Monday, October 13, 2009

Today's Odyssey Review:

Week of Sept 21st

Period 1:
Working with Shakespeare's Hamlet and writing personal narratives

Period 2:
Finishing up Orwell's 1984 and moving into Homer's Odyssey
Revising summer reading essays and writing personal narratives

Period 6:
Reading Sunrise over Fallujah and comparing/contrasting to All Quiet on the Western Front
Working on Memorial Projects and personal narratives

Thought for the week:
"Genius is eternal patience." - Michelangelo

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Okay, I think this year I will do a revised blog - weekly posting rather than daily - especially as we go live with the Ning!

This week: REMEMBER IT IS HOMECOMING & FALL FROLIC ON WEDNESDAY!

Period 1:

Finish Faustus
Hero's Journey
Tragic Hero
Begin Hamlet



Period 2:

1984 Presentations
Continue studying and exploring 1984



Period 6:

Finish All Quiet on the Western Front
Begin Sunrise over Fallujah
Work on war memorial projects



Thought for the week...

"We must not allow the clock and the calendar to blind us to the fact that each moment of life is a miracle and a mystery." H.G. Wells

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Reading & Writing Workshop Day!

Students participated in various writing activities including journaling, essay writing, research, and peer response.
They also read from their independent and assigned reading books.

Thought for the day....

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

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Welcome back from the long weekend!



Period 1:
Discuss Antigone
Looking at quotes and applying them to Antigone
"ICE"



Period 2:
Discuss 1984
"ICE"
Introduce Orwell Project



Period 6:
Discuss All Quiet on the Western Front
Character Journals

Thought for the day...

"An opinion should be the result of thought, not a substitute for it." - Jef Mallett

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Wow, kind of a rocky start on the blog this year....



So, starting today:



Period 1:

Metamorphosis Test

Noodletools



Period 2:

Oedipus & Antigone

Noodletools



Period 6:

Discussing All Quiet on the Western Front

Work on Character Cards & Journals

Introduce & Begin War Research



Thought for the day...


"The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled." - Plutarch

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

WELCOME BACK!

Period 1:
Who I am
Reading quiz info

Hw: Metamorphosis Ch. 1 & Reading Journal

Period 2:
Who I am
Reading quiz info

Hw: Oedipus: 23-38 & Reading Journal

Period 6:
Who I am
Reading quiz info

Hw: All Quiet: Ch. 1 & Reading Journal

Thought for the day....
"There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them." - Joseph Brodsky

July 24, 2009

Letters will be going out to students and their parents tomorrow. Make sure you are doing your summer reading. I can't wait to talk to you about your books in August.

Mrs. Tyler

And a thought for the summer...

Plutarch - "The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled."

Summer Reading...

Congratulations to all who have already started their summer reading and began inputting their note cards onto Noodletools.

I will be sending out a reminder letter to those who are registered for CP or Honors and have not picked up their book.

See you August 26th.

Mrs. Tyler

Summer!

If you did not pick up your summer reading book, you need to stop by the school to pick it up. There are books available from the guidance office.

Please let me know if you have any problems with your noodletools account.

Mrs. Tyler

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

LAST DAY!

Literally Film's Final Exam.


For my CP & Honors students, please visit my website to download the summer reading assignment.

You should have either Camus' The Plague or Hosseini's The Kite Runner. You will need to enter your notecards onto Noodletools.
Don't forget to SHARE your lists with me. I am reachable via email and will be able to meet with you Wednesday afternoons if you need help (you MUST arrange this with me ahead of time).

Have a great summer and see you in August!

Mrs. Tyler

Monday, June 15, 2009

Finals for Blocks 2 & 4/5 today!

Thought for the day...
If you want to see what children can do, you must stop giving them things.
- Norman Douglas


I am so proud of all of you!

Friday, June 12, 2009

Awards Assembly, Student Council BBQ, Our Town & the Evolution of Dance!!!

How nice to devote a day to celebrating & recognizing student work!

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

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Don't forget to pick up your summer reading books!

Good luck on your first day of final exams. See you at Class Night & the Awards Assembly!

Mrs. Tyler


Thought for the day...
The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think.
- Edwin Schollsberg

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Don't forget to pick up your summer reading!

