Monday 5-9-11

Blocks 3 and 4 have a bit of classwork to complete:
Block 3...Grammar WS page 165 (EX 1) 1-5, Page 167 (EX 1) 1-5, (EX 2) 1-3
Block 4...Grammar WS page 165 (EX 1) evens, Page 167 (EX 1) evens, (EX 2) odds

All classes completed Vocabulary Book pages 129-131 and 215-216

Due Block Day: Resume, Cover Letter and Rubric
Due Thursday: Tempest Act 2

Friday: Tempest Quiz, Grammar Quiz (Punctuation)

This week in class: Tempest and Grammar (Punctuation)

Friday 5-6-11

Block 1: Completed Improving Paragraphs (Vocabulary Book pages 129-134)

Blocks 3 and 4: Completed Tempest Video

ALL Blocks:
Discussed Resume and cover letter completion tips.

Items to include on your resume that you may not have considered adding:
Are you CPR Certified? Any other certifications...SCUBA?
Are you an Eagle Scout?
Have you been accepted into any workshops for this summer?
Have you taken summer courses (not for remediation) at another school? (either for advancement or enrichment?)

Remember Schedule Change for NEXT Week:
Tuesday Mass Day - BLOCK schedule
Wednesday - Homeroom - BLOCK schedule

DUE DATES:
Monday 5-8-11 Tempest Act 1
Thursday 5-12-11 Tempest Act 2
** Friday 5-13-11 Tempest Quiz and Grammar Quiz (Punctuation)
Resume BLOCK Day

REMINDER:
Two students need to complete the ESLR ... come in before school Tuesday 5-10 or Wednesday 5-11

Block Day...Resume Work

In the library today you will work on your resume.

First, look at the rubric on the PAPERS page of the website.

Then go to NAVIANCE on the school website.

Enter Naviance and start to build your resume with key information about your current and past accomplishments. Remember...DO NOT PROJECT into the future.

DRAFT DUE...with rubric...IN CLASS Tuesday May 10th

Final Due ...with rough draft and rubric as well...IN CLASS Tuesday May 24th

BONUS OPPORTUNITY

I was sent information about a writing contest...DEADLINE MAY 10TH. If you complete the writing contest and have all appropriate forms filled out and given to me to mail on May 10th, you will earn up to 25 BONUS points in the PAPERS Category! See me for topic information and entry details.

May 3, 2011

Block 1: Death Penalty Debate based on Upfront Magazine 4-18-11

Blocks 3 and 4: Lou Dunst (Holocaust Survivor) as guest speaker. Read a story about him in the LA Times (March 6, 2006)

Sign on San Diego story about Lou.

Lou Dunst's Story: When Lou Dunst was a teenager, imprisoned in a series of Nazi concentration camps, he begged God: “Please let me live – if for nothing else than to tell my story.” Dunst did survive the war. His is a gripping tale, full of heartache and suspense.

Born in 1926, Lou was only fourteen years old when all Jewish males in Jasina, Czechoslovakia 14 years and older were taken as slave labor. He was transported in boxcars to various concentration camps over time.

On the morning of May 6, 1945, Dunst was literally at death's door. A 19-year-old Ukrainian Jew in a Nazi concentration camp in Austria, he had crawled onto a pile of corpses outside the crematorium to perish. But that afternoon, General Patton's Third Army drove liberated Dunst and the rest of Ebensee's 18,000 prisoners. (Courtesy of Chabad of Downtown)

BLOCK DAY: Meet in the library to work on your RESUME

May 2, 2011

Welcome back from break! Today I passed back some papers and we got organized for the last 5 weeks of school. We started to watch a TEMPEST video (on The Tempest page on the class website)

A few things to remember:

1. If there is NO ARS grade in SOTW, bring a printed copy to class tomorrow. That means I could not read what you submitted or the formatting was changed so much in the upload that I need a printed copy.

2. Make-Up Frankenstein tests: Before or After School Wednesday (5-4-11)

3. Make-up ESLR completion for the TWO that need to finish due to absences before break. Wednesday this week before or after school or Tuesday and Wednesday next week (5/10 or 5/11 before school)

4. Paper regrades, if desired, due NO LATER THAN JUNE 1, 2011. Print the regrade and turn in with original rubric and original assignment if it is not on turnitin.com for me to access.

5. Naviance passwords...you need to know for BLOCK day this week.

The Tempest

Study Guides are attached to the TEMPEST page of the class website. A short BBC animated film is there...we'll watch in class but you can view as you read if that helps you.

Due Dates:
Act 1...Monday 5-9-11
Act 2...Block Day 5-11/12-11
Act 3...Monday 5-16-11
Acts 4 and 5...Block Day 5-18/19-11

Image by George Romney, the most fashionable British painter of his day...late 1700s.

Thursday 4-21-11

Commonly Confused Words Quiz today
Block 1: Upfront Debate
Blocks 3/4: Frankenstein Animation

Wednesday 4-20-11

Grammar Review - Commonly Confused Words V
Grammar Quiz TOMORROW

Frankenstein Multiple Choice Test
Read Upfront Magazine 2-21-11 (6-9,22)

Thursday - UPFRONT Debate from Monday and Tuesday's Readings

IF TIME...Frankenstein Animation

Tuesday 4-19-11

Today we continued to work on COMMONLY CONFUSED WORDS...part IV "A". QUIZ THURSDAY.

The Frankenstein essay was completed.

After the essay...read:
UPFRONT Magazine April 4, 2011 (8-11, 20, 22). Prepare for a debate on Thursday!

