Homework: March 30

Honors English 11 (F and B block)

• Spend time working on your essay! A thoughtful, proofread draft is due on Tuesday.
• Here are a couple more "model" essays you can look at, to get a sense of how writers start this kind of writing, and the voice you might write in. (Both of these review 3 books, while yours is only reviewing 2.) Remember, this essay should be "semi-formal"--give it some personality!
• A review of 3 childrens books on gardens.
• A review of 3 books on the microbiome.
• You also have a DAY 2 quiz on Tuesday, so make sure you're ready for that!

Honors English 12 (G block)

• We're starting to make the push to our final big assignment! You folks did some good thinking about Room, Juno and Frankenstein today, and you've got your final essay assignment in hand. Tonight, make sure you sign up for a Boston Public Library card if you don't already have one. Click here, then look under "How Do I...." on the left.
• Your proposal and your annotated bibliography are due by April 11. You can hand it in earlier if you want! I'll review the formats soon. Start thinking/planning/mapping...
• Make sure you're reading your Book club book. We'll do final book club meetings before vacation.

English 11 (A block)

• Finish reading Chapter 4 of Gatsby.
• Complete a 3-paragraph response for Gatsby, so far. (Paragraph 1--summarize what we've read so far; Paragraph 2--respond to what we've read so far; Paragraph 3--connect what we've read so far to other things...books, movies, personal experience, etc.)
• Study your vocab, too! Quiz is next week.

Homework: March 30

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Prepare for discussion tomorrow.

English 11 (A block)

• Read chapter 4 in Gatsby, to the break on page 80 that we marked in class.

Honors English 11 (B block)

• Continue to work on your Comparing and Reviewing Strength and The Arrival piece. We'll have more computer time next class.

English 12 (D block)

• Finish reading Chapter 16 of Frankenstein, and read chapter 17. Something big happens at the end of 16--the Creation is going to make a BIG REQUEST. Chapter 17's all about how Victor reacts.
• Be ready on Friday for a Day 7 quiz that will include this week's vocabulary words as well as big questions about Frankenstein.

Homework: March 29

Honors English 11 (B block)

• Read the packet I gave you--you'll be doing some writing starting tomorrow!

English 12 (D block)

• Read chapter 15 of Frankenstein.

Honors English 11 (F block)

• Work on your Comparative essay (The Arrival and Strength in What Remains)

Homework: March 28

English 12 (D block)

• Make sure you've ready through chapter 14 in Frankenstein, and mark it up!

Honors English 11 (F block)

• Read and mark up the packet I gave you--it's the basis for a piece of writing you'll do this week.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Read your Book Club book.
• Prepare for your vocabulary quiz Friday.
• Make notes about "Parent-Child relationships," in preparation for your essay.

English 11 (A block)

• Finish reading and marking up chapter 3 in Gatsby.
• Start studying for your vocabulary quiz--make flashcards and write notes/sentences.

Homework: March 24

Honors English 11 (B block)

• We'll return to our discussion of the "most valuable idea" in Strength in What Remains when we meet again on Tuesday.
• For homework, finish up your vocabulary brackets, and then write up an article about one of the match-ups. Did fortuitous beat aberration at the buzzer? Was it a close match up, or a blowout? Are there other "games" you could refer to? ("The earlier match up between prudent and foster was a much gentler, more deliberate affair.") Which other words might be interviewed (you know..."We caught up with Ephemeral on the sideline, who said, 'I just caught the end of the game, but it was impressive!'"--get it? Get it?) Use as much information about the words as possible--be creative and have fun!
• Here are a couple of "model" articles you should read to get a sense of this kind of writing.
• Texas A&M beats Northern Iowa
• Wisconsin beats Xavier

English 12 (D block)

• Continue to work on your chart for Frankenstein's creation, naming moments in the story, and identifying what he learns from them, and how he reacts to them emotionally.
• Read chapter 12 in Frankenstein--how do those cottagers influence our creation's experience? Add to your chart.

Homework: March 23

Honors English 12 (G block)

• We'll continue our conversation of the literary criticism soon, including our critiques, our concerns, etc.
• Start mapping out some ideas for your essay--did you hear something in today's seminar discussion that piqued your interest?
• Read your Book Club book--spend a couple hours between now and next Monday, when I'll see you again!

