Week of October 31st, 2016

"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. 

English 12: How do people come to have different view of society?

Students have begun reading their assigned characters from "The Prologue" to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.  They will be required to identify the direct and indirect characterization for each assigned pilgrim(s). Students will then need to work with each other as they meet and share the characterizations of the other pilgrims.  They will then each need to create a satirical cartoon using the direct and indirect characterizations of their assigned pilgrim(s) which identify criticisms of substance and a need for reform.  Students have been given a packet that contains Rubric requirements, examples of satirical cartoons, and a list of requirements for political cartoons.  They will be given time in the Library to print out the necessary items for completion.  The satirical cartoon will be due by Friday, November 4th.

Public Speaking:  How do you move from general and abstract ideas to specific and concrete details effectively?

The topic for the Informative Speech is due on Monday, October 31st.  Students will view Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream Speech".  They will be required to respond to the speech through a written critique.  The critique will be due no later than Friday, Nov. 4th. Students will read and respond to Chapter 8 in the textbook which will be due by Friday, Nov. 4th. They will be able to describe nine types of support materials and why they are necessary in a speech. Students will be able to discuss the use and abuse of statistics in speeches.  They will begin research for their Informative Speeches.

Keystone Literature Remediation:  Why is self-assessment important?

Students will work on identified/assigned individual goals.  They are  working in the Opened.com app/site. Students will need to retake an assessment on the Opened.com site if they received a score less than 85%. They will need to complete one assessment a day.  They have also been assigned an assessment on the site to help them strengthen an area of weakness. Students will also be assigned fiction and nonfiction passages with accompanying questions to help prepare them for the Keystones. Students are responsible for charting their progress in their files.  The ultimate benchmark is for the students to reach an initial goal of Proficient on Study Island Assessments (Nov. 14 - Dec. 6) and the Literature Keystones (Dec. 7th and 8th).