12/18/09

Freshmen:
Turned in LOTF notes and "Invictus" extra credit.
Then, took the LOTF and Vocabulary Test!
HW: Work on completing your SSR book projects over break. They are due the last week of January before semester grades come out.

AP Lit:
Vocabulary Quiz.
Then, we can discuss BNW or (continue for per. 6) watching Candide the operetta.
HW: Read through Ch. 15 in Brave New World (at least). As you read, please take notes on the following comparisons/contrast categories:

New world vs. Savage reservation
Bernard vs. Helmholtz vs. John
Linda vs. Lenina
pre-John Bernard vs. post-John Bernard

I sincerely hope you all have a lovely break from school! Have fun, and be safe. See you in 2010.

12/17/09

Freshmen:
Took a few minutes to work on chapter 12 notes. Wrote and answered some true/false questions. "Invictus" extra credit: read the poem and write a paragraph about which character from LOTF it might best relate to. DUE tomorrow at the beginning of class.
HW: Study for tomorrow's test. be sure, also, to bring your chapter notes to turn in!

AP Lit:
Discussed some BNW-- began a list of imperfectable human characteristics.
HW: Through CH. 9 for tomorrow. Through Ch. 15 over break.

12/16/09

Freshmen:
We finished reading LOTF together today. Tomorrow we'll discuss and prepare for Friday's test.

AP Lit:
Most of the period was taken up by visitors imparting AP Test information.
HW: Read Chapter 7 and be prepared to discuss the imperfectable (is that a word?) qualities Huxley seems to be showing in humans.

12/15/09

Freshmen:
Handed back some miscellaneous papers, then we began reading Chapter 12 together. We made it to the break when Ralph finally falls asleep-- we'll continue tomorrow as he wakes up and the search for him begins. We'll finish the book in class tomorrow!
HW: None. Although, you could certainly begin studying for your test on Friday.

AP Lit:
We discussed some aspects of the Ch. 4 &5 study questions, which I also collected. For some reason I had the schedule mixed up for 3rd period, so...
HW: Tomorrow we're supposed to have a visitation by Ms. Cornell and Mrs. DeWittie to talk about AP tests and procedures. Then we'll begin discussing Ch.6 and finish this up as necessary on Thursday. You should be through Chapter 9 for Friday.

12/14/09

Woo-hoo! Last week before winter break!

Freshmen:
New vocab words.
LOTF Chapter 11 Notes check. (5 more easy points if you did your homework!)
Discuss Chapter 11. (Poor Piggy!)
HW: None. Although, we'll be having our vocab quiz and LOTF test on Friday. Be prepared.

AP Lit:
New vocab words.
Discuss BNW Chapter 3: history and structure.
HW: For tomorrow, complete Ch. 4 and 5 study questions (these may look more like notes than complete answers.) Be ready to discuss them and turn them in.

12/11/09

Freshmen:
Vocab quiz #10
SSR time.
HW: Read LOTF Chapter 11 and take notes-- quotes on whatever you find significant. Next week we'll finish LOTF together and take a LOTF test on Friday.

AP Lit:
Vocab quiz #8
Period 3: you chose to have some quiet reading and work time.
Period 6: you chose to begin watching "Candide" the operetta.
HW: Read BNW chapters 4 & 5 for Monday with notes.

12/10/09

Freshmen:
Finished Ch. 10 and time to begin notes.
HW: Study for vocab quiz! Bring SSR books tomorrow for points!

AP Lit:
Quick discussion of BNW Ch. 2 and then some time to begin reading chapter 3.
HW: Finish Ch. 3

12/9/09

Freshmen:
Time to complete LOTF Ch. 9 notes
Quick discussion about LOTF as a religious allegory
Began reading Chapter 10 together.

AP Lit:
Talked about BNW Ch.1
HW: Read Ch. 2 for tomorrow, and Ch. 3 for Friday.

12/08/09

Freshmen:
Discuss a few last things from Ch. 8
Read chapter 9 together. (No....Simon!)

AP Lit:
New vocab words
A few willing souls shared their Anti-Candides or Another Modest Proposals. Thanks!
Went to library for copies of Brave New World.
HW: Read the Foreword and Chapter 1 for tomorrow. (If you don't have the Foreword in your version, come get a copy from me.)

12/7/09

Freshmen:
New vocab words and Ch. 8 note check
Discuss LOTF chapter 8

AP Lit:
Candide essay test.
HW: Finish satiric creative writing. Due tomorrow.

12/4/09

Freshmen:
Vocabulary Quiz.
Quiet reading time for LOTF or SSR.
HW: Finish LOTF Ch. 8 and notes. Quotes should be on the idea of "breaking down."

AP Lit:
Vocabulary Quiz
Handed out details on satire creative writing assignment-- due on Tuesday.
HW: Candide essay test on Monday. You may use notes and books, so bring both.

12/3/09

Freshmen:
Discussed LOTF chapter 7: Ralph begins to take back control, but not before getting sucked into the excitement of hunting and playing the reenactment "game" with the guys. (Poor Robert!) Notice, that Simon bails. He's not really one of them...who would want to be?
HW: Study for vocab quiz. Read chapter 8 for Monday.

AP Lit:
Discussed the end of Candide: why a garden, who really changed, why people come back from the "dead," etc.
HW: Vocab quiz tomorrow, and last chance to discuss and questions or issues before the essay test on Monday.

12/2/09

Freshmen:
Discussed chapters 5 &6 of LOTF-- especially the changes as the story progresses and the symbols. Began reading chapter 7 together. (How can you not like Simon?)
HW: Finish Chapter 7 & notes with quotes on Ralph's internal conflicts.

AP Lit:
We decide that the Candide Essay exam will be on Monday, and the creative writing will be assigned on Friday, due on Tuesday.
Then we discussed some more Candide and more of the many issues of Voltaire's satire, why he needed to go to Eldorado, etc.
HW: Finish Candide.

12/1/09

Happy December! (Mrs. Peterson's half-birthday:)

Freshmen:
Chapter 6 reading quiz-- yes, two pop quizzes in a row!
Grade and discuss the quiz answers.
HW: None! (unless you need to get caught up on your reading, or course...)

AP Lit:
Began filling our white board with ideas about Candide. We'll continue this tomorrow.
HW: Continue reading. The book needs to be finished by Thursday.

11/30/09

Freshmen:
Copied new vocab words.
Reading quiz: Using the new vocab words, describe what happened at the end of chapter 4 and in Chapter 5.
HW: Read Chapter 6 and take notes-- quotes are your choice, whatever catches your attention.

AP Lit:
New vocab words.
Thoughts and /or questions on Candide?
HW: for tomorrow read to Ch. 20.
for Wed: read to Ch. 25
for Thurs: finish the book and be ready to write about your observations from the study guide...

And the Haiku extra credit winners are...

...in no particular order: KJ, Shezad, Diana, Irina, and Chelsea!
Here are your haiku entries (copied and pasted directly, so if you find a typo, don't blame me!)

Thank you, Thank you, Thanks

yes its a day for thanking

don't forget the thanks

It smells like turkey

oh it looks so very great

but is it turkey

Thanks to him above

for all the great things hes done

give this day to him

Thanksgiving was fun
I overly ate again
I feel fat again

The house filled with smell

All of the wonderful food

I can't wait to eat

Sizzle Sizzle Yum

In the background is football

What a joyous day

Family together

Gathered on this day we are

Turkey day hooray

We, America.

Thanksgiving is our party.

When we all get fat.

How we love to eat.

We forget to give our thanks.

On this special day.

Thanksgiving is good.

The food is great, eat is quick.

It will soon be gone.

Thanksgiving is great

Especially with my friends

Time to fill our plates

Sit at the table

We all share our friendly laughs

Enjoy this great night

Feeling really tired

Overdosed on Tryptophan

Get ready for sleep

Keep your eyes peeled for more extra credit fun!

11/25/09

Freshmen:
Vocab quiz #8
Continued reading Ch. 4 and talked about social conditioning.
HW: Finish Ch. 4 and read Ch.5 Notes on both, including quotes that show changes.

AP Lit:
Talked a bit about "Optimism" and Voltaire and first impressions of Candide and what to be looking for as you read.
HW: Read through at least Chapter 15, working on your study questions as you go. Feel free to read ahead if you have time. We will be reading the last half very quickly next week, so if you know it will be a busy week for you plan ahead accordingly.

Thanksgiving Extra Credit!

