Holiday Break....

What great independent reading and inspired by place projects. I will be posting some of them later in the break, so stay tuned. See you on the 5th! Enjoy your holiday.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Early Release Day!!

Period 1:
Finish Independent Reading Presentations
Viewing Hamlet

Period 2:
Reading Tartuffe

Period 6:
Finish Hamlet

Thought for the day...
Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.
- Edith Sitwell

Have a fantastic break & see you in 2009.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Snow Delay....

Period 1:
Introduce Ethan Frome
Weston & Tayler presented independent reading projects
Recommend to all readers: The Last Treasure and My Sister's Keeper
Viewing Hamlet

Period 2: Canceled due to delay...
On your own: read Tartuffe & work on literary immersion project

Period 6:
Finish Hamlet Act IV, and begin Act V
Understanding Hamlet's Character


Section C: Hamlet's Character. Standard Deviants. 2001.
Discovery Education. 22 October 2008


Thought for the day...
Every day holds the possibility of a miracle.
- Elizabeth David

Friday, December 19, 2008

Period 1:
Final vocabulary quiz
Independent reading project
Finish Hamlet
Begin viewing film - discussion of differences

Period 2:
Final vocabulary quiz
Literary immersion project
Tartuffe

Period 6:
Final vocabulary quiz
Independent reading project
Finish Hamlet Act III, and begin Act IV

Thought for the day...
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
— Dr. Seuss

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Period 1: Shortened due to advisories...
Present current events
Read Act V of Hamlet... what a sight Fortinbras is going to see!

Period 2:
Present current events
Read Tartuffe
Thoughtcrime

Period 6:
Present current events
Finish Hamlet Act III, begin Act IV
Independent reading

Thought for the day...
Michelangelo - "Genius is eternal patience."

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Period 1:
Review vocabulary
Reading Hamlet Act IV
Independent reading

Period 2:
Review vocabulary
Finish tests, make-ups & work on Community Project

Period 6:
Review vocabulary
Ophelia & Hamlet "Get thee to a nunnery"

Thought for the day...
I show up. I listen. I try to laugh.
- Anna Quindlen, A SHORT GUIDE TO A HAPPY LIFE

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Period 1:
Hamlet Quiz on Acts I, II, & III (through scene 2)
Finished Act III
Independent reading time

Period 2:
1984 & Catch 22 test
Thoughtcrime
Literary immersion project begins

Period 6:
Hamlet Act II and III
Independent reading

Thought for the day...
There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power.
- Washington Irving

Monday, December 15, 2008

Period 1:
Vocabulary quiz
Reading Hamlet, Act III, Scene 2: The Mousetrap & Claudius' guilt
Independent reading project

Period 2:
Vocabulary quiz
Reviewing 1984
Discussion on community project
Introduction to literary immersion project

Period 6:
Vocabulary quiz
Reading Hamlet, Act I & II
Independent reading project

Thought for the day...
Ideas shape the course of history. - John Maynard Keynes

Friday, December 12, 2008

Snow day...
Keep up on your independent reading! See you Monday.

Thought for the day...
What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it.
- J. D. Salinger, THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Period 1:
Present current events
Finish Hamlet Act 3, Scene 2
Comparing versions of Hamlet
Independent reading

Period 2:
Present current events
Discuss Room 101
Begin Tartuffe
Thoughtcrime Game continues

Period 6:
Present current events
Finish Hamlet Act I, begin Act II
Thoughtcrime Game continues
Independent reading

Thought for the day...
The more you can dream, the more you can do. - Michael Korda

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Period 1:
Review vocabulary
Reading Hamlet Act III: "To be or not to be"
Independent Reading Project

Period 2:
Review vocabulary
Catch-22 and 1984 Quiz
Thoughtcrime Intro day 2 & the game begins... THANK YOU to Literary Worlds and Robert Rozema for creating this game.

Period 6:
Review vocabulary
Reading Hamlet
Thoughtcrime Intro day 2 & the game begins... THANK YOU to Literary Worlds and Robert Rozema for creating this game.
Independent Reading

Thought for the day...
Big Brother is watching you.
George Orwell

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Period 1:
Reading Hamlet Act 2
Independent Reading Project

Period 2:
Discuss/review 1984
Thoughtcrime Intro Day 1

Period 6:
Reading Hamlet Act 1
Thoughtcrime Intro Day 1

Thought for the day...
Never say never, for if you live long enough, chances are you will not be able to abide by its restrictions. Never is a long, undependable time, and life is too full of rich possibilities to have restrictions placed upon it.
- Gloria Swanson

Monday, December 8, 2008

Period 1:
Finish Hamlet Act I
Discussion on characters and first character reflection
Independent reading project

Period 2:
Discuss 1984/Review developments
Satire discussion
Introduce Voltaire and begin Tartuffe

Period 6:
Hamlet Act I
Character reflections
Independent Reading Project

Thought for the day...
Words, once they are printed, have a life of their own.
- Carol Burnett

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Period 1:
Review Vocabulary
Present Current Events
Discuss yesterday's activities
Read Hamlet Act 1, Scene 1

Period 2:
Discuss 1984 - reviewing part 1
Present Current Events
Ordering pizza with Big Brother watching...

Period 6:
Check in on independent reading project
Present current events
Visit Shakespeare High
Making up skits with famous lines

Famous Lines from Hamlet...

Hamlet & Flatulence:


Poor Yorick was in an accident...



Thought for the day...
"Don't go through life, grow through life."
Eric Butterworth

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Today I am learning new ways to bring technology into the classroom, which means that you have a fabulous substitute: Mrs. Williams!

Here's the plan for the day...

Period 1:
Review vocabulary
Hamlet's famous lines activity
Independent reading

Period 2:
Review vocabulary
1984 Quiz on ch. 6-7
Orwell activities

Period 6: (shortened due to advisory)
Review vocabulary
Doctor Faustus' obituary
Independent reading

Thought for the day...
"Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten." - B.F. Skinner

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Period 1:
Persepolis Test
Independent Reading Project

Period 2:
Reading Quiz Ch. 1-5
Finish debriefing Apple commercial
Discussion on censorship, history, etc.
Work on Community Project

A brief intro regarding 1984...


Introducing Winston Smith, INGSOC, Oceania, Eurasia, and East Asia. Discovery Channel School. 2001.
Discovery Education. 2 December 2008


And for Catch-22 readers... a short video clip about Yossarian


The Madness of Countries: The Impact and Message of "Catch-22". Discovery Channel School. 1997.
Discovery Education. 2 December 2008


Period 6:
Discuss/Review Faustus Act 4
After 24 years...was it worth it?
Read Act 5
Independent Reading Project

Thought for the day...

Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men. - Goethe

Monday, December 1, 2008

Can you believe it's already December???? Where did the time go?

Period 1:
Review Persepolis
Intro to Hamlet
Intro to independent reading project

Period 2:
Discuss/review 1984
Looking at Apple's 1984 commercial

and responding to it...click here
Final phase of community/Frost project

Period 6:
Discuss & explore Doctor Faustus
Start thinking about independent reading project

Thought for the day...
Nobody can be exactly like me. Sometimes even I have trouble doing it.
- Tallulah Bankhead

Thanksgiving Break 2008

Oops, I neglected to post what we did on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, we did a variety of activities...

Period 1:
Discussed graphics in Persepolis
Free Rice Vocabulary Challenge

Period 2:
Setting the stage for 1984...
Free Rice Vocabulary Challenge

Period 6:
Discussed Doctor Faustus
Free Rice Vocabulary Challenge
Another kindness presentation...
Popularity and Kindness:



I hope you all had a fantastic, productive break. We have a busy week planned....

Thought for the day...
"The sun is new each day."
Heraclitus

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

All classes will have Stacy Dumont of Hesser College as a guest speaker. Ms. Dumont will be presenting information about college, why college should be considered by EVERY student, the importance of establishing and maintaining good credit, and cultural and geographic awareness.