Period 1:
Finish viewing Hamlet

Period 3:
Our Town work

Period 5:
Collaborative paper

Thought for the day...
"There is more to life than increasing its speed." - Mohandas Gandhi

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Summer reading books are now available in the library! Don't leave for the summer without picking up your book.

Period 1: Viewing Almereyda's Hamlet

Period 2: Continue viewing Almereyda's Hamlet

Period 3: Our Town Work

Period 5: Portfolio Work

Thought for the day...
"We know what we are, but know not what we may be. " - Shakespeare

Monday, June 8, 2009

Marching Practice from 8:30-9:30

Summer reading books are now available for pick up in the library. Please see your CP or Honors English teacher for next year's assignment.

Congratulations, seniors, on the completion of your finals. See you at Class Night!

Period 3:
Our Town

Period 5:
Portfolio Work

Thought for the day...
"Well done is better than well said." Ben Franklin

Friday, June 5, 2009

Period 1:
Congratulations, I will see you at class night & graduation.

Period 2:
Final Exam

Period 3:
Our Town

Period 5:
Publish or Perish
Anthology editing & Portfolio work

Thought for the day...
Life is like an onion: You peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep.
— Carl Sandburg

Thursday, June 4, 2009

I apologize for missing yesterday's posting. As the semester is coming to an end, there are some similarities in our daily activities, but I did run out of time yesterday.

Period 1:
Final Exam

Period 2:
Review for Final Exam

Period 3:
Our Town

Period 5:
Anthology/Portfolio Work

Thought for the day...
Personality can open doors, but only character can keep them open.
- Elmer G. Letterman

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Period 1:
Finish All My Sons
Discuss public responsibility vs personal responsibility
Begin review for final

Period 2:
Discuss The Stranger
Which is worse?
Work on hero presentation

Period 3:
Our Town

Period 5:
Portfolio & Anthology work

Thought for the day...
"We are wiser than we know." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Monday, June 1, 2009

Period 1:
Shortened due to marching practice
Continued Act II for All My Sons - go to pg. 61 for homework

Period 2:
Review/discuss The Stranger
Work on hero papers

Period 3:
Our Town - the cemetery & rehearse "marriage"

Period 5:
Work on portfolio & anthology pieces

Thought for the day...
Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance.
- Oprah Winfrey

Friday, May 29, 2009

Summer reading books are filling up fast! Sign up today so you don't miss out on your first choice.

Period 1:
Final literature circle meeting
All My Sons
Work on society project

Period 2:
Shortened class due to marching practice
What is existentialism?
Discussing Camus' The Stranger

Period 3:
Our Town... At the graveyard

Period 5:
Publish & Perish
Peer Review

Thought for the day...
The use of language is all we have to pit against death and silence.
—Carol Joyce Oates

Thursday, May 28, 2009

All students may sign up for summer reading!

Period 1:
Shortened class- marching practice
Present current events
All My Sons

Period 2:
Present current events
Greek Tragedy Test

Period 3:
Our Town

Period 5:
Anthology/Portfolio work

Thought for the day....
I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers.
—Claude Monet

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Summer Reading sign up for Class of 2010!

Period 1:
Literature circles
Society work
All My Sons

Period 2:
Antigone
Hero Project work

Period 3:
Rain date - props & costumes

Period 5:
Work on portfolio/anthology

Thought for the day...
When written in Chinese, the word “crisis” is composed of two characters. One representing danger and the other represents opportunity.
- John F. Kennedy

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Period 1:
Literature circles
Working on society project
Begin All My Sons

Period 2:
Shortened period due to marching practice
Peer review of hero papers

Period 3:
Our Town costume work

Period 5:
Portfolio & Anthology work

Thought for the day...
When we are dreaming alone, it is only a dream. When we are dreaming with others, it is the beginning of reality.
- Dom Hélder Câmara

Friday, May 22, 2009

Period 1:
Vocabulary quiz
Literature circles
Creating a new society - Your New World Order

Period 2:
Vocabulary quiz
Review Oedipus Rex
Introduce Antigone
Hero Project Work

Period 3:
Our Town

Period 5:
Publish or Perish
Conference on Portfolio and/or Anthology

Thought for the day...
Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.
— Helen Keller

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Period 1:
Present current events
Literature circles
Work on vocabulary review for final

Period 2:
Present current events
Present literature circle projects
Discuss/review Oedipus Rex
Ethical dilemmas

