Homework: December 22

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Complete the Gatsby opinionnaire--you don't need to do the song part, if you can't think of one...

English 11 (D block)

• Finish reading "On the Rainy River" and mark it up.

Creative Writing (E block)

• Mark up the story you picked out today. Notice your observations, questions and connections.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• You wrote an essay! Phew! Good thing that's done...for now. :)
• Over break, you have two tasks.
• 1. Read your Book club book. We'll return from break right into book club meetings. Hooray!
• 2. Watch a coming of age movie. Enjoy it. We'll probably talk about it at some point. You don't need to do anything formal.
• Some recommendations from your classmates:
• Goonies
• Star Wars (episode 4 especially---that's the one Joseph Campbell wrote about for the Hero's Journey)
• The Breakfast Club
• Sixteen Candles
• Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants
• Legally Blonde
• Harry Potter

Homework: December 21

 Creative writing (E block)
Write 5 creative  "if we hadn't ______, we wouldn't have _____" statements. Think back to the story  we read in class today.

Honors English 12 (G block)
 Keep working on your essay! It's due at the end of the day tomorrow!

English 11 (a block)
Read "On the Rainy River" to the break on page 4.

Homework: December 20

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Continue working on your essay--I made notes on some of them in Classroom.

English 11 (A block)

• You have a vocab quiz tomorrow--study for it!

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Check yesterday's post for the full run-down of what's due on Thursday.

English 11 (D block)

• Read and mark up the story "On the Rainy River" to the break on page 4 (stop after "Elroy grunted and said, 'I'll bet.'"

Homework: December 19

Honors English 11 (C block)

• We'll have a guidance meeting tomorrow during class. 
• FOR THURSDAY:
• Find another moment/description from Gatsby that relates to the paragraph we talked about in class today. Make notes about it on your organizer, and you'll write about it in on the quiz on Thursday.
• Speaking of which, study for the quiz! It's Thursday!
• Finally, finish the novel. What happens now that we've lost many important folks?

English 11 (D block)

• Remember, you have a quiz tomorrow!
• Also, you should identify something about the Vietnam War that you're curious about, and you should do a little research to get some answers to your questions.

Creative Writing (E block)

• Complete a Saw/Did/Heard/Picture chart.
• If you have any late work, get it to me asap!

Homework: December 16

English 11 (D block)

• Study your vocabulary! You have a quiz on Tuesday!

Creative Writing (E block)

• Complete a saw/did/heard/picture "chart", like you've done in the past.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• You wrote a proposal in class Friday, and you'll write your essay next Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday. You can do some thinking, planning and organizing this weekend so you'll be ready to write!

English 11 (A block)

• Study your vocabulary--quiz on Wednesday this week.

Homework: December 14

English 11 (A block)

• Read and mark up "The Things They Carried" to the break on page 13.
• Make note cards for your new words.

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Plot out at least 10 points for each character (Tom and Gatsby) on your chart.

English 11 (D block)

• Complete the article response that you got today in class.

Creative Writing (E block)

• Complete the tasks from class today. If you're going on the field trip, BE HERE BY 7:10 to board the bus.

Homework: December 13

H. English 11 (C block)

• Finish reading chapter 7, and identify moments where Gatsby and Tom gain and lose power (find and mark 10 for each).

English 11 (D block)

• Finish reading and marking up the story "The Things They Carried." 

Creative Writing (E block)

• Read and mark up Omkar's story, and write a workshop letter.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Keep reading Another Brooklyn--you'll have time in class Thursday, and should be finished by Friday.

Homework: December 9

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Check the last post for the reading schedule for Another Brooklyn. Keep reading!

English 11 (A block)

• Write your final draft of your "The Things I Carry" personal essay. Remember to:
• Look back at the mentor text, and compare it to your own.
• Add more details to your essay, remembering to add personality.
• Type it if possible and edit to make sure you don't have spelling or grammar mistakes.

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Read Gatsby to the bottom of page 144. Remember, we'll listen to this part in class, so I want you to get an initial sense.

English 11 (D block)

• Finish your Alexie essay! It should be resubmitted in Classroom by 7PM on Monday (hit "Turn In"). 

Homework: December 8

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Study your vocabulary words! Remember to use vocabulary.com and wordsinasentence.com to help you understand their meanings and usages.
• Read the first 10 pages of chapter 7. You'll have more time to read in class tomorrow, so you can give it a fairly quick initial read through, and go back and mark it up later if you want.

English 11 (D block)

• Study for your vocabulary test--it's tomorrow!
• Continue working on your essay revisions--final should be resubmitted by Monday at 7PM.

Creative Writing (E block)

• Read Sabrina's story, mark it up and write her a workshop letter!
• Complete your "Harper's Index" of your own life--instructions are in Google Classroom.

Homework: December 7

Honors English 12 (G block)

• You're off to a good start with Another Brooklyn. Continue to read and make notes, identifying connections, patterns, and nuances. By Friday, you should have read through chapter 7. 
• By 12/12, read through chapter 9.
• By 12/13, read through chapter 12.
• By 12/16, finish the novel.
• You have a vocabulary quiz on Friday, too--study up!

English 11 (A block)

• Finish up and resubmit your Alexie essay by 7 tonight.
• You have a quiz on Friday--make sure you're studying for it.
• You should have a draft of your "The Things I Carry" personal essay completed for Friday.

Homework: December 5

H. English 11 (C block)

• Finish up your Chapter 5 scavenger hunt handout.
• Start studying your new vocabulary--quiz is FRIDAY!

English 11 (D block)

• Work on your version of "The Things I Carry"--draft is due tomorrow (it can be handwritten).
• Start studying your new vocabulary--quiz is FRIDAY!

Creative Writing (E block)

• Work on your "Harper's Index" of yourself.

H. English 12 (G block)

• Your vocabulary quiz is Friday--study up!
• Read and mark up chapter 2 of Another Brooklyn. Remember to be on the lookout for motifs that are present in Another Brooklyn, Moonrise Kingdom and The Body. We'll talk more about connections and ideas next class.

Homework: December 2

Creative Writing (E block)

• If you need to get a workshop piece to me, please do so ASAP. Please send an email to let me know which one (if it's in Classroom), or email me a link.
• Start writing/planning your own, personal version of the "Harper's Index." Remember, you'll think of aspects of your life that are quantifiable by numbers, and you'll create a list that comprises a snapshot of you. Mine might include the following details:
• Percent chance that I want to buy new pens: 100%
• Approximate number of pens that I currently own: 146
• Average number of times per week that my dog escapes her pen at day care and eats cat food: 1
• Distance to my job and back: 110 miles
• Number of miles added to my trip to stop at Target on the way home: 2
• Approximate amount of money spent when I stop at Target, even when I'm stopping just for one thing: $50

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Write a one-pager for Moonrise Kingdom. Remember, it can (but doesn't need to) connect to The Body, and it can (but doesn't need to) refer to one or both of the reviews I gave you today in class.
• Figure out what you want to read next! We'll finalize book club choices next week.
• Finally, I forgot to show you the film parody that I promised at the beginning of the block. That happens a lot... Anyway, I'll show it to you on Monday, but if you just can't wait, check it out here:
• 
  

English 11 (A block)

• Continue to work on your essay revisions. Final essays are due WEDNESDAY by 7PM. Remember that revision is a significant portion of your grade, so make sure you revise!

