Wednesday, Oct. 24: Continue...

* Open

* Finish the video (for any classes that need to)

* Reno's classes:

• Discuss your journal and story

* Schwagers classes: Let's make some posters.

• Group work: 3-4 students per group
• Draw up a poster that includes the following
• Some memorable images from the tale
• 22" vertically in size (any width)
• Class period and names of the people working on the poster
• The title, author, and approximate date it was published somewhere on the paper
• Three+ great quotes
• Five+ literary terms that are important to the work
• If possible, draw or connect these terms to images on the paper
• If the term is challenging, be sure to include a definition
• The theme does not have to labelled as the theme (it's generally clear enough without that)

* Helpful links:

• "Esther"  (circa 300 B.C.; possibly written by Mordecai)
• "Ali Baba and the Forty Robbers" (author unknown; tales probably dates to circa A.D. 1,000)
• Edgar Allen Poe (Vol. 2) (lived 1809-1849)

• "The Mowing of a Field" by Hilaire Belloc (lived 1870-1953)
• "A Piece of Chalk" by G.K. Chesterton (published 1905)
• "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" by Arthur Conan Doyle (published 1892)
• "The Vanity of Human Wishes" by Samuel Johnson (written in 1749)

HW: None

Tueday, Oct. 23: Homecoming Day 2

"Excuse me, sir, just one more question."

* Open

* Review Grades

• To check all my grades

1. Go to "assignments and grades"
2. Click on "English II"
3. Top right corner: Click on Quarter 1

• Quiz: Holly, Stephen, Lucas

* Finish Video

• Notice the plot inversion of a general detective tale (traditionally, the crime has already been committed, and the viewer learns with the detective.  In Columbo, you watch the crime at the outset, rather in medias res, and see how the detective can assemble clues to uncover an otherwise "perfect" crime. The viewer already knows the villain!  This made the show much more challenging for the writers.  With that element of surprise missing, producers had to strengthen other elements like character, dialogue, atmosphere, and realistic setting...which they certainly did.)
• Notice how Columbo is a keen and very shrewd detective (like Homes), yet he appears a genial, disorganized, and rather goofy man.  This is more in line with Chesterton's priestly detective, Father Brown.

* If you finish early, read some more previous student work (also see the literary magazines in class).

*Reno's class: Read Leo Tolstoy's "How Much Land Does a Man Need" (Red lit book in class) and do the following journal:

J9 - "How Much Land Does a Man Need" (half of one hand-written page)

1. What is one of the main themes of this story? Remember that a theme is a general statement that identifies an author's view of some aspect of life. Also, the theme must have a subject and a predicate. In other words, it must be stated as a complete sentence.
2. How many ironies can you identify? Explain them.

* Hillary Guerrero and April Tan, please visit Mrs. Basilius in B23 some time this week.  Thank you!


HW: None

Block Day, Week 9

* Open

• Prayer
• Hopkins (we will be memorizing Chesterton next)

* Please read my post on earthquakes and our drill today.  

* When your are finished: We are transitioning from short stories to poetry.  Please read a few examples of student creative writing from the past (click this link to go to the creative writing blog).

* J8 How does an element relate to a the theme of a student's work (see blog, choose a story or poem)?  Or, how might the student have made an element work better in a given piece, given the theme? 

* Review anything remaining from J5, 6, or 7.  Collect 6-7.

 * Party on Monday.  Let's plan:

• The weather is to be partly cloudy with a high of 67 degrees, so hot tea is fine.
• Tea
• Iced tea?
• Lemonade 
• Cups that can take tea
• Plates
• Napkins
• Spoons, knives, forks (plastic)
• Honey
• Baked goods
• Milk?

* Fun: Columbo and Young Spock: "A Stitch in Crime" (2.4)

HW: PARTY!; J8 due Tuesday; Homecoming week: Germanic Myth Theme for Sophs

Wednesday, Oct. 17: PSAT

* Go to your fourth period class at the beginning of the day.

* Periods after that are 21 min. each

* J6 Discussion

• Collect J7 and J6 from per. 1-2
• Collect J6 from others

* Party: Monday (Schwager and Reno)

• Bakers can bake on Sunday without any problem. 
• Homecoming week is beginning.
• What will you bring? (Everyone bring something.)

