Check back regularly for updates about the class!

Download Exam Topic List Here!

Day 177:  Friday, June 20, 2014

Hand in Catcher/LOTF books

Hand in make-up work and extra credit

Share and hand in soundtrack projects

Exam Review Jeopardy

HW:  Study for exam.

Day 176:  Thursday, June 19, 2014

Curriculum Questions

Day 175:  Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Standard:

• Distribute and review summer reading list
• Read and discuss ch. 25
• Is Holden stressed, depressed, or something more?
• HW:  Catcher soundtrack due Friday, extra credit book review due Friday

Honors:

• All classes:  Distribute and review summer reading list
• Catcher
• Complete motif sheet
• Discuss last chapter and significance of symbolism and coming-of-age
• Begin work on project
• Lord of the Flies
• Complete symbolism sheet
• Discuss last chapter and significance of symbolism and coming-of-age
• Begin work on project
• HW (all classes):  soundtrack or map project for Friday, extra credit book review due Friday

Day 174:  Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Catcher and Lord of the Flies reading and activities

Day 173:  Monday, June 16, 2014

Standard:

• Ch. 13-16 discussion and activities
• Do Now:  reread passage about Holden's visit to the museum (ch. 16). journal about what it tells us about Holden's character.
• Discussion in large circle about this symbolism and coming-of-age
• Read ch. 17
• HW: Read 18-20.
• Extra credit book review this week.

Honors:

• Catcher - 15-18 discussion and activities
• journal:  museum
• discuss guided questions from Mr. Ambrose's binder
• discussion
• begin talk of project
• HW:  Read 19-22
• Extra credit book review this week.
• LOTF - 9-10 discussion and activities
• journal:  lord of the flies (pig's head)
• discuss guided questions from Mr. Ambrose's binder
• discussion
• begin talk of project
• HW:  Read 11 
• Extra credit book review this week.

Day 172:  Friday, June 13, 2014

Standard:

• Silent reading of Catcher in the Rye (Ch. 11)
• Read aloud and discuss Catcher in the Rye (Ch. 12)
• HW:  Read Ch. 13-16

Honors:

• Survey
• HW:  Catcher - read 15-18, LOTF - read ch. 7-8

Day 171:  Thursday, June 12, 2014

Standard:

• Ch. 5-6 discussion and activities
• Read ch. 7
• HW:  Read ch. 8-10

Honors:

• Student-led discussion in small groups
• HW:  Catcher - read ch. 11-14; LOTF - read ch. 5-6

Day 170:  Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Standard:

• Tufts speakers
• Circle Discussion of initial impressions of text (narration, plot, characterization, etc.)
• Read ch. 4
• HW:  Read ch. 5-6

Honors:

• Tufts speaker
• Catcher
• Do Now:  Write composition that Holden writes for Stradlater
• Share and discuss composition
• Discuss ch. 4-6
• HW:  Read ch. 7-10; write annotated notes
• LOTF
• Do Now:  Write a journal from the perspective of one of the boys
• Share and discuss journal
• Discuss ch. 2
• HW:  read ch. 3-4; write annotatated notes

Day 169:  Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Standard:  Harvard Survey

Honors:  Catcher and Lord of the Flies groups

• Honors Goal:  To examine symbolism, characterization, and narration in your assigned text.
• Catcher Agenda:
• Discuss reading overall, focusing on objectives
• Ch. 1-2 question sheet
• Begin reading ch. 4
• HW:  Read ch. 4-6, complete active reading
• LOTF Agenda
• Discuss reading overall, focusing on objectives
• Ch. 1 question sheet
• Begin reading ch. 2
• HW:  Read ch. 2, complete active reading

Day 168:  Monday, June 9, 2014

Standard:  

• Submit As You Like It essays
• Submit As You Like It books
• Read Catcher book review; discuss
• Agree/Disagree discussion in small groups
• Read ch. 1
• HW:  Read ch. 2 and 3.  Take active reading notes.

Honors:  

• Submit As You Like It essays
• Submit As You Like It books
• Catcher in the Rye group
• Read Catcher book review; discuss
• Agree/Disagree discussion in small groups
• Read ch. 1
• HW:  Read ch. 2 and 3.  Take active reading notes.
• Lord of the Flies
• Survival Activity Day
• HW:  Read ch. 1.  Take active reading notes.

Day 167:  Friday, June 6, 2014

Standard:  Work on As You Like It essays

Honors:  Outside Reading, Grammar (Parts of Speech)

HW (all classes):  As You Like It essays due Monday

Remember honors and standard have different prompts

Day 166:  Thursday, June 5, 2014

Standard:  Work on As You Like It essays

Honors:  

Project Presentations

Work on As You Like It essay

HW (all classes):  Work on essays

Day 165:  Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Standard:  Work on As You Like It essays

Honors:

Project Presentations 

Work on As You Like It essays

Day 164:  Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Standard:  As You Like It project presentations

Day 163:  Monday, June 2, 2014

Standard:

• Did not meet because of yearbook distribution

Honors:

• Shaima's group presents
• Work on As You Like It essays
• peer revisions
• more writing
• more research
• on paper or on computers
• HW:  Work on essay (final essay due Friday 6/6)

Day 162:  Friday, May 30, 2014

Standard:

• Discuss expectations for project
• Outside reading
• Grammar - collaborate to complete midchapter review - nouns/pronouns
• Review answers - use as formative assessment
• HW:  Be prepared to present As You Like It project on Monday

Honors:

• Outside reading
• Alex's group presents
• Grammar - collaborate to complete midchapter review - nouns/pronouns
• Review answers - use as formative assessment
• HW:  Work on As You Like It essay.  Bring in what you have so far in digital format and hard copy format

Day 161:  Thursday, May 29, 2014

Standard:

• Work on As You Like It projects
• HW:  As You Like It project due Monday 6/2

Honors:

• Work on laptops to collaborate on As You Like It essays
• HW:  As You Like It essay due Friday 6/6

Day 160:  Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Standard:

• Review As You Like It project rubric and expectations
• Work on projects on laptops
• HW:  Continue work on projects.

Honors:

• Finish As You Like It project presentations
• Hand in As You Like It thank you notes
• Revisit critical essay about As You Like It and talk in large circle about potential paper ideas
• In small groups, brainstorm ideas for paper
• HW:  Brainstorming and outlining for paper

Day 159:  Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Standard:

• Hand back work and review progress reports
• Write thank you letter re: As You Like It
• Collaborate as a class to develop a rubric for the As You Like It project
• Download that rubric here
• Work collaboratively on As You Like It project

Honors:

• Presentations
• HW:  Thank you Letter

Days 155-158:  Tuesday- Friday

Work collaboratively on As You Like It project

Day 154:  Monday, May 19, 2014

Today's Goal:

• To discuss how acting companies might apply a particular visionary aesthetic to a work by Shakespeare.

Today's Agenda:

• What is Steampunk?
• Wikipedia
• Google Images
• What is an aesthetic/vision?
• How did the ASP apply the aesthetic of Steampunk to the show we saw?  List ideas on board.
• What are some different aesthetics that we could apply in the same way, to reimagine the play?
• Introduce idea for visionary presentation.
• setting
• props
• costuming
• How to present?  
• Extra credit options
• Honors vs. standard 
• Small group brainstorming and work.
• Wrap up: Discuss essay topics
• Standard:  An essay that compares the stage presentation to the written word (adhering to curriculum guide). 
• Honors:  A critical essay with a thesis of your own crafting that cites at least one primary source and at least two secondary sources (in addition to the play itself).

HW:  Work on the visionary project.

Day 153:  Friday, May 16, 2014

Today's Goal:  To debrief on the field trip.

Today's Agenda:

• Outside Reading
• Discuss questions and comments re: the play (standard starts with a journal)
• Preview project

HW:

• Standard - extra credit - write a thank you note.
• Honors - due Wednesday - write a thank you note.

Day 152:  Thursday, May 15, 2014

Field trip to see As You Like It

Day 151:  Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Standard:  taking MCAS math

Honors:  

• Field trip logistics
• As You Like It movie trailers
• Write potential questions for actors
• 60 Second modern version of As You Like It (written by Mr. Ambrose)
• Read critical essay from Ambrose's graduate class, confer in small groups, discuss talking points in large group

Day 150:  Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Standard:  taking MCAS math

Honors:  some students still taking MCAS math, reread Rosalind's epilogue, write questions to ask of the actors

Day 149:  Monday, May 12, 2014

Act 5 of the play! 

Day 148:  Friday, May 9, 2014

Standard:

• Outside Reading
• 3.4 - discuss HW
• 3.5 - read selections from 3.5
• Read 4.1; discuss role of courtship
• HW holiday!

Honors:

• Outside Reading
• Large Group - reread selections from Act 4, scene 1
• Small Groups
• Instruction for courtship
• Letters/Love triangles
• Large group review, and discuss 4.3
• HW holiday! 

Day 147:  Thursday, May 8, 2014

Standard:

• Review 2 paragraphs on monologue
• Small Groups
• Act 2 questions
• HW check
• 3.1
• 3.2
• 3.3
• HW:  NFS AYLI 3.4.  What does Rosalind say about talking to Duke?

Honors:

• Review HW
• Small groups:  role of sarcastic humor in conversation - find an example in the text and link it to a modern example
• Read Act 3, scene 5
• HW:  Read all of Act 4, create bullet point notes.

Day 146:  Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Download lesson plan here.

Standard:

• Role of the Fool - share HW, write a list on board of traits of the fool
• Read 2.7
• Discuss the role of the fool as expressed by Jacques
• Discuss the Seven Ages of Man 
• HW:  2 paragraph response to the first five lines of the "Seven Ages of Man" monologue.  Use information from the rest of the monologue if you need more evidence.

Honors:

• Review/discuss HW (2 paragraph response to Ages of Man speech)
• Examine and complete MCAS multiple choice questions about Seven Ages of Man
• Act out and discuss 3.1 and 3.2
• HW:  Read 3.3-3.4.  Write notes that address the following:  (1) courtship/marriage and (2) the irony of Rosalind talking to her dad about these things

Day 145:  Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Download lesson plan here.

Download 2.4-5 here.

Download 2.6-7 here.

Words to add to word wall today for all classes:

• churlish (from 2.4)
• melancholy (from 2.5)

Standard:

• Silently read your assigned scene (some students are assigned 2.4, some are assigned 2.5)
• Small Groups - discuss your assigned scene, figure out a way to present main points to the class
• Present Out to class
• Quickly discuss 2.6
• HW:  Research the role of the fool in Shakespeare's plays.  Bring in some ideas tomorrow.

Honors:

• Journal on this quote:  "If thou rememberest not the slightest folly / That ever love did make thee run into, / Thou hast not loved."
• Review 2.4 and 2.5 (from last night's notes)
• Read 2.6 silently and quickly; discuss
• Read and act out 2.7
• HW:  Write a two-paragraph analysis of the Ages of Man speech that Jacques delivers at the end of the scene.
• one paragraph on summary of what the seven ages are
• one paragraph on how this works into the theme of the play

Day 144:  Monday, May 5, 2014

Download lesson plan here.

Download 2.1-3 here.

Standard:

• Review Act 1 questions
• Silently read Act 2.1-3
• Small Groups
• Reread your assigned scene
• Decide what to present about plot and characterization
• Present out to large group about plot and characterization.
• HW:  Write 2 paragraphs about plot and characterization of your assigned scene.

Honors:

• Do Now: Journal on Orlando's quote to Adam about pruning a rotten tree.  What does it mean?  What does it tell us about Orlando's perception of himself?  What does it tell us about his relationship with Adam?
• Discuss journal
• Small Groups
• Plot 
• Characterization
• Connection to theme
• Presentations
• HW:  Read scenes 2.4 and 2.5.  Write some notes.

Day 143, Friday, May 2, 2014

Download lesson plan here.

Download quiz here.

Download 1.3 text here.

Standard:

• Outside Reading
• Read and discuss AYLI 1.3
• Complete discussion questions in small groups
• HW:  Complete AYLI discussion questions if you did not finish them during class.

