Friday, November 22, 2013

Book Reviews

Good Morning and Happy Friday!
Please get your netbook when you arrive.  

Today I am giving you the opportunity to complete your Goodreads book reviews or any recent assignment that has not been completed. This will also give me the opportunity to help anyone that might be having difficulty with Goodreads.

An EXTRA CREDIT opportunity:  Locate a poem about Thanksgiving to read to the class .  We will do this towards the end of class.    Thanksgiving Poems

HOMEWORK:  Have a great Thanksgiving!  Make your next book selection and read over vacation. 

Thursday, November 21, 2013

English Journal Response

Good Morning!
Please get your netbooks when you arrive and read quietly until we are ready to begin.

NOTE:  Please return to the library TODAY your copy of The Crucible if you have not done so already. 

*Yesterday you completed your annotation of "The Ugly Truth About Beauty."  I also asked you to respond to this essay in your ENGLISH JOURNAL.  Please complete that today.  Briefly summarize the essay and provide a meaningful explanation of the ugly truth about beauty (what is the ugly truth about beauty?).

HOMEWORK:  Your two book reviews are due tomorrow.  Be sure to share the URL of the published review page by filling out the Book Review URL form under "Important Links."  Tomorrow I will give you time in class to complete this and any recent assignment that you need to complete.



Wednesday, November 20, 2013

"The Ugly Truth About Beauty"

Good Morning!
Please get your netbook when you arrive and read quietly until we are ready to begin.

NOTE:  If you have not returned to the library your copy of The Crucible, please do so as soon as possible.  Many of you have not according to Mrs. Cooper.

* "The Ugly Truth About Beauty" -- You should have completed your annotation of this essay yesterday, and you also have shared this essay with me (abaltrushes@gmail.com).  Make sure that your name is on the essay in the upper left corner. 

* NOW, go to your ENGLISH JOURNAL and answer the following question:  What is the ugly truth about beauty?  Write a paragraph which provides an in-depth response to this question.  Begin by briefly summarizing the article and then provide a meaningful response to the question.

HOMEWORK:  You have two book reviews due by Friday.  One of the reviews will be on a book from the recommended list.  Follow the Book Review Rubric.



Tuesday, November 19, 2013

"The Ugly Truth About Beauty"

Good Morning!
Please get your netbook when you arrive and read quietly until we are ready to begin.

NOTE:  Two book reviews are due by this Friday, Nov22.  Follow the Book Review Rubric and be sure to fill out the Book Review URL form under "Important Links" so that I receive the link to your published Goodreads page. 

*PLEASE open your copy of  "Lost in the Kitchen" and put your name and period in the upper left corner.  Do the same on your copy of the essay we will read today.

* "The Ugly Truth About Beauty" -- this is another Dave Barry essay which we will annotate for satirical devices and main ideas.  The essay is in your Google drive.  Make your own copy so you are able to annotate.  Read the essay to the end and for the second reading annotate the text. SHARE YOUR ANNOTATED COPY WITH ME (abaltrushes@gmail.com).

HOMEWORK: Two book reviews on Goodreads are to be completed by this Friday, Nov 22.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Satire -- "Lost in the Kitchen"

Good Morning!  I hope that you had an enjoyable weekend!
Please get your netbook when you arrive and read quietly until we are ready to begin.

* "Lost in the Kitchen" -- You have about 15 minutes to complete your annotation of this essay, and then we will discuss the satirical devices that you noted in your annotation. Please share your annotated copy with me if you have not done so already (abaltrushes@gmail.com).

* Another Dave Barry essay: "The Ugly Truth About Beauty" -- Annotate for features of satire, main ideas, and your responses.  Once you have completed your annotation, please share your annotated copy with me.

HOMEWORK: You have two book reviews due by this Friday.  Please follow the Book Review Rubric.

Friday, November 15, 2013

Satire -- "Lost in the Kitchen"

Good Morning and Happy Friday!
Please get your netbooks when you arrive and read quietly until we are ready to begin.

" a culture without satire is a culture without self-criticism and thus, ultimately, without humanity."
                                           -- Max Eastman, a theorist of humor

*Yesterday I introduced the genre of satire to you and pointed out some of the common satirical devices.  I also read to you a condensed version of "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift, an eighteenth century English writer.  Today we will read a contemporary example of satire and you will identify the satirical devices in your annotation of the text.

Open your Google docs and go to "shared with me."  You will find the essay "Lost in the kitchen."  Make a copy of this essay so you will be able to annotate it as you read.  You will then share your annotated copy with me -- abaltrushes@gmail.com

HOMEWORK:  Work towards completing two book reviews by NOV 22.  Be sure to follow the Book Review Rubric.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Satire

Good Morning!
Please get your netbooks when you arrive and read quietly until we are ready to begin. I love to see all of you reading!

For anyone in this class who has not filled out the STUDENT DATA FORM under "Important Links," please do so at this time.  I need your email address so I can share documents with you in a "view only folder."

* Introduction to Satire:
   (Some of your responses to the #2)
   What is satire?
   What are some of the common devices used in satire?
* A memorable example of satire: "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift.

HOMEWORK: Two book reviews are due by Nov 22! Follow the Book Review Rubric.
 

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Satire

Good Morning!
Please get your netbooks when you arrive and read quietly until we are ready to begin.

 1. Anne Bradstreet poem, "Upon the Burning of Our House"
     In your English Journal, explain what this poem is about. 
     What is the message or theme of this poem? 

