A great vocabulary resource

I love the site VOCABULARY.COM as a way to learn new words. Instead of just defining the words, like a dictionary, vocabulary.com also explains the words--it gives a more "user-friendly" explanation of where you might see a word and how you might use it. You can also check out some of their vocabulary lists, like 100 SAT words, 10 Words from Today's New York Times, etc. It's a very useful site for those of you looking to build your vocabulary...check it out!

Homework: January 31

Honors English 11

• Read the story "Indian Education" tonight, annotate it, then write a response: How is this story similar to, and different from, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian?
• Remember to bring your independent reading book with you to class tomorrow!
• (Want to check out an adorable video? See below...)
• Oh, and, don't forget to throw around some new vocabulary words. Amaze your friends, coaches and parents!

English 12

• Read the excerpt of Room, up to the break on page 119.
• Write a response; pick a prompt from the Make Connections section of the bright green sheet.
• Bring your independent reading book with you to class tomorrow!
• You can watch this video again--remember, we're thinking about Coming of Age in our class, which is really all about how we learn and how we become who we are. Think about how this little pup learns an important new skill...and, coo at the adorableness of it all.

Homework: January 30

Honors English 11

• Revise your "Death by Landscape" paragraph, if necessary.
• Tomorrow we start talking about Sherman Alexie--bring your copy of his book with you, if you've got it!
• Bring three words to class tomorrow--words that you don't know the meanings of, but want to. Where can you find them? Anywhere! Listen to conversations, check through a book, pay attention to Mike and Tommy (and/or Scal) as they broadcast the Celtics game tonight. We'll talk in class tomorrow about the words you've heard, and we'll start learning some words!
• For Friday, choose and acquire an independent reading book. We'll read on Friday. Hooray!

English 12

• Finish the revision of your Statement of Purpose--a final draft, typed, is due tomorrow.
• Work on a revision of your "On Turning Eighteen" poem (remember, it's modeled on Billy Collins's poem "On Turning Ten"). A final draft, typed, is due on Friday.
• For Friday, choose and acquire an independent reading book. We'll read on Friday. I love Friday!

Good books?!

I present to you a whole list of books that folks in my classes recommended today. I haven't read all of these, but I've read many of them, and they're great. We'll start independent reading in all of my classes on Friday, so everyone should prepare by getting a book to read! It doesn't have to be one of these. (We'll go to the library tomorrow if you want to check one out.) If you have any more recommendations, add them to the list by commenting below. Parents, feel free to chime in!

• LA Candy by Lauren Conrad
• The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
• Legend by Marie Lu (if you like the Hunger Games...)
• Misery by Stephen King
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy
• Maine Squeeze by Catherine Clark
• Divergent by Veronica Roth
• Room by Emma Donoghue
• The Giver by Lois Lowry, plus "connected" stories
• The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda
• It by Stephen King
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
• Every Day by David Levithan
• House Rules by Jodi Picoult
• Shooting Stars by LeBron James
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
• Looking for Alaska by John Green
• A Child Called It by David Pelzer
• Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
• The Godfather series by Mario Puzo
• The Eragon series by Christopher Paolini
• The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
• 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
• Impulse/Crank/all other books by Ellen Hopkins
• Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
• The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
• Ender's Game (series) by Orson Scott Card
• From Baghdad with Love by Jay Kopelman
• No Easy Day by Mark Owen
• Three Weeks to Say Goodbye by CJ Box
• Fearless by Francine Pascal
• The Heir series by Cinda Williams Chima
• An Abundance of Katherines by John Green 
• Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
• Leviathan by Scott Westerfield
• Huck Finn by Mark Twain
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• Incognito: The Secret Life of the Brain by David Eagleman
• World War Z by Max Brooks
• Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard
• Author: Sarah Dessen (growing up, romance stories)
• Author: Nicholas Sparks
• Author: Jodi Picoult
• Boys of Winter by Wayne Coffey

Homework: January 29

English 12

• Write your "On Turning Eighteen" poem--draft due in class
• Your final draft of your "Statement of Purpose" is due on Thursday

Honors English 11

• You should write a paragraph for tomorrow, making an analytical statement about an aspect of purpose or craft from "Death by Landscape." Take a look at the photos below of our class discussions, and the photo of the reminders for writing an analytical paragraph (remember, SPA!).