Homework: December 1

Honors English 12 (G block)

• You should finish up your response to Arthur Biddle's literary criticism "The Mythic Journey in 'The Body.'"
• We'll discuss the film Moonrise Kingdom in class tomorrow. If you missed any of it, or want to rewatch sections, it's on Netflix!

English 11 (A block)

• Great job in today's seminar--you explored some really compelling connections in Big Fish. Do your seminar reflection tonight--remember to be thorough and specific.
• You should have revised your claims in your Alexie essay by tomorrow.

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Read and mark up chapter 5. Remember, it's awesomely awkward and so great. Pay attention to the shifting storyline and the shifting character relationships. Remember we talked about SUBTEXT in class--you know, when you say one thing, but you really mean something else. Keep an eye on that as we go...
• If you didn't finish the "pursued/pursuing/busy/tired" handout from class, finish it up and hand it in Monday.

English 11 (D block)

• Good job in today's discussion--you tackled complex ideas about truth, fiction, storytelling and legacy. Phew! Complete your reflection--do it THOROUGHLY and WELL.

Homework: November 30

Honors English 11 (C block)

• You have a quiz tomorrow! Make sure you're ready for it.
• Finish reading chapter 4 of Gatsby.
• And, finally, take a first look at that handout I gave you in class today--you don't have to finish it...you'll have time in class tomorrow to complete and discuss it.

English 11 (D block)

• Complete your prep work for tomorrow's Alexie seminar.
• Continue revisions of your essay--you should have all claims edited by Friday.

Creative Writing (E block)

• Read the excerpt from "The Year Zero" that I gave you today. Pay attention to the details--HOW is the writer describing this new world?

Homework: November 29

English 11 (D block)

• Complete the prep work for our seminar discussion for Thursday.

Creative Writing (E block)

• Read and mark up "Coyote v Acme." If you need reminders re: the source material, here you go:

Also, you can check this out: http://mentalfloss.com/article/62035/chuck-jones-rules-writing-road-runner-cartoons

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Prep for book club--it's tomorrow.
• Your "They Say/I Say" response to "The Mythic Journey in The Body" is due Friday.

English 11 (A block)

• Check yesterday's post--the two assignments that are due on Thursday are listed there.

Homework: November 28

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Upcoming important dates:
• Tuesday--vocabulary quiz
• Thursday--book club!
• Friday--"They Say/I Say" response to Biddle article is due

English 11 (A block)

• Both due Thursday:
• Your summary for Big Fish.
• Your prep work for the seminar discussion on Big Fish. 

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Start reading chapter 4--to the middle of page 80. Make sure you're carefully marking up your observations, questions and connections. You can stop at the part where it says "One October day in nineteen-seventeen..."

Homework: November 23

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Finish reading and marking up chapter 3 of Gatsby. 
• Start studying your new vocab--quiz on Thursday, December 1.

English 11 (D block)

• Read your IR book. 

Creative Writing (E block)

• I gave you a number of examples of "lists" that are humorous or absurdist in nature. Your task: write your own! Pick a topic, and create a number of items for the list. 

Homework: November 22

Creative Writing (E block)

• Read the short "article" I gave you in class today. We'll talk about it, and I'll give you some more "lists" tomorrow.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Start planning/drafting your "They Say/I Say" response.
• Study your vocabulary--quiz on Tuesday.

English 11 (A block)

• Write the "RESPOND" paragraph (the 2nd paragraph of the 3-paragraph response format) for Big Fish.

Homework: November 21

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Carefully read and mark up the literary criticism "The Mythic Journey in 'The Body'" by Arthur Biddle. We'll talk about the argument it makes in class tomorrow.

English 11 (A block)

• We'll have our quiz tomorrow! Study for it.

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Read Gatsby to the bottom of page 57. Keep an eye on the language--look for similes/metaphors, and that imagery, too.

English 11 (D block)

• Finish the 3-paragraph response assignment by writing the SUMMARY and CONNECT paragraphs. Remember you have a rubric to help you with the summary; carefully consider the content, details, and order of your summary. 

Homework: November 18

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Finish reading Chapter 2 of Gatsby. Keep an eye on all of this craziness--Tom's behavior and Nick's reactions, especially. 
• You have a vocab quiz on Monday--study for it!

English 11 (D block)

• Study for your vocabulary quiz! It's Monday!
• Using the Reading Reactions handout, write just the RESPOND paragraph (paragraph 2) for Big Fish. We'll do the other two in class on Monday.

Creative Writing (E block)

• Make sure you're prepared for Tuesday's seminar discussion of Dillon's story! You should have a letter for him (and for Aly if you didn't already do that one), and a marked up copy of the story.

Homework: November 17

English 11 (D block)

• Continue to fill in your organizer for Big Fish. We'll keep watching the movie next class.
• Study your vocabulary! You have a quiz on Monday.

Creative Writing (E block)

• We'll start workshopping tomorrow. To be prepared, you should make sure that you've carefully read and marked up Aly and Dillon's stories, and that you've written workshop letters.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Make sure you've finished reading "The Body" carefully.
• Book club is Monday. Be prepared for it, with your written prep work, and maybe a snack?
• Start reading the Biddle article ("Mythic Journey in The Body").

English 11 (A block)

• You have a quiz on Monday. Make sure you're studying for it!

Homework: November 16

Honors English 12 (G block)

• You should be DONE with The Body by the time you arrive to class tomorrow. We'll continue with presentations--so if you haven't gone yet, be ready!

English 11 (A block)

• Make flashcards and start studying your new vocabulary. Test is MONDAY.

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Continue to read Gatsby, to the end of page 36. You'll meet a couple new characters, and you'll go to a party in New York! Wheeee!

Homework: November 15

English 11 (A block)

• Complete the sections of the organizer for Big Fish that you can, keeping in mind that there are a couple of characters you haven't met yet.

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Finish the first chapter of Gatsby! Make notes about what you WONDER and what you NOTICE.

English 11 (D block)

• Complete the sections of the organizer for Big Fish that you can, keeping in mind that there are a couple of characters you haven't met yet.