English 11 (A block)

• If you didn't finish your character study (star organizer) in class today, do so for Monday.
• Start reading chapter 3--the first 10 pages of it. We're going to a party at Gatsby's house, and it's going to be big! Pay attention to the excess described at the start of the chapter. Who goes to the party, and who do we meet?

Homework: March 22

Honors English 11 (B and F block)

• For next class, make sure you've identified the Most Valuable Idea from Strength in What Remains, and make sure you've found 3 different "texts" to support (see earlier post--March 16 under F block--with the slide, for specifics).
• Read your independent book!

English 12 (D block)

• Complete your chapter 10 conversation "comic strip."
• Complete your chapter 1-10 "emotion chart" for Victor Frankenstein. 
• Read and mark up Chapter 11--remember, now it's Victor's Creation who is talking. What's that guy been up to?
  

Homework: March 18

Honors English 11 (F and B block)

• Prepare for your test--it's Tuesday! Below, you'll find a passage you can practice with, and a short answer question you can practice. I'll be around after school on Monday for practice and review.
• Passage ID: "You may not see the ocean, but right now we are in the middle of the ocean, and we have to keep swimming.”
• Short Answer: The AUTHOR'S NOTE at the beginning of the book states: "Out of what I hope is an excess of caution, I have changed the names of many people and places in Burundi. "Goss" and "Fair Oaks Nursing Home" are also pseudonyms." Analyze the language in the quotation, then include 3 specific examples from the story to explain why this author's note would be necessary.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Prepare for your seminar discussion on Monday, in which you'll consider: What do these two texts, in combination, have to say about: the nature of growing up, issues of coming of age, the roles and responsibilities of parents, and the substantial consequences of giving birth, among many other ideas.  
• Read the critical article "Parent-Child Tensions in Frankenstein" carefully.

English 11 (A block)

• Finish reading and marking up chapter 2 of The Great Gatsby. Tom, Myrtle and Nick are in town, and they're going to have a little party. Keep an eye on what happens, especially when something violent happens near the end of the chapter. Also, what's Nick's state of mind by the time the chapter ends?

Homework: March 17

English 11 (A block)

• You have a quiz tomorrow--make sure you study!
• Read Gatsby and mark it up, to the bottom of page 31. Remember, you're trying to figure out the deal with the Valley of Ashes, and Dr. T.J. Eckleberg. You're going to meet George and Myrtle Wilson--pay attention to them, and to how they're introduced!

Honors English 11 (B block)

• You have a quiz tomorrow--make sure you're ready!
• See yesterday's post (for F block) to see the slide with the information about our in-class activities today. You should have an ideas for the Most Valuable Idea, and start thinking about other sources. You don't have to have this completed for tomorrow.
• Remember, you have a test on Strength in What Remains next Tuesday. We'll review tomorrow, and we'll go over the format.

English 12 (D block)

• Read chapter 10 of Frankenstein. Victor, in wandering the countryside, happens upon a central character. Pay close attention to their conversation, and be ready to write about it on Monday.

Homework: March 16

English 12 (D block)

• You have a quiz tomorrow! Study for it.
• Make sure you read chapter 8 & 9 of Frankenstein. See below for the "road map." Remember, some questions might show up on your quiz tomorrow! Remember, we want to keep some big questions/ideas in mind: What happens when we run from problems? How much responsibility should Victor take for the actions of this creation?
• Prepare some rhymes, just in case you're approached for a rap battle.
  

Honors English 11 (F block)

• Prepare for your quiz--it's Friday.
• Check the slide below, and make sure you've: 1. considered the poem, its meaning, and the reason(s) it's there in the beginning of the book, and 2. identified a "most valuable idea" for the book, and started to look for other texts that share that same idea. 
• Prepare some rhymes, just in case you're approached for a rap battle.
  

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Work on reading the "Parent-Child Tensions in Frankenstein" article. We'll discuss it in detail early next week.
• Read your book club book!
• Prepare some rhymes, just in case you're approached for a rap battle.