2. SATIRE 
To begin our study of satire, please respond to the following questions in your English Journal:

1. What is satire?
2. Why is it important to look critically at the world around us?
3. Why do author's choose satire?

3.  Satirical Devices
4.  Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" 

HOMEWORK: By Nov 22 you will have completed two book reviews in Goodreads.  One of the books will be from the recommended list.



 

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Anne Bradstreet

Good Morning!  I hope you had a great three-day weekend!
 
We don't need the netbooks today.  Please read quietly until we are ready to begin.
 
Before we leave the era of The Crucible (to become a distant memory as we go along this year), I would like to share with you a poem from the Puritan era which reinforces our learning about the culture in that period in our nation's history. 
 
"Upon the Burning of Our House," by Anne Bradstreet -- With a partner, read each stanza and paraphrase what Bradstreet is describing and complete questions 1-4.  (Two handouts)

NOTE: Tomorrow we  begin our study of SATIRE

HOMEWORK:  Independent reading and book reviews.  Two book reviews are due by NOV 22.  One of the reviews must be from the recommended booklist.
  

Friday, November 8, 2013

Expert Project

Good Morning!  Happy Friday!
Please get your netbooks when you arrive and read quietly until we are ready to begin.  Begin at the bell.
 
EXPERT PROJECT:  Today is our final day for working on the Expert Project until we finish with the unit on Satire which we begin next week.  Hopefully, you are engaged in your topic with interest and enthusiasm to learn more.  Four posts on your blog should show your efforts this week.  
 
HOMEWORK:  Be mindful of the due date of Nov 22 for your two book reviews.  You now have a hard copy of the Book Review Rubric which you are to follow in writing your book reviews for this grading period. 

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Expert Project



Good Morning!
Please get your netbook when you arrive and read quietly until we are ready to begin.

NOTE: I am passing out to you today the hard copy of the Book Review Rubric because I want you to closely adhere to it for the next book reviews.  Keep it in your notebook. 


EXPERT PROJECT:  So far we have used Google Advanced News Archive and My Big Campus to enhance our research on our topic.  Today, let's look at the school district database:
          1.  Go to www.pointlomahigh.com
          2.  Click on library
          3.  Click on Links
          4.  Click on SIRS Knowledge Source
          5.  Type in topic in "Issues Researcher" box

HOMEWORK: You are to have completed 4 posts on your blog by tomorrow.  AND, of course, there is the standing homework assignment of your book reviews. The grading period ends Nov 22.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Expert Project

Good Morning!
Please get your netbook when you arrive and quietly read until we are ready to begin.  Begin at the bell.
EXPERT PROJECT:  By Friday you will have four blog posts for your research topic.  Your posts are summaries of the articles that you read and/or an explanation of what work you did in your research.  
An additional resource for your research:  
          GO to My Big Campus -- you will be able to log in (I am told)
          Click on library  and then enter your topic in the search box

HOMEWORK:  If you are able to do this at home, please work on your Expert Project blog posts.  You should have 4 blog posts by Friday.  AND, of course, there is your independent reading and book reviews of which to be mindful. The grading period ends Nov 22.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Expert Project

Good Morning!

Please get your netbooks when you arrive and read quietly until we are ready to begin.  Please begin at the bell.

EXPERT PROJECT -- By Friday of this week you will have four blogposts, summarizing your research findings on your topic.  Today, you will investigate how you might do some "deep" research on your topic.  Use Google Advanced News Archive to find primary sources on your topic.  Summarize at least one article for today.  I will be going to your blog to check your progress.  Work on this at home if you can.  Please use the class time available to you to complete this work.


HOMEWORK:  Expert Project research and independent reading book reviews.  The end of the grading period is Nov 22.

Monday, November 4, 2013

Expert Project

Good Morning!  I hope that you had a very enjoyable weekend!
Please get your netbook when you arrive to class and read quietly until we are ready to begin.  
NOTE:  Since you will be writing your first book review soon, please review the BOOK REVIEW RUBRIC under "Important Links."  For this second grading period, I am going to want you to adhere more closely to this rubric's guidelines.   

EXPERT PROJECTToday you will be doing some searching on your topic.  Find an article or resource closely related to your research question. Post a link of the article on your blog and use the rest of the post to explain and summarize what you found.  By the end of the week, you will have posted on your blog four summaries of articles.  Be sure to also include in your blog post the URL of the site you visited.
If you have not created a blog yet, please do so today as follows: 

1.  Go to blogger.com
2.  gmail
3.  new blog
4.  title (create a title relevant to your topic)
5.  address ( _______________.blogspot.com)
6.  template 
 THEN, share the URL of your blog by filling out the following form:
HOMEWORK:  You should be getting ready to write your first book review on Goodreads.  Two book reviews are due Nov 22.

Friday, November 1, 2013

Expert Project

Good Morning!
Please get your netbooks when you arrive and read quietly until we are ready to begin

EXPERT PROJECT: As I have indicated to you, we will begin work on our Expert Project today and will continue next week to get it well under way.  Today you will create a blog which is where you will record your findings from your research. You will summarize articles that you read on your topic and post these summaries on your blog, including the URL of the website where you located the article.

Here are the steps to create your blog:

1.  Go to blogger.com
2.  gmail
3.  new blog
4.  title (create a title relevant to your topic)
5.  address ( _______________.blogspot.com)
6.  template

After you create your blog, please fill out the following form.  You will paste the URL of your blog address into the form.

Expert Project Blog URL

HOMEWORK:  Independent reading.  The end of the second six weeks will come quickly -- Nov 22.  You should have an eye towards writing your first book review very soon!