Creative Writing (E block)

• Read Aly's story and write a response, using the Workshop Guidelines. We'll do the workshop on Friday.

Homework: November 14

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Read Gatsby to the end of page 12. Remember to keep INTRODUCTIONS in mind, and make note of what you KNOW and what you WONDER.

English 11 (D block)

• Read your IR book!

Creative Writing (E block)

• Write a Reader Response to "The Department of Nothing."

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Keep reading "The Body" and your book club book.
• You have a quiz Wednesday--study for it!

Homework: November 10

Creative Writing (E block)

• Finish reading "Department of Nothing." We'll talk Monday!

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Keep reading The Body and your book club book.
• Our next vocab quiz is on Wednesday!

English 11 (A block)

• Read your independent reading book! Be ready for your vocabulary quiz on Tuesday.

Homework: November 9

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Keep reading, and preparing for presentations!

English 11 (A block)

• Finish up your essay, and make sure it's saved in Google Classroom.

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Start studying that new vocabulary.

English 11 (D block)

• Finish up your essay, and make sure it's saved in Google Classroom.

Homework: November 7

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Listen to Serial episode 2. It's linked here. Remember, focus on PERSPECTIVES. The link for the episode is here. You can also find it through podcasts on your phone.
• Study vocabulary--quiz on Wednesday!

English 11 (D block)

• Keep working on your essay. We've been working for a while now, and your essay should show, at this point, at least 3 hours worth of work. It's due Thursday by 7PM--you'll upload it to Google Classroom.
• You have a vocabulary quiz on Wednesday--study for it!

Creative Writing (E block)

• Work on your character scenes--due Thursday.

Homework: November 4

English 11 (D block)

• Work on ESSAYS! We'll have more time on Monday, but you should put in time over the weekend.

Creative Writing (E block)

• Continue reading "The Department of Nothing"--to the break on page 72.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Kick butt on the SATs!
• Keep reading The Body.
• Prepare for book club--first meeting is WEDNESDAY!

English 11 (A block)

• Work on your essay! It's due Wednesday by 7 PM.
• Also, you have a QUIZ on Wednesday. Study those vocabulary words.  

Homework: November 3

Honors English 12 (G block)

• You have a quiz tomorrow--make sure you study for it! It will cover vocabulary, as well as content from The Body.
• Make sure you're reading The Body, and that you're preparing for your presentation.

English 11 (A block)

• Work on your essay!

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Complete a 3-paragraph response for "Episode 1: The Alibi" of Serial. You have a handout with instructions.
• Here's the link to the episode: https://serialpodcast.org/season-one/1/the-alibi

Homework: November 2

English 11 (A block)

• Spend at least 20 minutes working on your essay. 

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Complete the connotation/denotation handout you received in class today.
• Make sure you're studying your vocabulary--the quiz is next Wednesday!

English 11 (D block)

• Spend 20-30 minutes working on your essay over the next couple of days.

Creative Writing (E block)

• Read the beginning of the story "The Department of Nothing"--up to page 64. Pay attention to the third person voice that starts the story, and the third person voice. It's British, so be on the lookout for fun British slang!

Also, enjoy Henri, le Chat Noir 4, here:

Homework: November 1

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Complete your opinion piece. You have a handout with general instructions, and the assignment sheet is in Google Classroom. You can upload your final to Classroom (by class time tomorrow) or print out a copy.

English 11 (D block)

• Complete your reflection from our seminar. Here are the instructions:

Creative Writing (E block)

• Finish reading "Udder Madness" and write a quick reflection. Sabrina--I forgot to give you this in class, and we didn't even start the other story I gave you! You can find "Udder Madness" here.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Keep reading The Body, prepare for your presentations, and study vocabulary--quiz is FRIDAY. 

Homework: October 31

Creative Writing (E block)

• Write a reader response to "Turbulence"--you don't have to do the quotations part, just do the first part.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Make sure you're reading The Body, AND your book club book.
• Your next DAY 2 check in (including the vocabulary you got today), is Thursday.

English 11 (A block)

• Make flashcards for your new words. The quiz will be next Wednesday.
• Complete the organizer you received in class today for at least 2 texts. 

Homework: October 28

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Make sure you're reading The Body, AND your book club book. If you're presenting chapters 8-12, you should be ready to go (probably on Tuesday). Let me know what your chosen motifs are.

English 11 (A block)

• Complete the seminar response. You received a handout with instructions at the end of class on Friday.

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Work on your opinion piece. It's due Wednesday.

English 11 (D block)

• Your reflection for the seminar is due on Monday--make sure you complete it!

Homework: October 27

H. English 11 (C block)

• Finish up your essay revisions and study for your quiz.

English 11 (D block)

• Good job in today's seminar. You received a text with the guidelines for the reflection--if you didn't, check in the sidebar of this website.

Creative Writing (E block)

• Finish your character sketch assignment--due Monday.

Homework: October 26

English 11 (D block)

• Study vocab--we have a quiz tomorrow!

Creative Writing (E block)

• Keep working on your character sketch stuff. It's due Monday.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Where were you all today?!
• We had a quiz...if you were absent, plan to make it up tomorrow afternoon or next week!
• We'll start presentations for The Body on Friday. The motif we'll focus on for Chapter 2 is NEIGHBORHOOD, and for Chapter 3 it's PROGRESS.
• Your Comparative Essay is due Friday--you can upload it to Google Classroom.

English 11 (A block)

• We got off to a GREAT start today with our first seminar. We'll hear from the other group next class.
• You have a quiz next class. Study for it!!!

Homework: October 25

Honors English 12 (G block)

• All you need to know is on the handout from class today. Big news is that our vocabulary quiz will be tomorrow. Make sure you're reading The Body!

English 11 (A block)

• Prepare for tomorrow's seminar discussion, using the handouts you received in class today as well as your texts (True Diary, "Reservation Mathematics," notes from Smoke Signals).
• Study your vocabulary--quiz is Friday!

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Work on your essay revisions. They're due Friday.
• Also Friday: your vocabulary quiz! 

Homework: October 24

English 11 (A block)

• Make vocab flashcards. Your quiz will be on FRIDAY!!!
• For each of the two motifs you identified in class today, find 10 moments that illustrate that motif.

Honors English 11 (C block)

• You have essay revisions to be working on--work on 'em! Revision is due Friday. We'll be working on other things in class starting tomorrow, but will take time for questions, so figure out if you have questions!
• Study vocabulary--quiz on Friday.

English 11 (D block)

• Prepare for Wednesday's seminar discussion by finding moments in all of Sherman Alexie's texts that represent COMFORT and CONFINEMENT. (See the handout for more information.)
• Study for your quiz--it's THURSDAY this week because we'll miss class on Friday for the rally.

