Orange Day

COLLEGE PREP
1. Vocabulary Test
2. College Essay: Introduce (again) the three FCAs for the college essay due on Tuesday...they are VOICE, LEAD, and SENTENCE VARIETY...the essay is due on Tuesday, and this one is your "free choice" college essay....we went over what I meant by "sentence variety," so if you missed or are confused, see me on Monday....we read "I am a dynamic figure," "Shakespeare," and "BC."

HONORS ENGLISH
1. Guest Lecture-Dr. Mark Pelletier: The origins of awesome
2 Collect Beowulf papers
3. Beowulf: "Epic hero convention" groupwork and discussion....notes and discussion on "The battle with Grendel's mother"...read the last section for homework, and know that on Tuesday we will have a test (knowing the Anglo Saxon history, Beowulf terms, short answers, thought questions, etc). Please bring your books to class (like you want to carry them around anyway....)

ENGLISH 12
1. Vocabulary Test
2. College Essay: Your final essay is due on Tuesday....it can be of a topic of your choice as long as YOU are the main subject, and it is about YOU. The three FCAs for this paper are LEAD, VOICE, and SENTENCE VARIETY...we spent a good deal of time going over the sentence variety aspect of this paper....make sure you have one (underlined) sentence in your paper that addresses each of the following: Adjective, Appositive, Prepositional Phrase, Participle Phrase. Remember, this is sentence lead variety. Dont misunderstand what we are doing, and if you have questions, come see me. If no more than 2 people are missing their essays on Tuesday, you may have the reward of some festive fun. Yeay.

grammar quiz

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/michaeltomasky/2009/dec/18/usa-english-grammar-quiz-punctuation

Black Day

HONORS ENGLISH

1. Beowulf: see orange day's plan from yesterday....we took notes on elements of an epic hero, and the paper was assigned....this paper is due on Monday. There was no reading assignment...just do the paper (pay attention to the FCAs...)

PUBLIC SPEAKING

1. Daily "The best Christmas present you could get me would be....."
2. Poetry memorization: Listen to/analyze "Tonight I can write the saddest lines," and "Innisfree"....discuss how they should be recited....discuss nuances of poem...hand out poetry recitation rubric (the one "Poetry Out Loud" National Endowment for the Arts uses)...you will be graded according to this poem....For Monday, be sure to have a poem picked out that you will recite in class on the following Wednesday. There is no "time limit," but the poem must be AT LEAST three stanzas long.

Orange Day

COLLEGE PREP
1. Vocabulary: Write review sentences for each word where YOU are the subject
2. College Essay: Mr Goldsmith reads his own "essay" about clothes, and then we began reading sample college essays, rating their effectiveness. This was a class participation grade. We read "Leah Knobler" and "Anorexia" in class. More to come on Friday.
3. STUDY VOCAB for test Friday

HONORS ENGLISH
1. Beowulf: lecture/notes on conventions of a "hero story"....notes begun on section 2 of Beowulf, focusing on a) differences between this fight and the one with Grendel, b) evidence of Beowulf being a supernatural hero, c) water motif, d) arrogance on behalf of Beowulf. There was a paper assigned and is due Friday: "Compare or contrast a modern day hero to Beowulf." You should incorporate our discussion today. The FCAs are 1) intro 2) evidence from the story
2. The random stop-bys continue...............................

ENGLISH 12
1. Vocab: I collected the sentences you did, and the quiz is on Friday.
2. College Essay: Teaching of magic 3, hyphenated modifier, and good leads....you then worked on your own "clothes" essays for a good amount of time, integrating these three revision techniques into your writing....the essays were collected at the end of class
**If you missed class today, your paper SHOULD have been into me today (especially if you were here in the morning, like several of you were). The paper is due to me in class on Friday. There is no "extra day" if you were out of class today. Also, you are to take the vocab test on Friday.

BLACK DAY

HONORS ENGLISH
1. Vocabulary test (from last week when we didnt it)
2. "Beowulf:" We went over the first section "The Battle With Grendel" and took notes on influence of Christian scribes, evilness of Grendel, and greatness of Beowulf....we finished taking our notes on the Anglo Saxon period, influence of the Christian scribes, and background on the beginning of the epic poem (as you guys are reading a very abridged version)....for Thursday, you should read the second section "The Battle with Grendel's mom" and make sure you understand it.

**Paige, when you return, be sure to copy the notes you missed. Try to keep up with the reading if you can!

PUBLIC SPEAKING

1. "Speechagories" game
2. Poetry Out Loud: Start talking about memorizing our poems....listen to (and read) Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll and discuss how it should be recited....start looking for a poem you will memorize....

Orange Day

College Prep

1. College Essay
a. smiley face tricks, hyphenated modifier, and rewritten lead activities to integrate into your "clothes" essays
b. swap papers and recommend two different leads for your partner's paper

2. Vocabulary words: Test will be on Friday of this week.

3. If you havent read it yet, make sure to read SNOWDAY POLICY

Honors English

1. Beowulf:
a. review of first section...religious references, fear of Hrothgar's men, Beowulf's greatness, Grendel's evilness notes done in groups
b. go over notes
c. research on Macs....find out information about a superhero of your choice and describe their a)skills and talents b)fatal flaw c) arch enemy.
d. begin discussion of EPIC HERO CONVENTIONS....we will finish this on Wednesday
e. Read section 2 "Battle with Grendel's mother"

2. If you havent read it yet, check out my SNOW DAY POLICY

English 12

1. Vocabulary words for test on Friday
a. write each word in a sentence for Wednesday.
2. College Essay
a brainstorm a list of your favorite pieces of clothing
b. I read you "Outfits" by Jared Goldsmith....haha
c. With remaining time, begin writing to the prompt of this: What does your clothing say about your identity? This is due on Wednesday. It needs to be printed out ON PAPER. It should be AT LEAST one page....
3. If you havent read it yet, check out my SNOW DAY POLICY

Black Day

Honors English
1. Fun with the English language
2. "Beowulf:" We took notes/background information on the Anglo Saxon period, the origins of Beowulf, etc. For next class you need to read the first section "The Battle with Grendel," and take notes on "religious references" you find in the text. Write them down
3. VOCAB TEST TUESDAY
4. PLEASE READ MY SNOW DAY POLICY AT THE TOP RIGHT CORNER OF THIS BLOG

Public Speaking
1. Memorization/Focus
-"Who started the motion"
-"Question Game"
-"Hot Seat"
-30 second memorization process

Orange Day

COLLEGE PREP

1. College Essay
-collect "clothes" essays (these will not be graded yet....you will work on them more in class on Monday....if you didnt have it for today, make sure to have it Monday....one zero is better than two zeros!!
-"Day I'd like to relive" old MEA test packets...read, rate, and critique them....what can learn about our own writing from these
2 BE SURE TO READ MY "SNOW DAY" POLICY AT THE TOP RIGHT OF THIS BLOG!

