Tuesday, November 29, 2011

APENGLISH 12: November 28-December 2

Welcome back, APES!
I trust you had a restful holiday. I am amazed that there are but two weeks before exams. In that time we will likely write one essay, either on Othello or on Atonement. I will also ask you to write several thesis sentences on the various topics for these texts. In our class discussion of Atonement this week, consider the similar themes of the two books, such as betrayal or guilt. Are there any other correlations?

This week we will have our vocabulary quiz on M words from your SAT word list. The quiz will be on Friday. This is a B week, so we meet three times. On Tuesday we should finish our reading of Othello. On Wednesday, we will discuss the play and look at the questions that have been used with this text on the AP exam. We will also review the MC questions from that text that you did earlier. Friday we will discuss the novel Atonement after the vocabulary quiz. We will also practice thesis statements on Friday. And don't forget your MWDS are due Friday.

See you in class!

Mrs. So

Monday, November 28, 2011

Pre-APENGLISH 10: November 28-December 2

Good Morning Sophomores!


I hope you all had a pleasant holiday and are ready for the final stretch before Christmas break. We have a lot to do before the holiday to finish the semester.

Last week I posted the vocabulary for lesson 10. Be sure to study for a quiz on the last meeting this week. I also assigned reading of the two captivity narratives we started in class. We will briefly review those texts. I will give you a short essay test on them either Wednesday or Thursday for B and A classes respectively.

We will also review the kiss of death grammar errors: runon sentences, fragments, parallel structure, and agreement. I call this list of errors kiss of death errors since they are the ones most likely to cause a college professor to give your papers a very low mark.

This week we will also begin a new unit in literature, one closely related to the last, since it focuses on Puritan literature and history. We will examine the poetry of Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor, an infamous sermon by Jonathan Edwards, and the play, The Crucible, which, though it was not written by Puritans or in the time period we are are studying, does depict the mindset behind the Salem Witch Trials, and subsequent witch hunts, very well.

Of course we won't be able to tackle all that literature in one week, but I hope to finish this unit by break and plan to test you on it as part of your midterm.

See you in class!

Mrs. SO

ENGLISH 10: November 28-December 2

Good Morning Sophomores!

I hope you all had a pleasant holiday and are ready for the final stretch before Christmas break. We have a lot to do before the holiday, and since this week is a B week, we meet three times and can get a good start on finishing the semester.

On Tuesday we will review vocabulary lesson eleven, so bring your workbooks. We will then review for a short test on the two captivity narratives we read.

Be prepared for said test on Wednesday, when we will also have your vocabulary quiz and review for a second vocabulary quiz on lesson twelve on Friday. These activities should not take the entire block, so we will also review the kiss of death grammar errors: runon sentences, fragments, parallel structure, and agreement. I call this list of errors kiss of death errors since they are the ones most likely to cause a college professor to give your papers a very low mark.

On Friday, we will have the quiz I mentioned. We will also begin a new unit in literature, one closely related to the last, since it focuses on Puritan literature and history. We will examine the poetry of Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor, an infamous sermon by Jonathan Edwards, and the play, The Crucible, which, though it was not written by Puritans or in the time period we are are studying, does depict the mindset behind the Salem Witch Trials, and subsequent witch hunts, very well.

Of course we won't be able to tackle all that literature in one day, but I hope to finish this unit by break and plan to test you on it as part of your midterm.

See you in class!

Mrs. SO

ENGLISH 12: November 28-December 2

Greetings Seniors!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving holiday. Can you believe we are only a few weeks from Christmas break? Time certainly does fly! Now that we are finished with the Canterbury Tales, it is time to learn about my favorite part of British literature: Arthurian Legend. We will also complete our current set of allusions and have a quiz on them by next week. Don't forget your vocabulary quiz on lesson 12.

This is a B week, so we meet twice. On Monday we will review vocabulary for a quiz on Thursday. We will read the introduction to Arthurian romances and chart out the family tree of Arthur. On Thursday, after the quiz, we will read from Le Morte de Arthur. If time permits, I will give you and overview of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The excerpt in your books is the end of the story, so I want to give you some of the background.

