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?