Creative Writing (E block)

• Work on your character sketch assignment--steps 1 and 2 tonight, so you're ready next class to start writing a monologue and the sketch itself.

Homework: October 21

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Read the two articles I gave you today, and make some notes on the handout I provided. We'll be doing some argument writing next week.
• Start studying your vocabulary--quiz is FRIDAY (Day 5).
• We'll work on essay revisions next week, as well. Hooray!

English 11 (D block)

• Complete your MOTIF work in your journal. Remember, two motifs, 10 moments for each motif.

Creative Writing (E block)

• Write a paragraph in which you place your character from the character activity out by the river, and write a scene. What would he/she be doing out there? Is anyone else there?

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Work on your Comparative Essay--due next Friday.
• Study your vocabulary!
• Start reading/marking The Body. We'll start student-led presentations next week. If you weren't in class on Friday to get a book and to sign up for a presentation slot, come by on Monday to get it!

Homework: October 20

Creative Writing (E block)

• Read your Independent Reading book. Find THREE moments of character description in your book--throw a sticky note at each and jot notes about what the author is doing to create character.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Start studying your vocabulary for next week's vocabulary quiz--it's WEDNESDAY (day 3) next week.
• We started working on a Comparative Review assignment of Room and another text (movie, book, film). If you weren't in class today, you can find a copy of the assignment in Google Classroom. Please check it out and start doing some brainstorming/planning. It's due next Friday.

English 11 (A block)

• Write a 3-paragraph response to the film Smoke Signals. You have the instructions on a bright pink paper labelled Reading Reactions.

Homework: October 18

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Finish up and submit that essay. Remember, you need to hit TURN IN on Google Classroom by 8. You should be going to bed early tonight to rest up for the PSATs...

English 11 (D block)

• You have a quiz on Friday--study for it!
• You should complete a 3-paragraph Reading Reaction for the film Smoke Signals. You have instructions on a bright pink handout.

Creative Writing (E block)

• Complete your dialogue assignment.
• Start the character handout--use the guidelines below. 
• 

Homework: October 17

English 11 (D block)

• Study your new vocabulary words. You'll have a quiz on Friday (Day 7) this week instead of Day 5, because of the PSATs.

Creative Writing (E block)

• Work on your independent pieces.
• Work on your dialogue exercise--due Thursday.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Complete your reflection for today's seminar. On Thursday, bring with you:
• Your seminar prep work.
• Your notes that you took during the seminar.
• Your reflection (1-2 pages).
• Figure out your book club book--what do you want to read, and who do you want to read with?

English 11 (A block)

• Study your vocabulary! Your quiz is on Day 6 this week (Thursday) because of the PSATs.

Homework: October 14

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Prepare for your seminar discussion--it's Monday.
• Consider what you'd like to read for book club. Start finding some people to read with you. We'll confirm books next week. Below is the slide from class today; you don't need to pick one of these, but you can!
  

English 11 (A block)

• Make flashcards for your new words.
• Read your IR book.

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Work on your essay! It's due on Tuesday. You'll have time in class on Tuesday to work on it, and you'll need to submit it in Google Classroom by 8. 

Homework: October 13

English 11 (A block)

• Read your IR book!

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Work on your essay. You'll have time with computers tomorrow, and Tuesday. It'll be due Tuesday by the end of the day.

English 11 (D block)

• Write your revision of your "Why We Play Basketball" paragraph. Use the graphic organizer I gave you if it's helpful.

Creative Writing (E block)

• Work on your 1-2 page dialogue exercise (description on the handout from class today). It's due Wednesday of next week.

Homework: October 12

Honors English 11 (C block)

• I texted you, via Remind, the following resources:
• Link to Alexie interview.
• Today's writing slide.
• The transcript of our seminar discussion.
• (If you can't access them on Remind, you should be able to find them in the sidebar of this page.)
• Tonight, continue to work on prep. We'll have computers to use tomorrow and Friday.

English 11 (D block)

• Complete the paragraph response to "Why We Play Basketball." The front of the paper is an organizer, and you should use it to help you write a draft. Tomorrow, I'll collect it, as well as your prep work you did for class today, and we'll work on a second draft.

Creative Writing (E block)

• Complete a Saw/Did/Dialogue/Picture page.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• You have a quiz Friday!
• We'll start thinking about new book club books, and get that whole thing set up, next class.
• Start prepping for the seminar discussion for Room and the poems "Snow" and "Burnt Norton." Both are directly referenced in the book. The seminar discussion will be on Monday.

Homework: October 7

Creative Writing (E block)

• Finish reading "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" and complete a Reader Response (pink paper).

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Final book club is on Wednesday. Be ready to chat!
• Read "Costume Drama." It's a good example of the type of personal essay that you'd want for a college essay (though it's longer). 
• Work on your personal essay. Make some revisions. 

English 11 (A block)

• Complete the handout from class today, including the back.

Homework: October 6

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Update=you don't need to give me a final draft of your personal essay tomorrow. I still have your drafts, and I'll give them back to you tomorrow.
• We will do some writing in class tomorrow. You will submit your mind map with your response tomorrow, and you should have all of your texts with you.

English 11 (A block)

• Study your vocabulary! Your quiz was postponed from today, so it's tomorrow!!!
• Finish your draft paragraph for "Reservation Mathematics."

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Study your vocabulary for a quiz--it's on Monday Wednesday!
• Start planning, prepping, researching, and pulling evidence for your analytical essay. If you don't know the meanings of the terms on the front of the paper, you're looking them up and making some notes. You should spend at least 20 minutes on this work, and should be ready to share it in class on Wednesday.

English 11 (D block)

• Write your response to "Why We Play Basketball." It's a fairly informal response...write a couple of paragraphs:
• Here's what I know is going on...
• Here's what I think is important, because...
• Here's what I think is important, but I'm not sure why... Maybe...

Homework: October 5

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Write your reflection for today's seminar discussion. If you didn't get the slide with the prompts via Remind, check the sidebar of this website.

English 11 (D block)

• You have a quiz tomorrow! Study for it. Make sure you practice comparing words to each other.

Creative Writing (E block)

• Do some writing. 

Homework: October 4

English 11 (D block)

• Read your new IR book!
• Study your vocabulary--you have a quiz coming up on Thursday.

Creative Writing (E block)

• Complete your dialogue exercise--I sent you the information via Remind. We'll have computers tomorrow to do writing workshop.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Prep for book club--we'll have a quick meeting on section 4 of the book on Thursday.

English 11 (A block)

• Finish the graphic organizer (or draft) of your paragraph about "Reservation Mathematics."
• Study your vocabulary--you have a quiz on Thursday!

Homework: October 3

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Draft of your personal essay is due. Print it!
• We watched Pleasantville, from 1:03-1:31-ish. If you have Netflix, watch that section so you'll be ready to go for tomorrow!