Homework: March 15

Honors English 11 (F and B block)

• Make sure you've read through chapter 18 for next class. Check earlier posts for the full schedule for this week and next, including Tuesday's test!

Honors English 12 (G block)

• You'll have a quick book club check in tomorrow, so make sure you're ready to chat. 
• Please just start reading the literary criticism ("Parent-Child Tensions in Frankenstein")--get a sense of the main ideas/argument. See the info on the slide below for more guidance. You'll need to read the article fully and carefully by early next week.
  

English 11 (A block)

• Finish reading chapter 1 in Gatsby. Mark it up carefully with your QUESTIONS, OBSERVATIONS and CONNECTIONS. Remember, we talked about the early information we get about Tom and Daisy. Tom's a physical brute; Daisy seems lighthearted and happy. Though, there's a lot of tension in their relationship. Do the things that happen in the rest of the chapter fit our initial impressions?

Homework: March 14

Happy Pi Day! Yum.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Remember, you have a test tomorrow. The format is some passage IDs (identify context, analyze language, connect to a motif and name another moment that is related to that motif), and some short answer questions (CER-format). 
• If you want to practice, 
• here's a passage: "But again when i reflected that they had spurned and deserted me, anger returned, a rage of anger, and unable to injure anything human, i turned my fury towards inanimate objects" (165). 
• here's a short answer question: How does Victor shift (personality and motivation) from the beginning of his story and the end? What causes the major shift(s)--be nuanced and specific here.

English 11 (A block)

• Read and mark up Gatsby, up to the bottom of page 14. Keep an eye on WHO gets introduced, and HOW the narrator (Nick) introduces them.You'll meet three people.
• Work on revision of your "stories can save us" essay--final draft is due Thursday.
• Your vocab quiz is Friday!

Honors English 11 (B block)

• Complete the "one pager prep sheet" that you started in class today, covering chapter 15.
• Read chapter 16.
• We'll read 17 in class tomorrow, you'll read 18 for Thursday, and we'll finish the book in class Thursday. You'll have a test on the book on Tuesday next week.

English 12 (D block)

• If you haven't completed the chapter 4-5 activity, make sure you do so and pass it in.
• Here's the "road map" for chapter 6-7:
  

This post is a link to the earlier post with the Frankenstein audiobook link.

Here it is.

Homework: March 11

Honors English 11 (B block)

• Read chapter 15 of Strength in What Remains, keeping an eye on:
• 3 most significant moments for Deo
• 3 most significant moments for Kidder. 
• I'll ask you to consider the PURPOSE of this chapter--what is its focus...why is it here?

English 12 (D block)

• Carefully read and mark up chapter 5 (look back at the earlier post for the "road map" for the chapter).

Honors English 11 (F block)

• Read and take notes on chapter 16 of Strength.
• Finish the chapter 15 handout.
• We'll be finishing the book next week, so feel free to read ahead if you have extra time!
• ch. 17 in class Tuesday, 18 for hw Tuesday night, epilogue for HW Wednesday night.

Homework: March 10

English 12 (D block)

• Finish reading chapter 3, and read chapter 4 of Frankenstein. Get started into chapter 5--you'll have some time to read it in class tomorrow before we discuss. Check out the slide for some "road map" notes for reading--make sure you can answer the questions.

Honors English 11 (F block)

• Read chapter 15. Make some notes in your journal, and be prepared to talk about the PURPOSE of chapter 15. Identify the 3 most significant moments for Deo, and the 3 most significant moments for Tracy Kidder.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Finish your "What If?" response.
• Read/review the handouts that I gave, focusing especially on the information about Doppelgangers and the Prometheus and Pandora myth.
• Remember, your test is Tuesday!

English 11 (A block)

• Here's a link to an audio version of the novel--listen along if you'd like!
• For next class, you'll read to the bottom of page 8 in Gatsby. Mark up your CONNECTIONS, OBSERVATIONS and QUESTIONS. You'll learn more details about the narrator's life, including where he lives and who he's going to visit.

