Homework: November 25

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Finish reading The Great Gatsby! Mark it up and annotate.

English 12 (E block)

• Read your independent book!

Reading/Writing Workshop (F block)

• Finish up the draft of your character profile--type it!

Homework: November 24

English 12 (E block)

• Study for your test!

Readers/Writers Workshop (F block)

• Complete a draft of your independent reading character's profile. Remember that we had two mentor texts, "A Fisherman in New York's Sea of Faces" and the ESPN E:60 documentary "Catching Kayla."

English 11 (A and G block)

• Respond to the essay prompt you received in class. Notes from today's discussion are below--click to expand!
• A block--if you didn't complete the multiple choice questions in class, do so for homework. Remember to write your reason for choosing the answers.

Homework: November 21

Readers/Writers Workshop (F block)

• Complete at least 1 page of your profile of a character from your independent reading book. Remember, you have a mentor text, "A Fisherman in New York's Sea of Faces."
• You should include:
1. A title, (with a metaphor?)
2. Information about the character's background
3. An opening paragraph that sets the tone and establishes important information about the subject of the profile
4. Important events, achievements and/or challenges
5. Quotations from others about the subject of the profile
6. Quotations from the subject of the profile him or herself 

English 11 (A and G block)

• Read the story "Beginning," which is the nonfiction version of the story "On the Rainy River." As you read, keep this focus question in mind: 
• Which story--"On the Rainy River" or "Beginning"--does a more effective job of helping you understand the experience of the main character? Why? 

Honors English 11 (C block)

• By the day you return from Thanksgiving break, you should finish reading and annotating Gatsby!
• Remember to review chapter 7, considering why Tom is ok with letting Gatsby and Daisy head back home in the car together.

Homework: November 20

English 11 (A block)

• Finish reading and marking up the story "On the Rainy River." Remember, this is a story about someone making a big decision, though in a lot of ways, he doesn't have a choice at all. As you read, keep an eye on information that will help you answer these questions:
• Why does he make the decision he does?
• Who, if anyone, helps?
• What's so important about a fishing trip?
• Study your vocab! You have a quiz tomorrow.

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Continue reading crazy chapter 7. Keep an eye on shifting power dynamics in the story.
• You should make sure to read to at least the top of page 145.
• Study vocabulary! You have a quiz.

English 12 (E block)

• Write a reflection on today's discussion activity. 
• If you were part of the discussion, consider: What did you talk about as a group? What did you contribute individually? What else would you have liked to add? What insight do you now have into the question? 
• If you were watching the discussion, consider: What did the group discuss? What did you notice about the process of the discussion? What would you have liked to add?
• Study your vocabulary--quiz Monday!
• If you haven't finished reading The Body carefully, you should do so. You'll have a test on Tuesday, in which you'll need to know plot events, characterization, major motifs, significance of structure, etc.

Homework: November 19

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Read Gatsby, to page 133...stop at the end of the paragraph that begins "There is no confusion like the confusion of a simple mind..." (By the way, what a great sentence that one is, don't you think?)
• Study your vocabulary!

English 12 (E block)

• You should prepare for the discussion tomorrow, by completing steps 1 and 2 on the handout you received in class today. Remember, there are steps on the back. You don't need to write a formal paragraph...instead, you should make a lot of notes.

Readers/Writers Workshop (F block)

• In the Google Classroom, you should upload your Choice Piece to the assignment titled "Choice piece--FINAL DRAFT." Then, complete the reflection called Choice Piece Reflection. Make sure you TURN IN the response by clicking the blue turn in button. You can access Google Classroom at this link: classroom.google.com
• Complete the handout for the article "A Fisherman in a Sea of Faces."Honors English 11 (C block)

English 11 (G block)

• If you didn't finish reading "On the Rainy River" as you were directed to do, please do so tonight.
• Complete your blue sheet. Identify the rest of the important plot points, write about two motifs, give five significant quotations and make connections (at least one--consider, relationship of mentors, someone who needs guidance to go on a certain path, etc.) to other texts.
• Prepare for your vocabulary quiz.