Homework: January 28

Honors English 11

• Today in class, we started talking about "Death by Landscape," a story by Margaret Atwood. We worked to fill out a Response to Reading handout. If you didn't finish the handout, you should do so for homework.
• Then, you'll write a "One pager." It should be about a page long (hence the name), and should focus on a big idea, a connection, author's purpose, author's craft, or a quotation (or series of quotations). One way to approach this assignment is to look at a pattern that you noticed in the story, or something that stood out to you...for example, if a character's actions, or a segment of description, doesn't seem to make sense to you, write about why it might be there! This is "semi-formal" writing--clean it up for an audience, but it doesn't need to follow 5-paragraph essay format. Use it to EXPLORE an idea or part of the text.
• We'll share your one pagers in class tomorrow! Be ready to continue discussing the story.

English 12

• Complete your draft of your Statement, if you haven't already.
• Read the 2 remaining stories in the packet you received today. Make sure to annotate, and write a brief response for each.

Homework: January 25

Honors English 11

• Finish reading "Death by Landscape"--make sure you annotate!

English 12

• Write a full draft of your statement of purpose. We'll revise on Monday!

Homework: January 24

Welcome to Semester 2!

Honors English 11

• Write your introduction letter--use the handout provided in class as a guide.
• Have folks at home take a look at the syllabus with you, and fill out/sign the form. Return by Monday.
• Procure your school supplies--a composition book, a one- or one-and-a-half-inch binder, and some writing implements!

English 12

• Complete the brainstorming for your Statement of Purpose assignment.
• Have folks at home take a look at the syllabus with you, and fill out/sign the form. Return by Monday.
• Procure your school supplies--a composition book, a one- or one-and-a-half-inch binder, and some writing implements!

Bye, bye semester 1...

...it's been fun!

Homework: January 17...the last homework post of Semester 1!

English 11

• Your portfolios are due tomorrow by the end of class. Make sure you've completed that assignment!
• You will write your final essay in class tomorrow. Bring your binder, and make sure you're familiar with all the texts we've studied in class this year. You'll need to think about them all to answer your final question.

Honors English 12

• Your portfolios are due on Wednesday the 23rd, by the end of our finals block (so, at 9:00). If your portfolio is completed before that time, e-mail me and let me know so I can take a look for you!
• You will write your final essay in class on Wednesday. Bring your binder, and make sure you're familiar with all the texts we've studied in class this year. You'll need to think about them all to answer your final question.

Creative Writing

• Your portfolios are due on Wednesday the 23rd by the end of our finals block (so, at 10:30). You will have time to work on them in class on Wednesday.

Feeling stressed out by finals? Take a quick study break and watch this...

Homework: January 15

The semester is winding down! Here are the things that need to get done:

English 11

• For tomorrow, finish reading and annotating your copy of the excerpts from War. We'll finish and discuss the film tomorrow, as well as get organized for your in-class final on Thursday.
• Work on your portfolio. It should be done by Thursday when you come to class, and is due at 10:30 on Thursday.

Honors English 12

• Your "Stranger in the Photo" essay is due tomorrow. Make sure you bring a hard copy with you!
• Your portfolio is due on Friday--get it done!
• Get organized for your in-class final on Friday.

Creative Writing

• Your portfolio is due on Friday--get it organized and completed.

Homework: January 11

English 11

• Work on your portfolio! We started in class today, and you have the assignment sheet with clear guidelines. Make sure you organize your artifacts, and come to class on Monday ready to continue working. Remember that this portfolio is worth an important final grade.

Honors English 12

• Finish Frankenstein, and prepare for your Text-Based Discussion (in lieu of a journal response)
• We will hold a text-based discussion on Monday. In class, we divided up topics...please make sure you prepared the one you determined in class. Those who were absent on Friday: prepare to participate in a discussion on one of these two topics: 1. What has the novel taught you about the nature of growing up, and how? or 2. Who is the actual monster in Frankenstein?

Creative Writing

• Finish up your 20 Little Poetry projects poem draft. Then, pick one of your 5 poems from this week, and create a final draft of it! Be prepared to show me your drafts, too.
• Start working on your portfolio! Hooray!

Homework: January 10

English 11

• Finish reading "The Lives of the Dead"
• Complete the Close Reading organizer
• Use the prompt: What do you think about this story as the LAST story in the book? In other words, why do you think O'Brien chose this story to end the book?

Honors English 12

• Read Frankenstein, chapters 21-23
• Complete a reading journal

Creative Writing

• Finish up your villanelle or sestina.
• Read and mark up the poems that we noted in class today (the ones between "Valentine for Ernest Mann" and "Mending Wall")

Homework: January 9

English 11

• In class today, you read the story "The Ghost Soldiers." If you didn't finish it, that's your first step. Make sure you read the story, not the Sparknotes. You're better than that...
• You're going to write a thoughtful and detailed response to the story. You'll include PROOF for your STATEMENT, then you'll ANALYZE all of that proof. You know the drill.
• Write a response: Which of the following ideas is the story "The Ghost Soldiers" MOST about? Explain your answer.
  
