Greetings Students!
It's already week two! I trust we are all on the same pages now and all have our ebooks and other programs up and running! This is all new, but it's also exciting to be on the cutting edge!
Below are my plans for each class this week:
Pre-APEnglish 10
You all have two essays which I have previously assigned on Write To Learn. You need to keep revising them until you run out of revisions or you reach your green bars in all areas at once, whichever comes first. These two assignments are "practice" to get you back in the habit of writing and to familiarize yourself with the program. You will be given a daily grade on these activities, so don't neglect them altogether.
This week, I would like you to also complete the summary of Edgar Allan Poe's biography on Write To Learn. This summary will be graded as an essay grade, so do your very best. Practice is over. We will not be completing this activity in class. This task is to be completed on your own time.
Also, make sure to read or review the Poe selections from your summer reading. You will find links to the etexts in my previous blog post. We should complete our discussion of all three remaining texts, "The Masque of the Red Death," "The Pit and the Pendulum," and The Gold Bug this week, so be sure to have read them so you can actively participate in group discussion. I will be posting a quiz on all of the texts on Edmodo. Check our group each day for updates.
And DON'T forget that you were to have selected a poem for recitation in class. Memorize and practice your poem and be prepared to recite it by September 10, 2012.
And don't forget about the written component of Poetry Out Loud Alabama.
Everyone must submit an original poem by September 14. I will post a
turn in link on Edmodo. I challenge you to write a sonnet, but any form is acceptable so long as it can be recited in one to two minutes without going over two minutes.
See the video at the end of this blog for a sonnet-writing lesson.
English 12
You also have two essays which I have previously assigned on Write To
Learn. You need to keep revising them until you run out of revisions or
you reach your green bars in all areas at once, whichever comes first.
These two assignments are "practice" to get you back in the habit of
writing and to familiarize yourself with the program. You will be given a daily grade on these activities, so don't neglect them altogether.
This week, in addition to our discussion of Lord of the Flies, we will begin examining samples of personal essays. Many colleges require an essay submission as a part of the college application. I will expect you to write one for me, and if you select your topic well, you will be able to use the same essay for your college applications
Even if you aren't planning on attending college, I still require a personal essay. Due dates will be announced on Edmodo, and a turn in link will be there, too. Expect these essays to be due about a week from now. Use the Write To Learn program to get some grammar feedback and make revisions before turning in your final drafts. I will put the assignment there for you. It will instruct you to respond to the essay topic from the college you have selected. The word count requirement will be between 300 and 500 words.
Do not forget you also have a poem to memorize and recite! Recitation day is September 10.
And don't forget about the written component of Poetry Out Loud Alabama.
Everyone must submit an original poem by September 14. I will post a
turn in link on Edmodo. I challenge you to attempt a sonnet, but any form is acceptable so long as it can be recited in one to two minutes without going over two minutes.
APEnglish 12: Literature and Composition
This week, in addition to our discussion of HtRLLaP, we will begin examining samples of personal essays.
Many colleges require an essay submission as a part of the college
application. I will expect you to write one for me, and if you select
your topic well, you will be able to use the same essay for your college
applications
Due dates will be announced
on Edmodo, and a turn in link will be there, too, when the time arrives. Expect a peer review of your essays about a week from now. You will need to "share" your essay rough drafts with your peers on google docs for the peer review.
I will also be posting a turn in link for your HtRLLaP summaries. These will be due by the end of this week. The analysis assignment in the penultimate chapter will be due next week.
Do not forget you also have a poem to memorize and recite! Recitation day is September 10.
And don't forget about the written component of Poetry Out Loud Alabama. Everyone must submit an original poem by September 14. I will post a turn in link on Edmodo. I challenge you to attempt either a sestina, a villanelle, or a sonnet, but any form is acceptable so long as it can be recited in one to two minutes without going over two minutes.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Attention Students and Parents:
Below are several important handouts. Please read them, and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me at rebecca.savage-owens@hsv-k12.
Senior Signature Sheet (Green Sheet)
APEnglish Literature and Composition syllabus
APEnglish Contract
English 12 Syllabus
Pre-APEnglish 10 syllabus
Mrs. SO's Classroom Procedures
Senior Signature Sheet (Green Sheet)
APEnglish Literature and Composition syllabus
APEnglish Contract
English 12 Syllabus
Pre-APEnglish 10 syllabus
Mrs. SO's Classroom Procedures
New Building....Old Blog
Welcome students!
This is sure to be an exciting year! We have a great new facility and great new Lee partners to share it with! Some of us will also be sharing classes. I know that will be the case for my APEnghlish Literature classes. Both, at this point, have six Lee students! I am excited to have you!
