23 December 2010

WINTER BREAK!

Here's what you need to do over Winter Break:
Periods 1, 2, & 6: DON'T FORGET EVERYTHING WE'VE DISCUSSED AND READ IN "DEATH OF A SALESMAN"!
Periods 4A & 4B: PERSONAL ESSAYS DUE AFTER WINTER BREAK IF NOT ALREADY TURNED IN, HUCK FINN CHAPTERS 30-37

Most of all, have fun, be safe, and get lots of rest!  :)

20 December 2010

Week of 12/20

Just 4 more days until Winter Break!  :)

Periods 1, 2, & 6:
  • Reading Act II, pp. 98-122 of Death of a Salesman
Periods 4A & 4B:
  • "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell - Analyzing the Narrative Essay with a Purpose
  • Personal Essays due after Winter Break
  • You should have read up to Chapter 29 of Huck Finn

13 December 2010

Week of 12/13

http://edudemic.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/SnowDay.jpg
Periods 1, 2, & 6: 
  • Death of a Salesman Act II, pp. 71-98 Reading and Study Questions
  • Quote Analysis 
    • "You can't the orange and throw away the peel - a man is not a piece of fruit!"
Periods 4A & 4B:
  • "The War Prayer" Modern Adaptation
  • Transcendental Thought with Calvin and Hobbes
  • Period 4B: HF 23-26 due Wednesday, HF 27-29 on Tuesday, Read rest of "Shooting the Elephant" and Personal Essay due Thursday
  • Period 4A: HF 27-29 due Monday, Personal Essay due

06 December 2010

Week of 12/06

While you're waiting on some snow, keep counting down the days until winter break.

Periods 1, 2, & 6:
  • Vocabulary 5 Quiz on Thursday
  • Death of a Salesman Act One Quiz on Friday (Be a Character writing in class on Fri.)
  • Act One, pp. 41-69 Reader Response Journal
  • Character Chart Review
Periods 4A & 4B:
  • First draft of Personal Essay due on Wednesday/Thursday
  • HF Chpts. 19-22 due Monday for 4B
  • HF Chpts. 19-20 due Friday for 4A, HF Chpts. 21-26 due Tuesday
  • Chapter 14 Analysis (The King Solomon story)
  • Vocabulary Unit 3 

30 November 2010

The Road to Winter Break.

Hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving break.  We're in it for the long haul until winter break in a few weeks with five day weeks all around.  Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Periods 1 & 2:
  • Death of a Salesman Reader Response Journal (What Makes a Good Parent?)
  • Death of  Salesman Act I, pp. 42-61
  • Vocabulary Unit 5 Introduction this week (Quiz will be next Thursday)
  • Symbols in Death of a Salesman
Periods 4A & 4B:
  • Huck Finn Chpts. 1-7 due Tuesday (4A), Chpts. 8-11 due Thursday (4A)
  • Huck Finn Chpts. 8-10 due Wednesday (4B), Chpts. 11-12 due Friday (4B)
  • Transcendentalism Introduction (Excerpts from Emerson's Nature, Thoreau's Walden)

22 November 2010

Thanksgiving Break! :)



Parent conferences are this on Monday and Tuesday night from 5:30 to 8:30 PM.  



15 November 2010

Thanksgiving Encroaches.

This is our last five day week before Thanksgiving break next week.  We've wrapped one whole quarter, we've started the second one, and the air is crisp.  Go outside, embrace the Romantic spirit, and take in the splendid atmosphere of nature itself.

English 11:
  • Of Mice and Men Essays due this week (Wednesday for Period 1, Friday for Periods 2 and 6)
  • Unit 4 Vocab quiz on Thursday 
    • 10 matching, 5 synonyms/antonyms, 10 completing the sentence, 5 original sentences
  • Death of a Salesman Act One, pp. 11-27
    • Reader Response Journal due on Friday/Monday
  • Death of a Salesman Act One, pp. 28-43
English 11 AP:
  • Scarlet Letter Essays due on Wednesday for Period 4A, Monday for Period 4B
  • Unit 2 Vocab quiz on Friday/Monday
  • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 1-7
  • Mark Twain/Samuel L. Clemens: Person vs. Persona 

01 November 2010

Week of 11/1: The Long-Awaited Three Day Week

This is the last week of first quarter.  Make sure to make up any missing assignments and to keep track of your grade by checking TeacherEase.  We also have a three day week as tomorrow is Election Day and Friday is a professional day for teachers. 

