Homework: November 30

English 11

• Finish reading the first story in The Things They Carried, which is called "The Things They Carried." It ends on page 26.
• Complete the Character Chart.

Honors English 12

• Read to the end of Act 2, Scene 2.
• Complete a reading log assignment--the instructions are on your handout.
• Remind your parents that they have a little "assignment," too! (Parents, if you don't know what this is, check in with your kid!) The letter is due Tuesday.

Creative Writing

• Project work: projects are due next week!

Homework: November 29

English 11

• Read The Things They Carried, just up to the break on page 3 (essentially, just finish the paragraph we were reading in class).
• Then, go through the section we've already read (again, it's only pages 1-3) and fill in the chart that I gave you in class.
• Remember, your portfolio should be updated by tomorrow. Remember we worked on this in class last week. The directions are here if you need them...

Honors English 12

• Read Act 2, Scene 1 and Act 2, Scene 2 (up to the bottom of page 8).
• Write a Reading Log.

Creative Writing

• Work on your Multigenre project.
• You should be able to show half of the project complete--about 5-6 hours (each, if you're working with a partner).

Homework: November 28

English 11

• Read the article provided in class today, and answer the question on the handout.

Honors English 12

• Read Hamlet Act 1, Scene 3
• Complete a Reader's Log entry--use the handout, and make sure you write a response, identify questions, and choose and respond to 3 quotations.

Creative Writing

• Write a response to the film Finding Neverland--use the Reader Response Notebook assignment sheet.

Helpful Hamlet resources!

http://stickfigurehamlet.com/graphics/pages/1-1/page09.gif

Alright, English 12 folks...we're reading Hamlet! You can handle it, I promise. And, it's a pretty interesting and important play. Here are some resources to help you out:

The full text is here. If you ever forget your text at school you can find it here.

This site has some summaries of the scenes. It can help to read the text, then read a summary to check your understanding. Remember, summaries and other study aids should be used to ENHANCE your reading of the play, not REPLACE your reading of the play.

This might be my favorite resource--Stick Figure Hamlet. It's the full text of the play, done as a stick-figure novel. It's fantastic, and a great aid to understanding. Check it out!

Additionally, here's that "Insider's Guide" video. It takes you through the main points of the story--it's helpful!

Homework: November 26

English 11

• For Wednesday: Read "The Things I Carry" handout, then write your own version! It should be 2-3 paragraphs.
• For Friday: Update your portfolio website. We worked in class last Wednesday to start this project--you can look back at the earlier blog post for instructions.

Honors English 12

• For Wednesday: Read Hamlet--Act 1, Scene 1 and Act 1, Scene 2 (up to the point we marked in class). Make notes, and write a response as noted on the Reading Log handout. 
• Check out the blog post about resources! Try to watch the Insider's Guide video by Wednesday--it will help A LOT!

Creative Writing

• Reader's Response due Thursday on Finding Neverland (film).
• Half of your project (about 5 hours worth of work!) due on Friday...check in with me if you have questions.

Today in English 11: Portfolio work

Here's what you'll do today in class...

Go to your portfolio website...remember that? Check it out!

You're going to spend a little time reflecting on your work so far this year. So, here's how you'll do that:
You'll go to each of the 5 indicator on your English 11 portfolio (Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Independence, Creativity and Communication). You'll consider the definitions and questions for each, and then you'll reflect on each, by ADDING A COMMENT to the bottom of each page. You'll talk about what you've done well so far with each indicator, and what you'd like to work on before the course ends in January.

Then, you'll reconsider your goals. Never set any? Do it now. Want to revise them, or add a goal? That's cool, too. Remember that you have a goal posted in the classroom--do you want to swap that out for a new one, or redouble your efforts to make progress?

Here's the original link.

IF you finish all this work in 45 minutes, you can use the rest of the time to make a hand turkey. If you don't finish all the work, you should complete it on your own by Friday, November 30.

Homework: November 20

English 11

• Rest that writing hand of yours! It's probably sore after all that writing you did on your test today...

Honors English 12

• Write a reflection on today's presentations...what did you learn? What was interesting?

Creative Writing

• I won't see you folks tomorrow...have a nice Thanksgiving!

Homework: November 19

English 11

• You have a test tomorrow! On Frederick Douglass's Narrative! So, study for it!

Honors English 12

• Presentations continue tomorrow.
• Write a reflection on what you learned in today's presentations.
• Write about: 
• Ideas that stuck out to you.
• Questions about the arguments being made.
• Connections that you might have seen between your own article and these.
• This reflection can be informal...but it should show nuanced thinking.

Creative Writing

• Spend 20-30 minutes working on your project.

Creative Writing: Genres!

Click here for a list of genre options...this list isn't "exhaustive"--meaning, there are a whole lot more options! Have fun!

Also, check this out! It allows you to create what looks like an iPhone text conversation.

An inspiring interview

We listened to this interview today in English 11, and talked about the great story behind R.A. Dickey's Cy Young award win. Check out the interview here.

