Week of March 31st, 2014

"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:  The students will continue to work in groups to create their Newspapers for their short story on laptops, computers in the Library and the Computer Lab.  They will need to create an idea for a  newsworthy article, produce a journalistic article, and  apply themes, characters, setting, culture/time period of the short story.  A picture with a caption must accompany their article.  Students will also be responsible for producing a Print advertisement.  They will need to identify and apply several propaganda techniques for persuasive writing.  The format of a modern-day newspaper will be followed.  The project will be due on Monday, April 7th.

Practical English 11:  The students will be working on a final project for The Crucible in the Library.  They have been given 4 options of assessment:  The Documentary, The PowerPoint Presentation, The Soundtrack, and The Alternate Ending.  The students have been given the Rubrics for each assessment.  They will work in pairs.  The students will interpret and analyze the play through the creation of their project.  Meaning and relevancy is attained through critical thinking and application.

English 11:  The students will  continue to work on the Analytical Research Paper.  Analyzing and Critiquing sources is necessary to support a thesis.  The students will need to create a thesis which answers a how or why question on their topic.  At this point, some students will realize that their sources do not meet the requirements of a research paper.  There will be frustration and confusion on their part.  They will need to work through these to actually learn to create a thesis which has meaning and supports an actual idea.  Stamina is necessary to complete the process of the Research Paper.  The students will need to organize their support of their idea into a logical order.  Due dates have been given... Hang in there!

Practical English 12:  The students will be working on Vocabulary Unit 5.  There will be a test on Friday, April 4th.  They will also be required to pick a topic for the Argumentative Research Paper.  The topic must have meaning and relevancy for the student.  They will need to logically argue a topic where they will need to pick a side.  Valid sources from reliable sites are necessary.

Week of March 24th, 2014

"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 working on writing Newspaper Articles and Creating Print Adverisements for the front page of a Newspaper.  In groups, they will be producing a newspaper using the assigned Short Story to demonstrate knowledge and comprehension of the literature and culture and applying it to the modern-day format of the newspaper.  They will learn to work in groups, write journalistically, interpret and analyze literature, apply relevancy of literature and understand the importance of the communication of information through perspectives and bias.

Practical English 11: Students will be working on the final Act of The Crucible.  There will be a quiz on Act IV on Thursday, March 27th.  The students will be introduced to the Final Assessment for the play on Friday, March 28th.  There will be 4 options for assessement:  Presentation, Documentary, Soundtrack, and Creative Writing (Poetry, Rap).  They will have 1 1/2 weeks to produce the final project, the due date will be April, 9th. 

English 11: Students will be working on the Analytical Research Paper. Annotated Bibliographies will be due on Thursday, March 27th. MLA Citation and critiques are incorporated in the Annotations. Through Annotations, students are required to read and validate a source. They will become knowledgeable on their topic resulting in the creation of an analytical thesis, which is due on March 28th. 

Practical English 12:  Students will begin work on the Argumentative Research Paper. They will be required to pick a topic and argue a side. Topics will be due on Wednesday, March 26th. Specific Topics due on Thursday, March 27th. Students will be required to find 5 valid and reliable sources using the North Schuylkill Junior/Senior High School Library Database. MLA Citations and Annotations will be due on Friday, April 10th. Vocabulary Unit 5 will be due Monday March 31st.

Week of March 10th, 2014

"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: The students will be responsible for reading, comprehending, and analyzing the short story.  They will need to identify and apply theme, using literary devices to support the message and meaning of the story by Guy de Maupassant.  There will be a short answer response question on Friday, 3/14.

Practical  English 11: The students will read, comprehend, and analyze Act II of The Crucible.  There will be a quiz on Friday, March 12th.  They will be responsible for identifying plot, characters, characterization, motivation, conflict, foreshadowing, allusion, irony, symbolism, and allegory.

English 11: The students will begin preliminary research for the Research Paper.  They will be required to pick a topic related to the Age of Enlightenment/Age of Reason.  The Specific Topic will need to be picked by the beginning of class on  Thursday 3/13.  Students will need to complete an Annotated Bibliography, Outline, Rough Draft, and Final Copy.  They have been given a Due Date Sheet with the necessary dates of completion. Students will have Thursday and Friday to begin research for their paper.

Practical English 12: Students are responsible for defining, identifying, and utilizing vocabulary for Unit 4.  They will be required to identify the subjects and verbs in the sentences on the Review Sheet.  There will be a test on Friday, 3/14 which will assess their knowledge on Vocabulary and grammar.