5th Annual Thanksgiving Haiku Extravaganza!

For the last several years I have asked students to compose their best Thanksgiving Haiku. If you're not familiar with haiku, it's a Japanese poetry form that is made, simply, of three lines. The first line must contain five syllables, the second line must contain 7 syllables, and the third line must contain 5 syllables again.

For your extra credit points, you may submit up to three of your very own Thanksgiving haiku. Submissions will be posted to the blog for all to enjoy. Think turkey, stuffing, yams, pie, football, family, fun and get your creative juices (and saliva) flowing. As always, email your entries with your full name and period number included.

Here are a few Mrs. Peterson originals to inspire you:

Turkey, turkey, yum!

I love you most with mustard.

Sandwiches all week.

-------------

Mashed potato pool,

filled to the brim with gravy.

Let me dive right in.

Happy Haiku-ing!
Don't delay! This extra credit opportunity is short-lived. It expires on Saturday night at midnight-- so get to it and feel free to spread the word.

11/24/09

Freshmen:
Discussed a few more issues in the first chapters of LOTF. (The Beastie, description of the fire, Piggy's rant, the mulberry-birthmark boy's fate, Ralph's growing frustration, Simon's weirdness, etc.)
Then, we began reading chapter 4 together. We'll finish reading this tomorrow after the vocab quiz.
HW: Study for tomorrow's vocab quiz!

AP Lit:
Well, 3rd period was weird with our lock down drill, so we only got to a few pieces of this. Here is what we did during 6th... we looked back at the satire terms and discussed briefly how they apply to "A Modest Proposal". I handed out several things to read in preparation for Candide, including study questions to take notes on as you read. Then students went to the library to check out copies of Candide. (If you were unable to check your book out since you have unturned materials, here is a link to an online version of Candide so you can stay caught up.)
HW: Read the introduction and bio I handed out in class. Read chapters 1-5 and be ready to discuss your first impressions tomorrow.

11/23/09

Freshmen:
Discussed some ideas and observations from LOTF chapters 1 & 2.
HW: Read chapter 3 and complete the notes. Find quotes that show meaningful descriptions of the environment. (If you didn't get the note handout in 7th period, you can find a copy of it in the list of links at the left of the page.)

AP Lit:
Discussed Genesis and Catastrophe and the many examples of irony... (all three kinds from your notes, imagine that!) We began our discussion of A Modest Proposal and I collected your study questions.

We'll be checking out copies of Candide tomorrow. As I mentioned today, the school only has 50 copies, and we have 63 students...so I need at least 13 of you to provide your own copy of the book if possible (for a little extra credit, of course). You'll need it starting tomorrow, though. So, hopefully, several of you will be able to track it down tonight and we'll be set to go. If not, I guess we'll figure out plan B...

11/20/09

Sorry I missed you guys today. (Lucky first period got me for the first few minutes until my sub showed up!) Unfortunately, my kids still aren't feeling 100%, and my husband now has the cold we've all been passing around. Since he's the one who takes care of our kids on weekdays, he needed me to stay home and take care of everyone today. I hope things went smoothly in my absence.

Freshmen:
Took the vocab quiz.
Copied the new vocab words. (Since next week is a short week, I gave you the words today, so you'd be ready for the quiz next Wednesday.)
Quiet SSR reading time.
HW: Read Chapter 2 in LOTF and complete reading notes-- (use the back side of Ch.1 notes.) For the quotes on your notes (ha! that rhymes!) find passages that show the boys maturity or immaturity.

AP Lit:
Took the vocab quiz.
Took notes on Satire terms.
HW: Read "A Modest Proposal" and compete the study questions. We'll discuss these on Monday.

11/19/09

Freshmen:
Character Observation assignment for Chapter 1 of LOTF. Due today (due tomorrow for period 7, since the fire alarm went off).
HW: Study for your vocab quiz! Bring your SSR book tomorrow.

AP Lit:
Notes on types of Irony. Then we read "The Story of an Hour" together and discussed it a bit, looking at irony and motifs.
HW: Read "Genesis and Catastrophe" by Roald Dahl. (I gave copies of this out in class). Take notes on the examples and types of irony in the story...including the meaning of the title. Study for your vocab quiz tomorrow.

11/18/09

Freshmen:
Quick homework check and discussion.
Return OMAM books. Check out LOTF books.
Receive note taking handout and begin reading chapter 1 together.
If you were unable to check out a book today and don't want to get behind on the reading, you can access the novel online by following this link: Lord of the Flies electronic text. (Although, it's a big file, so it may take a while to load.)
HW: Finish reading chapter 1 and fill out your reading notes.

AP Lit:
Read biography of Kafka, then respond to the following: 1) How does this add to/affect your interpretation and understanding of "A Hunger Artist." 2) Why "A" not "The" in the story's title?

11/17/09

Freshmen:
4 corners activity.
HW: Write a reflection of the 4 corners activity: What did you notice? What did you learn about yourself? What did you learn about your classmates?

AP Lit:
Reviewed and elaborated on "YGBrown" symbols. Then, discussed what "A Hunger Artist" is really about.
HW: Answer the following: Based on your interpretation of the symbols of YGB, what is the theme of the story?

11/16/09

Freshmen:
New vocabulary words and homework check.
Discussed the homework-- thoughts on Onoda and 5 things you'd want if you had to survive... Then, we changed the scenario and decided what 5 rules would be most important if you were stranded with 4 or 5 other people for a long period of time.

AP Lit:
New vocabulary words. Then, we began our discussion of "Young Goodman Brown" and created a list of symbols on the whiteboard. Although I think we still haven't decided, is it an allegory?
HW: Read "A Hunger Artist"-- what is it really about?

11/13/09

Freshmen:
Using the "Abstractions List" we did a little creative writing by choosing one of the words off the list and writing a short dramatic scene attempting to illustrate or demonstrate that abstraction, including the use of dialogue. We only spent about 20 minutes on this then I collected it. It will be in your writing folder and we will return to it again.

HW: Read "The War is Over..." article and respond in writing to the following: 1) What do you think of this guy? 2) If you were stranded somewhere and had to survive on your own in the jungle, what 5 things would you most want to have with you and why?

AP Lit:
We went over the practice multiple choice selection that I handed out on Thursday. Overall, each class did a pretty good job of coming to consensus on correct answers.

HW: For Monday read "Young Goodman Brown" (in your anthology) and take notes on symbols and their meanings, lines with double meanings, and whether you think it is also an allegory.

11/12/09

Freshmen:
Turn in Of Mice and Men essays and receive some graded papers from last term
Handout for SSR Book Project #2. Choose your new book wisely.
(Remember, the following books and authors MAY NOT be read for this 9 weeks: Harry Potter series, Twilight series, Eragon series, The Outsiders, Walt Morey, Gary Paulsen, The Oregon Driver's Manual, Series of Unfortunate Events, The Giver and A Child Called It.)

AP Lit:
Notes and thoughts on Symbol and Allegory
AP Test Practice Multiple Choice #1
HW: Read and complete multiple choice questions, to discuss and go over tomorrow.
For Monday-- Read "Young Goodman Brown" noting the symbols you find and their meanings
For Tuesday-- Read "A Hunger Artist"

A New Beginning!

Here we are on the first day of the next grading period! Everyone gets a fresh start. Either keep doing what you've been doing, or decide to make some changes. It's all up to you. I hope you choose wisely.

11/2/09 & 11/3/09

Sorry I missed a day, but like so many others, I'm sick again. I stayed home Monday in an attempt to feel better for the rest of this busy final week of the term, but alas, I still feel quite yucky. Oh well, as long as I have no fever I'll assume it's just another regular head cold. Right?

To recap from yesterday with Mr. Ramsten:

11/2/09
Freshmen:
Copied new vocab words. Checked who had brought finished rough drafts. Talked about introductions and conclusions.

AP Lit:
You were to have chosen one of the options listed... #1) work on essays due Wed. #2) bonus "Walter Mitty" assignment for extra credit or #3) get a head start on reading "Gorilla, My Love" for your homework.

And today:

11/3/09
Freshmen:
Some revision techniques-- SOS, tight writing, etc.
HW: Keep working on SSR book projects: due by Thurs.

AP Lit:
On demand, in class, AP Style essay on "Gorilla, My Love" and Catcher. Due today.
HW: Final draft of Alienation Essay with Metacognition due tomorrow. (...unless you made individual alternate arrangements with me.)