See you in class!

Mrs. SO

Monday, November 21, 2011

English 10: November 21-22

Hello Sophomores,

We have quite a bit to complete in our single day this week. First we will review lesson 10 vocabulary for a quiz on Tuesday of next week. Then we will finish our discussion of Equiano. After that, we will review fragments and run on sentences, so if you have taken your workbook home with you, be sure to bring it to class. Also, make sure you have uploaded every assignment to moodle before Friday. I will close all assignment to late submission on that day.

We will meet three days next week. Plan on a short test on the two captivity narratives we have read, a quiz on both lessons ten and eleven in vocabulary, using correct tenses with regular and irregular verbs, and an introduction to a more in-depth study of Puritan literature.

Until then, have a blessed and safe holiday!

Mrs. SO

APEnglish 12: November 21-22

Greetings APEs!

Senior movie night was a big success, and we are planning a second one in the spring. I hope to see you there!

As you are no doubt aware, this is a truncated week because of Thanksgiving break. But we still have one day to spend wisely. To this end, I am asking that your bring your Othello texts. We will read and discuss as much of Acts 5 and 5 as time will permit. Anticipate an essay on this text, a discussion of Atonement, and a day of poetry next week. For our Atonement discussion, you are required to bring to class on the appointed day (Wed., Nov. 30) four questions or passages from the text for meaningful class discussion. Do NOT bring plot related questions, or if you do for clarity, do NOT expect them to count as part of your four.

Please complete your MWDS on both Atonement and Othello by Friday, Dec. 2. Quiz on M words from your vocabulary list on Friday, Dec. 2.

Have a blessed and safe holiday!

Mrs. SO

Pre-APEnglish 10: November 21-22

Greetings Sophomores,

I hope you had a restful weekend. As you know, this is the week of Thanksgiving, so we will  meet only once this week. You will take your SAT vocabulary quiz on lesson 9 and you should study lesson 10 for next week.
I hope you have all uploaded your Amistad papers to my moodle. If not, I will keep the assignment open for late submissions until Friday. Check to make sure you have uploaded all your required work before Friday, since on that day I will close all open assignments and no more late papers will be accepted.

On our single class day, after the aforementioned quiz, we will discuss the two captivity narratives in your text book: The Narrative of the Captivity, by Mary Rowlandson, and The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano. Be sure to bring your books.

Next week we will have a short test on these two texts and begin a more in-depth look at the Puritan society. I would like to show the film The Crucible as a part of that unit. It is rated PG13.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving holiday, and keep safe.

See you in class!

Mrs. SO

English 12: November 21-22

Greetings Seniors!

I had a great time on Movie Night! We are planning to have another one in the spring.

Since this is the week of Thanksgiving, we will meet but once, but what a meeting it shall be. We will review our vocabulary for lesson 12. Expect a quiz on these words next week. We will also complete allusion #28...just two more before the quiz. And finally we will take our test on the Medieval period and the Canterbury Tales. Turn in your study guide on the prologue to me before first block on Tuesday.

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving holiday!

Mrs. SO

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

APENGLISH 12: November 14-18

Greetings APEs!

I hope you enjoyed your long weekend! I did!

This is a short week for two reasons. It's an A week, and I will be gone Friday, as you know, escorting students competing in Poetry Out Loud competition.

With this brevity of togetherness in mind, let us not tarry in our tasks, though we may need to tarry in our texts. Tuesday, I would like to complete Act III of Othello. As in all Shakespearean tragedy, the climax, or point at which the main conflict is resolved (and by resolved I mean comes to a point from which there is no return after a given action or series of them). This is the most significant part of the text. It is in chapter three that Iago and Othello cement their bond. I have written what I think is a plausible argument as to why Othello chooses to murder the innocent Desdemona. I'd like you to read it and consider it in your analysis of this text. I will expect you to be able to discuss the text in the context of that paper next week.