Honors:

• What Sammie and Brooke's video project
• Quick quiz on Act 1, scene 3
• Correct quick quiz
• Answer discussion questions in small groups
• Outside Reading
• HW:  Read Act 2, scenes 1-3.  Write some notes.

Day 142:  Thursday, May 1, 2014

Download the lesson plan here.

Download the scene here.

Today's Focus:  Inferences about characters' relationships.

Standard:

• Do Now:  Close reading of Orlando's monologue to Rosalind.  Journal about what it tells us about how Orlando perceives himself (his self-esteem).
• Discuss in large group
• Assign parts, read 1.2, pause frequently with focus questions based on inference
• Ticket Out:  One thing you learned about characters' relationships based on inference

Standard HW:  No formal HW.

• Things to work on:  (1) bring in outside reading book and (2) get that Animal Farm research essay in if you have not done so already.

Honors:

• Return to yesterday's tickets out.  Have each group explain what they wrote.
• Journal on Orlando's monologue to Rosalind.  Journal about what it tells us about how Orlando perceives himself (his self-esteem).
• Dicuss in large group.
• Small Groups:  Identify areas where you can make inferences from dialogue.  Record talking points.  Check HW.
• Large Circle:  Discuss these talking points.  Focus on inference about characters' relationship.

Honors HW:  Read and take notes on As You Like It 1.3.  Be prepared for a quiz tomorrow.

Day 141:  Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Download the lesson plan here.

Download the scene here.

Standard:

• Do Now:  Close reading of Orlando's monologue
• Review close reading
• Share HW (summary of 1.1)
• Assign roles, read 1.1
• Ticket Out:  Comment on one of today's themes

Standard HW:  Read 1.2.  Write an analysis of the dialogue between Oliver and Charles.

Honors:

• Small Groups:  Close reading of Orlando's monologue
• Review Orlando's monologue
• Quickly reread 1.1, discuss based on HW
• Small Groups:  5 groups for each theme
• Ticket Out:  Your group writes about how your theme was present in 1.1
• Honors HW:  Read 1.2.  Write an analysis of any of the dialogue (what we learn via indirect characterization, etc.).

Day 140:  Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Close reading of Orlando's monologue from As You Like It 1.1 with substitute.

Day 139:  Monday, April 28, 2014

Today's Goal:  To explore themes of As You Like It.

Today's Agenda:

Standard:

1. Nature of Love:  Small Groups
2. Nature vs. Forture:  Role of Education
3. Disguise:  Famous Examples
4. Women's Nature:  Discuss Differences
5. Court Life vs. Natural Life:  City vs. Country (Small Groups - Ticket Out)

Honors:

1. Nature of Love:  Small Groups
2. Nature vs. Forture:  Orlando's Quote
3. Disguise:  Famous Examples
4. Women's Nature:  Room of One's Own - Read and Discuss
5. Court Life vs. Natural Life:  Walden Quotes (Share as you go)

Tonight's HW:

Standard:  Print/write a summary of As You Like It, Act 1, Scene 1.  (Look it up on the internet!)

Honors:  Read As You Like It, Act 1, Scene 1 on www.nofearshakespeare.com.  Write a brief response to the scene, explaining how the scene connects to one of the themes we examined in class today.

Day 138:  Thursday, April 17, 2014

Period 2:  Work in the library

Today's Goals:

• To maintain a formal style (W.9-10.2e).
• To provide a concluding statement (W.9-10.2f)

Today's Agenda:

• Work on your academic tone.
• Work on your conclusion.
• Work on your MLA formatting.

Period 4

• Share your video projects
• Score your own Animal Farm essay according to school-wide rubric
• Score another student's Animal Farm essay according to school-wide rubric

Vacation HW for all classes:

• Wrap up essay at some point over vacation and email it to me.
• If you've finished your essay, you're all done! Enjoy your break!

Day 137:  Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Period 2 - Standard:

• Same goals as yesterday.  Work in the library.

Period 4 - Honors

Today's Goals:

• To maintain a formal style (W.9-10.2e).
• To provide a concluding statement (W.9-10.2f).

Today's Agenda:

• Work on your academic tone.
• Work on your conclusion.
• Work on your MLA formatting.

Day 136:  Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Today's Goals:

• Use appropriate and varied transitions to link the major sections of the text (W.9-10.2c).
• Use precise language (W.9-10.2d).

Today's Agenda:

• Work on grouping your ideas to solidify your threesis.
• Work on crafting solid topic sentences that go back to the thesis and transition cleanly.

Tonight's HW:

• Standard:  Work on essay.
• Honors:  Work on essay and video.

Day 135:  Monday, April 14, 2014

Today's Goals:

• Conduct a short research project to answer a question (W.9-10.7).
• Gather relevant information from digital sources (W.9-10.8).
• Work on introducing your topic (W.9-10.2a).
• Develop your topic with facts (W.9-10.2b).

Today's Agenda:

• Review research assignment
• Review how to use the state-wide databases
• 3 Goals for in the library:

1. research on the databases
2. come up with your thesis
3. start to list your facts in outline form

Tonight's HW:

• Standard:  Work on research essay.
• Honors:  Work on research essay.  Work on video.

Day 134:  Friday, April 11, 2014

Animal Farm test

Return Animal Farm books

This weekend's HW:

• Standard:  Homework holiday!
• Honors:  Continue work on video project!

Day 133:  Thursday, April 10, 2014

Standard:

• Chapter 10 - read in circle and discuss
• Discuss theme/message/moral
• Test review
• Standard HW:  Study for test.  Bring book to read when finished.

Honors:

• Do Now:  Adding to last night's HW, jot down questions, comments, observations that you want to discuss about Animal Farm.
• Fishbowl discussion (student-driven) round 1
• Fishbowl discussion (student-driven) round 2
• Discuss with your partner how he/she did in discussion
• Test review
• Tonight's HW:  Study for test.  Bring book to read when finished.

Day 132:  Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Standard:

• Small Groups
• Cue up your anthem
• HW check (chapter 9)
• Review chapter 9 questions (from HW)
• Perform a close reading of "Comrade Napoleon" (ID 3 talking points - compare/contrast to "Beasts of England" with quotes)
• Review Small Group Work in Large Circle
• Standard HW:  Homework Holiday!

Honors:

• Small Groups
• HW check (chapter 9)
• Review chapter 9 questions (from HW)
• Perform a close reading of "Comrade Napoleon" (ID 3 talking points - compare/contrast to "Beasts of England" with quotes - CONNECT TO HISTORICAL ALLEGORY)
• Review Quickly with Large Group
• Review Propaganda Video Project Rubric
• Small Groups - Video Project Rubric Brainstroming
• Honors HW:  Read chapter 10 of Animal Farm.  Generate discussion questions and discussion points for tomorrow's fishbowl discussion.

What's on tap for future days:

• Thursday, 4/10 - honors: fishbowl discussion, video project groups, test review, standard:  read chapter 10 aloud, ID theme/moral, test review; HW:  review for test
• Friday, 4/11 - Animal Farm test
• Monday - Wednesday - research project (Peritore)
• Thursday - honors: propaganda video, standard: present research

Day 131: Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Todays Agenda:

Honors:

• Stalin Propaganda video and journal  and discussion
• Your own propaganda
• small groups
• HW check
• share
• Bonus Time: Obama and McCain

Standard:

• Wrap up ch. 8
• Stalin propaganda
• Your own propaganda
• small group
• HW check
• share

HW:

Honors: Read ch. 9 Answer Questions

Standard:  Read ch. 9 Answer Questions

Day 130:  Monday, April 7, 2014

Today's Agenda:

• Russian Revolution PowerPoint 2
• Download active note-taking sheet here
• Small Groups
• Review ch. 5-7 questions
• Complete ch.h 8 questions
• HW check
• Discussion
• Standard:  large circle to review questions
• Honors:  Fishbowl discussion, ch. 7 first round, ch. 8 second round (student-facilitated)

Tonight's HW:

• Standard:  Find an example of propaganda and bring it in.
• Honors:  Find an example of propaganda and bring it in.  Write a page analysis of the propaganda, and be prepared to present it tomorrow.

Day 129:  Friday, April 4, 2014

• Complete ch. 5-7 responding worksheet
• Read ch. 8 and use active reading strategies

What to expect in the coming days:

• Friday, 4.4.14:  Complete and review ch. 5-7 questions, HW for weekend:  read through ch. 8
• Monday, 4.7.14:  see 4.8.13 plans - Russian Revolution PPT #2, ch. 8 small group questions, HW check on ch. 6 (STD only), discussion on ch. 8, HW:  Honors - example of propaganda with written response, Standard - example of propaganda
• Tuesday, 4.8.14:  see 4.7.13 plans - share propaganda HW with groups (+HW check), share Stalin propaganda (hadnouts, video), share our propaganda, HW:  honors ch. 9, std:  ?

Day 128:  Thursday, April 3, 2014

Honors:

• Today's Agenda:
• Do Now:  write questions about chapters 6 and 7
• Propanda Notes (Esner's PPT)
• Examine Historical Propaganda in Small Groups
• Report out on Historical Propaganda, discuss ch. 6 and 7 (based on do now questions)
• HW (for Monday):
• Read chapter 8.

Standard:

• Today's Agenda:
• Propaganda Notes (Esner's PPT)
• Examine Historical Propaganda in Small Groups
• Report out Historical Propaganda, Begin Reading ch. 7
• HW (for Monday):
• Read chapter 8. 

Day 127:  Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Honors:

• Russian Revolution Notes
• Fishbowl Discussion
• Ch. 1-4 questions
• Ch. 5 questions
• Meet with partner for feedback
• HW:  Read ch. 6-7.

Standard:

• Do Now:  Generate questions about ch. 5
• Review questions from yesterday (ch. 1-4)
• Russian Revolution Notes
• Harkness Discussion
• HW credit for reading of ch. 5 will be given based on quality of discussion
• HW:  Read ch. 6.  Employ active reading strategies.

Day 126:  Tuesday, April 1, 2014

See below under "What to expect for Monday"

HW:  Ch. 5.

Day 125:  Monday, March 31, 2014

study 

What to expect for Monday:

Announce extra credit winners from Modest Proposal essay, distribute permission forms for Globe contest

Complete Responding 1-4 questions

Battle Log or Revolutionary Song Activity

(Perhaps log for standard, song for honors)

Honors presents songs, Standard begins reading ch. 5

Day 124:  Friday, March 28, 2014

Today's Agenga:

• Honors
• Outside Reading
• Review chapter 3 questions (last night's HW) in large group
• Small groups: 
• write a speech from the perspective of one of the book's characters, using their tone and voice
• employ all three Greek rhetorical strategies (ethos, pathos, logos)
• Wrap up:  present speeches
• Standard:
• Small Groups:  Complete chapter 3 questions
• Review chapter 3 questions in large circle
• Begin reading chapter 4

This weekend's HW:

• Honors:  Read chapter 4.  Employ active reading strategies.
• Standard:  Finish reading chapter 4.  Employ active reading strategies.

Day 123:  Thursday, March 27, 2014

Animal Farm chapter 2 lessons

Day 122:  Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Animal Farm chapter 1 and Internationale lessons

Day 121:  Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Today's Goal:

• To review literary terms.
• To learn about Orwell's biography.
• To determine what makes a good leader.

Today's Agenda:

• Review literary terms.
• satire
• allegory
• fable
• Orwell Biography Notes
• Journal and Discussion:  What makes a good leader?
• Honors:  Talk in small groups
• Standard:  Talk as a large group

Tonight's HW:

• Standard:  Read chapter one.  Employ any active reading strategies you want (Post-It, Notes on the Side)
• Honors:  Read chapter one.  Write an analysis of Old Major's speech.

On Tap for Tomorrow:

• Chapter One Sheet
• Internationale Small Groups
• Report Out
• Begin Two

Day 120:  Monday, March 24, 2014

Today's Goal:

• To debrief on MCAS.

Today's Agenda:

• Do Now:  Complete MCAS survey
• Chat about MCAS
• Small Groups:
• Write tips for future students to prepare for MCAS.
• Honors alternative:  Select a passage and write questions for it.

Tonight's HW:

• HW Holiday!

