Monday, December 17, 2007

Mango Street Page 74-93

1. Compare yourself with something found in nature as Esperanza does with "Four Skinny Trees."
2. What emotions do you feel for Mamacita? Why do you feel the color pink is used throughout this vignette?
3. Reflect on Rafaela being "locked up" because her husband is afraid Rafaela will run away since she is too beautiful to look at.
4. Have you ever felt like Sally? Have you ever wished your "feet would one day keep walking" and take you away from your surroundings?

Monday, November 12, 2007

A Separate Peace Essay - Due Monday, November 19th (Have a printed copy ready upon arrival to class!)
Introduction

John Knowles’ novel A Separate Peace is the story of Gene Forrester who struggles to come to grips with the guilt over his role in a traumatic event from his childhood. The novel, told as a flashback from the perspective of an adult Gene, looks back at his friendship with a private school classmate and Gene’s destructive feelings of jealousy, fear, and anger.
Assignment:
Write a 3-5 page literary analysis that explores in depth a theme from the novel. (See honors option assignment below)
Structure:
You might want to think of a five-paragraph structure, but feel free to expand on that if you need to adequately explore your topic.
Intro:
Include a “hook”, background information, and a thesis statement. It should clearly lay out what you are going to argue.
Body:
Provide analysis and supporting evidence. Mention several key events or moments from the novel. Include at least three carefully chosen quotes (honors option students need to include at least six quotes.) to help capture larger ideas from the novel. Blend them in with your own writing. Be sure to relate each body paragraph to your overall point/thesis.
Conclusion:
Wrap up your argument and provide final thoughts or ideas related to your main idea.
Reminders:
This is a literary essay so there should be no uses of “I” or “you.” Include a title that captures interest.
Requirements:
Your essay should have the following things:
*A clear argument of opinion and purpose expressed in a thesis statement and introduction
*Numerous accurate supporting details and events from the novel that directly backs up your opinions
*The required number of properly cited quotes from the novel
*Accurate and insightful analysis of the novel
*Generally correct grammar and mechanics.

A Separate Peace Essential Questions

*Use may wish to use these to help develop your thesis statement.

What causes jealousy between friends?

What factors seem to be a threat to friendship?

Is war a necessary evil?

Is sin inevitable?

Is redemption possible?

How should we deal with guilt?

Does competition bring out the best or worst in people?

Is the loss of innocence inevitable?

What does the author’s attitude toward war seem to be?

What does the author’s attitude toward human nature seem to be?

How do the effects of war on this generation compare to the effects on the boys in the novel?

Do we need to accept the reality of evil in the human heart & world to survive?

A Separate Peace Theme Paper-Honors

Theme in Literature

A theme is the main message a reader can learn about life or human nature from a literary piece. Compare and contrast a theme from A Separate Peace and The Kite Runner. In a well-organized essay, describe this theme. Use textual examples from the stories to support your ideas and explain how they support the theme.

As you write, remember your essay will be scored based on how well you:

 develop a multi-paragraph response to the assigned topic that clearly communicates your thesis to the audience.
 support your thesis with meaningful examples and references from the text, carefully citing any direct quotes.
 organize your essay in a clear and logical manner, including an introduction, body, and conclusion.
 use well-structured sentences and language that are appropriate for your audience.
 edit your work to conform to the conventions of standard American English.

A Separate Peace Theme Paper- Non-Honors

Theme in Literature

A theme is the main message a reader can learn about life or human nature from a literary piece. From A Separate Peace, identify a theme that the reader may learn from the story. In a well-organized essay, describe this theme. Use textual examples from the story to support your ideas and explain how they support the theme.

As you write, remember your essay will be scored based on how well you:

 develop a multi-paragraph response to the assigned topic that clearly communicates your thesis to the audience.
 support your thesis with meaningful examples and references from the text, carefully citing any direct quotes.
 organize your essay in a clear and logical manner, including an introduction, body, and conclusion.
 use well-structured sentences and language that are appropriate for your audience.
 edit your work to conform to the conventions of standard American English.

Use any of the tools available to you, such as the Checklist, Spellchecker, or Graphic Organizer

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Jealousy: A Voice of Possessiveness Past

An interesting look at the "evolution" of jealousy. What are your thoughts?

