Writing 12: Two responses due Monday and practice reciting your poems . ..

Jeffrey Renn showed us today what is possible when it comes to reciting poetry.

You can google authors aloud, recitation ideas, etc to really improve the way you read your poems.

Try taping yourself doing the reading you are planning for the English classes, including the introductions. Talk about poetry. About listening. About what is going on in the poem. What you were trying to accomplish etc

Listen to the tape. Are the ends of your sentences hard to hear, do you end too quickly and start into the next poem too quickly, etc.

Thursday, I'll have you each present one poem to the class and I will be marking you.

Criteria:

1. Strong introduction
2. Pacing, eye contact, awareness of audience, voice modulations, articulations
3. Poem choice. Choose poems that will entertain or keep the audience's attention.
4. Body language, breathing, audibility, enthusiasm
5. The poem is read for meaning. Your voice makes sense with what the poem is saying. You don't rise up at the end of lines for no reason at all other than nerves.


FEEL YOUR NERVES. TAKE TIME TO CALM YOURSELF BEFORE YOU BEGIN.

English 10: Study for your vocabulary test . . .

Use the words in sentences. Look them up on google to see how they are used.
Figure out some images to connect to the words.

For example:

contention (sounds like the word tension) When we have an "argument" there is stress (tension) so a contention is a problem. A contentious issue is an issue about a problem. For example, those kids who do not like the hat rule have a contention to discuss with the principal.

ominous (has the word omen in it)

complacent (has the word place in it... people who don't want to change their ideas, don't want to "Move" or change places. They are satisfied with their "place" in the world.

Be creative. Have fun.

We will read Act 5 after the test.

This weekend is a great time to get a lot of reading done for USSR. You only need three books for an A. Let's get reading. Antonia and Abby gave you a lot of suggestions. Put books on your Xmas gift wish lists!!

English 12: Prepare for Friday's poetry re-test . . .

For the multiple choice section, be sure to know the following words and literary devices:

arduous
consonance
alliteration
onomatopoiea
paradox
allusion
hyperbole
metaphor
indifferent
ballad
sonnet
free verse
blank verse

To prepare for the paragraph section: Review.
1. Literary para. must-haves.
2. The template for a literary paragraph.
3. Re-read previous paragraphs. Where do you consistently lose marks?
4. Study your vocabulary list. Use accurate vocabulary and sentence variety. Use strong verbs.
5. Re-read the how-to-integrate quotes sheet. Make sure you use a lot of short quotations and integrate them well into the text. Change verb tenses in the original text to fit with your present tense paragraph.
6. Re-read all the work we did DURING the poetry unit. How do you read a poem? What is literal? What is figurative (metaphorical). What words are repeated. Where are the line breaks? What does the title imply? Etc.
7. It's grade 12. It's an exam. The literal answer will be in the poem somewhere. Find it!!

PREPARE SO YOU KNOW YOU ARE DOING YOUR BEST!

English 12: Miss Moyes is here Thursday . . . Don't miss class!!

Today: Read yesterday's blog so that you understand why we practice and how to benefit from feedback.

I read aloud Hanna's and Brandon's re-writes of the poetry section of the exam, the paragraph on the poem, "Ordinary Day".

We discussed what you need to have in the paragraph to succeed:
1. a strong thesis which answers the question and is repeated throughout
2. formal, accurate diction (word choice)
3. insightful use of quotations that flow well in the paragraph

On an English 12 exam, FIRST look for literal examples to answer the question (The poem states that the day was "an unexpected gift") but some of you missed that line and misinterpreted the poem. Consequently, you cannot pass the section. Look for repeated words. She repeats murmur and grace. She repeats light. Look for who is speaking and where they are--a mother, at home, in the "dead of winter".

Because a poem is so short, read it several times.

Practice what you have been taught. Start with who, what, where, when, why. If you can answer these questions first, you will be able to understand the poem at the literal level and THEN you can look for other clues such as repeated words, similes, juxtapositions, or irony, etc.

Today: We read three short chapters (only 20 pages) Chapters 10, 11, and 12.

As you read them, post-it note Holden's attitudes toward girls and his experiences with girls.

Next, create a what / so what chart with your best three quotations. YOU MUST HAVE A QUOTE FROM EACH CHAPTER. Add at least 9 points under the so what column.

Finally, turn the chart into a fantastic, insightful thesis statement such as

Holden's attitude toward women reveal that he respects women; however, he is torn between his sexual drives and the way other men treat women as he hates to see women objectified because he does not want to see himself as someone who uses women for his own sexual gratification.

Writing 12: Belfry Tomorrow and Oral Reading: Bring two poems

 MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE CONTACTED THE TEACHER TO WHOM YOU WILL PRESENT AND THAT YOU AND YOUR PARTNERS ARE WELL PREPARED. We have all sat through disaster presentations and slept with our eyes open. Don't be THE disaster. Preparation is your ally.

Tomorrow we will prepare.

Due Thursday: The first two pages (edited judiciously) of the story you plan to submit, Monday, Dec. 16th!!

Review your criteria sheet. Know what I'm looking for!!

Belfry Theatre:

Belfry Theatre Trip Tomorrow: Be downstairs in front of the office by 12:05. Find me to check in BEFORE boarding the bus. Do not bring a hat, cell phone or pack into the theatre. They do have a snackbar there so you can buy a cookie or gummies or tea or juice. NO talking during the performance. You may eat lunch on the bus but DO NOT leave a mess. You can leave your belongings on the bus while we are in the theatre.
We will be back by 3:28 to catch your rides home.

