Friday, September 25, 2015

British Lit--Friday, September 25

Objective: How can I better understand Act 2 of Macbeth?

1- Good Angel/Bad Angel
2- View Act 2

Homework: Finish Act 2 Reading Guide AND bring a book for Reading Tuesday!!!

American Lit--Thursday, Sept 25

Objective: Who was responsible for John Proctor's death? Who contributed to his death?

1-Students finished the play "The Crucible"
2- Students worked on Responsibility Pie Chart

Homework: Finish the Responsibility Pie Chart--including the back!

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

British Lit--Wednesday, September 23

Objective: How can I better understand Macbeth ACT 1.

1- Reviewed the plot, characters, and themes from ACT 1.
















2. Watched ACT 1 of Macbeth--PBS version--while students filled out their Macbeth 1 packets.

3. Discussed/Analyzed while we watched and after.

Homework: Macbeth ACT 1 packet--
continue studying for your vocab quiz--Tuesday!!!

REMINDER--Originally the plan was to have reading Friday. However, we are going to study ACT 2 on Friday and switch our reading day to Tuesday. So come Friday ready for ACT 2 and come Tuesday with a reading book



Tuesday, September 22, 2015

American Lit--Tuesday, Sept 22

Objective: How does fear affect the characters in "The Crucible?"

1- Review the Story--pre-viewing overview

2- Watch the first half of the play

Homework: NONE

Monday, September 21, 2015

British Lit--Monday, September 21

Objective: How can I better understand Shakespeare's English?

1- Watched two movie trailers--10 Things I hate about you and She's the Man.
Kids love these movies and enjoy watching them. They also realize that these are both based on Shakespeare plays. Shakespeare's plays are actually very interesting and entertaining, but kids struggle to access the "cool stories" because of the unfamiliar use of language.

2- We went over a handout to help kids Tackle Shakespeare.

3- Students broke into groups and each group was assigned a scenario ( a theme related to Macbeth). Students were required to write a scene of their scenario in which they used Shakespeare's techniques. They acted their skit for the rest of the class.

Homework: Shakespeare Vocabulary--due next time. Quiz on these words on Friday!!!

Friday, September 18, 2015

American Lit--Friday, Sept 18



Objective:  How does fear affect our actions? What is mass hysteria? Why did Arthur Miller write "The Crucible?"

Skill of the day--Students read from their novels for 15 minutes

Activities/Schedule for the day
1- Students completed a free write and then we discussed these as a class--
Write about a time when you were so afraid that you did or thought irrationally. 
    • Paranoid
    • We give up our values
    • We believe things we normally wouldn't believe
    • We become selfish and often only think of ourselves
    • We take "Flight" mode
    • sometimes we are so afraid, we hurt others
    • Irrational thoughts and behavior
    • Physically, fear can affect us
    • lose control of our actions temporarily
2- Watched a video clip from the TV series "Scare Tactics." Discussed why and how fear allows us to do things we wouldn't normally do.

3- Presentation on the Salem Witch Trials and how their fear drove them to act irrationally. To view
Salem Witch Hunts/Mass Hysteria

4- Students watched a clip about the Salem Witch Trials 

Began Homework as a class--Students wrote a paragraph answering the following prompt--tThis is homework and needs to by typed up!!!
This is for a grade..not pass/fail.      Mass Hysteria Paragraph

Homework:
Finish Mass Hysteria Paragraph

Thursday, September 17, 2015

British Lit--Thursday, September 17

Objective: How do the Anglo-Saxons characterize Evil?

Students worked on Monster Body Map--If you were absent, come see me for modified instructions since this was done in groups.

Students had the entire class period to complete this.

Homework: NONE

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

American Lit--Wednesday, Sept 16

Objective: Who were the Puritans? How did they live their lives?

Skill of the Day--Read for 15 minutes

1- Puritan Inference Game. Students looked at pictures of Puritans and made inferences about who they were and how they lived their lives. Broke into groups and had a relay--who can write down the most efficient list as a group.

2- Students watched a short video clip about the difference between Puritans and Pilgrims

3- Students read Jonathan Edwards sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God."

  • How do they view life and God?
  • What motivates them?
  • What is important to them?
Students made connections to the text by walking across the Pit of Hell/ Students also annotated and made connections to the text.


 3- Discuss the Puritan Value and beliefs-- Answer the following three questions:

  • How is God portrayed in this sermon? How to the Puritans view God and their relationship with him?
  • What tactics does Jonathan Edward--the preacher--use to motivate the Puritans? FEAR!!!
  • What do the Puritans value? Their relationship with God and others' relationship with God. They tend to judge others for their choices because they all live under the fear of the wrath of God. It makes them feel better that God hates them if they know God hates their neighbor because he didn't go to Church last Sunday.

Homework: Click on the assignment below. This is due at the beginning of class on Friday.