Period 3:
Rehearse Our Town

Period 5:
Work on portfolios

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

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Period 1:
Literature circles
Review vocabulary
Finish archetype notes & find archetypes and symbols in literature

Period 2:
Review vocabulary
Oedipus Rex
Work on projects

Period 3:
Filming - camera angles
Rehearse Our Town

Period 5:
Work on portfolio

Thought for the day...
Let a joy keep you. Reach out your hands and take it when it runs by.
— Carl Sandburg

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Period 1:
Literature Circles
Discussing literature archetypes

Period 2:
Greek tragedy
Introducing Oedipus

Period 3:
Our Town

Period 5:
Work on portolio

Thought for the day...
Think wrongly, if you please, but in all cases think for yourself.
- Doris Lessing

Monday, May 18, 2009

Period 1:
Present independent reading projects
Introduce literature circle roles
What is postmodernism & existentialism?

Period 2:
Hamlet test
Hero conferences

Period 3:
Our Town work

Period 5:
Work on anthology & portfolio pieces

Thought for the day...
You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down.
— Mary Pickford

Friday, May 15, 2009

Period 1 (shortened due to marching practice):
Vocabulary quiz
Book selection - Ch. 1 due on Monday

Period 2:
Vocabulary quiz
Literature Circles
Finish Hamlet
Watch The Simpsons' Hamlet

Period 3:
Our Town & Chinese food!!!

Period 5:
Publish or Perish
Anthology workshop

Thought for the day...
To have great poets, there must be great audiences, too.
—Walt Whitman

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Period 1:
Present current events
Hamlet Test

Period 2:
Present current events
Literature circles
Finish Hamlet Act IV, begin Hamlet Act V

Period 3:
Our Town

Period 5:
Work on anthology and portfolio pieces

Thought for the day...
"I like nonsense -- it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living. It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope...and that enables you to laugh at all of life's realities."
— Theodor S. Geisel, a.k.a. "Dr. Seuss"

Wednesday, May 14, 2009

Period 1:
Review vocabulary
Finish Hamlet
Independent reading project time/study time

Period 2:
Review vocabulary
Literature circles
Hamlet Act IV - Hamlet sentenced to death in England, Ophelia has lost her mind, Laertes wants revenge, and now Hamlet's returned to England via pirates.... This is falling action?

Period 3:
Our Town

Period 5:
Peer feedback on anthology pieces
Titling the anthology

Thought for the day...
The hand that holds the quills controls history.
- Charles L. Blockson

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Period 1:
Finish Hamlet Act IV, and Read Act V, Scene 1
Tomorrow - the tragic finale!!!
Independent reading project work

Period 2:
Hamlet Act II & Act III, Scene 2 quiz
Finish Act III, begin Act IV
Literature Circles

Period 3:
Our Town

Period 5:
Work on portfolio & anthology piece
Dr. Jekyll conferences

Thought for the day...
William Feather - "No man is a failure who is enjoying life."

Monday, May 11, 2009

Period 1:
Hamlet Act III quiz
Read Hamlet Act IV - review dramatic structure
Independent reading project time

Period 2:
Film version comparison finishes
Finish Hamlet Act III
Literature Circles

Period 3:
Our Town

Period 5:
Writing warm-up:Describe a scene
Portfolio work
Mr. Hyde conferences

Thought for the day...
Do what you can with what you have where you are.
- Theodore Roosevelt

Friday, May 8, 2009

Period 1:
Vocabulary quiz
Hamlet Act 3, Scenes 2-3 (maybe even 4???)
Independent reading

Period 2:
Vocabulary quiz
Video exploration of "To be or not to be..." and "Get thee to a nunnery..."
Literature Circles

Period 3:
Our Town work - storyboarding, etc.

Period 5:
Publish or Perish
Small group conferences

Thought for the day...
Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.
— Louisa May Alcott

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Period 1:
Present current event
"To be or not to be" & "Get thee to a nunnery" - a comparison of four films
Independent reading project

Period 2:
Present current events
Literature Circles
Hamlet Act III: "To be or not to be"

Period 3:
Our Town work - understanding storyboarding

Period 5:
Writing Prompt: "I miss..."
Share/Respond
Dr. Jekyll Conferences

Thought for the day....
I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning to sail my ship.
— Louisa May Alcott

Hamlet in Pop Culture...

Enjoy these videos inspired by Hamlet....