10/30/09

Freshmen:
Vocab Quiz #5
Remaining time for SSR, to work on rough draft or book projects.
HW: Must have completed rough draft of OMAM essay on Monday!

AP Lit:
Vocab Quiz #5 (Duck or fish...)
Share rough draft with another student and offer constructive feedback: is the thesis clear?, is the entire prompt addressed?, is there adequate support?, is there need for clarification or expansion?, etc.
HW: Final drafts of essays due next WED.

10/28/09

Freshmen:
Check homework-- prewriting.
Time to begin drafting your essay.
HW: Study vocabulary for Quiz #5 tomorrow. Bring SSR book or rough draft to work on after quiz!

AP Lit:
Turn in golden lines & assignment.
Discuss end of book: is there resolution? duck or fish or both? how is the book structured? what literary devices enhance the alienation? (plot structure, narration, metaphor, symbol, etc.)
HW: Study for vocab quiz. Bring essay rough draft tomorrow!

10/28/09

Freshmen:
Made writing folders.
Began OMaM essay prewriting.
HW: DON'T write your essay! Bring your completed prewriting to class tomorrow. We'll spend time drafting in class. (Also, continue to read your SSR book and work on Project #1!)

AP Lit:
Golden lines assignment-- look back over your golden lines. Choose 5 that best show Holden's progression through the novel. Copy those 5 and explain what they show. This will be turned in along with your Golden Lines from the whole novel.
HW: Finish the golden line assignment if you didn't get it done in class. (Also, Alienation essay rough drafts on Friday!)

10/27/09

Freshmen:
Finished and discussed questions on "To a Mouse."
Handed out and reviewed Of Mice and Men essay guidelines.
HW: Keep working on SSR book projects!

AP Lit:
Assigned Alienation essay.
Handed out "Tips for essays about literature" and "scoring guidelines." Keep these to refer to.
HW: Think about... is Holden a fish or a duck? And, start working on your essays. Rough draft due in class on Friday. Final draft is due next Wednesday!

10/26/09

Freshmen:

• New vocabulary words
• Handout for SSR Book Project #1
• "To a Mouse"-- read the poem, answer the questions on the overhead. Be ready to discuss tomorrow

HW: Work on reading your SSR books and project #1.

AP Lit:

• Reading Quiz #2
• New Vocabulary
• Discuss Catcher-- is Mr. Antolini a creeper, or are his actions fatherly and misinterpreted?

HW: Nope.

10/22/09

Freshmen:

• Vocab Quiz #4
• Finish watching the movie!
• A few minutes for SSR

HW: Read your SSR book. You need to finish it by the end of the grading period (about two weeks)! Instructions for Book Project #1 will be given out on Monday.

AP Lit:

• Vocab Quiz #4
• Discuss Catcher-- Holden and Phoebe's relationship? James Castle? What is a "Catcher in the Rye"? Why is Holden crying? His hunting hat?

HW: Finish reading the book. Make sure you have golden lines selected for each chapter...we'll use them next week.

Extra Credit #2!

Coincidentally, both of the classes I teach (freshmen and AP Lit) are reading books right now with titles derived from the same poet's work. To claim your extra credit, email me with your name, period and answers to the following questions.

1) What is the name of the poet whose poems inspired the titles for the two books my classes are reading?
2) What are the titles of the two poems that the book titles are taken from?
3) When,and in what country, do they celebrate this poet with a special "supper"?
4) What is the name of his most famous song that is traditionally sung at his "supper" and also traditionally sung on New Years Eve?

You must answer ALL of the questions to receive your credit. Happy searching!

10/22/09

Freshmen:
Of Mice and Men Final Test today. (Did it make your hand and your brain hurt a little bit? I hope so. That means it was a good test.)
HW: Study for your vocab quiz tomorrow.

AP Lit:
Papers and grades for period 6. (Glad the senior meeting wasn't as long as expected!)
Discussed Holden's "left-outness." (Great ideas on this!)
HW: Vocab quiz tomorrow. And, be ready to discuss chapters 21-23 tomorrow...especially your thoughts on Phoebe.

10/21/09

Freshmen:
Continued watching the OMaM movie.
HW: Test tomorrow! Look over your study guides. Bring your book.

AP Lit:
Papers and grades for period 3.
A few more likes/dislikes.
HW: Read chapters 21-23 for Friday.

10/20/09

Freshmen:
Talked briefly about the test, then watched more of the OMaM movie. (But, Lennie seems so harmless!)

AP Lit:
New vocab words: subversive, angst, pensive, melancholy, plight.
Answered questions about Modern-Day Holden assignment. Again, the goal is to try writing in a conversational/spoken word style. It's okay to use slang, incorrect grammar, swearing (within reason!). Try to tell your story and make it sound like you actually think and speak, and hopefully, have fun with it!
I talked at you a little, also, about Shakespeare. Sorry if I went on too much, but I'm an English teacher and I love this stuff.
HW: Finish writing.

10/19/09

I was out with Noah, thanks for being kind to my sub, Mr. Jay.

Freshmen:
Copied new vocab words: jeering, bewildered, discontent, rigid, appraise.
Turned in Ch. 5&6 study guide.
Began watching OMaM movie.
HW: Nope. OMaM test will be on THURSDAY!

AP Lit:
Pop quiz to check who's been reading.
Assigned "Modern Day Holden" writing.
HW: Modern Day Holden, due on Wed.

10/16/09

Freshmen:
Vocabulary quiz #3, then SSR time.
HW: OMaM study guide for chs. 5 &6 due Monday.

AP Lit:
Vocabulary Quiz #3
Discuss some more Catcher.
HW: Be through Ch. 20 for Monday.

10/15/09

Freshmen:
We read Ch. 5 in OMaM together. (Poor puppy. Poor Curley's wife. Poor Lennie.)
HW: Vocabulary Quiz tomorrow and bring your SSR book.
Finish reading OMaM and complete the study guide by Monday.

AP Lit:
Continue our discussion of Catcher: the prostitute, religion, shakedown, daydreams, etc. We didn't quite get to the suitcase and the nuns...
HW: Read through Chapter 20 for Monday.

10/13/09

Freshmen:
Checked Ch. 4 study guides for credit.
Discussed chapter 4.
HW: Vocab quiz on Friday.

AP Lit:
Due to the college fair during 3rd period, we just called today a work day. We'll continue our discussion of Catcher tomorrow.
HW: Read chapters 13, 14 and 15.

10/12/09

Freshmen:
Finish discussing OMaM Ch. 3
Begin reading Ch. 4 and study guide.
HW: Finish Ch 4 study guide. Due Wed.

AP Lit:
Discussed more Catcher and golden lines. Be keeping track of these for each chapter. You will be accountable for turning these in eventually.
HW: For Thurs. read chapters 13, 14 and 15.

10/11/09

Freshmen:
New vocab words: nuisance, subdue, disarming, indignation, console
Share descriptive writing-- at least one phrase or sentence.
Discuss OMaM Ch. 3

AP Lit:
New vocab words: manifest, irreparable, pacify, gesticulate, haughty
Discuss more Catcher, add to likes/dislikes chart and motifs list

10/7/09

Freshmen:
Assigned and explained Descriptive Writing: Part 2. (see link for more info.)
Checked Chapter 3 study guides for credit.
HW: Bring rough drafts of descriptive writing for Monday. Be ready to share some.

AP Lit:
Turned in Metacognitions.
Discussed our first impressions of Holden. His likes, dislikes, contradictions and our first "Golden Lines."
HW: Read through Chapter 12 for Monday.

10/6/09

Freshmen:
We discussed more of chapters 1 & 2 in OMaM and began reading Chapter 3 together.
HW: Finish reading Chapter 3 and complete the study guide.

AP Lit:
Any more papers? Questions about Metacognitive Response?
Checked out The Catcher in the Rye and started reading it together.
HW: Read through chapter 4 and take notes, especially, for each chapter choose a "golden line."

10/5/09

We were on an assembly schedule today, so classes were a bit shorter. And, don't forget that there are no classes on Thursday and Friday this week either.

Freshmen:
Checked OMaM study guides. Beginning next week these should be finished and will be checked at the beginning of the period they are due for full credit. After this, we began talking about Chapters 1 & 2. We'll continue our discussion and begin Chapter 3 tomorrow.
HW: No new work. Those who have been absent, use this time to get caught up!

AP Lit:
Well, we lost pretty much the whole period to a visit from Ms. Cornell to talk about grades, transcripts, graduation, financial aid, testing and other important things seniors (and juniors) should be aware of and begin planning for.

