January 3-6 First week of 2017!

Welcome back!  I am really looking forward to the second half of the year.  We have a novel (Gatsby), a play (Raisin in the Sun), and several themed units with many collections of shorter essays and passages.

NOTE: If you've fallen behind or have any missing work, you can turn in work for first semester up through January 13 for partial credit.

WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Go over first semester schedule/announcements.  Pass back in-class argument essays and go over results.  View another College Board argument prompt and various responses and rate them. 

Due:  Read independent reading book (see the homework for December 16 for details). Post to Turnitin.com independent reading group Topic #3 in Discussion tab.

Homework: Turn in textbook, vocabulary book and/or The Grapes of Wrath if you haven't done so already.

FRIDAY: Journal warm-up.  Rewrite your weakest paragraph.  The Declaration of Independence as an argument - good for evidence, examples also.  Receive study guide for final, vocab sheet for next week (last vocab sheet of the semester), and rhetorical analysis practice essay prompt for homework.  Study Guide Group Activity.

Due: Turn in textbook, vocabulary book and/or The Grapes of Wrath if you haven't done so already.

Homework: Read Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 14-16.

Read and annotate SAT/rhetorical analysis essay prompt. Come up with a thesis statement and 3 rhetorical devices used in the passage.

December 12-16: The Final Week of Class in 2016!

It's already here - the last week before Winter Break.  It's been a great year so far, and I'm looking forward to reading different types of passages, hearing your insights, and, yes, reading your essays during the rest of this year and into 2017. Here's what's on the agenda this week:

MONDAY: Journal warm-up.  Turn in and share raft projects.  Notes: types of claims, examples.  Add 3 more logical fallacies to the list.  Discuss Huckleberry Finn so far, read aloud in class.

Due:

1. Bring in your selected outline (government-provided healthcare, Black Lives Matter, or Tiny Houses).  Make sure you have a good argument planned with evidence and examples.  
2. The Huckleberry Finn Raft Project. I'll hang them on the wall. 
3. Huckleberry Finn, Chapter 11.
4. Please bring The Grapes of Wrath and the English textbooks to class or turn them to the library yourself.

 Homework: Please read Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 12 and 13.


WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Review steps to writing out an essay.  Write out an argument essay using the argument outline you turned in on Monday.  When finished, begin reading Paper Tigers article.

Due: Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 12 and 13.

Homework: Finish reading Paper Tigers article.  Be ready to discuss your impressions of the article and whether or not you think the college admission based on diversity is a good idea or not.

Make sure your journal is ready to turn in.  You should have answers to journal prompts for the days that you were in class (does not have to be a full page).

FRIDAY: (minimum day) Journal warm-up.  Quiz covering vocabulary and Huckleberry Finn reading.  Talk about your impressions of the Paper Tiger article, read this response and discuss college admissions based on diversity (pros and cons). 

Due: Finish reading Paper Tigers article.  Be ready to discuss your impressions of the article.

Journals are due for a journal check.  Please leave them in the bin in the classroom.

Homework: Please pick up your independent reading book and finish the following: 

1. Group
A. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.  Begin Steve Jobs - shoot for 100 pages.
B. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.  Begin Malcolm X, read 100 pages.
C. The Last of the Mohicans. 
D. The Jungle. 
E. Finish the Edgar Allen Poe and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.  Begin The Shining - shoot for 200 pages. 
F. Little Women. 
G. Beloved. 
H. 600 pages of Atlas Shrugged. 
J. The Sun Also Rises.  Begin La Vida Loca - read 50 pages. 

2. When you're finished, please post on the Turnitin.com book discussion group under the latest topic, #3.   (Click on the Discussion Tab on the upper right once you're in that "class" on Turnitin.com with your book group.)

3. Also, work on obtaining the book(s) for second semester. 

Have a wonderful and well-deserved

holiday break! 

I look forward to seeing you again in 2017.

December 5 -9

It's the week before the week before Winter Break!  I'm looking forward to continuing with Huckleberry Finn, reading, discussing, acting some of it out, and working on raft projects.  We'll also be continuing with the basics of Argument and getting started on the second argument essay.

There have been a few updates this week, none of which were planned, due to absence with the flu on Tuesday.  I'm happy to be back and have the classes up to speed!

TUESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Review and read Huckleberry Finn Chapter 11 in class.  Introduce the Huck Finn Raft Project. .

Due: Read Chapters 4-10 of Huckleberry Finn.

Homework: Begin work on Huck Finn raft project.

Study for quiz.  Quiz will include Huckleberry Finn.

Bring The Grapes of Wrath and the (heavy) English 3 Textbook with you to class to turn in, or turn in by yourself to the library.

THURSDAY: Quiz covering vocab, grammar and Huckleberry Finn.  Receive feedback for Grapes argument essays.  Mini-lesson about how to integrate quotes into essays.  Receive 3 argument outlines back.  Choose one of them to write into the second argument essay.  Go through Huckleberry Finn up through Chapter 10.  Check in re: Huckleberry Finn and Raft Project and show samples.

Due:  The Grapes of Wrath library copy and the English 3 Textbook to class.