There is much to do in the first days of school that are administrative, but this fact in no way means we will delay learning. I intend the first weeks to be as full of rigor as the rest. So, please check my blog daily for updates the first week, then weekly thereafter. Eventually we will shift assignment posting and share information over Edmodo and/or Weebly, the former a Facebookish forum for education and the latter a place to create school and class webpages. Until then, my blog is the go-to place for class updates and information.
I will use the blog for posting assignments, giving summations of class activities, and linking to pertinent information. If you don't have a Google account yet, you need one, since I often link to Google documents. NCTHS students should have one with an associated NCTHS email.
Seniors: I will be sending home an EXTREMELY important green sheet with you this week. You MUST fill out this sheet and return it promptly. Failure to turn in this form will result in your not having a cap and gown or diploma ordered. I cannot overstate its importance. I will also be sending a revised optional fee notice (the required fee is correct as reported). Optional fees pay for such things as tee-shirts, a prom ticket, year book, and the end -of-the-year picnic. I will give you a breakdown of the cost of each event and what you save by paying optional fees. Expect this list by next week
EVERYONE: NCTHS has participated in Poetry Out Loud, a national poetry recitation competition, every year since Huntsville was included in the contest. We have had several students place in the regional competition and move on to the state level. This year, I am hoping to go all the way to nationals! Every student in my classes is required (Yes, there will be a grade attached) to select a poem from the POL Ethology and recite it...from memory...in class. From my classes I will choose winners who will compete against one another and any other class winners for a chance to go to regional competition at UAH this fall. The top three winners at UAH will move up to the state competition, and the ONE winner there will go to Washington, D.C. to compete at the national level. Two years ago, a student from Alabama won the national competition....and a prize of a $20,000 scholarship. That student was also asked to recite his poem at the White House!
As a part of POL, we will examine a new poem each day. This activity will help you develop both reading and analytical skills, and your recitation will improve your public speaking. It is important that you select a poem that speaks to you, that you connect with, if you are to recite it effectively. Don't just find the shortest. "Fire and Ice" is a fantastic poem, but it isn't very challenging to memorize, and degree of difficulty is a factor in scoring.
Because Alabama's POL competition includes and writing component, I will also expect all students to submit an original poem. One original poem will be selected as a school winner. School winners can attend a writing workshop and will compete in the regional recitation competition. One student may win both anthology and original recitation competitions, or a different student may compete in each category.
In addition to our poetry, each class will begin discussion of summer reading. For a more class-specific breakdown of class expectations for this week, see the subheadings below:
10th Grade Pre-APEnglish
Please make sure you have read the selections by Edgar Allan Poe that were assigned for summer reading. Below is a link to an e-text of each selection. If you do not have internet access at home, be certain to download the PDF on each link so you can read outside of school:
Annabel Lee
The Raven
Masque of the Red Death
The Pit and the Pendulum
The Gold Bug
We will look at the two poems first, then the stories in the order listed. We may not finish in one week.
Also, we will be reading sections of Why We Can't Wait over the course of the year. Be sure you have a copy. I have ordered a class set, but they cannot be sent home (and I don't have them yet.)
12th Grade English
We will begin and in-depth review and discussion of Lord of the Flies. If you don't have a copy of Lord of the Flies, you can find an etext here:
Lord of the Flies etext PDF
I had better luck browsing it after saving the page, rather than reading it online. I suggest you also download the PDF. This way, you can read even if your internet connection is down.
Here is a pretty straightforward study guide.
Flash game of Lord of the Flies
Rest assured you will be expected to not only take a test on the text, you will also write an essay response to it. I hope you enjoy our discussions and can meet these tasks enthusiastically.
12th Grade APEnglish Literature and Composition
If you haven't read Life of Pi yet, let me encourage you to do so. I though this book wasn't available in a free etext, but after some searching, I found this: Etext of Life of Pi. Please read it.
I will begin discussion of the novel soon. I am linking to some ancillary texts that should help in your understanding of the novel.
"Adventure Afloat" Book review by Roberta Rubenstein
"Faith, Fiction and Flotsam" Book review by Randy Boyagada
"Believing in Tigers:Anthropomorphism and Incredulity in Yann Martel’s Life of Pi" by Stewart Cole
"Hollow at the core: Deconstructing Yann Martel's Life of Pi" by Florence Stratton
"Feeding Tiger, Finding God: Science, Religion, and the Better Story in Life of Pi" by Gregory Stephens
I also found this link to How to Read Literature Like a Professor.
Here is the associated assignment. I am not asking you to write out your connections to every chapter, but I do want you to come to class prepared for intelligent discussion of the book. Activity B is the culminating essay assignment.
I am eager to see you all! Let's make this a fantastic year!