Day 119:  MCAS TESTING

SCROLL DOWN TO DAY 114:  FRIDAY TO SEE THE HOMEWORK LINK FOR THE WEEKEND OF MARCH 15-16!

Day 118:  Thursday, March 20, 2014

Today's Goal:

• To do a little bit of extra MCAS practice, which could be the difference between a Proficient and an Advanced score.

Today's Agenda:

• Standard:  Announcement regarding scoring error on ballad quiz
• How are things going on the MCAS?  Without talking about actual test items, what skills do we want to work on to be sure we earn an Advanced score?  What questions do we have?
• All together, complete session 3 from November 2013 MCAS retest
• Riot in the School
• Sixth Grade Self

Tonight's HW:

• Get some rest!  One more day of MCAS!

Day 116 and 117:  MCAS testing

Day 115:  Monday, March 17, 2014

Objective:  MCAS PREPARATION!

Agenda:

• Hand back work
• Review MCAS room assignments
• Review Final Tips for MCAS success
• Review Practice Test from weekend (November 2013 retest)
• Review long comp prompts one more time (from ESNER'S PPT)
• Talk about how to write about a movie or TV show in an academic way
• Perhaps examine a sample long comp from the website

Your HW for MONDAY NIGHT is:

• Watch a movie that is adapted from a book.
• Get TEN HOURS of sleep!
• Eat a proper breakfast!

Day 114:  Friday, March 14, 2014

Objective:  MCAS PREPARATION!

Agenda:

• Honors
• Students to Saulnier (12 students)
• Outside Reading
• Review HW (response to PARCC)
• Complete Revere packet together
• Standard
• Outside Reading
• Return to small groups to finish scoring long compositions from yesterday
• Review PARCC items (see yesterday's Honors agenda)
• Submit last night's HW ("Revere")

THE HOMEWORK FOR THE WEEKEND OF MARCH 15-16 IS THE FOLLOWING:

Complete SESSIONS 1 AND 2 of this MCAS practice test.

If the link does not work, just do a Google search for "MCAS ELA grade 10 November 2013 retest."

You may print the test, but you are not required to do so.

However, you ARE required to do BOTH the multiple choice and the open response. 

Day 113:  Thursday, March 13, 2014

Honors:

• What students want to go to Mrs. Saulnier's class tomorrow?  Distribute rubric.
• Do Now:  Open response on Heart of Darkness
• Share and submit open responses
• Score long compositions in groups and submit (students provide their own feedback according to rubric for formative assessment)
• PARCC test items
• Read excerpts from sample items
• Daedelus and Sexton
• Review questions on PPT
• Honors HW:  Answer the open response question about Daedelus and Sexton.  Here it is:
• Use what you have learned from reading these to poems to write an analysis of how Sexton transforms "Daedalus and Icarus."  Create three talking points, and include at least one quote.

Standard: 

• Send students to Saulnier for MCAS tutoring
• Do Now:  Create notes for a plan for the open response for Heart of Darkness
• Type response together as a group and workshop it - download the one we wrote today here
• Begin to score long composition in small groups
• Standard HW:  Complete MCAS "Revere" packet

On tap for Friday, March 14, 2014

• Honors:
• Hand back work
• Students to Saulnier
• Outside Reading
• Review HW (response to PARCC)
• Complete Revere packet together
• Lanyard and Blizzard together
• HW for the weekend:  full practice test
• Standard:
• Hand back work
• Return to long comp scoring from yesterday - wrap up and submit
• Reread and review Revere
• PARCC (similar to yesterday for honors)
• Lanyard and Blizzard together (if time allows)
• HW for the weekend:  full practice test

Day 112:  Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Today's Goal:

• To work on critical reading skills.

Today's Agenda:

• Hand back work
• Hand in work
• 2010 MCAS - Heart of Darkness
• 2010 MCAS - Proof

Tonight's HW:

• Select one long composition prompt.  Write a 5 paragraph essay in response.

Day 111:  Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Today's Goal: 

• To work on critical reading skills for MCAS nonfiction informational texts.

Today's Agenda:

• Do Now:  Complete open response for "Young Hunger."
• Standard - review open response and score, Honors - score in small groups
• Standard - review "Potato" packet in large group, Honors - review "Potato" packet in small groups
• Wrap up and submit self-scored packets

Tonight's HW:

• Due Thursday:  Select one MCAS long composition prompt and write a 5 paragraph essay in response.

Day 110:  Monday:  March 10, 2014

Today's Goal:  

• To work on critical reading skills for MCAS nonfiction informational texts.

Today's Agenda:

• Hand back work
• MCAS prompts (HW check)
• Oranges - review and score
• "Young Hunger" - active reading, answer multiple choice questions

Tonight's HW:

• Complete "Potato" packet.

Day 109:  Friday, March 7, 2014

To cafeteria with Ms. Stevens to work on "Oranges." 

Day 108:  Thursday, March 6, 2014

With Ms. Stevens, write two intro paragraphs (Standard) or three intro paragraphs (Honors) for various MCAS long compositions. 

Day 107:  Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Today's Goals:

• To learn about how the MCAS is scored.
• To examine MCAS prompts.
• To collaborate and brainstorm on these prompts.

Today's Agenda:

• Hand in song essays
• How is the MCAS scored?
• Long Compositions Throughout the Years
• Brainstorm one book and three talking points for each prompt with your partners.

Tonight's HW:

• Brainstorm one book and three talking points for each prompt we revied today in class.
• Standard should do 8 prompts, honors should do 10.
• Download the list of prompts above.  It is in PowerPoint format.  Email me if you need it in a different format.

Day 106:  Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Ballad quiz and finish song essays/present songs with Ms. Stevens.

Day 105:  Monday, March 3, 2014

Today's Agenda:

• Standard:
• Review for tomorrow's quiz
• Do Now:  Write down your three talking points for your song essay
• Work on computers to craft essay
• Guiding question:  What is the theme of your song and how do literary devices and the song structure contribute to that theme?
• Honors:
• Review for tomorrow's quiz
• Work on computers to craft essay

Tonight's HW:

• All classes: study for quiz
• Honors:  essay due tomorrow
• Standard:  essay due Wednesday

On tap for tomorrow:

• Honors:  quiz, submit essay, share more songs, HW: examine DESE site for sample long compositions for MCAS
• Standard:  quiz, work on essay on laptops, HW: finish essay

Looking ahead to next week:

• Monday, 3.3.14:  Writing workshop of song analysis essay on laptops, Lord Randall at some point
• Tuesday, 3.4.14:  Ballad quiz and share more songs
• Wednesday, 3.5.14:  PARCC and MCAS
• Thursday, 3.6.14:  PARCC and MCAS
• Friday, 3.7.14:  PARCC and MCAS

Day 104:  Friday, February 28, 2014

Today's Agenda:

• Outside Reading
• All Along the Watchtower
• Song Analysis

Tonight's HW:

• Standard:  Mark up song lyrics in preparation for in-class essay.
• Honors:  Mark up song lyrics and group ideas for a potential outline.

Day 103:  Thursday, February 27, 2014

Today's Goals:  

• To practice analyzing songs and identifying elements of ballads.

Today's Agenda:

• Mr. Ambrose teaches standard, Ms. Stevens teaches honors
• Blowin' in the Wind
• Times they are a Changin'
• (Listen to songs and do MCAS questions and disscuss.)
• Student Choice songs

Tonight's HW:

• Mark up your song lyrics.

Day 102:  Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Today's Agenda:

• Honors
• Return to Scarborough Fair and analyze
• Share and submit sonnets
• Student song analysis
• Standard
• Share and submit sonnets
• Do Now:  Analyze Scarborough Fair
• Discuss and Analyze
• Student song analysis

Tonight's HW:

• Print out lyrics from your favorite songs and mark up for themes and literary devices.

Day 101:  Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Today's Goals:  To learn about the basics of the ballad form, which we may see in three weeks on the MCAS.

Today's Agenda:

• Return to ideas from today's advisory.  Perhaps view a clip from the ESPN 30 for 30 and/or read an excerpt from Basketball Junkie.
• Bonus:  For ticket out the door today, provide a song that you would like to analyze tomorrow.
• Piano Man
• Long Black Veil
• Scarborough Fair (Honors only - have students analyze in small groups and present out tomorrow)

Tonight's HW:

• Finish your own sonnet.
• Honors:  Must be typed and include scansion marks.

Day 100:  Monday, February 24, 2014

Today's Goals:

• To learn about the basics of the ballad form, which we may see in three weeks on the MCAS.

Today's Agenda:

• Sonnet Assignment - review
• Ballad Basics - notes
• Gilligan's Isle
• Amazing Grace
• Standard class focuses on theme.
• Honors class focuses on theme AND SCANSION (AND HOW LITERARY DEVICES CONTRIBUTE MEANING).

Tonight's HW:

• Due Wednesday:  Write your own sonnet.
• Honors:  Must be typed, and must include scansion marks denoting which syllables have emphasis.

Day 99:  Friday, February 14, 2014

Sonnet Test

HW:  Enjoy your vacation!

Here are the poems for tomorrow's test:

Standard (40 questions)

• Romeo and Juliet
• Shakespeare 18, 29, 73, 116, 130
• Spenser 67
• Browning 43

Honors (50 questions)

• All of the above, plus...
• Spenser 75
• Sidney 31, 39 (one of those is a new one we haven't seen - check on the internet to preview it)

Days 96-98:  Tuesday-Thursday, February 11-13

Standard:

• Mr. Ambrose teaches sonnets
• Students collaborate on 5-paragraph essay outline

Honors:

• Students teach class for 25 minute blocks

Day 95:  Monday, February 10, 2014

Today's Goal:  

• To analyze the theme of Shakespeare's sonnet 130 and to discuss its contemporary relevance.

Today's Agenda:

• Standard:
• Do Now:  Record open response from Friday and discuss why it is a good open response
• Dove Videos
• Journal and Discussion
• Analyze Sonnet 130
• Discuss Contemporary Relevance
• Download presentation for today here
• Tonight's Standard HW:
• Write one page on why you consider the themes of this sonnet to be still relevant today.
• Honors:
• Review rubric for teaching class about sonnets
• Review schedule of student presentations for the week
• See standard agenda for remaining activities (sans do now)
• Tonight's Honors HW:
• Be prepared to present your assigned sonnet on your assigned day.

What's happening in the days before February vacation?

• Monday, 2/10 - Sonnet 130 (also, honors review rubric for poem presentation, standard review collaborative open response from Friday - copy into notebook)
• Tuesday, 2/11 - More Shakespeare sonnets (Honors teaches class, Standard with Mr. Ambrose)
• Shakespeare's sonnet 29 - Vanessa's group
• Shakespeare's sonnet 73 - Julia's group
• Wednesday, 2/12 - Spenserian sonnets (Honors teaches class, Standard with Mr. Ambrose)
• Spenser's sonnet 67 - Tommy's group
• Spenser's sonnet 75 - Hannah's group
• Thursday, 2/13 - Sidney and Browning's sonnets (Honors teachers class, Standard with Mr. Ambrose), HW:  5 paragraph essay on sonnet
• Sonnets from the Portuguese 43, Elizabeth Barrett Browning - Alex's group
• Sidney's sonnets 31 and 39 - Ambrose
• Friday, 2/14 - sonnet test

Day 94:  Friday, February 7, 2014

Today's Goals:

• To analyze and write about a sonnet as it appeared on the MCAS.

Today's Agenda:

• Standard:
• Outside Reading Time
• Review HW (How do literary devices and the sonnet form contribute meaning to sonnet 18?)
• View this clip from One Tree Hill to discuss the potential tone of sonnet 116
• Sonnet 116 - read and analyze as a large group; answer multiple choice questions and discuss answers as a large group
• Large group:  all together, brainstorm and write the MCAS open response on sonnet 116
• Download our work on that open response here.
• Ticket Out:  Hand in last night's HW
• Standard HW:  Take some time to read your outside reading book.
• Honors
• Outside Reading Time
• Review HW (Bow-Fly exploration sheet)
• Sonnet 116 - in small groups, read, answer multiple choice, collaborate to write open response (+HW check)
• Large group:  review multiple choice answers and rationale
• Make group and poem assignments for next week's poetry presentation assignment
• Honors HW:  Get started on your poetry presentation assignment by analyzing the poem you have been assigned.  Here is the rubric for the poetry presentation assignment to guide you.