Since I will not be here Friday, I am giving you some much-needed time to work on a MWDS for either Othello or for Atonement, which you should have been reading at home. Expect to discuss Atonement in class when we finish Othello and to write a timed essay on both texts.

No vocabulary quiz this week!

See you in class!

Mrs. SO

ENGLISH 10: November 14-18

Hello Sophomores!

Hope you all enjoyed your short holiday. Now it is time to resume our learning. As you know, last week we started our reading of The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano. We had just gotten to the point where he was stolen for the second time and taken to the slave ship. We will finish that text this week, and on Friday, when I take students to compete in Poetry Out Loud, you will have time to complete an open book study guide for a test on this and the other captivity narrative you read, The Narrative of the Captivity by Mary Rowlandson.

On Tuesday, in addition to reading the remaining text mentioned above, we will have our quiz on lesson 11 vocabulary and review lesson 12. We will also review the format for MLA papers, which is the format you must use for your Amistad essay and every subsequent essay in English class for the rest of your high school career. Don't forget to upload your Amistad essays to Moodle by Wednesday, Nov. 16.

See you in class!

Mrs. SO

PreAPENGLISH 10: November 14-18

Greetings Jr. APEs!

I hope you enjoyed your long weekend. For B classes, this is another short week, since I will be taking two of our students to compete in POL on Friday. Wish them luck!

Don't forget your quiz on lesson 9 vocabulary. I handed out the word list last week.

It is my hope that all classes will be prepared for a shortish test on the earliest American literature this week. To that end, we will complete our reading of the comparative histories of Jamestown and Plymouth colonies. Remember that your essays on Amistad or alternative essays on the Amistad court case will be due this Wednesday. Please upload them to Moodle. I will discuss the details of this assignment in class. Expect to take the aforementioned test on Thursday and Friday respectively. Anyone who is with me on the POL trip can arrange to make up the test.

See you in class!

Mrs. SO

Monday, November 14, 2011

ENGLISH 12: November 14-18

Greetings Seniors,

I hope you had a great extended weekend. This is an A week, so we will meet three times. On Monday, we will complete presentations on the Canterbury Tales. We will also review for vocabulary lesson 12. The quiz will be on Thursday. We will be having a test on the Middle Ages, excluding Arthurian Legend, on Thursday, so the remaining time prior will be spent learning about the various literary genres of the period and reviewing what we have learned about satire, Chaucer, the ballad, and the historical and social background for the period.

See you in class!

Mrs. SO

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Enlish 10: November 7-11

Hello Sophomores!

Welcome to another week!  I know this is a B week, but because of our Veteran's Day holiday, we will meet only twice. All of you have gotten your Amistad assignment, and I will explain to you in more detail what I expect in class on Tuesday. Papers must be complete by Wednesday, November 16 and uploaded to Moodle. I will create an upload link this weekend. We will also review your lesson 11 vocabulary for a quiz on Wednesday. On Monday, we will review the rules for colon and semicolon usage. If time permits, we will also review comma rules.

Make sure you bring your books to class. We will finish our reading of Captivity Narratives and review for a test on them on Monday. Enjoy your holiday!

See you in class!

Monday, November 7, 2011

APEnglish Literature 12: November 7-11

Greetings APEs!

This is a B week, but unfortunately, we will still only meet twice. Friday is Veteran's Day and a school holiday. So while I am always grateful for rest, I also am saddened that our time is shortened. Because we will not be here Friday, our vocabulary quiz on the j-k words on Wednesday. 

As you know, we have been reading Othello, and will continue to do so this week. Bring your plays to class and prepare to discuss them thoroughly. In addition to our in-class reading of Othello, you should be reading the novel Atonement outside of class. You will be required to complete a MWDS and a timed essay on both, so do not neglect the assignment to read. You can find a copy of a blank MWDS on my Moodle. You will use all your completed MWDS to study for the AP Exam, so it does behoove you to complete them with care.