You should dress up a little to go to the theatre.
Be on your best SPARTAN behaviour please. Respect our volunteers.

English 10: Love Letter from Juliet to Romeo . . .

If you were absent today, we added two new vocabulary words to our list: oblique and tedious.

Belfry Theatre Trip Tomorrow: Be downstairs in front of the office by 12:05. Find me to check in BEFORE boarding the bus. Do not bring a hat, cell phone or pack into the theatre. They do have a snackbar there so you can buy a cookie or gummies or tea or juice. NO talking during the performance. You may eat lunch on the bus but DO NOT leave a mess. You can leave your belongings on the bus while we are in the theatre.
We will be back by 3:28 to catch your rides home.

You should dress up a little to go to the theatre.
Be on your best SPARTAN behaviour please. Respect our volunteers.
There is no intermission for this play. Please use the restroom before the play begins.

We read Act 4, Scenes 1, 2, and 3 today.
Assignment: Write a love letter from Juliet to Romeo that he would receive if the Friar's potion happened to KILL her!!

This letter needs to proclaim her love for Romeo.

Marks awarded for:

• insight into Juliet's ideas of love
• Use three quotes from the play (no need to cite). Be sure to integrate these words as Juliet's words in your letter. 
• Make it lovey-dovey!! This is Juliet after all. 
• Make sure we learn something about love from your letter. 

VOCABULARY TEST IS MONDAY. STUDY. 

English 12: Catching up on missed work and . . . .

Learning from Practice:

When an athlete has a bad game, he or she, doesn't simply try to pretend it never happened. They analyze tapes. They hire specific coaches for each task:
putting, driving, short game, mental game etc.

Those who keep making the same mistakes but keep expecting to do well, are the definition of INSANITY!!

Those who look closely at their errors, figure out what skill they need to learn, find the person or the resources and the time to practice that skill, improve.

That is the definition of success. We learn by trying new things.
We learn by putting in effort.

What are you waiting for?

Tonight, look over all of your previous pieces of writing. What do you need to learn? How will you learn it? The exam is two months away.
You have eight weeks. You will have three hours to earn 40% of your mark. If you go into the exam with 64% or less and you fail the exam, you fail the course.

I repeat:  YOU FAIL THE COURSE.

You will have to repeat the entire course, which may be the appropriate response. If you have been doing very little in English classes for four years, you will never improve your skills. You won't know what you are reading, what your doctor is telling you, how to help your child with homework, how to create a solution to problems not yet imagined.

THE WORLD IS IN YOUR HANDS. PICK IT UP. MAKE A DIFFERENCE. 

Writing 12: Richard Wagamese responses due tomorrow . . .

We had a presentation on Bill Stenson's work today and we had time to work on our stories.

Due this Thursday: The first two pages of the story you plan to hand in Dec. 16th. YOU MUST EDIT THESE PAGES SO THAT NOT ONE COMMA IS OUT OF PLACE.

I liked Richard's advice: Say what you mean and mean what you say.

Keep applying all you learned from poetry, plus add in point of view, suspense, detail that has a purpose and dialogue that reveals character or adds rhythm or sets up conflict. End each scene with something worse than what you started with.

For example, the one about the girl coming down to breakfast and sees her mother crying. She stops, ties her shoe and says, Where's my poached egg?

HOOOOO!!

Loving the fiction.

BELFRY THEATRE FRIDAY: MEET OUT FRONT AFTER PERIOD 2. DRESS UP A LITTLE. LEAVE CELLS PHONES IN YOUR BAG ON THE BUS. BRING A LUNCH THAT IS EASY TO EAT ON THE BUS.

English 10: Study your vocabulary . . .

Tomorrow we will read Act 4, Scene 1. If you were absent today, read all of Act 3. We watched part of it on film and made notes. Be sure to get the notes from a friend. We also reviewed words 1 to 46.

Vocab. Test is Monday!! Study the parts of speech. Use the words over and over again in a sentence.

English 10: Read Act 3, Scenes 3 and 4 . . .

Read slowly and accurately. Stop as often as I stop while we read in class so that you can digest the significance of the speech.

What is Romeo's state in the first scene? How do you know?
Post-it note at least three of your favourite lines to support your opinions.
How does the Friar attempt to console Romeo? 

Scene 4: The Marriage to Paris . . . . What? Oh no. Spoiler Alert. Read and enjoy.

In this scene decide why Lord Capulet is consenting to this marriage now since in Act 1 he was adamant that Juliet was too young to marry. Why does he change his mind?

We will be having a quiz on vocabulary words 1 - 50 soon. Are you prepared? Spend a few minutes each night learning the words that seem to escape your memory by writing it in a sentence on your practice quiz page or writing a story using all 50 words. If you write such a story, bring it in for bonus marks!!

English 12: Catcher in the Rye Test Chapters 1-8

If you were absent today, you missed the test below. You will need to stay an hour after school to write it. You will have a different set of questions.


You have two choices for the test:

1. Following your knowledge of the literary paragraph and your best written style, and using you knowledge of the first 8 chapters, create a 4 to 5 paragraph composition which proves the thesis below:

                Holden's loneliness is completely understandable.

or
2. For each of the quotations below, write a literary paragraph of 150 words to discuss the quotation's tone, symbolic content, and what it reveals about Holden. Be sure to state who is speaking and what is happening when the quotation is said.

