Friday, August 26, 2011

APEnglish 12: Aug. 29-Sept. 2

Greetings APEs!

Welcome back from the weekend and HOORAY for B weeks! We get three whole classes together! I have so much planned that I am not sure we will be able to complete it all, but we will try.

First of all, remember that you have a vocabulary quiz on Friday. Study your thirteen D words only. We also need to finish our discussion of HtRLLaP and complete the assignment in the chapter "Test Case," which you should have done already. Yes, that's right. You must complete the essay assignment in the last chapter. And NO you cannot peek ahead to see what the professor's student wrote. Please bring a copy of your rough draft to class on Wednesday. We will do a revision activity involving highlighters, so bring those, too.
I also plan to complete at least on set of MC questions this week. Get your analytical eyes working and be prepared to really read. And that short story boot camp I mentioned last week, that's on the agenda, too. I'll be assigning several stories for you to read at home. We will read "Hills Like White Elephants" in class. I will give you a handout of "Clothes” By Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni to read for homework and prepare a group presentation on. I will also discuss the difference between literature of escape and or interpretation. Guess which one we will be reading most. 


Like I said, I hope we can fit it all in, and if we can't, there's always next week!


See you in class!


Mrs. SO

Pre-APEnglish 10: Aug. 29-Sept. 2

Greetings aspiring APEs!

Welcome back from the weekend!

As you know, we have a vocabulary quiz each week, and this one is no exception. Don't forget to study your lesson three words! Also, remember that your revisions of your Obama speech essay are due to be uploaded to my Moodle before Friday. I have sent all the names of those of you who were unable to register for moodle to the appropriate tech person, so you should be able to access it now.

This week we will continue our study of Julius Caesar. I expect those asked to read in class to participate, as Shakespeare really must be read aloud to appreciate it, especially when this language is new to you. I will stop the reading frequently to comment and explain things, so don't be too worried about not getting it. To help you out in understanding this text, perhaps you should look over the side-by-side Shakespeare/modern translation on this link.

See you in class!

Mrs. SO

English 10: Aug. 29-Sept. 2

Welcome back from the weekend, Sophomores!

This week marks the beginning of the end of one month together. I hope that you are getting into the swing of things. Since this is a B week, I will see you three times! I have lots planned to fill that time with hopefully educational and worthwhile activities.

On Tuesday, we will have look more extensively at sentence structure, including the parts of a sentence and the different classifications of sentences. We will also read several Native American texts and talk about archetypes, those things that recur in story after story after story.

Wednesday, we will review lesson four for your vocabulary quiz on Friday. We will also review the parts of a sentence for a test on Friday. If time permits, we will continue reading creation myths, including two Native American myths that are not in your book, the "Walum Olum," by the Delaware Indians, and the "Navajo Creation Story."

As noted above, we will have two grades on Friday, a test over the parts of a sentence, including direct and indirect objects, predicate adjectives, and predicate nominatives, and a vocabulary quiz. Be sure to study.
Bring your books to class. After your test and quiz, we will read an excerpt from William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation, a history of the first years of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Enlish 12: Aug. 29-Sept. 2

Greetings Seniors!
And welcome back from the weekend. I hope you are all well rested and ready to learn.
This is a B week, so we will meet only twice. On Monday, we will discuss briefly my expectations for your Lord of the Flies essays. Remember, you are to upload your final paper to my moodle no later than Friday.
After discussing your paper guidelines, including the Kiss of Death rules that apply, we will review lesson 4 in your vocabulary workbooks. The quiz for this lesson will be on Thursday.

Thursday after your quiz, we will begin our study of British Literature. You will need textbooks for this. Our first foray into this literature will be a look at the earliest known work of English literature, Beowulf. I will show you some samples of old English writing. I also have an in-depth presentation on the history of the time period on which you will be tested. So pay careful attention.

See you in class!

Mrs. SO

Monday, August 22, 2011

APEnglish (APE) 12: Aug. 22-26

Greetings APEs!

I hope you had a restful weekend. We have tons to do this week, so I'll forgo the chit-chat and get right to the tasks that lie ahead for this week.

You should have already either turned in or uploaded your Major Works Data Sheets for your summer reading. If you were a late arrival to my class, you may still upload these without penalty. If you have known about them since last year when I visited Ms. Elliott's class to show you the assignment, you may still turn them in with  a late penalty.