Period 1:
Brief discussion of Persepolis graphics
College presentation

Period 2:
Brief discussion of Chapter 24 in The Kite Runner
A brief video about the Taliban:

When the Taliban Ruled Afghanistan. Discovery Channel School. 2004.
Discovery Education. 2 December 2008


Community Art project check-in
College presentation

Period 6:
Brief discussion of Doctor Faustus/Share the Seven Deadly Sins
College presentation

Thought for the day....
Don't turn away from possible futures before you're certain you don't have anything to learn from them.
Richard Bach

Monday, November 24, 2008

Period 1:
Finish Persepolis Worksheet
Discuss graphics & review story
Understanding the culture

Period 2:
Finish Frost Place poet presentations
Discuss Kite Runner
Work on place art

Period 6:
Final Kindness Presentation
Kindness in the World...


Bullying...



Relationships without boundaries...



Video games and violence



Violence in the World



Discuss/read Doctor Faustus
Depicting the Seven Deadly Sins
Lesson with Ms. LaBella

Thought for the day...
Ernest Hemingway - "Never mistake motion for action."

Friday, November 21, 2008

Period 1:
Vocabulary 13 quiz
Discussed Iranian history and Islam

Period 2:
Vocabulary 13 quiz
Quick discussion on The Kite Runner
Presented Frost Place poets

Period 6:
Vocabulary quiz
Share Faustus' contract
Continue reading Dr. Faustus

Thought for the day...
Stretching out to catch stars, he forgets the flowers at his feet.
— Jeremy Bentham

Thursday, November 20, 2008

There is a Financial Aid meeting tonight in the Library!!! It is recommended that ALL seniors attend.

Period 1:
Presented current events
Discussed memoir vs. autobiography
Discussed Persepolis and graphics
Worked on Persepolis background worksheet
Wondering what Persepolis is? Check out the below video...


Period 2:
Presented current events
Discussed The Kite Runner and importance of blood relationships
Worked on poet project
What is Kite Running?


Period 6:
Present current events
The last kindness presentation
Working with Faustus

Thought for the day...
By words the mind is winged.
— Aristophanes

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Period 1:
How to read a graphic novel & take notes on graphics
Reviewed vocabulary
Worked on Persepolis worksheet

Period 2:
Reviewed vocabulary
Discussed passages from The Kite Runner
Researched Frost Place poets

Period 6:
Finish Kindness Presentations
Work on Doctor Faustus

Thought for the day...
Whoever you are, there is some younger person who thinks you are perfect. There is some work that will never be done if you don't do it. There is someone who would miss you if you were gone. There is a place that you alone can fill.
— Jacob M. Braude

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Period 1:
A Step from Heaven test

Period 2:
The Kite Runner quiz & review
Discuss Frost Place poet assignment
Defining a community

Period 6:
Kindness Presentations
Discussing/Acting Doctor Faustus

Thought for the day...
Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody expects of you. Never excuse yourself.
— Henry Ward Beecher

Monday, November 17, 2008

As some of you already know, Mrs. Williams is your substitute today. I did not plan to be out today, so please be patient and on task for her.

Period 1:
Read: "Epilogue: Hands" and hands activity
Review for test tomorrow

Period 2:
Work on Frost Poet research

Period 6:
Read Doctor Faustus scenes 1 & 2
Graphic vocabulary words

Thought for the day...
If I accept you as you are, I will make you worse; however if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I help you become that.
— Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Friday, November 14, 2008

Period 1:
Vocabulary Quiz
Discuss A Step from Heaven
Share cultural scrapbooks

Period 2:
Vocabulary Quiz
Discuss The Kite Runner
Share poem analysis

Period 6:
Vocabulary Quiz
Present Current Events
Work on Kindness Presentations

Thought for the day....
An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.
- Niels Bohr

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Period 1:
Present Current Events
Discuss A Step from Heaven
Work on Cultural Scrapbooks

Period 2:
Present Current Events
Discuss the moral conflicts of The Kite Runner
Work on poem analysis

Period 6:
Work on Kindness Projects
*behave for Mrs. Beaudin*

Thought for the day...
Peace is not a relationship of nations. It is a condition of mind brought about by a serenity of soul. Peace is not merely the absence of war. It is also a state of mind. Lasting peace can come only to peaceful people.
— Jawaharlal Nehru

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Period 1:
Reviewed vocabulary
Reviewed A Step from Heaven
Worked on cultural scrapbooks

Period 2:
Reviewed vocabulary
Individual check-in with Mrs. Tyler
Quiz on The Kite Runner
Worked on Frost poems

Period 6:
Review vocabulary
Discuss Three Cups of Tea & if education = peace
Work on Kindness Project

Thought for the day...
A man is too apt to forget that in this world he cannot have everything. A choice is all that is left him.
- H. Mathews

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Enjoy your Veteran's Day. No school.
Don't forget to take a moment to recognize why we celebrate it.


Thought for the day....
In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.
— José Narosky

Monday, November 10, 2008

Period 1:
Note check on A Step from Heaven
Discussion on traditional gender roles and how they are handled in the text
Finished brainstorming for cultural scrapbook

Period 2:
Vocabulary quiz
Final soliloquies
Discussion on The Kite Runner
Establishment of the power differences in Amir and Hassan's relationship
Analysis of "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening"
Discussion of Phase Two of the Community Project

Period 6:
Reading quiz and discussion
Work on kindness projects

Thought for the day...
Everywhere I go I find a poet has been there before me.
- Sigmund Freud

Friday, November 7, 2008

Period 1:
Vocabulary quiz
Addressed questions on A Step from Heaven
Cultural scrapbook

Period 2:
Hamlet and King Lear Test

Period 6:
Vocabulary quiz
Reading quiz
Kindness Project work

Thought of the day...
"Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done."
Louis D. Brandeis

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Period 1:
Review vocabulary
Present current events
Discuss Korea & A Step from Heaven

Period 2:
Review vocabulary
Present current events
Present Act V of Hamlet & King Lear

Hamlet Act V:


King Lear Act V:

Student soliloquies

Period 6:
Review vocabulary
Present current events
Finish viewing Edges of the Lord
Discussion on morality of choices, degrees of kindness and differences in faith

Thought for the day...
You must do the thing you cannot do.
--- Eleanor Roosevelt

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

The votes are in... It's President-elect Barack Obama. WHS voters called it!

Today, I am out, so please be on your best behavior.

Period 1:
Sunrise over Fallujah test
Begin A Step from Heaven

Period 2:
Finish Shakespeare Review
Finalize Act V Presentations

Period 6:
View Edges of the Lord and related assignment

Thought for the day...
There is only one success--to be able to spend your life in your own way.
---Christopher Morley

See you tomorrow!

ELECTION RESULTS

How will the election turn out? Stay tuned to watch how the country goes.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

ELECTION DAY! Make your voice heard & vote!

Period 1:
Review for Sunrise Test

Period 2:
Work on Shakespeare Project
Student Soliloquies:
King Lear, Act I, Scene 2
Edmund discussing his legitimacy

King Lear, Act II, Scene 3
Edgar's decision to become "Poor Tom"


Hamlet Act I, Scene 2
Hamlet reflecting on his father's death, his mother's hasty remarriage and his own mortality



Period 6:
Three Cups of Tea Quiz
Work on Kindness Project
Finish conferences

Thoughts for the day...
Those who stay away from the election think that one vote will do no good: ’Tis one step more to think one vote will do no harm.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. "
John F. Kennedy

Monday, November 3, 2008

Period 1:
Sunrise over Fallujah Quiz
Discuss literary archetypes
Yossarian & Catch-22
Anticipate the end...

Period 2:
Tracing images in the plays
Begin work on review sheets
Work on Shakespeare projects

Period 6:
Three Cups of Tea Quiz & Discussion
Kindness Conferences

Thought for the day...
Morality, like art, means drawing a line someplace.
- Oscar Wilde

Friday, October 31, 2008

Happy Halloween!