HW: With the few minutes we had left, I collected papers and distributed the handout on Metacognition. Your first Metacognitive Response, about the process of writing your group paper will be due on Wednesday. This is an individual endeavor, not another group paper, so while it certainly may include items relating to your whole group, the focus should also look specifically at your own writing and what you contributed to the final product.

Week of 9/28 to 10/2

Oh, dear! What a crazy week. Sorry, for the lack of updates but, like so many students and colleagues right now, I was home sick for most of this week. So, in an effort to get us all organized and back on track, here is the recap of this week and a bit of a look ahead. Hopefully, we'll all get healthy soon and remain that way.

Honors Freshmen:
Monday 9/28-- Took Literary Terms Test

Tuesday 9/29-- Looked at photos/slides and talked about the 1930's, the Great Depression, background for reading Of Mice and Men.
HW: Read the handout on Steinbeck and the historic context and be ready for a quiz over it

Wednesday 10/1-- Quiz over the Steinbeck handout. Checked out Of Mice and Men (OMaM) from the bookroom. Read the first few pages together noticing the descriptive elements of writing.
HW: Write a short descriptive piece of writing (2 or 3 paragraphs) that describes a favorite place using lots of sensory details.

Thursday 10/2-- Students selected and shared their favorite sentence or phrase from their writing. Then, began reading Chapter 1 OMaM.
HW: Finish reading Chapter 1 and complete the study guide.

Friday 10/3-- Vocabulary Quiz #2 (every Friday!) and then SSR time (again, every Friday we'll do this too.)
HW: Read Chapter 2 OMaM and complete the study guide.

Next week we'll continue our study of the novel...answer questions, discuss study guides, etc.

****SPECIAL NOTE****
PLEASE, if you choose to read ahead in the novel, DO NOT RUIN THE BOOK FOR SOMEONE ELSE by blurting out significant events that they haven't gotten to yet. That's not nice or fair to others. If you read ahead and can't contain yourself and just have to talk about it, come talk to me, I know how it ends already!


AP Literature
Monday 9/28--Assigned "Bartleby" group essay, divided into groups, organized tasks.

Tuesday through Thursday-- work time for essay writing, revising, editing, etc.

Friday 10/2-- Vocabulary quiz #2, and finally, I had a chance to check in with each group on their paper. Thanks for the papers I got today. Most of the rest of you should have yours done by Monday. If that is not the case, I expect a status report on Monday.

Next week, we'll jump back into some literature with a little Catcher in the Rye. So, if you wanted to purchase your own copy of this novel to use, try to track one down by Monday. If not, we'll head to the bookroom to check them out early next week.

I really hope everyone has a great weekend and gets healthy or stays healthy. Thanks for your flexibility with having a sick teacher!

9/23/09

Since I'll be gone tomorrow, I'll see you on Friday. Don't forget to review your vocabulary words!

Freshmen:
Reviewed Point of View and finished notes on literary terms: theme, irony, symbolism
Began discussing "The Handsomest Drowned Man" homework.
HW: Study for vocab quiz on Friday and Literary Terms test on Monday.

AP Lit:
Discussed the auditor in "The Cask of Amontillado." (Way to think creatively, Camille!) Then we spent a few minutes looking at "White Elephants."
HW: Read "Why I Live at the P.O." You'll take some character notes and work on writing a character description in class on Thursday.
Vocab Quiz on Friday.
Read "Bartleby, the Scrivener" over the weekend for class on Monday.

9/22/09

Freshmen:
We read "The Lady, or the Tiger?" together and discussed its lack of resolution. (Frustrating, isn't it?) Then you added Point of View, First Person, Limited Third Person and Omniscient Third Person to your list of literary terms.
HW: Read "The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World" (see the link on the right) and complete the worksheet that goes along with it. Due tomorrow.

AP Lit:
Re-read together and discussed "The Cask of Amontillado." (Poe is a genius at using irony and sound devices to infuse humor and suspense. So twisted!)
HW:
for Wed.: "Hills Like White Elephants"
for Thurs: read "Why I Live at the P.O."
for Fri: describe the characters of "P.O" using as many of the terms given in class on Thurs. as possible.
for Mon: read "Bartleby, the Scrivener."

9/21/09

Freshmen:
I gave you your first 5 vocabulary words. We will add 5 each Monday; we will have a quiz each Friday. Don't forget that you need to know the meaning and be able to SPELL each word correctly. Then, we took a bunch of notes on literary terms related to character and characterization. We'll look at another story tomorrow.


AP Lit:
You received your first 5 vocabulary words. We'll add new ones each week and take a quiz each Friday. Then, we took a bunch of notes on Narration and Point of View. Also, I collected your sample essays which you scored with the AP scoring guide.
HW: for Tuesday read "The Cask of Amontillado"
for Wednesday read "Hills Like White Elephants"

9/19/09

Freshmen:
Review stories and lit terms from this week then had time to read SSR books. We'll read a bit every Friday, so be sure to brings your books with you!

AP Lit:
Compared scores on AP sample essays.
HW: Score your own paper and explain your reasoning. Also, explain what you'd like to work on in your writing this year.
Next week's reading: for Tuesday read "The Cask of Amontillado" and for Wednesday read "Hills Like White Elephants."

9/17/09

Freshmen:
Discussed your MDG plot diagrams, then took notes on Conflict and Setting.
Read "Gaston." (Except for 7th period).
HW: Bring your 1st SSR book for tomorrow.

AP Lit:
Put "Sonny's Blues" in chronological order and talked about what different effect it would have if written in this manner.
HW: Score the sample AP essays I handed out on Tuesday. Be ready to discuss the scores you gave each and why.

9/15/09

Freshmen:
Continued reading "The Most Dangerous Game."
We''ll finish it and work on a plot diagram tomorrow.
HW: Choose an independent reading book for the first 9 weeks and bring it to class on Friday!

AP Lit:
Notes on plot.
Handed out AP Scoring Guides and sample essays.
HW: (for Wed.) Read "The Country Husband."
(for Thurs.) Read "Sonny's Blues."
(for Fri.) Score the sample essays I gave you today, and be ready to discuss.

9/14/09

Freshmen:
You can find the link to the Animal Farm assignment in the list at the right. (Sorry I didn't get it posted until today.)
Today in class we took some notes on plot and then began reading "The Most Dangerous Game," which we will continue reading tomorrow.

AP Lit:
Great discussion on: "Why a cathedral?" A lot of good observations were made about the story.
We'll do some work with last week's on demand essays tomorrow.

HW (for the next few days): Read "The Country Husband" and be ready to discuss it on WED. And, read "Sonny's Blues" and be ready to discuss it on THURS.

9/11/09

Freshmen:
Talked about your summer reading selections, then turned them in along with the "Oh the places...' assignment.

HW: Using your animal farm notes, complete the chart and questions provided. (I'll attach a link to copies of these later...once I figure out how to merge a Word document and a pdf into one.)


AP Lit:
Mostly we just talked about your thoughts (and my thoughts) on why we study literature.

HW: Read "Cathedral", be ready to discuss on Monday the question: Why a cathedral? (of all the things Carver could have chosen...)

Have a great weekend!

9/10/09

Another action packed day!

Honors English 9
We read a little Dr. Seuss and then began a writing assignment beginning our look at allegory. The "Oh, The Places..." assignment is due tomorrow. As well, bring your signed syllabus sheet (if you didn't today)-- and bring your SUMMER READING assignments to class with you tomorrow.


AP Lit
We completed a practice AP test writing prompt today-- the function of a foil. This will be the first of many. We'll be looking at sample essays and scoring guides for this topic tomorrow and discussing the reading homework.

HW: Read pages 1-21 in the Norton text, take notes on any terms, questions, interesting thoughts or insights you had, etc. Then, answer the question "Why do you study literature?" We'll discuss you're responses tomorrow.

Welcome Back! 9/9/09

Welcome back. It was great to see you all today! I guess this will be a year of adventures at RHS with all the changes we are undergoing. Hopefully, we are all ready to see what unfolds and we'll have a great year together.

In class today I distributed syllabi and sign-off sheets. These will be due on Friday as your first homework assignment. Be ready to get started on some "real" curriculum tomorrow.

BONUS! One day only EXTRA CREDIT opportunity: send me an email (see address above or on your syllabus) by midnight on Thursday 9/10/09 that says "I checked the blog!" and includes your full name and period number and I'll give you a few extra credit points to get the year started off right.