This week we will complete the HtRLLaP discussion and write our first analytical essay. The essay assignment is in the HtRLLaP book. This will be a take-home assignment, so it will be subject to the Kiss of Death. I will explain this in class, but you may check the link on my sidebar for more information.

Should we finish these tasks and still have time, be prepared for a short-story marathon/boot camp. We will read several stories for discussion in each class for the two weeks ahead, then write an analytical essay.

And of course, we will look at a poem each day from the Poetry Out Loud web site. Poetry recitation is the last week of September.

Don't forget to study your B and C words for a vocabulary quiz on Friday.

See you in class!

Mrs. SO

Pre_APEnglish 10, Aug. 22-26

Greetings Sophomores!

Week three is upon us! We have so much to do and so little time. I'll get straight to the lessons:
This week you will have a quiz on vocabulary lesson 2. Be sure to STUDY. These are tough words. Your quiz will be on your last day of class for the week.

You will also get back your diagnostic essays, and we will do an activity with them using highlighters. If you don't have any yet, try to get some by class time. We will use yellow, blue and green.
Your essays, as I previously stated, were diagnostic, and will count only as a classwork grade. However, your revisions of your essays will be graded as essays, which are a more substantial part of your grade, so be sure to complete them on time! I have placed an upload link on my moodle.

We will also delve into The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. I have books for in class. Here is a link for your  use at home. It has a handy side-by-side text.
See you in class!

Mrs. SO

Friday, August 19, 2011

English 12: Aug. 22-26

Greetings Seniors!

Another week has rapidly passed, and we are well on our way towards graduation! It's difficult to believe that we are already on week three!

This is an A week, so we will meet three time, and luckily, we have plenty to do to fill those classes:

One Monday we will review vocabulary lesson three. Be sure to bring your workbooks.
We will finish our overview presentation on LotF and begin our in-depth discussion of the text. I hope you all will have finished reading before class on Monday.
On Wednesday, we will wrap up our discussion and watch a documentary on the book that should give you a better understanding of the themes Golding was attempting to address.
Thursday, you will have a quiz on vocabulary lesson three, and I will give you the details of your essay assignment on LofF. I will also explain to you my grading system and what it means to get a Kiss of Death on a paper.

See you in class!

Mrs. SO

English 10: Aug. 22-26

Greetings Sophomores,

Time is passing swiftly, and we must work hard if we are to accomplish all the tasks that lie before us. I have confidence that we will make great strides this year in perfecting our grammar and writing skills and in reading and analyzing literature. To that end, I have planned the following for the coming week:

On Tuesday, we will review our vocabulary lesson three for a quiz on Thursday.
We will complete a short diagnostic essay so that I can determine the writing skills you already possess.
We will also begin a grammar review of the parts of a sentence.

On Thursday, we will take a vocabulary quiz on lesson three.
Then we will continue our study of the parts of a sentence. Expect a test on this information next week.
You should bring your textbook on Thursday. We will begin looking at the earliest recorded American Literature, Native American mythology.

See you in class!

Mrs. SO

Monday, August 15, 2011

Week TWO APEnglish 12: Aug. 15-19

Greetings APEs!
Welcome to week TWO! I trust you had a restful weekend and are ready to really work. This week we will continue reading/discussing HtRLLaP, so come to class prepared for sharing your insights. I'd really like more than a summary of what you read. I'd like to hear you apply the concepts discussed in the text to your own reading/viewing experiences. This will be a great time to pull in some summer reading discussions.

Here is a link to the HtRLLaP discussion guide. Be sure to consider the questions and activities when preparing for class discussion.

In addition to preparing for this discussion, you will also need to review the A words on the SAT list of 250 most difficult words. These will be your vocabulary. Expect a quiz on the A words this Friday.

You should also, if you have not already done so, register for my Moodle class. I have already made upload links for your summer reading MWDSs. These sheets are important not only as reading checks for me and learning tools for you, but as study guides when you are preparing for the AP exam.

We will likely have a senior meeting on Thursday of this week. I will keep you apprized of the exact date and time.

See you in class!

Mrs. SO


Week TWO PreAPEnglish 10: Aug. 15-19

Hello Sophomores!