Week of February 24th, 2014

"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 working on literary analysis.  They will be reading, analyzing, and responding to Edgar Allan Poe's "Cask of Amontillado".  Students will be required to apply literary devices and ultimately, respond to a short answer question on Justice.  They will be graded on thesis, support, and active voice.  The short answer question will be due on Monday, March 3rd.

Practical English 11:  Students will be finishing the Informational articles on McCarthyism and The Salem Witch Trials.  They will begin reading, analyzing, and responding to Arthur Miller's The Crucible.  Recognition of the abuse of power and the relevancy of the work in today's society is crucial for critical thinking.

English 11: Students will be working on the Aphorism assignment. They will be required to interpret aphorisms, identify and apply an aphorism to the 13 virtues identified by Ben Frankilin in his autobiography, create 10 virtues to reflect today's society/culture, and create an aphorism for each virtue. The assignment will be due on Monday, March 3rd.

Practical English 12: Students will complete work on Vocabulary Unit 3.  The worksheets will be due by Friday, February 28th. They will be required to identify subject and verb, apply subject and verb agreement rules to the sentences.  Students will begin work on the Expository Essay.  They will be responsible for creating a strong thesis, organizing information, using support/examples for their thesis, and using active voice.

Week of February 17th, 2014

"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: The students will continue to read and analyze the short story.  They will be responsible for completing a short answer question on conflict.  The response will be due on Monday, February 24th.
Practical English 11:  The students will begin the Unit on Puritanism. They will be required to read, comprehend, and analyze informational articles on Puritanism, The Salem Witch Trials, and McCarthyism in preparation for the reading and analysis of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and The Crucible.

English 11:  The students will continue reading the literature from the Enlightenment. They will read the an excerpt from Ben Franklin's Autobiography and Aphorisms from Poor Richard's Almanack. Students will be required to read and interpret a list of Franklin's common aphorisms. They will then create a list of 10 aphorisms for today's culture.  There will be a vocabulary review on Thursday, February 20th for the Unit 9 test on Friday, February 21st.

Practical English 12:  Work on Vocabualry Unit 2 will continueon Tuesday and be due on Wednesday, February 19th. There will be a review of Vocabulary Squares and worksheets on Thursday. The Vocabulary Unit 2 Test will be on Friday, February 21st. 

Week of February 10th, 2014

"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:  The students will begin working on the short story, "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell.  They will be responsible for reading, comprehending, and analyzing the literature.  They will be able to apply literary elements and devices to the short story.  Students will begin to make connections to the importance of learning and understanding human nature which is necessary for the interpretation and analysis of literature.   

Practical English 11:  The students will begin the Unit on Puritanism.  They will be required to read, comprehend, and analyze informational articles on Puritanism, The Salem Witch Trials, and McCarthyism in preparation for the reading and analysis of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"  and The Crucible.

English 11:  The students will need to define, dissect, and apply vocabulary for unit 9.  The students will begin reading the literature from the Enlightenment.  They will read the an excerpt from Ben Franklin's Autobiography and Aphorisms from Poor Richard's Almanack.  Students will be required to read and interpret a list of Franklin's common aphorisms. They will then create a list of 10 aphorisms for today's culture.

Practical English 12:  The students will be completing the written assignment on Anglo-Saxon elegies which will be due on Tuesday, February 11th.  Work on Vocabualry Unit 2 will begin on Tuesday and be due on Wednesday, February 12th.  There will be a review of  Vocabulary Squares and worksheets  on Thursday.  The Vocabulary Unit 2 Test will be on Friday, February 14th. 

Week of February 3, 2014

"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: The students will be completing the grammar portion of the Vocabulary test.  They will identify the subject and verb in the independent clause and all phrases and all subordinate clauses.  They will begin to classify sentences as simple, complex, compound, or compound/complex.  Students will be introduced to the elements and structure of the Short Story.  They will be responsible for reading, comprehending, analyzing, and responding to the literature. 

Practical English 11 Literature: The students will be applying the elements and structure of the Native American Myth to the creation of their own Manifest Destiny Myth. The elements and structure of literature are indicative of its genre.  Understanding and applying the necessary elements of literature is important to its comprehension and relevancy.

English 11: The students are responding to Informational Texts on the Age of Enlightenment. They are required to write a Compare/Contrast Essay based on the information found in the two articles. They will need to identify important elements of the Age of Enlightenment and how it affected change. Students will be responsible for handing in the Venn Diagram, an outline, and a completed essay.

Practical English 12: The students will be responding to the cultural importance of the Anlo-Saxon elegy.  They will be required to write an essay using the literature to show the relevancy of the literature.  They will need to create a thesis, utilize correct subject/verb agreement, write in active voice, use transitions, and support the thesis.