Monday, January 25, 2010

Unfortunately, I was absent today unexpectedly. The substitute took you to the auditorium with the counselors to go over registration for next year. We will pick up with the book on Tuesday!

Friday, January 22, 2010

Today I introduced our new novel unit, The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver. We discussed some themes and also talked about setting, a crucial element of this story. Click here to see the introductory handout that includes a summary and description of key themes.

The rest of the period was spent reading Chapter One in class. Homework tonight: finish Chapter One by Monday!

Wednesday, January 21, 2010

Today we continued watching Brave New Voices. We spent some time discussing the techiniques of some of the poets and evaluating their performances. We also debated who the strongest poets and teams were, and what about their writing made them effective. You completed a short written exit pass for me as well. No homework tonight...on Friday we will jump into our new novel!

Tuesday, January 20, 2010

Today you turned in your final draft of your essay along with your rubric, rough drafts, revision sheet, and peer feedback forms. I can't wait to read them and see how they turned out!

You also spent some time doing some writing for a unit reflection. Click here to download the questions.

Monday, January 19, 2010 - No School

Please take a moment today to pay some appreciation to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for his tireless work for civil rights.

Click here to check out a great website about him.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Happy Friday! Today we watched an installment of an inspiring HBO series called Brave New Voices, which is about teen poets and the power of writing. You completed a few questions during the video and turned them in at the end of the period for credit.

REMINDER, THE FINAL DRAFT OF YOUR ESSAY IS DUE ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 19 AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS. NO LATE ESSAYS WILL BE ACCEPTED. If you need additional help or some extra feedback before you turn it in, please email me this weekend and I would be happy to help. =)

Enjoy the long weekend and don't forget to take a moment to appreciate the huge impact that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has had on our country and our culture.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Today we had a Writer's Workshop. After handing out peer feedback forms and going over a power point that reviewed how to have a successful workshop, you got into your groups and began reading and providing feedback for each essay in your group. Remember, your preparation for and participation in this workshop is essential, not only for your writing but also for your grade. Unexcused absences will result in a zero for this workshop. Extreme tardies (which is a problem for you 1st period folks...) will lose up to half credit.

Tuesday, January 12. 2010

Today you spent the class period revising your drafts, using both my feedback and the revision handout from yesterday. Bring a fresh copy of your draft to class tomorrow for a writing workshop.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Today after we completed our grammar warm up, we reviewed some quick tips for revising according the Six Traits rubric. See the power point by clicking here. I also gave you a revision handout, and you spent some time examining your drafts for sentence fluency, word choice, and organization. After you were finished, you traded drafts with a partner and gave each other some initial feedback on the writing.

Rough drafts were due today. You will be recieving feedback from me tomorrow so you can revise your essays in the lab.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Today you continued work on your drafts in the computer lab. We went over the requirements for your final essay, and also reviewed some rubric elements.

Remember, your completed rough draft is due on Monday in class.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Today, after a brief grammar lesson for a warm-up, we went over a power point that explained some tips for good writing. We also went over your Six Traits rubric, reviewed each trait and read some example model texts. You evaluated them for voice and purpose, the two elements we focused on today. See me if you would like a hard copy of the power point slides, otherwise, it will be posted next week when the power point is finished in its entirety. There are extra copies of the model texts in our classroom. See me for the extras if you were absent.

Click here for the Six Traits writing rubric
Click here for your essay assignment sheet

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Welcome back and Happy New Year! I hope all of you had a great, relaxing break and are ready to power through Semester Two. Today we discussed our next unit, writing (yay!) Over the next two and a half weeks, we will be working on building your writing skills as you compose a personal narrative on any topic you wish. We will be drafting in the lab, evaluating each other's work in a writer's workshop, practicing grammar activities, and looking at lot's of model texts and examples. Click here for a unit calendar. Our class time today was spent in the lab doing some initial brainstorming and freewriting to various prompts of your choice. If you were absent, you will have an opportunity to get some of this done on Friday during writing time.

Blog Assignment #2

This blog assignment has two parts. Please make sure that you address ALL of the questions in your posted response to recieve credit. Your post is due NO LATER than Monday, December 14th. No exceptions!