English 11:
  • Of Mice and Men Persuasive Essay Rough Draft
  • County Assessment
  • Modernism PPT
English 11 AP:
  • County Assessment
  • Romanticism PPT 
  • Romantic and Dark Romantic Poetry 

25 October 2010

"Nevermore," quoth the raven.

This is the last full week before first quarter ends. Next week we only have three days of school with Tuesday and Friday off. Make sure to check TeacherEase and be aware of any missing assignments or tests you need to make up.

English 11:
  • Of Mice and Men Unit Test Review
  • Embedding Quotes Notes and Practice
  • Of Mice and Men Unit Test
  • Work OMM Persuasive Essay 
English 11 AP:
  • The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter Ending Discussions and Review
  • SL/CRUC Unit Test on Thursday/Friday
  • Revised Thesis Statements for SL Essay

18 October 2010

Spirit Week!

We're filled with school spirit in anticipation of homecoming on Saturday!  Pictures of the week's events are coming soon!

Monday - Pajama Day
Tuesday - Superhero Day
Wednesday -  Multiplicity Day
Thursday - Decades Day
Friday - CLASS COLOR DAY!

English 11:
  • Of Mice and Men Thesis Statements and Essay Planning
  • Introduction to the SAT Essay
  • Vocabulary Unit 3 Quiz next Friday, 10/29
  • OMM Introductory Paragraph
  • NATIONAL DAY ON WRITING! 
 English 11 AP:
  • We're done reading The Scarlet Letter!
  • SL Essay Thesis Workshops and Revisions
  • Crucible Act IV
  • Review and Discussion for the SL/Crucible Unit Test next Thursday/Friday   

11 October 2010

The Week With the PSATs (and NO SCHOOL FRIDAY!)

The PSATs are this week on Wednesday, October 13th during periods 1-3.  We also have no school Friday.  I know we've all been missing those four day weeks.


English 11:
  • PSAT Review (Writing Section) - Make sure to bring your PSAT booklets with you to class.
  • OMM Chapter 6 reading in class - Reaction Journals
  • Brainstorming for OMM Process Essay
  • OMM Film Guide - We will finish up the movie version of Of Mice and Men this week.
  • PERIOD 6: Chapter 5 read by MONDAY and American Dream Deferred Journal due TUESDAY
English 11 AP:
  • The Scarlet Letter Essay Topics - Given to me by 10/11-10/12 
  • SL Post-It Notes Checkpoint - Have you been taking notes?
  • PSAT Review
  • The Crucible Act III acted out in class
  • Reminder: You must finish The Scarlet Letter by 10/18-10/19

04 October 2010

Welcome, October.

The PSATs are in one week.  Homecoming and Spirit Week are in two.  Halloween is in three.  There's a lot going on in October.  Make sure to stay on top of it all.

English 11:
  • Finish Chapter 5 of Of Mice and Men by MONDAY FOR PERIOD 6
  • "A Dream Deferred" Poem Analysis - Crooks and Curley's Wife
  • Chapter 4 Themes Review (Remember to study these for your unit test)
  • PSAT Practice - Wednesday, October 13th is the PSAT  testing date
  • American Dream Deferred Journal Entry due TUESDAY FOR PERIOD 6
English 11 AP:
  • The Scarlet Letter Essay Topics given out
  • Notemaking Assignment - Takes notes on topic for SL essay (Will be checked on 10/11-10/12)
  • PSAT Practice
  • The Scarlet Letter Essay Topics were given out in class.  By October 11-12, you should have chosen your topic as well as have evidence of having taken notes for your assigned topic.  This should be in the form of Post-It Notes.  This will be given a completion grade.  
  • CRUCIBLE ACTS I AND II/SCARLET LETTER CHPTS. 1-12 TEST ON THURS./FRI. 

28 September 2010

Wake me up when September ends.

Another full five day week commences.  We're well into Of Mice and Men, The Scarlet Letter, and The Crucible.  Keep up your reading!  Half of the quarter has already passed.