Extra Credit: Karen K.

Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe

Extra Credit: Julie B.

The end...

Okay, kids. We're getting right down to the end. Here is what the next several days hold:

Freshmen
Thurs/Friday: Finish reading Romeo and Juliet. Hear prologue recitations. Hear book talks.
Mon/Tues: R & J Final Test and finish up any loose ends. The test will be Scantron, so final grades should be available by the end of the day Tuesday.

That means that (if you haven't yet) you need to finish all 3 book projects, recite the prologue and be ready for the test in the next few days. BE WORKING ON THESE THINGS!

Shakespeare (Juniors only now!):
We'll do some things in class, but we're mostly done with other assignments. That means that all you need to do is be here, and make sure you're not missing any past assignments. If you're really hurting for extra credit, I may be able to come up with something for you.

5/26(B) & 5/27(A)

Freshmen:
Recap the R&J homework. Read and discussed 3.2 and 3.3.
HW: Finish reading Act 3 of R&J and be ready for a quiz on Thurs./Fri.

AP Lit:
Took our final exam on poetry terms, including extra credit opportunity.
HW: Plan for some flossin' with the seniors.

Shakespeare:
Discussed sonnets. Wrote some moving poetry of our own. Handed back papers. Checked grades.
HW: Write your own sonnet. (14 lines, abab cdcd efef gg rhyme scheme.)

Some more extra credit...

Shane M.

Vanessa M.

Scott W.

5/18(A) & 5/19(B)

Freshmen:
Reviewed the reading and worksheet that was homework. We then read 2.3 and 2.4 (in 1st period)...we'll see how far we get in 2nd and 4th periods tomorrow.
HW: Finish reading whatever is left of Act 2, and read 3.1. Complete the worksheet provided for 3.1. Remember that you can read the play at:

AP Lit:
This week we will finish up reading Earnest and begin watching what we can of it. Study guides will be due on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. I'll collect lit. anthologies on Monday and Tuesday of this week, and then next week as well.

Shakespeare:
Begin watching 10 Things I Hate About You. We'll finish it up on Wednesday.

Extra Credit: Cody S.

The Waking by Theodore Roethke

AP Lit Final

Hey guys, follow the link below to a complete list of Poetry Terms that you should know for your final exam. Your exam will be on May 26th (for 8th period) or May 27th (for 5th period). Know these terms, and be ready for a question or two about the Importance of Being Earnest as well.

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dx45rbz_2f832m3fk

5/13(A) and 5/14(B)

Freshmen:
Read Romeo and Juliet 1.3 to 1.5. Thanks to everyone who volunteered to read parts. We had a few minutes to look at the Prologue to Act 2, as well.
HW: Read Act 2, scenes 1 & 2 and complete the worksheet about 2.2. You can find annotated and translated copies of the play at http://clicknotes.com/romeo/index.html or at www.enotes.com/romeo-text . Check out both versions to see which format you like better. Read the scenes and complete the worksheet. If you don't have internet access at home, or can't get to these sites, come see me and I will provide you with a copy of the reading.

AP Lit:
We discussed Flossin and various other urban dictionary entries (in period 5) and then we read more Earnest. We'll finish up the play and turn in the study guide next week.
HW: Nothing for my class, but those of you in Politics should be reading Fire at Eden's Gate right now.

Shakespeare:
Finished Shrew and discussed whether or not it is offensive or sexist. We ran out of time to start watching, but we will do this next week.
HW: Either in script or paragraph form, write how you would resolve the Christopher Sly part of the story to which Shakespeare never comes back. How could his story end?

5/12 (A) & 5/13(B)

Freshmen:
Turned in hero stories.
Discussed prologue to R & J...don't forget to start memorizing this. Due by the end of May!
Began reading R & J Act 1, scenes 1 and 2.
HW: Work on SSR book projects.

AP Lit:
Continued reading Earnest. Be working on your study guides. These will be turned in for credit next week. Also, I will collect your anthologies next week. Bring them on Monday and Tuesday.

Shakespeare:
We finished Act 4 of Shrew and got through all but the last 5 pages of the play. We'll finish up next time.

Extra Credit: Josh C.

Ode To A Goldfish
By: Gyles Brendreth

5/8(A) and 5/11(B)

Freshmen:
Daily #23 and SSR
Shakespeare and Elizabethan England Notes: pgs 574-577 in Glencoe and handout.
Romeo and Juliet Prologue: the contest (The score for period 1=4, the score for period 4=4 and, we didn't get to this period 2...we'll do it on Wed.)
HW:Finish hero story final drafts. Due Tues./Wed. AND, translate the Prologue into modern English. Due. Tues./Wed. (Also, you could begin memorizing the prologue--although this isn't due until the end of May.)

AP Lit:
Per. 5 on Friday=chat and eat post AP test treats.
Per. 8 on Monday= looked at calendar for last 3 weeks for seniors. Began reading The Importance of Being Earnest with study guide.
Important dates to know: Books returned by 5/20. Final exam on 5/26 and 5/27.

Shakespeare:
Turned in Macbeth essay final drafts and read Act 4 of Shrew.

Extra Credit: Meghan H.

The Gestalt Prayer by Fritz Perls

Extra Credit: Alex C.

Canis Major by Robert Frost

5/6(A) & 5/7(B)

Freshmen:
Daily #21 and SSR.
Discussed the Hero's Journey and assigned Hero's Journey Story. Today was your only class time to work on your stories. The rest is homework!
HW: Hero's Journey stories due Tuesday May 12th (A) and Wednesday May 13th (B). Also, keep reading your SSR books and working on book projects.

AP Lit:
(5th period) Developed insane scale of "Amount of Party" from 1 to extravaganza...(I'm still not really clear on this. Is anyone?) Last reminders about the AP Tests and scoring. Looked at some Q3 prompts. Any remaining papers handed back, including 9s. "Reading Student X" and lucky pencils (if you needed one...)
(8th period) Decompress after AP test. Eat some treats.

Shakespeare:
Went to the Lunar New Year assembly. (I can break dance like that too...really.)
HW: Final draft of Macbeth papers due Friday.

Extra Credit: Sarah A.

5/4 (A) & 5/5 (B)

Freshmen:
Greek Mythology, Odyssey and Roots test!
(and we practiced writing a little Greek, too.)
HW: SSR & Book Projects

AP Lit:
Read a few more "9"s and gave (hopefully) constructive comments.
In small groups, then a few minutes as a whole class-- Major Works Data Sheets for Catcher, Candide and Brave New World to jog our memories (thanks for miming jogging for us, Taylor...)
Fake HW: According to Ryan, to the surprise and "displeasure" of Alex-- Research Paper 25 pages minimum (135 pages for Taylor...)

Shakespeare:
Finish Act 3 of Shrew.
Typed, MLA format final draft of Macbeth essay due on Friday.

Extra Credit...

Those looking for a little extra credit can look back in the blog archive for April and still submit a photo according to the instructions in the entry entitled "Extra Credit." (Clever title, huh?)

The end.

4/29 (A) & 4/30 (B)

Freshmen:
Daily #20 and SSR
Finish watching The Odyssey.
Talk about the test in Mon./Tues. Review and Know the Greek roots, gods and goddesses, myths from the white book, basics of the Trojan war, characteristics of Epics and the Odyssey itself. It's a big test. Study.
HW: SSR projects and STUDY FOR YOUR TEST!

AP Lit:
Share and turn in your original poems.
Look at another AP poetry essay question.
Critique some "9" papers.
HW: Review notes and terms for the AP test next week.

Shakespeare:
Finish Act II of Shrew. Create a who's who diagram.
Read Act 3, scene 1 and answer questions.

4/27(A) & 4/28(B)

Freshmen:
Daily #19 and SSR
Begin watching The Odyssey.
HW: Book projects and begin studying for next week's test!

AP Lit:
Notes on poetic forms. Look at some examples.
Look at last year's AP Poetry Essay prompt.
HW: Choose a specific poetic form we discussed and write an original poem.


Shakespeare:
Begin Act 2 of Shrew. (Yes, it is one giant scene! Thanks, everyone, for reading...)

4/23(A) & 4/24(B)

Freshmen:
SSR and/or finish Odyssey questions from the Red book. Turn these in.
Read part 2 of the Odyssey.
HW: Book projects!

AP Lit:
We probably read some poems or something, maybe took some notes...
I don't know, I'm suffering from senioritis, (although in my case this is an irritation caused by seniors who whine about having to do school work.)
HW: Look over and read some of the poems in Chapter 14.