 HW: None (Schwager); THE (Reno) - one page, typed, MLA formatted.

Monday, Oct. 15: "The First Seven Years"

* Open

*Reno's: Poetry Recitation

* Honors

• Mr. Schwager has a cold.
• You will continue your study of short fiction today.
• When I return, we can review what you've covered.
• I will give you credit for your poetry reading and contest entries when I return, so no need to email me.
• Today, you will read "The First Seven Years" by Bernard Malamud.
• After you read this, answer the following questions:

J7:

1. What reason did Miriam give in protest against Max as a suitor?
2. The title and subject of this story allude to Jacob and Rachel in Genesis 29 (to "allude" is to call up something from the past; to play on a theme; to refer to a previous story, person, event, etc.). Read Genesis 29, and explain how this story alludes to Genesis 29.
3. Do you think Miriam and Sobel will marry? Explain.
4. What would be a good sentence that captures the theme of this story?

HW: Journal 7

Binder Reminders

We do a binder check each quarter.  Your first is next week.

Here are some things to remember:

• You should have five labeled divisions (Essays, Journals, Notes, Grammar, Quizzes)
• You should have no loose papers in your front or back pockets that should go in one of the sections above
• You should have a binder that looks reasonably good and works (rings aren't broken, etc.)
• Your syllabus should go in as the first thing in the binder (before any dividers)
• You should have blank paper in your binder 

3 October 2012: PSAT Day 3

* Open

* PSAT

* Keep your scores for block day

* CWP

HW: CWP, Honors Contest, Honors Memorization Quiz

Monday, 1 October 2012: PSAT day 1

* Open

* Return Papers

* Honors Only: Writing reminders for Tolkien

• Wednesday, paper AND turnitin is the last day of the window for this essay
• 50% thereafter
• If you are still having issues, fill out these three simple lines (as you did with the peer edit):

1. Theme to work with in Tollkien (theme is the statement of what the reader learns from Tolkien)
2. Term or Element (same thing) you are working with that supports this theme
3. The thesis (uniting the theme and element) (thesis is the statement of what will be showing in the essay)

* PSAT Part 1

* Was anything tricky for you? Look it up and study it in Bedford. You will see the book divided by subject on the inside cover of the book (or by category if you are online).

* Looking good? Work on your CWP or (honors) enter a contest.

HW: CWP

Wednesday, Sept. 26: Turco, etc.

* Open

* Review Yesterday's Awesomeness (whatever awesomeness that may have been)

* Honors Only: RD Reviewed and Edited

• Underline the thesis.  Is it clear?  Is it interesting?
• Double underline the theme this writer has chosen.  Is this theme a suject or an actual theme (complete sentence)?  Is this theme too basic or too obscure?  

* Review Lost Tools for FD

* Turco (if any classes need to catch up or continue through theme)

HW: Honors, Final Draft due on your block day

Monday, Sept. 17: Holmes and Character

* Open

* STAR language testing during advisory for many sophomores today.

* J3: From your Sherlock Holmes tale: identify and describe five characters (think of external features, personality, traits, and relationships to other characters). If you have already read Turco on character, be sure to employ new terms you are learning. (any length, write in class)

* Note the new terms listed on the left side (character). Be sure you have these defined by Wednesday.

* Discuss your journal.

* Tie up any loose ends with the Lost Tools of Writing Lesson 1

* Work on your CWP

* Honors extra for J3: This tale is famous for its exciting Gothic elements and complexity; however, Doyle did introduce some inconsistencies into this tale. Can you find any?

