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.