Shakespeare:
Continue reading Shrew together.

4/21(A) & 4/22(B)

Freshmen:
Finish The Odyssey Part 1.
Read pgs. 49-76 in the red Odyssey and answer questions on projector.
SSR
HW: Keep working on SSR and projects. Don't wait until the last weeks of school.

AP Lit:
Review "The Snake" AP multiple choice selection
Some more terms: sound devices, scansion and rhyme
Look at a few poems together.
HW: Read in Ch. 13-- "Mr. Flood's Party," "Church Going," "Sonrisas," "The Victims," "The Dance," and "Ode to the West Wind." Then, answer #3 on page 539 thoroughly but informally, (your answer doesn't necessarily have to look like an "essay" as suggested in the prompt.)

Shakespeare:
Begin "The Taming of the Shrew" and turn in Animated Macbeth review.

4/19 (A) & 4/20 (B)

Freshmen:
Daily, SSR & homework check.
Review Trojan/Greek chart.
Begin reading The Odyssey Part 1.
HW: Continue reading your SSR books and working on projects! All 3 projects are due by the end of the year!

AP Lit:
Review "Dover Beach" multiple choice practice.
Some notes on figurative language and a look at some poems.
HW: Another multiple choice AP poetry selection.

Shakespeare:
Turn in Macbeth or Lady Macbeth rough draft.
Begin work on Animated Macbeth review.
HW: Finish review rough draft for Tuesday.

4/17(A) & 4/18(B)

Freshmen:
Daily #18 and SSR and homework check
Review Trojan War homework
Begin the Odyssey
HW: Keep working on your SSR books and SSR projects!

AP Lit:
Reviewed the AP multiple choice practice.
Discuss poems form 481-499. Figurative language? (Maybe it's just about a rose...)
HW: Another multiple choice poetry section w/ a very different kind of poem.

Shakespeare:
Finish and turn in Macbeth or Lady Macbeth rough draft.
Begin writing a review of animated Macbeth.
HW: Finish Macbeth review rough draft.

Extra Credit: Tori B.

Dreams -- Langston Hughes

Extra Credit: Vanessa T.

4/15(A) & 4/16(B)

Freshmen:
SSR and/or finish up Map of the Underworld (from Orpheus)
Complete Homer and the Epic Worksheet (from Glencoe text pgs. 804-806)
Notes on last of the Greek Roots
Discuss Epics, read invocation and intro to The Odyssey.
HW: Reread pages 183-195 of Trojan War handout and diagram the Greeks vs. Trojans. Include who was fighting for each side, including the gods, and briefly describe/summarize each person's involvement.

AP Lit:
A bunch of notes on poetry terms.
Discussion of a few poems, focusing on situation, setting and diction. (Can we be sure of "My Papa's Waltz"?)
HW: Read poems on 481-499 and take notes on figurative language (metaphor, simile, personification, imagery, etc.) AND do the practice AP Multiple Choice section for "Dover Beach."

Shakespeare:
Begin Macbeth paper: Who is most to blame for the tragedy and the downfall, Macbeth or Lady Macbeth? Which is really responsible for it all?
Watch animated Macbeth, taking notes on positives vs. negatives...
HW: Finish a fully formed rough draft of your essay. Due next class!

Extra Credit: Audrey S.

4/13 (A) & 4/14 (B)

Freshmen:
Daily #17 and SSR
More Roots.
Read Orpheus, then summarize in your notes and make a map of the Underworld that includes at least 15 specific people, places and details from the story.

AP Lit:
Finish discussing tone of poems from last class.
Speaker: what do we KNOW about the speaker of each poem?
HW: Read and take notes on the following poems: (from Ch. 10) "The Night Wind," "To His Coy Mistress," "Morning Song," "Midsummer," "A Map of the City," and (from Ch. 11) "The Golf Links Lie So Near the Mill," "The Red Wheelbarrow," "This is Just to Say," " Pied Beauty," and "[in Just-]."

Shakespeare:
Macbeth test! Woo-hoo!

Extra Credit: Joel

Supermarket in California -- Allen Ginsberg

4/9(A) & 4/10(B)

Freshmen:
Daily #16 & SSR
10 more Greek Roots
Finish Prometheus and Pandora, discuss.
Read Phaeton together.
Turn in Trojan War homework.
HW: Read your SSR book(s) and work on projects. I will be entering grades for project #1 next week!

AP Lit:
A few quick notes and terms: subject, theme, tone, anaphora, polysyndeton and asyndeton.
Discussed "Barbie Doll" and "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" together. Focus on tone.
In small groups, identify best word to describe the tone of remaining poem and why. (5th period: we discussed "After Making Love..." (humorous & affectionate) and "Those Winter Sundays" (acknowledgment) so far. We will quickly discuss the others next class.) Turned in homework (#3 page 430).
HW: Chapter 9: Speaker-- read "A Certain Lady," "They flee from me," "To a louse," "Women Have Loved...," "I, being born a woman..." and "We Real Cool." For notes: list all that we know about the speaker of each of these poems.

Shakespeare:
Finished watching Macbeth. Took notes on patterns of tragedy. Know these for test on Monday. You will be asked to explain how Macbeth fits the pattern. (Is Macbeth really a tragic hero?) Also on the test: multiple choice, quote identification, short answer. Bring your golden lines, they will be turned in for credit.

EXTRA CREDIT!

In honor of National Poetry Month, follow this link http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/41 and enter the Free Verse Photo Competition. It involves writing a favorite line of poetry in a creative way and/or location and snapping and submitting a photo of your poetic statement. There are lots of examples for ideas and inspiration. When you submit your photograph to poets. org, be sure to email a copy to me too at courtney_peterson@reynolds.k12.or.us , so I can post it on this blog. Don't forget to include the poet's name and poem title with your submission so we all know where your lines came from.

Be clever, be creative, have fun.

4/7(A) & 4/8(B)

Freshmen:
SSR
Greek Roots...next 10.
Finish up notes on greek gods & goddesses.
Read Prometheus and Pandora-- summarize in your notes.
HW: Read Trojan War handout and complete the worksheet.

AP Lit:
Turn in Hamlet/R&G Papers.
In groups discuss the reading homework (pgs. 398-415) and your individual notes. Take group notes.
HW: Chapter 8 in Norton, especially the poems: "Barbie," "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers," "After Making Love We Hear Footsteps," "Those Winter Sundays," "The Clock," "Postcards from Kashmir" and "Alzheimer's." For notes: complete Suggestions for Writing #3 page 430.

Shakespeare:
Finish reading Macbeth (yeah, he got beheaded...ewwww.)
Next class--notes on tragedy, review for test which will be on Monday.

4/5 (A) & 4/6 (B)

Freshmen:
Daily #14 and SSR.
Greek Roots-- next 10 definitions and examples.
Continue/finish notes on Olympian gods and goddesses.

AP Lit:
Welcome Mr. Stites!
Debrief the AP scoring activity and turn in scored papers and your "9"
Approaching poetry: what questions do we ask and/or aspects do we look for when studying poetry?
Read and discuss the poems: "Introduction to Poetry," "On Opening a Box of Crayola Crayons" and "The Sick Rose."
HW: Read Norton pages 398-415. Take notes. Be prepared to discuss the terms, ideas and poems. And--of course--finish your Hamlet/R&G papers.

Shakespeare:
Finish and turn in Macbeth/Macduff comparison. Watch film up until Act 5. Read 5.1. (Lade Macbeth is losing it!)

4/1(A) and 4/2(B)

Freshmen:
Daily #13 and SSR
Greek Roots notes--first 10 definitions
Begin notes and discussion of Greek gods and goddesses, reviewing 50 questions as we go.

AP Lit:
Review AP writing scoring guide--for each writing sample I returned to you: assign a score (1-9), justify the given score using the language of the scoring guide, revise/edit/change each sample so it would receive a higher score.
HW: Choose one of your writings and make it a 9. Bring two typed copies next class...one regular copy and one with no name or identifying marks on it. We will do some blind scoring next week.

Shakespeare:
Finish reading Act 4 and update golden lines, oxymorons, etc.
Then, compare and contrast Macbeth and Macduff.

3/30 (A) & 3/31 (B)

Freshmen:
Stories to share?
Greek Roots Pretest
Begin discussing: What do you know about Greek Mythology? Why do we study Greek Mythology?