Homework: November 16

English 11

• Write a thoughtful, detailed 1-2 paragraph response to this prompt:
• When Frederick Douglass visited the White House to speak with Abraham Lincoln, he said this: "I felt big there." It seems so simple, but it says so much. Explain why Douglass said this; take into account all of the history you know about him from reading his story and learning about his life.

Honors English 12

• Projects are due Monday. Be ready to go!

Creative Writing

• Work on the beginning of your project. Depending on which version you're choosing, you should have a basic idea of what your simple, story-kernal will be, OR, what the focus of your storyline will be.

Homework: November 15

English 11
Finish reading and annotating chapter 11.

Honors English 12
Project work!

Creative Writing
Read project assignment sheet--start thinking and planning!

The view from the parking lot of HHS

This is the sight I encountered when leaving school yesterday.
Not bad...

Homework: November 14

English 11

• Pick from Chapter 10 the MOST IMPORTANT quotation. Then, write a fully developed SPA paragraph, in which you explain why you chose the quotation you did. You can set it up like this:
• "The most important quotation in chapter 10 is ___________________________, because..."
• Then, explain!

Honors English 12

• Work on your project! In class today, you should have established your plan for homework...so, make sure you complete your part.

Creative Writing

• Start planning out your genre study project--we'll be talking about this in class this week!

Homework: November 13

English 11

• Read to the bottom of page 78 in Frederick Douglass's Narrative.
• Answer questions 8 & 9 from today's handout.

Honors English 12

• Project work!

Creative Writing

• You worked in class on a challenge: write a story (300-500 words). Then, retell that story in a different genre! (A play, maybe? A poem? A cartoon strip?) Bring both versions with you to class tomorrow.

Homework: November 9

English 11

• Read Frederick Douglass to the point we marked in class today.

Honors English 12

• Write a one-page response to the book Catcher in the Rye. Here's a photo of some of the topics/notes we discussed today...talk about something interesting!

Creative Writing

• Write your Reader Response for the This American Life episode. You can find the link in an earlier post on this blog, if you need it.

Homework: November 8

English 11

• Read Frederick Douglass's Narrative to the place we marked in class today. Make sure you annotate details.

Honors English 12

• Finish Catcher in the Rye. Tomorrow, we discuss!

Creative Writing

• Your weekly write is due tomorrow...

Homework: November 7

English 11

• Read Chapter 9 in Narrative, fill in Close Reading organizer.
• ANY AND ALL MAKE-UP WORK MUST BE IN ON THURSDAY!

Honors English 12

• Read Chapters 20 and 21 in Catcher in the Rye.
• ANY AND ALL MAKE-UP WORK MUST BE IN ON THURSDAY!

Creative Writing

• Pick 3 of the stories from the episode. Spend 5 minutes writing a freewrite, for each one, that is connected to the act or inspired by it. For tomorrow, you should have 3 separate 5-minute freewrites (think back to the examples I gave in class). Tomorrow, you'll pick one and write about it for your Weekly Write.
• Your Reader Response for the This American Life episode will be due on Tuesday. Here's a link to it, in case it would help!
• ANY AND ALL MAKE-UP WORK MUST BE IN ON THURSDAY!

Homework: November 5

English 11

• Make sure Chapter 6/7 handout is completed.
• Read Chapter 8--take notes (check the bottom of the handout for focus).

Honors English 12

• Read Catcher in the Rye through chapter 19.

Creative Writing

• We'll listen to the rest of the "20 Acts in 60 Minutes" episode of This American Life on Wednesday. Your Reader Response will be due on Friday, and your Weekly Write will be due on Tuesday.
• Some of you are registered to vote...so, VOTE!

Homework: November 2

English 11

• Finish reading chapter 6 of Narrative
• Read chapter 7 of Narrative--make sure you annotate!

Honors English 12

• Finish revising your essays for "The Body." They're due on Monday.
• Make sure you upload your essays to Turn It In.

Creative Writing 

• Finish writing your response to the question about the film Smooth Talk. (Check yesterday's homework post if you don't remember it!)

The Lost Generation

We watched this little video today in Creative Writing class. It's a short poem, with a really unique and effective structure. Check it out!

Homework: November 1

English 11

• Finish revising your Alexie essay! The revisions are due tomorrow. Make sure you print out a copy, and bring in the version that I already commented on.

Honors English 12

• Two things are due tomorrow:
• Your reflection on Holden's theme song assignment for class.
• Completed reading through chapter 16 in Catcher in the Rye.
• Make sure you bring your independent reading book to class tomorrow!
• Your revisions for your "Body" essays are due on Monday.

Creative Writing

• Work on your short story--it's due tomorrow!
• Check out this site, and consider participating in National Novel Writer's Month.
• For Monday, you're writing a response to the following question: Does Smooth Talk do an effective job of translating the story of "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" to film? You can essentially argue, "Yes, because...," "No, because...," "Yes, except...," or "No, but..." (or some other variation). Take a stand, focusing on comparing the two stories.