We are now getting into the swing of things, and I expect that this week you will come prepared and ready to participate. I will be giving you several diagnostic tests to determine your current level of knowledge. Expect these in the coming few days. Bring your highlighters for a writing evaluation activity. I also have posted your summer reading assignments (and will repost the links here and here). I expect these to be completed by Friday, Aug 19. If you have not yet read your summer reading or have been unable to obtain a copy of the book, please use THIS LINK and THIS LINK to eTexts of the books and be sure to read them so that you can participate fully in class discussions and will be prepared to do any related assignments.

I also expect each of you to enroll in my Moodle course, where you will upload your finished take-home assignments. Please use the links on the left-hand side of my blog to guide you to the correct Moodle class and for instructions for registration.  My enrollment key is ncths223.

In addition to the diagnostic checks, we will have a class discussion of your summer reading and a vocabulary quiz on lesson 1. Be sure to review your words here.

I hope for us to begin a study of Julius Caesar this week, so expect that. I will tell you when you need to bring your literature books to class.

See you in class!

Mrs. SO

Friday, August 12, 2011

Week TWO English 12: Aug. 15-19

Greetings Seniors!

I hope you all enjoyed the first week back!
Now it's time to really dig in and get back into the thick of things. If you were absent or shifting schedules on book check-out day, please see me about a book. Keep your textbooks at home until further notice. I sincerely hope that by the time you need them you will have lockers available.

We should have a senior meeting this week. Mr. Thorson predicts it will be on Thursday. I will keep you apprized.

We will continue our study of Lord of the Flies. I have linked to an electronic text if you do not have access to the novel outside of class. Be sure to read. You are supposed to have completed reading through chapter 5 by Monday. On Monday, we will finish the PPT presentation on the novel and discuss as much as possible. Plan to read the remainder of the novel before class on Monday, Aug. 22.
On Thursday you will have a quiz on vocabulary lesson 2, so bring your workbooks Monday for a quick review.

Week TWO! English 10: Aug. 15-19

Hello Sophomores!

We are now getting into the swing of things, and I expect that this week you will come prepared and ready to participate. I will be giving you several diagnostic tests to determine your current level of knowledge. Expect these in the coming few days. I also have posted your summer reading assignment (and will repost the link here). I expect these to be completed by Friday, Aug 19. If you have not yet read your summer reading or have been unable to obtain a copy of the book, please use THIS LINK to an eText of the book and be sure to read it so that you can participate fully in class discussions and will be prepared to do any related assignments.

I also expect each of you to enroll in my Moodle course, where you will upload your finished take-home assignments. Please use the links on the left-hand side of my blog to guide you to the correct Moodle class and for instructions for registration.  My enrollment key is ncths223.

In addition to the diagnostic checks, we will have a class discussion of your summer reading and  vocabulary quizzes on lessons 1&2. Be sure to bring your vocabulary workbooks. I will tell you when you need to bring your literature books to class.

See you in class!

Mrs. SO

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

APEnglish 12: Aug. 9 Assignment Updates.

Greetings APEs!

I trust you enjoyed, or at least did not abhor, my first class. As you can already see, this will be a busy year. If you have completed your MWDSs for your summer reading novels, you may upload them to Moodle or, if they are hand written, turn them in to me on Friday, Aug. 12. I will talk to you more about the data sheets in class on Friday.

I distributed copies of How to Read Literature Like a Professor (henceforth to be referred to in writing as HtRLLaP) in class on Aug. 9, and told you to read several chapters. This update is to give you more specifics on that assignment. Please read the introduction and chapters 1-9.

Note that the assignment for Chapter 7 requires that you read a short story for further discussion.  I request that you come prepared to answer the questions orally and discuss them further if necessary or possible. Should students come unprepared for discussion in class, I will additionally require you to type and submit the answers on Moodle.

(Adapted from Donna Anglin)

Introduction: How'd He Do That?
How do memory, symbol, and pattern affect the reading of literature? How does the recognition of patterns make it easier to read complicated literature? Discuss a time when your appreciation of a literary work was enhanced by understanding symbol or pattern.

Chapter 1 -- Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It's Not)
List the five aspects of the QUEST and then apply them to something you have read (or viewed) in the form used on pages 3-5.

Chapter 2 -- Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion 
Choose a meal from a literary work and apply the ideas of Chapter 2 to this literary depiction.

Chapter 3: --Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires
What are the essentials of the Vampire story? Apply this to a literary work you have read or viewed.