"Tales from the Public Domain" - The Simpsons
Hamlet is at the end of this episode, following retellings of Odysseus and Joan of Arc.
The Simpsons 1314 Tales from the Public Domain


Hamlet & Elmo


Hamlet & Animaniacs

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Period 1:
Review vocabulary
Hamlet Act II quiz
Begin Hamlet Act III
Introduction to "To be or not to be"

Period 2:
Review vocabulary
Literature Circles
Hamlet Act I & beginning of Act II quiz
Finish Hamlet Act II

Period 3:
Our Town work: reflections & what has happened so far

Period 5:
Writing prompt: Create a list about annoying things.... Write about one of them
Mr. Hyde Conferences
Share/Respond

Thought for the day...
Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing.
— Clive James

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Period 1:
Finish Hamlet Act II
Work on Emotion Charts
Independent reading time

Period 2:
Literature Circles: Three Cups of Tea & 1984
Hamlet's "Madness" and insulting Polonius

Period 3:
Our Town work

Period 5:
Writing Prompt: Free Write
Conferences
Share/Respond

Thought for the day...
Life is tough, and if you have the ability to laugh at it you have the ability to enjoy it.
— Salma Hayek

Monday, May 4, 2009

Period 1:
Hamlet Act I quiz
Charting the emotions of Hamlet & other characters
Reading Scene 2

Period 2 (shortened due to advisories):
Finish Act I of Hamlet and begin Act II
Understanding Hamlet's emotional state
Literature circles

Period 3:
Work on Our Town - Thank you, to Alice & family for hosting us!

Period 5:
Writing prompt: "Your plane crashes..."
Share/Respond
Workshop

Thought for the day...
Each man is a hero and an oracle to somebody.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Friday, May 1, 2009

Period 1:
Vocabulary quiz
Finish Hamlet Act I, begin Act II
Independent reading
Journal check - Next Journal check Tuesday

Period 2:
Vocabulary quiz
Introduce Literature Circles
Select books

Period 3:
Our Town work

Period 5:
Publish or Perish
Conferences in Jekyll & Hyde

Thought for the day...
I am not a quitter. I will fight until I drop. It is just a matter of having some faith in the fact that as long as you are able to draw breath in the universe, you have a chance.
— Cicely Tyson

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Oops! I forgot to post yesterday....

Today, I will be out, but I know I will get a great report from Mr. Feid.

Period 1:
Present current events
Viewing Hamlet

Period 2:
Present current events
Viewing Much Ado About Something
Response paper

Period 3:
Our Town work

Period 5:
Writing Prompt: Pick a song you love and change ALL the lyrics to it.
Share/Respond
Work on Portfolio & Author's Notes

Thought for the day...
Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.
— Confucious

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Period 1:

Beginning in the middle: viewing the climax of Hamlet

Began reading & exploring Act I: Scenes 1 & 2

Independent reading project

Period 2:

Beginning in the middle: viewing the climax of Hamlet

Reading Act I: Scenes 1 & 2

Introduction to "In Search of a Hero"

Period 3:

Our Town work

Period 5:

Review Happiness descriptions

Writing prompt: List seven objects you (or your character) would want if you (or he/she) were the last person on earth. Pick one of the objects and explain why...

Share/Respond

Work on Portfolios

Thought for the day...

"He who would acquire fame must not show himself afraid of censure. The dread of censure is the death of genius."
— William Gillmore Simms

Monday, April 27, 2009

Welcome back!

Period 1:
Introduction to Hamlet
Major themes: Fate, Revenge, Ambition, Guilt, Anger

Period 2:
Introduction to Hamlet
Shakespeare High
Review tragic hero, dramatic set-up

Period 3:
Our Town work

Period 5:
Drawing of the groups
Writing Prompt: Describe happiness
"Good" Feedback
Share/Respond
Work on Portfolio

Thought for the day...
"What we become depends on what we read after all of the professors have finished with us. The greatest university of all is a collection of books."
— Thomas Carlyle

Congratulations to the Class of 2009 Honors

Congratulations to the Class of 2009's honors' speakers....

Valedictorian: Ashleigh Greenwood
Salutatorian: Hannah Walker
3rd Honors: Alice Lin
4th Honors: Abby Fadden

And to the Class Marshals for the Class of 2009: Samantha Waterhouse & Sam Roy

Friday, April 17, 2009

The last day before spring break...