HONORS ENGLISH

1. Vocabulary test
2. Fun with the English language.....we held off on "Beowulf" for now, since I dont want you guys to get to far ahead of the black day class....the assignment that was due today will be due on Monday....make sure you read
3. BE SURE TO READ MY "SNOW DAY" POLICY AT THE TOP RIGHT OF THIS BLOG!

ENGLISH 12

1. "fun facts" about our English language
2. College Essay
-"how have you taken advantage of educational opportunities outside of school?" Make a list
-discussion of these "opportunities"
-"voice" activity--> situational writing based on the "character" I give you....write from their perspective....
3. BE SURE TO READ MY "SNOW DAY" POLICY AT THE TOP RIGHT OF THIS BLOG!

ORANGE DAY

College Prep

1. College Essay
-"English Journal" article
-discuss
-"voice activities" writing from different points of view
-brainstorm 10 favorite items of clothing (clothing can be clothes, jewelery, lucky charms, sporting equipment, etc!)
-For next class: Write the essay of "How does your clothing define you as a person?" This is your first graded assignment. Make sure to have it PRINTED OUT BEFORE you enter the classroom!

Honors English

1. Beowulf
-introductory notes on Beowulf, Anglo Saxons, etc
-read section 1 "The Battle with Grendel"
-take notes on the religious imagery we see in this section

English 12

1. MacBook training
2. 20 minute in class response to one of the "questions" from last Friday....basically, write about YOU where YOU are the main subject. You are being graded on voice.

Black Day

Honors English

1. College Essay
a. "dynamic figure" mad lib activity....

2. Vocab list for test this FRIDAY

3. Macbook training: Begin with garageband....continue a bit on Wednesday

4. Yeay.

Public Speaking

1. Viewing of news, politician bloopers (relate to the importance of focus)
2. Notes to help you memorize information
3. For Wednesday: Do another 30 second memorization....it can be song lyrics, poem, etc!

Orange Day

College Prep

1. Vocab test
2. MAC DAY: We learned all kinds of neat stuff about our Macbooks, facilitated by yours truly. We explored the dictionary, GoogleEarth, iPhoto (and how to make slideshows....great Christmas presents!), and Garageband (for recording voice podcasts!)
3. We put our college essay stuff on hold for today. On Tuesday, we'll continue with our personal narrative writing...we'll be going full steam ahead

Honors English

1. New vocabulary words for a test next Thursday
2. MAC DAY: See College Prep's plan.....the Mac day we had in this class was so effective that we tabled starting Beowulf in lieu of learning how to use our computers better.....we'll continue with Beowulf on Tuesday. Fun.

English 12

1. Vocab quiz (did you pass???)
2. College Essay stuff: "the list of questions" and "collecting activity" were done in class in order to foster creativity. We shared some of these (and boy, was in enlightening!).
3. We didnt get to the "Mac" stuff, but we'll do that on Tuesday
**Bring the list of questions AND the collecting activity to class on Tuesday!

Black Day

HONORS ENGLISH

1. College Essay
-work on sentence variety and varying sentence beginnings, as this is a major FCA of the essay you will hand in for a test grade
-work in class on those essays (which were DUE today....although it was your choice if you wanted me to collect the paper today, or take it Thursday). While you work, integrate varied sentence beginnings into the essay (this was a classwork and participation grade)

PUBLIC SPEAKING

1. Daily: "What advice would you give to some of the teachers of this school?" Use either eye contact or pausing as your sign of confidence

2. Memorization/Focus
-"Hey Harry" focus activity
-research (on Macbooks) regarding mnemonic devices and how they are used
-for next class, memorize something that is a minimum of 30 seconds long. You will be expected to present this in class on Thursday. It can be song lyrics, a poem, etc. It CANNOT be something silly (like the ABCs, Twinkle Twinkle, nursery rhymes, etc....)

Orange Day

***ARE WE REALLY BACK AT SCHOOL?****

COLLEGE PREP

1. Vocab list for test this Friday
2. College Essay: more voice writing (something you find annoying)....sharing....playing "kite or clothesline" as a participation grade....sharing our responses....CLASS PARTICIPATION is huge during this college essay writing unit!

HONORS ENGLISH

1. College Essay: "I am a dynamic figure" activity....read essay by Leah Knobler....discuss cliches in writing....workshop essays
**NOTE**The essays were checked off for being DONE today....but you can give them to me by Wednesday if you want to make last minute revisions in the areas of the FCAs which are LEAD, SENTENCE VARIETY, and VOICE

ENGLISH 12

1. Vocabulary: words given for test on Friday....an in class participation assignment was to put each of the words in a sentence that is about YOU (we will be doing personal narrative writing next, so this fits well).
2. Papers: You had your "CS Lewis quote" papers due today, but because I am such a nice guy during this holiday season, you may give it to me on Wednesday...as long as you remember that a STRONG INTRO is a major focus correction area for this paper. We went over intros again, and you can see last week's blog post for more info....

ORANGE DAY

HONORS ENGLISH

1. College Essay
-pass back "clothes" essays
-read sample essays from Ambar, Clayton, BC, and Billy Shakes
-your essay (your free choice essay) is due on Tuesday. Be sure to remember the three focus areas: VOICE and LEAD. We will work on the third one-SENTENCE VARIETY-on Tuesday in class. Bring your computers to do this. Have your essays both printed out AND saved on computer.

