Homework: May 29

Creative Writing II (F block)

Finish typing up your Encyclopedia!

English 11(G and A block)

Start studying that last set of vocabulary words! And, read your IR book. Finally, make sure you upload your Gatsby essays to turnitin.com

Honors English 11 (C block)

Complete any of the The Things They Carried work that you haven't already. Be ready to hand it in on Tuesday!

Homework: May 28

English 11 (A block)

• Study your vocab and read your independent book!

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Make sure you are following the schedule for The Things They Carried--we'll talk about the end of the book tomorrow.

Homework: May 26

Creative Writing II (F block)

• Read your Independent Reading book and work on your "Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life" assignment. 

English 11 (G block)

• Study your vocabulary--you have a quiz on Friday!
• Read Act I, scene 2 in Twelfth Night. Remember, just give it a first read through--highlight/underline things you think are important (even if you're not sure why! :) We'll talk about it in class.

English 11 (A block)

• Study your vocabulary--you have a quiz on Friday!
• Just finish reading Act I, scene 1 in Twelfth Night. Remember, just give it a first read through--highlight/underline things you think are important (even if you're not sure why! :) We'll talk about it in class.

Homework: May 21

Honors English 11 (C block)

• You have a vocab quiz tomorrow: be ready! 
• If you didn't get to finish in class today, here are the questions for your reflection: 
  
• And, if you don't have your copy of it, here's the reading schedule. Take note: We're finishing up next week!
  

Homework: May 20

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Continue to use your reading schedule to keep up with your reading assignments.
• At some point in the next week, finish watching the Tim O'Brien/Nate Fick interview. We watched to about 25 minutes, so you can start there. Remember to take notes!

Homework: May 19

English 11 (A block)

• You did the pre-writing for your response to John Green and Thomas Foster's critical essays. Now, you'll do the writing. By Friday, complete the three paragraph response, using your pre-writing and your handout with the guiding template. Come work with me after school if you have questions or need help.
• I gave you some new vocabulary words today. Hooray! You'll be quizzed on those words as part of a Weekly Check-in on Thursday, next week.

Homework: May 18

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Start studying that new vocab! We'll go over it on Wednesday, and your quiz is on Friday.
• Continue to keep up with the reading schedule. Make sure you're completing activities on time (check in with me if you have questions/need help). Get ahead in the reading if you have time!

Creative Writing II (F block)

• Complete your independent reading book close read. Good luck on MCAS!

English 11 (G block)

• You have a response due on Friday--use the template that I gave you, and the preparation that you did (or, should have done) to complete your "They Say/I Say" essay in which you summarize then respond to John Green and Thomas Foster. The essay is due on Friday, and should be typed. I'm around after school if you have any questions.

Homework: May 15

Have a great time at the prom!!!

English 11 (G and A blocks)

Use your copy of the article "A Whole Heap of Ashes" as well as your notes from John Green's "Crash Course" to do your preparing for your critical response essay. Make a chart/organizer for yourself, as we discussed in class. If you need to re-watch the Green videos, you can find them by Googling John Green Crash Course Gatsby. There's a part one and part two.

Creative Writing II (F block)

Work in your short story!

Homework: May 14

English 11 (G and A block)

• Your Gatsby/song essay revisions are due tomorrow. Make sure you bring a printed copy of your essay, as well as your draft(s).
• Read your independent book!

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Use your Things They Carried schedule to stay on track.

Homework: May 13

Honors English 11 (C block)

• You have a vocab quiz tomorrow! Be ready!
• Use your Things They Carried schedule to keep on top of the reading and activities.

English 12 (E block)

• You know what you need to do--portfolios, and "Stranger in the Photo" essays. Maybe a vocab quiz make-up? Check the post below this one for the checklist.

Creative Writing II (F block)

• Seniors: Finish your short stories, and your portfolios! Both are due on Friday.
• Lindsey: Read and mark up the excerpts from Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life.

Checklist: Senior final projects

Here's the deal, folks: You have two big projects to complete for English class, and you have time to complete them. They are important, and you have had a whole lot of time to get them done, so I expect them to be good! In order to make sure you have fully completed your assigned tasks, here are the questions you should ask yourself:

• "Stranger in the Photo" essay:
• Does it describe the photo?
• Does it talk about the kid I was in that photo?
• Does it talk about the way(s) I've changed since I was that kid (in other words, my "coming of age")?
• Is it written clearly, with personality, and in paragraphs?
• Have I formatted a final draft, with your photo on it?
• Have I given it a title?
• Have I checked the assignment sheet and rubric, as well as the mentor text, to make sure that I've met all requirements?
• Portfolio:
• Have I addressed AT LEAST three learning expectations on the Final Reflections page of 12th grade section of my portfolio?
• Have I written thoughtfully AND honestly about my progress, my strengths, and my areas for growth?
• Have I used the learning expectations question and bullet points to help make my response more specific?
• Have I mentioned specific assignments, activities, experiences, etc. that have been relevant to my experience, and explained how?
• Have I included at least three artifacts, one for each learning expectation, to help show my progress and growth?
• Have I proofread carefully?
• Have I revised my introduction page to more accurately reflect who I am now?
• Have I checked the assignment sheet and rubric to make sure that I've met all requirements?