Period 1:
Vocab Quiz
Finish Iraq Memorial Presentations:








Sunrise over Fallujah Quiz

Period 2:
Vocab Quiz
Present Act IV presentations
King Lear, Act IV:


Hamlet, Act IV:


Period 6:
Vocabulary Quiz
Three Cups of Tea Quiz
Work on Kindness Project

Thought for the day...
Where there is no imagination there is no Horror.
— Arthur Conan Doyle, Sr.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

OPEN HOUSE TONIGHT - 6-7

Period 1:
Present Current Events
Reading Quiz
Begin Iraq Memorial Presentations

Period 2:
Present Current Events
Mini-conference with Mrs. Tyler
Work on Shakespeare Project

Period 6:
Present Current Events
Reading Quiz
Mini-conference with Mrs. Tyler
Work on Kindness Project

Thought for the day...
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
Aristotle

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

It snowed!

EARLY RELEASE DAY - SHORTENED BLOCKS!

Period 1:
Review Vocabulary
Reading Quiz
Work on memorial project

Period 2:
Review Vocabulary
Using vocabulary in relation to Hamlet and King Lear
Project work

Period 6:
Review vocabulary
Reading Quiz
Work on kindness project

Thought for the day...
The most beautiful adventures are not those we go to seek.
— Robert Louis Stevenson

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Period 1:
Quiz & Review of Sunrise over Fallujah
Work on memorial projects

Period 2:
Act III Presentations

Period 6:
Reading Quiz & Discussion
Work on Kindness Project

Thought for the day...
Justice consists not in being neutral between right and wrong, but in finding out the right and upholding it, wherever found, against the wrong.
— Theodore Roosevelt

Monday, October 27, 2008

Senior Supper is tonight - 5:30-7:00, followed by a pep rally & fireworks! Girls are #2 & Boys are #13. Go Engineers!!!

Period 1:
Brief discussion of reading
Worked on Iraq memorials

Period 2:
Mapping Act I & Act II of Hamlet & King Lear
Project work

Hamlet Act II


Period 6:
Shared Day of Kindness Reflection
Reading Quiz on 5-7
Redo of Quiz 3-4
Worked on Kindness Project

Thought for the day...
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
Aesop
Go forth today & do at least one kindness... How did it feel? What was the response?

Friday, October 24, 2008

Period 1:
Vocabulary Quiz
Two Memorial Presentations
Worked on Iraqi Monuments

Period 2:
Vocabulary Quiz
Hamlet Act II Presentation & Charlie's soliloquy
Weekly evaluations
Worked on Act III

King Lear Act II


Period 6:
Vocabulary Quiz
Reading Quiz & Discussion
Sharing Day of Kindness Reflections
Work on Kindness Project

Thought for the day...
Lord Chesterfield - "Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well."

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Fall Frolic!!!

Period 1: (Shortened)
Present Current Events
Sunrise over Fallujah Quiz

Some of the memorial presentations...
Washington Monument



Ground Zero Memorial

Period 2: (Shortened)
Present Current Events
Work on Shakespeare projects

The Plot of King Lear


Section A: The Plot of King Lear. Standard Deviants. 2001.
Discovery Education. 22 October 2008



The Plot of Hamlet

Section A: The Plot of Hamlet. Standard Deviants. 2001.
Discovery Education. 22 October 2008


Thought for the day...
Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.
Albert Einstein
Consider Rachel's Challenge: "choose your influences and use kind words."

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Period 1:
Review Vocabulary
Finished Memorial Presentations
Sunrise over Fallujah Quiz & Brief Discussion
Catch-up Reading

Period 2:
Viewing portions of King Lear & Hamlet by Standard Deviants
Discussion on Shakespeare Project Expectations
Review Vocabulary
Act II Presentations - King Lear (will be uploaded soon)
Hamlet will be Friday!

King Lear as Figurative Art

Section B: King Lear as Figurative Art. Standard Deviants. 2001.
Discovery Education. 22 October 2008

The Mysteries in Hamlet

Section A: The Plot of Hamlet. Standard Deviants. 2001.
Discovery Education. 22 October 2008

Philosophy in Hamlet

Section D: The Philosophy of Hamlet. Standard Deviants. 2001.
Discovery Education. 22 October 2008

Period 6:
Review Vocabulary
Three Cups of Tea Quiz & Discussion
Discussion on Kindness Project & Research

Thought for the day...
Things won are done; joy’s soul lies in doing.
— William Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida, Act I:2

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Fall Frolic is now going to be on Thursday!!! Dress warm - it is supposed to be highs around 40.

Period 1:
Short discussion on Sunrise over Fallujah - considering the difficulty of identifying the enemy, building community relations and understanding character and society motivations.

Presentations of war memorials - presentations will be uploaded soon - stay tuned.

Period 2:
Finished outlining of characters in King Lear
Understanding and identifying major theme in King Lear and Hamlet
Worked on Act II Presentations - due tomorrow!!

Because of questions raised today and yesterday, I will provide some video clips in class that should offer some assistance. Here are the videos for your review.

Understanding the Double Plot in King Lear:


Section C: The Double Plots. Standard Deviants. 2001.
Discovery Education. 22 October 2008

Understanding Hamlet's Character


Section C: Hamlet's Character. Standard Deviants. 2001.
Discovery Education. 22 October 2008

Period 6:
Finish colonialism test
Begin work on Kindness Project
Discuss Three Cups of Tea

Thought of the day...
You see things, and say, "Why?" But I dream things that never were; and I say, “Why not?”
— George Bernard Shaw
What do you "dare to dream"? (#2 on Rachel's Challenge)

Monday, October 20, 2008

Period 1:
Short Class - Finish Presentations
RACHEL'S CHALLENGE

Period 2:
Work on Shakespeare Projects - Act II
Check out the resources under the October 14th posting!

Period 6:
Post-colonial literature test
Introduce Three Cups of Tea
Discuss Kindness Project & Rachel's Challenge

Thought for the day...
"I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion then it will start a chain reaction of the same." - Rachel Scott
Did you accept the challenge? How did it feel hearing about how this young girl lived her life? How do you impact the world?

Friday, October 17, 2008

Period 1:
Vocabulary Quiz
Discuss Reading
Work on presentation - PRESENTATIONS WILL BE TUESDAY (you will have NO TIME on Monday to work on it)

Period 2:
Vocabulary Quiz
Act I Presentations:
Hamlet



King Lear




Develop character charts - themes - etc.
Begin work on Act II

Period 6:
Vocabulary Quiz
Review Postcolonial Literature - TEST on Monday!

Thought for the day....
Happiness isn't something you experience; it's something you remember.
— Oscar Levant

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Period 1:
Presented current events
Discussed major characters and the beginning of the Iraqi conflict, including the challenge of identifying the enemy
Worked on memorial project, phase 1

Period 2:
Presented current events
Discussed why Shakespeare wrote limited stage directions and gave little information on scenes
Looked at the difference between Arthur Miller and Shakespeare in the stage direction
Worked on Shakespeare project

Period 6:
Present current events
Quiz on Chapters 20-23
Discussion on Mr. Brown vs. Mr. Smith
Role play if time allows

Thought for the day...
"The best artists know what to leave out."
Charles de Lint
Why is it important to think about what is left out? Why shouldn't everything be included?

October 15, 2008

Period 1:
Review vocabulary
Introduce and begin war/memorial project
Quiz on Sunrise over Fallujah

Period 2:
Review vocabulary
Quick review of Shakespeare's hierarchy
Work on Shakespeare projecthttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
Collected journals

Period 6:
Review vocabulary
Discuss Things Fall Apart


Thought for the day...
I would not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum.
— Frances Willard

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Period 1:
Finish "Rights" Presentations
Introduce Iraq conflict and review other historical conflicts
Character logs

Period 2:
Discuss Shakespeare Project & Community Project
Brief introduction to iambic pentameter
Shakespeare Project groups

As promised: here are some great links for your plays...