1. Listen to the NPR (National Public Radio) segment "In Character" segment (11 mins) and read the short article found on the same page. What are the main points of both Tobias Wolf and Stephanie Savage? Do you agree or disagree with them? As a result of having "no sense of teen culture" in the late 1940s and early 50s, as Savage claims, would this novel be as culturally defining if it was published today? You must use specific references to the NPR segment in your response. What character from modern pop culture (books, movies, television, music) is the Holden Caulfield of your generation? Why? What connections do you see between Holden and your modern-day counterpart?

NPR "In Character" (11 mins) - Holden Caulfield: Giving Voice to Generations

2. Read the Anne Trubek article below. What part of Trubek's argument do you find most (or least) convincing? Based on what you've read, do you believe that this novel should remain a staple of high school literature in America? Why or why not? Be sure to defend your ideas with specific details and textual evidence from the article (i.e. use direct quotes from the article to support your response.)

Article - "Stop Teaching Catcher in the Rye" by Anne Trubek

Please remember to write in complete sentences (no abbreviations or textspeak!), edit and proofread your responses, and sign your name on your post. DUE DATE: MONDAY, DEC.14TH BY MIDNIGHT.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Today we briefly went over the second part of your Catcher Assessment (more details tomorrow.) I also spent some time looking at your rough drafts of your pastiche to make sure you are on the right track. Remember, your pastiche is due tomorrow, no exceptions. The rest of the period was spent reviewing some of the reading and getting some independent reading out of the way. For homework, please finish the book by Wednesday! There will be a quiz.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Today we went over your assessment for this unit, which is divided into two parts. The first part, a two-page pastiche writing piece, is due on Tuesday, Dec.8th. The second part will be discussed and worked on next week. I distributed your pastiche assignment handout and we went over it, discussed some examples, and then you had class time to start a rough draft. I also handed out your Literary Road Maps for Chapters 20-26. For homework, read to Chapter 23 by Monday and work on your pastiche!



Pastiche Assignment Handout
Pastiche Example: "Catch Her in the Oatmeal"
Literary Road Map Ch.20-26

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Today was a multimedia extravaganza. This is one of my favorite things to examine when reading/teaching Catcher in the Rye. Today we discussed the eerie connections between John Lennon, Mark David Chapman, and the novel. As you know, Mark David Chapman shot John Lennon outside of his apartment in December of 1980. After shooting him, Chapman sat down on the sidewalk to wait for police, and started reading Catcher in the Rye. On the inside of the book's cover, he wrote "This is my statement." Today we examined several things, including various songs by John Lennon, video clips, songs, and photographs to figure out why Chapman would be compelled to do such a thing in the first place, plus why he cited the novel in his defense. We also discussed possible connections between Holden and Lennon, Holden and Chapman, and similar themes, such as child-like innocence.

Click here to see the power point that we covered in class. Click the links below to download the songs, relevant articles, and the video clips.

Article: A Troubled Youth: About Mark David Chapman (plus his statement to the New York Parole Board)

The Beatles - Help! Video

Imagine by John Lennon (video)

Video clip montage of John Lennon

Lennon Shot News clips

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Today we went over some key passages and quotes from the reading, tackled some analysis-style discussion quesitions (hint: these will probably show up again on a quiz/assessment...). The rest of the period was spent reading both independently and together as a class. By Wednesday, read to Chapter 19.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Welcome back. I hope you all had a chance to rest and eat a lot of yummy food. The next few weeks leading up to the end of the semester are going to be busy. The best way to deal with this is just accept that it's going to be tough and a lot of work, and just do what you have to do. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. So quit whining. Hehe.

Today you watched an episode of one of my favorite (cancelled) television shows from the 90s, Freaks and Geeks. The episode, called "Noshing and Moshing," reveals quite a few characters, themes and symbolism that are very similar to what we have been reading and discussing in Catcher in the Rye, especially the themes of alientation, coming of age and identity, rebellion, the struggle to fit in, and the struggle for independence in a conformist society. It's also really funny! Please view your assignment by clicking below. This was due at the end of class today. If you were absent, please see me as soon as possible to set up a time to view the episode and complete the writing assignment. For homework, please make sure you have read to Chapter 17 by tomorrow.