1. " ' What'd you do?' I said. 'Give her the time in Ed Banky's car?' My mouth was shaking something awful" (43).

2. "The snow was very good for packing. I didn't throw it at anything, though. I started to throw it. At a car . . .at a hydrant , but that looked too nice and white, too. Finally I didn't throw it at anything" (36).

3. " ' This is a people shooting hat,' I said. ' I shoot people in this hat" (22).

4. " I saw it in the window of this sports store when we got ouf of the subway, just after I noticed I'd los al the goddam foils" (17).

5. " . . . I was sort of thinking of something else while I shot the bull. ...I was thinking about the lagoon in Cdental Park . . . I was wondering if t would be frozen over when I got home, and if it was, where did the ducks go" (13).

English 12: Miss Moyes

 Those who haven't finished your synthesis essays, please hand them in to Mrs.Stenson on Monday. This is an extension, so any handed in after that day will not be accepted.

English 10: Finish reading Act 3, Scene 1 . . .

Read slowly to ensure that you understand what is happening but also read the way you have been taught:

Look for the following:

• shifts in tone
• short versus long passages
• prose versus iambic pentametre
• dramatic changes in action (People dying, getting married, acting on impulse, etc)
• images for love (lightning, fireworks, spiritual, god-like etc) 

Create notes based on the scene using the above ideas.
Write down your favourite quote from the scene and cite it properly.

BE SURE TO READ YOUR USSR BOOK THIS WEEKEND. HAVE YOU FINISHED A NOVEL YET? YOU SHOULD BE HALFWAY THROUGH YOUR SECOND NOVEL. THE SHEETS ARE DUE DEC. 20. 

Writing 12: First half of your short story due Thursday . . .

A complete story, following the criteria, proofread, is due Monday, Dec. 16th.
No lates accepted so stay on track this week.

Tuesday: We are in the library to hear Richard Wagamese read from his novel Indian Horse which won last year's Canada Reads competition. It's a beautiful novel. Get yourself a copy and read it.

Thursday: Belfry Theatre. Please meet out front at noon. The bus leaves by 12:05. Please tell your teachers you will be absent on the 28th and do your best to make up the work so that teachers will support future visits to the Belfry. Thanks.

Monday: You will have time to write and also on Wednesday.

USSR: YOU MUST BRING YOUR BOOKS TO CLASS. YOU MUST READ LIKE A WRITER. PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT IS HAPPENING AND KEEP ASKING HOW IS SHE OR HE DOING THIS? How does the scene start? Where does it end? How does the writer keep my attention. What length are the sentences? Why? Do they change? Why?

Reading for fifteen minutes during class and a half an hour at home makes you a great writer. Not reading won't produce much more than a superficial plot with a cliched theme and uninteresting characters, right?

I hope you agree.

To encourage more interest in USSR, you will be marked on how promptly you begin, your commitment to read for the entire fifteen minutes, how you talk about the book you are reading, how your writing improves.

English 12: Test on the first 8 chapters of Catcher . . .

A few of you are really behind with Ms. Moyes' exam prep.
The following people MUST stay behind Monday after school:

Jonathan
Ben
Helen
Monty
Hayley
Ryan 

See Wednesday's post regarding Monday's quiz as you must
arrive with several passages post-it noted. 

Writing 12: It's fun to be read to . . .

If you were absent today, you missed three things. Nope, four.

1. USSR
2. Reading the story "So I Guess You Know What I Told Him"
3. Taking notes on the story.
4. I collected the scenes.

Tonight: Take a walk by yourself. Or this afternoon! It's a beautiful day. To write a long story, you need a lot of room in your head to imagine, characters, settings, themes and conflicts.
Enjoy.

We start the story tomorrow.

English 10: Act 2, Romeo and Juliet

If you were absent, be sure to read Scene 1, the balcony scene. Get the notes from a partner. We read scene 2. Be sure to answer the following questions:

Describe Romeo's relationship with the Friar.
Why does the Friar know so much about herbs and flowers?
Does he agree to marry them? Why?

Read to the end of Act 2 (all three short scenes). Remember that Act 2 is the "rising action" adding more complications (problems) to the original conflicts set in Act 1.

As you read, find the problems which Romeo and Juliet will have to overcome.

Write them down in your notebook in point forma and you can post-it note them in your text.

English 12: We did a test today on poetry as exam prep!

Tomorrow: Ms. Moyes will be here to work on Section D of the exam.

We are on a revised schedule tomorrow.
Block 4 starts at 1:21. Please be on time.

Friday: We will be working on the novel so please bring the novel to class.

Monday: Test on the first 8 chapters. Be ready. Read and post-it note.
It will be a test on quotations. You will need to say who is speaking, what was happening and why it is important to theme or character development etc

If you have the exact quote post-it noted in your book before the test begins, you get an extra 10%.

Post-it quotes that reveal Holden's views of the world, the people he likes, the people he dislikes, how he changes, any over reactions, his attitude to love, death, society, etc Look for symbols:
red hunting hat, the ducks, the baseball glove, the suitcase, the nuns, etc

I CAN ONLY ACCEPT LATE WORK FOR WHICH YOU ASKED FOR AN EXTENSION. I COLLECTED THE WAR POEM COMPOSITION TODAY. IF YOU DID NOT HAND IT IN, YOU DO NOT GET THE MARKS.