King Lear

Hamlet

Dr. Friedlander really enjoys Shakespeare (even more than Mrs. Tyler) and he offers a lot of insight, history, etc. into the works. You may want to post other valuable links for your group members. To post a comment, all you need to do is click on comments (at the bottom of this posting) and add your comment. You will need to select Name/URL and please put your first name. You can leave the URL line blank. I will NOT post anonymous postings.


Period 6:
Things Fall Apart Quiz
Begin character assessment
Continue to get familiar in the village - playing with commands

Thought for the day...
"A government that is big enough to give you all you want is big enough to take it all away."
Barry Goldwater

Friday, October 10, 2008

Period 1:
Vocabulary Quiz
Discuss "Ego"
Presentations

Period 2:
Vocabulary Quiz
Persepolis Jeopardy
Present Memoirs
Introduce Shakespeare Project

Period 6:
Vocabulary Quiz
Discuss Things Fall Apart - Impact of the mother
Visit the village of Umuofia

Thought for the day...
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
William Shakespeare

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Period 1:
Present Current Events
Work on presentation

Period 2:
Present Current Events
Passage/Image discussion
Work on memoirs

Period 6:
Present Current Events
Part One Quiz
Discuss Things Fall Apart
Visit Umuofia

Thought for the day...
"All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education." - Sir Walter Scott

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Period 1:
Review Vocabulary
Work on issue research and presentations

Period 2:
Review Vocabulary
Work on memoir project
Discuss book


Period 6:
Essay Conferences
Review Vocabulary

Read Achebe's views on Conrad. Do you agree with Professor Webb's position? With Achebe? What is your take on this?

Publish your proofread thoughts to the blog.

Thought for the day...
Abraham Joshua Heschel - "Wonder rather than doubt is the root of all knowledge."

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Period 1:
Class in Room 19
Issue Research


Period 2:
Class in Art Room
Discussion on passages
Work on memoirs

Period 6:
Things Fall Apart discussion & presentations

Thought of the day...
"Our obligation is to give meaning to life and in doing so to overcome the passive, indifferent life."
- Elie Wiesel

Website Update & Things Fall Apart

Hi, all,

I have updated my website. Please let me know what you think of the new section - books to check out - and let me know how I can make it more useful to you.

We will be playing Things Fall Apart later in the week - or early next week. In the meantime, check out this blog: http://www.africanscramble.blogspot.com. Professor Webb's blog has a lot of information regarding postcolonial literature and some great questions regarding some of our recent works... yes, including the Heart of Darkness...and how they relate to Things Fall Apart.

See you in class...

Monday, October 6, 2008

Period 1:
Anthem Quiz & Discussion
Examining Bill of Rights
"I Got Rights" Introduction

Period 2:
Finish Persepolis Packet
Discuss passages
Work on Memoir

Period 6:
Things Fall Apart Quiz & Discussion
Work on Presentations

Thought for the day...
A. J. Liebling - "Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one."

What does this mean? How is it true? How is it not?

Friday, October 3, 2008

Period 1:
Discussion of Anthem
Looking at the Declaration of Independence
Vocabulary Quiz

Period 2:
Vocabulary Quiz
Personal narrative conferences
Begin memoir project

Period 6:
Vocabulary Quiz
Discuss Things Fall Apart
Work on TFA Research

Thought for the day...
"I dwell in possibility..."
— Emily Dickinson

Happy dwelling!

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Period 1:
Present Current Events
Discuss Anthem in small groups: houses & rules
Begin talking about rights

Period 2:
Discuss Community Project
Present Current Events
Persepolis Packet (Islam)
Share images

Period 6:
Present Current Events
Discuss Things Fall Apart
Work on research project

Thought for the day...
"Freedom means the opportunity to be what we never thought we would be."
Daniel J. Boorstin

Links for Persepolis Packet...

For those of you looking for new/replacement links... Here are some links that offer some good information to finish your packet:

Please be aware that some of these articles are biased and are not meant to represent my own views. The bias in these articles does however offer a different viewpoint than we might normally be exposed to and should be considered as you evaluate the information given.
http://www.carm.org/islam/faith_five_pillars.htm
http://www.islamicpath.org/pillars.html
http://ucpress.typepad.com/ucpresslog/2008/06/the-veil-women.html
http://www.utexas.edu/features/archive/2002/veil.html
http://www.islamicity.com/mosque/w_islam/veil.htm

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/lifestyles/links/veils_05.html

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/lifestyles/links/veils_05.html

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Period 1:
Review Vocabulary
Brief introduction to Anthem
Breathing Underwater Test

Period 2:
*Shortened Period* (class meeting)
Review Vocabulary
Introduction to reading graphic novels
Begin review of Persepolis Packet

Period 6:
Review Vocabulary
Discuss Things Fall Apart
Postcolonialism, postmodernism & Enlightenment values

Thought for the day...
It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.
— Herman Melville

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Period 1:
Review "Trifles" and Breathing Underwater
Share character maps
Bus evacuation drills

Period 2:
Discuss the end of Things Fall Apart
Read and discuss "The Strong Breed"

Period 6:
Review "The Strong Breed" and end of Heart of Darkness
Work on hero essays

Thought for the day...
Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.
— Carl Sagan

Monday, September 29, 2008

I am out today, but will be back tomorrow. Be nice to the substitute.

Period 1:
Read "Trifles"

Period 2:
Things Fall Apart essays

Period 6:
Read "The Strong Breed"

Thought for the day...
Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared.
- Eddie Rickenbacker

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Period 1:
Vocabulary Quiz
Present Current Events
Work on Breathing Underwater Projects

Period 2:
Vocabulary Quiz
Present Current Events
Personal Narrative Work
Happy Birthday Jacquie & Liz

Period 6:
Vocabulary Quiz
Present Current Events
Personal Narrative Work
Discuss Heart of Darkness

Thought for the day...
Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn.
— Elizabeth Lawrence

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Period 1:
Review Vocabulary
Breathing Underwater Quiz & Review
Work on Maps...

Period 2:
Worked on literary essay introductions - finding the focus/thesis
Discussion of Things Fall Apart

Period 6:
Discuss Heart of Darkness
Work on literary essays

Thought for the day...
"Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet." Jean Jacques Rousseau

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Period 1:
NWEA testing...

Period 2:
Review Vocabulary
Discuss Things Fall Apart
The importance of a thesis discussion - reviewing literary essays

Period 6:
Discuss Heart of Darkness
Description activity
Review Vocabulary
Hero Journeys

Thought for the day...
"You want a deliberate belief." Joseph Conrad
What is a deliberate belief? Why is it so important?

Monday, September 22, 2008

This is a short week so don't forget vocabulary for Tuesday!!

Period 1:
Discussed Breathing Underwater
Collected Technology Papers
Worked on Nick Maps - tracing the key developments in Nick's story & relationship with Caitlin. Don't forget to include at least 3 quotes on your "map" and you need to include past & present!

Period 2:
Discussed changes at the end of Part One in Things Fall Apart
Worked on Yeats' poem: "The Second Coming"

Period 6:
Discuss Heart of Darkness
Defining and identifying irony

Thought for the day...
John Lennon - "Reality leaves a lot to the imagination."
Apply this thought to your text under study.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Period 1:
Vocabulary Quiz
Small Discussion Groups on Breathing Underwater
Technology Paper work

Period 2:
Vocabulary Quiz
Discussion on Things Fall Apart
Personal Narrative Work

Period 6:
Vocabulary Quiz
Discussion on Heart of Darkness
Literary Essay Revisions

Thought for the day...
"It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers."
- James Thurber

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Period 1:
Breathing Underwater Quiz & Discussion
Present Current Events
Work on technology papers


Period 2:
Things Fall Apart Quiz
Passage Discussion
Present Current Events

Period 6:
Present Current Events
Share Judging Joe thoughts
Introduce Heart of Darkness
Revising Literary Essays

Thought for the day...
"Every man who knows how to read has it in his power to magnify himself, to multiply the ways in which he exists, to make his life full, significant and interesting."
— Aldous Huxley
How has reading impacted you? Magnified you? Added to your life?