Homework: November 17

English 11 (G block)

• Read "On the Rainy River" in your The Things They Carried story packet. You should read and annotate up to the asterisk on page 6. 
• If you did not complete the blue sheet for "Spin," you need to complete that assignment as well.
• Study your vocabulary!

English 11 (A block)

• Complete the blue sheet for the story "Spin."
• Study your vocabulary!

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Make sure you have read through chapter 6 in Gatsby, and prepare for a quiz on chapters 1-6. You will be asked to identify significant passages from the story, and tell about why they are important. In order to be prepared, you just need to make sure that you have carefully read and annotated chapters 1-6.
• Study your vocabulary!

Homework: November 14

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Read and annotate chapter 6 in Gatsby. On Monday, we'll discuss both chapters 5 and 6 in detail, so if you haven't completed the chapter 5 Scavenger Hunt, make sure you do!

English 12 (E block)

• We put together checklists and plans in class today--make sure you complete them! You should be through chapter 27, at least...read more if you have time, because we'll finish next week.

Readers/Writers Workshop (F block)

• If you haven't already uploaded your Choice Piece to the Google Classroom, make sure you do so by Sunday night. Remember to upload it to the one called Choice Piece--FINAL DRAFT! 
• Complete the reflection in the Google Classroom by Tuesday.

Homework: November 13

English 12 (E block)

• Read and annotate chapters 26 and 27 in "The Body."

Readers/Writers Workshop (F block)

• Work on your choice piece--you'll do a final edit in class tomorrow and will pass it in!

English 11 (G block)

• Complete the blue organizer for "Spin." Remember, we're going to share them on Monday!
• Start studying your vocabulary--your quiz will be next week.

English 11 (A block)

• Complete a second draft of your "Pony Problem" essay. Use the guidelines we discussed today in class. Below is my handout with the notes on it...use them to guide you, and consider "The Pony Problem" as your mentor text.
• Start studying your vocabulary--your quiz will be next week.
  
   

Homework: November 12

Readers/Writers Workshop 8 (F block)

• Today, we took a look at some of the images of "Humans of New York" and read the very small, important "insights" that the subjects shared with the interviewer. We'll continue to discuss these images tomorrow.
• You should finish off your "Character animal" tonight. Make sure you have:
• The animal itself.
• The name of the character, and the title/author of the book.
• The three characteristics you've identified, labeled.
• Three quotations from the book, one to accompany each characteristic.

English 11 (G block)

• Today, we reviewed "The Pony Problem" and talked about how it is a model for your own writing about a collection you have. Remember, we went through the story and identified some of the moves this writer makes. Check out the photo, below. You should revise your first draft, incorporating these "moves" into your own writing. I want to see draft two tomorrow!
                

English 11 (A block)

• Some of you are behind on your work! We made a list of tasks to complete...you should do whichever of these tasks you need to, making sure that ALL are complete when you come to class tomorrow.
• Read and annotate "The Pony Problem"
• Make notes regarding the STRUCTURE of "The Pony Problem"
• Identify 2-3 examples of strong writing in "The Pony Problem"
• Complete the organizer for the personal essay 
• Complete a first draft of your own "version" of "The Pony Problem," about a collection of your own
• Finish reading "Spin" (the story we started today in class)
• Remember, if you were prepared for class today, the last thing on this list is the only thing you should have to do for homework tonight!

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Catch up on reading and annotating--you should have read through chapter 5, carefully.
• Complete the Chapter 5 "scavenger hunt" assignment
• Start studying your new vocab words. The quiz is next week.

Homework: November 7

English 11 (A block)

• Complete the brainstorming worksheet for your own "The Pony Problem" essay, and write a draft of your own version. Consider a "collection" that you have, and talk about what it represents and why it's significant. This isn't an analytical essay...it's a personal narrative. Use your own narrative voice and talk about your experience. Use "The Pony Problem" as a model.