Freaks and Geeks Analysis

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Today we spent the majority of the period going over the reading from the last few days. We discussed some important passages, characterization, symbolism, and evidence of themes that are beginning to emerge. This served mostly as a review and a chance to clarify any confusion or questions you might have about the book so far. The rest of the period was spent reading independently. Over break, please read to Chapter 16. Enjoy the time off and the holiday!! Be sure to get outside for some exercise. =)

Monday, November 23, 2009

Today you completed your fourth journal entry and turned in your two "Delve In" homework questions from your Literary Road Maps. The rest of the period was spent participating in a small group scored discussion. If you were absent, please see me for a make-up assignment. For homework, please read to Chapter 13. Be sure to consult your handouts for the Guided Reading Questions. Click here to download your questions for Chapters 13-19.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Today you took a quiz on Chapters 1-11 on Catcher in the Rye. If you have an excused absence, you need to make this up no later than next Tuesday.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Today we spent the majority of the period independently reading. Unfortunately, after a brief and pointless class discussion that made it very clear to me that no one had read, I threw out what we were originally going to do today. So, you had this time to read and nothing else. This is increasingly frustrating, especially when the reading assignment was two chapters. TWO! That is nothing but laziness, people. You have to meet me halfway here. If you don't read, then I can't teach you, and then you won't learn anything. No fun for anyone. So, your homework for Friday is reading, obviously. You need to have read to the end of Chapter 11.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Today we began the period with some journal writing for your third entry. We also spent some time going over the reading, and then the remainder of the period you created vocabulary comics for our vocab words. Each person was assigned a specific word, and you created comics that demonstrated and illustrated the meaning. Have these finished by Wednesday so we can hang them up.

For homework, please read to the end of Chapter 9. Pay attention to the following:

~The red hat (notice when he wears it...what is he thinking about? What is he doing at the time?)

~Holden's attitudes about sex and women. How does he feel about these topics? Where does he contradict himself with regards to these issues? Do either of these things make him uncomfortable?

Be sure to look over the questions on your Literary Road Maps to guide your reading.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Today you completed your third journal entry and we also spent some time discussing chapters 1-3 and style in Catcher. What is unique about the style of this novel? What is unique about Holden's voice? What do we learn about his character through his voice?
The rest of the period was spent independently reading and going over the literary road map for Chapters 4-13.

For homework, please read to the end of Chapter 6.

Check This Out

Click here to visit Stephen Wiltshire's website. Mr. Wiltshire is an artistic savant who is capable of reproducing incredibly detailed landscapes from memory. Be sure to check out the "Gallery" and "My Videos" section. Tell me what you think by posting your comments here.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Today you completed Journal #2 and we also reviewed some literary terms - theme, symbolism, allusion, and hyperbole. Make sure you take good notes, as you will be expected to know these terms and locate examples of their use in the novel. I also checked out books to you today, so if you were absent you need to make sure you get a copy checked out to you on Monday. The rest of the period was spent independently reading Chapters 2 and 3. For homework, please finish reading to the end of Chapter 3 and complete the two "Delving In" questions, located on your Literary Road Maps. Complete on your own sheet of paper and turn in on Monday.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Today we finished up our Modern American Teen posters and debriefed as a class by compiling a list of traits and characteristics on the board and discussing them. We also discussed the fact that Catcher in the Rye deals with several of the same issues you came up with during this activity. You also recieved the first of several "Literary Road Maps" for this unit, which we will be using throughout our reading of this novel. Today you recieved the one covering Chapters 1-3. Click here to download. These sheets contain valuable info such as vocabulary terms and topics you will be responsible for knowing for each section, as well as homework assignments. The rest of the period was spent reading Chapter 1 aloud in class. No homework tonight, but the two "Delve In" questions will be due on Monday.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Today we went over some unit essential questions and you completed your first journal, which asked you to respond to three short prompts. After a brief discussion of some key literary and vocabulary terms for this unit, you broke into small groups of 2-3 and created posters of the "Modern American Teenager," using the lists of characteristics and traits that you compiled on Friday. Click here to see the instructions. We ran out of time before you could finish, so we will continue with this on Thursday.