Thanks to those students who hand in their work on time or ask for extensions well in advance.

You are all working well during class. Good to see as that effort will pay off. 

Writing 12: Your preciously edited scene is due Thursday

See yesterday's blog for the criteria.
Edit it. Get someone else to edit it. Edit it again.
Use the Purdue site to help with punctuation and grammatical rules.

English 10: Talking about love . . . Interview someone tonight.

Choose a couple you know well--parents, step-parents, grandparents etc.

Ask: What is it like to be in love?

As you listen, write down the key phrases. Do they speak of love in a manner similar to Romeo or to Juliet? To Mercutio? To Paris? To Samson or Gregory?

Is love described as a spiritual bond? A business deal? Lust and sex?
Why is it awkward to talk about love?

What is love?

Be prepared for a lively discussion tomorrow.
Bring good information.
When they answer your first question, ask more questions such as . . .

Why do people fall out of love?
Is love a spell? Did you lose your mind when you fell in love?
What did you have to risk for love?
What part of falling in love was scary?

Next Thursday, Nov. 28th, we will be going to the Belfry Theatre's production of A Tender Thing. You can google the play title or the Belfry for more information.
If you haven't paid yet, now is the time.
Thanks.

English 12: Complete the composition on the two war poems

We read 15 pages of Catcher in the Rye so please read to page 45 for tomorrow.

We spent the remainder of the class working on our compositions so I am expecting them to be edited tonight and handed in tomorrow.

I collected the poetry anthologies today.

Writing 12: One scene due Thursday

Criteria for the scene:

• Maximum length one page to 1 1/2
• Include some dialogue
• Start with a conflict
• End with a conflict that is more intense than the first
• Use descriptive details as needed to reveal the character, the tension between them, to foreshadow etc (As we have practiced)
• Use sentence variety--sound devices, short and long sentences, short and long paragraphs, complex, simple, compound-complex sentences. Think of the rhythm of your prose. Read a passage aloud tonight and hear the rhythm. Is it hip hop or a walze? Is it monotonous or sea-swept? 
• SUBMIT WORK THAT HAS BEEN CAREFULLY EDITED. I will return work that has grammatical, punctuation or spelling errors. If you are a writer, learn the rules. I'll give you a handout regarding punctuating speech. 

Here are websites for punctuation and usage:
Ten Punctuation Tips

Great Site for Writers

Sentence Types: Looking for Variety, Rhythm, Class?

Enjoy!!

If you were absent today, ask me for a copy of the story, "Orientation" and ask Brittany or Braeden about Bill Gaston and their assignment.

IF YOU HAVE NOT YET PAID FOR OUR BELFRY TRIP, YOU CAN PAY NOW. 

THANKS. 

English 10: Read Act 1, Scene 5

Copy down the key images that Romeo uses when he describes his first impressions of Juliet.

Notice that their first conversation is in the form of a Shakespearean sonnet.
Why might that be important?

Contrast this new view of love with the views of love we have seen in the play so far.

Keep reading your USSR books.
For an A, you need three book summaries. Books read during November and December. You may use To Kill a Mockingbird as one of your entries but you must have at least one more.

If you were absent today, read and take notes on scenes 3, 4, and 5.

Act 2 begins with Romeo separating himself from his friends.
Why is this action important to the change in his character?

A few students still need to bring in their money for our field trip.
Please do so tomorrow. Thanks.

English 12: Last day for overdue work--Tuesday . . . . Poetry Anthology due tomorro

I passed around a new set of marks today so be sure to check it.

If you are missing your memoir, your Crozier and/or Owen poem, you have twenty-four hours to get them in!

Today, we read two poems, page 39 and 40, one by Prevert and one by Layton.

Read and make notes on the poems (if you were away today). What does each one say about war?

Composition: Due Wed. In a 400 to 600 word composition, which of the two poems is the most effective in promoting its anti-war theme?Why?

Always start with a similarity and then move to your most profound difference.
Example:

Both the Prevert poem and the Owen poem deomonstrate a clear repugnance of war; however, the empathic depiction of Owen's soldiers and his use of apostrophe exclaim to the heavens that war must end.

Notice that a thesis must offer an opinion!!

It must answer the question.

This synthesis section of the exam is worth 30%. Think of it as similar to any kind of analysis that we do except that for this section, you have two pieces of writing in which to find examples, rather than one.

Create a chart. Compare the poems in terms of imagery, literary devices, tone, theme etc.

Be sure to have an introduction and a conclusion. Each of these can be one to three sentences.

Be sure to have at least two body paragraphs. You may have as many body paragraphs as you wish.

The key here is to demonstrate that you have read and understood the poems (in this case) and that you can discuss them with style: strong verbs, sentence variety, insight, logical development and with very few or no errors.

Writing 12: Well, that was something . . .

You are sooo wonderful. I love that you appreciate literature. I can see it in your eyes and I can see it in your smiles.

If you were absent today, you must find a copy of Naming the Baby and read the story "The Girls". It is a story written by a student so it offers us a sample on which we can model our stories.

Your job before the Xmas holidays is to submit a story similar in style and length to the ones studied during class.

I'm looking for the same attention to detail that you mastered during the poetry unit, plus attention to point of view, character development and conflict.

You must keep that glass full without spilling it, says author Audrey Thomas. If you have not yet read Audrey's books, ask me for a recommendation. She is a contemporary of Alice Munro and she lives in Victoria and on Galiano Island.

