English 12

Last day the buddies arrived. Thank you to the ten students who have already paid their 5.00 for lunch. I look forward to getting the rest of the money late.

Several books were handed in late and a few were incomplete. On the brighter side, there were several books that showed full effort, were cleverly crafted, and were fun! Well done!

On Monday afternoon we'll be doing a test on the novel 1984.

Here's a few hints

• know the importance of Jones, Aaronson, and Rutherford
• Ampelforth is a poet
• understand the sybolism of the paperweight with the coral in it
• reread the last two paragraphs of the novel. You'll notice the sentence "The long-hoped for bullet was entering his brain." Think about this for a moment. Is it a real bullet? Or could it also be merely a metaphor to describe that his mind is now as destroyed, as it would be had a bullet been shot into it. It's an intriguing ambiguity that you might be asked to discuss.
• who is Ogilvy?
• know what a pseudonym is and how it applies to George Orwell

English 10

Test tips for next day's test on Romeo and Juliet

• Samson and Gregory: are they Capulets or Montagues?
• Ensure you know the year that Shakespeare was born.
• A sonnet is a 14 lined poem.
• The area in front of the stage of an Elizabethan theatre was called the Pit; the audience members in the Pit were called "groundlings."
• Study the quotation sheet that I handed out earlier in this unit.

English 12

To review the last few classes.

Students have been working furiously on the book.

Sewing (or binding) of the book will happen Monday or Tuesday.

Book is due Tuesday, June 15th at 3:10.

Please remit $5.00 to Mr. Pfeiffer to help cover pizza costs.

Little Buddies arrive at 12:30pm on Wednesday, June 16th. Meet in the cafeteria at that time.

Provincial exam marks were given out: it was a tough exam (25% of the province failed it! -- wow). Revelstoke students' average marks were right on the provincial average for all public schools.

Continue reading 1984. There will be a quiz/test on Monday, June 21st.

English 10

To review the last few classes. . .

We've read to the end of Romeo and Juliet. REMINDER, there will be a test on the play during Friday's class.

Last Thursday we spent some more time working through the final exam: specifically, we examined the Original Composition section of the test. Students read authentic samples of student compositions and assigned them grades. Most students now know that, on that section of the exam, they can write almost any type of writing (a story, an essay, a literary essay, a personal essay. . . ). In addition, we noted how, on that last piece of writing, the topic needs to only be subtly addressed (i.e. the topic does not need to be repeated word for word).

English 12

Another work day.

DPA log were completed.

Books to be sewn on Monday.

1984 novel to be completed (expect a smallish test) on Monday, June 21st.

English 12

A quick discussion of 1984 occurred. In it we discussed The Book which Winston begins reading in the latter section of part 2. I advised students that the contents of The Book might be a bit heavy and to not focus on trying to necessarily understand all of it.

Then we continued work on our buddy books.

The sewing machine will be setup on Monday and we'll be sewing the books then.

English 10

Today in class we reviewed the play Romeo and Juliet thus far. Then we read Act III scenes 1 and 2. We watched as Mercutio and Tybalt died; then to make matters worse, Romeo was banished from Verona forever.

Then the class worked on their Romeo letter writing assignment from last day.

Homework: finish reading Act 3 scene 3 and complete the Romeo letter writing.

English 12

Just a handful of students handed in their homework which was due: TheDream World of Winston Smith.

Then, as planned, we wrote a quiz on chapters 4-8 of our novels 1984.

Then we worked on our buddy books and reading of the novel.

I will be giving much time this week to book work.

The due date for the book has been extended 24hours. Your buddy book is now due on Tuesday, June 15th at 3:10pm

English 10

Today students handed in the Act 2 Romeo and Juliet questions (well SOME students did).

Then we reviewed the end of Act 2.

I assigned the following project which will be due this Thursday.

English 10 -- Romeo and Juliet Writing Assignment

Your task, at first, sounds silly: you must write three letters that contain the exact same information. As Romeo, you are to pretend that you are sending out three invitations to yours and Juliet’s wedding . The details:

Where: Friar Lawrence’s chapel

When: Saturday, at midday

Dress: formal

Why: Of course, to celebrate the marriage of Romeo to Juliet

Write three letters in modern English: one to your friend Mercutio, one to your new father-in-law, Mr. Capulet, and one to the Verona Times newspaper. Before beginning to write your letters you must consider your audiences. How is your letter to Mercutio going sound like? What words would you use in Mercutio’s letter that would differ from the words you use in Capulet’s letter? How is the letter to the newspaper going to be written?