Homework: March 9

Honors English 11 (B and F block)

• For next class:
• Read and take some notes on chapters 13-14--you pick the note-taking format that works best for you.
• Answer the questions on the handout for chapters 12-14.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Finish Frankenstein! Be ready to talk about it tomorrow.
• Work on your Hindsight is 20/20 assignment--it's due Monday.
• Our Frankenstein test is next Tuesday! 

English 11 (A block)

• Your essay is due tomorrow. You should arrive with a hard copy in hand. Remember to put it in MLA format, 12 point font, Times New Roman. Double-spaced, 1" margins. Make sure you proofread it carefully. Remember, you can find the Writer's Guide online if you go to the links section of this website...there's helpful information in there!
• Don't worry about the Works Cited list yet, and don't worry about uploading it to TurnItIn yet.(Here are our slides/notes from yesterday and today, for reference.)
  
  
  
  
  
  

Homework: March 8

English 11 (A block)

• You have a quiz tomorrow...make sure you're studying!
• Your FINAL draft of your essay is due, printed, on Thursday. (Don't worry about the Works Cited...we'll do that together.) Go to the Writing Center, and/or come meet with us tomorrow.

Honors English 11 (B block)

• You have a quiz tomorrow...make sure you study!
• For Friday, you'll read chapters 13 & 14, and you'll complete the questions handout. You'll have some time to work on this in class tomorrow. We'll be finishing the book next week.
• (Here's a link to the example of Doodle Notes I showed in class today. The doodler/artist explains them a little bit here, too...)

English 12 (D block)

• Continue reading Frankenstein, finishing chapter 2 and the first half of chapter 3 (stop on the top of page 43. Remember, in chapter 2 make sure to figure out who Henry Clerval is, and pay attention to Victor's relationship with books and learning. In chapter 3, keep an eye out for a tragedy and a journey.

Homework: March 7

English 12 (D block)

• Finish reading the Letters, and make your cartoon.
• Read and mark up Chapter 1, where we learn about "the stranger's" background.

Honors English 11 (F block)

• You have a quiz tomorrow!
• For Thursday, read chapters 13 & 14, and complete the chapter 12-14 handout. You'll have some time in class to work Wednesday.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Read chapters 22-23.
• Pick an event and start thinking through the issues:
  

Homework: March 3

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Upcoming dates to remember: 
• Tomorrow: Make sure you've finished the "should Frankenstein make a lady-friend" response. And, read chapters 18 & 19.
• Monday: You have a vocabulary quiz! (And should complete chapters 20 & 21.)
• March 15: Frankenstein TEST!
• March 16: Book club meeting/check in--first 1/3 or so of the book...talk with your group.

English 11 (A block)

• You have many small tasks to take care of:
• Make flashcards and notes on your vocabulary handout.
• Work on your essay.
• Write a journal entry about a piece of advice you've received: tell who gave the advice, what it was, and how it affected you.

Honors English 11 (B block)

• Complete the 2 questions on the Chapter 10 handout.
• Read Chapter 11.

English 12 (D block)

• Finish reading Frankenstein Letter 2, read Letter 3 and complete the cartoon boxes with some of the most significant information.
• Start reading Letter 4--you can stop on page 19 at the end of the section.

Homework: March 2

English 12 (D block)

• Carefully read and mark up LETTER 1 in Frankenstein. Make note of your questions, observations and connections, and keep in mind the discussion we had in class today...we have a letter-writer who is off to explore the Arctic, and he's super psyched about it!
• Start studying those vocabulary words. Our quiz next week will be on TUESDAY (that's a change from the earlier announcement of Monday).

H. English 11 (F block)

• Read chapter 11.
• Complete the 2 questions on the back of the chapter 10 handout, with detail and nuance.

Homework: March 1

Honors English 11 (B and F block)

• Read chapter 10 in Strength in What Remains. Complete the front side of the handout only--we'll do the back in class.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Read and mark up chapters 16 & 17 in Frankenstein, paying attention to the narrative arc and the Creation's reaction to being "expelled" from the home of the cottagers.

English 11 (A block)

• Continue to work on your essay revision project. Over the next couple of days, you should work to find evidence, organize your ideas, refine your thesis statement, and write your claims!