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Period 1:
Review Vocabulary
College Fair

Period 2:
Pass a Passage Discussion
Worked on Narratives
Reviewed Vocabulary

Period 6:
Discussed All My Sons
Reviewed Vocabulary
Judging Joe Essays

Thought for the day...

Mary McCarthy - "We are the hero of our own story."

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Book orders are due today!!
AND... Yearbooks are on sale now. See a yearbook member to purchase one.

Period 1:
Discuss Breathing Underwater
Finish Passage Reviews

Period 2:
Discuss Things Fall Apart
Pass a Passage activity
Writing group conferences

Period 6:
Discuss All My Sons
Hero's Journey
How to critique personal narratives

Thought for the day...
"The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live."
— Joan Borysenko
How will you choose to live?

Monday, September 15, 2008

Period 1:
Breathing Underwater Quiz
Passage Discussions

Period 2:
Things Fall Apart Quiz
Examining Personal Narratives

Period 6:
Ethics and All My Sons
Began Act II

Thought for the day...
"A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom. He has no master except his own soul, and that, I am sure, is why he does it."
— Roald Dahl, BOY: TALES OF CHILDHOOD

September 12, 2008

Period 1:
Vocabulary Quiz
Discussed Breathing Underwater
Worked on Technology Papers - Draft due Monday!


Period 2:
Vocabulary Quiz
Discussed Things Fall Apart
Worked on personal narratives

Period 6:
Vocabulary Quiz
Writing Conferences
Anthem Games

Thought for the day...
"The reading of all good books is like a conversation with all the finest men of past centuries."
— Rene Descartes
Who are you conversing with today?

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Period 1:
I, Robot Test
Present Current Events

Period 2:
Present Current Events
Discuss Metamorphosis
Work on Personal Narratives

Period 6:
Present Current Events
Discuss Anthem
Work on Personal Narratives

Today's thoughts for the day are in remembrance of our nation's tragedy seven years ago...

Moshe Dayan:

"If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies."

and

John Lennon:

"Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will live as one."

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Period 1:
Honor Roll Assembly
Review of I, Robot
Review Vocabulary

Period 2:
Discuss Metamorphosis
Work on Personal Narratives
Review Vocabulary

Period 6:
Review Vocabulary
Discuss Anthem
Create Anthem Questions
Work on Personal Narratives

Thought for the day...
"Man is a credulous animal, and must believe something; in the absence of good grounds for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones."
— Bertrand Russell
What does Russell mean? Do we need to believe in something? What do you believe in?

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Period 1:
Discussed "Evidence"
Created outlines for Technology papers

Period 2:
Discussed Metamorphosis
Reviewed Kafka's life & Philosophies of thought
Started Personal Narrative Work

Period 6:
Discuss Anthem
Write about Shimmering Moments

Thought of the day...
David Sarnoff - "Nobody can be successful unless he loves his work."
Do you think this is true? Why or why not?

Monday, September 8, 2008

Welcome to our first full week of school for the 2008-2009 school year.

Period 1:
I, Robot Quiz & Discussion
Finish Technology Research

NOTE: Tonight read: Evidence

Period 2:
Greek Tragedy Test
Begin Metamorphosis

Period 6:
Essay Drafts are due!!
Discussing Anthem
What is a Collectivist Society?
Begin Personal Narrative Writing

Thought of the day...
Abigail Van Buren - "The less you talk, the more you're listened to."
Do you agree? Why or why not? What is Ms. Van Buren really saying?

Friday, September 5, 2008

Period 1:
Vocabulary Quiz
Discuss I, Robot & Cornell Notes
Work on Technology Paper

Period 2:
Vocabulary Quiz
Discuss Antigone & Cornell Notes
Work on essays

Period 6:
Vocabulary Quiz
Metamorphosis Test

Thought for the day...

"We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden."
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
What changes are you seeking in yourself? How will you accomplish them?

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Block 1:
Present Current Events
Discuss I, Robot
Work on technology papers
Vocabulary Review

Block 2:
Present Current Events
Quiz on Antigone
Work on essays
Vocabulary Review

Block 6:
Present Current Events
Discuss/Review Metamorphosis
Work on essays
Vocabulary Review

Thought to ponder...
"The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson." - Tom Bodett
What lessons or tests have you learned from?
What does this quote mean to you?

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Block 1:
Review Vocabulary
I, Robot Quiz
Work on Technology papers

Block 2:
Review Vocabulary
Discuss Oedipus Rex
Work on essays
Finish student/teacher conferences

Block 6:
Review Vocabulary
Discuss Metamorphosis
Work on essays
Finish student/teacher conferences

Thought for the day...
"The beginning is always today."
— Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

What are you beginning today?

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

We have a very busy week, so I hope you rested up over the long weekend.

Block 1:
Discussed I, Robot
Wrote "I know" sections of technology paper
Established Noodletools accounts

Block 2:
Discussed Oedipus Rex
Worked on essays
Student/Teacher conferences on papers

Block 6:
Discussed Metamorphosis, Ch. 1
Worked on essays
Student/Teacher conferences on papers

Thought for the day....
Virgil - "Fortune favours the bold."

What does this quote mean to you?

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Exploring the World/Period 1:
1. Completed Who I am essays
2. Discussed I, Robot: Intro & Robbie

World Literature Honors/Period 2:
1. Discussed components of literary essays & ICE
2. Discussed summer reading books in small groups
3. Created Noodletools accounts and began entering notecards for essay

Heroes of the World CP/Period 6:
1. Discussed summer reading books, major themes and key passages
2. Discussed methods of approaching challenging texts
3. Created Noodletools accounts and began entering notecards for essay

Thought of the day...
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt

What does this quote mean to you?

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Welcome back!

Today the focus is settling back into WHS. You will be discussing your summer reading & have brief introductions to your first semester classes - complete with faculty rules and expectations.

Block 1:
Your first homework assignment is to read the Introduction and first chapter (Robbie) of I, Robot.

Block 2:
Your first assignment is to complete the Who I am essay and bring in your summer reading assignment. We will be starting the Theban tragedies on Friday.

Block 6:
Your first assignment is to complete the Who I am essay and bring in your summer reading assignment. We will start off the year studying some interesting philosophies of thought.

Thought for the day....
"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice
at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'"
~Mary Anne Radmacher

How could you apply this quote to yourself? someone you know?

And a thought...

Pictures from Speech class...




I am finishing up a great conference with an amazing lesson I can't wait to share with you in the fall. I just realized I failed to leave you with a thought for the summer, so to tide you over...



Bill Cosby - "The past is a ghost, the future a dream, and all we ever have is now."

Enjoy the now...

Mrs. Tyler

PS - Don't forget to email me with any questions regarding summer reading, or letting me know your thoughts to date. I'm always up for a book discussion...

SUMMER VACATION BEGINS!

Hi, all,

The 2007-2008 school year is over and now we are on summer break. I am already thinking about all the fun books and activities we will complete during 2008-2009. If you haven't picked up your CP or Honors Summer Reading assignment, please stop by the school.

If you have questions, email me.

Happy reading and enjoy the sunshine.

Mrs. Tyler

Monday, June 9, 2008

Congratulations Class of 2008!

This is FINALS week!

SPEECH:
Today you will perform your "15 word" plays today
--- Be working on your final! ---

ESSAY WRITING:
Final Portfolios are due tomorrow

Quote of the day...
"You must have been warned against letting the golden hours slip by; but some of them are golden only because we let them slip by."
James M. Barrie

What does Barrie mean by this? What does it mean to you? What are your "golden hours"?

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Today seniors have marching practice from 10-11 & from 2-3.

Class night is at 7pm tonight.