PUBLIC SPEAKING

1. Confidence/Body Language
-finish rest of film clip presentations
-view episode of "The Awful Truth" as it relates to confidence in speech

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

ORANGE DAY

COLLEGE PREP
1. Collect paper...but first, go through and underline thesis statement and circle backstory
2. College Essay
-begin with discussion of what a college essay should look like
-go over the rubric for your essay (voice, sentence variety, lead)
-discussion of voice, tone, and style
-"voice game" writing....list 5 things that make you happy

HONORS ENGLISH
1. College Essay
-read examples from Clayton Kennedy, BC, Shakespeare, etc.
-mini-lesson on sentence variety and alternating sentence beginnings (replacing NOUNS with adjectives, prep phrases, appositives, participle phrases, etc)
***Remember that your college essay (the one of your choice) is due Monday after vacation. Remember the three FCAs (voice, sentence variety, lead!). It is DUE, even though you may not hand it in that day...we still have some work to do with editing, revising, etc

ENGLISH 12
1. Vocabulary test
2. "Herb Johnson-The God of Canton" by Garrison Keillor
-read aloud
-discuss: what could you POSSIBLY have in common with Herb, an 1800 pound former athlete?
3. Writing
-with Macs, begin writing the crafted response from CS Lewis: "We read because we want to know we are not alone."
-You all did very well writing in class today, and your homework is to finish this paper for Monday. Be sure to remember that our FCA (focus area) is STRONG INTRODUCTION!! See the notes we took on intros from last class....be sure your intro has good "backstory." As an example of backstory, see the short paragraph below (the italicized is the backstory).

Every single day, we see judge people we don't know. We see them in the school cafeteria, sitting alone, we see them in the library, and we see them in the hallways. There's a famous expression about not judging a book by its cover, and I think, unfortunately, that we do that all the time. Sometimes I feel like people dont really now me; people see me, a wicked awesome and cool looking English teacher at WHS, and think I have always been this way. The same is true for Herb Johnson in Garrison Keillor's story. Many look at him and think he is just a regular old fat guy. What people dont realize is that Herb used to be a star football player, and Mr Goldsmith used to be a Humpback whale. CS Lewis's quote trule applies to me and "Herb Johnson, God of Canton."

BLACK DAY

HONORS ENGLISH
1. College Essay: We went over the strategies of "magic 3," hyphenated modifier, and good leads....work on own "clothes essays" and integrate into your paper....read leads from "Dark and Stormy" book....trade papers and work on "shoes and socks" for your partner's paper....

PUBLIC SPEAKING.
1. Empathy/Body Language: Discuss the role empathy plays in interpersonal communication....via the Internet, take the BBC psychology "smile test"....discuss scores and difficulties regarding empathy...take "empathy quotient" test on your own (yeay macs!!)....discuss results....begin movie clips conveying confidence (Haley, Sam, Cody went today...the rest of you must present on Friday!).

Orange Day

COLLEGE PREP
1. Collect "Lake" and any other stories you may have!
2. Assign paper that is due on Thursday: "CS Lewis once said that 'we read because we want to know we are not alone.'" Apply this quote to a story we have read during our short story unit. The FCA for this paper is INTRODUCTIONS
3. Writing introductions lesson....we learned all about backstory, thesis statement, etc. There were some handouts to go along with this, so get them if you missed. We modeled some intros and focused on creating good backstory. Pay extra attention to your introduction when you hand in your paper on Thursday

HONORS ENGLISH
1. College essay: Revisit "magic 3," hyphenated modifier, and lead, and share how they were integrated into your "clothes" essay....swop papers with a neighbor to do shoes and socks for their essay....begin reading sample essays and provide feedback on them (we only got to the one by Ambar Espinoza today)...I collected the essay and it will be graded as one of your two "test" grades for this unit.

ENGLISH 12

1. Collect "Once More to the Lake" and other short stories
2. "Daily" done in class, to count for a participation grade (see me if you were absent and need one)
3. Reminder of VOCAB TEST THURSDAY
4. Paper topic is this: "CS Lewis once said that 'we read because we want to know we are not alone."" Apply this to a story we have read during this short story unit. (this is not DUE next class....but, rather, you should bring your computer so we can work on them in class!)
5. The focus correction area for this paper is going to be a strong introduction....we spent time going over the process of writing good intros with 3-5 sentences, backstory, thesis statement, etc.
6. For next class, you should attempt writing an INTRO for your paper. That is all.

Black Day

HONORS ENGLISH
1. Vocabulary Test was taken today
2. College Essay: Today in class was a "writing day," since the class elected last Thursday to do this in class today. Time was allotted to write to the prompt "What does your clothing say about your identity?" Remember, of course, that "clothing" is a blanket term for clothes, jewelery, talismans, piercings, etc etc........(school appropriate). A printed out draft is due in class on Wednesday. We need it to be double spaced for our work shopping purposes.....

PUBLIC SPEAKING
1. Empathy/Body language in speech: We had a general discussion of how body language affects the way you come off in your public speaking....we went over the importance of inferential skills....we played "two truths and a lie" in order to see how we are "judged" by our classmates...
2. FOR WEDNESDAY, please bring in a short movie clip (no Youtube, etc) that is about 2 minutes or so. This clip should clearly demonstrate CONFIDENCE IN SPEECH as we have talked about this year. See me soon if you do not understand this!

Orange Day

COLLEGE PREP

1. Vocabulary test was taken
2. "Once More to the Lake"
a. focused writing: describe a place that has changed for you since you were young
b. read essay in class
c. point, question, connect to essay
3. College essay
a. bring materials to class so we can begin next unit

HONORS ENGLISH

1. College Essay
a. share "clothes" essays....brainstorm lists...etc
b. I read "Outfits," an original piece by me, G
c. Mr Carey, Mr Bourne, and a hundred other people stop by to visit...haha
d. teach writing strategies of MAGIC 3, DIALOGUE, HYPHENATED MODIFIER, and LEADS
e. share some reallllly bad leads
f. for next class: integrate your new writing tools into your clothes essay....you can write in pen right on the paper....you should also develop three alternate (random, zany, funny, creative) leads for your essay

2. Vocabulary test

ENGLISH 12

1. New vocabulary words for test next THURSDAY
2."Once more to the lake"
a. write about a place that has changed since you were younger
b. read essay in class and create 2 literal, 2 inferential, 2 transcendent questions for TUESDAY
**Remember** you need to bring your copy of "Lake" with you...if not, it is a zero for a participation grade....