You must keep that tension.
You must use detail to reveal, forshadow. Patrick Lane calls it detail as motive.

Tonight: Write one scene for a story. It could be an intor, an ending or a flashback. Use the stories we have studied, plus your collection of stories as your guides.

Know what a scene is. Know what to include.
Know your point of view choice and your verb tense and you are off.

Write for half an hour. Bring in your creation to class tomorrow to read to a partner.

English 10: Read Act 1, Scene 3

First thing to do tonight is to visit your favourite book website such as goodreads.com or shelfari or amazon.ca or 49thshelf etc
to read more about your top three books which you chose from the list that Antonia and Abby prepared for you.

Next.
Write down the titles and authors and write a short paragraph to explain why you are looking forward to each book. Choose your top three.

Once that is complete, read scene 3. A short scene between Juliet, the nurse and Lady Capulet.

We haven't yet seen Juliet on stage and count the number of lines she gets. Why does Shakespeare do so? What do we learn about her in this scene?

Compare and contrast the nurse to her mother. Who is closer to Juliet, why?
The nurse is lower class, how can you tell?
Who speaks in iambic pentametre in this scene? Who does not?

If you find it hard to read, google No Fear Shakespeare and it will translate it for you. You can also read the side notes on the left and the footnotes on the right side.

Enjoy. It's funny. We'll watch it tomorrow but if you have read it you will be prepared for our SURPRISE quiz. OOps. Did I say that outloud?
Darn.

English 12: Miss Moyes' paragraph is due Monday.

English 12: the dialogue paragraph and/or 150 to 200 word essay titled " Older generations have a positive effect on younger ones" is due Monday, Nov. 18th. Late assignments and missing work will not be accepted after this date. Please hand in to Mrs. Stenson.
 Poetry anthology is due Tuesday, November 19th.

Writing 12: Driving Under the Influence- due for Monday: choose one scene you like and analyze from writer's point of view. What do you notice about:
Point of view
scene traits
description
action,thought and speech
sentence structure
imagery
sound

English 12: Check with Ms. Moyes. Are you missing anything?

Today: English 12 exam prep and report card pick up.

Tomorrow: USSR (Read at least 30 pages for Monday).
Computer Lab: Time to get that anthology completed. If you were absent yesterday, be SURE to get the notes on MLA style bibliography. It is worth 25% of the project.

Anthology is due Tuesday.

Writing 12: Read a story from your new book!

Think about all the things we learned today: sound, scene writing, motif usage, verb tense, showing and not telling, comparing two things in a subtle way in the story, how to reveal character through action.

Great.

You'll love tomorrow's class. Please treat Ms. Moyes respectfully. You will be reading a story by Bill Gaston.

English 10: Read ACT 1, SC 1

Write a para. describing what you think of Romeo so far. Why do you think he is introduced to us in this manner? Why does he use so many oxymorons? Who is Rosaline?

AHHH, so muchest fun.

Use your literary must-haves list and three quotes and you can refer to earlier parts in the scene or to the prologue to add insight to your description. 250 words.

English 10: Act 1, Scene 1: Tone . . .

So, you sit down in the theatre awaiting your lovely romantic drama called Romeo and Juliet and suddenly you have two Capulets on stage talking about very macho things.

Why? ? ?

Read to line 100 of the scene. Write a stellar, literary paragraph that uses at least three good examples from the scene and cite them properly to answer the question below:

Write a paragraph explaining the tone of the dramatic opening. Attempt to predict why (and you can include the Prologue in your understanding) Shakespeare starts the play in this manner. 

Also: 

Review 

• Renaissance era
• the sonnet
• iambic pentametre

English 12: Read the Crozier poem on page 7 and complete the paragraph

We had a test on 12 literary terms used in Owen's poem. Be sure you know the terms we have accomplished so far.

Today, we read "The Child Who Walks Backwards". We added several new terms to our list: enjambement, juxtaposition, personification, metaphor, and oxymoron.

Borrow the notes from a friend as we covered three boards full.

Question: In a formal, literary paragraph of 250 to 350 words, demonstrate how Crozier uses poetic devices (choose three) to reveal her attitude toward child abuse.

Be sure to state what the attitude toward child abuse is in your thesis.
Focus on correcting whatever error was most dominant in your "Dulce et Decorum Est" paragraph.

Homework: Using your textbook only, find all of the poems needed for your anthology project.

Writing 12: Introduction to Fiction

Due Thursday:

Turn yesterday's scene with the crying mother / daughter or son into the following

One copy that uses FIRST PERSON AND PRESENT TENSE
Second copy uses SECOND PERSON AND PAST TENST
Third copy uses THIRD PERSON (HE OR SHE) AND FUTURE TENSE

Try not to change the details too much. Just change the verb tenses and the speaker.

Today, we wrote the scene through action, thought, dialogue and description. Our focus for the description was to reveal.

Know what it is you want to SHOW

• a character's state of mind
• relationships
• secrets
• tensions
• adding a motif
• flashbacks

These details and repetitions allow the reader to get involved by making connections and inferences. They allow you to show and not tell. They add texture to your story.

 Power of Action

• relays relationships
• keeps the reader involved
• makes the characters real 

 Power of Thought (Exposition)

• use it sparingly
• tells the reader something they need to know (it's efficient)
• BE CAREFUL HERE. YOU CAN'T TELL THE READER SOMETHING THE CHARACTER ALREADY KNOWS. For example, you don't wake up in the morning and say, I'm 17. I live in a bungalow. I go to Claremont. People would think you were demented! So, don't let your characters appear demented either. 