Day 93:  Thursday, February 6, 2014

Today's Goals:

• To learn about Shakespeare's sonnet series.
• To learn about how to analyze a sonnet, and then analyze one.

Today's Agenda:

• Honors:
• Do Now:  Bow-Fly's poem analysis sheet (review in groups and HW check)
• Review R and J sonnet in large group
• Shakespeare's Sonnets notes
• Mr. Ambrose's tips for analyzing a sonnet
• Small groups:  Analyze sonnet 18
• Wrap up:  What is the theme of sonnet 18?
• Honors HW:
• Complete Bow-Fly's poem analysis sheet for sonnet 18.
• Bring in your outside reading book.
• Standard:
• Who worked with whom for the Canterbury Tales project?
• Review HW and HW check
• Shakespeare's Sonnets notes (see link above)
• Mr. Ambrose's tips for analyzing a sonnet (see link above)
• Small Groups:  Analyze sonnet 18
• Large Group:  Review sonnet 18
• Standard HW:  
• Write 1-2 paragraphs about how the sonnet form brings meaning to sonnet 18.
• Bring in your outside reading book.

On tap for Tuesday:

• Honors:  Leighton's group's presentation
• Review HW (open response) 
• Sonnet Introduction
• R and J Sonnet (see 1/2/13 lesson plans for handouts and downloads)
• Honors HW:  Bow-Fly poem analysis handout on R and J sonnet
• Standard HW:  R and J sonnet questions

Day 91:  Monday, February 3, 2014

Today's Goal:

• To present our own version of "A Modest Proposal."

Today's Agenda:

• Do Now:  Get with your group and plan for your presentation.
• Present Modest Proposals
• Honors shares metacognitive and have more involved presentations
• Standard:  Brainstorm "Mooring Mast"

Tonight's HW:

• 1-2 paragraph response on the "Mooring Mast"
• What are the obstacles that the builders encountered as they built the Empire State Building?
• Use 3 talking points, 1 quotes, and a clear topic sentence. 

Day 90:  Friday, January 31, 2014

Today's Goal:

• To practice reading comprehension skills for MCAS.

Today's Agenda:

• Standard:
• Review expectations for HW
• Outside Reading
• "Mooring Mast"
• Preview text
• ID key words in questions and mark where answers are
• Read aloud
• Answer as you go, providing evidence to support your answer
• Honors
• Outside Reading
• "Mooring Mast"
• Preview text
• AP style reading period
• Small groups: 
• Collaborate to answer questions
• ID "obstacles"
• Large Group:  Review answers

This Weekend's HW:

• Modest Proposal collaborative essay

Day 89:  Thursday, January 30, 2014

Today's Goal:

• To collaborate to write our own version of "A Modest Proposal."

Today's Agenda:

• Standard
• Last day for in-class collaboration
• Honors
• Collaborate on essay
• Lauren T. talks about essay topics
• Lauren T. facilitates in-context vocabulary exercise

Tonight's HW:

• Bring in outside reading book.
• Collaborative essay and presentation due on Monday.

Day 88:  Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Today's Goal:

• To work collaboratively to create our own Modest Proposal.

Today's Agenda:

• Standard:
• Revisit yesterday's tickets out the door; Brainstorm ideas for each group all together as a class
• Return to rubric to discuss format for outline
• Small groups:
• Brainstorm
• Outline
• Honors:
• Work on essay with Tuden

Tonight's HW:

• Continue work on collaborative essay.

Day 87:  Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Today's Goal:

• To work collaboratively to create our own Modest Proposal.

Today's Agenda:

• Hand back midterm exams
• Do Now: Shoot Hooligans, Not Hoops
  • Standard:  read aloud with entire class, answer questions with partners
  • Honors:  read on your own, answer questions on your own
• Discuss article
• Review rubric for Modest Proposal essay
• Small Group Brainstorming
• Ticket Out:  Ideas for Group Essay

Tonight's HW:

• Complete all make-up work.
• Study for other midterms. 

Day 86:  Monday, January 27, 2014

Midterm Exam

Day 85:  Friday, January 25, 2014

Today's Goal:  To review for final exam.

Today's Agenda:

• Review exam format
• Outside reading
• Review Juvenalian satire poem
• Collaborate to review for midterm
• Create common review sheet

This weekend's HW:

• Review for midterm exam.
• Download standard review sheet created by period 2 here.
• Download honors review sheet created by period 4 here.

Day 84:  Thursday, January 24, 2014

Today's Goal:

• To analyze the satirical message of political cartoons.
• To understand the difference between Horatian and Juvenalian satire.

Agenda:

• Small groups:  Share political cartoons
• Large group:  Present out - standard gets extra credit for sharing, honors shares the best one or two examples from the group
• Read and analyze Horace and Juvenal's poem; address discussion questions and the difference in tone

Tonight's HW:

• List reading passages that you think will appear on the midterm.  Be specific.
• List terms, vocabulary, concepts, etc. for each.
• Honors - remember that you've read some additional works, like Gulliver's Travels.

Day 83:  Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Standard:

Today's Standard Goal:

• To examine some contemporary examples of satire and to determine if the meaning is lost because it is too offensive.

Today's Standard Agenda:

• Do Now 1:  Score your HW (MCAS-style open response) and submit.
• Do Now 2:  Read and respond to New York Times article about Family Guy (see lesson plan library)
• Clippage and Discussion
  • Jeff Dunhan
  • Borat
  • Othello
  • See lesson plan library for PPT with links

Tonight's Standard HW:

• Bring in an example of a political cartoon.  (Print it out and be sure to be prepared to share it with the class on the internet.)  Explain in 1-2 paragraphs the message of the cartoon.

Honors:

Today's Honors Goal:  See Standard.

Today's Honors Agenda:

• Review and submit HW (rationale for AP answers)
• See Standard Agenda (minus MCAS element)
• Alternate Honors Clip:  Replace Jeff Dunham and Othello with Bill Maher on Marathon Bombings

Today's Honors HW:

• See Standard HW.  Be prepared to present the most relevant political cartoon from your group. 

Looking Ahead to Wednesday:

• Standard:  Share and discuss some political cartoons, read Horatian and Juvenalian poems aloud, create one of your own.
• Honors:  Small group share political cartoon and pick the most relevant one, present the most relevant one to the class, small group reading of Horatian and Juvenalian, large group share with us the differences.  HW:  Create your own Horatian or Juvenalian poem.

Looking Ahead Further:

• For Thursday:  Create review sheet for midterm.
• For Friday:  Be prepared for midterm exam.

Day 82:  Friday, January 17, 2014

Today's Goal:  To perform a close reading of "A Modest Proposal."

Today's Agenda:

Honors:

• Outside Reading
• Small Groups:
  • Share and discuss HW
  • Complete 10 AP questions about "A Modest Proposal."
• Large Group:  Review HW and AP questions

Honors HW:  Write an explanation for each of the 10 AP questions.

Standard:

• Outside Reading
• Small Groups:
  • Share and discuss HW
  • Complete 7 MCAS questions about "A Modest Proposal."
• Large Group:  Review HW and MCAS questions
• Ticket Out:  List 3 talking points for HW

Standard HW:  Write a 2-paragraph MCAS open response to the question in the Modest Proposal packet (why is the introduction effective).  Be sure to have a clear topic sentence, three clear talking points, and at least one quote.

Day 81:  Thursday, January 16, 2014

Read and analyze "A Modest Proposal" in a large circle.

Prior to doing this, standard shares historical context, honors reviews first four paragraphs.

Tonight's HW:  4 questions about "A Modest Proposal," bring in your outside reading book

Day 80:  Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Standard:

Today's Standard Goal:  

• To establish context for our study of "A Modest Proposal."

Today's Standard Agenda:

• Pair and Share HW (comments on yesterday's satire videos - definition of satire and Colbert)
• Circle Discussion of yesterday's videos
• Read and discuss historical context passage from textbook (while taking notes)

Tonight's Standard HW:

• Use the internet to research the historical context of Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal."  Bring in any information you find.

Honors:

Today's Honors Goal:

• To establish historical context for our study of "A Modest Proposal."

Today's Honors Agenda:

• Pair and share HW (comments on yesterday's video clips)
• Circle Discussion on video clips
  • For Honors, focus on which of the three definitions you most like - Stewart's, Maher's, or Bremner's.  How is each different?
• Begin to discuss concept of "A Modest Proposal."

Tonight's Honors HW:

• Read the first four paragraphs of "A Modest Proposal."
• Use this link.  Scroll down to where it says "Collection 6" and find the essay there.
• Perform a close reading by writing some detailed notes on these paragraphs, particularly focusing on the imagery of the opening scene and the beginning of the proposal.

Day 79:  Tuesday, January 14, 2014

• Present comedy clips and submit comedy essays
• View Colbert clip (on immigration)
• View Stewart
• Discuss

HW:  

• Honors:  Write about which of the three definitions of satire you agree with the most. Explain why.  Also, respond to the Colbert clip. (Two paragraphs)
• Standard:  

Day 78:  Monday, January 13, 2014

• Work with Ms. Stevens
  • Honors - review PSAT section 3
  • Standard - peer edit comedy essay draft

Day 77:  Friday, January 10, 2014

Standard:

Goal:  To work on English fundamentals (grammar).

Agenda:

• Outside Reading
• Collaborate to complete (an abbreviated version of) PSAT section 5
• Review section 5 in rows

Homework:

• Final draft of comedy essay

Honors:

Goal:  To work on English fundamentals (grammar).

Agenda:

• Outside Reading
• Collaborate to review HW (explanations of grammar mistakes in section 5)
• Review section 5 in circle

Homework:

• Final draft of comedy 

Day 76:  Thursday, January 9, 2014

Standard:

Goal:  To work on fundamentals of English (vocabulary and reading comprehension).

Agenda:

• 25 minutes - complete section 1 of 2013 PSAT (if you did not take it) or review your answers to section 1 or 2013 PSAT (if you did take it)
• Review section 1 in large group (rows)

Homework:

• Bring in outside reading book.
• Comedy essay final draft due Monday.

Honors:

Goal:  to work on fundamentals of English (vocabulary and reading comprehension).

Agenda:

• Q & A regarding PSAT
• Small groups - review section 1 of 2013 PSAT
• Large circle - review difficult questions

Homework:

• Review section 5 of 2013 PSAT.  Write a brief grammatical explanation of answers.
• Bring in outside reading book.
• Comedy essay final draft due Monday.

Day 75:  Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Writing Workshop Day on Comedy Essay

Analysis of Assorted Comedy Clips (Student Choice)

Day 74:  Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Today's Goal:  To develop a formal outline for our essay, using our brainstorming from yesterday.  To work collaboratively to do this.

Standard Agenda:

• Share and discuss HW
• Examples of comedy clippage (see honors yesterday)
• Review outline format and essay expectations
• Work collaboratively to fill out outline (and HW check)

Standard HW:

• Initial draft of essay (try to use quotes).  Handwritten or typed.  You must have draft to participate in revision workshop tomorrow.

Honors Agenda:

• Share and discuss HW
• Collaborate to complete outline
• Amel's video of choice (Mr. Bean) - what comedic elements are present?

Honors HW:

• Typed draft of essay.  (Final product 2-3 pages, typed, due Monday). 

Day 73:  Monday, January 6, 2014

Today's Goal:

• To analyze comedic elements that are present in Earnest and our favorite films.

Standard Agenda:

• Do Now Journal:  What are some comedic elements that we know?  What are some types of comedy?  What are some examples of things we find funny?
• Discussion (access prior knowledge, reference bullet point list of elements from before break)
• Small groups:  Brainstorm various films that you know and how they contain comedic elements similar to those of Earnest

Honors Agenda:

• Standard agenda, with video clips (Napoleon Dynamite, Will's dumb dance, In a van down by the river) - ID what's funny

Tonight's HW (all classes):

• Brainstorm ideas for comedy essay
• Think of movies that have comedic connections.
• List concrete connections between movies and Earnest. 
• Formulate examples.