Chapter 4 -- If It's Square, It's a Sonnet
Select three sonnets and show which form they are. Discuss how their content reflects the form. (Submit copies of the sonnets, marked to show your analysis).

Chapter 5 --Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before?
Define intertextuality. Discuss three examples that have helped you in reading specific works.

Chapter 6 -- When in Doubt, It's from Shakespeare...
Discuss a work that you are familiar with that alludes to or reflects Shakespeare. Show how the author uses this connection thematically. Read pages 44-46 carefully. In these pages, Foster shows how Fugard reflects Shakespeare through both plot and theme. In your discussion, focus on theme.

Chapter 7 -- ...Or the Bible
Read "Araby" (available online http://fiction.eserver.org/short/araby.html. Discuss Biblical allusions that Foster does not mention. Look at the example of the "two great jars." Be creative and imaginative in these connections.

Chapter 8 -- Hanseldee and Greteldum
Think of a work of literature that reflects a fairy tale. Discuss the parallels. Does it create irony or deepen appreciation?

Chapter 9 -- It's Greek to Me
Write a free verse poem derived or inspired by characters or situations from Greek mythology. Be prepared to share your poem with the class (Ok, this is optional, but I would love to see your creative side.) At the very least, come prepared to discuss the content of the chapter.


We will also begin our discussion and writing of college entrance essays. See the links from my previous blog.


See you in class!


Mrs. So

Monday, August 8, 2011

Welcome to Mrs. SO's Pre-APEnglish 10!

Welcome to Mrs. SO's English 10 Literature and Composition Class!

I will be adding a blog entry each week to keep you updated on class events. Be sure to check here each weekend.

For the first week, we will be familiarizing ourselves with the class procedures and expectations as well as evaluating our reading skills and delving into our summer reading assignments.


Below is a list of links to  handouts that you might need in my class. Later I will be adding links to a Moodle page as well.

Happy first week of school! I am really looking forward to our learning together this year!

Mrs. SO


Classroom Procedures and Policies
Syllabus
Summer Reading Assignment for The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Summer Reading Assignment for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
SAT Vocabulary Lesson 1

Welcome to Mrs. SO's English 10

Welcome to Mrs. SO's English 10 Literature and Composition Class!

I will be adding a blog entry each week to keep you updated on class events. Be sure to check here each weekend.

For the first week, we will be familiarizing ourselves with the class procedures and expectations as well as evaluating our reading skills and delving into our summer reading assignments.


Below is a list of links to  handouts that you might need in my class. Later I will be adding links to a Moodle page as well.

Happy first week of school! I am really looking forward to our learning together this year!

Mrs. SO


Classroom Procedures and Policies
Syllabus
Summer Reading Assignment for The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass 

Welcome to APEnglish 12


 Welcome to Mrs. SO's APEnglish Literature and Composition Class!

I will be adding a blog entry each week to keep you updated on class events. Be sure to check here each weekend.

For the first week, we will be concentrating on active reading and reading like professors. I will also explain your summer reading assignment.

Below is a list of links to assignments and other handouts that you might need in my class. Later I will be adding links to a Moodle page as well.

Happy first week of school! I am really looking forward to our learning together this year!

Mrs. SO





Syllabus 
Personal Essay Guidelines and Examples
Open-ended Questions from previous APE Literature tests
Major Works Data Sheet (Blank)
Glossary of Literary Terms
How to Read Literature Like a Professor Assignment

250 Toughest SAT Words (Vocabulary)

Welcome to Mrs. SO's English 12 Literature and Composition Class!


Welcome to Mrs. SO's English 12 Literature and Composition Class!

I will be adding a blog entry each week to keep you updated on class events. Be sure to check here each weekend.

For the first week, we will be familiarizing ourselves with the class procedures and expectations as well as evaluating our reading skills and delving into our summer reading assignments.


Below is a list of links to  handouts that you might need in my class. Later I will be adding links to a Moodle page as well.

Happy first week of school! I am really looking forward to our learning together this year!

Mrs. SO


Classroom Procedures and Policies
Syllabus
250 Toughest SAT Words (vocabulary)

Attention Seniors!

Here are links to the Official Name Form and the Letter to Parents about senior fees. We will be having a senior meeting very soon. Keep posted by checking my blog.

See you soon!

Mrs. SO