Power of Speech (Dialogue)
We rarely say what we think in Canada! Your characters will reflect this culture. If they do not, ensure that their motivation is clear and let us know that they are acting in an extraordinary manner and ensure there are consequences!!

• reveals the character (grammatically incorrect, fragments, one-word answers, etc, not answering what has been asked)
• shows that the actions do not necessarily jive with the actions or thoughts (shows betrayal or shallowness) 

If you were away, chat with a friend to find out all the prompts you missed.
Three pages due tomorrow. 

English 10: Introduction to Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

For each category below, brainstorm everything you already know:

1. William Shakespeare

• married in 1557
• lived in a town called Stratford in England and then he moved to London
• the most well known writer in the English language
• wrote poems, comedies, tragedies, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello

2. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet

• both characters kill themselves but before they die, they must learn something about themselves
• the story is set in Italy in a town called Verona
• Romeo and Juliet's families are in a feud so they cannot be involved
• They fall in love 
• Similarities between love and hate (both obsessions, both are powerful emotions, both consume energy, can love turn to hate?/ fond of hate,

3. The Renaissance Era

• a re-birth of culture (art, science, inventions, literature, architecture, religion) 
• a time of great change
• Queen Elizabeth -- she became queen at 25, she never married,  

4. The Shakespearean sonnet (also called The English sonnet)

• it's a poem with a lot of RULES
• has to be 14 lines long
• it has to have a specific rhyme scheme
• idealize the woman (she was beautiful, perfect, the man longed for her but could never have her) 
• written in iambic pentametre ( a very specific form of rhythm)

5. iambic pentametre

• iambic is an adj: iamb is two syllables and the second syllable is stressed (when you have two syllables, it's called a FOOT) 
• pentametre (five feet) 5 X 2 (feet) 

Homework: Study the vocab words 26 to 36. Pre-test tomorrow. Study all the notes above. 

A poem inspired by Dulce et Decorum Est

Last Post

English 10: Essay, Quote Log, Peer Edited Draft all due Tues. Nov. 12th

Use all the planning sheets to create a fantastic good copy with a cover page!!

Do not simply print it out and hand it, why?

Too many errors get through from screen editing. Print, edit. Edit on screen.
Print a good copy. Edit again.

Hand in the good copy with title page, the quotation log (follow the criteria) and the peer edited draft.

Can't wait to read them!!

Also: USSR for November. We have 23 days!! You must read at least two books for an A this month and one book for a B.
Read to page 30 for Tuesday. More if you can!

Writing 12: Entering Contests, Bringing money for Belfry, C.Review,

Today:

Finalizing field trip numbers.
Check your marks.
Collect the sheet called Reading to Classes. All students must read to a grade 9, 10 or 11 class before Xmas break. Get started now! Groups of 3.

I collected the sheet saying you have entered all 6 venues.

Today, I collected hard copies for Claremont Review submission and contest (plus $25.00) and for the BCTELA contest.

Do not put your names on the poems for the two contests.

We also went to the Remembrance Day Assembly.

English 12: Poetry: Test and Paragraph Today (Thursday, Nov. 7)

 CAN'T WAIT TO READ YOUR MEMOIRS!!

The winner will be published here:
Canadian Memoirs

HOMEWORK: POETRY ANTHOLOGY DUE TUES. NOV. 19TH. YOU WILL NEED TO GET STARTED THIS WEEKEND. DON'T DELAY!! FIND YOUR TEN POEMS IN YOUR POETRY TEXTS!

Be prepared today for a quiz on what we did yesterday:

Who is Wilfred Owen?
Translate "Dulce et Decorum Est"
What was Wilfred's main conflict?
Why was Britain pro-war?
What is the first step to reading a poem? List the questions to ask . . . .
Define the following terms and provide an example from "Dulce et Decorum Est":
in medias res
alliteration
assonance
euphony / harmony
consonance
dissonance / cacophony
hyperbole
iambic pentametre 
apostrophe
understatement
imagery
simile


Today, we will be writing a poem on how / why Owen uses so many literary devices. Discuss which devices work best to achieve is anti-war theme.
First, decide what he is saying about war.
Next, choose three really strong examples of devices and explain how they had to the anti-war theme.

English 10: Good work today!! Lovely to see it all working out.

Tonight: Type up the BEST copy of your essay possible. Edit it for typing errors. Check that
you have met all the literary must-haves from our list. Use strong verbs, good sentence variety, fabulous synonyms, great quote integration to prove your point with a persuasive and academic tone!!

Tomorrow, bring a copy that you PRINT OUT before class.  Make sure it is double spaced.
Edit the introductions using my suggestions before hand, of course.


We will peer edit. You will have time to work on your essays and we will create a cover page for the essay during class.

We will also have time to go to the library and pick out new USSR books. Yay.

Ms. Wadsworth has worked hard to create new displays so that will help.

Plus, Nov. 18th, Abby and Antonia will be doing a book talk for all grade 9s and 10s currently enrolled in English. They will be discussing some of their favourite books.

They created this project as a result of their English 10 assessment page: what else do I want to do to expand my English skills so if you have an idea, do let me know and we'll make sure to manifest your idea.