Black Day

HONORS ENGLISH
1. College Essay
a. exchange papers (which were a participation grade) and offer shoes/socks on them
b. write THREE alternate beginning sentences for your partners piece of writing
c. read "English Journal" article on creative nonfiction, and then discuss the article
d. don't forget that your COLLEGE ESSAY VOCAB QUIZ is on MONDAY

2. The class elected to write the next essay IN CLASS on Monday, so make sure to bring your Macs

PUBLIC SPEAKING
1. Stump speech (25 seconds, off-the cuff, creative, etc)
2. Doublespeak
a. bring closure to unit by researching examples on the world wide web....then sharing/presenting to the class for a participation grade

Orange Day

COLLEGE PREP

1. Vocabulary
a. check off words (participation grade) you were supposed to look up, report on, etc
2. Point, Question, Connect reading strategy
a. teach strategy
b. apply to popular film or show
c. apply to "Herb Johnson, God of Canton" which we read LAST class.
**Note: We didnt get to the whole class plan due to the flu shot clinic**

HONORS ENGLISH

1. College Essay
a."daily write" on superhero quality you would desire.....incorporate voice and guess each others
b. Read "English Journal" article on "creative non fiction"
c. Reminder of COLLEGE ESSAY VOCAB TEST on FRIDAY
d. Voice writing exercises on board...write from perspective of other characters, etc
e. crafted narrative due on Friday: "How does your clothing identify you?" Note that you should consider clothing your clothes, jewelry, tattoos, piercings, accessories, etc etc etc. ALSO, you should brainstorm a LIST of as many pieces of your favorite clothing as you can think of. Please write something you don't mind sharing in class. Make it rich in voice!! THIS WILL BE ONE OF YOUR TWO GRADED PAPERS FOR THIS UNIT

ENGLISH 12

1. "A&P"
a. re-read story and work on questions
b. go over questions, discuss the story, etc.
**since we were missing over half of the class, we did not move forward with the writing we will do next. We will continue this on Friday, with new vocab words, writing instruction, and our last short story. If you will not be here on Friday either, make sure you come see me**

Black Day

HONORS ENGLISH
1. College Essay
a. essayish vocab words to be tested next Monday AND (hopefully) to be integrated into your essays!
b. "collecting activity" brainstorming and sharing
c. "Kite or Clothesline" part 2
d. For next class, make sure you have written at home for about 15 minutes regarding a prompt from our collecting activity today. We will share these with each other and do work shopping

PUBLIC SPEAKING
1. Doublespeak
a. Seinfeld clip
b. Read "Words Don't Mean...." and discuss
c. examples of doublespeak in our world today....write down the list
***Bring your computers for next class....we will be doing some research!***

Black Day (AND COLLEGE PREP ORANGE ASSIGNMENT)

**To CP students: I am sorry for the lack of a blog last night....I forgot because I was so excited about the soccer game! The prompt to which you were to respond was this: "Can perfection exist in nature? Why or why not?"

Today's classes......

HONORS ENGLISH
1. Discussion of Voice, Tone, and Style....review of definitions....how to put them into practice
2. "Voice games"....we went over how to distinguish voice in our writing, and how to incorporate it....we all wrote to the prompt of "what annoys you?" and then tried to guess who wrote what....based on our individual voices
3. "Interview activity"....we walked around, paired up, and discussed possible prompts

PUBLIC SPEAKING
1. Finish "Merchants of Cool" documentary
2. Doublespeak
a. discussion questions in small groups
b. view powerpoint presentation on hedging, doublespeak, softening language, etc.

Black Day

HONORS ENGLISH
1. (same as honors from yesterday....we went over "Once More to the Lake" and started our college essay writing unit).

PUBLIC SPEAKING
1. Presentation of Ad Consultant projects
2. Haley and G finally do their teaching projects!
3. Begin "Doublespeak" unit!
*We will finish "Merchants of Cool" next time.....

Orange Day

COLLEGE PREP ENGLISH
1. The "status quo" response was due today
2. "Three levels of questioning" powerpoint was presented.....we worked in groups to create literal, inferential, and transcendent questions....we then shared our findings
3. Read "The Birthmark" by Hawthorne, and create 3 inferential questions and 2 transcendent questions to be collected on Wednesday

HONORS ENGLISH
1. "Once More to the Lake" was finished up....we had our discussion of symbolism in the essay...I collected the findings you were to write down
2. The college essay unit was begun....I went over all the expectations of the unit....we had a discussion of "voice," and then we played "Kite or Clothesline" game, where we shared "what we were."
3. Your only "homework" during this whole unit is to GET READY TO SEND COLLEGE APPLICATIONS! There was no "writing" assessment due on Wednesday

ENGLISH 12
1. We got new vocab words for a test to be on Friday. Each student was assigned a "word," and the student is to become the "expert" on that word, doing the following
a. write FIVE original sentences using the word
b. write a good paragraph explaining how the word might relate to them personally!
2. Quick review of three levels of questioning
3. Read the short story "Freak the Geek," and create 3 literal questions and 2 inferential questions.

Orange Day

COLLEGE PREP ENGLISH
1. We took the vocabulary test
2. "A Rose for Emily:" We took time in class to read and discuss the story...we went over the "clues" present in the story that make the ending more believable. There was a response assigned that is due Monday, and the expectation is that this is to be done EVEN IF you haven't finished the story-->What happens to people in our society who go against the status quo? Provide your own opinion, backed up by examples.

HONORS ENGLISH
1. We took vocabulary test
2. I collected the "CS Lewis" paper, which was due today
3. "Once more to the lake" was assigned. To promote our new technology (Macs), you are to find the essay (google it...it is an easy one to find!), read it, and respond to TWO of the examples of symbolism I wrote on the board. If you missed class, come see me to get them.
4. "Halloween in Literature" discussion.....
5. For Monday, PLEASE bring some examples of college essay questions you've seen!

ENGLISH 12

1. We revisited "The Lottery," discussing traditions and typological names
2. We viewed a powerpoint presentation about three levels of question generating. Hopefully you took good notes
3. Worked in groups to develop 3 literal questions, 5 inferential questions, and 5 transcendent questions. These questions are to be on a film, book, or show of your choice. Whatever you didnt finish in groups is due on Monday....it is a participation grade....

