but you can re-read your notes and create study cards.
Your poetry essays were eloquent, provocative, engaging. Well done.
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