Homework: May 12

English 12 (E block)

• Work on your "Stranger in the Photo" essay and your portfolio. You'll have work time tomorrow, and they are both due at 7:30 on Friday morning.

Creative Writing II (F block)

• Seniors, work on your short story final draft, then your portfolio.
• Lindsey, read your independent book.

English 11 (G and A block)

• You have a vocab quiz on Thursday, so study for it!
• Your final draft of your essay in due on Friday. 
  

Homework: May 11

Creative Writing II (F block)

• Finish reading and marking up your classmate's story!

English 11 (G and A block)

• Work on revising your Gatsby songs essay, based on the examples and checklist we reviewed today in class.

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Use your schedule to keep up with the reading and work schedule.

Homework: May 8

English 11 (A block)

• Finish reading "A Whole Heap of Ashes"--write a response to the article, in which you share your thoughts and observations.
• Study your vocab--quiz Thursday!

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Use your reading schedule for The Things They Carried to stay on track.
• Study your vocab--quiz Thursday!

English 12 (E block)

• Study your vocab--test on all words on Tuesday!!!
• Work on portfolios and "Stranger in the Photo"--have drafts done on Wednesday, so you can work on them in class and be finished by Friday morning.

Homework: May 7

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Use your TTTC reading schedule to keep up with reading and assignments.
• Study your vocab and read your Independent Reading book.

English 12 (E block)

• Watch these two alternate versions of Hamlet's famous "To be or not to be..." soliloquy.
• This one takes place in a Blockbuster video store (before it went out of business!). 
• This one takes place in a royal court.
• And here's the one we watched in class.
• As you watch, make notes/observations about HOW the part is acted, and how the scene is developed. Why a Blockbuster? Why facing a mirror? Why hiding in the shadows? Which version do you think is most compelling, and why?

English 11 (G block)

• Finish reading and marking up the essay "A Whole Heap of Ashes" and write a 1-page response in which you talk about your reactions to the essay.
• Read your IR book and start studying those new vocab words!

Homework: May 6

English 12 (E block)

• Read and mark up the Hamlet summary article I gave you in class today.
• Study your vocabulary--next Tuesday you have a final test, words 1-80 are up for grabs!
• Work on your "Stranger in the Photo" essay and portfolio.
• In class today, we watched the end of act 1 and the beginning of act 2 of Hamlet, ending at around 57:00. If you missed it, or want to review, you can find the video here: http://video.pbs.org/video/1473795626/

Creative Writing II (F block)

• If you haven't already finished reading "Telling Tails," do so.
• Work on your short story.

English 11 (G and A block)

• Read and mark up "A Whole Heap of Ashes," up to the break on page 141 that we marked in class today. Remember, your focus questions are:
• What are the arguments that the author is making?
• What evidence does the author use to support his arguments?

Homework: May 5

English 11 (G and A block)

• Complete your Gatsby/songs essay tonight, and make sure you arrive with a printed copy to class tomorrow. 
• See the post below this one for a couple of helpful links/resources.
• Read your independent reading book!

Honors English 11 (C block)

• You have your reading schedule for The Things They Carried, so use it to organize yourself. You'll have some time in class on Thursday to complete an activity and do some reading. Make sure you complete some reading tonight.
• Read your independent reading book, too!

Resources for essay writing--English 11

You can find the HHS Writing Guide here. On page 3, you'll see information about writing introductions and conclusions.

You can find the slides from our last essay, with information about writing introductions and conclusions, as well as using evidence, here.

Homework: May 4

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Study your vocabulary! You have a unit test tomorrow! You'll need to be able to tell the definitions of the words we've been studying...so, as you've been doing all year, review all the words!
• Use your The Things They Carried reading schedule to keep up with the reading. 

English 12 (E block)

• At the end of your scene handout for Act I, scene 2 of Hamlet, there's a reading exercise. Complete those prompts for EITHER Act I, scene 2, OR, Act I, scene 3 (if you choose Act I, scene 3, you'll need to replace "Hamlet" in the prompt with either Laertes, Ophelia or Polonious...up to you!)
• Study all of your vocabulary words! We'll have a final vocab test on Tuesday the 12th.
• Make sure you're working on your portfolio and your "Stranger in the Photo" essay.

Creative Writing II (F block)

• Work on your story!
• Finish reading "Telling Tails." We'll talk next class!

Homework: May 1

English 12 (E block)

• Read and mark up the "Stranger in the Photo" assignment sheet and model essay.
• Fill out the "Stranger in the Photo" pre-writing handout in order to prepare to write your essay.
• Work on your portfolio!

Creative Writing II (F block)

• Read at least the first half of the story "Telling Tails."
• Work on your stories.

English 11 (G and A block)

• Continue to work on your essay. You should have 3 body paragraphs completed by the time you arrive to class on Tuesday. I'd also recommend writing a draft intro and conclusion.