English 11 (A block)

• Read True Diary to page 218. We'll finish in class tomorrow!
• Study vocabulary--quiz is on Thursday.

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Prepare for your Seminar discussion (it's Wednesday). You can do your prep on the back of your mind map, or on a separate sheet of paper. Find specific moments, quotations, and connections--the motifs we'll discuss are COMFORT and CONFINEMENT.

Homework: September 30

English 11 (A block)

• Read to page 198 in True Diary!
• Make flashcards for your new vocabulary words.

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Your mind map is due on Monday--make sure it's complete and detailed. The slide is posted in an earlier post.

English 11 (D block)

• Complete the "end of True Diary" handout.

Creative Writing (E block)

• Start reading "Where are you Going, Where Have you Been?" up to the point on page 4 where the boys show up.
• If you didn't have your response for "Hills Like White Elephants" completed, make sure you do so for Tuesday.

Homework: September 29

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Make sure you've carefully read and marked up the article "In the Shadow of Wounded Knee" for class tomorrow.
• Your mind map should be all set by Monday.

English 11 (D block)

• Read True Diary to page 218. We'll finish the book in class tomorrow!

Creative Writing (E block)

• Complete a reading journal response for "Hills Like White Elephants." We'll discuss the story in class tomorrow.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Check the schedule posted earlier this week for upcoming due dates through next week. 
• BIG THING: You have a vocabulary quiz on Monday. As we went over in class today, the definition for auspicious is INCORRECT on the handout. Cross it out, and check vocabulary.com for the real one!

Homework: September 28

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Check the post from a couple days ago, and make sure those dates are in your calendars!
• Bring in a baby picture--a printed version that I can glue onto a poster for our classroom. About 4 x 6. Try to get that to me this week.

English 11 (A block)

• Read True Diary to page 178. 
• We took a quiz today--if you missed it, check in with us about a day to make it up, before our next quiz next Thursday.
• We'll talk about the poem "Reservation Mathematics" next class.

Homework: September 27

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Thursday, you have a DAY 5 check in (on Day 7 this time around)...make sure you study that vocabulary!
• By Friday, you should finish reading and carefully marking up the National Geographic essay "In the Shadow of Wounded Knee."
• By Monday, you should have finished your Sherman Alexie Mind Map.

English 11 (D block)

• Thursday, you have a DAY 5 check in (it's just on Day 7 this time!). Study!
• Read True Diary to page 198. 

Creative Writing (E block)

• Read and mark up the story "Hills Like White Elephants." Remember to look at what the characters are saying, AND what they're NOT saying...

Homework: September 26

English 11 (D block)

• Read to page 178 in True Diary.
• Study your vocabulary!

Creative Writing (E block)

• Write!!! (Details in Google Classroom.)

Honors English 12 (G block)

• UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES!
• 9/28: vignette final due
• 9/28: book club meeting 3
• 10/3: Day 2 check in 2
• 10/4: Personal essay draft due
• 10/6: Book club meeting 4
• 10/7: Personal essay final due
• 10/7: In-class writing, intro texts

English 11 (A block)

• Study your vocabulary--check in on Wednesday!
• Read True Diary to page 154.

Homework: September 23

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Finish and PRINT a final version of your vignette (just one). You will do some peer review/editing in class, where I'll give your essay to a couple other people in class.
• Work a little on your mind map. It's not "due" Monday, but we'll still be working on/thinking about these issues.
• Read and work on Room.
  

English 11 (A block)

• Read True Diary to page 134.
• Study your vocabulary!

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Work on your Alexie map for at least 20 minutes. Remember, you won't finish it. But work on it, for at last 20 minutes, for real. The instructions are below.
• Find an emoji to best express each of our current vocabulary words. Save them in Notes on your phone, or screenshot them, or something, so we can share on Tuesday.
  

Homework: September 22

English 11 (A block)

• Read True Diary to page 103. As you read, find a quotation that you think has some good, unique language. (Maybe repetition, or figurative language.) Put a sticky note on the page so you can find it and work with it tomorrow.
• Study your vocabulary!

Honors English 11 (C block)

(notes from today's discussion)

•  Read the article "Superman and Me" by Sherman Alexie and complete the response on the last page.
• Study that vocabulary--your check in is next Thursday.

English 11 (D block)

• Read True Diary to page 158.
• Study your vocabulary!

Creative Writing (E block)

• Complete your "Why Write?" draft and make sure it's on Google Classroom for Monday.

Homework: September 21

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Finish reading the novel True Diary, and make detailed, thoughtful notes on the handout.
• Start studying those new vocabulary words.

English 11 (D block)

• Read to page 134 in True Diary. 
• Start studying your new vocabulary words!

Creative Writing (E block)

• "Why Write?" full draft is due on Monday. (I think I may have said Friday in class today? But we don't have class on Friday.)
• We'll talk about "The Page" tomorrow, too.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Study vocabulary--quiz on Friday will include current class content (all texts we've read so far are fair game) as well as the words on the list.
• Read and mark up the excerpt from Proust's Remembrance of Things Past. Remember that we watched this clip from Mad Men about NOSTALGIA. Make some connections, with this text, and with ALL of the texts we've read so far.<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/suRDUFpsHus" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
• Bring a copy of a final draft of ONE vignette to class on Monday. We'll do some close, careful editing.
• College essay--work on that thing!

Homework: September 20

Creative Writing (E block)

• Read "The Page" and make some quick notes.
• Keep working on "Why Write?"

Honors English 11 (G block)

• I'll release your vignettes back to you. Start working on a revision of ONE of the vignettes. I'll give you a rubric tomorrow.
• Book club is tomorrow. Fill out those organizers, and be ready for a great discussion.
• You'll have a vocabulary quiz on Friday.

English 11 (A block)

• Read True Diary to page 100.
• Make flashcards for your new words. Draw some emojis on them if that helps you remember!

Homework: September 19

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Tomorrow, we have a guidance meeting. 
• Wednesday, we have book clubs--meeting #2. You received an organizer to fill out; if you didn't get one, make sure to grab one tomorrow. 
• I'll be giving you a reading to do for Wednesday, too--you can come grab it if you want to look at it early.
• Friday we'll have our first vocab quiz/Day 2 check in. Make sure you're studying those words!

English 11 (A block)

• Read to page 81 in True Diary.
• If you didn't know the words that were on today's test, study them! They'll come back again...

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Read to page 218 in True Diary--we'll finish the book on Wednesday!

English 11 (D block)

• Read to page 117 in True Diary for next class.
• If you didn't know the words that were on today's test, study them! They'll come back again...