Period 3:
Work on 15-random word plays

Period 5:
Work on Portfolios

Quote of the day...
"Caring for but never trying to own may be a further way to define friendship."
William Glasser

How do you care for your friendships?

June 4, 2008

Period 1:
Viewing "All My Sons"

Period 3:
Working on your "word" plays

Period 5:
Work on Portfolio

Period 6:
Viewing "1984"

Quote of the day...
Clarence Day - "We must make the best of those ills which cannot be avoided."

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

FINALS DAY FOR SENIORS!!
Faculty vs. student softball tonight at 5!

Period 1:
English 12 Final

Period 3:
Last "Meaning in the Music" presentation
Impromptu speaking & debate topics

Period 5:
Work on Portfolios

Period 6:
English 12CP Final

Quote of the day...
"In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure." - Bill Cosby

Monday, June 2, 2008

It's the LAST week of high school for seniors!!!

Period 1:
Review for final

Period 3:
Finish Message in the Music speeches

Period 5:
Writing prompt
Work on portfolios - due Tuesday

Period 6:
No class - Marching Practice
STUDY FOR FINAL

Quote of the day...
"We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future."
-George Bernard Shaw

How does this quote relate to you?

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Period 1:
Review for final

Period 3:
Message in the music

Period 5:
Work on Portfolios - Peer Review/Edits
Conferences

Period 6:
Review for final

Quote of the day...
Woodrow Wilson - "The man who is swimming against the stream knows the strength of it."
What streams have you swam against? How strong is the stream?

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Period 1:
Read Act 2 of All My Sons
Discuss Final Exam Date

Period 3:
Quote Speeches

Period 5:
Work on Revisions

Period 6:
1984 Quiz
Discuss 1984
Vocabulary Review


Quote of the day...
"There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship."
-Saint Thomas Aquinas

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

I have decided that despite what the calendar says, it is NOT Tuesday. It is really Monday. Please excuse any inconsistencies & errors because Mrs. Tyler is having a real Monday.

Period 1:
Reading Act One of All My Sons
Work on "I believe..."

Period 3:
Talking about your final
Quote Speeches
Using Propaganda

Period 5:
Revision Activities: Another Point of View...

Period 6:
Discussing 1984 Parts I & II - Quiz tomorrow
Vocabulary Review Games

Quote of the day...
Walt Disney - "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."

Mrs. Tyler's dream: Please let it be Tuesday...

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Period 1:
Persepolis Test
Present Current Events

Period 3:
Propaganda Role Plays

Period 5:
Work on Portfolios

Period 6:
Discuss 1984
Present Current Events
Vocabulary Quiz #15

Quote of the day...
"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly."
Langston Hughes

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Period 1:
Review Vocabulary
**SADD ASSEMBLY**
Review Persepolis

Period 3:
Final Infomercial
Discussing Propaganda & role plays

Period 5:
Work on essays

Period 6:
1984 Quiz & Discussion

Quote of the day...
Socrates - "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is a habit."
Do you agree?

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Period 1:
Review Persepolis Quiz & Reading
Work on Memoirs

Period 3:
Finish Infomercials

Period 5:
Work on Portfolio pieces

Period 6:
Hamlet Test
Review Vocabulary
Discuss 1984 - Questions from yesterday


Quote of the day...
Peter Drucker - "The best way to predict the future is to create it."
How does this quote apply to you?

Monday, May 19, 2008

Period 1:
Persepolis Quiz
Work on Memoir Project

Period 3:
Infomercials

Period 5:
Work on first lines/introductions
Prep for portfolios

Period 6:
Discuss 1984
Finish Hamlet

Quote of the day...
HG Wells - "If you fell down yesterday, stand up today."

Friday, May 16, 2008

Period 1:
Vocabulary Quiz
Discuss Persepolis
Memoir Work

Period 3:
Work on Infomercials

Period 5:
Peer Review
Begin Portfolio Selections

Period 6:
Vocabulary Quiz
Hamlet Act V
Begin work on Character Dossier
Discuss 1984

Quote of the day...
"Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes."
-Oscar Wilde

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Period 1:
Graduation Marching Practice
Present Current Events

Period 3:
Work on Informercials

Period 5:
Work on Friday's Essay

Period 6:
Present Current Events
Finish Hamlet Act IV
In-depth discussion of propaganda & 1984
Vocabulary Review (if time allows)

Quote of the day...
"We all have big changes in our lives that are more or less a second chance."
-Harrison Ford

Do you agree? Why or why not?

Wednesday, May 13, 2008

EARLY RELEASE - SHORTENED PERIODS - MIXED UP ORDER

Period 1:
Review Vocabulary
Discuss Persepolis
Work on Memory Write-ups

Period 3:
Finish Performances
Reflection

Period 5:
Writing Prompt
Work on Weekly Essay
Peer Review Research Paper

Period 6:
Review Vocabulary
Finish Hamlet Act IV
Discuss 1984

Quote of the day...
Norman Vincent Peale - "Change your thoughts and you change your world."
What do you think?

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Period 1:
Review Persepolis
Begin Mapping a Memory

Period 3:
Performances!

Period 5:
Work on revising essays

Period 6:
Finish Hamlet Act III
Discuss 1984
MARCHING PRACTICE: 2:15-3:10

Quote of the day...
Paul Valery - "At times I think and at times I am."

What do you think Valery means? How does this relate to you?

Monday, May 12, 2008

Period 1:
Review Hamlet
Introduce Persepolis

Period 3:
Play Rehearsal - PERFORMANCES tomorrow!

Period 5:
Work on essays due this week

Period 6:
Finish Hamlet Act III
Review Act III
Introduce 1984

Quote of the day...
"As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world - that is the myth of the atomic age - as in being able to remake ourselves."
Mohandas Gandhi

Friday, May 9, 2008

Period 1:
Vocabulary Quiz
Finish Hamlet
Finish viewing the film
Work on character dossier

Period 3:
Rehearse plays

Period 5:
Peer Review
Begin final revision on research essay

Period 6:
Vocabulary Quiz
Finish Hamlet Act III


Quote of the day...

"Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way."
Les Brown

Respond....

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Period 1:
Graduation Marching Practice
Present Current Events
Read Hamlet Act 5, Scene 2

Period 3:
Begin work on dramatic readings - getting comfortable in a role

Period 5:
Work on this week's essay

Period 6:
Present Current Events
Literature Circles
Hamlet: Act 3, Scene 1
"To be or not to be...get thee to a nunnery."

Quote of the day...
"Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely."
Auguste Rodin

What does Rodin mean by this?

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Period 1:
Review Vocabulary
Hamlet Act III & IV Quiz
Read Hamlet Act V, Scene 1
Hamlet Film

Period 3:
Finish the persuasive speeches: Karen, Megan & Carissa

Period 5:
Work on new essays for Friday

Period 6:
Review Vocabulary
Literature Circles
Finish Hamlet Act II

Quote of the day...
Bobby Knight - "Most people have the will to win, few have the will to prepare to win."
What does this mean to you?

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Period 1:
Finish Hamlet Act IV
Review Acts III & IV
Discuss the rising death toll
Hamlet the video

Period 3:
Persuasive Speeches & Critiques: Cathy, Stephanie, Crystal & Hana

Period 5:
Writing Prompt
Work on a new essay

Period 6:
Literature Circles
Hamlet Act I & Act II Quiz
Begin Act III
"To be or not to be..."

Quote of the day...

"The poet is a liar who always speaks the truth."
Jean Cocteau

Monday, May 5, 2008

Period 1:
Review Act III
Begin work on Character Dossier
Begin Act IV

Period 3:
Persuasive Speeches: Cameron, Ari & Cathy

Period 5:
Beginning a new essay

Period 6:
Finish Act I, begin Act II
Literature Circles

Today's Quote...

Robert Anthony - "When you blame others, you give up your power to change."

What do you think this means regarding the importance of self responsibility?