Period 1:
Vocabulary quiz
Persepolis test

Period 2:
Vocabulary quiz
Finish Doctor Faustus
What are the themes?
Beginning analytical essay

Period 3:
Our Town: Finish the script

Period 5:
Publish or Perish
Portfolio work
Teacher conferences

Thought for the day...
The discipline of the writer is to learn to be still and listen to what his subject has to tell him.
— Rachel Carson

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Period 1:
Present current events
Persepolis reading quiz
Sharing of images
Review Persepolis worksheet

Period 2:
Present current events
Reviewing Doctor Faustus
Reading Act 4

Period 3:
Turn in Anticipation Papers for Part 1 of Independent Film Project
Our Town work

Period 5:
Writing Prompt: Crash
Share/Respond
Teacher Conferences

Thought for the day...
Success is more a function of consistent common sense than it is of genius.
— An Wang

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

It's tax day...

Period 1:
Review vocabulary
Persepolis quiz & review
Review Iran history, Islam information & veiling

Period 2:
Review vocabulary
Review Doctor Faustus Act 2...
What's up with your character?
Reading Act 3

Period 3:
Our Town work - script review & revision
Costumes, props, locations, etc.

Period 5:
Writing prompt: "Once upon a time..."
Share/Respond
Teacher conferences
Work on personal writing

Thought for the day...
"Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better." — Albert Camus

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Period 1:
Reviewing Persepolis - Understanding how to read subtext in a graphic novel
Reviewing Iran worksheet responses
Planning Independent Reading Book

Period 2:
Discuss/review Doctor Faustus Act 1, Begin Act 2
Select character to study...
What themes have been introduced so far?

Period 3:
Our Town work
Independent Film Part 1 check in
Explain Part 3, hand out samples

Period 5:
Writing prompt: "It was the worst vacation ever..."
Share/Respond
Sign up for teacher conferences
Work on personal writing

Thought for the day...
Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.
— Frank Herbert

Announcing the cast of OUR TOWN!

Thank you all for auditioning. We were impressed with your energy, enthusiasm, and your support.

The cast:

• Emily Gibbs: Emily Lloyd
• George Webb: Peter Wright
• Rebecca Webb: Karen Byrne
• Mrs. Gibbs: Catherine Quigley
• Mrs. Soames: Jordan Deppisch
• Mrs. Webb: Angelica Murphy
• Sharon (the drugstore owner): Lauren Simano
  
• Lisa (Bob's girlfriend): Meghan Bullard
• Bob (baseball player, George's best friend): Derek Dube
• Wedding Guests/Talking Dead: Heather Machia, Curran Wood, Cameron Wood
• Ballplayer/Wedding Guest/Funeral Attendee: Austin Albro
• Extras: Teasha Beatrice and Sarah Padua

We still need a few more extras and are looking for a delivery person and Doc Gibbs. If interested, please see Alice Lin, Hattie Cadreact or Mrs. Tyler, ASAP.

Thank you all! It will be a great film.

Friday, April 10, 2009

There are 65 calendar days left for seniors... Wow!

Period 1:
Vocabulary quiz
Present current events
Persepolis reading quiz
Work on Iran research

Period 2:
Vocabulary quiz
Present current events
Discuss/review Doctor Faustus
Begin reading Act 1

Period 3:
Our Town auditions continue!!

Period 5:
Publish or Perish
Peer Workshop
Schedule writing conference with me!

Thought for the day...
"Tough times never last, but tough people do." - Robert H. Schuller

Today is Career Day hosted by our very own Woodsville High School JAG. Thank you to Mrs. Spaulding and the WHS JAG team for a full day of information about careers. You can find out more about WHS JAG at their blog. Applications are being accepted now. See Mrs. Spaulding to learn more about what JAG offers.

There are no regularly scheduled classes. We will spend the day in our advisory groups. Follow your weekly schedule and if I don't see you in the workshops, I'll see you on Friday.