Black Day

HONORS ENGLISH
1. Reminder of vocabulary test on Wednesday
2. Writing: Focus on introductory paragraphs....share paragraphs written as "models" of good backstory and details....look at examples from "traditions" paper
3. OWLs from the last paper you wrote were reviewed. Remember, these are mistakes you made on your papers. From this point on, you will be doubly penalized for making the same mistakes again!
4. Start rounding up all your college stuff for our college essay writing unit which will begin next class!

PUBIC SPEAKING
1. Mystery Story: Listen attentively (oral interpretation) to figure out what is going on
2. Speech Improvisation involving "pitching" bogus products (toothpaste, velcro sneakers, wonderbread, etc.). Make your product believable, interesting, and marketable!
3. We went to the library to do research on your product for the "ad consultant" project. This will be due in two classes.

Orange Day

COLLEGE PREP ENGLISH
1. Cake for BK
2. "The Bet:" We did all notes regarding the story...."moral continuum" was done in small groups to determine what changed the lawyer from being arrogant and money-hungry to a misanthrope...
3. Talk about laptops and the expectations I have for our class!
4. Vocabulary test is on Tuesday

HONORS ENGLISH
1. Vocabulary words for test next Thursday (the last one of quarter 1)
2. "Halloween Literature" and analysis......

ENGLISH 12
1. Combined test on vocabulary words and "Thank you for smoking." You could use your notes for this.
2. "The Lottery:" Notes on "contrasting images"......copy down questions regarding the story....read story in class today and answer the three questions I posed to you.
3. "Laptop talk" and expectations in this class. If you did not get a "sheet" with these expectations, see me for one.

Black Day

HONORS ENGLISH
1. New vocab words for test next Wednesday
2. Paper was due today. If you were absent, it must be into me by TOMORROW (not Monday). That is the school's (and my) policy
3. Writing: We focused on introduction writing....there was a handout that went with this....please follow directions and write an AWESOME introduction for next class.
**There's a lot of stuff coming up, with the end of the term nearing us.....we have a vocab test next week, a short story test coming up, and the beginning of our college essay unit waiting "in the wings." Lots of stuff going on....come see me if you have any questions!

PUBLIC SPEAKING
1. Daily speech: "The thing about laptops is this...."
2. Buzz words in speech....Chinese food restaurant naming matrix.....share buzz words
3. Introduce advertising consultant project....we'll probably be in the library on Monday, but come here first!

Orange Day

COLLEGE PREP
1. O.W.L. Test
2. Vocab words for test NEXT TUESDAY
3. "The Bet" by Anton Chekhov: We started by answering opinionated questions on the death penalty versus life imprisonment, etc. We began the story in class, reading aloud. For next class, you should finish the story AND take PHYSICAL notes on the literary devices used in the story. This will be checked off for class participation

HONORS
1. "A&P:" We finished up the story with a brief discussion of perceptions, etc. We took notes on the story.
2. We did a writing lesson involving the construction of awesome introductions in papers. There was a handout to go along with this
3. Paper was assigned, and it is due next Tuesday: CS Lewis said "we read because we want to know we are not alone." Apply this quote to a story (or stories) we have read this far. The major focus correction area for this is, of course, an awesome introduction

ENGLISH 12
1. We took the O.W.L. test
2. We finished up the film "Thank you for smoking." You should expect a quiz on it on Friday.

HONORS ENGLISH
1. "A&P:" The story was to be read for today (per Mr Lessard last Friday). We did the activities pertaining to the story, including the discussion of "perceptions" verses merely "seeing." We had a discussion of the story as a class, and discussed the transcendent issues available in the story.
2. Point, Question, Connect: We learned this strategy for responding to literature.
3. Paper due on Thursday: C.S. Lewis said "we read to know we're not alone." Respond to this idea by applying it to one (or more than one) story we have read thus far in our short story unit. If you need help or clarification with this, PLEASE come see me

PUBLIC SPEAKING
1. "Advertising character" quiz (for fun, not graded!)
2. Analysis of commercial advertisements....discussion of what is (and is not) effective in commercials
3. We will have our next project assigned to us on Thursday. Also, be prepared to do a DAILY, as we havent had one in a LONG time....

Orange Day

COLLEGE PREP ENGLISH
1. Paper due on "traditions"
2. "In the Twilight:" The story was to be read for today. We took notes on the story and discussed the "bigger picture" of making inferences about characters.
3. OWL test will be FIRST THING on Wednesday. We should have had it today....

ENGLISH 12
1. OWL test will be first thing on Wednesday
2. We got new vocabulary words today. There will be a test on Friday.
3. "Thank you for smoking:" We began this movie in the context of persuasive writing and argumentation you will be doing this year. Be sure to be taking notes on the film. There will be a test and a paper due on it.

HONORS ENGLISH
1. Point Question, Connect was taught as a way to respond to literature
2. "A&P:" We read this story and discussed the idea of "perceptions" in literature. We "PQCd" to the story and went around to share. There is a response due on Wednesday:

"A&P is largely a story of perception...meaning that what Sammy 'perceives' affects his decision to be rational (in his mind) or irrational (perhaps in our mind). Explain how Sammy's perceptions are the impetus for him to make the decisions he makes in the story. HOw does what he 'sees' affect his actions? Furthermore, you should address the question as to if he made a foolish (or not foolish) decision based on these perceptions. As always, use evidence and quotes...."

Orange Day

COLLEGE PREP
1. "The Lottery:" We took notes on the story, discussing symbolism, "the box," Tessie, typological names, etc. A paper was assigned for Monday, where you are to respond to the following: Traditions in our society are often seen as healthy, positive, and beneficial things. But make the argument that "traditions" can be harmful to a society or group of people. This is due on Monday.
2. "In the Twilight:" We began the story in class. You are to finish this for homework. Pay attention to inferences you can make in the story
3. Don't forget that your O.W.L test is on Monday! Study your list

HONORS

1. Mr. Cyr came in and told me I smile too much and would thus never make it at Annapolis
2. "The Birthmark:" We took notes on the story. Be sure to copy them if you were not here (Amanda...haha). We then broke into groups to discuss the ideas of perfection in nature, as well as other transcendent questions. We will go over these on Monday.

ENGLISH 12

1. We took the BEOWULF test today. I will have these corrected for next class
2. Because some people took the whole time, we did not start anything new. We will begin our short story unit on Monday.