I'm excited to share with you some of the AP tips I learned at my conference! While I already adore poetry, I have been given a new tool to make it more accessible to you! I will return your comparative poetry essays (which were graded by a teacher from another school during conference) and discuss the poems using this new tool. The secret to understanding poetry is to realize its figurative nature, particularly the importance of imagery. Just thinking about looking at poetry this way fills me with anticipation!

Can't wait to see you in class!

Mrs. SO

PreAPENGLISH 10: November 7-11

Greetings Sophomores!

I hope you had a pleasant weekend and are ready to tackle the new week. You all have your Amistad assignment by now, and I will talk to you more about what I expect in class. I will be creating a place to upload your essays on Moodle. Uploads will be due on Monday, Nov. 14. On our first class day, I will distribute your vocabulary for this week. You will take the quiz on these words on Monday and Tuesday of next, since Wednesday is the Plan Test, and Friday is a holiday. Please bring your textbooks so we can continue our study of early colonial literature, including captivity narratives. Any texts we do not complete in class will be homework reading, so let's not digress.

We will also be reviewing grammar rules for using commas, colons and semicolons. We have so much to do!

See you in class!

Mrs. SO

ENGLISH 12: November 7-11

Hello Seniors!

Another week has passed and we are nearer to graduation! I intend for you to learn as much as possible between now and then. This week we meet twice, and I would like us to make the most of that time together.

 On Monday we will review lesson 11 vocabulary. You will have a quiz at the beginning of class on Thursday. We will also review the ballad as a poetic form and look at several ballads from your texts from the Medieval period. Expect a test on the literature from the Medieval period next week.

 As you know, Thursday your Pilgrim's Presentations are due. I hope each group has had fun in planning and that your presentations will prove both entertaining and informative.

See you in class!

Mrs. SO

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

ENGLISH 10: October 30-November 4

Hello Sophomores!

This is an A week, so we only meet twice. On Tuesday, we will share the narratives we have written. Be SURE to upload your completed narrative to Moodle. I will leave the assignment open for submissions for one more week, then I will no longer accept them. Do not come to me at the end of the quarter and ask to turn in this assignment. I will grade your essays and leave feedback on Moodle.

On Friday I will not be here. I have a workshop to attend. You will complete the film Amistad and do grammar exercises to practice you colon and semicolon use. Your substitute will give you a handout on your writing assignment for the film, and I will review specifics and answer questions next week.

See you in class!

Mrs. SO

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

APENGLISH 12: October 30-November 4

Welcome to another week, APEs!

This is an A week, so we meet only twice. On Tuesday you will participate in peer evaluations of your college entrance essays. Be sure to upload the final essay by Monday to Moodle. We will continue with our reading of Othello after peer evaluations. I will give you the novel Atonement to read outside of class. This novel, like all we read, will require a major works data sheet, and we will also write an open ended essay on it, so do actually read it.

I will not be here Friday, since I have an AP workshop. I will be leaving an in class essay on a segment of Othello for you. Alternately, I may give you the opportunity to work on your Othello MWDS in class.

See you in class!

Mrs. SO

PreAPENGLISH 10: October 30-November 4

Greetings Jr. APEs!

I hope you have your narratives ready, because we will share them the first day of class this week. I can hardly wait to hear your stories!

We will have a quiz on lesson 8 vocabulary on Monday and Tuesday of next week. I will give you your handouts in class this week.


We will finish or begin, depending on your schedule, the film Amistad. Any student whose parent did not sign the permission form will complete the alternate assignment I have given you. the rest will write a paper based on the film. We will discuss organization of the paper in class.

We will also review comma rules and rules for semicolons this week. I will be at a workshop on Friday, so I will leave exercises on these rules for you with my substitute. I will also expect you to complete reading Mary Rowlandson's Narrative of the Captivty and Olaudah Equiano's Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano by next week. Any of these texts we do not finish in class will be assigned for homework.

As usual, we have a lot to do.

See you in class!

Mrs. SO