English 11: You Gonna' Rock Tomorrow's Paragraph?

If you were absent today, add Belsen and convalescence to your vocab. list, please. We edited the "Fall of a City" paragraphs line by line with a partner, using the paragraph editing sheets. Bring that sheet to class tomorrow so that you will not CONTINUE making the same mistakes. Make NEW mistakes on tomorrow's paragraph.

Due tomorrow: your TICK chart for "The Sound of the Hollyhocks", your editing sheet and the paragraph you will write during class tomorrow.

The question: The characters in the story, bankers, ministers, husbands, university professors, are literally cut off from society in the convalescent home, Pinehills. In a literary paragraph of 300 to 500 words, discuss the sources that might cause such isolation. Use your TICK chart to ensure you understand the story's theme. You may bring your thesis with you.

English 10: Finish reading to the end of chapter 11!!

Be sure to read with your post-it notes handy so that you can note our THREE items:

1. Who is breaking the law or rules (including gossip) and why?
2. Why are they getting away with it or are there any consequences?
3. Who makes and upholds the rules?

HOW DO WE ERADICATE IGNORANCE? This question will frame your essay. You will need to create a fantastic answer to this question based on a close reading of the novel.

Today, we discussed yesterday's questions in great detail. Print out the notes (on yesterday's blog) if you were absent or could not keep up with the writing during class. I appreciated all the in-depth discussions this morning. Thanks to those students who are not often the first to add to the discussion. You took a risk!

We also added two new words to our list and we read for 15 minutes during USSR.
If you were absent, we did prevaricate and proclaim today.

English 11: "The Sound of the Hollyhocks"

When you confront a difficult text, you need to break it down into smaller bits to digest it. Don't assume that the story is too hard or that you don't understand it. Saying "I don't know" is not an option in grade 11, especially after working with group members.

Follow the TICK strategy.

Brainstorm all the connections, symbols, resonances you can think of for the

Title:
Introduction:
Conclusion:
Key Points:

What does this story imply about people in this society? What are the restrictions? How do people cope?

You need to be able to read and understand texts at this level. It is not difficult but it requires attention and analysis.

Homework: Ensure that you have a half page of ideas for each item above. We will work on the paragraph during class tomorrow.

I handed back the essays. Discover where you need to focus. Is it planning the essay? Analyzing evidence? Creating a thesis? Following a template? Style? Strong verbs? Sentence Variety.

Do not make the same mistake twice. Make new mistakes in your writing so you can take risks.

Writing 12: Manuscript due Thursday . . .

Excellent work in the lab today. We have student presentations tomorrow and Thursday. Wed. we are in the lab but meet in class first so we can review manuscript set up. You don't need to lose marks for incorrect formatting.

Thursday, we will get each of you a fantastic set of short stories.
You can return your copy of Naming the Baby on Thursday.

Next Wed. in the lab, we will be sending out your poems to be published. Yay.

English 10: Read to the end of chapter 11 by Wednesday.

Today we discussed chapters 5, 6, and 7 by answering the questions below:

1. Give on example to show that Miss Maudie is the voice of reason (stands up for the truth). She speaks candidly! She is sassy toward Miss Stephanie. She tells Miss Stephanie to make room in her bed for Boo which shut Miss Stephanie up for a while. You are too young to understand it. She is the advisor on the street. She tells the truth. She doesn't make up answers to satisfy Scout's question. She treats Scout as an adult. She is a friend to Scout. Page 49. Page 60. Page 59.
2. Why might Boo Radley not want to come out? At the end of chapter 5, Jem says he is re-thinking the idea of becoming a lawyer. Why? embarrassed? anxiety? It's been so long, he knows that there will be a huge fuss. People thinks he is a psychopath and all the rumours could destroy him. Harshly judged. Afraid? Not used to it? Society is corrupt. He does not want to live in a society. Atticus tricks Jem into stop fighting. Jem is mad that lawyers can twist your words.
3. Why can't people change by being told to change? How does Jem decide to stop the Boo Radley game (of trying to make him come out of the house)? Give at least two examples from the novel. His pants are stitched up. He thinks Book did it. Boo seems to be keeping guard of the kids. Boo may not want the kids to have to suffer the way he has. Jem thinks it is childish. Growing up makes people change. He cries when he realizes how badly Mr. Radley treats him. Boo is not allowed any contact with anyone. Boo was communicating with the kids by leaving them gifts in the tree: Indian Head pennies, a pack of gum, string, pocket watch that doesn't work, carved Jem and Scout out of soap. Growing up is a theme in the story. Every couple of chapters, time passes quickly. Harper Lee is showing that despite growing up, people don't change.
4. Why does Mr. Radley fill the hole in the tree with cement and then lie about the tree's health? Nathan doesn't want Boo to communicate with the kids. He doesn't want the children to realize how badly he treats his brother. He lies because he doesn't want them to know that Boo left things in the tree. He wants to keep Boo isolated from everyone else. Nathan is cruel. He is embarrassed about Boo. Boo is notorious (a bad legend).
5. Do you see any danger in Atticus' belief in "not bothering the neighbours"? Discuss. See if you can add in connections to other examples in the novel of "letting things slide". Let your neighbours do whatever they want!!! A good lawyer can get a criminal free! Not bothering is foreshadowing!!! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS 
If there is something going on in the house and we don't meddle, there could be some serious STUFF going on!! Connects to letting things slide!!!!! Pay attention to abuse and ignorance in your town!!!!!! Dig into it. Find the facts! Not meddling closes off opinions and thoughts. If you can't talk to others, ignorance is perpetuated by a lack of understanding. The Ewells don't have money because the father DRINKS IT ALL AWAY and the family receives money from the county (welfare) to survive but he drinks that away, too. He HUNTS out of season. They let him get away with it to feed all his kids. They don't make the kids go to school. The father needs the kids to help out at home. 

We also marked our paragraphs from Friday's class. If you were away today, you will need to find a partner and mark the paragraph together.

Short Stories: I returned the short stories. Some of the stories require a lot of attention and proofreading in order to get them publication ready (absolutely error free). The new draft is due Wed. Nov. 12. You may revise the parts of the story that do not meet our criteria but be sure to edit any new parts. 

Paragraphs on chapters 3 to 5: We marked these with a partner today. You have to be able to find your errors so you can plan to correct them.

English 10: Read chapters 5, 6, and 7 for Monday

As you read the three chapters, be sure to have your post-it notes handy so that you can find key passages that answer our three questions:
Who breaks the rules and why . . .
Who lets them break the rules . . .
Who makes the rules . . .

How do we eradicate ignorance boys and girls?Feel free to read ahead, especially if you have a busy week next week.

If you were absent Friday, you need to write a paragraph on chapters 1 to 4. Choose either 1 or two below:

Compare and contrast the Ewell family to the Cunningham family.

or

Atticus says, " ' You never really understand a person until you consider things fro his point of view -- until you climb into his skin and walk around in it ' " (30). Discuss the examples of lack of empathy and / or  understanding that has been revealed in the first four chapters. 

Be sure to use your literary must-haves sheet, follow our template, use the how to cite sheet, our transitions examples, strong verbs and sentence variety.

English 11: How to edit a literary paragraph for basic yet key structural elements . . .

Today, we edited the paragraphs and re-wrote them with a focus on structure, style and insight. Be sure to get the notes from a peer if you were absent today.

I collected the USSR forms for October and any essays and quotation logs from students who had extensions.

Monday: Vocabulary Test on words 26 to embodiment and words 1 and 2

I will be away tomorrow but Ms. Moray will be here. Please treat her as a guest in our room and show her the routines. Arrive on time and start USSR immediately, please.

We will be reading the story, "The Sound of the Hollyhocks" by Hugh Garner, page 7. You will be asked to read the story slowly, using post-it notes, to find quotations which help to explain the importance of the title. This question will challenge you. You will need to find motif, symbol, changes in diction, pathetic fallacy, dramatic irony, changes in tone, sentence variety etc as an author's techniques reveal theme and character.

What is the sound of a daffodil? A violet? A crocus? A tulip? A hollyhock?

There are some direct discussions of the hollyhocks in the story but you will find your reasons elsewhere. Who is the hollyhock? What is his sound? Who listened? Who did not?

Be prepared to discuss and write about your discoveries on Monday. You will need to have the key quotations already highlighted with a post-it note. There will not be time to re-read the entire story.
Have a good weekend. Study your vocabulary.