Friday, May 2, 2008

Period 1:
Vocabulary Quiz #12
Continue reading Hamlet Act III

Period 3:
Work on Persuasive Speeches

Period 5:
Starting a new paper

Period 6:
Vocabulary Quiz #12
Finish Hamlet Act I

Today's thought...
"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

What is Saint-Exupery saying about learning, motivation and dreams? Why would it be better to teach people to "long for the endless immensity of the sea" rather than to assign tasks to get the job done?

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Yeah, it's May!!!

For seniors: I do have some extra copies of your marching & graduation activity schedule. Please let me know if you would like one.

Period 1:
Present Current Events
"To be or not to be" - acting and video critique

Period 3:
Work on Persuasive Speeches - they start Monday

Period 5:
Yeah - we get to meet today!! :)
Writing prompt
Revisiting portfolio piece


Period 6:
Present Current Events
Begin Hamlet, Act I
Vocabulary Review


The quote of the day comes from my buddy, Will (Shakespeare) - and straight from the text of Hamlet...

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts... "

What do you think in regards to your life? How is life like a stage? How are you like an actor (or actress if you prefer)?

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

~EARLY RELEASE DAY~SHORTENED MIXED-UP BLOCKS!

PERIOD 1:
Review Vocabulary
Hamlet Act I & II Quiz
Begin examining "To be or not to be..."


PERIOD 3:
Start researching for persuasive speech

PERIOD 5:
Writing prompt & then, dismissal to honors assembly

PERIOD 6:
Literature Circle
Introductory Hamlet activity
Begin Hamlet Act I

Thought of the day...
"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." - George Orwell

What do you think Orwell is talking about?

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Period 1:
Finish Hamlet Act II
Review Act I & II
Film: Hamlet

Period 3:
Conclude debates
Begin preparation for persuasive speeches

Period 5:
Revisiting Portfolio pieces
Finish yesterday's writing activity

Period 6:
Student Presentations: Shakespearean topics
Hamlet introductory activities
Begin Act I

Today's Quote....
"Only the educated are free."
Epictetus

What do you think? Why?

Monday, April 28, 2008

Period 1:
Review Hamlet Act I
Read Hamlet Act II
Mapping Hamlet's "Madness"

Period 3:
Debate Presentations continue...

Period 5:
Revisit a portfolio piece

Period 6:
Literature Circles
Beginning Hamlet scenes
Work on Shakespeare presentations

Today's thought to ponder...

"It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad."
C. S. Lewis

EXTRA CREDIT ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

English 12 students...
Shakespeare's comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, will be dramatically read on Wednesday, April 30th at the Rialto Theatre in Lancaster.

This show will take place from 7 to 8:30 pm.

High schoolers will receive a free popcorn & drink just for presenting your student ID. This event is free!

For attending this event, you will receive a 100 on your lowest grade (yes, even if that grade is a zero).

For directions call: 788-4499

See you there!

Friday, April 25, 2008

Period 1:
Vocabulary Quiz #11
Finish Hamlet Act I
Begin viewing Gibson/Zefferelli Hamlet

Period 3:
Debates continue

Period 5:
Moving on to themed essays

Period 6:
Vocabulary Quiz #11
Literature Circle Roles
All Quiet on the Western Front essay
(And Assembly)

Quote of the day...
Bernard Baruch said: "Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why."
Why is it that the "why" is so important? Do you ask yourself "why"? When & why?

April 24, 2008

Period 1:
Present Current Events
Read Hamlet Act I

Period 3:
Debate Presentations

Period 5:
Proofread Research Essays

Period 6:
Present Current Events
Review All Quiet on the Western Front
Shakespeare Work
Vocabulary Review (if time allows)

Quote of the day...

Niccolo Machiavelli - "Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times."
What does Machiavelli mean? Do you agree? Why or why not?

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Period 1:
Present Individual Reading Project
Begin Hamlet Act I

Period 3:
Work on individual debate topics - Research & prepare argument

Period 5:
Work on research essay draft

Period 6:
Present All Quiet diaries
Quiz
Review vocabulary
If time permits, Shakespeare research

Today's thought to ponder...
"Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Consider this quote and why we study world literature. How do they relate? (HINT: you may see this quote and question at a future date...)

Monday, April 21, 2008

Welcome back!

I hope you all had a fantastic break. Now back to the grindstone. ;-)

Period 1:
Introducing Hamlet
Selecting character to chronicle

Period 3:
Preparing for individual debates

Period 5:
Revising the research paper

Period 6:
Review novel
Introduce literature circle roles & function
Shakespeare research

Today's quotes...
"Nothing will work unless you do." - Maya Angelou

and...

Mike Krzyzewski - "The truth is that many people set rules to keep from making decisions."

What do you think?

April Break

Hi, all,

Have a great break. Don't forget the extra credit opportunity at the Catamount Arts Center in St. Johnsbury. Persepolis is showing at 7pm until Thursday. Tickets are $7.00.

See you on the 21st.

April 11, 2008

Period 1:
Looking at song lyrics as poetry
Vocabulary Quiz

Work on your reading project over break - Due Tuesday the 22nd!

Period 3:
Nonverbal communication skills, revisit

Period 5:
Review first research drafts- develop an action plan

Period 6:
Vocabulary Quiz 10
Discuss novel
Character diaries

Quote of the day...
Alfred Lord Tennyson - "Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers."

Thursday, April 10

Period 1:
Present Current Events
Work on sonnets & parodies
Examine song lyrics

Period 3:
The debates continue

Period 5:
Work on research essays

Period 6:
Present Current Events
Discuss novel
Ethics & Moral Decisions

Quote of the day...

"Shared laughter creates a bond of friendships. When people laugh together, they cease to be young and old, teacher and pupils, worker and boss. They become a single group of human beings." - W. Lee Grant

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Period 1:
Review vocabulary
Working on sonnets
For those of you looking for rhyming words or words of certain syllables... Check out this great link that Sean C. found: http://www.rhymezone.com/

Period 3:
Debates begin

Period 5:
Work on drafts

Period 6:
Review vocabulary
Go over novel
Discuss Lost Poets

Today's thought to ponder or perhaps, directive...
"So many worlds, so much to do, so little done, such things to be."
Alfred Lord Tennyson
What do you have to do and who are you going to be?

Tuesday, April 8

My apologies for being out today. This should be my last absence for quite a while.
However, I know that you are all well-prepared on what is expected of you today.

Period 1:
Work on your sonnets

Period 3:
Work on your debate

Period 5:
Work on your research paper

Period 6:
All Quiet on the Western Front quiz
Read Hemingway's short story and discuss it

Today's thought...

"We know what a person thinks not when he tells us what he thinks, but by his actions." - Isaac Bashevis Singer
What do you think? Do you agree?

See you all tomorrow and I hope you have a great day.

Mrs. Tyler

Monday, April 7, 2008

Good morning, all!

Period 1:
Understanding Sonnets
Shakespeare's Sonnets & A Parody

Period 3:
Work on Debate Arguments

Period 5:
Begin drafting research essay

Period 6:
Discuss All Quiet
Progression of War

Thought for the day:
"If you fell down yesterday, stand up today." - H.G. Wells
What do you think?

Friday, April 4, 2008

Good morning, students.

I will not be in today, but I know that you will be great for my substitutes and work hard on your projects.

Period 1:
Vocabulary Quiz 9
Poetry in Journeys
Poetry Writing

Don't forget to work on your independent reading project!

Period 3:
Continue preparing for your debate topics. We will begin debates next week.

Period 5:
Work on developing your outline and determining where your information needs to go.
I will check outlines on Monday and you will be turning in a draft paper on Friday.

Period 6:
Vocabulary Quiz 9
Meeting the characters in All Quiet on the Western Front
Brief novel introduction
Consider this quote by Herbert Hoover: "Older men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die." Think about what it means to Paul & his comrades.

See you Monday!


