Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Week of October 21st. 2013

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." - William Butler Yeats


The goal of this English class is to produce critical thinkers. Students are not only reading for comprehension but for meaning and relevancy of the work as a whole. Literature is also an example of good writing. The writing improves when a student reads. Vocabulary also improves because the student is learning to read in context. We want successful students who can think critically and communicate effectively.


Academic English 9:  There were great discussions on evaluating and critiquing work this past week.  Students have given and received constructive criticism which has helped them identify the need for purpose/focus of their work.  Organization was deemed necessary for effective communication.  Simple grammatical errors should have been picked up through their own proofreading.  Creation is a process...which takes work!  There will be an essay test on Night.  The essay will need to identify and use the literary elements and devices discussed.  The relevancy of the novel in the 21st century will need to be supported.  Vocabulary Unit 4 will be assigned.  Reading in context through the identification of subject/verb agreement and the identification of prepositional phrases will be required.  There will be a Vocabulary Test on Tuesday, November 29th.

Practical English 10:  Finalizing the documentaries is required for presentation on Thursday and Friday of this week.

English 11:  Students will read and analyze "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" in order to set the stage for The Crucible.  The  use of fear and intimidation (abuse of power) has been used throughout history and is relevant today.  What legacy will our students leave the next generation?  Vocabulary Unit 5 Sentences due on Friday 10/25.

Public Speaking: Students will continue work on the Informative Speech.  They will be required to identify purpose, complete an outline, utilize their sources, produce a works cited page, write a rough draft,  create a visual aid, and write podium cards.  Speeches will commence on 10/28.  All due dates for the process of speech writing have been given to the students.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Week of October 14th, 2013


"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." - William Butler Yeats


The goal of this English class is to produce critical thinkers. Students are not only reading for comprehension but for meaning and relevancy of the work as a whole. Literature is also an example of good writing. The writing improves when a student reads. Vocabulary also improves because the student is learning to read in context. We want successful students who can think critically and communicate effectively. 

 

Academic English 9:  Students will be responsible for participating in the final guided discussion of the novel, Night.  They will responsible for identifying and applying the literary devices discussed in class (characterization, symbols, foreshadowing, theme).  The purpose of the discussion is aimed at understanding the meaning of the author's message and its relevancy in today's world.  Through the knowledge of the time period, comprehension of the novel, and application of the literary devices, the student should recognize and understand the relevancy of the major theme. Parallels to The Boy in Striped Pajamas will be part of the discussion.  Wednesday and Thursday:  Active listening and viewing on the part of the audience, supporting evidence, and constructive criticism are all necessary when evaluating work. The students will need to apply all of these skills when critiquing the documentaries. These skills should be applied to the editing of their own work, demonstrating the importance of the process of creation.

Practical 10:  Students will continue work on the documentary.  They will use technology to create a documentary on a topic of their choice.  The students will be responsible for presenting the documentary where they will need to identify purpose, show organizational skills, use facts, and apply inference. 

English 11:  Students will be reading and responding to the text on McCarthyism.  The introduction through informational text will aid them in the comprehension of the play, The Crucible. The play's relevancy requires knowledge of the time period in which it was written.  There will be a discussion on fear and its repercussions.

Public Speaking:  Students will continue work on the Informative Speech.  They will be required to identify purpose, complete an outline, utilize their sources, produce a works cited page, write a rough draft,  create a visual aid, and write podium cards.  Speeches will commence on 10/28.  All due dates for the process of speech writing have been given to the students.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Week of October 7th, 2013

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." - William Butler Yeats


The goal of this English class is to produce critical thinkers. Students are not only reading for comprehension but for meaning and relevancy of the work as a whole. Literature is also an example of good writing. The writing improves when a student reads. Vocabulary also improves because the student is learning to read in context. We want successful students who can think critically and communicate effectively.


9th Grade Academic: Students will be responsible for participating in the guided discussion of the novel, Night.  They will responsible for identifying and applying the literary devices discussed in class.  The purpose of the discussion is aimed at understanding the meaning of the author's message.  Through the knowledge of the time period, comprehension of the novel, and application of the literary devices, the student should recognize and understand the relevancy of the major theme.  Active listening and viewing on the part of the audience, supporting evidence, and constructive criticism are all necessary when evaluating work. The students will need to apply all of these skills when critiquing the documentaries. These skills should be applied to the editing of their own work, demonstrating the importance of the process of creation.

Practical 10:  Students will be creating documentaries.  They will be applying the elements of the documentary through the utilization of technology.  Students will be able to identify the difference between perspective and bias while fulfilling the requirements of the documentary. 

English 11:  Students will be reading and responding to the text on Puritanism and The Salem Witch Trials.  The introduction through informational text will aid them in the comprehension of the play, The Crucible. The play's relevancy requires knowledge of the time period in which it was written.  There will be a discussion on fear and its repercussions. Vocabulary Unit 4 definitions will be due on Wednesday.  Completion of the sentences are due on Friday, 10/11.

Public Speaking:  Students will be required to have a topic approved for their Informative Speeches by Tuesday, 10/8.  They will be required to commit to their topics through research.  Their research will need to be used to support their speeches.  Students will be required to hand in outlines, rough drafts, MLA citations, and a visual aid.  Speeches will commence during the week of 10/28.