Sophomore Honors Final

Hi guys…

Remember your index cards with your thesis statement and quotations only!

Here’s a link to Hamlet so you can get quotes: http://shakespeare.mit.edu/hamlet/

 

Study hard!

 

JUNIORS ONLY — LAST TEST DETAILS AND RUBRIC

final-american-literature-assessment

Extra Credit project due on Wed. 5/14: the-great-gatsby-journal-student-handout

Monday, 5/12

Quick post….

Here’s what we did during our second SHUT UP AND READ DAY! I love these days, don’t you?

JUNIORS: You finished The Great Gatsby. CONGRATS!!!! Aren’t you excited? Didn’t you love it? It’s one of my favorite books.   Your last written CW/HW assignment of the year for a quiz grade was to: write 10 analytical annotations for chapters 7-9. Each statement should be numbered and should begin like this… IN YOUR OWN WORDS…this happened and this means…..

Tomorrow: Test review for GG test. YOU SHOULD HAVE ALREADY started STUDYING!!

SOPHOMORES: You read chapters 12-15 in The Bell Jar.  HW: finish what you didn’t get a chance to in class and be prepared for one more impromptu timed writing and one more pop quiz.

 

Friday, 5/9

TGIF!!!!  Two weeks left! Are you excited?

Here’s what we did today…

JUNIORS: 1st period only got 20 more minutes to finish your GG Essay. You didn’t have as much time as 3rd, 6th yesterday. But before that, all of you took GG Vocabulary Test #3. The results were not so hot. It’s “A’s” or “F’s” basically, meaning you studied or you didn’t. I am going to give everyone printouts next week so you can see where you stand. Some of you might be surprised. I have several of you whose grades have dropped because of not preparing or studying for quizzes. I heard today that the EOCT results might be in at the end of next week. In third only, we were ahead, so we had a chance to take notes on chapter 5. 

HW: Read Ch. 8

SOPHOMORES: Today, you spent the first 15-20 minutes of class doing an impromptu writing exercise. I asked you to spend 3-4 minutes brainstorming adjectives to describe Esther in chapters 1-8. Then, you were to come up with a controlling idea and write a paragraph or two analyzing Esther. In second period, I had you come up and gave you immediate feedback and a grade. In fourth because there are 32 of you, I couldn’t do that, so I collected them and read some and critiqued them anonymously aloud. Some of you cringed. That’s okay. As you get further up in literature, get used to hearing your writing critiqued. It can be painful, but you do get immediate feedback and hey, if you feel a little embarrassed, maybe you won’t make that mistake again. After you turned in your writing, I reviewed the following schedule: by Monday have chapters 9-11 read, by Tuesday 12-15 and by Wed, 16-20. Be prepared for a reading quiz on Monday.

HW: See above

Thursday, 5/8

Good evening!

Here’s what we did today:

JUNIORS: Today, you had a SURPRISE in-class writing assignment. It counted as an .50% of an essay grade. You had all period to write and could use: your GG novel, your notes, your folder, a grammar guide, and a dictionary. If you missed it, see me ASAP. You can come in during your lunch or after school for a make-up appointment. These must be made-up no later than Monday.

HW: Study for your Vocabulary #3 Test tomorrow.

SOPHOMORES: I gave fourth period the LOTF sample The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly sample thesis/topic sentence handout. We corrected these together. Then in fourth, we discussed the difference between “tone” and “mood.” In both classes, we discussed chapters 1-3; Esther’s personality, her relationships with others (Buddy, Doreen), and her writing style.

HW: Read Chapters 7-8

See you tomorrow!!!

Mrs. B

Wed. 5/7

Good evening!

How are you? Stressed? Anxious? , Overwhelmed? If so, that confirms it — you have a case of END OF THE YEAR STRESS. The cure? Make lists, organize yourself and your time. Cut out unnecessary extra things you can put aside right now and dig in. You can do it!

JUNIORS: Today was “Shut-up and Read Day!” You turned in your GG vocab. index cards (81-120) and your GG notebook (#1-10).  You read chapter 7 as I checked these. I warned all of you to be ready for a writing assignment or quiz tomorrow on the reading you’ve done since last week.

HW: Finish reading Ch. 7. review novel that you’ve read thus far

SOPHOMORES: Today, you were given a “pop” in-class writing assignment for The Bell Jar which counted as .25 of a paper grade. You were given ten minutes to discuss anything you didn’t understand with your assigned group.  If you were absent, you will need to set up 35-40 minutes with me during your lunch or after school to complete this by Friday 5/9.

HW: Read chapters 5-6 in The Bell Jar

Have a good night!

Ciao!

Mrs. B

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Hi my lovelies….

Thanks for the well-wishes and inquiries about my back. I’m feeling a lot better. Thanks also for all the “I missed you!” It did my heart good.

Here’s what we did:

JUNIORS: 1st/3rd, we reviewed what happened in class the last three days: GG Vocabulary Test #2 (41-80), you read Chapter 5-6, you completed questions from GG Chapters 5-6, then you took 10 annotations per chapters 4-6 for a total of 30 ANALYTICAL observations.  HW: Index cards from words 81-120 due tomorrow and have #1-10 in your notebook completed by tomorrow.

