31 October: "How Siegfried Was Slain"

1. Turn in "White Snake" homework if not completed on Wednesday.
2. Add "White Snake" to heroic quest data chart in place of "Hundred Questions." Fill in information.
3. The Nibelungenlied and "How Siegfried Was Slain" follow instructions on handout.

Grade reports were given. Any assignment with "**" can still be turned in TODAY except the essay. Any assignment with "X" is exempt or dropped. Essays will be entered and returned next week.

Due & Homework: Turn in what was finished from today's assignment. Everything else is finished at the beginning of class Wednesday, November 5.

29 October: Vocab Test, "White Snake"

1. Vocabulary Test - 35 minutes
2. Journal
3. "White Snake" - story in text. Vocabulary, Author Study, Read, Questions

Journal: "A Test"Write about a test in which you performed especially well. What was responsible for your success? Did your view of yourself change as a result of your performance?

"White Snake"
Vocabulary: –Curt – rudely brief–Predicament – problematic situation–Amends – makes up for a wrong done, makes right–Scorned – ridiculed; rejected–Diligence – hard work; constant effort

Worksheet: Parts A & B

Homework: "White Snake" handout - Parts A & B. This will not be accepted late.

27 October: Injustices, Active Reading, Vocab Review

Journal: “Importance”
Write for 10 minutes about things that are important to you.
Use at least 7 vocabulary words.
Underline the vocabulary words.

Jigsaw Group Activity - Social Injustices
Students were grouped according to 4 different issues of social injustice (corporal punishment; gender inequalities; healthcare inequalities; civil rights and the American with Disabilities Act). They read information, spent 20 minutes immersing themselves in their subject. After 20 minutes, they moved back to their original groups of 4 where they shared their information. Information was written on a sheet and turned in after 20 minutes.

Active Reading - "When senior year is canceled, adulthood hits with a jolt" (article can be found here: http://hamptonroads.com/2008/10/when-senior-year-canceled-adulthood-hits-jolt)

• Actively read the article.
• Highlight and make notes next to characteristics of teenagers in 1959.
• Identify injustice. Who was being unjust? Why? Who was affected? How did the closing of Granby High School affect students’ lives, even 50 years later?
• What would you do it you suddenly were told there was no more high school (and there was not another school for you to go to)? Think reasonably, rationally, and logically. What would happen to your life? What would you miss out on?
• Compare and contrast teenagers in 1959 with teenagers today. Compare and contrast “those in charge” in 1959 with “those in charge” today. Make a Venn diagram for each.

HOMEWORK: Finish active reading if you didn't in class. Study for vocabulary test.

I will be here after school on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for those who need extra test credit.

23 October - Commas and Vocabulary Practice

1. Turn in essays. Staple the final draft to the top. Rough draft in between. Prewriting (green packet) goes at the back.
2. Journal
3. Comma Uses #2 & 3
4. Vocabulary Practice & Review (A-D)

Journal - "Change" If you could change 1 thing about your high school, what would it be and why? Give specific details. 1000 word minimum.

Comma Uses: #2 & 3

#2 To set off most introductory elements, including subordinate conjunctions.First, what are subordinate conjunctions? They join subordinate or dependent clauses to main/independent clauses. (Ex: after, although, as, because, before, even though, if, since, though, unless, ntil, when, whenever, where, while)

• Example using an introductory wordFirst, I would like to thank my family for supporting me.Later, they went to the movies.
• Example using an introductory phraseFirst of all, I would like to thank my family for supporting me.After eating dinner, they saw a movie.
• Example using an introductory (subordinate) clause. These are called COMPLEX SENTENCESWhen he won an academy award, he thanked his family first.After we ate dinner, we saw a movie.
• When a sentence starts with the independent clause, you don’t use a comma.When he won an academy award, he thanked his family first. versus He thanked his family first when he won an academy award.After we ate dinner, we saw a movie. versus We saw a movie after we ate dinner.

Comma Use #3 between items in a series

• Example: I am studying history, geometry, chemistry, and language arts.
• This comma isn't always necessary, but you should be consistent with its usage.
• This is also correct:I am studying history, geometry, chemistry and language arts.
• When it’s important to put a comma before "and" Example: She enjoys dining out, long hikes in the woods, holding hands and playing the guitar. It doesn't make sense to "hold hands and play the guitar" - these need to be separated by a comma.
• When in doubt, USE THE COMMA!

Vocabulary Practice:

(A) Vocabulary with introductory elements of sentences (7 sentences total)Write a complex sentence using the following vocabulary words and subordinate conjunctions.Vocab words: philosophy, educate, precocious, institute, hypocrisy, martyr, corpulentSubordinate conjunctions: after, because, before, if, since, when, while

(B) Make a cinquain for the following nouns:1.Dilettante 2.Injustice 3.Lamentation 4.Purview 5.approbation

(C) Make an acrostic for the following words:1.Abyss 2.Just 3.Ethics

(D) Find at least 4 pictures to represent the following words: 1.Corpulent 2.Disconsolate 3.Articulate 4.Purview 5.Divinity

There will be a vocabulary test on Wednesday, October 29!

