English 9

Independent novel studies are due today.

Students will have the first twenty minutes to work on their literary paragraphs (based on the feedback I gave on the weekend). We will then review semi-colon rules. Grammar Notes

Students will be asked to write a about a personal experience in which they received (or had to give) “bad news”. If they were on the receiving end, how did they feel? If they were on the giving end? How did they act?

English 10

We will review semi-colon rules. Grammar Notes

Students will have the opportunity to read a number of original compositions. They will grade these based on a six-point scale.

English 11

Reading logs are due today.

We will review theme.

We will review semi-colon rules. Grammar Notes

We will then finish watching the original version of Lord of the Flies. Students will have the remaining time to work on their essays.

English 11

It’s altered journals day.

English 10

We will take a look at the original composition section today.

English 10

Students will look at sample synthesis essays today, and will assign a grade based on the six-point scale. We will discuss the reasons for the grade assigned.

English 11

We will be reading and discussing the short story “The Stone Boy”. Students will be asked to complete a reading log, which will be due on Monday, May 14th.

English 9

This will be the last day that students have in class to finish their independent novel studies – which are due on Monday, May 14th.

Sample Literary Paragraph

The theme to the story “The Veldt” is  that technology isn’t always a good thing…. We are too dependant,  technology isn’t very trustworthy and it causes addiction problems. Dependency issues are one of the major problems in the Veldt, one that the mom figures out in the end. There are multiple examples; such as the family having their own food cut by the table. The psychologist even says that they couldn’t crack their own eggs if they had to. If the house were to malfunction and they couldn’t get help, they would starve. Secondly, we are reminded that electronics are not like people; for example, your brain won’t go haywire and start doing dangerous things (let’s hope not), but electronics are machines and they can break as they get older, as we know. In normal cases, it’s simple: you fix or replace it. But in the future or in the Veldt it’s more complicated… such as the nursery. The machine behind it all gets out of control (or the kids have set it that way) and their imaginations come to life… ending up with real lions and the parents getting eaten. The story suggests that we shouldn’t put all of our trust in technology. Finally, the fact that Wendy and Peter have gone so far as to say “I wish you were dead” to their own parents shows that the addictive effects of the nursery have taken their toll. They no longer put their love into their parents but into a room, that they spend hours in, seemingly planning the death of their parents. In general, the author was trying to get across the message that technology can be dangerous… we depend on it too much (the family in the Veldt with their own lives), it is untrustworthy and causes addiction.

English 11

We will watch a little more of the Lord of the Flies film. Students will have time to start collecting data for their essays.

English 10

The students will work on the second synthesis piece: the short story “Furniture Art”. They should have time to create an outline for the synthesis essay.

English 11 and English 10

Today we will look at persuasive/argumentative writing.

ARGUMENTATION – attempts to convince through logic.
Argumentation takes two opposite forms, deduction and induction.

Deduction accepts a general principle as true, then applies it to specific cases.

Major premise: All men are mortal.
Minor premise: Socrates is a man. GOOD ARGUMENT
Conclusion: Socrates is mortal.

BAD Major premise: Progress is good.
ARGUMENT Minor premise: The automobile represents progress. Conclusion: The automobile is good.

The problem with deduction is that we cannot always agree on premises.

Induction is the opposite of deduction. It first observes particular cases, then from them formulates a general rule.

After a summer in the factory Joan thought she could afford a car, so the week before school began she bought a sporty red three-year-old japanese model. Speeding around town with the stereo turned up was so much fun that she didn’t mind the $350-a-month payments. But when the insurance company hit her for $2500 as a new driver, her savings took a dive. Each month she found herself paying $100 for gas and $150 for parking. A fall tune-up set her back $200, and new tires $400. Then came the repairs: $250 for brakes, $350 for a clutch, and $225 for an exhaust system. In desperation Joan took a part-time job selling shoes. That helped her bankbook but took her study time. Two weeks after exams, holding a sickly grade report in her hand, Joan decided to sell the car. Nobody could have told her to, since, like most people, she likes to make up her own mind. But the long string of evidence did the teaching: now Joan knows, through induction, that as a student she cannot afford a car.

