Wednesday February 29, 2012

Happy Leap Day! Maybe you are leaping for joy that it is snowing outside.

English 12
Okay, so today we worked on the questions for the story A & P. We also talked about reflective essays. Here are some of the suggestions for essay topics:

Life contains many surprises

Friendship can be hard work

He is wise who learns from everyone

Taking advantage of opportunities can be beneficial

Little joys are often the biggest

People can create their own reality.

You need to write the introductory paragraph and outline the body paragraphs. We will be writing in class tomorrow and we will be sharing our opening paragraphs.

Creative Writing

Friday: Shi Hui and Nick will be bringing food to class.

Tomorrow: 1st draft is due. Please type it if possible and bring 3 copies of your story to class.

We will be working in pairs and reviewing our writing. 2nd draft is due on Monday. Please send it to me if we are not here.

February 28, 2012

For tomorrow:
English 12
We will be working in groups and going over our questions. Remember to be ready to present to your group.
We will be working on reflective essays in class tomorrow. Try to think of a decision that you made that changed your life.

Creative Writing
We will be spending all of Wednesday's class working on our stories. Please type your draft.

Monday February 27, 2012

English 12
Finish good copy of Persuasive Essay. If you are not done, you will have to come in after school. Read A&P on p. 633. I think that is the page. Check in the Table of Contents.

Writing 12
First paragraph and opening sentence done for tomorrow.
First draft done for Thursday.

The Weekend

Had some troubles with the internet at school on Friday.
English 12
Quiz on lit terms denouement to editorial
Write a rough draft of a persuasive essay. Choose a topic that interests you. An example: People today are too dependent on their cell phones.

Creative Writing
1st draft of your story is due on March 1st.  You should be working on it this weekend. Your story needs to be finished for Thursday. For Monday, you should have written a strong opening sentence.
Remember to connect your reader to the senses. Use unusual words....walking can change to stauntering, ambling, lumbering, plodding.....
Listen to the sounds around you......

February 24, 2012

Happy Thursday all!
English 12
Find the time warps in the story: "Mars is Heaven" and also find examples of irony.
Journal today: What would you see if your spaceship landed on Mars? What would your dreamworld look like?
We will discuss the television show and the story tomorrow.
Remember to renew your books. Bring a silent reading book tomorrow.

Creative Writing
Bring your opening lines from 10 stories. We will be making signs.
This is how Jane Eyre starts: "There was no possiblity of taking a walk that day."
Anne Frank: "On Friday June 12th, I woke up at six o'clock and no wonder it was my birthday."
Work on your story. We will be writing in second block. Remember that your first draft is due on March 1st. We will be editing that day in small groups.
Bring your silent reading book.
Sam and Ashley are bringing treats to first block.

February 23, 2012

English 12
Read the story: "Mars is Heaven" by Ray Bradbury. We handed it out in class today.
Look for similes, metaphors, imagery and personification in the text. You can try looking for it online if you don't have the story with you.

Creative Writing
Look for 10 first lines from stories, novels or songs that you like. Bring them to class for Friday.
Remember that we will be working on writing in the second block of the double block on Friday.

February 20th

Happy Monday, All!
English 12
Finish questions on Just Lather (just the first page 1-3)

Creative Writing
We will all present our story ideas tomorrow.
Read: Some thoughts on Writing Good Prose (up to p. 53 don't read Weak Writing)

Just Lather that’s all

by Hernando Tellez

Consider the following after you have read the story:

1.      Note your first impressions:

a.       Your thoughts and feelings about the ending

b.      The character you admire the most and why

c.       The questions you have

2.      The barber realizes he could easily kill Torres, but decides against it.  What are the reasons for this change? Did he make the right decision?  What would be the consequences of either decision?

For killing the Captain	Against killing the Captain

3.      What do you believe is the theme of this story? Remember that a theme must be written in the form of a statement and it must not be a cliché.

4.      Describe the Captain and the Barber. Fill in the chart with their characteristics, their character type etc. Use evidence from the story for the chart.

Captain	Barber

5.       What are the conflicts in the story? Cite examples from the story.

6.      Comment upon the razor as a symbol in the story.

7.      Initially, Torres seems ignorant of the of the danger he is in. At the end of the story, he reveals otherwise. Why, then, do you think he goes to the barber shop?

Friday, February 17, 2012

English 12
Read: Just Lather That's all. You can find it online if you were absentbadgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/91883-Just-Lather-that-s-allCached
There is a lit terms quiz to denouement
See yesterday's blog for writing topics. Good copy due on Monday. Check punctuation

Creative Writing
Proposal due for Monday. Be prepared to dicuss your idea in a group and to get feedback from your group. We will be writing in class on Monday.