Mrs. SO
This is sure to be an exciting year! We have a great new facility and great new Lee partners to share it with! Some of us will also be sharing classes. I know that will be the case for my APEnghlish Literature classes. Both, at this point, have six Lee students! I am excited to have you!
There is much to do in the first days of school that are administrative, but this fact in no way means we will delay learning. I intend the first weeks to be as full of rigor as the rest. So, please check my blog daily for updates the first week, then weekly thereafter. Eventually we will shift assignment posting and share information over Edmodo and/or Weebly, the former a Facebookish forum for education and the latter a place to create school and class webpages. Until then, my blog is the go-to place for class updates and information.
I will use the blog for posting assignments, giving summations of class activities, and linking to pertinent information. If you don't have a Google account yet, you need one, since I often link to Google documents. NCTHS students should have one with an associated NCTHS email.
Seniors: I will be sending home an EXTREMELY important green sheet with you this week. You MUST fill out this sheet and return it promptly. Failure to turn in this form will result in your not having a cap and gown or diploma ordered. I cannot overstate its importance. I will also be sending a revised optional fee notice (the required fee is correct as reported). Optional fees pay for such things as tee-shirts, a prom ticket, year book, and the end -of-the-year picnic. I will give you a breakdown of the cost of each event and what you save by paying optional fees. Expect this list by next week
EVERYONE: NCTHS has participated in Poetry Out Loud, a national poetry recitation competition, every year since Huntsville was included in the contest. We have had several students place in the regional competition and move on to the state level. This year, I am hoping to go all the way to nationals! Every student in my classes is required (Yes, there will be a grade attached) to select a poem from the POL Ethology and recite it...from memory...in class. From my classes I will choose winners who will compete against one another and any other class winners for a chance to go to regional competition at UAH this fall. The top three winners at UAH will move up to the state competition, and the ONE winner there will go to Washington, D.C. to compete at the national level. Two years ago, a student from Alabama won the national competition....and a prize of a $20,000 scholarship. That student was also asked to recite his poem at the White House!
As a part of POL, we will examine a new poem each day. This activity will help you develop both reading and analytical skills, and your recitation will improve your public speaking. It is important that you select a poem that speaks to you, that you connect with, if you are to recite it effectively. Don't just find the shortest. "Fire and Ice" is a fantastic poem, but it isn't very challenging to memorize, and degree of difficulty is a factor in scoring.
Because Alabama's POL competition includes and writing component, I will also expect all students to submit an original poem. One original poem will be selected as a school winner. School winners can attend a writing workshop and will compete in the regional recitation competition. One student may win both anthology and original recitation competitions, or a different student may compete in each category.
In addition to our poetry, each class will begin discussion of summer reading. For a more class-specific breakdown of class expectations for this week, see the subheadings below:
10th Grade Pre-APEnglish
Please make sure you have read the selections by Edgar Allan Poe that were assigned for summer reading. Below is a link to an e-text of each selection. If you do not have internet access at home, be certain to download the PDF on each link so you can read outside of school:Annabel Lee
The Raven
Masque of the Red Death
The Pit and the Pendulum
The Gold Bug
We will look at the two poems first, then the stories in the order listed. We may not finish in one week.
Also, we will be reading sections of Why We Can't Wait over the course of the year. Be sure you have a copy. I have ordered a class set, but they cannot be sent home (and I don't have them yet.)
12th Grade English
Lord of the Flies etext PDF
I had better luck browsing it after saving the page, rather than reading it online. I suggest you also download the PDF. This way, you can read even if your internet connection is down.
Here is a pretty straightforward study guide.
Flash game of Lord of the Flies
Rest assured you will be expected to not only take a test on the text, you will also write an essay response to it. I hope you enjoy our discussions and can meet these tasks enthusiastically.
12th Grade APEnglish Literature and Composition
| Life of Pi |
I will begin discussion of the novel soon. I am linking to some ancillary texts that should help in your understanding of the novel.
"Adventure Afloat" Book review by Roberta Rubenstein
"Faith, Fiction and Flotsam" Book review by Randy Boyagada
"Believing in Tigers:Anthropomorphism and Incredulity in Yann Martel’s Life of Pi" by Stewart Cole
"Hollow at the core: Deconstructing Yann Martel's Life of Pi" by Florence Stratton
"Feeding Tiger, Finding God: Science, Religion, and the Better Story in Life of Pi" by Gregory Stephens
I also found this link to How to Read Literature Like a Professor.
Here is the associated assignment. I am not asking you to write out your connections to every chapter, but I do want you to come to class prepared for intelligent discussion of the book. Activity B is the culminating essay assignment.
I am eager to see you all! Let's make this a fantastic year!
Mrs. SO
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