AP Lit:
Hamlet/R &G papers due on Tuesday 4/7 and Wednesday 4/8. Typed, MLA format and, as always, don't forget your metacognition.
Death of a Salesman timed writing.

Shakespeare:
Short skits to review Macbeth. Bravo, actors.
Continue reading Act 4...

3/18(A) & 3/19(B)

Freshmen:
Daily Quiz #2, Daily #11 and SSR.
Then, handed out and discussed Sentence Stretchers and wrote 1 sentence stories.

AP Lit:
Watched random Hamlet YouTube clips. (Oh, Minkus...) Finished up soliloquies. Discussed all the big, philosophical and crazy ideas of R&G are dead and Hamlet. (Does it make your brain hurt?) (Oh yeah, thanks for joining us in 8th period Joel and Brittany!)
HW: Refine your essay and read Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. (It's in your anthology, or you can find it at any bookstore or library).

Shakespeare:
Began reading Act 4 of Macbeth. (The apparitions make Macbeth pretty confident...we know he shouldn't be. And the death count grows!

3/16(A) & 3/17(B)

Freshmen:
Daily #10. Turn in Narrative Final Drafts. Found poetry using lines from narratives.

AP Lit:
Tragedy Test

Shakespeare:
Finish word tracing assingment from last week. Turn this in. Watch more Macbeth film. (Oh no, watch out Banquo!)

3/11 (A) & 3/12 (B)

Freshmen:
TEST!!! (Literary Terms and Short Stories)
HW: Final draft of narrative. Typed. MLA format. Well-edited. Due Mon./Tues.

AP Lit:
Finished Hamlet. Watched Simpsons. A few soliloquys. Checked out R&G are Dead.
HW: Study for test on Mon./Tues. It will ask about characteristics of tragedy, Greek and Shakespearean theater, Oedipus and Hamlet. Short answer and essay. The kind of test where, hopefully, your hand and your brain will hurt when you're finished.
Also, you need to finish reading R&G are Dead, taking notes on it, and write a rough draft of your Hamlet/R&G essay by next Wed./Thurs.

Shakespeare:
Spent part of the period tracing a word through Acts 1-3 (hands, night, sleep or water), then you will need to make observations about its meaning and associations. We also began watching a Macbeth film. We'll continue with both of these next week.

3/9(A) & 3/10(B)

Freshmen:
Finish up any last thoughts, questions, etc. for literary terms and short story unit. We will be having a test over these things on Wednesday and Thursday. Know the definitions of, and be able to give an example of the literary elements we've been discussing.

AP Lit:
Discuss and read the final scenes of Hamlet. Wednesday will be soliloquy day. And, we'll watch some Hamlet fun. Next week, on Monday and Tuesday, we will be having a test on elements of tragedy, Oedipus and Hamlet.

Shakespeare:
As a class, we finished tracing references to "blood" from Macbeth so far. The assignment with this was to respond to the following: What patterns do you notice in the blood references? How has the meaning of "blood" changed throughout the course of the play? Then, we finished reading 3.5 and 3.6 and had few minutes to update golden lines before the assembly. Next class we will follow this same sort of process for night, hands, sleep or water.

A few reminders...

AP Test registration deadline is next Wednesday, 3/11. Money and paperwork to bookkeeper. Fee waivers to Mr. Phillips.

Also, freshmen, we'll be having our Short Story and Literary Terms test next Wed/Thurs. Be ready.

3/5 (A) and 3/6 (B)

Freshmen:
Daily #9 and SSR.
Highlight Narrative rough drafts with 5 different colors for: Dialogue, Blocking, Setting Description, Character Description and Figurative Language. Turn these in to Mrs. P.
Read "Handsomest Drowned Man in the World" and worked on a few questions about the story. These will be finished up and discussed next class.

AP Lit:
Discussed Act 4 of Hamlet: lots of references to themes and motifs discussed last time, Ham vs. Fort vs. Laertes, how many times must Ham be inspired to action?, where does Gert's loyalty lie? Is she as naive as Ophelia?, is Claud an evil genius or just evil?, why does Ham tell Claud he's back?, what is the time line of all this?

Shakespeare:
Read 3.3 and 3.4.
Stage direction ideas for 3.4.
Began our bloody list...got interrupted by fire alarm. Will continue collecting the blood next time.

3/3 (A)

Freshmen:
Same as yesterday. See the posting for 3/2.

AP Lit:
Quick final look at end of 3.4. What must Gertrude think? Is the ghost real this time? Can we be sure of anything in this play? Brainstorm examples of themes and motifs from Hamlet so far. Important lines and speeches.
HW: Finish reading Act 4 and Act 5, scene 1. Study guide...

Shakespeare:
Update golden lines and oxymorons. Finished reading Act 2 and began Act 3. Horses are eating each other. A hit has been ordered on Banquo and Fleance. Macbeth is using all of Lady Macbeth's techniques for persuasion and evil. Where will it all end?

3/2 (B)

Sorry I wasn't with you today, but I was caring for my sick family...we've all been passing this cold around. Hopefully, it's almost over. I trust you had a fine day with Mr. Ramsten.

English 9:
Daily #8 and SSR. Share narrative rough drafts. Review "Elements of Fiction" handout-- expecially dialogue, blocking, setting and character description and figurative language.
HW: Narrative draft #2, inlcuding all the things listed above.

AP Lit:
Read/review/discuss Hamlet 3.4.
HW: 4.1 through 4.5 and study guide.

2/25 (A) & 2/26 (B)

Freshmen:
Check off "15 lessons learned" homework. Daily #7 and SSR. Notes on point of view and theme. Read "Cyclops" together.
HW: Write the rough draft story/narrative of one of your 15 lessons. Be sure you include good details, dialogue, humor and make your point.

AP Lit:
Read and discuss Hamlet 3.3 and 3.4. (Why do I love these two scenes so much? All the great juxtaposition.)
HW: Read Hamlet 4.1 to 4.5

Shakespeare:
Continue with Macbeth Act 2. Duncan is killed, his body discovered, Macbeth covers their tracks and the heirs bail. That's a lot for two scenes...

2/23(A) & 2/24(B)

English 9:
Daily #6 and SSR.
Finished reading "The Bass, the River and Sheila Mant". Writing: are the narrator and Sheila flat or round characters? Give specific evidence. Answer question #10 on page 206.
HW: List of at least 15 "lessons learned" (remember the examples that Mrs. P gave in class)

AP Lit:
Finish watching Hamlet clips, discuss nuances of interpretation. (Did you know Mel Gibson could act in a movie that does not include car chases and explosions?)
Discuss briefly 3.2
HW: Finish reading Act 3 and study guide.

Shakespeare:
Create stage directions for 1.7. How would Macbeth and Lady Macbeth being moving, talking and interacting in this scene?
Began reading Act 2, scene 1 and the very beginning of 2.2...did Macbeth do it, or didn't he?

2/19 & 2/10

Freshmen:
Daily Quiz #1 (I warned you...) and then daily #5.
Notes on character.
Began reading "The Bass, the River and Sheila Mant"

AP Lit:
Discussed remaining issues from Hamlet Act 2, then began reading aloud Act 3, scene 1 and discussing the possibilities for Hamlet's awareness of Claudius' and Polonius' spying. In period 5, we began watching some movie clips (after a bit of a speaker debacle) which we will continue next week in both period 5 and in period 8. No new reading homework, we'll stay here in Act 3 for a few days.

Shakespeare:
We finished up reading Act 1 of Macbeth and updated our golden lines and oxymorons.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Catching up...2/10 through 2/18

Oh dear! Between being out sick several days last week and cut days and holidays, I am WAY behind on this. Now that I am feeling better and have dug out from my piles of papers and sub notes, let me catch up. Here is a recap of what has been happening for the last week:

Freshmen:
2/10 (A)- Daily #3, SSR, turn in MDG plot diagram, notes on Conflict, read "Gaston", explain an internal and external conflict from the story.
2/11 (B)- Same as above.
2/12 (A)- Daily #4, SSR, notes on setting, read "The Lady or the Tiger?"
2/17 (A)- SSR, review dailies for quiz, review plot diagram and conflict assignments, write a paragraph about which door she sent him to using textual evidence.
2/18-(B)- Daily #4, SSR, notes on setting, review dailies and plot and conflict, read "The L or T?

