12/17/2010

Freshmen:
It's Friday, so vocab quiz and SSR, of course.
HW: Read in Fahrenheit 451 at least to the end of Part 1. Take notes on what we find out about how and why their world got to be the way it is. Feel free, also, to read your SSR book and work on Book Project #2.


AP Lit:
Vocab quiz and a little in-class extra credit opportunity.
HW: Read through at least chapter 20 of Candide and be working on the study questions.

12/15/10

Freshmen:
Discussed a few thins from Fahrenheit: foreshadowing, imagery, Mildred, disposable tissues...
A few minutes to read.
HW: For tomorrow, be through page 40 in the book and read "A Song Before Sunset" in the Reader packet.

AP Lit:
Warnings-- then a trip to get Candide.
Talked about Voltaire, context and Optimism.
Read Chapter 1 together.
HW: Read through Ch. 7 in Candide for tomorrow.

Funny Links...

So I mentioned these today in AP Lit as we were talking about parody and how a good impersonation is a type of parody. Just for fun, here you go. Please remember that these were originally created and aired for a late-night network TV comedy show, therefore the content and implied language (bleeped, of course) while often hilarious, is not necessarily suitable for all audiences or the classroom. You have been warned. Watch (and laugh) at your own discretion. 
Reflections with Justin Bieber
Robert is Bothered

12/14/10

Freshmen:
Diction exercise using a noun ans an adjective.
Discussed reactions to the M2 article and then wrote a response to the "Generation M2" article:

Write about the most interesting and/or telling findings of the study "Generation M²". Which conclusions are most relevant to you? Would it be difficult for you to stop using all forms of digital entertainment for a week? What would you do?

HW: For Thursday you need to read to page 40 in F451 and "A Song Before Sunset" pages 25 to 29 in the Reader. 

AP Lit:

Some recap of "A Modest Proposal"-- especially the importance of the italicized section. Then, some notes on some terms related to satire and comedy. 

HW: Read the two handouts on Voltaire and Candide. Bring your ID cards and Beowulf tomorrow so we can go check out copies of Candide.

 

12/13/10

Freshmen:
New vocab words.
F451 reading quiz #1 (pages 3-24)
Discussed quiz.
HW: Read in the F451 Reader the article on pages 1-5 and take notes on new, interesting or surprising things.

AP Lit:
New vocab.
Tone words handout.
In groups, discuss, determine and describe as precisely as possible the TONE of "A Modest Proposal". In what subtle ways and specific places do we see his tone shift to reveal the point of his satire?
Group thoughts and conclusions were turned in along with the Modest Proposal study questions.

12/10/10

Freshmen:
Vocab Quiz #9.
Then, SSR time or time to finish the OAKS reading test.
HW: Read in Fahrenheit 451 to page 24 and take notes on the similarities and differences between their world and ours.

AP Lit:
Vocab Quiz #8.
Discussion of your inference notes from "The Story of an Hour." I collected these for credit.
HW: Read "A Modest Proposal" and complete the study questions.

12/9/10

Freshmen:
Recitation of your F451 passages! A little talk about denotation and connotation too.
HW: Vocab quiz tomorrow. Be prepared.

AP Lit:
Inference notes were introduced. Then, you read "The Story of an Hour" and produced these notes. We'll discuss tomorrow.

12/8/10

Freshmen:
While some students headed off to finish the OAKS reading test, the rest of you had time to work on memorizing your passage or whatever else needed working on.
HW: Be ready to speak your passage from Fahrenheit 451 for us tomorrow. It will be recitation day!

AP Lit:
Took some notes on irony, then re-read Genesis and Catastrophe with an eye toward finding all three kinds. Then, we discussed your observations.
HW: Bring your lit anthology tomorrow.

12/7/02010

Freshmen:
Day 2 of Oaks Reading Testing. Tomorrow we'll meet in the classroom and I'll send those who need to finish down to the lab after I take attendance. Those who finished the test will have a work day tomorrow.
HW: Keep memorizing your F451 passage.

AP Lit:
New vocab words!
Groups presentations on symbolism. Wow. That's all I have to say.
HW: Read Roald Dahl's "Genesis and Catastrophe." Be ready to talk about irony in it tomorrow.

12/6/2010

Happy Monday!

Freshmen:
OAKS Reading Test, today and tomorrow. Woot!
HW: You should be memorizing, word for word, the passage from Fahrenheit 451 that you were assigned on Friday. We probably won't get to presenting these until Thursday...

AP Lit:
You got into symbol groups, then after a bit of discussion, were supposed to determine the three most important conclusions about how your object functions symbolically in the poem. You will be presenting your findings through some form of visual representation that includes actual (written or spoken) text tomorrow. (I can't wait to see what improvisational-interpretive dance-acting looks like, Joseph and Nic!)

12/3/2010

Freshmen:
Vocab quiz.
Then, we went and checked out the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I then assigned each of you a specific section of lines that you need to memorize by next Wednesday. Everyone will recite their lines to the class. I'll explain more next week.
HW: MEMORIZATION!

AP Lit:
Vocab quiz. Timed Beowulf essay. No homework! (You're welcome.)

12/2/10

Freshmen:
We spent a bit of time talking about the State Reading Test that we will be taking next Monday and Tuesday. We reviewed the 6 types of questions, what the cut scores are and looked at a practice passage.
HW: Vocab quiz tomorrow. Also, bring SSR books and your ID cards.

AP Lit:
Today a whole period was essentially wasted with AP Testing information, (that I likely could have given you in 10 minutes...but I'm not bitter. Really.)
HW: Tomorrow we will have a vocab quiz (duh) and we'll do an in-class essay on Beowulf. Bring your books with you to use on the essay.