Saturday, May 23, 2009

Last week of class approaching

My migrane has almost run it's course...finishing up the final exam/study guide right now.(1 pm)

What's in store for next week:

1. Return Papers
2. Complete Portfolio reflection (if not done in class Friday). Put papers in PSP's if not already in them (portfolio)
3. Discuss Dover Beach and Tom Sawyer

The Grammar and Poetry Final will be in class on June 1st
The Literature and essay final will be during Finals time on June 2nd...check blog post below for complete details. when room assignments are finalized I'll post that as well.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Homework due Friday 5-22-09

Grammar Quiz Tomorrow
Unit 8 and Quick Fix

TPCAST poem from Literature Book Dover Beach (pages 454-455)

Monday, May 18, 2009

Final Exam information ...June 1 and June 2

The final exam will be divided into two sections:

OK...done with this...1 pm...sorry for the delay...my migraine got the best of me...since Wednesday night.


Monday June 1st in class we'll take Part 1. Part 1 will consist of:
Grammar and Poetry.
The grammar will be paragraphs with potential mistakes underlined. You must decide if it is correct as written or if a change is necessary and what the correct change may be. Multiple Choice format.
Poetry will be multiple choice format. Poetry terms will be used in questions. You will need to be able to look at the structure or a poem and word choice to help discern meaning/mood/tone.

June 2nd, the regularly scheduled 90 minute exam period, we'll take part 2. Part 2 will consist of literature and essays based on literature. The Multiple Choice questions will be heaving weighted on Tom Sawyer (approx. 2/3) with Macbeth and Frankenstein covered (approx. 1/3).

The two days will allow students to have time to thoroughly respond to the essay prompts.

June 1st...Grammar and Poetry
Grammar...review Lessons 8, 10, 11, quick fix (including avoiding the use of double negatives)

Poetry
terms to know include:
SLANT RHYME
END RHYME
INTERNAL RHYME
MOOD/TONE
CONNOTATION/DENOTATION
METAPHOR
SIMILE
ASSONANCE
ALLITERATION

June 2nd: Final Exam 8:30-10:00
Bring Pencils and Pens

Turn in novels to me IF you do not wish to keep...donate so students next year can use...

Block 3 Meet in Room______
Block 4 Meet in Room _____
Block 5 Meet in Room _____

Topics Covered from Tom Sawyer, Macbeth, Frankenstein:
Themes
Main Characters
Plot
Setting
Conflicts

Essays: The following are the essays that are possible for the final exam. The exam will have three of them listed. You will be required to write about 1 with CONCRETE TEXTUAL EVIDENCE.

Directions: In a well-developed essay answer _____ of the following essays. (You had the topics ten days in advance.) Complete answers include concrete textual evidence to prove you read the novels. Concrete evidence includes quotes, facts, and specific details from the story.

Your paper should be organized with an introductory paragraph that includes your THESIS statement. Underline the thesis statement.

The body paragraphs should be logically organized to support/defend/explain your thesis. This is where the CONCRETE textual evidence is key.

The conclusion should wrap up the essay.

TOPIC #1 Both Frankenstein and Brave New World deal with technological and scientific advances in society. Discuss how each deals with the concept of creation of life. Does either author or neither author take a stance as to the ethical questions involved in people creating life in a laboratory setting?

TOPIC #2 The search for identity was a common theme this year. Pick one novel from each of the two categories below and explain how the protagonist sought to discover his/her self throughout the story.
Semester 1 Semester 2
Tuesdays With Morrie Macbeth
The Five People You Met in Heaven Frankenstein
For One More Day Tom Sawyer
Survival in Auschwitz
Brave New World

TOPIC #3 Critics disagree as to the role of literature: is it to instruct or entertain. Pick 2 stories we read this semester and argue for one side: entertainment or instruction. Use concrete details to support your argument.

TOPIC #4 Both the Monster in Frankenstein and Tom in Tom Sawyer grow up without parents. The Monster has no one while Tom has Aunt Polly. Mary Shelley gave her monster feelings and intelligence. Fatherless and motherless, the monster struggles to find his place in human society. Tom is a mischievous child who gets into trouble and must be reprimanded by adults in his life. Explain how the Monster and Tom came “of age (matured)” in the novels. Chronicle at least three experiences each character had that made him come of age. As the character aged, what did he learn about himself? Discuss whether having an adult role model was or was not important in each of the youth’s maturation.