HOMEWORK: September 16

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Study for your vocabulary quiz. Practice sentences, study language, make connections.
• Make sure you've read up through page 198 in True Diary. Read ahead if you have time!
• Finish watching Children of the Plains. There are 10 minutes left (start at 30:00). The link is here.

English 11 (D block)

• Read True Diary! To page 98!
• You have your first vocabulary/Day 5 check in on Monday. Here are some hints on how to study:
• Study current week’s words—make sure you know what the definitions mean! (Check notes from class, and use vocabulary.com to help clarify.
• Practice using the words in sentences. Use vocabulary.com, your notes, and wordsinasentence.com to help you.
• Compare words from this week to other words you've studied in the past. By asking, “How is ________ like ______________?” you’ll be practicing definitions and looking at the distinct meanings of each word.
• Try to think of examples and situations to use the words that make sense to you. Use mnemonic devices to help you remember. Think about the way the word sounds, draw pictures, think of characters you could use it to describe. We’ll practice this in class; figure out what works best for you (and check in with me if you need help).

Creative Writing (E block)

• We'll talk about "Why Write?" next week--finish reading and marking if you haven't already. 
• Keep thinking/planning/writing ideas for your own "Why Write?"

Homework: September 15

English 11 (D block)

• Read True Diary! Keep going in the book, making sure that you're up to page 76.
• Study your vocabulary! Remember, we have a quiz on Monday.

Creative Writing (E block)

• Wasn't it nice outside today?
• If you haven't finished reading "Why Write?" do that for tomorrow. 
• As always, Read your book, spend more time outside, and do some writing.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Read Room! We'll talk about your "St. Lucy's" one pagers on Monday. Your next book club meeting is Wednesday. Use the weekend to get caught up.

English 11 (A block)

• Read True Diary! You should read to page 66.
• Study your vocabulary--you have a quiz on Monday!

Homework: September 14

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Carefully read and mark up the story "St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves." Use the prompts on the slide to help guide your reading and thinking. You'll do some writing in class tomorrow about this story.
  
• You should complete drafts of your vignettes for tomorrow, as well. You don't need to print them (unless it's helpful for you to do so). As long as they're saved in Google Classroom, I'll be able to access them.
• Start studying that vocabulary--you'll have a quiz next Friday.

English 11 (A block)

• Make sure you've read to the end of page 31 in True Diary.
• Study your vocabulary--practice using them in sentences.

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Read True Diary through page 178.
• Study your vocabulary! Practice using the words in sentences.

Homework: September 13

English 11 (A block)

• Study your vocabulary words! Quiz is on Monday.
• If you haven't read to the end of the second chapter in True Diary ("Why Chicken Means So Much to Me"), make sure you've done so by tomorrow.

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Read True Diary--check earlier post for pages.
• Make flashcards for your vocabulary words and start studying them! Quiz on Monday. 

English 11 (D block)

• Study your vocabulary words! Quiz on Monday.
• If you haven't read to the end of the page 43 in True Diary (there's a cartoon at the bottom of the page!), make sure you do so by next class.

Creative Writing (E block)

• Finish reading and marking up the story "Why Write?" We'll discuss it next class.

Homework: September 12

First, thanks to Mr. Reinhardt, Ms. Chilton, HUDTV, and all the students/faculty involved in today's September 11th remembrance. If you missed today's program, you can find the link to the audio and video here.

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Read True Diary! Your schedule is posted in an earlier post--for tomorrow, read to page 129.

English 11 (D block)

• If you didn't finish reading the first two chapters of True Diary, do so for tomorrow. We'll keep going with the book tomorrow!

Creative Writing (E block)

• Complete the revision of your "____ Summer" piece. (The instructions

Honors English 12 (G block)

• For class on Wednesday, be prepared to discuss the first section of Room. This includes completing the Discussion Organizer you received in class; directions are on the front page!
• For class on Thursday, make sure you've completed your vignette drafts in Google classroom, and make sure you've read the story "St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves."

Homework: September 9

Creative Writing (E block)

• For Monday: Start your Territories of Writing in your journal (use the handout provided to help). Feel free to cut out words/images from magazines, print out pictures, etc., and use them to decorate the cover or inside of your writing journal. Start a list of topics that might make for good stories.
• For Tuesday: Finish a final draft of your "_____ Summer" story.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• For Monday: Read and mark up the packet of readings I gave you in class today. Each deals with an element of growing up.
• For Monday: Make some notes/start drafting a vignette of your own, based on a story (person/place/thing/event) from your neighborhood. Use Cisneros's vignettes as a guide. 
• For Wednesday: Read to page 56 in Room and complete the book club prep work. You can do the work right on the organizer if you want; you don't have to type it up separately this time.

English 11 (A block)

• Make flashcards for your new vocabulary words, and start studying them! Use vocabulary.com to help you. Make sure your flashcards have definitions that you understand!

Homework: September 8

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Read Room. Your schedule is:

9/14: Presents

9/21: Unlying

9/28: Dying

10/6: After

10/12: Living

• Start drafting a vignette, based on your "neighborhood stories." Use Cisneros's vignettes as inspiration and guide. We'll have time in class tomorrow to do some writing, as well.

English 11 (A block)

• Complete your Reading Reaction for the documentary "Children of the Plains," using the bright pink paper with instructions, as well as your notes, to guide you. You can find the film here if you need to revisit any segments.

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Do some quick research for the poem "Reservation Mathematics." Look up:
• Wounded Knee
• Little Big Horn
• Lucille Clifton (what's the allusion in the poem?)
• Write a 1-paragraph reaction to the poem, focusing on what you noticed and what you wonder.
• Read True Diary, up to page 100. (I'll give you a little bit of time to read in class on Monday, too.
• Reading schedule for the rest of True Diary--read ahead if you have time!
• For Tuesday, 9/13: to page 129
• For Wednesday, 9/14: to page 151
• For Friday, 9/16: to page 178
• For Monday, 9/19: to page 198
• For Wednesday, 9/21: to page 218 (we'll finish in class that day!)

English 11 (D block)

• Complete your Reading Reaction for the documentary "Children of the Plains," using the bright pink paper with instructions, as well as your notes, to guide you. You can find the film here if you need to revisit any segments.

Homework: September 7

Honors English 11 (C block)

Read True Diary to page 73. Be ready to discuss and compare to other texts.

English 11 (D block)

Get your syllabus signed.

Creative Writing (E block)

Finish your story draft.

Homework: September 6

English 11 (D block)

• Finish up your Intro letter--bring it with you to class tomorrow.
• Get your course syllabus looked at and signed by folks at home.

Creative Writing (E block)

• Do about 15 minutes of thinking, organizing, pre-writing for your own "version" of Bradbury's "Rocket Summer." Consider images, sentence structure, etc. You'll write the actual piece in class tomorrow, but I want to see some pre-writing!