Day 72:  Friday, December 20, 2013

All classes:

• Importance of Being Earnest quiz
• Be Santa

HW for break:

• Spend time with family and friends.
• Get some rest.

Day 71:  Thursday, December 19, 2013

All classes:

• Read Literary 100 (honors:  link to last night's HW)
• Review elements of comedy
• Quiz review

Tonight's HW:  

• Prepare for tomorrow's quiz

Day 70:  Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Honors:

Today's Agenda:

• Share HW (3 questions)
• Begin Act 3 on video
• Discussion

Tonight's HW:

• Research Wilde's life on the internet.  Write 5-10 facts.  Then, write a statement about how you think these experiences impacted Wilde's work.

Standard:

Today's Goal:

• To view and discuss the final act of Earnest.

Today's Agenda:

• Review HW (Act 3 questions)
• View Act 3 (follow along with text)
• Discuss
  • comments, questions
  • recognition scene, all-inclusive resolution

Today's HW:

• Write one paragraph on each of the following:
  • How does the final scene function as a recognition scene?
  • As an all-inclusive resolution?

Day 69:  Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Standard:

Today's Standard Agenda:

• Share and submit HW
• Watch Act 2 on Video, Follow along in Text
• Discuss

Tonight's Standard HW:

• Answer 5 questions about Act 2 (on handout distributed in class).

On Tap for Tomorrow's Standard Class:

• Review HW, Watch Act 3 on Video, Follow along in Text, Discuss

Honors:

Today's Honors Agenda:

• Share and submit HW
• Read Act 3 Aloud
• Discuss

Tonight's Honors HW:

• Complete 3 discussion questions about Act 3:

1. Looking back now at Miss Prism's speeches early in the play, what is amusing about the things that she told Cecily about "speaking slightingly of the three-volume novel"?
2. A recognition scene is a scene near the end of a play when the characters who have previously had mistaken roles finally discover or reveal their true identities.  Discuss the recognition scene in the play.
3. Another traditional feature of comedy is the all-inclusiveness of the final resolution, when minor as well as major characters are brought into harmonious relationship.  What roles to all of the characters have in this all-inclusive resolution, including Prism and Chasuble?

Day 68:  Monday, December 16, 2013

Standard:

Today's Standard Agenda:

• Discuss Thursday Night's HW:  Lady Bracknell as a Blocking Figure
• View Meet the Parents clippage.  Discuss similarities between this scene and the scene in Act 1 of Earnest.
• Finish reading Act 1 (last four pages, as Jack and Algernon discuss Lady Bracknell, etc.)
• Complete Act 1 For Study and Discussion Questions

Today's Standard HW:

• Choose ONE of the two writing prompts below, and write 2-3 paragraphs on that topic:
  • Describe a situation in which you and a good friend became jealous and got into a dispute and later realized that the grounds were inaccurate.
  • Describe a time when someone looked down upon you although he or she had no reason. 

Looking Ahead to Tomorrow's Standard Class:

• Review Act 1 For Study and Discussion Questions
• Share Act 2 Writing Prompts
• Read Act 2 (and/or Clippage from Act 2)

Honors:

Today's Honors Agenda:

• Discuss Act 2 Questions (Thursday Night's HW)
• Watch Act 2 Clippage (:35-1:05 on DVD)
• Discuss Clippage

Today's Honors HW:

• Choose ONE of the two writing prompts below, and write a page on that topic:
  • Describe a situation in which you and a good friend got into a dispute and later realized that the grounds were inaccurate.
  • Describe a time when someone looked down upon you although he or she had no reason.
  • How does Wilde criticize the expectations of Victorian era society in this act?

Looking Ahead to Tomorrow's Honors Class:

• Pair and Share Act 2 Writing Prompts, Discuss
• Read Act 3
• Discuss Act 3
• Distribute Elements of Comedy Handout, and Respond to it for HW 

Day 64: Friday, December 13, 2013

Ms. Stevens's final day of student teaching :( 

Honors & Standard

Today's Goal: To share and discuss satirical authors from The Eggplant; to provide Ms. Stevens with feedback 

Agenda:

• Share and discuss articles
• Feedback Survey/Paper Crane Making

Tonight's Homework: Enjoy the weekend (and continue being awesome! Stay in touch with Ms. Stevens via email at sstevens@medford.k12.ma.us

Day 63: Thursday, December 12, 2013

Honors 

Today's Goal: To discuss the characterization, plot, and satire in Act I

Agenda:

• Pair Share Homework
• Discuss plot, characterization, and satire in Act I
• Read from Act I 
• Watch clippage from film version (Alergnon & Ceily)

Tonight's Homework: Finish reading Act II and complete Act II questions. 

Standard:

Today's goals: to discuss the plot, characterization, and satire of Act I

• Pair Share Homework
• Discuss characters and plot from opening scene
• Read Act I (scene where Jack proposes; Lady Bracknell disapproves) and discuss
• Watch the film version of the scene
• Discuss clip

Tonight's Homework: Write a 1-2 paragraph response where you explain why Lady Bracknell disapproves of Jack. 

Day 62: Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Honors & Standard: 

Agenda:

• Pair Share Homework
• Share Out
• Watch scene from The Importance of Being Earnest 
• Discuss basic plot, setting, and character elements

Tonight's Homework (Honors): Read the rest of Act I and write a 1-page summary and reponse. 

Tonight's Homework (Standard): Write a 1-2 paragraph synopsis/review of the scene we watched in class. Who are the characters and what do we learn about them so far?

Day 61:  Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Honors & Standard:

Agenda:

• Pair Share, Discuss, and Submit Homework
• Continue notes on the Victorian Era
• Read and discuss Bio of Oscar Wilde

Tonight's Homework (Honors):

• Read PART 1 of ACT 1 of The Importance of Being Earnest.  (Act 1 is divided into two parts on this website, so just do the first part for tonight.)
• Write a one-page summary and response.  (Comment on plot, summary, satire, Victorian Age, etc.) 

Tonight's Homework (Standard):

In The Importance of Being Earnest, the two main characters lie and pretend to be other people in order to avoid social obligations or to impress women. Write about a time in your life when you lied or pretended to be someone else. What reason did you have? What was the outcome? (1 paragraph)

Day 60:  Monday, December 9, 2013

Honors & Standard:

Agenda:

• Share Satirical Articles
• Notes on the Victorian Age
• Vile Victorians Videos

Tonight's Homework (Honors): Complete Victorian Values Graphic Organizer (4 bullet points per box) and write 1-page about how the Vile Victorians satirizes Victorian Values.

Tonight's Homework (Standard): Complet Victorian Values Graphic Organizer (3 bullet points per box). 

Day 59:  Friday, December 6, 2013

Agenda:

• Pair share homework
• Discuss similarities and differences between the Voyage to Lilliput and Voyage to Brobdingnag
• Watch clippage from Gulliver's Travels
• Introduce Eggplant News Satirical Article Assignment
• Small Groups Brainstorm Ideas

Tonight's Homework (Honors) Write two satirical articles and a reflection (see handout).

Tonight's Homework (Standard): Write 1 satirical article and reflection (see handout). 

Day 58: Thursday, December 5, 2013

Honors & Standard:

Today's Goal: To examine the satirical elements of Gulliver's Travels and discuss the social commentary the humor provides. 

Agenda

• Pair Share Homework
• Gulliver's Travels clippage
• Read and discuss Voyage to Brobdingnag

Tonight's Homework (Honors): Answer the Study and Discussion Questions for Gulliver's Travels. For extra credit: Answer the Literary Elements question where you compare Chaucer's use of satire with Swift's (1-2 paragraphs with quotes from at least 1 text). 

Tonight's Homework(Standard): Write 1-2 paragraph response to Gulliver's travels where you compare the Voyage to Lilliput to the Voyage to Brodingnag. How is Gulliver received differently by these different groups? What are the different values of these societies?

Day 57: Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Honors & Standard:

Today's Goal: to examine the social commentary in student examples of parody; to analyze an excerpt from Jonathan Swift's satirical nove, Gulliver's Travels.

Agenda

• Pair Share song parodies
• Background on Jonathan Swift
• Read and Discuss A Voyage to Lilliput

Tonight's Homework (Honors): Finish reading A Voyage to Lilliput and write a 1-page response where you identify examples of satire within the text. These can be examples of satirical techniques (exaggeration, reversal, incongruity, parody) or just satirical moments in the text (where it's clear someone or something is being mocked). Lastly, explain what criticism or social commentary the satire provides. 

Tonight's Homework (Standard) Write a 1-2 paragraph prediction about what you think A Voyage to Brobdingnag will be about. Remember that in A Voyage to Lilliput, Gulliver is surrounded by natives who are much smaller than him. In Brobdingnag, people are twelve times his size. How might his experiences differ there?

Day 56: Tuesday, December 3, 2013 

Honors & Standard:

Today's Goal: to share text and video examples of satire and identify the four techniques (reversal, exaggeration, incongruity, and parody); to analyze song parodies and identify the criticism or commentary

Agenda:

• Pair Share Homework
• Share Out Articles and Videos
• Watch and discuss Read So Hard, and It's Finally Ironic
• Small Groups: Brainstorm song parody ideas

Tonight's Homework: Write your own parody of an existing song. 

Day 55: Monday, December 2, 2013

Honors & Standard:

• Introduction to Satire PowerPoint 
• Discuss Videos: Shrek, Monty Python Hell's Grannies, The Tick
• Read and discuss onion article, "Facebook Version of Marriage Going Great"

Tonight's Homework (Standard): Find an article from theonion.com, print it out, and underline at least one example of one of the satirical techniques we talked about in class.

Tonight's Homework (Honors): Find an article from theonion.com, print it out, and write a 1-page satirical analysis where you identify the satirical devices being employed, and identify the commentary or criticism that the article provides. 

Day 54: Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Honors & Standard:

Today's Goal: To revisit our goals from the beginning of the year, reflect on our progress so far, and set short-term goals.

Day 53: Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Honors & Standard:

Today's Goal: To examine how the Pardoner's Tale reflects the teller; to share Canterbury Tales Projects

Agenda:

• Share Projects
• Work on Pardoner's Tale discussion question

Tonight's Homework: Write about the assignment from Q1 that you are most proud of and why. Alternatively, what is something you'd like to time spend more time working on (e.g., organizing ideas, crafting a thesis, reading comprehension, etc.). 

Day 53: Monday, November 25, 2013

On tap for tomorrow: share projects!

Honors & Standard:

Today's Goal: To read and discuss the Pardoner's Tale; to consider how the tale reflects the teller

Agenda:

• Reread the description of the Pardoner from the General Prologue and make predictions about his tale
• Cast characters
• Read and discuss the Pardoner's Tale
• Small groups: Touch base on Canterbury Tales projects

Tonight's Homework: Canterbury Tales projects due tomorrow.

Day 52: Friday, November 22, 2013

Standard:

Today's Goal: To practice test taking strategies for the MCAS

• Agenda:
• Outside Reading
• Small groups: Review answers and share assess responses

Work on Canterbury Tales project

Tonight's Homework: Canterbury Tales project due Tuesday

Honors:

Today's Goal: To practice test taking strategies for the MCAS

Agenda:

• Outside Reading
• Small groups: Review answers and assess open responses
• Work on Canterbury Tales project

Tonight's Homework: Canterbury Tales project due Tuesday

Day 51: Thursday, November 21, 2013

Standard:

Today's Goal: To contrast the Miller's tale with the Knight's Tale; to explain how the Miller's Tale satirizes the chivalric romance.

Agenda:

• Review T Chart
• Introduce Canterbury Tales Project Options
• Small groups: Brainstorm project options

Tonight's Homework: Who Murdered Chaucer MCAS packet

Honors:

Today's Goal: To contrast the Miller's tale with the Knight's Tale; to explain how the Miller's Tale satirizes the chivalric romance.

Agenda:

• Review T Chart
• Introduce Canterbury Tales Project Options
• Small groups: Brainstorm project ideas

Tonight's Homework: Who Murdered Chaucer MCAS Packet

Day 51: Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Standard: To read and analyze the Miller's Tale; to think about how the tale reflects the teller and satirizes the chivalric romance

Agenda:

• Discuss report cards
• Read and discuss Miller's Tale
• Fill out T Chart in small groups

Tonight's homework: 1 page response (with 3 talking points) to question at the bottom of the T Chart (standard). 