Black Day

HONORS ENGLISH
1. "The Birthmark" by Hawthorne
-collect responses
-do notes on story, involving Romanticism, conflicts, struggle between faith and science, etc
-group reflective questions/sharing of transcendent issues

2. No new assignment

PUBLIC SPEAKING
1. "Thank You For Smoking"
-finish up film
-write a response (1-1.5 pages) for Friday's class

Orange Day

COLLEGE PREP
1. O.W.L. list for quiz on next Monday
2. The Lottery: We quickly broke into groups to discuss weird/strange traditions we have in our culture. We will apply these to the story on Thursday. No new assignment for tonight.

HONORS ENGLISH
1. We viewed a powerpoint presentation on three levels of question generating for literature. After the powerpoint, we broke up into groups in order to develop original literal, inferential, and transcendent questions based on a favorite movie or show.
2. "The Birthmark" by Nathaniel Hawthorne was started. Preliminary discussion about the story. For next class, please do the following: Create an original inferential question, and respond to this question in writing.

ENGLISH 12
1. O.W.L. list given for test next Monday
2. Beowulf: THe worksheet for part 3 "The Death of Beowulf" was given out. Follow the directions to finish this sheet. The TEST will on Thursday. STUDY FOR THIS! Know all the history of Beowulf, look over study guides, notes, etc. We will go over the "death" worksheet on Thursday before the test.

Black Day

HONORS ENGLISH
1. O.W.L. test
2. Question Generating
a. finish powerpoint presentation on literature questions
b. work in groups to develop levels of questions....share questions as a class
3. "The Birthmark" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
a. read story for next class
b. crafted response: Create an inferential question based on "The Birthmark" and respond to the question. Be sure to use QUOTES from the story to incorporate in your response

Public Speaking
1. View "Thank You For Smoking." Be sure to take notes as there will be a written response about this.

Orange Day

College Prep English
1. Beowulf test
2. Short Story Unit- We began this today with the story "The Lottery"
a. we took notes on "contrasting images"
b. read the story for next class, and take PHYSICAL notes on contrasting images you see in the story

Honors English

1. Test on O.W.L words
2. "The Bet"
a. discussion of "loneliness" and the "20 million dollar" question. Discussion of "Murder in the First"
b. Classwork: Design a continuum showing how the lawyer went from through his character "transformation" in the story. What tangible things led him to be a misanthrope?
c. Discussion of predominant literary device used in story, along with "hubris" and "internal and external conflict"

English 12
1. Beowulf
a. collect/go over notes that were supposed to have been taken over section 2
b. take additional notes on "signs of arrogance" Beowulf has show thus far in the story
c. OFFICIALLY assign paper. This is due NEXT TUESDAY IN CLASS. Remember: you get one tech day per semester
d. go over how to achieve success with the focus correction areas of the paper: Intro paragraph, and three concrete examples from the book
e. Read the final section of Beowulf "The Death of Beowulf" for Tuesday. We will have the Beowulf test on Thursday of next week!

Orange Day

College Prep English

1. Beowulf

a. papers are due!

b. timeline and true/false chronology based on "The Death of Beowulf"

c. review of "Epic Hero" graphic organizer

d. groupwork on "modern Beowulf" and bringing the story into a "societal context"

e. Beowulf test is THURSDAY! Study for this! Know hero motif, historical notes, text, etc.

Honors English

1. OWL sheet on misused words.....the test on this will be THURSDAY!

2. "The Bet"

a. pass out story

b. read for next class

c. write (in note form or paper) about the predominant literary device used by Chekov in the story

English 12

1. Beowulf

a. We went around the room and shared our "hero" paragraphs. This was a class participation grade. A surprisingly large number of you are bonking the class participation portion of class lately.....why?

b. Took notes on "conventions of a hero story." Make sure you have them in order

c. Viewed "Clash of the gods: Beowulf" on The History Channel

d. For next class: Take written notes on section two "The battle with Grendel's mother." Your notes should address the three following areas

-the setting of the lake.....details about it

-the differences between this fight and the one with Grendel

-evidence of Beowulf as a "supernatural hero"

Black Day

Honors English
1. O.W.L (ongoing writing list) list
a. make sure to have a separate section of your notebook for this
b. test on these "writing tools" will be on Friday!
c. you are now responsible for NOT MAKING THESE MISTAKES in your writing.....

2. "The Bet" by Anton Chekov
a. we played "4 corners" as we discussed issues of capital punishment vs life imprisonment, etc.
b. read the story for Wednesday and write up notes about a predominant literary term apparent in the story.

Public Speaking
1. Practice a "daily" speech incorporating two signs of confidence from your notes
2. Speech in advertising
a. brainstorm famous ads and slogans
b. begin notes (but we didnt get too far)
3. ****IMPORTANT**** Get your permission slip for "Thank you for smoking" to me by Wednesday or you CAN'T watch the movie in class!

Orange Day

College Prep

1. Beowulf
-we shared our "hero" paragraphs aloud as a class. They were a participation grade
-discussion/notes on hero conventions, stereotypes, and norms
-formal assignment of Beowulf paper...this is due TUESDAY!!
-graphic organizer worksheet/chart to work on in groups...charting the course of an epic hero story
-MAKE SURE YOU HAVE "THE DEATH OF BEOWULF" read for Tuesday. Expect a quiz???

Honors English

1. "In the Twilight"
-Guided response: How do inferences made in the story contribute to the conflict of man vs. self?
-discussion on inferences....characters we want to know more about
-integrate vocabulary words into writing response (this takes place of formal quiz)
-"In the Twilight" Points to Ponder study guide. We started going over this. We'll finish up on Tuedsay, but you are expected to KNOW the elements of this guide!

English 12
1. Beowulf
-notes given on section 1-"The battle with Grendel." Copy them from a friend if you missed class
-For Tuesday, make sure you read "The battle with Grendel's mom." You should have done this already! Also, (and you should have done this already too!) make sure you have your "hero" paragraph, as we'll be discussing them in class. This counts as a participation grade!

Black Day

Honors English

1. "In the Twilight" was to be read for today. You were to take notes on character inferences you could make about Bruce. There was an in class essay with the following prompt: "How do the character inferences one can make support a conflict of man versus self?" We discussed the story using the "points to ponder" sheet I passed out. Also, I told the "Dickde" and "puppet" story. Good stuff.