Today's quote:

"Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance." - Carl Sandburg

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Period 1:
Current Events
Haikus
Responding to Poetry

Period 3:
Debate topic - selection and preliminary research

Period 5:
Researching topics using Noodletools

Period 6:
Current Events
Persepolis Test

Quote of the day...
"Poetry is an orphan of silence. The words never quite equal the experience behind them."
Charles Simic

April 2, 2008

Fun fact: April is National Poetry Month!

Period 1:
Review vocabulary
Share girl/boy essays
Start with a given word

Period 3:
Demonstration Speeches: Karen, Crystal, Carissa, Hana & Stephanie

Period 5:
Practice citing - using Noodletools

Period 6:
Review vocabulary
Review Persepolis
Work on memoirs if time allows

Thought to ponder...
"Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful." -Rita Dove

April 1, 2008

Ah, the month signifying spring has arrived.

Period 1:
Jamaica Kincaid's essay: "Girl"
Crafting "Girl/Boy" essays
Setting your reading schedule

Period 3:
Demonstration speeches: Cameron, Ari, Megan & Cathy

Period 5:
Journal prompt
Using quotes and citing from an article

Period 6:
Discuss Persepolis
It's all about perspective
Work on memoirs

Thought to ponder...
Thomas A. Edison - "Discontent is the first necessity of progress."

What do you think?

FOURTH QUARTER!

Wow, can you believe it is the final quarter of the 2007-2008 school year? Some of you are thinking about graduation and your next steps, while others are still looking forward to a few more years at WHS.

Confucius says...
"Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change."

What do you think he meant?
How have you changed over the past year? Your high school career?

Don't forget that there is an extra credit opportunity over April break. The Catamount in St. Johnsbury is showing Persepolis.

See you tomorrow.
Mrs. Tyler

March 28, 2008

The last day of the third quarter!

Period 1:
Vocabulary Quiz 8
Animal Farm Test
Begin Individual Reading Project

Period 3:
Final Product Presentation - Ice Cream, anyone?
Work on "How to..."

Period 5:
In class writing: best/worst advice
Citations - ICE

Period 6:
Vocabulary Quiz
Discuss Reading
Work on Memoir Project

Thought to ponder....
"Happiness is neither virtue nor pleasure nor this thing nor that but simply growth, We are happy when we are growing. " William Butler Yeats

March 27, 2008

Period 1:
Present Current Events
Review Animal Farm
Fable Writing

Period 3:
Finish Product Presentations
Start "How to..." Demonstration Speeches

Period 5:
Citing work
Researching topics

Period 6:
Present Current Events
Persepolis Quiz
Work on Memoirs

Today's thought to ponder...
"If you don't know where you are going, every road will get you nowhere." - Henry Kissinger

What do you think?

March 26, 2008

I've added some new links to check out and don't forget to cast your vote for your favorite work. I will also accept comments on why or you can let me know what your least favorite novel or novella was and your reasoning.

Period 1:
Review Vocabulary
Review novel
Living on Animal Farm activity

Period 3:
What do a rabbit, "wonder" bread and a new athletic game have in common? They are all part of product presentations!


Period 5:
Turn in portfolios
Writing Authorial Notes

Period 6:
Review vocabulary and Persepolis
Present Kindness Projects
Brainstorming for memoir

Today's quote to ponder:
"Life must be understood backwards; but... it must be lived forward." - Soren Kierkegaard

March 25, 2008

Period 1:
Animal Farm Quiz on Ch. 5-7
Present Propaganda Project
What would your role be on the farm?

Period 3:
Continue work on product presentations

Period 5:
Continue work on portfolios - due tomorrow
As Walt Disney once said: "The best way to get started is to quit talking."
:)

Period 6:
Discuss Persepolis
Finish reviewing Webquest
Brainstorm significant events

Quote of the day:
Herman Melville said: "We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men."
Do you agree? How is this evidenced in your own life? In the literature we read?

March 24, 2008

Hi, all,

This is the last week of the quarter!! Can you believe there is only one quarter left in the 2007-2008 school year?

Period 1:

Review Reading
Finish Research Presentations

Period 3:
Gesturing Activities: Body Language says SO MUCH!!
Product Presentation Work

Period 5:
Portfolio Work
PORTFOLIOS are due WEDNESDAY!!

Period 6:
Finish Persepolis WebQuest
Reading a Graphic Novel

Thought to Ponder:
Vince Lombardi said: "Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect." What do you think?

Also, don't forget to weigh in on your favorite book this semester. What was your least favorite?

I'll see you in class.

Mrs. Tyler

March 21, 2008

I am on the Romeo & Juliet Theater Trip today.

Period 1:

Vocabulary Quiz
Propaganda Worksheet & Project

Period 3:
Work on Product Presentation

Period 5:
Work on Portfolio pieces

Period 6:
Vocabulary Quiz
Metamorphosis Article
Persepolis Webquest

Have a great day. I'll see you on Monday.

Mrs. Tyler

March 20, 2008

Period 1:
Animal Farm Quiz, Ch. 1-4
Present Current Events
Present Research Topics
Historical Pairing

Period 3:
Finish A Person Worth Knowing
Introduce Using Visual Aids
Start Product Presentation Work

Period 5:
Work on Portfolios

Period 6:
Discuss the moral implications of Metamorphosis
Punishment & Responsibility
Looking at subtext
Present Current Events

Consider this quote:
Life is just one day after another, even when the days are really, really strange.
--Robin McKinley

How does it relate to Gregor's situation?

March 19, 2008

Period 1:
Students reviewed vocabulary, discussed Animal Farm and continued working on their research topics.

Period 3:
Students will finish A Person Worth Knowing speeches (amazing job yesterday!). We will discuss using Visual Aids and body language.

Period 5:
Students will continue to revise their essays.

Period 6:
Students will review vocabulary, take a quiz on Metamorphosis, discuss the novella to date and map Gregor's changes.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Period 1:
Students reviewed the first chapter of Animal Farm and outlined details of emerging characters.

Students began researching topics related to the Russian Revolution to gain a historical context for the novel.

Period 3:
Students will present their A Person Worth Knowing speech and offer critiques.

Period 5:
Students will peer workshop portfolio papers and offer feedback.

Period 6:
Students will take a brief quiz on Ch. 1 of Metamorphosis and we will discuss Existentialism, Freud, Expressionism, and Surrealism.

March 17, 2008

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Period 1:
Students presented their Breathing Underwater and Speak final projects. We also started introductory activities for Animal Farm.

Period 3:
This week we will be exploring nonverbal and gesture communication. What better way to start than with a rousing game of charades?

Period 5:
Students worked on providing more setting details to ground their essays.

Period 6:
Students completed a final quiz on Three Cups of Tea and then were introduced to Kafka. We started discussing symbols and their importance, as well as how Kafka's life is reflected in his writing.

Weekend 3/15-3/16 Reminders

Period 1:
Your literature circle final projects are due on Monday.

Period 3:
Your "Person Worth Knowing" speech is due on Tuesday.


Period 5:
Portfolios are due in one week!

Period 6:
Your Kindness Project paper is due on Thursday.

March 13, 2008

Period 1:
Literature Circles met. Students presented their current events and we briefly reviewed vocabulary.

Period 3:
Students will work on their person worth knowing speech.

Period 5:

Students will continue to work on essays and share time stretch essays from yesterday.

Period 6:
Students will present current events and work on their Kindness Project papers. Student-teacher conferences will conclude.

Wednesday, March 12

Period 1:
We reviewed vocabulary and literature circles met. Students finished their inside/outside character presentations.

Period 3:
Students finished accepting awards and worked on their person worth knowing speech. We also discussed the structure of speeches in relation to essays.

Period 5:
Students defined what a hero was and also worked on writing contrasting no description and lots of details. Details won! YEAH!

Period 6:
Student - teacher conferences on the Kindness Project occurred. We reviewed vocabulary and students completed a quiz on Three Cups of Tea, ch. 13-19.