  
  LOYALTY     JEALOUSY     PRIDE     IMAGINATION     FEAR     FRIENDSHIP     REVENGE     BELONGING     HATE     TRANSFORMATION

Honors English 12

• Continue to read Frankenstein! For tomorrow, it's through ch. 20, and a response.
• Make sure you're working on your "Stranger in the Photo" essay, and your portfolio.

Creative Writing

• Write a poem--use the 2 sentences/phrases you picked in class to help develop it.
• Remember, you want to provide us with some description, and with a "revelation"/realization (though this doesn't need to be something monumental!).

Fantastic interview--Tim O'Brien and Nate Fick

We watched this interview in English 11 class, since we're reading The Things They Carried. In it, Tim O'Brien (veteran of the Vietnam War and author of The Things They Carried and many other books) and Nate Fick (veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and author of One Bullet Away), discuss the meaning of truth and war. They talked to an AP class in Washington, D.C.




 Folks who were absent from class on Tuesday, January 8: watch the video, starting 27 minutes in, and then check out the homework post from yesterday for your assignment.

Homework: January 8

English 11

• Write a 1-2 page response to the Nate Fick/Tim O'Brien interview:
• In paragraph 1, introduce the topic: Summarize the important points made during the interview.
• In paragraph 2, you'll discuss what resonated most with you as a viewer/reader/thinker/person.
• In paragraphs 3-however many you write, you'll make connections between what you heard in the interview and what you've read in The Things They Carried, being as specific as possible. 
• You can use these prompts to help you write this section:
• O'Brien's discussion of ______________ reminds me of ___________ in the story _______________, because...
• When Fick gave the example _________________, it was like ______________ in the story ______________...

Honors English 12

• Read Frankenstein! Complete a journal entry!

Creative Writing

• Read an annotate the poems that we identified in the packet (start with the Emily Dickinson, read the next three...end with "Nostalgia")

Homework: January 7

English 11

• Finish your paragraph about "In the Field," if you didn't already.
• Read "Field Trip"

Honors English 12

• Read Frankenstein, chapter 11-14
• Write your journal response...
• Work on your "Stranger in the Photo" essay!

Creative Writing

• Read and annotate the four poems that we noted in class today...the "letter poems"--be ready for a discussion tomorrow

Homework: January 4

English 11

• Finish reading "In the Field"
• Complete the handout

Honors English 12

• Read Frankenstein! (through chapter 10...)

Creative Writing

• Your weekly write is due on Monday. The topic is up to you...write something that you've been wanting to write, but haven't had the chance to yet!

Homework: January 3

English 11

• Finish your journal entry on "Speaking of Courage"
• Read "Notes"--be ready to write about it in class tomorrow!

Honors English 12

• Read Frankenstein chapters 5-7
• Write your journal entry--remember, 10 minutes!

Creative Writing

• You're going to attempt a "Two-Voice Found Poem"--don't worry, it's totally a real thing!

• Here are your steps:
• Go through both "Hochzeit" and "Counting Bats" and highlight words and phrases that you like, that sound interesting, that are unique and compelling and cool.
• Then, pick one to start with. Include a word/phrase (or two, or three...) on the left-hand side, arranged all poem-like.
• Next, find a word/phrase (or two, or three) from the second story on the right-hand side. Leave space so that it's clear what order everything should be read in.
• Continue going back and forth and back and forth...
• Spend about 20 minutes on this...see what you can come up with!
• Check out the awesome picture of a very quick and basic example!
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Homework: January 2

English 11

• Read "Stockings" and "Church" in The Things They Carried
• Read "Ambush" in The Things They Carried, and fill out the Close reading organizer for this story only (don't include "Stockings" and "Church"); choose a prompt from the MAKING CONNECTIONS section of your Core Skills handout to respond to on the back.

Honors English 12

• Read "The Stranger in the Photo is Me" assignment sheet and model essay.
• Read Frankenstein, chapters 1-4. Here's a link to an online text of the book, in case you forgot yours at school: http://www.literature.org/authors/shelley-mary/frankenstein/index.html
• Complete a response; use the pink handout for prompts. You should write for 10 minutes.
• Put your Hamlet papers up on Turnitin!!!

Creative Writing

• Read "Hochzeit"--the handout that I gave you in class today. Mark it up as you read, and write a response on the back.
• Bring your independent reading book tomorrow...we had to switch our lab day and our reading day.