Homework:  Look over your selected outline (government-provided healthcare, Black Lives Matter, or Tiny Houses).  Make sure you have a good argument planned with evidence and examples.  Please bring this outline to class on Monday.

Finish Huckleberry Finn Raft Project for Monday, and bring to class.  We'll hang them on the wall.

If you have not yet read Huckleberry Finn, Chapter 11, please do so.

Please bring The Grapes of Wrath and the English textbooks to class or turn them to the library yourself.

November 28 - December 2

Welcome back!  I hope you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving resting up and having some fun.  We have three weeks before the big one...Winter Break!  We will be going full steam ahead in our argument unit, learning logical fallacies, finishing the first argument essay, writing the second essay, beginning The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and enjoying at least one more current events day. 

MONDAY: Journal warm-up.  Discuss progress on the Grapes essay.  Notes: types of thesis statements.  Focus on conclusions - examples and tips.  Read through model essays and critique them. 

Intro to Huckleberry Finn.  Pick up the book from the library. 

Due:  Work on The Grapes of Wrath essay.

Homework: Upload full draft of The Grapes of Wrath essay to Turnitin.com by Tuesday night, November 29 at 10:00 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Current event/issue day.  Read and annotate opposing viewpoints, SOAPS.  Debate and discuss.  Vote.  Whole class outline activity - review thesis types, conclusions. 

Due: Upload full draft of The Grapes of Wrath essay to Turnitin.com by Tuesday night, November 29 at 10:00 p.m.

Homework: Study for quiz.  Read Chapters 1-3 of Huckleberry Finn.

FRIDAY: Journal warm-up. Vocab quiz. View Huck Finn video re: the language of the book.  Discuss. Notes: logical fallacies. group exercises covering logical fallacies.

Due: Read Chapters 1-3 of Huckleberry Finn. 

Homework:  Read Chapters 4-10 of Huckleberry Finn for next class.

November 21-23

It's Thanksgiving week...and an appropriate time to thank the honors classes for all of your work so far this semester, and specifically for the excellent Socratic Seminars held on Friday.  I really enjoyed listening to the conversations and I liked the way nobody seemed to shy away from the more controversial topics and respectfully disagree with each other.  Hopefully that will help make for some good Grapes essays. 

TUESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Watch the ending from the 1940 version of The Grapes of Wrath movie as well as a low-budget student short of the entire movie that is true to the book version and compare and contrast.  Discuss outlines - check your examples and evidence to ensure that the sources cannot be discredited and that each example is distinctive and proves your points.  View samples from class.  Work time on laptops to begin first draft of Grapes essay.

Due: Detailed, original outline response to one of the essay prompts to Turnitin.com by Monday night, November 21, at 10 p.m.

Homework: Write a draft, revise it, and post the essay to Turnitin.com by Tuesday night, November 29, at 10:00 p.m.

Have a wonderful and well-deserved Thanksgiving break!

November 14-18

So you've finished The Grapes of Wrath.  It was meant to be somewhat unsettling, but do you also  consider it a happy ending?

This week is Challenge Week at school for juniors, so Monday will be lighter, followed by a quiz and Socratic Seminar on Friday.

MONDAY: Journal warm-up.  Discuss ending of The Grapes of Wrath, final activities for unit.   Finish your original responses to the Socratic Seminar sheet.  Read independent reading book that will be due at the end of the semester.

Due: Read Chapter 30 of The Grapes of Wrath (finish the book).  What did you think about the ending?  Did it fit the book? Was it a happy ending?

Read and complete the first 5 Grapes Socratic questions with complete, original answers on a separate sheet of paper for Monday, November 14.

Homework:  None today, except to finish the Socratic Seminar sheet with your original answers by Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Turn in Socratic Seminar sheet.  Vocab story rounds.

Due: n/a

Homework: Study for quiz.

FRIDAY: Journal warm-up.  Quiz.  The Grapes of Wrath Socratic Seminar going over the answers to the questions in two discussion circles, participation required.  

Due: n/a

Homework: Review Grapes final essay prompt choices.  Choose one and then prepare a very detailed, original outline response for Tuesday to Turnitin.com.

Continue with Independent Reading Book.  The goal is to be about 2/3 of the way finished by the end of Thanksgiving break. 

November 7-10

It's a four-day week, followed by Veteran's Day holiday this Friday.  We will be finishing The Grapes of Wrath and the third of three outlines that go with the themes of the book.  Reminder: no vocab quiz this week. 

MONDAY: Journal warm-up.  "Tiny Houses for the Homeless" City Council-style discussion roundtable, argument essay outline. 

Due: Finish Chapter 28, Grapes of Wrath

Homework: Finish the Tiny Houses outline for Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY:  Journal warm-up.  Grammar exercise - love letter.  Discuss The Grapes of Wrath Chapter 28, read Chapter 29. 

Due: Tiny Houses outline.

Homework: Read Chapter 30 of The Grapes of Wrath (finish the book).  What did you think about the ending?  Did it fit the book? Was it a happy ending?

Read and complete the first 5 Grapes Socratic questions with complete, original answers on a separate sheet of paper for Monday, November 14.