February 16, 2012

English 12
Draft of your story. You must use dialogue in your story. Here are your choices:

Write the conversation that Jack has with his wife when he gets home

Write the conversation  that the girl has with a friend on the phone/talking about Jack

Write the conversation that Jack has with some friends at a bar

Write the conversation that two girls have about relationships

Write the conversation between a boy and girl/they want different things from the relationship

There will be a lit terms quiz on Monday. Terms will be up to denouement

Bring your Silent Reading book tomorrow. 5 journal reflections for 10 marks.

Creative Writing

Bring your silent reading book.

Start thinking about your memoir project. We will be talking about it in class tomorrow.

Bring your map. Be prepared to tell the story that goes with it.

This is how one memoir started:

"I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of Ngong hills"  Isak Dinesen Out of Africa

February 15, 2012

English 12
Today we read the story "No One's a Mystery" by Elizabeth Tallent. We did some questions in groups in class.
We reviewed punctuation and how it works in a dialogue. We did questions for homework from the Mastering Essential English skills. p. 174. Do Application on p. 177. Write it out please. Bring it back to class

Creative Writing
Bring your map back to class for Friday.
Tomorrow bring a picture of you favorite piece of clothing or think about it.
What was your favorite colour? How did you feel when you wore it?
Here are some pictures for you:
Ideas?
Remember that Friday is silent reading day.
If I am not following you on the blog, please invite me. Also, you need to have one post per week. There are only 3 days left.

February 13th

English 12
Outline of your rewrite of the Destructors paragraph. We will edit in class. Good copy for marks on Wednesday.
Quiz on Vocabulary on Wednesday.

Creative Writing
Loved your projects today! They were as amazing as you all are. For tomorrow, bring something you love to class or bring the idea of something that you love. Be prepared to share and to recite love poems. Good times!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

English 12
Kugelmass questions---finish questions that we started in class. You are responsible for one question. We will regroup on Monday. Be prepared to share your answer. Your group will receive a mark for your responses.
There is a lit terms quiz on Monday (up to characterization)
There will be a quiz on vocabulary words from the first 3 stories: Identities, The Destructors and Kuglemass Episode on Wednesday. We will review words on Tuesday.

Creative Writing
Box Assignment is due on Monday. Please bring it to class in a bag. Do not put your name on it.

Write a short piece that connects the past and present. Follow Amy Tan's example for suggestions.

A suggestion: When you are out and about on the weekend. Take some time to listen to what people say, pay attention to how the wind catches someone's hair, watch a couple exchange a kiss. Go home and write down what you noticed. Writers notice everything. Keep a notebook in your purse or in your pocket. The whole world is a story just waiting to be told.

Thank you all for being in my class these past 2 weeks. You are great!

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

English 12
Silent Reading tomorrow
Read The Kugelmass Episode. p. 260. Definitions and sentences for tomorrow.
Lit term test on Monday
Vocabulary quiz on Tuesday. First 3 stories.

Creative Writing
Silent Reading tomorrow
I know that setting up a blog is tough. We need you to do that. Invite me to follow you. pederson_c@sd36.bc.ca
Also, read the Amy Tan story for tomorrow.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

English 12
Review vocabulary from the last 2 stories. There will be a vocab quiz on three stories...so the one after this one. Tonight write the draft of one of the persuasive topics. Don't do #1,2, 4 (we will discuss irony in class tomorrow) The draft needs to be ready for editing and feedback tomorrow. Good copy will be due on Thursday. Bring a reading book for Thursday this week. Lit terms quiz to characterization on Monday.

Creative Writing
Today we talked about the Memoir Project. I have handed out papers to the partners of people who were absent.  Read the Amy Tan story. More with that on Thursday.
Wednesday we are going to the library and we will become bloggers. Bring your cell phone so that you can set it up.
Box projects need to be done and brought into class for Monday. Please don't be late.
Try one of the memoir exercises on the Oprah sheet.

Monday, February 6, 2012

English 12:

transitive verb rebuked, rebuking

to blame or scold in a sharp way; reprimand

noun

a sharp reprimand

Review vocabulary from the list today

Fill in the box question. Draw pictures of images from the story. Place them in relationship to each other. Write quotes on the outside of the box that refer to the story. You can use parts of quotes...just be prepared to defend your choices. Also, read the questions that follow in the booklet.

 

Creative Writing

Finish your timeline. We will be doing a free write that relates to one of the stops on the line. After you have finished your timeline, think about what your choices say about you. You could write about them in your journal or just think about them.

Friday, Feb. 3, 2012

You made it through the first week of Semester 2!
English 12
Quiz on lit terms to atmosphere on Monday.
Read The Destructors. Try to think of the things that we talked about in class on Thursday.  After the bombing etc.

Creative Writing
Bring a picture from your childhood. You should bring a photo that is not just your portrait.
Bring your silent reading book to class on Friday.

Have a great weekend! Spring is just around the corner!