Puritan Research Assignment

Use the following websites to look up your answers:


History.com/topics/Puritanism
Pbs.org/godinamerica/people/puritans
wikipedia

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

British Lit--Tuesday, Sept 15


Objective: What is an Epic?


1- We read page 2 and discussed the characteristics of an Epic--Students broke into groups and analyzed the movie of their choice (Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars) and found evidence that the ten characteristics were present in these epic films.

2- We watched a clip from the film "Brave" 9:30-14:00. As students watched, they wrote down answers to the following questions: What was important to these people? What did they value? Describe their way of life.


or the following two youtube clips



Discussed Stock Epithets and Kennings--see packet.

Homework: Read pages Beowulf poem and annotate for the following questions: How do the Anglo-Saxons characterize Evil? --> Look for characterization of Grendel/Grendel's mother. How do they characterize Good? --> Look for characterization of Beowulf.

If you were absent, see me for packet as soon as possible so you can read the poem.

American Lit--Monday, Sept 14

Objective--Took the test on theme.

Students read a story, extracted the theme, and wrote a paragraph arguing that theme.

Homework: None

Friday, September 11, 2015

British Lit--Friday, September 11

Objective: What are the various themes in "The Lady of Shalott?"

1- Finished posters/presented posters

2- Discussed Sept. 11

3-Reading FRIDAY!!!

Homework: NONE

American Lit--Thursday, Sept 9

Objective: What is theme and how do I get better at writing about it?

1- Students read for the first 15 minutes of class to support the 30 Book Challenge

2- Students took paragraph quiz

3- As a class, we read "Fish Cheeks" and then students wrote their own paragraph defending the theme they feel stands out.

4- Teacher (s) walked around the room helping students correct mistakes.

Homework: Test next time on paragraph and theme

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

British Lit--Wednesday, Sept 9

Objective: What is theme and how can I find it in The Lady of Shalott?

1. Students completed a movie theme song activity by listening to movie theme songs and practicing finding topic theme thesis. Handout

2. Students watched the following youtube reading of The Lady of Shalott . While listening, students really tried to identify the topics from the poem in order to eventually figure out the theme.

3. In small groups of 3-5 (If you were absent, do this alone) students came up with the theme and drew a picture (8x11 printer paper) of the theme--written out--and then a visual to accompany it.

Homework: BRING BOOK for READING DAY FRIDAYs

American Lit--Tuesday, Sept 8

What is theme and how do I write an effective paragraph about it?

1- Students read for 15 minutes

2- Students took notes Body Paragraph prezi

3- Students read one fable and practiced writing about the theme.

Homework: Study for the body paragraph quiz AND bring a book to read

Friday, September 4, 2015

British Lit--Friday, September 4th

Objective: What did I learn about interpreting texts?

Students took name quiz
Students took in class essay--this can be made up anytime before school or right at the beginning of lunch.
Students spent the rest of the period reading--Reading Fridays!!!

Homework:
Finish the Lady of shalott poem analysis

American Lit--Thursday, September 3rd

Objective:

How do I find the theme in multiple genres?

We looked at multiple genres today in groups (stations) and practiced extracting theme.

This took the entire period and must be made up if you were gone.

Homework: Continue reading for the 30 book Challenge


Wednesday, September 2, 2015

British Lit--Wednesdays, September 2nd

Objective: How have various artists interpreted "Icarus?"

As a class, we discussed and analyzed the image and the poem.

Musee des Beaux Arts – by W.H. Auden
About suffering they were never wrong,
The old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position: how it takes place
While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking
dully along;
How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waiting
For the miraculous birth, there always must be
Children who did not specially want it to happen, skating
On a pond at the edge of the wood:
They never forgot
That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course
Anyhow in a corner, some untidy spot
Where the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer's horse
Scratches its innocent behind on a tree.
In Breughel's Icarus, for instance: how everything turns away
Quite leisurely from the disaster; the ploughman may
Have heard the splash, the forsaken cry,
But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shone
As it had to on the white legs disappearing into the green
Water, and the expensive delicate ship that must have seen
Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,
Had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.




CHEAT Sheet--come see me for this.

Homework:

1- Bring a book to read for Friday reading Day
2- Work on Lady of Shalott--due Wednesday, September 9th

x

American Lit--Tuesday, September 1

Objective: What is theme and how do I identify it?

1- Students listened to various theme songs and practiced identifying topics.
2- As a class, we practiced turning the topics into themes-- and then thesis statements.
Homework: Bring a book to read the first 15 minutes of class

British Lit--Monday, August 31st

Objective:
How did you guys interpret the myth?

1- Practice names-in class prompt about your art piece. Then when I grade your piece, I know what you were thinking.

2- Silent Art Gallery Walk-- come see me for instructions

3- Discussed our interpretations


Homework: None