PERSUASION – attempts to convince through emotion.

Major techniques:

Word choice: Is an oil spill an “incident,” an “accident,” a “mistake,” a “crime” or an “environmental tragedy”? Writers tend to choose the term that reflects their feeling and the feeling they hope to encourage in the readers.

Example: An attempt to show old people as active may be helped by the example of your grandmother who skis.

Repetition: Intentional repetition can build feeling.

Hyperbole (exaggeration): This is used in humorous pieces. “Man You’re a Great Player!” – Gary Lautens.

Analogy and figures of speech: Analogies, comparing one thing with another from a different category (a monster with the forest industry), and their shorter cousins similes and metaphors, are powerful tools of persuasion.

Irony: “My Body Is My Own Business” – Naheed Mustafa

Appeal to authority or prestige: We invite our readers to believe what a judge says about law, or what an educator says about education. This approach appeals to our reader’s ethical sense: he or she believes these people know the facts and tell the truth.

Fright: A frightened reader is an interested reader. Frighten a reader only with facts that really are scary (such as the number of times computer error nearly launched a Third World War).

Climax: After a good introduction, start with your least dramatic point, then progress upward to your strongest.

Taken from The Act of Writing.

ORGANIZATION

Introduction

• should grab the reader’s attention
• should include a thesis statement that states a clear argumentative position and informs the reader of the key points in the composition

Body

• should include at least three key points
• the three reason paragraphs should each start with a topic sentence
• each reason should be supported with facts, expert opinions, quotations, and/or specific examples
• should address the reader’s concerns, counterclaims, and/or biases
• ideas should be organized to flow logically
• transitions should be used to connect all paragraphs and help ideas flow smoothly

Conclusion

• should remind the reader of the main idea and key points
• essay should end with a call to action

Remember…

• grammar and spelling count
• a variety of sentence patterns should be used.

English 11 students will then read and discuss “Nice Place to Visit” by Russell Baker.

English 10 students will begin to look at one of the two pieces for the synthesis section of the exam: the poem “Boy with His Hair Cut Short” by Muriel Rukeyser.

English 9

Today, we will be reviewing the literary paragraph.

Students will have time to begin working on their paragraphs. They may comment on

1. Theme – What is the story trying to teach us? What do you feel was the author’s purpose in writing the story? Be sure to provide examples from the story, and good, solid reasons for why you think the theme is what it is. Your response to this question should be in the form of a literary paragraph.   OR
2. Symbol – A symbol is something that represents something else – for example, the lion can be a symbol for courage. The symbolic meaning of a work is developed through the symbols the author includes. While you are reading, maintain a list of examples of symbols. Each list should include page numbers and brief quotes of reference to the symbols. Use this list to respond to the author’s use of symbolism in the form of a literary paragraph.

Drafts should be shared through GoogleDocs so that I can provide feedback.

English 11

Warm-Up Activity:

Fire and Ice

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Robert Frost

• What is the author saying in this poem?
• What literary device is used to convey this message?

Following silent reading, students will have 20-30 minutes to make corrections to their comparison/contrast essays based on my feedback. Good copies should then be submitted for grading.

We will begin to watch the 1963 film version of Lord of the Flies. Students are reminded that they should be collecting information for their persuasive essays illustrating whether Jack or Ralph is the better leader.

English 10

Following silent reading, students will have 20-30 minutes to make corrections to their comparison/contrast essays based on my feedback. Good copies should then be submitted for grading.

As part of our exam preparation, we will be looking at a practice exam. We will have time to complete the first section: Reading Comprehension.

English 9

We will review theme. Students will then have time to work on their independent novel studies.

English 10 and 11

Students will be editing their drafts before submitting them to me for my feedback.

English 10 and 11

We will continue to work on our drafts (which should hopefully be completed by the end of class).