Honors:

Today's Goal: To read and analyze the Miller's Tale; to think about how the tale reflects the teller and satirizes the chivalric romance

Agenda:

• Read, annotate, and discuss The Miller's Tale

Tonight's Homework: Fill out T Chart for the Miller's Tale. Answer Honors question at the bottom of the sheet (1-page response). 

Day 50: Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Standard: 

Today's Goal:  To read and analze the Miller's Tale; study how the tale reflects the teller and satirizes  the chivalric romance.

Agenda

• Share predictions
• Miller's Tale
• Discuss Questions
• Ticket Out

Tonight's Homework: Answer two Miller's Tale questions 

Honors:

Today's Goal: To read and analze the Miller's Tale; study how the tale reflects the teller and satirizes  the chivalric romance

Agenda:

• Pair share predictions/versions of the Miller's Tale
• Share out predictions
• Read, analyze, and discuss the Miller's Tale

Tonight's Homework: Answer two questions from the Miller's Tale (1 paragraph for each and try to use quotes)

Day 49: Monday, November 18, 2013

Standard:

Today's Goal: To study how the tale reflects the teller; to make a prediction about the Miller's Tale

Agenda:

• Knight's Tale Wrap Up
• Description from General Prologue
• Miller's Prologue
• Prediction

Tonight's Homework: Finish prediction

Honors:

Today's Goal: To study how the tale reflects the teller; to make a prediction about the Miller's Tale

Agenda:

• Do Now: Knight's Tale vs. Miller's Tale T Chart
• Fill in T Chart
• Share and Submit Essays
• Revisit General Prologue description of the Miller
• Read The Miller's prologue
• Make predictions

Tonight's Homework: Write your own version of the Miller's Tale (or a prediction of what you think it will be about). 

Day 48: Friday, November 15, 2013

Standard:

Today's Goal: to examine the elements of a chivalric romance; read and discuss the Knight's Tale section 4 and practice active reading strategies. 

Agenda:

• Outside Reading
• Chivalric Romance PowerPoint
• Share predictions from HW
• Read section 4
• Ticket Out: How did your prediction match up with what happened?

Tonight's Homework: To fill out the left side of the graphic organizer with appropriate relating The Knight’s Tale.

Honors:

Today's Goal: To discuss the Knight's Tale and whether the outcome of the battle is just; to work on crafting a focused and specific thesis

Agenda:

• Outside reading
• Discuss outcome of the battle and the elements of a chivalric romance
• How to Write A Thesis About Bacon PowerPoint
• Thesis Peer Edit

Tonight's Homework: To write a short, well-supported persuasive essay (2-3 paragraphs) about the outcome of the battle.

Day 47: Thursday, November 14, 2013

Standard:

Today's Goal: To analyze the depiction of Chaucer in A Knight's Tale; to make predictions about The Knight's Tale

Agenda:

• Watch and discuss the remainder of the film
• Elements of the chivalric romance
• Begin reading sections 1-3 of The Knight's Tale

Tonight's Homework: Write the 4th scene of the Knight's Tale. Even though this is your prediction of what you think will happen, write your response as a continuation of the story. 

Honors:

Today's Goal: To learn about the elements of the chivalric romance; To analyze the depiction of Chaucer in A Knight's Tale

Agenda:

• Watch and discuss clippage from A Knight's Tale
• Chivalric Romance PowerPoint
• Begin reading A Knight's Tale

Tonight's Homework: Read part 4 of A Knight's Tale and annotate for elements of the chivalric romance. Write one paragraph about one element of the chivalric romance in the text. Use quotes and explain how it represents the chosen element. 

Day 46: Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Standard: 

Today's Goal: To watch A Knight's Tale and to draw connections between the Canterbury Tales and the film.

• Watch A Knight's Tale and answer guided viewing questions

Honors: 

Today's Goal: To assess our understanding of characters in the Canterbury Tales; to draw connections between the Canterbury Tales and the film, A Knight's Tale.

Agenda:

• Canterbury Tales Character Quiz
• Watch clippage from A Knight's Tale 
• Work on guided viewing questions

Tonight's Homework: Answer guided viewing questions and write a paragraph on what you learned from A Night's Tale about the process of becoming a Knight.

 Day 45: Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Standard:

Today's Goals: To turn in any makeup work, revisions, or extra credit; to watch clips from A Knight's Tale and answer guided viewing questions

Agenda:

• Submit makeup work, revisions, extra credit
• Make up quizes or test
• Watch clippage from A Knight's Tale 

Tonight's Homework: Work on guided viewing questions

Honors:

Today's Goal: To examine characterization of the Pardoner, the Summoner, and the Host; to finish reading and taking notes on the General Prologue of the Canterbury Tales

Agenda

• Review characters from Friday's homework (Pardoner, Summoner, and Host)
• Discuss the closing stanzas of the General Prologue
• Hand back Beowulf tests and essays

Tonight's Homework: Study for Canterbury Tales Character Quiz

Day 44: Friday, November 8, 2013

Honors:

Today's Goal: to examine Chaucer's characterization of various characters; to compare and contrast characters

Agenda:

• Outside reading
• Review notes on the Parson, the Plowman, The Miller, and the Manciple
• Continue reading from the General Prologue and take notes on new characters

Standard:

Today's Goal: To work on MCAS test taking strategies and english fundamentals skills.

Agenda:

• Outside Reading
• Share and submit group tales
• Collaborate on Canterbury Tales MCAS packet
• Individual conferences with Mr. Ambrose regarding grades and makeup work

Tonight's Homework: Makeup, revisions, and extra credit due Tuesday

Day 44:  Thursday, November 7, 2013

Standard:

Today's Goal:

• To assess our understanding of Chaucer's direct and indirect characterization.

Today's Agenda:

• Quiz - 25 matching questions, 1 open response
  • Open response:  Select one character from The Canterbury Tales.  Write 1-2 paragraphs on what we know about this character via direct and indirect characterization.
• Correct matching
• Collaborate to write a story from the perspective of one of the characters (select from Knight, Wife of Bath, Miller, Reeve, Pardoner)

Thursday's Standard HW:

• Be sure to have all make-up work and revisions submitted by Tuesday.
• Bring in outside reading book for Friday.

On tap for Friday for Standard:

• Outside Reading
• Share Collaborative Stories
• MCAS-style Canterbury Tales questions and passages
• Touch base with each student individually regarding grades
• HW for the weekend will be to do make-up work and revisions (and also a book review for extra credit)

Honors:

Today's Goal:

• To examine Chaucer's characterization of characters.
• To compare and contrast characters.

Today's Agenda:

• Pair/share monologues and share out with class
• Continue reading from the General Prologue and take notes on new characters

Tonight's Honors HW:

• Read about the next four characters.
• Write bullet notes for each.
• Quiz on characters in the Tales on Tuesday.
• Here is the link for reading about the characters.

Day 43:  Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Standard:

Today's Goal:

• To examine characterization of the remaining characters.
• To review for the quiz.

Today's Agenda:

• Review HW (p. 79 questions)
  • Pair and Share (+ HW check)
  • Large Group
• Review Final Stanzas of the General Prologue
• Review for Tomorrow's Quiz
• Collaborate in small groups to write a story from a certain character's perspective
  • Choose from the Knight, the Wife of Bath, the Pardoner, the Miller, or the Reeve

Tonight's Standard HW:

• Prepare for the Canterbury Tales Quiz
• You can try using www.shmoop.com.

Honors:

Today's Goals:

• To examine characterization of new characters and to practice effective note-taking skills.

Today's Agenda:

• Review homework and add to your notes on characters
• Continue reading from the General Prologue and take notes on new characters
• Download notes from today's class here.

Tonight's Honors HW:

• Read about the next four characters.  
• Write a monologue for one.
• Quiz on characters in The Canterbury Tales on Tuesday.

Day 42:  Monday, November 4, 2013

Standard:

• Today's Goals:
  • To analyze direct and indirect characterization.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Share and discuss HW (monologue)
  • Read about five final characters
  • Download notes from today's class here
  • Small groups
    • Check HW
    • Answer Reading Check questions
• Tonight's HW: 
  • Answer Canterbury Tales questions on page 79 of the textbook.
  • Questions 1-10 in Reading Check - one or two word answers are fine
  • Questions 1-4 in For Study and Discussion - full sentences and even short paragraphs where appropriate
  • Here is a link that has the complete text of The Canterbury Tales.  Just scroll down and click on the appropriate link for The Prologue.

Honors:

• Today's Goals:
  • To identify and analyze characterization in The Canterbury Tales.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Share remaining Beowulf projects
  • Analyze and discuss first four characters in The Canterbury Tales (review HW)
  • Read and discuss the Monk
  • Download notes from today's class here
• Tonight's HW:  
  • Read the next four characters' description.  Write four bullet points about each character.  
  • Use this link to see the text in its entirety.

Day 41:  Friday, November 1, 2013

Standard:

• Today's Agenda:
  • Outside Reading
  • Read and discuss and take notes on more characters from The Canterbury Tales
• Tonight's Standard HW:
  • Write a monologue from the perspective of any of the characters that we have met so far (one page, prose or verse).
• Standard On Tap for Monday:
  • Finish up prologue with the last five characters, the conceit, and the story-telling contest!

Honors:

• Today's Agenda:
  • Outside Reading
  • Share Beowulf projects
• Tonight's Honors HW:
  • Read about the first four characters of the tales.  Written response as described by Ms. Stevens in class.
  • Use this link here to read the text.  Scroll down, click on "Canterbury Tales - Prologue" and begin reading.

Day 40:  Thursday, October 31, 2013

Ms. Stevens teaches about the history of Halloween with clippage for the History Channel

Honors:  Additionally, read and discuss "Tell Tale Heart"

Standard:  Additionally, read and respond to two nonfiction information texts about Halloween from Mr. Heinegg

Tonight's HW:  Enjoy Halloween!

Day 39:  Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Standard:

Today's Goal:  To read and analyze characters through direct and indirect characterization.

Today's Agenda:

• Discuss and submit HW (2 paragraphs)
• Read about 10 characters - take notes
• Download notes here.



Tonight's HW:  Two paragraphs on a character direct and indirect characterization (just like last night).

Honors:

Today's Goal:  To write your own archetype poems.  To analyze use of characterization.

Today's Agenda:

• Return to writing your own archetype poem
• Read and discuss scenes from The Canterbury Tales

Tonight's HW:  NO HOMEWORK!  YOU"VE BEEN WORKING HARD!

Day 38:  Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Standard:

Today's Goal:  To examine direct and indirect characterization in Chaucer's description of 10 characters.

Today's Agenda:

• Discuss and submit HW (5 similarities between rap and original)
• Read knight, squire, yeoman, nun, nun's companions, monk
• Download notes from today's class here.

Today's HW:  Pick one character from today's class.  Write two paragraphs about that character:  (1) What do we learn about the character through direct characterization? (2) What do we learn about the character through indirect characterization?

On tap for tomorrow:  Direct and indirect characterization with 10 more characters.

Honors:

Today's Goal:  To write your own archetype poem; to examine a modern version of The Canterbury Tales.

Today's Agenda:

• Read Mr. Ambrose's example - The Try Hard
• Warm up writing prompt - write 20 lines about your chosen archetype
• Listen to Baba Brinkman's General Prologue rap; talk about questions with everyone.
• Read opening stanza of The General Prologue

Today's HW:  Work on Beowulf project - due tomorrow.

On tap for tomorrow:  First 10 characters of the Tales, plus an honors supplemental reading.

Day 37:  Monday, October 28, 2013

Standard:

Today's Goals:  To perform a formative assessment of MCAS skills.  To introduce and understand the "frame" of The Canterbury Tales.