English 11:
  • Vocabulary Unit 2 Quiz on Thursday
  • Of Mice and Men Chapters 3 and 4 this week (Second half of Chapter 3 due Thursday)
  • OMM Film Analysis
  • PSAT Practice
  • Notemaking for Of Mice and Men
 English 11 AP:
  • The Scarlet Letter Reading (Due dates for reading are listed on AP English page
  • PSAT Practice (PSAT Test is on Wednesday, October 13th)
  • The Crucible Act II on Wednesday/Thursday   

20 September 2010

The Official Last Week of Summer.

Welcome to our first five day week as well as the week leading up to the first day of fall!  :)

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace
As I have seen in one autumnal face.
~John Donne
English 11:
  • The American Dream Brainstorm and Discussion
  • John Mellencamp's "Pink Houses" Analysis
  • Of Mice and Men Chapter 2
  • Vocabulary Unit 2 
  • PSAT Practice
English 11 AP:
  • Finish Act I of The Crucible
  • Vocabulary Unit 1 Quiz (on Thursday/Friday)
  • "Young Goodman Brown" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • The Scarlet Letter Introduction and Book Sign-Out
  • PSAT Practice 
  • Visit to Student Services
The Scarlet Letter Reading Schedule is available on the AP English page.  
WEEKEND HOMEWORK: Chapters 2-4 of SL 

13 September 2010

The Last Four Day Week.

NOTE: Period 4B students, please leave the links to your commercials on the post below named "Rhetoric through Generations."
 
Starting next week, we'll begin the dreaded five day school week.  So enjoy the last moments of so-many-days-off September.

English 11:
  • "Sunny Cal" and "California Gurls" Comparison
  • Woody Guthrie's "Pastures of Plenty" Poem Analysis
  • Of Mice and Men Anticipation Guide Journal Entries due
  • Level E Vocab. Unit 1 Quiz on Thursday
  • Chapter One of Of Mice and Men and Study Guide questions
  • HOMEWORK: Read the rest of chapter 1 and answer the study guide questions
English 11 AP:
  • Jonathan Edwards' Rhetoric in "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"
  • Comparison Analysis to Modern Advertising
  • Persuasive Commercial Analysis
  • Act One of The Crucible (acted out in class)
  • Level G Vocab. Unit 1 Introduction - Quiz next Thursday/Friday
  • HOMEWORK: Read "Young Goodman Brown" and take notes (pay close attention to any mention of the id, the ego, and the superego)

10 September 2010

Rhetoric Through the Generations: Jonathan Edwards and Modern Advertising

Hello, periods 4A and 4B!
Leave a comment on this post with the link to your advertisements.  You'll turn in your analysis next class.  Just leave the URL of the website here in the comments.

I have included the commercials we analyzed in class below.

See you next class!

The Journey to Comfort
Old Spice Commercial

08 September 2010

The Three Day Week

This is a hectic week with all the days off (leading me to post this week's post so late).  Here's what happened (and is happening) this week.  Enjoy your day off and see you Friday!

English 11:
  • Administrative Visit with Ms. West
  • SAT Grammar Diagnostic (the PSATs are on Weds. October 13th)
  • Vocabulary Unit 1 PowerPoint
  • Of Mice and Men Anticipation Guide
English 11 AP:
  • Administrative Visit with Ms. West
  • Review Smith and Bradford Writings
  • Puritanism Notes
  • SAT Grammar Diagnostic
  • Puritan Writers Analysis 

30 August 2010

The Dog Days Are Over

Welcome, class of 2012!

Your junior year of high school awaits you.  This is place to find out all the information you need for English.  Click on the links above according to your specific class.  There you will find a calendar of events for your class as well as useful links to important class documents.

English 11:
  • Student Information Sheet
  • English 11 Syllabus Description
  • English Notebook Check
  • Introductory Letter Assignment (links on English 11 page above) - Due Tues. Sept. 7th
English 11 AP: 
  • Student Information Sheet
  • English 11 AP Syllabus
  • Nancy Mairs' "On Being a Cripple" Analysis & Class Writing Assignment
  • Introductory Letter Assignment 
  • John Smith and William Bradford readings with Discussion Questions due Tues./Weds. 

We are the Eagles.

America: The Land of Poetry