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Finish reading and annotating chapter 5. It's a big chapter, and it's SO AWESOMELY AWKWARD!!!

English 12 (E block)

• Write a thesis statement and then 2-body-paragraph analysis of the close-reading passage you worked with in class today. Here's what it should look like:
• In the scene __________, Stephen King uses (imagery? personification? metaphor?) to...
• Body paragraph 1: Talk  about the language of the passage itself--analyze the significance of the language.
• Body paragraph 2: Analyze how this scene helps us understand the whole story.

Homework: November 6

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Study your vocabulary!
• Start reading chapter 5--read the first half.

English 12 (E block)

• Write a 1-to-2-paragraph response about the reading passage we discussed today.
• You can start with: "A close reading of this passage reveals..."
• You should include specific language
• You should include some analysis
  

Readers/Writers Workshop (F block)

• Make sure your character animal is finished, and make sure you've chosen three quotations to go with it, one quotation for each characteristic.
• Work on revising your choice piece!!!

English 11 (G block)

• Complete the brainstorming worksheet for your own "The Pony Problem" essay, and write a draft of your own version. Consider a "collection" that you have, and talk about what it represents and why it's significant. This isn't an analytical essay...it's a personal narrative. Use your own narrative voice and talk about your experience. Use "The Pony Problem" as a model.

VOCABULARY challenge!

Hello all!

If you're interested in taking on the NY Times Learning Network's vocabulary video challenge, the instructions are linked here.

If you can, do the challenge by November 11 and post to the NY Times Learning blog (the linked one). Post a link to the comments on this page, too!

If you can't get it done by November 11, you can do one by next Friday the 14th at 5 p.m. If that's the case, INSTEAD of a word from the NY Times list, use one from this list that we HAVEN'T studied yet. Post a link to it in the comments on this page.

Homework: November 5

English 12 (E block)

• Read chapters 21-25 in "The Body." Mark it up!

Readers/Writers Workshop (F block)

• Finish your "character animal" illustration.
• Find a quotation to go with each characteristic you've identified. So, if your character is "brave," find a quotation that shows that she's brave.

English 11 (A and G block)

• Read "The Pony Problem"! Mark it up.
• STUDY YOUR VOCABULARY. Seriously. Use vocabulary.com to look up words and sentences if you have questions. Come work with me after school if you want help!

Homework: November 4

English 11 (G block)

• Start studying your vocabulary! Quiz on Friday.

English 11 (A block)

• Make sure you come to class with another question for "The Things They Carried."
• Start reading and annotating "The Pony Problem." Remember--what do we carry with us, and how do those things affect us?
• Start studying your vocabulary! Quiz on Friday.

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Complete your draft of the "How does Nick Carraway portray Gatsby" analytical response. Remember to get some specific language in there. Remember how much time we spent analyzing words in class? Look for some words you can analyze in depth to support your argument.
• Be ready to discuss the characters in Gatsby, and which of the categories they fit into: "the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, the tired"

Homework: November 3

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Work on your analytical response: How does Fitzgerald/Carraway portray Gatsby in the opening 3 chapters of the book?--Draft due Thursday
• Start reading Chapter 5...we'll talk in class on Tuesday.--Complete reading for Thursday

English 12 (E block)

• Read and annotate chapter 19 and 20 of "The Body."
• Complete the "Reading Check: Events in chapters 12-19" assignment if you haven't already done so.

Readers/Writers Workshop (F block)

• Work on your "REVISION" mini-project--remember, you had to choose a new way to tell your story--a poem? Sci fi? Drama/script? A series of text messages? Use this link to revisit the example we discussed in class.
• If I told you on Monday that your choice piece was not yet submitted, here's the problem--you need to make sure you click "TURN IN" after you upload your paper. So, do that!