Today's Agenda:

• Review and score MCAS
  • "Essentials of Fencing" from 2011 MCAS
  • multiple choice answers
  • sample open response - scored a 4
  • score your own work based on this model and submit
• Listen to General Prologue rap
• Small groups - answer prologue rap questions
• Review questions
• Discuss concept of frame story - How I Met Your Mother
• Begin reading General Prologue - read introduction up to the knight

Tonight's Standard HW:  Write about 5 concrete ways that the rap echoes the text (5-10 sentences in bullet point or paragraph form).

On tap for tomorrow:  Review HW, read about 10 characters, some in large group, some in small groups

Honors:

Today's Goals:  To introduce terms and context of The Canterbury Tales.  To generate examples of archetypes and personal pilgrimages.

Today's Agenda:

• Introduce Canterbury Tales terms and context
• Write about your own pilgrimage
• Small groups:  Come up with teenage and adult examples
• Wrap up:  Share examples
• Download a PowerPoint of today's activities here.

On tap for tomorrow:  Mr. Ambrose's example of an archetype poem, write your own archetype poem, Canterbury Tales rap, read and discuss opening stanzas

Day 36:  Friday, October 25, 2013

Standard:

Today's Goal:  To work on fundamental reading comprehension skills.

Today's Agenda:

• Outside Reading
• Share archetype poems
• Read aloud in a circle - nonfiction - "Fencing Essentials" from Spring 2011 MCAS
  • Give students a few minutes to preview questions and underline key words
  • Have students read open response question, restate it in their own words, and introduce this as the lens through which we view the passage
  • Read aloud, discuss main ideas, highlight and annotate, find examples involving "safety precautions" - the open response question
  • Small groups - answer multiple choice and plan out open response (and HW check)

This Weekend's Standard HW: 

• Finish multiple choice for Fencing Essentials MCAS passage
• Write open respone for Fencing Essentials MCAS passage

Standard - On tap for next week:

• Monday - Review MCAS packet from HW Intro Canterbury Tales, Day 2
• Tuesday - General Prologue
• Wednesday - General Prologue
• Thursday - General Prologue
• Friday - Canterbury Tales MCAS

Honors:

Today's Goal:  To work on Beowulf project.

Today's Agenda:

• Outside reading
• Work on Beowulf project

This weekend's Honors HW:

• Work on Beowulf project.  Due Wednesday.

Honors - On tap for next week:

• Monday - Intro Canterbury Tales, Day 1
• Tuesday - Intro Canterbury Tales, Day 2
• Wednesday - General Prologue
• Thursday - General Prologue
• Friday - Share Beowulf projects, wrap up from the week, Canterbury Tales MCAS

Day 35:  Thursday, October 24, 2013

Standard:

• Today's Goals:  To introduce The Canterbury Tales by discussing the notion of a pilgrimage and by examing a few modern examples of archetypes/stereotypes.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Review terms - archetype, stereotype, pilgrimage
  • Journal and Discussion - Where would you want to go on a pilgrimage?
  • Examine and discuss TV examples
  • Small Groups
  • Share examples from small groups
  • Download PowerPoint from today here.
• Tonight's HW:  20-30 line description of your character archetype
• On tap for tomorrow:  Outside reading, MCAS preparation (multiple choice and outline open response in class), HW for the weekend:  write open response

Honors:

• Today's Goals:  To assess our understanding of the Beowulf unit.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Review Beowulf project options.
  • Beowulf test (be sure to complete Honors supplement)
• Tonight's HW:  Work on Beowulf project.  Bring in materials to work on it in class.  Bring in outside reading book.
• On tap for tomorrow:  Outside reading, MCAS warm-up, work in groups on Beowulf project. HW for weekend:  Complete Beowulf project

Day 34:  Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Standard:

• Today's Goals:  To assess our understanding of the Beowulf unit.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Beowulf test
• Today's HW:
  • No HW due tomorrow.  
• On tap for tomorrow:  Canterbury Tales intro

Honors:

• Today's Goals:  To engage in Socratic seminar on John Gardner's Grendel.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Share and discuss John Gardner's quote
  • Share open response for tomorrow (both in this PowerPoint)
  • Socratic Seminar
  • Beowulf test review
• Today's HW:
  • Study for Beowulf test.  Download test review here.
  • Here is the open response if the link for the PowerPoint above does not work:
  • In the following passage, analyze the function of point of view in John Gardner’s Grendel. Using evidence from the text, explain how Grendel’s perspective affects or complicates the reader’s understanding of the epic poem, Beowulf. (Hint: Why does John Gardner choose to write from Grendel’s point of view and what does this narrative offer us? Consider Gardner’s narration and characterization of Grendel.)
• On tap for tomorrow:  Beowulf test

Day 33:  Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Standard:

• Today's Goals:  To compare and contrast various Beowulf clips; to prepare for Beowulf test.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Share Beowulf projects
  • View clippage (Beowulf vs. dragon scene)
  • Discuss clippage
  • Test review
• Today's HW:  Study for Beowulf test.  DOWNLOAD TEST REVIEW HERE!

Honors:

• Today's Goals:  To write open-ended discussion questions and to engage in a Socratic seminar on John Gardner's Grendel.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Share letters to John Gardner
  • Review PowerPoint regarding Socratic seminar questions
  • Write two open-ended discussion questions
  • Socratic Seminar (part 1 of 2)
• Today's HW:  Write a really awesome open-ended question.

Day 32:  Monday, October 21, 2013

Standard:

• Today's Goals:  To share our Beowulf projects.  To examine analyze the representation of a key scene Beowulf in two mediums (print and film).
• Today's Agenda:
  • Share Beowulf projects
  • View exposition scenes from the film Beowulf and Grendel while filling out front side of guided viewing sheet
  • Discuss your thoughts on the film
• Today's HW: Complete the front side of the guided viewing sheet. 

Honors:

• Today's Goals:  To examine the characterization of Grendel and compare it with the rendering in the orginal poem.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Download today's Grendel PowerPoint here.
  • Pair and share HW
  • Examine Grendel PowerPoint
  • Make annotations to text based on the three guiding philosophies from the PowerPoint
  • Circle Discussion on Grendel as a philosophical
• Today's HW:  Read John Gardner's letter to his students.  Write a response.

Day 31:  Friday, October 18, 2013

Standard:

• Today's Goals:

Honors:

• Today's Goals:

Day 30:  Thursday, October 17, 2013

Honors:

Today's Goal:  To work on writing skills like embedding and citing quotes and developing a strong, specific, and concise thesis statement.

Today's Agenda:

• Elementary Principles of Composition PPT
• Thesis Workshopping
• Distribute sheets on embedding quotes, creating Beowulf works cited page, and translation essay rubric
• Peer edit and work on essays

Thursday's Honors HW:

• Complete final draft of translation essay assignment.  Bring in outside reading book.

Standard:

Day 29:  Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Honors:

Standard:

Day 28:  Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Honors:

• Columbus Day Lesson
• Tuesday's HW:  Write about another Beowulf Translation 

Standard:

• Today's Goals:  To begin planning out your Beowulf project.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Hand back work
  • Individual one-on-one conferencing regarding grades
  • Small group work on projects
• Tuesday's HW:  Work on Beowulf projects. 

Day 27:  Friday, October 11, 2013

Honors:

• Today's Goal:  To review grmmar rules for taking the PSATs; to explain the translation analysis assigment.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Outside reading
  • Go over Beowulf translation analysis assignment
  • Hand back essays!
• HW:  Read and write a one-page response to the Columbus Day article.

Standard:

• Today's Goal:  To practice taking the PSATs.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Turn in any missing work
  • Work on section 5 of PSAT booklet
  • Outside reading
• HW:  Continue working on Beowulf project.

Day 26:  Thursday, October 10, 2013

Honors:

• Today's Goal:  To compare/contrast and analyze different translations of Beowulf.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Share kennings
  • Beowulf clippage (of the funny Beowulf man)
  • Read and discuss Lehmann's imitative translation
  • Small groups:  Compare/contrast and analyze different translations
• HW:  Section 5 of PSAT booklet.  Translation essay for next week.

Standard: 

• Today's Goal:  To continue our study of kennings and create our own; to begin brainstorming project options.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Review HW
  • Go over kennings
  • Create your own kennings
  • Introduce Boewulf project options
  • Begin brainstorming project
• HW:  Make up any missing assignments.

Day 25:  Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Today's Goal:  Analyze and discuss, plot, characterization, and literary devices in the battle with the dragon.

Today's Agenda:

• Pair and share HW (+HW check) 
  • Standard = 3 examples of villain archetypes
  • Honors = response to battle with dragon
• Read and discuss battle with dragon
  • Standard = read aloud and take it stanza by stanza
  • Honors = read selected passages and discuss in detail (performing a close reading, because they read and prepared it last night)
  • Download talking points on this battle here
• Small Group - Kenning Contest (10 minutes, work with group, submit one sheet per group for extra credit)

Tonight's HW:

• Honors:  Create 10 original kennings from your world.
• Standard:  Write a two paragraph compare/contrast on two of Beowulf's battle.

Day 24:  Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Standard:

• Today's Goal:  To examine various villain archetypes; to analyze the plot and characterization in the battle with Grendel's mother.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Share illustrations
  • Read and discuss the battle with Grendel's mother
    • Download talking points here
  • Look at various villain archetypes
    • Download the PowerPoint here
• Tonight's HW:  Write about 3 examples of villain archetypes from movies, literature, or TV.

Honors:

• Today's Goal:  To examine various villain archetypes; to analyze the plot and charaterization of the battle with Grendel's mother.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Pair and share HW
  • Finish looking at remaining archetypes
  • Discuss battle with Grendel's mother
• Tonight's HW:  To read and annotate the battle with the dragon scene.

Day 23:  Monday, October 7, 2013

Standard:

• Today's Goal:  To see how Beowulf has appeared on the MCAS.  To analyze plot and characterization in the Battle with Grendel scene.
• Today's Agenda:
  • MCAS (correct and submit)
    • Small group - review answers
    • Large group - review and submit (have students score)
  • Read aloud and discuss Battle with Grendel
• Tonight's HW:  Illustration or description of Grendel with FIVE references to the text.
• On tap for tomorrow:  Share illustrations, Villain Archetypes, Read Grendel's Mother Battle

Honors:

• Today's Goal:  To analyze the battle with Grendel.  To learn about various archetypes.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Small Group (discuss HW + HW check)
  • Large Group (discuss Battle with Grendel - questions, summary, graphic organizer)
  • Villain Archetypes PPT
• Tonight's HW:  Read with Grendel's Mom.  Write a response - how does it differ from the Battle with Grendel? 
• On tap for tomorrow:  Discuss Battle with Grendel's Mom, Remaining Male and Female Archetypes, Other Examples of Archetypes, Kennings if time allows

Day 22:  Friday, October 4, 2013

Standard:

• Today's Goal:  To analyze and discuss an Anglo-Saxon poem from the female perspective.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Share and submit taunts/boasts
  • Read and discuss "Wife's Lament"
  • Outside Reading
• This Weekend's HW:  Beowulf MCAS handout - multiple choice and open response (Heaney translation of Battle with Dragon)

Honors:

• Today's Goal:  To analyze and discuss an Anglo-Saxon poem from a female perspective.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Share and submit HW
  • Wrap up "Wife's Lament" discussion
  • PSAT Preparation - begin session 1
  • Outside Reading
• This Weekend's HW:  Read the Battle with Grendel.  Write a one page summary.  Complete graphic organizer about kennings, alliteration, allusion, etc. from Ms. Stevens.

Day 21:  Thursday, October 3, 2013

Honors:

• Today's Goal:  To analyze the female voice in Anglo-Saxon writing.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Share taunts
  • Wife's Lament lesson

• Tonight's HW:  Rewrite a scene of Beowulf from the perspective of a female character.
• On tap for tomorrow:  Wrap up wife's lament discussion, outside reading, PSAT 1 

Standard:

• Today's Goal:  To analyze the Unferth's taunt scene and to write our own taunt/boast
• Today's Agenda:
  • Discuss summary and tone of Unferth's taunt scene (from HW last night)
  • Discuss what a taunt is
  • Share bridesmaid dueling toast scene; discuss
  • Share student samples of taunts/boasts
  • Work on your own or with a partner on a boast
• Tonight's HW:  Write your own modernized rap version of Unferth's Taunt or Beowulf's Boast.  Shoot for 10-20 lines.
• On tap for tomorrow:  outside reading, share and submit taunts, wife's lament lesson, maybe a bit of PSAT or MCAS

Day 20:  Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Honors:

• Today's Goal:  To explore the characterization of Beowulf, Grendel, and Unferth.  To make inferences baout these characters.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Small Group:  Review SCQLIV on the coming of Beowulf (+HW check)
  • Large Group:  Discuss coming of Beowulf
  • Introduce concept of Unferth's taunt
  • Read taunt scene aloud and discuss
  • Distribute students samples of write your own taunt assignment
• Tonight's HW:  Write your own modernized rap version of Unferth's Taunt or Beowulf's Boast.  Shoot for 10-20 lines.