Frankenstein Test

You will turn in your BOOK when you take the essay test. You get it back the next day. It is ALLOWED, EVEN ENCOURAGED, to look that the themes on the Frankenstein page of the website and put post-it notes on KEY pages where quotes are that you wish to use. That will speed up your textual evidence gathering.

Tuesday: ESSAY test
Wednesday: scantron portion

Frankenstein and Grammar

Today we continued to review commonly confused words ans Frankenstein.

Next Week:
Monday ARS due
Tuesday and Wednesday Frankenstein test
Thursday Commonly Confused Words Quiz/Upfront Debate
Check with Dr. Rey if you need a new Naviance Password

Frankenstin Discussion

Today we discussed Frankenstein and related Frankenstein to the Holocaust literature, Macbeth and Brave New World from THE FIRST SEMESTER.

Topics Discussed include:
SEEING (and lack of sight)...literally and figuratively (relate to Holocaust literature)
Water and symbolism in literature, symbolism in this story
The role of weather in foreshadowing actions to come
Victor's Fatal Flaw
SIN...are Victor's actions considered sinful or not?
Nature vs Nurture...is the Creature Good or Evil?
Human vs Creature
Why the Creature has NO NAME?
Cycle of Revenge


BONUS: What is the FIRST novel written on a TYPEWRITER? Submit by 5 PM Tuesday 4-12-11.

Upcoming Assignments

Tuesday 4/12 Frankenstein completion
Friday 4/15 Grammar Quiz (commonly confused words)

Monday 4/18 ARS uploaded to www.turnitin.com by 11:59 PM
Monday 4/18 and Tuesday 4/19 Frankenstein test

By Friday 4-15-11
GO TO Naviance on the school website (under college counseling). Make sure you have the correct udername and password and CAN LOG IN...See Dr. Rey BEFORE BREAK if you cannot get in. The first day back we'll use that site in class to start completing the resumes we started in homeroom...the final paper of the semester.

BLOG BONUS ... Due Saturday by 5 PM:
Where is the NCAA Hall of Champions located?

Friday April 8th

Today we discussed Frankenstein concepts:
Weather/Nature as a tool for Foreshadowing evil/negative events to come
Victor...whether he has a heavy or light soul .. judging his actions

Monday we'll discuss topics we did not cover on Friday as well as:
Power of Words/Knowledge
"Seeing" ... what is REAL
What defines a "monster"
What makes a HUMAN
Man is born good but evil due to society...nature vs nurture
Romantic "Quest"

Connections w/Macbeth, Brave New World, Holocaust Literature

ESLRs and Writing Exam

Those that were absent during the WRITING EXAM ... the final Make-Up/completion opportunity is Monday at 7 AM.

Those who did not pass the ESLR Writing Opportunity...we scheduled times to meet...I'll be here for our appointment (Monday-Wednesday next week).

Wednesday 4-6-11

People who missed the writing exam were to have come in before school to complete it...only 2 did. Those that missed MUST come in Monday at 7 AM (April 11th) to complete this...it is worth 10% of your semester grade. You do not want me to grade "as is".

Tuesday was a busy day!

16 people went to the library today...two groups of eight in each class. The library time was a small group opportunity to work on the ARS. While in class we:
1. Corrected the Active/Passive Verbs Grammar Quiz
2. Passed back papers
3. Complete Vocabulary Book Grammar Sections pages 196-197 and 233-235

Block Day:
Frankenstein 16-18 Due
Correct Grammar Exercise from Vocabulary Book
Frankenstein circle discussion
Debate ...if time...otherwise read article...debate Friday

Friday:
Return all papers that have not been returned
Final 8 or so from each class go to the library to work on ARS
Frankenstein 19-21 due
Circle discussion

REMINDERS:
THOSE THAT NEED TO MAKE UP THE WRITING EXAM...BEFORE SCHOOL TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY. IF YOU MISSED CLASS ON MONDAY AND NEED ARS ASSISTANCE, SEE ME BEFORE SCHOOL WEDNESDAY OR THE FIRST 5 MINUTES OF LUNCH WEDNESDAY.

Library of Congress

Visit the Library of Congress Website to access a plethora of resources.

Start with the collection that BEST fits your needs. For example, if you BIOGRAPHY was about a sports figure, look through Sports & Leisure. If yours was about a president, look into American History.

Browse to find resources...primary sources...photos, letters, decrees, newspaper stories, etc. that relate to your biography.

Develop an ANNOTATED RESOURCE SET, ARS. The template in on the PAPERS page of the website. Include a thumbnail image of the resource and a short commentary about WHY this source would be valuable to learn more about your subject.You may find that the information you discover shows that the biographer modified the truth or, was told less than 100% true information from the source. Look to PROVE/DISPROVE historical accuracy.

We'll work in the library Monday and Tuesday 4/4 and 4/5 ... due to www.turnitin.com by Monday 4-11-11 at 11:59 PM. CHANGED ... due to the difficulty in the GROUP access of the site today...this section is due NO LATER THAN Monday 4-18-11 11:59 PM...www.turnitin.com

Monday April 4th

Due in class: OR rubric and creative portions of the OR report. The rest of teh report is due,uploaded to turnitin.com, by 11:59 pm.

We'll work in the library on the ANNOTATED RESOURCES SET Monday and Tuesday.

Block Day - We'll be back in the classroom...papers will be returned, the next Frankenstein chapters will be due and we'll have a Frankenstein circle discussion.