I know that Stephanie has already applied to be a reading buddy at the Greater Victoria Public Library, for example.

You can do it, too!!

We have a linear enriched English option in grade 11. Start reading about it on Claremont's web page.

List of courses for grades 11 and 12

Brief description of advanced placement courses

Writing 12: Focus on getting all your lovely poems ready to be published . . .

It took me four hours but I did it. I read each poem lovingly and I just have to say how impressed I am! Wow. You did it. The poems are evocative, friendly, startling, beautiful, and honest. Well done! Wow.

Now, we need to get these puppies published, eh?


PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING IN YOUR MONEY AND PERMISSION FORM FOR THE BELFRY PLAY. $15.00.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING IN ALL THE POEMS FOR BCTELA, CLAREMONT REVIEW SPRING SUBMISSION AND THE CONTEST FOR CLAREMONT REVIEW PLUS A CHEQUE FOR $25.00. IF YOU CAN'T BRING THE MONEY NOW, YOU CAN PAY ME NEXT WEEK BUT HAND IN THE POEMS.

You worked hard today. I do appreciate your efforts.

These poems are wonderful. They deserve to be published.

Congrats!!

Thursday: Hand in all the hard copies of poems for the three hard-copy venues, including the cheque made out to The Claremont Review for $25.00.

Please edit your poems carefully. I found quite a few errors in your manuscripts. Not something you want to show the world. Check capitals, hyphens, dashes, then / than, missing words, typos, etc.

Plus, a lot of you live on a street but not in a city??? Interesting.

Find out how to write out your address. Look at a piece of mail your family has received recently. That's how you do it.


There are a lot of courses and activities in the community to take part in.

This Sat. at the Bruce Hutchison library (in Commonwealth Pool) join Wendy Morton and have her write a poem for you. Perhaps, you could get involved too. 2 - 4 p.m.

Every Friday, you can visit Planet Earth Poetry. Remember, Gabe, the Writing 100 student from UVic? He goes every Friday. You can read a poem at the open mic. Believe me, your poems and YOU are ready.

Or . . . Want some training in performance poetry? See below? Ever thought of applying to become Victoria's youth poet laureate? See below:

Hello Youth Poetry Enthusiasts!

I can`t believe it is already November!  I hope this finds you all well and that your school year has been great so far.  I`ve got a handful of exciting announcement and opportunities for you.  

1. Youth Poet Laureate - Victoria is looking for a new Youth Poet Laureate!  This is an exciting leadership opportunity for poets 21 and under. Please encourage your students to apply.  Poets will perform at Victoria City Council, City of Victoria Youth Council, and they will receive project funding to put on a project of their choice.  I`ve attached the call-out. Please print and post in your schools.  

2. Raising Voices - We offer adaptable, participatory, high energy workshops to get your students excited about poetry!  With our new name (Raising Voices) we have also imported the amazing Johnny MaCrae from Vancouver to help with facilitation and bookings.  Book us and let us ignite the spark! Click here to see the bios of our facilitators: http://victoriapoetryproject.ca/our-poets/

3. Victorious Voices - We are tentatively looking at April 7-9th for Victorious Voices.  Please let me know ASAP if those dates won`t work for your school.

Thanks for your continued interest and dedication to youth poetry!  See you soon.

Cheers,

Jeremy Loveday

Director of Youth Outreach

Wendy Morton

 

WILLIE TUGLAVINA, 16

I grew up in Kangirsualjjuaq.

I have 3 brothers, two sisters.

At school, I failed grade 2.

Now, I don’t fail.

I’m going to try to graduate.

I understand Inuktitut

better than English.

I play the accordion.

My friend taught me.

I can play the guitar, the harmonica.

I can do this.

JULIA

I grew up in Kangirsualjjuaq.

900 people there.

We lived in a government house,

like all other houses.

They all look unhappy.

It’s the dependence

that brings this darkness:

I mean alcohol abuse,

drug abuse.

I want to find my dreams.

I want to be a nurse or a psychiatrist.

I want to inspire my people.

I want them to find their dreams,

their own light.

Writing 12: Sending poems out into the world

THE BUSINESS ASPECT OF WRITING TAKES PATIENCE, PERSEVERANCE, AND ORGANIZATION!!

YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING LINKS IN ORDER TO SEND YOUR WORKS OUT TO THE THREE VENUES WHICH ACCEPT ELECTRONIC COPIES ONLY. FOR AERIE INTERNATIONAL YOU ALSO NEED TO INCLUDE A PHOTO OF YOURSELF IN JPEG FORMAT.

You may not double submit. Keep track of where you send what. Make individual files on your hard drive for each venue below. You must ensure that your poems are publishable. That means there are no spelling, punctuation or grammatical errors. 

You are marked by your organization, attention to detail, getting the work sent out, choosing which poems to send where. DO YOUR RESEARCH. EACH VENUE LOOKS FOR SOMETHING UNIQUE. YOU'VE READ THE CLAREMONT REVIEW SO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY LIKE. READ POLYPHONY MAGAZINE AND AERIE MAGAZINE TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY LIKE. 