Standard:

• Today's Goal:  To explore the chrcterization of Beowulf, Grendel, and Unferth.  To make inferences about these characters.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Review SCQLIV on the coming of Grendel
  • Share Grendel illustration, discuss, submit
  • Read aloud the coming of Beowulf and discuss
  • Distribute map and family tree
  • Define kenning and alliteration
  • Small group:  summarize, comment on characterization, and identify one kenning and one instance of alliteration in the passage we just read
• Tonight's HW:  Read lines 500-600 (the section known as Unferth's taunt).  Write a response that summarizes the taunt and characterizes its TONE.

On tap for tomorrow:  Honors - share and submit taunts, Ms. Stevens's Wife's Lament lesson, HW: response to gender roles, Standard - discuss tone and summary of Unferth's taunt, check out some modern examples, start to write your own, Wife's Lament, HW: Finish taunt

Day 19:  Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Honors:

• Today's Goals:  Identify and analyze the poet's use of literary devices nd how they connect to major themes.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Sara Stevens Writing Warm-up (response to Heaney's quote) journal and discussion
  • Distribute and review map/family tree
  • Close reading of lines 64-169 (building of Heorot Hall, coming of Grendel)
• Tonight's Honors HW:  Read lines 209-499 and complete SCQLIV

Standard:

• Today's Goals:  To examine the direct and indirect characterization of Grendel.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Share HW (comitatus - modern-day)
  • Read Coming of Grendel (and building of Heorot) in Heaney translation
  • Complete SCQLIV for Grendel scene (+HW check)
• Tonight's Standard HW:  Draw a picture of Grendel or write a detailed description of Grendel.

Here is a great link for the Heaney translation of Beowulf!

Day 18:  Monday, September 30, 2013

Honors:

• Today's Goal:  To examine the historical context in which Beowful was written.
• Today's Agenda:
  • Pair and share HW and extra credit (historical context of Beowulf and your own research)
  • Beowulf PowerPoint
  • Scene from Lord of the Rings (Fellowship, Disc 2, chapter 17) - journal and discussion on how this constitutes a comitatus
  • Distribute and read aloud epic poem handout
• Today's HW:  Read and annotate Beowulf up to line 209.

Standard:

• Today's Goal:  To examine the historical context in which Beowulf was written.
• Today's Agneda:
  • Share and collect Bliss essays
  • Beowulf PowerPoint
  • Scene from Lord of the Rings (Fellowship, Disc 2, chapter 17) - journal and discussion on how this constitutes a comitatus
  • Distribute and review epic poem handout
• Tonight's HW:  Write 2 paragraphs about a modern-day comitatus

On tap for tomorrow:

• All classes:  Beowulf's name history, map of Daneland and Geatland
• Honors:  Do Now - read and respond to Heaney intro, review family tree, answer questions for Shielf Sheafson section, read excerpts from Grendel scene with focus, small groups ID focus, Wrap up, HW: read coming of Beowulf
• Standard:  Review HW (modern day comitatus examples), read coming of Grendel, discuss, complete SCQLIV, review, HW: illustration or descriptive passage of Grendel

Day 17:  Friday, September 27, 2013

Today's Goals:

• To read our outside reading books.
• To wrap up from the week.
• To work on our writing.

Today's Agenda:

• Standard
  • Outside Reading
  • Work on bliss essay - writing workshop
• Honors
  • Outside Reading
  • Review MCAS diagnostic
  • Work on writing contest essay - writing workshop

This Weekend's HW:

• Standard:  Finish bliss essay
• Honors:  Read and respond to Beowulf background sheet.

On tap for Monday:  Beowulf intro, the epic poem genre, comitatus and Beowulf notes, begin reading opening, perhaps Anglo-Saxon passage for homework, Honors:  review reading from weekend

Day 16:  Thursday, September 26, 2013

Day 15:  Wednesday, September 25, 2013 

Day 14:  Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Today's Goals:

• Wrap up monomyth presentations.
• Standard:  Additionally, work on revising and planning essays.

Today's Agenda:

• Resume presentations
• Honors:  review Bliss assignments
• Standard:  Ms. Stevens's writing stations

Tonight's HW:

• Honors:  Bliss essay due Thursday
• Standard:  Hero's journey essay due tomorrow

Day 13:  Monday, September 23, 2013

Today's Goals:

• To work on oral presentation skills and to review concepts of the hero's journey.

Today's Agenda:

• Review rubric for Hero's Journey poster and essay
• Small Group Presentations
• Present Prezi/Poster to Large Group

Tonight's HW:

• Standard:  one page draft/outline/graphic organizer on hero's journey essay prompt
• Honors:  work on follow your bliss essay

Friday, September 20, 2013

Today's Goals:

• To practice analyzing literature and film in relation to the hero's journey.

Today's Agenda:

• Outside Reading
• View and discuss clippage from Finding Joe
  • brief clip about plane crash at :55
  • last ten minutes of film
  • discuss
• HONORS:  Literary Circle summer reading discussion questions (as a practice for discussion), STANDARD:  Review session 3 of 2013 MCAS (MCAS diagnostic)

This Weekend's HW:

• Honors:  visual AND essay for hero's journey project
• Standard:  visual for hero's journey project (essay component is due on Wednesday)

On tap for next week:

• Monday:  H - present visuals and then do bliss, S - present visuals and then work on monomyth essay
• Tuesday:  H - bliss (creative exercises), S - work on monomyth essay (writing workshops)
• Wednesdy:  H - introduce Beowful, S - creative exercises from Tuesday (submit monomyth essay)
• Thursday:  H - Beowulf!, S - TBD
• Friday:  outside reading, weekly wrap up, MCAS diagnostics review

Day 11:  Thursday, September 19, 2013

Today's Goal:

• Discuss main ideas in Finding Joe.
• Relate to your own experiences.

Today's Agenda:

• Watch and discuss clippage from Finding Joe
  • First 12 or so minutes of chapter 1
  • First 12 or so minutes of chapter 3
• Pause and discuss guiding questions from guiding question sheet

• Journal on bliss, pair and shre

Today's HW:

On tap for tomorrow:

• Outside reading
• Honors:  lit circle discussions
• Finding Joe clip?
• MCAS diagnostic review
• Touch base on poster
• HW for the weekend:  Honors:  poster/visual and essay, Standard:  poster/visual

Day 10:  Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Today's Goal:

• To review the elements of the hero's journey. 
• To practice crtical reading skills with nonfiction texts.

Today's Agenda:

• Check in on graphic organizers
• Ms. Stevens's small group discussion questions on yesterday's exit slip
• Review particulars of the hero's journey project
• Work in small groups on graphic organizers

Tonight's HW:

• Work on hero's journey poster/essay

Day 9:  Monday, September 16, 2013

Ms. Stevens's awesome lesson on the hero's journey is today!

Download the lesson plan here.

Day 8:  Friday, September 13, 2013

Today's Goal:

• To continue to examine the stages of the hero's journey.

Today's Agenda:

• Honors only: collect HW (explain to students that we will compile these questions for next Friday's lit circle)
• Wrap up hero's jouney Prezi
• Outside reading

On tap for Monday:  Ms. Stevens will do a lesson that follows the following arc:

• Honors:  share and discuss HW, finish Prezi and discuss examples, begin graphic organizer
• Standard:  address HW (it was chllenging), journal: a connection to your own "ordeal" and share, finish Prezi and discuss examples, begin graphic organizer

Day 7:  Thursday, September 12, 2013

Today's Goals:

• To look at examples of different kinds of heroes.
• To examine the stages of the hero's journey.

Today's Agenda:

• Share out examples of heroes from the HW
• View and discuss trailer for Finding Joe
• View and discuss Matrix/Monomyth clippage
• The Hero's Journey Prezi (first 3 stages)

Tonight's HW:

• Standard:  Bring in an outside reading book
• Honors:  3-4 open-ended questions about EACH summer reading book.  Additionally, bring in an outside reading book.

On tap for tomorrow:

• Standard:  Outside reading, review MCAS diagnostic (extensive review)
• Honors:  Outside reading, review MCAS diagnostic, small lit circle groups for discussion (check HW on clipboard)

Day 6:  Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Today's Goals:

• To wrap up our discussion of Theme for English B.
• To come up with a common definition of the term "hero."

Today's Agenda:

• Ms. Stevens wraps up Theme for English B
• Four of a Kind
• Share and discuss HW (Definition of a Hero)
• Read excerpt from John McCain's Why Courage Matters
• Small Groups - come up with a common definition of "hero," HW check)
• Present out and discuss definitions

Tonight's HW:

• Standard - one paragraph about who your hero is and why; include a photo for extra credit
• Honors - one page about who your hero is and why; include photo for extra credit

Day 5:  Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Today's Goals:

• To practice analyzing and discussing modern poetry.
• To draw connections between poetry and the historical context of the Harlem Renaissance.

Today's Agenda:

• MS. STEVENS TEACHES HER AWESOME LESSON!
  • Download lesson plan
• Think-Write-Pair-Share
• Small Groups
  • Standard Handout
  • (Honors Handout Above)
• Discussion
• Share our own poems

Tuesday's HW:

• Standard - one paragraph definition of your HW
• Honors - two paragraph definition of your HW

On tap for Wednesday:

• Finish up Theme for English B
• Four of a Kind
• John McCain Excerpt
• Definition of a Hero

Day 4:  Monday, September 9, 2013

Today's Goals:

• To assess our understanding of the summer reading text.
• To perform a writing diagnostic.

Today's Agenda:

• Summer Reading In-Class Essay
• Submit with graphic organizer and rubric

Monday's HW:

• Read "Letter from Birmingham Jail"
• Write your own version based on this poem

Day 3:  Friday, September 6, 2013

Today's Goal:  To complete a diagnostic of our English Language Arts skills - reading comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar.

Today's Agenda:

• Diagnostic (Section 3 of 2013 ELA MCAS)
• Outside Reading (alternatively, work on your graphic organizer)

This Weekend's HW:

• Complete graphic organizer for Monday's in-class summer reading essay.

On tap for next week:

• Monday, 9/9 - summer reading essay
• Tuesday, 9/10 - Theme for English B
• Wednesday, 9/11 - What is a hero?
• Thursday, 9/12 - The Hero's Journey
• Friday, 9/13 - 2013 Session 3 MCAS Review (Standard), Collaboration on second summer reading book (Honors)

Day 2:  Thursday, September 5, 2013

Today's Goals:  To get to know one another.  To review rubric and expectations for summer reading in-class essay.

Today's Agenda:

• Collect Remaining Surveys
• Collect Parent Forms
• Share Name Histories
• Review MCAS Long Composition Rubric
• Distribute Summer Reading Prompts
• Distribute Graphic Organizer

Tonight's Homework:

• Bring in an outside reading book to read when you are finished with your diagnostic.
• Begin work on completing your graphic organizer.

Day 1:  Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Today's Goals:  To review course syllabus.  To get familiar with the class.

Today's Agenda:

• Welcome
• Syllabus
• Review letter home to parents/guardians
• Setting goals - 5 goals forthe school year
• Setting goals - Shane Battier activity
• Student survey.
• Mr. Ambrose and Ms. Stevens's response to the survey
• Wrap up - Where are we going from here?

Tonight's Homework (10 points):

• Write about the history/meaning of your name.
  • (Honors - 2 paragraphs, Standard - 1 paragraph)
• Get parent/guardian to sign letter home.