REMEMBER, NO SCHOOL ON WEDNESDAY (VETERAN'S DAY)! Please take a moment during your day tomorrow to reflect on the incredible and selfless sacrifice of our nation's armed forces. We owe them very much.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Today we began our next unit, The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger's very famous 1951 novel about teenage alienation and rebellion. To get ready to dive into this novel on Thursday and Friday, we began by discussing and recording your prior knowledge about the 1950s in America, followed by a video that gave you some historical and cultural background information regarding history and politics, youth culture, and pop culture. The rest of the period was spent reading a brief article about J.D. Salinger and the novel, and completing an exit slip. Click here to read the article.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Today you completed a constructed response unit reflection for our work during this unit, followed by a class discussion that reviewed our essential questions and characteristics of modern literature. You also turned in your travel journals (you should have six,) completed a brief anticipation survey for our next unit, and compiled a list of characteristics of the modern American teenager. No homework this weekend, enjoy the beautiful weather and get ready to dive into The Catcher in the Rye next week!

Unit Reflection Questions:

1. Did you like this book? Why or why not? What specifically did you like or dislike about it?

2. Describe your thoughts about this unit as a whole. What activities or assignments were effective for you? What wasn't? Why?

3. Rate your participation and performance during this unit, on a scale of 1 to 10. What did you do well? What would you do differently?

4. Because of the nature of my job (duh,) I want to know some specific things you've learned. Also, what are you still confused about? List any relevant or remaining questions that you have.

5. Look back to your notes on modernism and modern literature. How does The Beach qualify as a modern novel? (Don't just say it is because of the publishing date...) Be as specific and detailed as you can. Be sure to offer explanation for your opinion!

6. Lastly, consider our essential question for this unit: What is society's responsibility to the individual, and what is the individual's responsibility to society? Considering the major themes and messages conveyed in this novel, how might Alex Garland respond to this question?

Tuesday and Thursday, November 3 and 5, 2009

The Beach tests, parts 1 and 2, took place during our class periods this week. If you have an excused absence for either of these days, please see me as soon as possible to make it up.

Monday, November 3, 2009

Today we discussed the ending of the novel and spent some time reviewing for your test. Because of our amended schedule due to PLAN and EXPLORE testing, you will take Part 1 of the test on Tuesday and Part 2 on Thursday. Click here for the exam study guide.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Hopefully all of you enjoyed the awesome fact that we had a snow day yesterday! Hope you had fun, got outside, and made some snowmen or something. I did.

Today, I had to be out of town, so you spent the day with a substitute. You completed watching The Truman Show, and you responded to some additional questions, which you added to your Viewing Guide.

Have a great weekend!!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Today after a brief recap of the reading from last night, we began watching the film The Truman Show. This film explores many of the themes we've been discussing, and also makes some interesting statements about our modern American culture and individual identity. You completed a viewing guide while watching the film. Click here for the questions. These will be due when we finish the film on Friday.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Today we worked to make sense of a strange poem, "Attack of the Crab Monsters," by Laurence Raab, that makes several literal and thematic connections to our novel. In small groups, you annotated the poem and discussed relevant lines and stanzas. Each group then took turns sharing what they discussed, and then we annotated the poem as a class on the board. Afterwards, I showed you a short video clip, a trailer from an old B movie "Attack of the Crab Monsters," the film that was the inspiration for the poem. We discussed author intent and whether or not the poem makes more sense after having gained a little background knowledge. For homework, please read to 386 by Wednesday, and finish the novel by Friday!

Click here for the text of the poem.
Click here to watch the video clip.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Today was filled with reading discussion and a brief writing assignment. I posted a few passages and questions on the board to start the period, and you responded in writing and then discussed your responses with a partner. This was followed by a larger class discussion. For homework, please read to page 360 by Tuesday.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Today you completed Quiz 2 for The Beach. If you were absent, you have until next Wednesday to make it up! Over the weekend, please read to page 336.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Today, after being really excited when I told you that you don't have a quiz today, you had a good chunk of independent reading time to get caught up and ready for your quiz. We also looked at some key passages, discussed the significance of the Vietnam War motif in the novel, and reviewed our vocabulary terms. Your upcoming quiz will cover up to page 305.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Today we spent the majority of the period discussing the reading, first in small groups, where you addressed some specific passages and discussion questions, and then as a class. Click here for the discussion outline. For homework, please read to page 305.