21 October: Movie Essay

1. Information was provided to students via PowerPoint about specific parts and details of their essay.
2. Students had time to work on their rough drafts.

Paragraph-Specific Information for Essay. You may use the example sentences in your essay. I recommend that you change them up a little to better suit your writing style.

Introduction: Sentence 1 = HOOK

• The hook gets the reader’s attention. This does NOT mean saying "Hey, reader, I’m going to tell you…"
• This is a sentence that makes your essay seem interesting. You have to make the reader WANT to read your essay.
• State an opinion related to your thesis.
• Create a visual image that represents your subject.
• Define a word central to your subject.

Introduction: Summary - Summarize the movie in a few sentences.

Introduction: Thesis Statement

• Last sentence in the introduction.
• 1 sentence stating the central idea of your essay.
• What is your main goal?
• What should be included in the sentence?
  1) Title of movie (in italics or underlined if handwritten)
  2) Something about the movie being a heroic quest, journey or something like this.
  Example: In Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, the heroes time-travel in order to create an awesome history project.
  Example: Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure is a perfect example of a heroic quest in which Bill and Ted set out to pass their history test by creating a perfect presentation.

Body Paragraph 1: Topic = stages 1 & 2

• Topic sentence should include
  Call to adventure
  Toolkit
  Example: Bill and Ted set out to pass their test and get help along the way.
• Detail sentences (RENNS)
  Tell specifically what the call to adventure is.
  What happens that they have to go on this adventure? (They’re going to fail if they don’t make an A on their presentation)
  Give details about Bill and Ted’s toolkit.
  Who helps them?
  What helps them?

Body Paragraph 2:Topic = stages 3, 4, and 5

• Topic sentence should include:
  1)Monstrous world (places in the past they went)
  2)Tests and trials (conflicts)
  3)Supreme ordeal (making an A on the project)
  Example: Bill and Ted go on an adventure through time in order to gather historical figures to create the perfect history presentation.
  Example: In order to present an A+ presentation, Bill and Ted brave many obstacles as they travel through time.
• Details (RENNS)
  Give specific details about the places they went to and the conflicts they faces.

Body Paragraph 3: Topic = stages 6 & 7

• Topic sentence should include:
  1)The goal being met (awesome presentation)
  2)Their return home and recognition (reaction to the presentation; also how they were recognized by the future)
• Details (RENNS)
  Give specific details about the reward and return.

Conclusion: Thesis restated - Do NOT copy and paste your thesis from the introduction.
RESTATE (rephrase) it.

Conclusion: final statement about movie
You may want to add your thoughts about the movie, characters, quest, etc.

Conclusion: insightful thought

• Give the reader something to think about without writing "You should think about…"
• This shouldn’t be about the movie itself, but about the theme of the movie (what can someone learn from Bill and Ted’s adventure?)
• Give a symbolic or powerful fact or other detail.
• Strike a note of hope

Students' tests were returned to them. If students want extra credit, they need to see me after school Wednesday or Thursday. They must bring their test with them, and we will devise extra credit using the test.

HOMEWORK: Essay including pre-writing, all revised and edited rough drafts, and final draft is due next class.

Heroic Quest Movie Analysis

• Students were given the movie analysis essay assignment (here: http://woodliffenglish10.blogspot.com/2008/10/movie-analysis-essay-assignment.html
• Students were given a pre-writing packet including all stages of the heroic quest. They are to fill in details from the movie for each stage.
• They then watched Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.
• Students were given an essay rubric.
• A blank outline of the essay was e-mailed to students who gave me their e-mail addresses. If you didn't get one and want one, e-mail me or come by and get a copy.

Homework: Draft essay. Don't worry about making it perfect. Write as many details for each stage of the heroic quest as you can.

15 October. Active Reading "Kids Revel..."

Agenda:

1. Turn in homework
2. Journal
3. Active Reading Article: "Kids Revel in Deep Questions Posed by Philosophy Institute"

Journal: What is one issue or subject you are passionate about? Explain in at least 4 sentences.

Turn in journals to the crate when finished. (If you do not have a composition book, do not turn in your entries. You must have a composition book by Monday. Affix all your entries inside the book and bring it to me by the end of the day.)

Active Reading "Kids Revel in Deep Questions Posed by Philosophy Institute" (This article can be found here: http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2002/july24/philosophy-724.html

Before reading: make a list of stereotypes that you associate with “philosophy” or “philosophers”?

Vocabulary (make connections with the words by answer the questions)

• institute – n. an association organized to promote art, science, or education
  ¨For example: MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• purview – n. range of interest or activity
  ¨What is the purview of you and your friends?
• hypocrisy – n. what is your own definition of hypocrisy? insincerity by pretending to have qualities or beliefs that you do not really have
• ethics – n. a system of moral principles; rules of conduct
• articulate – v. express or explain clearly and effectively
• relative – adj. existing or having its specific nature only by relation to something else; not absolute or independent. Give an example of something being relative.

Students read the article aloud then were given the rest of the class period (about 40 minutes) to answer the handout questions at their tables. Questions were due at the end of class, no exception.

No homework.

Next class, students will watch Shrek, analyzing its heroic quest stages. They will then write an analysis essay which will be due October 23.