English 10--Wednesday, September 12

Objective: Continue looking at word choice--the 5 senses

1- Read the first 15 minutes of class and complete a strategy.
2- Get into groups to finish the 5 senses assignment they started last time.
3- Shared our descriptions in the form of a contest.

Homework: None

Honors 11--Tuesday, September 11

Objective: How do I analyze poetry?

1- Get into small groups
2- Read The Poem "The Lady of Shalott."
3-Complete Anaylzing guide-

Until I get this on electronic copy, you'll have to come get these handouts/assignments from me.


Homework: If your small group didn't finish this, this is homework.

English 10--Monday, September 10th

Objective: How do I make my writing more descriptive? Word Choice!!! Using the five senses in my writing to add dimension/description.

1- Read the first fifteen minutes- completed reading strategy.
2-Looked at a description of a house and visualized what it looks like--then compared the house to the actual picture of the house. Students were shocked that what they were visualizing looks nothing like the picture I showed them. This shows how important word choice is when trying to be descriptive.
3- The Five Senses Group Writing Activity--students worked in groups to come up with the most descriptive sentences to the five prompts. We'll finish this next time and then have a contest to see which group has the most creative, effective description.

See Assignment:
https://docs.google.com/a/alpinedistrict.org/document/d/1DbatuWWU7_tOuanzxtaqErYN1XB0ByBPSjyVHJkqL_k/edit?pli=1

Homework: Type one paragraph describing your favorite memory. It can be a memory from childhood or last year-- I don't care as long as in your description, you include all five senses. (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch)

Honors 11--Friday, September 7th

 Objective: How do I use details, plot, imagery, contrast, word choice, etc. to analyze literature (poems, short stories, and novels)?

What we did in class today:
1- Took Jekyll and Hyde short answer test. If you were absent, you have one week to make this up before or after school.
2- A.C.T Review- I will provide mini-lessons to prepare my students for the A.C.T. I plan on getting them all in before the December test. Students who want to take advantage of this "extra push" should probably enroll for that test, so that the knowledge is fresh in your mind. I will have a student teacher the second semester; Therefore, the students will not receive any A.C.T help at that point.
3-Discuss/Analyze "The Demon Lover" by  Elizabeth Bowen. Students came to class having read the story. They also attempted to write a short analysis describing how Bowen uses description and suspense to create a certain mood. Today, we will discuss details to look at within any text in order to understand what is going on. We'll review how to extract a theme as well.
4- Paper Airplanes- IF WE HAVE TIME- By the middle of term 1, students need to know every other student's name in the class. This is important to create the right environment for our class community. I will provide opportunities to help students learn their peers name along the way, but at the end of the day, it is each student's responsibility to take on this task.

Homework: None

English 10--Thursday, September 6

Objective: How can I use metaphors and similes in my own writing to be more descriptive? How can I learn from other authors?

What we did in class today:
1- We read the first 15 minutes of class.
2-We read "My Name" by Sandra Cisneros. We underlined all the similes and metaphors.
3-We went to the computer lab to complete an Author Mimic--students copy Cisneros' style and format, but plug in their own similes and metaphors to describe themselves.

Directions Below:

My Name Author Mimic

In The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros writes a vignette entitled “My Name.” After reading the piece as a class, we concluded that it isn’t really her name that she wrote about—it is her identity, a description of who she is. She tells us about herself through her use of words. Specifically, she uses two things we’ve been studying in class: Similes and Metaphors. In the computer lab today, I want each of you to try to “mimic” or “copy” this author’s style. You will draft/write your own “My Name” piece.

Questions to consider while writing this assignment:

Wait, What am I doing? You are mimicking Sandra Cisneros’ style by plugging in your own descriptions of yourself.

How long does it have to be? Try to get somewhere between a half page and a page (double space)

Do I have to include anything in it? Yes! It needs to be full of similes and metaphors that describe you!