Interesting Info. from Wikipedia about movies related to ASP

A Separate Peace: The Fall

Chapters 1-5 Blog Assignment:

Was jouncing the limb a planned, conscious decision on Gene’s part or an impulsive act? Examine the dialogue and the events that occur just before and after the fall. Why might Gene have wanted to see Finny fall? How does Gene feel immediately afterward, and why might he feel this way? Why does Gene later wear Finny’s clothing? Evaluate Finny's reaction to Gene's "confession." Use details/ quotes from the novel to support your conclusions. Please feel free to include a comment about another student's post.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

"Flowers" by Alice Walker (Deepening Our Understanding)

Part of the difficulty that many students had comprehending this story has to do with the lack of background knowlege of the lynchings that have taken place in our country. Students also missed little details throughout the story that would have helped determine the racial background of the characters. Many students missed the descriptions of Myop's hands. Others, depite the definition being given to them, did not know what a noose was. Unfortunately, this part of our Nation's history has recently made headlines. Sadly, many of our BHS students have not heard of the "Jena 6." Here is an excerpt from the link below:

http://www.slate.com/id/2174600/

"The hard evidence of racism in Jena showed up months before the assault, in the form of a noose tied to an oak tree. This incident was straight out of a story from the Old South: A black student at Jena High School asked at a student assembly if he could sit under a large oak tree that was unofficially called the "white tree" because white students gathered under it in Jena High's informally segregated campus. The principal told the assembly that any student could sit wherever he or she liked. After the assembly, several black students sat under the "white tree." The next day, white students hung three nooses from the tree. The school principal recommended their expulsion, but the school board instead suspended them from school for three days" (slate.com)

Here is some background information on lynchings:

"It Happened Here" (REQUIRED READING)
Duluth residents face the painful lessons of a 1920 lynching.
by Tim Walker
http://www.tolerance.org/teach/magazine/features.jsp?p=0&is=33&ar=452

"Lynching"-Wikipedia- Scroll down to "Unit
ed States"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynching#United_States

The Scottsboro Case was called a “legal lynching”. The Scottsboro Boys were nearly lynched, quickly tried, and sentenced to death for supposedly raping two white women in a railroad car near Scottsboro, Alabama.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/scottsboro/

Your assignment-Due Friday:
What have you learned about this topic of lynching that you did not already know? How can this information help you to better understand the story? What is your reaction to "Jena 6"?

Monday, September 24, 2007

Bab O'Riley

Here are some interpreatations of the song we listened to in class today prior to reading "Teenage Wasteland." What do you think the song is about?

Baba O'Riley- Wikipedia

Here's what was found on wikipedia. Remeber that you can't always trust what is on here as anyone can post something as a fact.

Friday, September 21, 2007

"Initiation" by Sylvia Plath- Hazing Links

Please comment on the following article in relation to our reading of "Initiation." What do initiation rites reveal about human nature? What are your thoughts/ reactions to this article? Feel refer to refer to the short story as well.

The quest to stamp out hazing Initiation rites have deep roots in human history, psychology By STEVE URBON, Standard-Times senior correspondent
http://archive.southcoasttoday.com/daily/09-06/09-03-06/02topstories.htm

Hazing Defined:
“Hazing” refers to any activity expected of someone joining a group (or to maintain full status in a group) that humiliates, degrades or risks emotional and/or physical harm, regardless of the person's willingness to participate. In years past, hazing practices were typically considered harmless pranks or comical antics associated with young men in college fraternities.
Today we know that hazing extends far beyond college fraternities and is experienced by boys/men and girls/women in school groups, university organizations, athletic teams, the military, and other social and professional organizations. Hazing is a complex social problem that is shaped by power dynamics operating in a group and/or organization and within a particular cultural context.
Hazing activities are generally considered to be: physically abusive, hazardous, and/or sexually violating. The specific behaviors or activities within these categories vary widely among participants, groups and settings. While alcohol use is common in many types of hazing, other examples of typical hazing practices include: personal servitude; sleep deprivation and restrictions on personal hygiene; yelling, swearing and insulting new members/rookies; being forced to wear embarrassing or humiliating attire in public; consumption of vile substances or smearing of such on one's skin; brandings; physical beatings; binge drinking and drinking games; sexual simulation and sexual assault. (StopHazing.org)

"The Quest to Stamp Out Hazing"
http://archive.southcoasttoday.com/daily/09-06/09-03-06/02topstories.htm

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

If you missed class the day of the "How to Read a Short Story" Powerpoint, you can find the slide show in the S drive under "Mrs. Baker's English Class."