TOPIC #5: Superstitions are a common motif in both Tom Sawyer and Macbeth. Discuss how the superstitions affect character’s actions. A complete answer explores three superstitions from each piece of literature.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Homework due Thursday 5/14/09

Grammar Book pages 631-632
Exercises 4-5-6

TPCAST Poems from Literature book
page 466 "AT THE SAN FRANCISCO AIRPORT"
Page 497-499 "DIVING INTO THE WATER"

Thursday's class: Be ready to discuss Tom and the two poems. Grammar Quiz Friday

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Assignments for the rest of the semester


1. Tom Sawyer reading/worksheets (details in a post below...May 3rd)
2. Tom Sawyer Quizzes (day of or day after homework turned in) 4 total
3. Grammar quiz (2) on Friday 5/8 & 5/15
4. Final Exam on June 2 at 8:30

There will be a few nightly assignments to cover material to prep for class or that we did not complete in class.

Final exam study guide to be posted Memorial Day Weekend

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Frankenstein Scantron


I found the errors on the answer key. when we have the scantrons out Friday for the gramar quiz we'll make changes and I'll update grades with grammar quiz grades next weekend.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Homework for the weekend of 5/8/9/10

Translate "The Fish" by Elizabeth Bishop...
Look for figurative language:
connotations
denotations
metaphors
similies

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Frankenstein Test Days...

Wednesday after the test...

Grammar book pages 227, 243
Vocabulary book pages 65-67

Homework if not done in class

Thursday after the test - start reading Tom Sawyer - Chapters 1-10 due Tuesday 5/12/09

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Tom Sawyer

Tom Sawyer reading Guide Posted to website as well as links to two different online versions. YOU MUST have a book in class (or print pages from the online text). Deadlines:

Read ALL OF Chapters 1-10 by Tuesday 5/12/09 ...complete study guide on website
Read ALL OF chapters 11-24 by Wednesday 5/20/09...complete study guide on website
Read ALL OF chapters 25-30 by Tuesday 5/26/09...complete study guide on website
Read the rest of the book by Thursday 5/28/09...complete study guide on website

we'll have a quiz with each reading section

your test will be part of the final exam

Frankenstein Test this week

I'll give you the scantron portion on Wednesday and the essay on Thursday. Neither will take the entire class period. We'll work in Vocab book and grammar book the other portion of class.

Below are the essay options. You will have to answer 1 during class...all will not be listed as options. I'll put three on the test and you will be required to answer 1 in essay format. (Thesis statement - beginning, middle and an end). Concrete evidence from the novel is required.


OPTIONS:
1. Why might it be construed as "poetic justice" that Victor Frankenstein's worst catastrophe comes just as he is to be married?
2. Describe the cycle of vengeance that consumes both the Being and Victor at the end of the novel. Does either one truly renounce this sentiment?
3. Does Mary Shelley's novel conform to what you take to be the typically romantic view of scientific endeavor? Why or why not?
4. Why can't ordinary humans accept the Being's appearance? What does this inability imply about the basis of human community? In other words, why so much emphasis on physical similarity or dissimilarity?
5. After having read Frankenstein, who has your sympathies -- Victor or the Being he has created? Or neither? Explain.
6. What goes wrong once Victor dares to apply his understanding of "animation" to material substance -- i.e. to a human body? How, that is, do his methods and material underscore and embody the grotesqueness of his quest? When he speaks of the Being he has created, what kind of language does he employ?

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Grades Being Updates/What's Due next week

If you notice your OR grade not posted online, it is due to either:
not having your name on it
having a stage setting in the classroom that I have not gotten to

Don't forget...
Paper #2 due on Monday or Tuesday
Block 5 Frankenstein paper due MONDAY
Frankenstein TEST on Wednesday
Tom Sawyer needs to be brought to class Thursday

Bring Grammar and Vocab books to class next week as well.