Please note: There will be a quiz covering pages 150-305 this Friday.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Today we finished up the film A Map for Saturday. Hopefully you enjoyed it as much as I do. =) If you didn't finish up, turn in your questions on Tuesday at the beginning of class.

By Tuesday, read to page 273. You will have a quiz this week, but you don't know which day. Mwuhahahahahaha.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Today we began watching an awesome 2005 documentary called A Map for Saturday. This film documents a young backpacker's solo trip around the world and the journeys of those he meets along the way. This film not only makes a good case for traveling, but it also makes several connections to our novel (and the essay we read at the beginning of the unit.) Click here to download the film questions, which you need to complete when we finish the film on Monday.

Over the weekend, please read to page 263! Click here to see the guided reading questions for this section.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Block day today was spent focusing on characterization in The Beach, most specifically the character of our protagonist, Richard. In small groups, you created a giant paper "Humanoid" (also called a body biography) that addressed analytical questions regarding our character. This was an in-class graded activity, so if you were absent see me for an alternative make-up assignment.

By Friday, read to page 243. You will have a quiz next week.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Today you reviewed your vocab terms again by creating a second term poster - this one displaying both images and textual examples from the book that represent three of our term concepts - xenophobia, assimilation, and ideology (this gave you an opportunity to use your term organizers, which we've already gone over.) Whatever you did not finish in class is homework, so bring it in completed on Wednesday. Also, for homework, read pages 210-223. We will be reviewing the reading in class tomorrow.

PS. Check out this painting by Robyn Engel...it's called "Assimilation." Why do you think this artist would title this piece of art this way? Post your ideas here.

Monday, October 12, 2009

To start class today, I had you write some brief responses (and record a notes entry) regarding the topics you covered in your brief, six page reading assignment over the weekend (pages 180-186.) These were turned in, so if you were absent, be sure to download the class outline document below and respond to the prompts on a half sheet of paper and turn in. After a quick discussion and recap, we went over the song lyrics to the M*A*S*H theme song "Suicide is Painless" and discussed possible connections to the novel. The rest of the period was for independent reading time. For homework, please read pages 189-210 by Tuesday. Click here to download the guided reading questions (along with the response prompts) that I displayed for you during reading time today. These will serve as a discussion outline for tomorrow.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Today, after writing your fourth entry in your travel journal, you completed a small group activity called "Save the Last Word for Me" that focused on pages 163-180, which was your homework. Download the guided reading questions from this section by clicking the link on Monday's post. After recording some passages/quotes and responses you took from your notes onto an index card, you were put into groups of 3 or 4 to discuss and share your quotes and responses. Click here to see the instructions for this group activity. You also completed an exit pass and turned in your index cards for credit.

The last few minutes of class were spent going over your homework. By Monday, read pages 180-186 (itty bitty reading assignment!) While reading this short section, I want you to record one subtanstial "I" entry into your annotation notes (see your annotation symbols guide to see what you need to do for "I" entries.) Richard makes a very interesting decision before he meets back up with Jed. In your notes, write at least 3 sentences about what you would have done/said if you were there when Richard decides to do what he does.

Also, read the lyrics to the song "Suicide is Painless," a song that Mister Duck is singing during another interaction with Richard (182) and provide a brief analysis that explains any connections to the novel. Click here to see an outline of everything we did today, including homework instructions and some background information. Click here to see the song lyrics that are referenced in the novel that you need to analyze.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Today I showed you a cool little video clip I found on the Lonely Planet website about Thailand that made some interesting connections to the novel. It's a short, amateur travel video of a guy reciting a poem he wrote about Thailand over a montage of images from his travels across the country. View the video by clicking here. Pay attention to when the narrator says that he's not sure "if it was one moment or one month" (losing a sense of time and reality, like Richard...) and when he calls himself Peter Pan and that "this place is my NeverNever Land" (a paradise, a fantasy, a utopia if you will...like the beach community that Richard is a part of.) This little video also gives you some good visual representation of the young, backpacker lifestyle, as well as some scenes of areas in Thailand that are described in the novel.