A Lesson Learned Prompt

A Lesson Learned
Each person has been in trouble at one time or another because he or she did something bad or said something wrong. Write a multi-paragraph essay describing an instance when you did something you later regretted and the lesson you learned in the process.
As you write, remember your essay will be scored based on how well you:
*develop a multi-paragraph response to the assigned topic that clearly communicates the purpose of your story to the audience.
*describe the characters, setting, and conflict using meaningful sensory descriptions and details that enable the reader to visualize the experiences in your narrative.
*organize your story in a clear and logical manner, including an introduction, body, and conclusion.
*use well-structured sentences and language that are appropriate for your audience.
*edit your work to conform to the conventions of standard American English.
Use any of the tools available to you, such as the Checklist, Spellchecker, or Graphic Organizer.

This essay will be due on Friday. Please send yourself the essay in an email as backup. You will not have time in class on Thursday to work on this.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Irony Links

Check out these links to see what people have to say about what is/ is not ironic in this song. What do you think?
http://fgk.hanau.net/articles/ironic.html
http://www.geocities.com/eirig/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ironic_%28song%29

Friday, September 14, 2007

Monday, September 10, 2007

Laptop Etiquette Consensus - F14

I am so impressed with what a good job you did posting your comments for our first two blogging assignments. I especially enjoyed the references you made to one another's posts. How cool to have an audience greater than just your teacher! Below is a draft of a list of rules (developed by all of you) that will begin to form our classroom Etiquette policy for F-14. Please let me know if I have left out anything important. We can revise this policy as new challenges arise. Thank you for the hard work & maturity you have shown thus far!

1. Laptops are not to leave the room unless under repair in the tech office.
2. "Screens Down" when directions are being given.
3. Carefully & neatly remove & return laptops to the cart. (Two hands)
4. No food or drink allowed near laptops. Please place drinks on the floor or counter.
5. Keep volume set at mute unless otherwise directed.
6. No installation/ downloading of programs to the computers. Proxy use to access programs such as MySpace, Facebook, etc... is forbidden.
7. Laptops to be used for class work only. Students are not to play any games or send emails without teacher permission. Violation of this policy will result in a suspension from the use of the laptop.
8. Do not share your password with others.
9. Use assigned laptop only unless permission is granted by your teacher.
10. Report problems/ damage to the computer at the start of class so as not to be held responsible.
11. Practice safe blogging. No last names!
12. MAKE SURE THE "ART OF THINKING (FOR YOURSELF) IS NOT LOST"!

Sunday, September 09, 2007

Assignments Due Monday:

1. Write a letter to your parents about class. Use letter format, 5 paragraphs, and discuss 3 important/ interesting aspects of English 10. Please type & have a parent read & sign.

2. Complete your work from class on Thursday. You can post on the blog, print out a copy, or handwrite your responses.

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Laptop Etiquette Policy-F14

Today you will begin by reading through your classmates comments from Wednesday's "Getting Started with Laptops" blog topic. Our goal will be to generate a list of guidelines that will help make our use of laptops a rewarding experience. Please open up a MS Word file and type notes for the following statements below as you read through the comments. You have approximately 15 minutes to complete this task. We will then share this information in a class discussion.


1. I really liked the comment(s) from_________________because... (Note at least two)


2. The following guidelines should become part of our Laptop Etiquette Policy in F14: (Suggest at least three)

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Writing Contests

The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, in partnership with Target Stores and in cooperation with affiliate state centers for the book, invites readers in grades 4 through 12 to enter Letters About Literature, a national reading-writing contest. To enter, readers write a personal letter to an author, living or dead, from any genre-- fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic, explaining how that author's work changed the student's way of thinking about the world or themselves. There are three competition levels: Level I for children in grades 4 through 6; Level II for grades 7 and 8, and Level III, grades 9 - 12. Winners, announced in the spring of each year, receive cash awards at the national and state levels. (http://www.loc.gov/loc/cfbook/letters.html )