2. Public Speaking
Began discussion of "signs of confidence." We took notes on these so make sure you have them. We will use these signs of confidence throughout the semester.....they are WICKED important

Black Day

Honors English
1. We finished "The Lottery" discussion with notes on symbolism, typological names, adherence to tradition, and Tessie Hutchinson
2. We began "In the Twilight" by Wallace Stegner. To start with, we played "two truths and a lie" as we discussed how we can make deep thinking inferences about characters. For next class, read the story, and take PHYSICAL notes on types of inferences you can make about the character Bruce....

Public Speaking
1. Guest speaker Officer Josh Veilleux presenting on public speaking, confidence, and staying cool under pressure. If you missed this, you missed a great class!

Orange Day

ALL CLASSES: Guidance came by today to talk to all of you seniors. They had MANY important things to tell you/give you. If you missed this due to the yearbook ad drive, make sure you see your guidance counselor SOON! We will resume our "academic" schedule on Wednesday, which is an early release day....

CP English: Make sure you read section 2 of Beowulf: "The Battle with Grendel's Mother." Quizzes are always fair game

Honors English: Our vocab test will be on FRIDAY due to guidance coming today, and the half day on Wed.

English 12: Be sure to read part 2 of Beowulf: "The Battle with Grendel's Mother." If you are missing any notes, be sure to get them!!!

Black Day

Honors English
1. De-briefed guidance visit....we talked about lots of burning questions and issues regarding the college application process
2. We took the vocabulary test #2
3. The Lottery: We started our discussion of the story, going over contrasting images, symbolism, and "the box." On Monday, we'll finish our notes and discussion of the story. You should prepare yourself by bringing 1) a working understand of the story 2) a list of "weird" and eccentric traditions

Public Speaking
1. Teaching Project Presentations

Orange Day

College Prep English
1. Took vocab test #2
2. Reminder that guidance will be in class on Monday. Get your college stuff together and come with questions!
3. Beowulf: We did in class work finding NERVOUSNESS OF MEN, RELIGIOUS UNDERTONES, GREATNESS OF BEOWULF, and EVILNESS OF GRENDEL. We worked in groups to provide textual evidence of each. We then discussed part 1 of the story. If you missed, get the notes! For WEDNESDAY, please read part 2 (The Battle with Grendel's mom) and write a paragraph where you research a superhero of your choice. The three things you must include are a) strengths and talents b)arch enemy c)fatal flaw/weakness

Honors English
1. Reminder that vocab test is WEDNESDAY because guidance is coming Monday
2. The Lottery: We started by working in groups to discuss contrasting images AND a prevailing literary device found in the story. We then discussed the story and took notes. If you missed, copy the notes! Finally, we discussed the responses that were due TODAY, and we talked about traditions that we have that don't necessarily make any sense.
3. There was no new story given, since guidance will be here on Monday. We will resume Wed..

English 12
1. Guidance is coming Monday. As a participation grade, bring AT LEAST THREE questions to ask them.
2. Beowulf: We started with a "daily" writing response: a) Do you need to be arrogant to be successful? AND b) Describe an arrogant celebrity. We discussed those and they were passed in as a participation grade. We then took notes on Beowulf. If you missed class, these notes are WICKED important to get! You must read section one (The battle with Grendel) for homework.

Black Day

Honors English
1. Guidance came to talk to class today. They imparted LOADS of VERY IMPORTANT information for you to hear. If you missed, go see guidance IMMEDIATELY. Even if you were in class today, go see guidance. You'll feel a lot less worried if you do. Also, come talk to me with ANY college questions you might have!

Public Speaking
1. Back-to-Back activity: Test your talents for your clear, articulated direction giving as you pair up with a classmate to perform an awesome drawing....
2. Check in with "teaching project." Remember, this project is to be presented on FRIDAY. Pay close attention to the TIME LIMIT which is 3 minutes MINIMUM!
3. I began to model the teaching project by performing the world's best card trick....hear the solution on Friday....

Orange Day

College Prep
1. We took our literary terms test today
2. REMINDER OF VOCAB TEST #2 ON THURSDAY
3. We began Beowulf today. We took background notes on the historical context involving Beowulf, as well as the story itself. Several new "terms" were introduced with Beowulf. You should be studying these notes for the test

Honors English
1. New vocabulary words were given today. The test will be on Monday
2. Short story unit was begun. I passed out "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. We discussed the idea of "contrasting images" in literature. The story was assigned to be read for Thursday. In addition, please respond to the following prompt: "Traditions are often seen as having a positive impact on our culture. But do you think traditions can have a negative affect too?" This should be typed.

English 12
1. We started with a clip from "The Thomas Crown Affair." Students analyzed the literary devices present in this ten minute clip. Participation grade
2. Literary Terms test was taken in class.
3. Beowulf was started. No notes were given today, but for next class you need to write a paragraph research a "modern day hero." You should address three things in this paragraph: 1) strength and skill 2) arch enemy 3) fatal flaw/chief weakness

Orange Day

Black Day

Honors English
1. We got new vocabulary words for a test that will be FRIDAY
2. "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson was started in class. For FRIDAY (because guidance is coming in on Wednesday) please do the following:
a. read the story
b. write (TYPE!) your answer to the following response: Is the idea of "tradition" in our
culture more harmful than good? Traditions have the "intent" of being positive parts
of our life....but can they be totally negative things? Discuss.
c. compile a list of "traditions" we have in our life that we do....even though they might make
little sense (Halloween, Easter egg hunts, etc) to us.

Public Speaking
1. Debrief George Lessard "talk"
2. Introduced "teaching project" speech which is to be delivered on FRIDAY
3. We started the discussion about the idea of "direction giving" and clear articulation in speech. There were handouts here if you were absent. The handouts had many good (and bad) examples of direction giving.
4. The "Back to Back" activity was postponed....we'll do it on Wednesday. We were missing several folks, and we didnt have enough time to adequately do it. Instead though, Little G entertained us with his adventure stories.....