Next, to prepare for a group activity that you will do on Friday, I gave you some guided questions on the reading and in small groups of three you went over the reading together, and each group then shared out their ideas with the rest of the class. This was followed by a quick debrief and about 20 minutes of independent reading time. The rest of the period was spent finishing up the video about Lord of the Flies (that we started last week) and discussing some of the main ideas the video brought up as well as possible connections to The Beach.

For homework, read to page 180 by Friday! Pay attention to the following:

•P.169…Civilization, or “the world” beyond their beach feels very foreign to them…What is significant about Richard looking at his reflection?
•P.174 – Richard’s interaction with the Australians…how does it make him feel? Why?
•P.175 – What is Hadrin’s “fate” as Richard describes it? Recall his previous description of the difference between tourists and travelers…
•P.178 – foreshadowing…Zeph and Sammy (“the Yanks”) What does Jed say that could possibly be important later on?

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Today we continued getting up to speed by reviewing the reading. I also read pages 144-147 aloud to you in class and we discussed the symbolic purpose of the Mister Duck's character. We went over the KWL chart that the substitute gave you last Friday and I gave you further instructions: Make sure you have this completed by Wednesday, as I will be checking to see that you've done it, and you will be using it for a group activity on Friday. You may use any recent section of reading that we've done this week, however, make sure you fill in the left hand column first before reading and fill in the rest after reading the assigned section.

For homework, read to page 163 and click here to see the guided reading questions that we will be using in small group discussions on Wednesday by downloading them from Monday's post (download the ones for pages 101-137.)

Monday, October 5, 2009

Today was spent getting caught up after my almost week of absence. You completed your travel journal #3, some of you shared your writing with the rest of us, and then we spent the majority of the period discussing the reading from last week and going over some important passages. You also spent some time reviewing your notes or adding to them. Click here to see the discussion outlines for pages 62-100.


Homework: No reading tonight, just get caught up if you are behind! Click here to see the discussion outlines for tomorrow for pages 101-137. By tomorrow, you should have read up to page 144, which was your homework over the weekend.

"The Lost Week" Sept.28-Oct.2

So, not only was I out sick Monday and Tuesday, I was also out of town on Friday, so I barely saw you this week. Boo!! =( As a result, you completed most of your work this week in class with a substitute. Please click here to see a list of graded assignments that you completed in class. Below is a brief breakdown of what you guys accomplished. If you were also absent, please look over the assignments page and see me if you have any questions.

Monday 9/28 - You had the entire period to catch up on your reading (to page 100.) During reading, you responded to five guided reading questions and turned them in. Download the assignments page to see the questions and get them in to me this week if you were absent.

Tuesday 9/29 - Today you created vocabulary paragraphs in pairs using your six vocabulary terms. You also had some reading time and turned in an exit slip. Download the assignments page to view the questions.

Wednesday 9/30 - This was my only day with you this week. We spent some time getting caught up by discussing the reading and going over some important passages. Click here to see the discussion notes. The rest of the period was spent looking at setting in the novel and creating maps of the island using descriptions from the text.

Friday, 10/2 - You took your first quiz, which covered up to page 130 in the novel. Afterwards, you were given a KWL chart to complete at home and also some guided reading questions to consider as you read your homework, which was reading to page 144 over the weekend. The KWL chart will be turned in on Wednesday, 10/7. Click here to download a copy.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Today I had absolutely no voice. =( So, after a quick review of our three remaining vocabulary words (which you entered in to your organizer,) including some examples that I had on power point, you got into small groups and discussed the reading and notes from Wednesday (from pages 50-62.) The rest of the period was spent watching a short video about the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, which some critics claim to have parallels with certain themes in The Beach. Click here to watch it. For homework, please read pages 62-80 and click here for the guided reading questions.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Today we began the period by taking a quick reading check quiz. After that was done, we discussed the reading from yesterday and then we had some independent reading and note-taking time. Click here to see the guided reading questions, which we will use in a small group discussion on Friday. For homework, please read pages 50-62.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

First day of Fall! Bring on the soup and sweaters!

Today you did a little bit of creative writing in your second travel journal. If you have an excused absence, please see me for the prompt. Remember, keep all of this writing together in one place, as I will be collecting your entries at the end of the unit.