English 9

Today we will review symbol(ism) before students continue to work on their independent novel studies.

Remember that the finished project is due on Monday, May 14th.

It is to include (outlined in more detail in the handout):

• point of view (identified and supported with evidence)
• plot (diagram)
• three character webs
• a literary paragraph based on symbolism or theme

English 10 and 11

Students will be working on the drafts of their comparison/contrast essays.

English 11 and English 10

In both classes, students will be working on a comparison/contrast essay on a topic of their choice. Yesterday, they were asked to find a topic, to brainstorm points using a venn-diagram, and to create a rough outline. Today, they will work on their drafts. They may choose a point-by-point or half-and half approach. They are reminded that they need an introduction with a clear thesis statement, body paragraphs that begin with strong topic sentences, and a conclusion that reminds the reader of the focus of the essay. They must use transitions to help their ideas flow. They must also include specific details.

Sample

Table Tennis and Court Tennis

There are many games that have similarities to the point where, as a casual observer, one might dismiss them as the same. One pair of these games is table tennis and court tennis. However, there are many differences between them which are ignored or overlooked by people inexperienced in both of these entertaining games.

The most obvious distinction is the equipment. Table tennis is played by two people at either end of a miniaturized tennis court painted on a table. The “court” and net are small, set on a glossy table to promote bouncing for the ball. In court tennis, the court is very outsized and entirely carpeted with Astroturf, complete with the same white division lines as table tennis. The balls in either of these games differ in the fact that one is plastic, smooth, hard, and hollow, while the other is green, textured with fuzz, and flexible. To hit the ball, one must have a certain tool for either game to accommodate the differences in their playing piece. In table tennis there is a small wooden or plastic paddle with a thin rubber lining meant to propel and bounce back a hard, plastic white ball, while court tennis players utilize the bigger size and solid mesh wiring of a racket to hit a softer, rubbery ball.

Another distinction between table tennis and court tennis is the involvement of players in the game. Due to the smaller size of a table tennis “court”, the player does not have to move very much. The end of a table spans approximately four feet and there isn’t any need to move out of that area. A player in table tennis would most involve their lower arm because the ball being hit is light and easy to move. In court tennis, you find yourself standing on a large court around which one must move as hard and fast as possible on their side of the net to hit the ball, which isn’t as easy to propel as the light ball of table tennis. In this way, court tennis is much more intense and clearly of more fitness and calorie burning value. While court tennis develops a stronger and healthier body, table tennis would expand a player’s delicate and quick-thinking reflexes.

Finally, there is the distinction between accommodations and ease of use in everyday life. Table tennis is composed of a small ball, petite paddles and a large table. All table tennis sets are built with storage capabilities and can be folded up and packed away with ease. Table tennis sets require very little cleaning under normal use and can last more than a lifetime. Because of the simplicity and low cost of having a table tennis court, it is more commonly found and considered less of a privilege to have one. Court tennis is more likely to be played in leisure courts found in one’s parks, recreation centers, and sports centers. Most tennis court memberships are free or at a low cost with more expensive ones usually found in places outside of the previous mentioned places. Unlike table tennis, a private court in your home would be extremely costly. Tennis courts require a lot of maintenance and cleaning and do not fold up and fit in your closet. They are more commonly found in the homes of the upper class who can afford to have someone clean and maintain their courts on a weekly basis. Given that the upper class represents a smaller portion of the population, tennis courts are less common.

Court tennis and table tennis differ in many ways. The equipment found in either of them differs in size and the materials they are made from to accommodate a different game. Involvement in table tennis is much smaller, versus the larger, more intense involvement of a player in court tennis. With accommodations for either of them in a person’s home differing in cost and the level of maintenance required, it is apparent that one or the other will appeal to a person depending on their lifestyle. With these differences addressed, it shouldn’t be difficult to distinguish between these two games.

English 11 students should have read up to Chapter 8 of Lord of the Flies by Friday.