Orange Day

*******ALL CLASSES: REMEMBER TO MAKE UP YOUR WORK!!! YOU HAVE TO SEE ME THE DAY YOU RETURN IN ORDER TO MAKE UP YOUR WORK. IT ISN'T JUST DONE AT "YOUR CONVENIENCE." THERE ARE RULES HERE. ALREADY, STUDENTS ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THIS. YOU ARE 100% RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR WORK*******

College Prep English
1. We went over the literary terms review sheet, and we created original scenarios involving FOIL and DRAMATIC IRONY. We shared them as review.
2. The test on Literary Terms is TUESDAY!!!
3. New vocabulary words given for test next THURSDAY

Honors English
1. We reviewed the literary terms review sheet
2. Test taken on literary terms
3. We will begin our short story unit on Tuesday

English 12
1. Shared group work examples of how symbolism, conflict, irony, etc show up in modern films and shows
2. Did review sheet in class as a participation grade*
3. STUDY FOR TEST ON TUESDAY!!! This test is on all the literary terms we've been learning!

Black Day

Honors English
1. Go over literary term review sheet. We'll answer questions on any of the "scenarios" on the sheet
2. Literary Terms Test: IF YOU MISSED CLASS (as several of you did today) make sure you make this up ASAP!

Public Speaking
1. George Lessard's fantastic antique talk. He modeled the type of project you will do for next week. I will assign this project "officially" next week. Today, we just listened, enjoyed, and learned

Black Day

Hi everyone!

A reminder: MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR MAKE UP WORK! YOU HAVE AS MANY DAYS AS YOU ARE ABSENT TO MAKE UP YOUR TESTS/WORK/ETC.

Honors English
1. Finish literary terms, taking notes and providing examples for each one
2. In groups, create examples for all eleven literary terms--base these examples off of movies, television, or real life situations you know
3. Do review example sheet for class on Thursday
4. LITERARY TERMS TEST THURSDAY!!!

Public Speaking
1. Fire Drill....haha
2. Read the article "Taking the Terror out of Talk"
3. Answer the questions off the board. This will be handed in for a participation grade
4. Discuss the article, article questions, and the importance of hooks (introductions, anecdotes, first impressions, etc)
5. For Thursday, prepare a short anecdote or joke (CLEAN!) to deliver as a "hook."
** On Thursday, we will have guest speaker George Lessard model your "teaching project," as he delivers a speech about antiques and antique collecting

Have a great day!

Orange Day

****Remember to check the blog daily for updates and assignments****
**Sorry for the "interruption" in blog posts. We should be back on track now!**
COLLEGE PREP
1. Take Vocabulary Test 1
2. Begin discussion of literary terms. We will use these all throughout the year. If you were absent, get the notes you missed. We went through about half of the list. THERE WILL BE A TEST (probably on Friday)!! Stay tuned for this!


HONORS ENGLISH
1. See C.P. English. Essentially the same plan, as you had a vocab test 1 today. We began discussion of lit terms today. You are to make a list, highlighting what you already know from last year

ENGLISH 12
1. Vocabulary test 1
2. Literary Terms discussion. Over the next short story unit, we will be discussing many short story literary terms. You will need to know these terms for our discussion. No matter where you were last year or who you had, I want all of you to be on the same page. We got through about half of the list today (we ended with "point of view")

Black Day

Honors English

1. Aim is due! Go around and share experiences. Hand in papers

2. Dar Williams

a. re-listen to song

b. discuss observations, thesis statements, etc

c. thesis statements should "defy ordinary!"

3. Vocab test #1 is on Friday! Study for this

Public Speaking

1. Daily-"Everyone should know how to...."

2. View portion of "Dwight's Speech" and "Boom goes the dynamite." Discuss as a class what we can learn about how to (and how NOT to) deliver a public address

3. Begin discussion of "Taking the Terror out of Talk"

BLACK DAY

Honors English

**Don't forget your "Aim" due on Wednesday of next week!

1. Vocabulary List 1: New words PLUS discussion of "connotation" and "denotation"

2. Dar Wiliams song "The End of the Summer" activity

a. revisit idea of thesis statement

b. listen/analyze song, music, lyrics, etc

c. discussion of key points

d. Write in class-your own thesis based on the song

Public Speaking

1. Discussion of "Bad Speakers" and their "idiosyncrasies."

2. View "The Office" and watch the episode called "Dwight's Speech."

3. For a participation grade, hand in notes/observations as we discuss what we can learn about how to (and how to NOT) deliver an effective speech

4. "Taking the Terror Out of Talk" article

ORANGE DAY

College Prep English, Honors English, and English 12 all did the same thing today, and it was the same as the "honors English" lesson from yesterday. At the beginning of the year, before we really get going, I have all the seniors do the same stuff....

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

August 27, 2009 BLACK

HONORS ENGLISH:

1. Attendance and funny stories. Yeay
2. "Chicken Nugget" story. Double Yeay.
3. Some basic needs....
4. BRING AN OBJECT for Monday. Something that is symbolic of who you are....
5. Introduce "Aim" writing project, and get brainstorm some ideas*

SPEECH:

1. Attn. and funny stories
2. Chicken Nugget story. Whoopee
3. How have you used speech this summer?
4. What are your strengths and weaknesses with public speaking?
5. Bring an object--something that says something about you--for next class. You will speak about an object
6. Warmup Exercise (participation grade) with ten minute free-write and speech delivery

Welcome Back!

You know what I absolutely LOVE??? I love it when a student is absent, and they come back in the next day and say "did we do anything when I was out??" The answer, of course, is NO!!! Since you were absent, we held a vigil for you....complete with CANDLES and hymns....and we all went around in a circle, explaining how much we missed you and what we love about you....

Except we didnt.

You will undoubtedly be out of class this year (field trips, illness, college visits, UFO abductions, etc). When you are, it is YOUR responsibility to get the work you missed--yours, and yours alone. Over the years, I have become tired of the same old question: What did I miss? Part of this blog is to tell you what we do each day. When you are out, simply check the blog. Fun! At the end of each school day, I will post that day's lesson, agenda, assignment, etc. CHECK THE BLOG!!

Also, this blog (hopefully and eventually) will become a place for discussion, questions, and more. I welcome your tips and suggestions for this blog--but to start, we'll definitely have the daily assignments posted. Okay? You can leave a comment on this blog, or you can email me directly at jgoldsmith@winslowk12.org if you have questions of concerns. Good luck this year!!!!