HW: Fill in terms; work on your CWP

Posted with Blogsy

"The Adventure of the Speckled Band" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

-->

VIII.  THE ADVENTURE OF THE SPECKLED BAND

On glancing over my notes of the seventy odd cases in which I have during the last eight years studied the methods of my friend Sherlock Holmes, I find many tragic, some comic, a large number merely strange, but none commonplace; for, working as he did rather for the love of his art than for the acquirement of wealth, he refused to associate himself with any investigation which did not tend towards the unusual, and even the fantastic. Of all these varied cases, however, I cannot recall any which presented more singular features than that which was associated with the well-known Surrey family of the Roylotts of Stoke Moran. The events in question occurred in the early days of my association with Holmes, when we were sharing rooms as bachelors in Baker Street. It is possible that I might have placed them upon record before, but a promise of secrecy was made at the time, from which I have only been freed during the last month by the untimely death of the lady to whom the pledge was given. It is perhaps as well that the facts should now come to light, for I have reasons to know that there are widespread rumours as to the death of Dr. Grimesby Roylott which tend to make the matter even more terrible than the truth.

Monday, Sept. 10: Plot

* Open

* Honors Only: Grammar and Johnson

* Review Story (Ali Baba or other)

* Plot. Focus on

• Turco's opening sentence (the definition)
• The difference between the theme thread and plot thread
• What a subplot is
• The basic graph of a plot (not in the .pdf...so you need to draw it with the assistance of your teacher)
• How a writer gets the reader's attention at the outset...important if the book will sell beyond immediate relatives
• An open vs. a closed ending

* Begin "Into Thin Air" in HRW Elements .pdf (pp. 276-288)

HW: Read half of "Into Thin Air"

Cash and Steinbeck Optional Activity (if a period is ahead)

* Optional Activity

• We have read and considered Steinbeck. One interesting aspect is that Steinbeck claims that age and laziness were his real reasons for sparing the coyotes (beyond the fact that they posed no immediate threat to anyone); however, his rich description of the creatures shows that he saw their beauty, but was, perhaps, not comfortable claiming that as his reason...imagine him telling that to his buddies over a drink.

Block Day, Week 3

* Open

* Vocabulary Quiz (for classes quizzing)

* Work on Your CWP while others finish the quiz

* Discuss/Collect J1 (Esther and the four parts of fiction)

* Read and take notes from Lewis Turco on plot (pages 2-3 of .pdf)

* Grammar Notes

• There (location), their (possession), they're (they are)
• Take it for granted (not granite)...oh, and avoid clichés like the plague!
• a lot (not the same as the verb allot)...oh, and avoid really, really, useless modifiers and very wimpy words
• tragedy (not tradgedy)
• Sentence Fragments: Begin reviewing Bedford section 19 (click on Grammatical Sentences on the left sidebar) if time permits.  

* Honors Only: Discuss "The Vanity of Human Wishes"

* Read "Ali Baba and the Forty Robbers" in the Short Stories anthology. It follows "Esther" (pg. 35 of the .pdf or pg. 24 if you are looking at the book pages.

HW: Finish reading "Ali Baba and the Forty Robbers"

Posted with Blogsy

Wednesday, 9/4/12: Esther

* Open

* Check our downloads.  Wifi permitting, let's download everything we can into iBooks (HRW, Stories Old and New) or another app like, say, Notability.  Remember, you may need to hold your iPad in portrait mode to see the "direct link to this file" message at the bottom of the page.  You click that link and open the resulting .pdf in iBooks, Notability, or another app that can handle PDFs.  Then you don't need online access to read on your iPad. 

* Review Steinbeck.
 
*Finish reading Esther on your own.

* Journal 1 (J1):  Describe the four key aspects of this story (plot, character, atmosphere, theme).  How do you find the aspects balancing and emphasizing? (1/2 pg. or longer, handwritten, single spaced)

* We have so many new terms that we will not be adding daily vocabulary words at present.

HW: J1(1/2 pg. or longer, handwritten, single spaced); study for a quiz on previous vocab. words

Tuesday, 9/4/12: Short Fiction Introduction

* Open

* Read and takes notes on Turco's opening and "Dramatic Situation."

* Read and discuss HRW .pdf pg. 72: John Steinbeck (excerpt from "Travels with Charlie"). This is a .pdf with many stories you will find in the online course of focus.

- How does Steinbeck draw sympathy or empathy from the reader?

* Begin reading the story of Esther. The story is in this book of stories. It may take you to the chapter here. You may also download this as a free books into one of your app libraries. You may also read this in any Bible.  Esther is the book in the Old Testament that follows Nehemiah and precedes Job.

HW: Continue reading the story of Esther

Posted with Blogsy