Mrs. Tyler

Thought for today...
"Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit. "
— e. e. cummings

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Report cards go home today!
I'd like to publicly congratulate the following students who are in one of my classes or advisories on their academic accomplishments. Great job!
Principal List: Abby F. and Rachel B.
Honor Roll: Pat H., Reed M., Katie B. and Alice Lin

Period 1:
Review vocabulary
Cannery Row test
Work on Iran research

Period 2:
Review vocabulary
Postcolonial Literature Test

Period 3:
Auditions for Our Town

Period 5:
Writing Prompt: "Hungry"
Share/Respond
Work on individual writing

Thought for the day...
"You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down." - Mary Pickford

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Period 1:
Review Cannery Row
Share community maps

Period 2:
Review Heart of Darkness
Finish discussing "The Second Coming"
Reviewed Things Fall Apart

Go to: African Scramble and read The Dark Places on Earth and Racism in the Heart of Darkness. Please comment on THIS blog whether you agree/disagree and why. Consider what you know about postcolonial literature and the writers' positions as you respond.

Period 3:
Our Town work
Independent Film/Novel Project selections due

Period 5:
Writing Prompt: "If I could..."
Share/Respond
Work on own writing

Thought for the day...
"We never know how high we are
Till we are asked to rise
And then if we are true to plan
Our statures touch the skies"
- Emily Dickinson, "We Never Know How High We Are"

Monday, April 6, 2009

Period 1:
Cannery Row reading quiz and discussion
Continue work on community maps - due tomorrow!!!
Iran research (prepwork for Persepolis)

Period 2:
Discuss/review Heart of Darkness
Revisit "The Second Coming"
Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant"

Period 3:
Our Town prepwork - AUDITIONS ARE THURSDAY DURING LUNCH - Come be a movie star!
Select second Independent Film Project novels

Period 5:
Writing prompt: Write about something you threw away.
Share/Respond
Work on personal writing

Thought for the day...
"Were I called to define, very briefly, the term Art, I should call it 'the reproduction of what the Senses perceive in Nature through the veil of the soul.' " - Edgar Allen Poe

Friday, April 3, 2009

Period 1:
Vocabulary quiz
Cannery Row quiz
Work on community maps
Begin Iran research

Period 2:
Vocabulary quiz
Review Heart of Darkness, Ch. 1

Period 3:
Our Town: Reviewing script

Period 5:
Publish or Perish
Workshop

Thought for the day...
To have great poets, there must be great audiences, too.
—Walt Whitman, NOTES LEFT OVER

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Period 1:
Present current events
Discuss/review Cannery Row - the FROG HUNT & what Doc's been up to...
Work on community maps/anecdotes

Period 2:
Present current events
Discuss/review Heart of Darkness
How does HOD represent postmodernist thought?

Period 3:
Our Town

Period 5:
Survey....

Thought for the day...
Education is the transmission of civilization. - Will Durant

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Happy April Fool's Day.... Try not to be anyone's fool. :)

Period 1:

Review vocabulary

Cannery Row quiz & discussion

Work on community maps, begin developing anecdotes for maps

Period 2:

Review vocabulary

Discuss Things Fall Apart

Review postcolonial literature themes

Introduce Heart of Darkness & Joseph Conrad

Period 3:

Congrats, Nicole, on getting your license!

Our Town

Period 5:

Writing prompt: Begin at the end

Share/Respond

Work on writing

Thought for the day...

"Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around." - Thoreau

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Period 1:
Review Cannery Row
Continuing to build the mosiac
Work on community maps

Period 2:
Share Things Fall Apart passages
Analyzing Yeats' "The Second Coming"

Period 3:
Our Town

Period 5:
Writing Prompt: Slam Poetry
Share/Respond
Finish Workshops

Thought for the day...
"These are not books, lumps of lifeless paper, but minds alive on the shelves." - Gilbert Highet

Monday, March 30, 2009

What a dreary, rainy day!

Period 1:
Cannery Row quiz on Ch. 1-6
The novel as a mosaic
Examining the roles & relationships that make a community
Begin community maps

Period 2:
Share passages from Things Fall Apart
Discuss how culture changes
Review changes in novel
Begin analyzing Yeats' "The Second Coming"

Period 3:
Work on Our Town, using Celtx

Period 5:
Writing prompt: "Liar, liar" - writing from the persepective of someone who always lies
Workshops

Thought for the day...
Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations. - Thoreau

Friday, March 27, 2009

It's Spirit Day and the last day of World Cultures Week.

Period 1:
Vocabulary quiz
Discuss Cannery Row
What is a family?
Building a community

Period 2:
Vocabulary quiz
Things Fall Apart Part One Quiz
Discuss Things Fall Apart

Period 3:
Our Town work continues...