What if I don’t have a cool, original name? It doesn’t matter. This assignment isn’t really about your name; it is about your identity. Who are you? What do you feel? What makes you happy and sad? What makes you laugh?

Remember you can follow her exact format/style and plug in your own ideas describing you.

Honors 11--Wednesday, September 5

***Reminder*** Tomorrow is your final assessment for Jekyll and Hyde. 
Also, Students who never took the summer packet test, you have to take your test tomorrow either before school at 7:15 or after school at 2:15. If you do not make it up by tomorrow, it cannot be made up. 

Objective: How does Stevenson create mood in Jekyll and Hyde? How does the mood support the themes of the novel?

1- I introduced students to the Fantastic 30 Book Challenge! This is an opportunity to increase your reading and writing skills, but more importantly, develop a true love for reading!
2- Defined Mood and Irony-

• Mood is the feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader. The use of connotation, details, dialogue, imagery, figurative language, foreshadowing, setting, and rhythm can help set the mood. 
• Irony is a contrast between expectation and reality. This incongruity often has left the effect of surprising the reader or viewer.

Why does Jekyll create Hyde? To become free. He can't live with both of his "sides."

What is IRONIC about this? In trying to become free, he becomes enslaved by Hyde.

3- Looked at the first 7 minutes of the film "Coraline." Students watched and identified techniques the director used to establish the mood. Students came up with a variety of answers: weather, characters' actions, music, timing, color, contrast, etc.

4- Next, Students broke into small groups and compiled a similar list for "Jekyll and Hyde."

5-Next, students wrote a group paragraph answering the following prompt:

How does Stevenson use certain techniques to create a mood of terror and or mystery in the novel?

If you were absent, you will have to do this at home.

Homework:

1--Read Elizabeth Bowen's "The Demon Lover." I don't have an electronic copy of this to upload to the blog. Therefore, come into class and pick up a copy of the story as soon as you can.

2--After reading the short story, complete the following prompt:

"How does Elizabeth Bowen use descriptive language and suspense to create a mood of terror in the story "The Demon Lover." What are some specific words and phrases from the text to support your thoughts. Remember to organize your thoughts with a driving thesis/main idea/argument. 

Things to consider after today/Class Notes/Main Ideas:

How does Stevenson create the mood for "Jekyll and Hyde" and how does the mood support the theme?

•                The Fog in the opening scene. The fog functions as a mask- it makes things unclear- it makes it difficult to tell what is right in front of your face. This relates to the theme "duality of man" or "duality of society" because they mask their true intentions.  

•                Things happen at night- setting- night time is when people typically act out their "evil" side. This adds to the theme in that most people want to hide in the dark and not let their "evil" side show.

•                Physical description of Hyde- He's hard to describe. He has an indescribable face. Evil is also hard to describe...Hyde is the representation of evil, so Hyde's character supports the theme of "duality of man."

•                Isolation- feeling of eeriness. A feeling of being alone. This ties back to the original reason Jekyll created Hyde. He felt alone in his duplicity of life- When in reality, if the Victorians would haven't talked about it, he would have known that all men have good and evil within them. 

English 10--Tuesday, September 4th

Objective:

• What are the differences between similes and metaphors?
• Why do we use them in our writing--or to find our voice?

Schedule

• Read the first 15 minutes of class--completed a reading strategy.
• We did two reading/writing assessments that we'll use to gage each student's progress throughout the year.
• We watched a short clip from "Forrest Gump" and asked the students to identify the most popular line in that clip--answer "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get." What is this? A Simile!!!
• We watched a video at the following link:
• http://www.watchknowlearn.org/Video.aspx?VideoID=50469&CategoryID=2258
• Students practiced listening to songs to identify the similes/metaphors.
• Next, we analyzed why authors, singers, artists, etc. use these devices to share their message.
• Each student wrote their own metaphor and simile in their journal. Then we shared them with a neighbor and then as a class.

Homework: None