Tue 9/30

Seniors
1. college handbook from counciling
2. vocab warm up
3. Hamlet: finish Act III
4. HW: reader's log on Act III in NB

Sophomores
1. vocab warm up
2. Crucible debate
3. Three Settings lecture
4. begin Act I
5. HW: look up vocab

Mon 9/29

Seniors
1. vocab warm up
2. "To be" close reading
3. view two versions of "To be"
4. HW: read to page in Hamlet, look up vocab words

Sophomores
1. grammar 7,8
2. finish Piano Lesson film, possible essay topics
3. get Crucible
4. start Crucible vocab
5. prep for debate: security vs. freedom
6. HW: grammar 9,10, look vocab words, read about Oxford comma

Read about the Oxford comma

Click here to read the wiki article.

Fri 9/26

Seniors
1. vocab quiz
2. Rocket review of Hamlet 2.2
3. "Rogue" close reading
4. Act II reader log
5. read Act III scene 1

Sophomores
1. collect essays
2. grammar 6
3. finish film
4. Piano Lesson journal 4: How has the film helped you better understand one discussion topic?
5. HW: grammar 7,8

Thur 9/25

Seniors
1. vocab warm up
2. stlye--page 4
3. review Hamlet 2.1
4. Hamlet 2.2 (pun, double entendre, classical alluision
5. HW: finish 2.2

Sophomores
1. grammar 5
2. finish reading Piano Lesson
3. last journal on Piano Lesson
4. begin film
5. HW: grammar 6, finish essay

Wed 9/24

Seniors
1. vocab warm up
2. style warm up
3. ghost scene: review, view two versions
4. review Polonius family (1.3)
5. begin reader log (do 2 topics for each act)
6. HW: read Hamlet 2.1 (pages 42-47)

Sophomores
1. grammar 4
2. read Piano Lesson Act II aloud (finish for HW if we don't finish in class)
3. HW: grammar 5, work on FD of essay

Tue 9/23

Seniors
1. turn in essay/story
2. vocab warm up
3. review Hamlet 1.2 to line 127
4. close reading: Hamlet's first soliloquy
5. finish 1.2, read 1.4
6. HW: read 1.3-- the Polonius family

Sophomore
1. grammar 3
2. finish reading Piano Lesson 1.2, complete review quesitons in group
3. discuss journal topics for 1.2-- complete journal 2 in NB
4. HW: work on essay, grammar 4, visit blog and leave comment

What was the Parchman Farm?

Click here to find out: Parchman Farm

What is a slave song, or a work song?

Click here to find out: Work Song

Song from a Cotton Field - Bessie Brown

Check out this song about slaves working in the cotton field.

Mon 9/22

Seniors
1. vocab warm up-- quiz Friday
2. style warm up
3. Act 1.1-- words, phrases, questions, complete the reading
4. Rocketbook for 1.1
5. HW: read Hamlet to page 15, complete FD of essay/story

Sophomores
1. grammar 2
2. Piano Lessons: discuss, NB journal
3. read Piano Lesson 1.2 (to page 54)
4. HW: grammar 3, work on FD of essay

Fri 9/19

Seniors
1. style and composition warm up
2. peer review of story/ essay-- FD due Tuesday
3. Hamlet line tossing
4. Something's Rotten in the State of Denmark

Sophomores
1. Poetry: "I Have Been Accused of Tending to the Past"
2. essay self evaluation
3. read The Piano Lesson Act I scene 1 (to page 28)
4. HW: grammar page 2, work on FD of essay

Thur 9/18

Seniors
1. collect Canterbury Tales study guide
2. Canterbury Tales test
3. bus evacuation drill
4. get Hamlet
5. work on story/ essay-- RD due tomorrow

Sophomores
1. begin grammar
2. Read Piano Lesson background
3. time out for poetry

Wed 9/17

Seniors
1. discuss Wife of Bath's Tale
2. Canterbury Tales writing assignment and student samples-- RD due Friday
3. review for test