DEADLINES ARE IN BOLD BELOW:

Jessamy Stursberg National Poetry for Youth   Formally called the League of Can. Poets Youth Prize

This contest is one of the most prestigious of the bunch. Send two poems here. Choose poems that are easy to follow, offer surprise and use language uniquely. You can check their site to read previous prize winners to get an idea. They like phantoms, prose poems, poems about youth etc SEND THIS OFF TODAY. 

http://www.mcps.k12.mt.us/highschool/bigsky/aerie/international/submissions.html

This magazine is published by a high school in Montana. They like short pieces which startle and delight. I have copies of the magazine for your perusal and they also have samples on their website. SEND THIS OFF BY TODAY. 

Polyphony HS Magazine

Polyphony HS Magazine is published out of Polyphony High School in Chicago but their editors are students from high schools throughout the world. In fact, you can apply to become an editor if you LOVE to edit!!  You must create an account on this site. Some of you will have accounts from last year so you'll need to remember your account info.  SEND THIS OFF BY THURSDAY. 

Claremont Review Contest: Submit 3 poems (hard copies) No name on your poems. Attach a contest entry form to your poems. Write neatly on the form. Attach a cheque made out to The Claremont Review for $25.00.  These poems will be considered for the fall issue 2014.  Save these poems under a file called Claremont Review Contest. HAND IN TO ME BY THURSDAY THIS WEEK. 

Claremont Review Submission: Put your name on these poems.  Attach a self-addressed envelope. I will put a stamp on them. I have envelopes. These poems will be considered for the spring issue. ENSURE THAT THESE POEMS HAVE NO ERRORS! GET YOUR FRIENDS TO READ AND READ AND RE-READ YOUR ENTRIES. CHECK FOR IT'S / ITS  THEIR / THERE / THEY'RE  Not having all caps at the beginning of each line. Dashes are dashes and hyphens are hyphens. a.m. and am can be distinguished. No bolded or underlined titles. All works are left justified. Titles are over the poems. Your name appears under the poem. You save these poems under the file Claremont Review Submission on your hard drive as they will ask you for an electronic version if they decide to publish you. HAND IN TO ME BY THURSDAY THIS WEEK. 


BCTELA contest: Two poems. No name on the poems. Attach the BCTELA form to the poems. Check that there are no errors. Save these two poems under a file called BCTELA submission 2014.  HAND IN TO ME BY THURSDAY THIS WEEK. 

WED: Poet and Entrepreneur Wendy Morton will be in the school to teach us how to write poems for people. 

I handed out the form below which must be completed and submitted by Thursday. 

KEEPING TRACK:  Read slowly and carefully. Learn.

COMPLETE THE CHART AND SUBMIT TO ME BY ________________________________________

NAME: ________________________________________________________________

TITLE OF VENUE	WHAT THEY LOOK FOR	TITLES OF MY SUBMISSIONS
JESSAMY STURSBERG NATIONAL CONTEST FOR YOUTH	2 poems, sent electronically. They look for language poems, surprise, structure, pantoums, prose poems, villanelles, glosas, list poems, or poems about youth or family or a rant	1.     ___________________________________________  2.     ___________________________________________ THESE POEMS CAN BE THE SAME ONES YOU SEND TO BCTELA OR TO POLYPHONY OR TO AERIE BUT NOT TO THE CLAREMONT REVIEW.
Aerie International	Submit electronically and include a photo in jpeg format. Follow their directions carefully.	1.     ________________________________________________ 2.     ________________________________________________ THESE POEMS CANNOT BE THE SAME ONES YOU SEND TO POLYPONY OR THE CLAREMONT REVIEW.
Polyphony H.S. Magazine	Edited by students. They are very picky. Send them the poems which are absolutely clear and easy to follow. You must make an on-line account to submit.	1._____________________________________________________ 2._____________________________________________________ THESE POEMS CANNOT BE THE SAME ONES YOU SEND TO AERIE OR THE CLAREMONT REVIEW.
BCTELA CONTEST: PROVINCIAL	DO NOT PUT YOUR NAMES ON THE POEMS. ATTACH THE POEMS TO THE COVER SHEET I GAVE YOU. FILL IN THE SHEET NEATLY.	1._______________________________________________________ 2.________________________________________________________ THESE TWO POEMS MAY BE THE SAME ONES YOU HAVE SENT ELSEWHERE.
CLAREMONT REVIEW SUBMISSION FREE TO ENTER	SEND 2 TO 4 POEMS YOU KNOW WHAT THEY LIKE.  SEND A VARIETY OF STYLES AND SUBJECTS.	THESE POEMS CANNOT BE THE SAME ONES YOU SEND TO AERIE OR POLYPONY OR JESSAMY STURSBERG. PUT YOUR NAMES ON THESE POEMS. FILL OUT THE SUBMISSION FORM AND THE SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE AND ATTACH IT ALL TOGETHER WITH A PAPER CLIP. NO STAPLES. 1.__________________________________________________ 2. _________________________________________________ 3. _________________________________________________ 4. _________________________________________________
CLAREMONT REVIEW CONTEST $25.00 (FOR 3 POEMS, 1 STORY (WHICH WE WILL DO LATER)	YOU GET A ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTION FOR ENTERING HARD TO TELL WHAT THEY LIKE BECAUSE THE JUDGES ARE DIFFERENT EVERY YEAR SO SEND A VARIETY.	THESE POEMS CANNOT BE THE SAME ONES YOU SEND TO AERIE OR POLYPOHONY OR JESSAMY STURSBERG. DO NOT PUT YOUR NAMES ON THESE POEMS. ATTACH TO THE ENTRY FORM. 1.     _______________________________________________ 2.     _______________________________________________ 3.     _______________________________________________