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Read and mark up the Cisneros vignettes. Consider PURPOSE (what are they saying?) and STYLE/LANGUAGE (how are they saying it?). Be ready to discuss thoughtfully tomorrow.

English 11 (A block)

• Get your syllabus signed, if you haven't already done so. We watched the first half of the documentary "Children of the Plains" in order to prepare for our first novel of the year. You can find the documentary here.

Homework: September 1!

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Write your intro letter!
• Finish drawing your neighborhood, and be ready to talk about it on Tuesday.
• Get your supplies--especially that composition book!

English 11 (A block)

• Finish your letter, if you need to.
• Acquire a composition book, as well as a folder/binder for English class.

Honors English 11 (C block)

• Read the first few chapters of Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. Stop at the end of the chapter "Hope Against Hope." (It ends on page 43, where the picture with the Rez/Hope sign is.)
• Read your IR book, too!
• Get your school supplies: a composition book and a binder/folder.

Welcome back! August 31, 2016

It was great to meet everyone today--hope you had a wonderful first day back.

Honors English 11 folks (C block), make sure you finish up that introduction letter and bring it with you to class tomorrow.

Creative Writing folks (E block), give that story "Rocket Summer" from Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles a quick read. Mark up a couple of sentences/ideas/images that you like a lot (or that you have questions about) and be ready to talk about it on Tuesday.

SUMMER READING!

Hey folks! Here's the link for the summer reading book list.

Honors English 11--essay titles

Hello everyone!

For your The Things They Carried project essays, I'd like you to use the following format for your essay title:

interesting title: explanatory title

So, the first part is the traditional "what's this essay about--the jazzy version" kind of thing. The second part will be a very clear statement of the part of the project you completed. So, maybe something like this:

The Guilt We Carry: An Examination of Culpability in "Speaking of Courage" and Restrepo

Or like this:

The Stories Keep the Man: The Importance of Legacy in "The Lives of the Dead" and Big Fish

Give it a try! You'll sound all fancy and academic. And, I won't have to guess at which part of the project you completed. Win-win!

A reminder: in MLA format, titles are centered, after your heading. They aren't in bold, or underlined, or anything. Check out the writing guide if you need a reminder!

Remember to upload your essay to TurnItIn.com

Summer reading book survey link

When you're ready, go to this link and choose your first and second choice for summer reading. Remember, we're just trying to gauge interest here, to figure out if there are some books that a lot of people want to read, and others that no one's interested in. You're not making any final decisions right now, but please do think through your choices so we can get the most accurate information!

Resources: The Great Gatsby literary criticism response

Here's a link to the HHS Writer's Guide. Use it to help you finish your essay!

Page 27 is helpful for the format of your paper...follow the directions!

All classes...end of the year!

You folks all know what you're working on, so, as you noticed, I haven't been updating this site every day. You have an electronic copy of the calendar for your class--it came to you via text. If you don't have it, check in with me. You can also access your class's calendar through the "Remind" box to the left.

Make sure you're:

• Working on your projects.
• Studying your vocabulary.

Homework: June 3

Honors English 11 (B and F block)

• Complete your DAY 2 quiz TAKE HOME quiz--due next class. Make sure you upload to TurnItIn.com and bring a hard copy to class.
• If you missed any part of Restrepo, you can find it here.
• Remember, you have a BIG 100 word vocabulary test coming up! It's on the 16th. Study for it. You can access the full list of words here.

English 11 (A block)

• Work on organizing, gathering information, and starting to write your essay.
• The full list of vocabulary words is here.
• And, here's the calendar for the rest of our year!

Homework: June 1

See yesterday's post!

Homework: May 31

Blocks B and F: we started watching Restrepo in class today. You can find the film here...watch the first 30 minutes if you weren't here!

Honors English 11 (F block)

• Start reading the article I gave you in class today--mark up the big claims and ideas, especially as they relate to our current work with The Things They Carried/Big Fish/Restrepo as well as to our larger course essential questions.
• Study your vocabulary--use vocabulary.com to look up the words. Check in on Thursday if you have any questions.

English 11 (A block)

• Spend 15-20 minutes working on your essay. Right now, you'll be in the planning/information-gathering stage. You might: make an organizer, review the Foster article and the Green video, take notes about your opinion and find some evidence to support, etc. You must be able to show your work--no "mental notes"! :)
• Study your vocabulary--use vocabulary.com to look up the words. Check in on Thursday if you have any questions.

Honors English 11 (B block)

• Study your vocabulary--use vocabulary.com to look up the words. Check in on Thursday if you have any questions.
• You'll have an article to read, due early next week--if you want to get a head-start on it, come grab a copy of it.

Homework: May 27

Hope you all had a great time at Six Flags! Check earlier posts for the homework that's due on Tuesday.

Homework: May 26

Honors English 11 (B block)

• Finish reading "The Lives of the Dead."
• Complete the response for the story (prompt below).
• Complete the "discussion prep" handout ("the strongest, the bravest, etc.)
  

Honors English 11 (F block)

• Complete the motif handout for The Things They Carried.

Homework: May 25

Honors English 11 (F block)

• Complete the "Book review/Discussion Prep" handout.

English 11 (A block)

• Read the critical essay "A Whole Heap of Ashes." Remember, once you get to the part we marked at the end of the summary/overview, you should be looking for the CLAIMS the author makes, as well as the evidence he uses to support his claims.

Homework: May 24

English 11 (A block)

Read the "Whole Heap of Ashes" article, up to the point we marked today in class.

Honors English 11 (B block)

Mark up the passage you received in class today, and read the story "Noght Life."

Homework: May 23

Honors English 11 (F block)

• Finish reading the story "The Lives of the Dead."
• Consider, What is the purpose of this story?
• Why is this the last in the novel?

Homework: May 20

Honors English 11 (F block)

• Take a few minutes to read the short story ("Night Life") after "The Ghost Soldiers." We'll finish the book next week!

English 11 (A block)

• Study your vocabulary--you have a quiz on Tuesday.

Honors English 11 (B block)

• Make sure you've read the story "The Ghost Soldiers"--we'll talk about it in class on Tuesday.

Homework: May 19

English 11 (A block)

Read and mark up the article you received in class. Remember to identify the author's claims, evidence and reasoning!

Honors English 11 (B block)

For Tuesday, read "The Ghost Soldiers."

Homework: May 18

Honors English 11 (F block)

• Finish reading "The Ghost Soldiers."
• Study for your vocab test!

Honors English 12 (G block)

• FINALS! It's tomorrow!

English 11 (A block)

• Study your vocabulary and read your independent reading book!

Homework: May 16

Honors English 11 (F block)

• Complete the "In the Field" response.
• Read "Good Form" and "Field Trip."