Next, we spent some time discussing the reading from last night. To see an outline of our discussion, download the guided reading questions from Monday's post. The rest of the period was spent doing some independent reading to get started on your homework.

For homework tonight, read pages 35-50. Click here to see our discussion outline for tomorrow..this will help guide your reading and your notes!

Monday, September 21, 2009

Today, to get ready to jump head first into The Beach, we went over your terms organizer for this unit. Get the definitions filled in, and we will be returning to this document a few times in the next two weeks or so. I won't be collecting it yet, but make sure you have it on hand. Click here to download and see me if you have questions.

We also went over your requirements for your two-column annotation notes, which are a requirement for this unit and will be graded two to three times throughout the unit, and then collected at the end for a grade. Click here for the handout that was given in class, which include instructions. Expect to have about 75-80 entries by the end of the unit to recieve full credit on this assignment. It is your responsibility to keep up with your entries, and you will need to have your notes in class every day. You will be using them for various activities and assessments.

Next, we reviewed your reading of the first few chapters of The Beach from over the weekend. Click here to read the outline of the discussion.

For homework, please read pages 23-34 and click here to read the guided reading questions (you don't need to answer these on paper, just look over them before you read to help guide your thinking.) We'll be discussing these questions in class tomorrow.

Remember, your blog assignment is due tonight at midnight!!! =)

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Today was a packed day. To begin our block day this week, you got back into your groups to finish your jigsaw activity from Tuesday. Today your group went over your individual page summaries and created a paragraph summary of the entire essay. Each group shared their summaries (and turned them in,) and then we went over some key passages from the essay as a class. I gave you a condensed version of the whole essay with three or four important passages from each page...this is important to hang on to, since we will be returning to this essay several times throughout the unit, and you will also find its content on various assessments and quizzes. Click here to download it and keep it handy! And as always, remember our essential questions for this unit (and how Pico Iyer might answer these questions):

How does travel affect the traveler?

How do travelers affect cultures?

What is society's responsibility to the individual, and what is the individual's responsibility to society?

Next, we reviewed some of our vocabulary terms for this unit that we briefly went over on Tuesday: utopia, dytopia, and escapism. After a brief review and discussion, you paired up and created posters composed of images and words you collected from magazines. The images needed to visually express the meanings of these terms. If you did not finish in class, your completed poster is due Monday. Click here for instructions.

The last twenty minutes of class were spent reading the (short) first chapter of The Beach. If you were absent, come and see me BEFORE the long weekend so I can check you out your copy of the novel. You can also email me and I will send you a digital PDF file of the reading from class today so you can get caught up.

For homework, read pages 11-22 by Monday.

Remember: No school Friday, teacher inservice. Also, don't forget your blog assignment! It is due Monday, 9/21 by midnight.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Today we continued reading and analyzing Pico Iyer's essay, "Why We Travel." After going over some annotation basics with you, and discussing WHY we annotate a text, you finished annotating and summarizing your assigned page, and then got into groups of six. Taking turns from 1 to 6, each of you shared your annotations and page summaries with your group members adn then as a group created a 2-3 sentence summary of the entire essay. Tomorrow, we will debrief this activity and look at some key passages before diving into The Beach. Make sure you are caught up on this assignment if you were absent, as you will be asked to recall elements of this essay a few times throughout this unit. To download copies of the essay or the summary organizer, go to Monday's post.

REMINDER: You have a blog assignment that is due next Monday, 9/21 by midnight. Please remember to save all of your work in a Word document FIRST and then copy and paste in the comment box. Don't forget to sign your name and class period to your post!

Blog Assignment #2: Utopia and Dystopia

To supplement our reading of The Beach, we have discussed the qualities of both utopian and dystopian societies. Visit the two links below. Explore the Dubai website, making sure to view the video gallery. Read the article and view the video segment regarding Denmark. Post your responses here.
What utopian qualities are found in Dubai? How about Denmark? Are they realistic? Close to actual utopias? Why or why not? What connections can you make between these real-life examples and what is reflected in the novel so far? Explain in a 3-5 paragraph response that uses quotes from both sources. Due via post by next Monday, 9/21.