Teen Ink

Teen Ink is a monthly print magazine, website, and a book series all written by teens for teens. There are over 18,000 pages of student writing on this site. We're now entering 18th year of publishing and look forward to many more! Curious? Request a free sample issue. Creative? Send us your work - have an opinion on something? Write it up and send it in! Send reviews - good or bad, of colleges you visit, movies you see, or whatever... (teenink.com)

Monday, September 03, 2007

Getting Started with Classroom Laptops

As you may have noticed in the front of our classroom sits a big metal box. Inside are 25 laptops, purchased for use in this classroom. Having such technology at our fingertips provides a wonderful opportunity to utilize the latest technology as we learn 21st Century literacy skills and concepts. However, it is more than simply putting laptops in a classroom. Some schools across the country who have experimented with laptops have reconsidered their decision. In Liverpool, N.Y., officials have decided to phase out the laptops in their school starting this year. Their decision made the front page of the New York Times in May. It also prompted many people in education to think harder about the best way to use laptops in the classroom. In response to Liverpool's decision, one educator criticized schools for giving up on technology so easily.I want you to think about the issue and help us craft a set of classroom guidelines for the use of our laptops. Click on the two links from the above paragraph and read the first page of both articles. Then, as a writing assignment, make suggestions about what we can do in F14 to get the best use out of the laptops. How should we use them in class? What should we be using them to learn? What guidelines do we need? What would you suggest the teacher do to make the most out of the laptops? Post your response in the comment section of the blog. Write your answer in a few paragraphs, using complete sentences and proper grammar. An honors-level answer will properly make reference to one of the articles. Sign your first name (no last names) and class period after your posting.

Monday, February 05, 2007

Grade 10 Nonfiction Newsweek Links

Taking a Stance...

Newsweek: "Girls Gone Bad"
Paris, Britney, Lindsay & Nicole: They seem to be everywhere and they may not be wearing underwear. Tweens adore them and teens envy them. But are we raising a generation of 'prosti-tots'?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16961761/site/newsweek/

TIME: "Sweet Sixteen and Spoiled Rotten"
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1184086,00.html

Newsweek:
"The Trouble With Boys"
They're kinetic, maddening and failing at school. Now educators are trying new ways to help them succeed.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10965522/site/newsweek/

American Thinker:
January 23, 2006
"The Trouble With Newsweek's Cover Story About Boys"


http://www.americanthinker.com/2006/01/the_trouble_with_newsweeks_cov.html

Sunday, February 04, 2007

Grade 10 2/4-2/8

Monday: In Class Response Writing "Catch the Moon"
Individual Writing Conferences
Homework:
Newsweek "Sweet 16" & Questions
Due Wednesday

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Grade 11 The Things They Carried- Links

Interview w/ Tim O'Brien
http://www.wooster.edu/artfuldodge/interviews/obrien.htm

"Battlefield: Vietnam" PBS Historical Resource
http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/

Military Jargon
http://libwww.library.phila.gov/onebook/obop05/militaryjargon.htm

One Teacher's Notes...
http://www.masconomet.org/teachers/trevenen/things.html

Various songs related to the Vietnam War:
The Star-Spangled Banner ( Jimi Hendrix version)"Ballad of the Green Berets""Fortunate Son" (Creedence Clearwater Revival)"The Unknown Soldier" (The Doors) "Give Peace a Chance" (John Lennon) "Born in the USA" (Bruce Springsteen

Grade 10 Frankenstein Related Readings

Newsweek January 26th
"Brave New Babies"
Parents now have the power to choose the sex of their children. But as technology answers prayers, it also raises some troubling questions

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3990134/site/newsweek/

PBS- "Frankenfoods" Debate 10/4/02
http://www.pbs.org/now/science/genedebate.html

Parents' Plan to Stunt Girl's Growth Sparks Debate
by Joseph Shapiro NPR 1/5/07
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6730813

Surgery to stunt girl’s growth sparks debate
Parents say drastic treatment allows them to take better care of their child

AP 1/5/07
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16473471/

"The Ashley Treatment" - Ashley's Blog
http://ashleytreatment.spaces.live.com/default.aspx?_c02_owner=1

NOVA Stem Cells 15 Minute Clip
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3209/04.html

Grade 10 Frankenstein Full Original Text