Week of November 14th, 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?  More specifically:  How has 
                     my view of society been formed?  How do I view society?

Due by November 16th:  They needed more time!  Students will need to finalize their creation of the satirical cartoon for up to 4 characters found in Chaucer's "Prologue".  They will follow the requirements and a rubric for satirical/political cartoons.  Students will then need to answer an I response to the question:  How has my view of society been formed?  

Due by November 22nd:  Students will create a modern day stereotype poem.  They will be required to introduce a new pilgrim to the prologue who represents some aspect of contemporary society. Students will be required to identify, analyze, and explain their pilgrim, apply four poetical devices, and 3 poetical elements.  They will need to include a paragraph explaining the tone and the effect the use of the devices had on their poem.

Self-reflection and honesty are necessary requirements for critical thinkers.  Who they are and how they think will form the rest of their lives.  We want them to lead productive lives, filled with experiences, and productive discussions, filled with solutions.



Public Speaking:  How does organization help to develop fluency and meaning?

Students are researching their topic for the informative speech.  The 4 sources and an outline are due no later than Wednesday, Nov. 16th.  They are required to have a purpose statement and a thesis statement at the top of their outline.  They will need to follow the outline format given to them at the beginning of the year. Chapters 10 & 12 are due by Friday, Nov. 18th.  The Annotated Bibliography is due on 11/21.  They have been given instructions and a rubric.

Keystone Literature Remediation:  Why is self-assessment important?

Students 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 begun Study Island assessments.  Students are continuing to strengthen skills and become proficient with the format of the standardized test.  Confidence and consistency have strongly influenced their  test taking skills.  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).