The World: Dubai
Denmark: The Happiest Place on Earth

Monday, September 14, 2009

Happy Monday. Today we went over the introduction to our new novel unit, The Beach by Alex Garland. I showed you some essential questions to consider, you wrote your first of six "travel journal" entries, read a review of the novel from The New York Times, looked at some photos from Thailand, discussed some important terms (utopia/dystopia, Eden, and escapism) and also got a head start on your homework, reading an excerpt from Pico Iyer's essay "Why We Travel."
For this assignment, you will read your assigned page of the essay and annotate the text using the following symbols: * for something you like, ! for something you find interesting or surprising, and a ? for something you have a question about or find confusing. Once finished reading and annotating, you will fill in the organizer for your corresponding page. Bring both of these completed tasks with you to class tomorrow, you will be working in groups to jigsaw and discuss the essay.

"Why We Travel" by Pico Iyer
Jigsaw Notes Organizer

Friday, September 11, 2001

Today we had a discussion and watched a video montage about the September 11, 2001 attacks. This event had an extremely profound effect on our culture, our history, our national identity, our politics, our government, the list goes on. It was also the catalyst behind our involvement in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

This discussion helped us get ready for our introduction to what "Modern Literature" really is, and the characteristics that define the Modernist movement in art, literature, music, and poetry (and also how these venues serve as a reflection our culture and values as a society.) I showed you a power point and you took some notes on these characteristics (view the power point by clicking here.) The rest of the period was spent participating in a "chalk talk," which required you to move around the room and personally respond to a variety of questions that relate to our essential questions for the course and some of the concepts we'll be dealing with in our upcoming novels.

PLEASE NOTE: We won't be watching the Presidential Address on Education until Tuesday or Wednesday, so I will distribute the opt-out forms on Monday.

Have a great weekend!!

Wednesday, 9/9/09

Block day this week was spent doing some creative writing as well as evaluating more essay examples in groups. We also spent some time on peer feedback of your rough drafts. Remember, the three most important components of your essay are: your voice, the use of story, and a strong main idea! For homework, taking into account the feedback you recieved, revise and compose a second rough draft to turn in to me on Friday.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Today we picked up where we left off on Friday and finished watching the video on global education (click the link on Friday's post to view the video.) If you haven't turned in your exit pass assignment from Friday, today is your last day to turn it in for partial credit. Don't forget! For homework, bring in a copy of your college essay rough draft of at least 500 words with you to class on Wednesday. You will be using it for a small group activity.

Click here to view President Obama's address to students that took place today. Click here to read the text of the speech.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Today we began class by having a spirited discussion about something in the news lately that has quickly become a controversial issue: President Obama's upcoming speech to students regarding education. As you know, many school districts have refused to allow the speech to be aired, and many parents have opted not to allow their children to watch it. On the other hand, many schools have committed to allowing their student body watch this presidential address. View some articles and news stories by clicking the links below.

Do you think that schools should allow their students to view the speech in school on Tuesday? Why or why not? Please post your comments here.

Next, we watched a video from the PBS' Wide Angle series about access to education across the globe. Despite some obvious flaws in our educational system here in the United States, often we take for granted the educational opportunity and resources we have available to us as American citizens. This is an important issue to consider as you begin drafting your essay for your college applications!! This documentary profiles the educational systems and access to education in Japan, Romania, India, Kenya, and Brazil. After viewing the video, I asked you to write an exit pass to turn in at the end of class (see below.)

If you were absent, please view the video in it's entirety and on a sheet of paper, answer the following questions and turn in to me no later than next Wednesday: 1) In a paragraph response, compare and contrast one of the profiles from the video with our own educational system and opportunity in the U.S. Include what you think are some of the reasons for the similarities or differences you describe. 2) List and describe three NEW things you learned from the video; 3) List one question you have; 4) Recall the Marva Collins Creed that we read and discussed in class last week. Do you believe that the statements in the Creed still apply and ring true in other areas of the world? Why or why not?

Have a great Labor Day weekend! No homework. =)

View the Wide Angle series' documentary "Time for School" by clicking here. (54 mins.)

Links to articles about President Obama's upcoming address on education:

The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/ci_13257516

CNN http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/04/obama.schools/index.html

The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/04/us/04school.html