SOPHOMORES: Today, I reviewed all the handouts you received last Thursday — Post-modernism notes, Sylvia Plath…and Ted Hughes Bday letters….in fourth, we just reviewed the post-modernism notes because our discussion ended up being more lengthy. We also reviewed the work you completed while I was gone: read and annotated with at least four annotations each article I gave you, one analytical observation per page in Chapters 1&2, eight annotations in chapter 3 and eight observations in chapter 4. You also wrote one annotation per page in the foreword to The Bell Jar.

HW: Make sure all your reading and annotations are completed.

See you tomorrow!

Mrs. B

 

Monday, May 5

So sorry I was out today again! I pulled a muscle in my back as I was moving this weekend. I couldn’t do the drive back to Georgia because of it. Luckily, after babying my back, the pain is much better and I’m feeling much betters, so I’ll see you tomorrow.

The word on the street from our two own L.A. teachers that subbed for you first period on Thursday and Friday is that you weren’t very focused. I’m not too pleased with that. You will surely have GG quiz questions on your GG vocabulary Test tomorrow.

Here are the exact sub plans I left for the sub today:

 

 

1,3,6 –

During class, you are going to review the chapters you have already read, chapters 1-6. If you didn’t finish reading or did not read thoroughly, you may sit QUIETLY and read and complete the written work for homework. If you feel like you have a good understanding of Chapters 1-6, you may begin this written work:

2. For EACH chapter 4-6; write  10 analytical observations per chapter on post-it notes (NOT SUMMARY – character observations, plot observations, symbol observations, written style observations  – they all have to be original and your own thoughts). YOU MAY NOT work together today. You will have a total of 30 observations by the time you are done. If you finish early, please hand them in, if not hand them into Mrs. Breaux in class the VERY beginning of the period.

 

2,4 – Students are to read through Chapter 4 in the Bell Jar. They are to take notes in their book on post-it notes as they read. They need eight observations per chapter. They should be through Chapter 1, so they need to be reading 2-4.

 

HW: Study Chapters 1-4 and all notes given last week for possible quiz on Tuesday.

 

See you tomorrow!

Mrs. B

Thursday, May 1 and Friday, May 2

THURSDAY, May 1

1, 3,6 American Lit –

1. Students are not in a seating chart due to me having to move the room around because of testing. If I have time, I will include a seating chart, if not, let them sit where they want BUT after one warning MOVE a student permanently and make a note of it for me. Tell them if you have to move them, then they will be getting a public detention from me as soon as I get back.

 

1. Have them clear their desks completely. No water, nothing, should be on their desks.
2. Once everyone has, pass out the Great Gatsby Vocabulary Test #2 and the scantrons.
3. Have them write their Name, Period, GG Vocab Test #2, and the test # in the subject line.
4. Remind everyone to COVER each answer on their scantron as they take it.
5. Please walk around and remind them to cover their answers constantly. Your presence and reminders will prevent cheating.
6. They are to raise their hand when they are done and you are to collect them, paper clip the scantrons from 1. 3.6 together and put them in the folder marked GG Vocab Test 2.
7. As soon as you’ve collected their test, they are to sit quietly and read the Great Gatsby. They have their own copies. Do not lend any out. If they don’t have it, have them get the teal grammar book and complete work from pages 45-55 all exercises and turn that in. If they don’t, then make a note of it.  Tell them they are getting 100 participating points today for reading chapter 5. Only mark the kids that are not reading or don’t have their books for me, please

 

 

2,4 –  1. Students are to get the Bell Jarout and read the foreward in the book. They are to take a minimum of five annotations while they are reading – questions, insightful commentary, etc.

2. Then, they are to:

Friday, May 2

 

 

1, 3.6

1. Please distribute GG Questions Ch. 1-5. Students may help each other with these. They cannot write their answers on the handout. You have a class set of questions. Because of this, they need to write down each question and then answer it. This will take the majority of the period.

 

2. After they are done, they need to read Chapter 6. If they need all period, that is fine, but Chapter 6 is homework. Tell them to be prepared for a pop reading quiz on Chapters 4-6 on Monday.

 

Hope you have a great day! Please leave me notes on each class. Some of my students are a bit rambunctious – so please don’t put up with any disrespect. I find that the best way to prevent issues is to circulate around the room frequently checking work, and letting them know that you won’t put up with any nonsense, and that you expect them to work.

 

Monday 4/28-Wednesday 4/30

Hi all!

Here’s a summary of what happened during our EOCT testing block.

1,3,6 — You took your EOCT. Results are expected the week of the school’s final exams. Also, reminders — the GG vocabulary test was postponed from this Thursday to Monday, 5/5. You have known about this date for two weeks, so you’re ready to get a 100%, right? You should have read thru Chapter 4 of a GG as of last Frida.

2, 4 – You have now finished Hamlet (on your own). In second period, this week, you acted out V:i and we had our Shakespeare picnic on 4/29. What fun! I will get the pics posted soon from the picnic and your performances. Fourth period, you finished your performances. We’re done!

Mrs. B