AP Lit:
2/10 (A)- Turn in Oed. assignment. Discuss Hamlet 1.1-3. Begin 1.4-5. HW: Finish Act 1.
2/11 (B)- Same as above...except for HW: Finish Act 1 and read Act 2 (w/ study guide).
2/12 (A)-Discuss 1.4&5. HW: Read Act 2 (w/study guide)
2/17 (A)- Discuss Act 2. HW: Read 3.1-2, complete study guide, do #3 on study guide to turn in.
2/18 (B)- Discuss all of Hamlet so far...see how and if the sub misled you... HW: same as 2/17.

Shakespeare:
2/10- Share answers from library "Research Roundup." Watch Standard Deviants video.
2/12- Review video. Note some terms (tragedy, iambic pentameter, soliloquy, aside, etc.) Begin reading Macbeth 1.1-3.
2/17- Begin "Golden Lines" assignment and Oxymorons list. Continue reading Macbeth 1.4-5. (Lady Macbeth is insane!)


Phew! No more sickness...

2/6 (A) & 2/9 (B)

Freshmen:
Daily #2 and SSR, including receiving new SSR guidelines and log sheet. Don't lose this! Then, students finished reading "The Most Dangerous Game" and were to diagram the plot, labeling each specific stage with details from the story. (Extra Credit for working the MDG vocabulary in to the labels.)

AP Lit:
A few minutes to discuss and/or work on Oedipus assignment. Handout on Shakespearean theater. Quick discussion on Greek vs. Elizabethan theater, then we began Act 1, scene 1 of Hamlet.
HW: Finish Oedipus assignment (due Tues./Wed.). Read through Act 1, scene 3 of Hamlet--use the study questions provided to guide your understanding.

Shakespeare:
Thanks for sharing homework assignments Joeterricka and Marisa. We'll have some time for more sharing next class. After this we went to the computer lab to research some background info. on Shakespeare and the historical context of the time. We'll discuss this next class.

2/4 (A) & 2/5 (B)

Freshmen:
Daily #1. then SSR. We will be talking more about the new SSR requirements for this semester. If you don't currently have a book that you intend to finish, you should get your hands on one!
Then, we took a few minutes to take the baseline TOSWRF assessment. We will do this a couple of times to see you progress in reading fluency. We then reviewed the plot terms we learned last class and continued with the reading of "The Most Dangerous Game."

AP Lit:
We finished up our discussion of Oedipus, then, after scrounging speakers off of Mr. Walker, we watched a short Oedipus film, starring vegetables (and fruits too, I guess.) Notes and "tragic flaw" homework were turned in, and the "Oedipus assignment" was begun. This will be due next Tuesday (2/10) and Wednesday (2/11). (Oh yeah, and in period 5 Taylor confessed to Joel and the rest of the class his new found respect for Kings of Leon.)

Shakespeare:
First we answered the question of the day, as we get to know each other a bit better. Then, we looked at a few handouts and talked about Shakespeare's contributions to the English language. The homework assignment was to write a story, short scene, skit, description, (etc.) using 5 of Shakespeare's words, 3 of his phrases and one of his famous lines from each category. Be creative, be original, be serious or goofy...you decide.

Welcome to Semester 2! (2/2 & 2/3)

Hooray for a new semester, a fresh start, a new beginning. Take advantage of the times in your life when you get to start over; they are few.

Freshmen:
We are beginning our unit on Short Stories and Literary Elements. Today we started class with a freewrite looking back at first semester and looking forward to second semester. These ended up in your writing folders. Then, we took some notes: plot, exposition, narrative hook, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. We also put some vocab words in our notes. Be sure you hang on to these, they will definitely appear on a test. We had just a few minutes to begin reading "The Most Dangerous Game" and identifying its plot elements. We will continue with this story next class.

AP Lit:
A few reminders for second semester: no late papers accepted, essay rewrites must be completed within a week and be prepared for unannounced reading quizzes which cannot be made up. You have been warned. You may be thinking to yourself, "Yeah right...Mrs. Peterson is a pushover, I'll be able to talk her into letting me turn things in late or retaking this quiz. After all, I'm her favorite (insert your name here) she has in class..." If you are thinking this, you are wrong. I'm very comfortable saying no. I have toddlers at home. I am well practiced. I will, however, say "I'm sorry, no" with a smile.
As far as class goes, we took a few minutes in groups to talk about Oedipus, and a few minutes as a whole class to talk about Oedipus.
HW: Write a brief, rough essay about what you think Oedipus' tragic flaw is. (Pick just one flaw. Don't write for more than 15-20 minutes)

Shakespeare:
Welcome! We spent a few minutes on introductions, a few minutes on a freewrite. Then, I handed out the syllabus and we reviewed it briefly. Then, in groups we talked about everything we know about Shakespeare right now. Think of how much more you'll be able to come up with if we do the same thing at the end of the semester.

AP Lit. Review

Here is a master list of terms we have learned and discussed this semester. Any of these things may appear on the final.

I'll have more details about the final next week.

AP Lit: Literary Terms Semester 1

Plot
Exposition
Rising Action
Climax
Falling Action
Resolution
Internal Conflict
External Conflict
Characterization
Protagonist
Antagonist
Round character
Flat character
Archetype
Anti-hero
Hyperbole
Understatement
Dialogue
Dialect
Focus
Voice/Narrator
Limited Point of View
Unlimited/Omniscient Point of View
3rd Person
1st Person
2nd Person
Auditor
Unreliable narrator
Central consciousness
Author’s persona
Symbolism
Allegory
Satire
Burlesque
Parody
Lampoon
Travesty
Irony
Cosmic Irony
Dramatic Irony
Situational Irony

1/14 & 1/15

Freshmen:
SSR. Students had a few minutes to share their LOTF rough draft (homework) with another student. Keep these. We may come back to them later! We then had a small group discussion about some ideas related to an article we will look into next class period.

AP Lit:
Brief discussion about the final exam. You should look over and know: literary terms we have discussed, vocabulary words we have learned and the basics of the stories we have read this semester. We then finished reading Trifles and discussing its various literary aspects.
HW: Read "A Jury of her Peers" and write a response addressing the following: which do you prefer? why? what specific aspects are lost/gained in the adaptation? which title do you prefer?

Shakespeare:
We used our freewrites from last class to create some class poems. Did you know how talented and expressive we all are? Then, we took a few quick notes on the elements of sonnets and began to look at Shakespeare's sonnet #1. We will finish looking at this poem next week.

1/12 & 1/13

English 9:
SSR. Discussed the important variations between the LOTF movie and novel. Used the Abstractions List to develop a thesis about a major theme in LOTF.
HW: Using the thesis sentence you developed in class, write a 5 paragraph essay rough draft about how we see the theme in LOTF.

AP Lit:
More discussion on irony in "The Story of an Hour," "A Rose for Emily" and "Genesis and Catastrophe." Then, we began reading the short play Trifles together. We will finish this in class next time.

Shakespeare:
Mainly we worked on some writing today. First, we took a few minutes to finish working on a rough draft of the narrative based on Taming of the Shrew. Then, we did several focused freewrites on a variety of themes: love, beauty, time, change, etc...

Jan. 5 through Jan. 9

Due to school closures and cancellations, much of this week has been an attempt to get all classes back to the same point in the curriculum.

English 9:
Period 1 took the LOTF quiz that was scheduled before winter break, and the other periods had a bit more SSR and story time to balance this out. All classes began watching the LOTF movie which will be finished up by Friday. From here, we will begin a bit of writing next week and we will be looking at an article that addresses some real-life events connected to the novel.

AP Lit:
BNW papers and soundtracks were collected from those of you I didn't see before break, and period 8 had some extended story time. Then, we read the short story Once Upon a Time and wrote an essay comparing it to BNW.

On Thursday and Friday you will be reading the stories The Story of an Hour and A Rose for Emily and we will take notes on and discuss types of irony. Your homework over the weekend will be to read Genesis and Catastrophe (a handout I'll provide) and pgs. 650 to 652 in your Norton anthology. You should complete prep notes that include the following items: irony in the story, thoughts on the title, how reading drama differs from fiction, and would G&C make a good one act play? Be ready to discuss all of these things next week.

Shakespeare:
After Chris cracked us up with his story of shovelling, Haley told us of her haunted car and I told a few stories too, eventually we finished up watching The Taming of the Shrew. After a little discussion, you should have begun writing a narrative about some "hoop" in your life that, unfortunately, you just have to jump through and deal with-- something that you've realized you can't really fight, so you just have to go along with. We will continue to develop these next class and we will begin a quick look at some of Shakespeare's poetry to end the semester.