Go to the "Homework Assignments Blog" tab for specifics. You will receive a hand-out in class on Wednesday/Thursday.

Week of October 25-October 29, 2010

No need to bring your textbooks at all this week—only your vocabulary books and exercises, which will be due Friday, as usual—the Review Unit for chapters 3-6 (plus classical roots). This also means that there will be a vocabulary test on November 3/4,. I will probably have you turn in portfolios on November 1st (for odd classes) and 2nd (for even classes). I will try to get up a rubric by Wednesday, so you will know exactly what needs to be included in that portfolio.  Mostly, it should be an easy “A” or even “A+” if you include everything required—and almost everything required has already done in class. I will also expect it to be neat and bound nicely. See the next entry for information.

 

For Monday/Tuesday, the agenda will go as follows:

 

We will start with a review of what has already occurred in “Medea.” If you have looked at this blog—under “Losennotes,” you will see that I have included notes about what has already been done in class, plus a little more. I will keep adding notes, as needed.

 

Students will be assigned parts (and costumes). We will act out part of the play.  I think that it will be stretching it to try to finish. I will know better tomorrow where we will finish for the day. Most likely, we will finish the play on Wednesday/Thursday.

 

At any rate, we will act out parts. I will also give you a little background on Billy Wilder’s iconoclastic film, “Sunset Boulevard.”  We will start it on Monday/Tuesday. You should probably jot down a few notes as you watch the film because at some point in the second quarter, you and some of your peers will be doing a parody of a section of “Medea” based upon “Sunset Boulevard.”  In addition, I want you to throw in one—and only one—“Monty Pythonism.”  More on that later.

 

Homework: None. I still have to review your essays and give you feedback. Of course, you can always get a head start on studying for the vocabulary test. One way to study for your vocabulary test is to make a crossword puzzle. The last time I gave you a crossword puzzle that I created, I just googled “Crossword Puzzle Maker” and it took me to that site. It might be a really good studying tool.  After all, you have to input the word and the definition.  Just doing that can help you to study.  Then, if you try to do the crossword puzzle, it might help some more.  

 

Wednesday/Thursday:


We will finish “Medea” and watch (thoughtfully and critically) more of “Sunset Boulevard.”  I may stop it in places to point out important elements.

 

Homework: Vocabulary Review Unit for chapters 4-6 (plus classical roots).  Remember that vocabulary is due at the beginning of class and that you must have your own textbook with your name on it.

 

Friday:

 

I will check your vocabulary. We will go over it. If there is time, we will watch the remainder of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”  

 

Homework: Put your portfolios together. We can bind them in class, but do everything else--including putting your work in order and finishing and revising work not completed in class.  The portfolio will be due on Monday for odd classes and Thursday for even classes.

Study for the vocabulary test that will take place on November third for odd classes and November fifth for even classes. 

There will be no homework this weekend. You have worked hard and deserve a break.

Rubric for First Draft of “The Dead” essay (due on October 20/21:

 

1.       Name is on the top right of the page: 2 points

2.       Period is just below that: 2 points

3.       “The Dead” Essay is below that: 1 point

4.       Student includes all 28 answered questions—and thoughtfully answered with specific references to the text included—10 points

5.       Student includes all writing done in the class—5 points

6.       All work is compiled from the most recent to the first things you did—which should be the answers to the questions. The work should be stapled/clipped when you get to class. –5 points.

7.       Thesis Statement does not repeat the prompt but draws the reader in—5 points

8.       Each paragraph has a topic sentence—5 points

9.       Each paragraph includes support that is paraphrased and/or directly quoted. Not everything is to be paraphrased. There must be some direct quotes. Long direct quotes will lose points. Direct quotes are brief and noted by paragraph #.  Some direct quotes should be integrated into your sentences.—25 points.

10.   Speaker effectively analyzes the facts. Information must be given a context.—20 points.

11.   Transitions between paragraphs—10 points.

12.   Essay is double-spaced and either typed or in written in blue or black ink—5 points.

13.   Essay has a conclusion that does not repeat the thesis, one that takes the thesis to the next level. The conclusion does not start with “In conclusion.”—5 points.

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Remember: The agenda is what we do in class. I include homework on this page as well (and the homework is duplicated under the “homework” tab).  Of course, as with seventh period when we ran out of time for one of the objectives on the agenda, we will have to pick up the slack this week.