Sophomores
1. check outlines
2. review MLA style, quotations, pet peeves
3. structure of introduction
4. complete RD by Friday
5. pick up copies of The Piano Lesson

Tue 9/16

Seniors
1. Pardoner's Tale discussion (participation points)
2. Wife of Bath's Tale: quickwrite, listen
3. NB: page 188, all reading check questions, and thinking critically # 5,9,11,12,13

Sophomores
1. unity and coherence
2. check graphic organizers
3. key pages in language book, pet peeves
4. complete essay outline

Mon 9/15

Seniors
1. complete graphic #2
2. review key details of prologue part 5 work
3. listen to Pardoner's Tale
4. HW: complete Pardoner's Tale questions

Sophomores
1. check thesis statements, feedback
2. sample essay, key pages in language text
3. share sample graphic organizer
4. HW: complete graphic organizer

Fri 9/12

Seniors
1. Review part 4 of Canterbury Tales. Read aloud The Parson.
2. Complete part 5
3. complete graphic #2

Sophomores
1. share Golding's view on human behavior
2. discuss last three passages
3. essay topic
4. HW: complete essay pre-write, rough draft of thesis statement

Thur 9/11

Seniors
1. complete and share graphics
2. review characters: Merchant, Oxford Cleric, Lawyer, Franklin, Guildsman
3. Complete Day 4 work


Sophomores
1. Lord of the Flies debate
2. In NB: What is your view on human behavior? (view #3); What is Golding's view on human behavior? (view #4). Feel free to borrow ideas from our first two views.

Wed 9/10

Seniors
1. Pilgrimage slideshow
2. review characters so far, read aloud Nun, Monk
3. complete part 3 of study guide
4. begin character graphic: name, 3-5 perfect adjectives, best quotation, symbol (finish tomorrow)

Sophomores
1. symbolism: present answers for your symbol, include facts from text to support answer
3. discuss HW key passages: 113, 140, 143, 155
4. prep for tomorrow's debate
5. HW" What makes the passage key? (178, 200)

Tue 9/9

Seniors
1. more notes on satire: irony, wit, dirision
2. watch youtube satire clips
2. review opening paragraphs of Canterbury Tales
3. complete all study guide quesitons up to and including the Monk

Sophomores
1. discuss passages from last night's HW
2. new passages: 88, 109
3. allegory, symbolism, microcosm-- in groups, four questions, complete and share tomorrow
4. HW: What makes the passage key? (pages 113, 140, 143, 155)

Mon 9/8

Seniors
1. review background: Normans, Feudalism, Knights, Crusades, New City Classes, Thomas Becket, The Plague
3. pages 135-140: Chaucer and the story
4. begin prologue: pages 142-143

Sophomores
1. grammar pre-test
3. Introduction to key passages
4. discuss first passage
5. NB: What is causing the pause? How does this one moment inform us of an important theme in the book?
6. HW: read three passages and answer this question on one of the passages: What makes the passage key? (pages 60, 62, 63) (Also don't forget to hold the knife up and pause!)

Fri 9/5

Seniors
1. seating chart
2. share free writes
3. discuss definition of satire
4. seven deadly sins activity
5. brainstorm satire topics
6. Read Canterbury Tales background on Middle Ages

Sophomores
1. complete syllabus discussion
1. review sentence workshop
2. Lord of the Flies gut reaction discussion

Welcome Back

Welcome Back! Please bookmark this page so that you can use this blog to check for work when you are absent. Leave a comment below to let me know you were here. Also, have a look at today's agenda so you can see what to expect each day on the blog.

Thur 9/4

Seniors
1. course description
2. Introduction to Canterbury Tales Unit: satire, pilgrimage, the art of description
3. Brainstorm list of people, real or imagined, who you want to describe
4. Free write on one person from the list: A. physical details- head to toe; B. Show how physical details reveal personality

Sophomores
1. seating chart
2. Lord of the Flies test
3. course description
4. HW: complete sentence workshop