Remember, although all three letter will have basically the same information in them, but they will all be different with respects to tone (e.g. formal, informal), style of writing (e.g. what form should your letter take?), and vocabulary (e.g.is slang acceptable?).

The main criteria on which this assignment will be marked is how well you understand this idea: when writing for different audiences, you must use different writing styles.

English 10

Last day we worked on paraphrasing Friar Laurence's speech to Romeo regarding how quickly Romeo has switched his love from Rosaline to Juliet.

Today, we handed that in. It was quickly marked and returned.

Today, we wrote a quiz (out of 15) up to and including where we've read in Romeo and Juliet. We've read to the end of Act 2 scene 4.

The bulk of today's class was spent preparing ourselves for the English 10 final exam. We spent much time examining the scoring rubrics for the different sections and then students tried marking real student essays themselves.

The result? Most students realize that they'll do fine on the test. My goal for student, though, is not to just 'do fine': my goal is for students to achieve a full grade level above what they usually achieve.

For Friday, students will be reading aloud the remaining 2 scenes from Act 2. Then they'll be working on these questions:

Act 2

Scene iii

1. This is not a question. Ignore this.

2. How does Romeo explain his that his love for Juliet is different from his love for Rosaline? Why is the Friar skeptical? (2)

3. Why, despite his misgivings, does the Friar agree to marry Romeo and Juliet? (1)

Scene iv

1. The verbal duel between Mercutio and Romeo reveals a distinct change in Romeo. Explain. (2)

Scene v

1. Describe how the contrast between youth and age is presented in this scene. Suggest how this contrast is significant in the play. (2)

Scene vi

1. How is the tragic outcome of the marriage between Romeo and Juliet foreshadowed in this scene?(1)

2. Contrast the attitudes of Romeo and Friar Laurence towards love. Support your statements. (4)

English 12

On Monday we handed in our Part 2 chapter 1-4 questions from 1984. In addition we worked on quiet reading of 1984.

On Tuesday we made the physical book using cardboard and all different sizes of paper.

Today, Wednesday, students handed in their 1/2 page story idea. Then students were given a two page assignment on dreams: in the assignment students were asked specific questions about Winston's dreams. The assignment is entitled "The Dream World of Winston Smith."

Then we visited AHE for the third time. We had our pictures taken with our little buddies. Students did illustrations with their buddies; also, students gathered feedback and ideas to further their stories.

Due dates: students must have read to the end of Part 2, Chapter 8 by Monday, June 7th (be prepared for a quiz -- Oh, here's some tips for the quiz that we'll likely do on Monday -- make sure you note what Winston asks O'Brien when he leaves his apartment. Oh, and how does Winston know that Syme has been vaporized?)

Due dates: students must complete their worksheet by Monday, June 7th.

For Friday, students will work on The Dream World of Winston Smith handout, read their novels quietly (read to chapter 8 by Monday), and/or work on their storybooks (which are due June 16th)

The Dream World of Winston Smith handout looks something like this:

THE DREAM WORLD OF WINSTON SMITH

George Orwell uses dreams as a literary device frequently in 1984. This device is employed for a number of purposes:

· To flashback important information about the character’s past or history of the society

· To foreshadow certain events in the plot to create suspense

· To characterize Winston more thoroughly and deeply, especially on the psychological level

Reread the dreams listed below. On your paper: write down the title of the dream; summarize the key details of the dream; determine whether the dream functions as flashback or foreshadowing and explain why you think this is; and tell how the dream helps the reader extend his/her understanding of Winston as a character.

• ü Dream of O’Brien (Part 1, Chapter 2,)

• ü Dream of mother and sister (Part 1, Chapter 3,)

• ü Dream of the Golden Country (Part 1, Chapter 3,)

• ü Dream of the Rat (Part 2, Chapter 4,p.151)

• ü Dream of mother and sister (Part 2, Chapter 7,)