 

Monday/Tuesday:

 

1.      First, you must have your textbooks with you!

2.      You are to have part of chapter five over the weekend, including the introduction on page 161, the information on James Joyce on page 162, and Joyce’s long short-story, “The Dead.” I also asked that you answer the two sets of questions on pp. 191-192 (Questions for Discussion) and on pp. 192-193 (Questions on Style and Structure). I will walk around the room to see that you have accomplished this.

3.      Next, I will draw numbers from a cup and you will be expected to answer the question when called upon. You should be able to reference parts of the story.

4.      You will begin an in-class essay on the story. Complete it for homework. This essay will be graded, so write neatly and in pen and double-space. This essay will be worth a quiz grade.  I will give you feedback and a chance to revise it for a test grade. But it must be in on Wednesday/Thursday. I will not accept this work late unless you have an excused absence.

Homework: Complete the essay, using evidence from the text. No late essays will be accepted. And if hand-written, it must be in blue or black ink and double-spaced. It will not be accepted if it is in the incorrect form.

 

Wednesday/Thursday

1.      You do not need to bring your big fat books today!

2.      I will collect your essays.

3.      We will begin reading and performing “Medea,” a work often classified as iconoclastic, because Euripides “broke the mold” by creating this haunting woman-warrior. Later, we will watch an iconoclastic film, “Sunset Boulevard.” You will be writing an essay comparing the two and this will eventually work its way into a parody-sketch incorporating the two iconoclastic works.

 

Homework: Vocabulary chapter 6. Next week, it will be vocabulary review unit, which means that you can expect a test the following week on Wednesday/Thursday.

 

Friday

 

1.      I will check your vocabulary. You must have your vocabulary book (no big heavy textbooks on an eight-period day). You must have completed the assignment, in writing that is legible, and your name must be on the book.

 

Homework: Read the short story in your textbook, “The Moths,” by Helena Maria Viramontes. Read about her background too. The story is on pp. 272-277. Answer the questions (in writing) on p. 277. Also, read the interview with the author on pp. 278-280. Answer the follow-up questions on page 280.

It's PSAT week, which means that we have no class on Wednesday and that you get half a day off on Friday!

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Bring your Literature & Composition books!

 

Working in pairs, we are going to work on the following activities listed in chapter four:

 

·         Page 132. Ten minutes. Share.

·         Pages 148-149.  

·         Page 150.

 

Now, working alone, do the following exercises:

·         Page 152.


·         Page 157.

 

We will share some of this work in class. Make sure that you save all your individual work. You will be handing something in by the end of the nine-weeks for another test grade. So far, by the end of Monday/ Tuesday, you should have the following:

a.      The free-writing response to “what it means to be an American.”

b.      The activity on page 152, where you choose one of the topic sentences and write a paragraph that could be part of an essay. Make sure that you paraphrase and use quotes that—as the book puts it but I am going to emphasize with italics—are carefully chosen from two of the texts as support.

c.      The pick-a-topic-sentence or write-your-own and then write a paragraph exercise on page 157.

 

Homework: Vocabulary exercises in Chapter Five of your books.

 

Thursday/Friday

 

I will be checking to see that you have your vocabulary book and that you have done the exercises. Your hand-writing needs to be legible so do not wait until the last minute to do it. Scribbles that look like words do not count.  Then we will go over the words.

 

We will do the exercise on page 160. 

 

For homework over the weekend, read part of chapter five, from pp. 161-193.  In writing (or typing), answer “Questions for Discussion” (191-192) and “Questions on Style and Structure” (192-193). 

Monday / Tuesday:

Bring your Literature & Composition books. We will turn to page 123 and read that. Next, we will do the exercise on page 124 (about 15 minutes).  We will then read the next three works—the poems aloud. We will discuss Lewis W. Hine’s photograph, “Playground in Tenement Alley, Boston.”  You will then read to page 130 and also do the activity on page 130.

After we have completed this, you will receive one of three crossword puzzles for the vocabulary test. As before, we will work in small groups and go over it in the end.

Homework: Study for the vocabulary test (chapters 1-3 plus words with classical roots).

 

Wednesday/Thursday

Vocabulary test—one hour maximum. For odd classes, you will continue reading in class. Your other option is to work on chapter four of your vocabulary, since that will be due on Friday.


Friday


Check chapter four of our vocabulary books. Go over. You will see yet another film excerpt.

Homework due on Monday/Tuesday: Finish chapter four in your Literature and Composition books.