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Prep for book club--it's Wednesday!
• Work on your final assignments--check earlier posts for clarification.

English 11 (A block)

• Read your independent reading book!

Honors English 11 (B block)

• Complete the "In the Field" response.

Homework: FRIDAY MAY 13

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Work on all the stuff. (See earlier post for the list.)

English 11 (A block)

• Make sure you've carefully read and annotated the "Rucker Park" article. Complete the reader response assignment that you received in class today.

Honors English 11 (B block)

• Read your IR book, and study your vocabulary.

English 12 (D block)

• Work on all the stuff! (See earlier post for the list.)
• (Here's the video I showed in class today, because it's adorable.)

The Present from Jacob Frey on Vimeo.

Homework: May 12

Honors English 11 (B block)

• Read through the story "Notes" in The Things They Carried.
• Write your RR for the big question "How does war affect people (and how does O'Brien show the effects)?"--the slide with instructions came to you via Remind, or you can view it in yesterday's post (or the sidebar to the left).

English 12 (D block)

• You're studying your vocabulary, and working on your final writing assignments. See yesterday's post for more specific detail.

Honors English 11 (F block)

• Read "In the Field" and be ready to discuss it next class.

Homework: May 11

English 11 (D block)

• You're working on all the things that you need to complete before the end of the year!
• Final vocabulary test: May 17
• "Stranger in the Photo" essay: due, in class and ready to be shared, May 23
• Final reflection: Due, uploaded to Turnitin.com, by the time you arrive to class on May 23.

Honors English 11 (F block)

• You're writing your "exploration" of the question "How does war affect people?"
  

Honors English 12 (G block)

• You're working on all the things that are listed in yesterday's email. Study hard!

English 11 (A block)

• Finish reading the story "20 Minutes at Rucker Park" and annotate it. Check the post from May 10 for specific instructions.

Homework: May 10

Honors English 11 (B and F block)

• "Speaking of Courage" tells the story of Norman Bowker, who returns home after the war and found that he had "no place in particular to go." As you read the story, pay attention to the very broad question we've been looking at: "How does war affect people?" Make sure you read at least 1/2 of it tonight--you'll have time to finish in class tomorrow. 

Honors English 12 (G block)

• These are the things you should be working on: 
• Studying vocabulary for your final test--5/16
• Finishing your book club book for your final book club meeting--5/18
• Writing your "Stranger in the Photo" essay--5/19
• Writing your "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" response--5/19

English 11 (A block)

• By FRIDAY, you should have carefully read and marked up the article "20 Minutes at Rucker Park." Keep in mind the following instructions:
  

Homework: May 9

English 11 (A block)

• You have a weekly check-in/vocabulary quiz tomorrow--make sure you study!
• Start reading/marking up the article you received in class today, "20 Minutes at Rucker Park." Remember, we'll have a discussion in which we compare the article, thematically and stylistically, with The Great Gatsby. We watched a brief video about Rucker Park today in class to help set the context--here it is if you were absent, or want to watch it again:

Honors English 11 (B block)

• Study for your quiz--it's tomorrow!
• Complete the handout you received in class; for the part on the back, choose a passage from "Ambush."
• We watched the first 22:30 of this video, an interview with Tim O'Brien which includes a reading of "Ambush." If you weren't here, or you want to revisit it, you can find it here:

English 12 (D block)

• Finish your Frankenstein and Room/Juno comparison--it's due Wednesday. Be sure to bring a printed copy that has your title, your name, and the two texts listed at the bottom, like the model text does.\
• Work on your "Stranger in the Photo" essay.
• Make sure you're studying your vocabulary--we'll have the final test on all our words on May 17th.

Homework: May 6

English 12 (D block)

• Work on your Frankenstein and Juno/Room essay. We'll have lab time on Monday, and it'll be due on Wednesday.
• Work on your "Stranger in the Photo" essay--that's due on the 23rd.
• Study your vocabulary! We'll have the final vocabulary test on the 17th.

Honors English 11 (F block)

• Study your vocabulary.
• Read "Ambush" and "Style."
• Take the SATs and do a good job.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Revise and edit your essay, for a final draft due on TUESDAY. Upload it to turnitin.com
• Other important dates: 
• May 16th--final vocabulary test, and computer lab time
• May 18th--Hamlet wrap up, and final book club meeting
• May 19th--our final exam block:
• "Stranger in the Photo" essay should be printed and with you. Bring in your favorite childhood food to share! :)
• Your "Where are you going, where have you been?" reflection should be uploaded to Turnitin.com by midnight that night. (Not, as it says on the handout, by the time you arrive to class.)

Comparative book review examples, for D block

Hello, folks!

You are writing a "comparative review" of Frankenstein and either Juno or Room. You're using some New York Times book reviews as model for the kind of writing you're doing. You have the one we examined in class, but in case you're looking for a few more examples, here you go!

A review of two books that both take place in apple orchards!

This review of two books about creativity and invention.

And, a review of two books about the international drug trade.

Homework: May 5

Honors English 11 (F block and B block)

• Complete the multiple choice questions in the packet I provided in class today.
• Study your vocabulary!

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Your full, polished essay draft is due tomorrow--FINALLY. Get it done, and bring it in!

English 11 (A block)

• Complete opinionnaire for Gatsby!

Homework: May 4

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Work on your essay! It's due Friday.

English 11 (A block)

• Write vocab sentences and start studying for your quiz--it's next Tuesday.
• Give the end of Gatsby a look-over. We'll finish reading it in class tomorrow.

Honors English 11 (B block)

• Read and mark up the passage you received in class today. Keep the question "How does war affect people?" in mind. Figure out which story ("True War Story" or "Sweetheart") the passage is from, and find a passage from the other story that relates to it for some reason (character behavior, motif, imagery/language). Jot down the page number, the first few and last few words of your passage, and your reason for making the connection.
• Additonally, you have a few little tasks to take care of:
• Upload your Strength in What Remains/The Arrival essay to Turnitin.com
• Read all the "little" stories up to "The Man I Killed" that you haven't yet read.

English 12 (D block)

• Work on your Frankenstein and Juno/Room essay.

Homework: May 3

Honors English 11(b block): finish your response to "How to Tell a True War Story," and read "Sweetheart of the Song Tra bong."

English 12: read the model essay you received today in class, marking up what it says and how it says it. Pay attention to the structure.

Honors English 11 F block: mark up the passage that you received in class today, noting significant language. Then find another passage, from the other story, that connects to your passage and note how/why. Read any of the very short stories that you haven't yet read, through the story "Church."

Homework: May 2

English 12 (D block)

• Prep for the seminar: 
  

Honors English 11 (F block)

• See last post for information.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Work on your essay!

English 11 (A block)

• Read and mark up to the end of page 186--figure out what happens next!