Period 5:
Publish or Perish
Small group workshops

Thought for the day...
He who wonders discovers that this in itself is wonder.
-M. C. Escher

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Period 1:
Present current events
Breathing Underwater test

Period 2:
Present current events
Share Things Fall Apart Passages
Writing from a secondary character's perspective

Period 3:
Our Town: the essentials
Creating the plan

Period 5:
Writing prompt: "I was so bored..."
Sharing
Work on personal writing

Thought for the day...
Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.
— Carl Sagan

Out of Control - Anger, Jealousy, Rage : Words from Alex Flinn's Breathing Underwater

Wednesday, March 24, 2009

Period 1:
Finish Animoto videos & share
Discuss Breathing Underwater - What should you know?
What is happiness? Success? How do you measure it?

Period 2:
The culture of the Ibos
What role do values play in literature?
How do the myths illuminate the culture?
What is Things Fall Apart about?

Period 3:
Share responses to AI
Work on "Our Town"

Period 5:
Writing prompt
Share
Feedback for Lauren & Rachel

Thought for the day...
To find something you can enjoy is far better than finding something you can possess.
— Glenn Holm

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Check out some of the COOL LINKS on my new website. They can help you practice skills and also help you complete my assignments...

Period 1:
Reading quiz & discussion
Finish Animoto projects

Period 2:
Reading quiz & discussion
Final review of personal myth papers - does it meet senior writing expectations?

Period 3:
Finish AI
Begin response paper

Period 5:
Writing prompt
Peer workshop
Goal setting

Thought for the day...
"To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else."
— Emily Dickinson

Friday, March 20, 2009

HAPPY SPRING (or mud season)

Please be kind to Mrs. Williams. Enjoy the long weekend & I'll see you on Tuesday.

Period 1:
Vocabulary quiz
Reading quiz
Inside/Outside box

Period 2:
Vocabulary quiz
Reading quiz
Personal myth papers

Period 3:
AI: Artificial Intelligence, continue viewing

Period 5:
Publish or perish day...

Thought for the day...
"I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden." - Ruth Stout

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Period 1:
Present current events
Reading quiz & discussion
Continue working on Breathing Underwater projects
Animoto

Period 2: (period shortened due to advisories)
Present current events
Reading quiz & discussion
Work on personal myth drafts

Period 3:
Viewing AI: Artificial Intelligence
Themes discussion

Period 5:
My Hometown Cheer
Writing prompt & feedback
Publish or perish entries due tomorrow

Thought for the day...
"Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better." - Albert Camus

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Period 1:
Review vocabulary
Breathing Underwater reading quiz & discussion
Work on theme presentations

Period 2:
Review vocabulary
Introduce colonialism & post-modernist thought
Begin personal myth papers

Period 3:
Anticipation paper for "Super Toys Last All Summer Long"
Begin AI: Artificial Intelligence

Period 5:
Goal setting
Write to a prompt & share

Thought for the day...
"The best way out is always through."- Robert Frost

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Period 1:
Reading quiz & discussion
Understanding Nick
Propaganda Project work

Period 2:
Present personal memoirs
Discuss reading & meaning
Explore myths
Begin personal myth essay

Period 3:
Work on Our Town

Period 5:
Writing prompt & in class responding

Thought for the day...
Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.
— George S. Patton

Monday, March 16, 2009

What a busy weekend! I attended the NH Young Writer's Conference and spent a lot of time talking about writing and following our passions. There were some great published writers and we all were able to read student work of aspiring writers. If you are interested in writing, see me to talk about attending next year!

Period 1:
Quick check-in & quiz
Guest speaker from the NH Major Crimes Unit and Investigation team

Period 2:
American Born Chinese
Exploring cultural and societal myths
The myths that sustain us

Period 3:
Our Town: continue reading and determining characterization

Period 5:
We will respond to a prompt & share our writing today.
How feedback will change...
Deadlines for March discussion

Thought for the day...
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Friday, March 13, 2009

Two Friday the 13ths in a row....

Period 1:
Vocabulary quiz
Breathing Underwater quiz and discussion
Relationships
Beginning a character study

Period 2:
Vocabulary quiz
Discussion of American Born Chinese
Read & discuss myths
What is your mythology?
Working on memoirs

Period 3:
Our Town work - return to Act II?

Period 5:
Publish or Perish Day!!!
Reading/commenting on one another's writing.
Goal setting

Thought for the day....
"Before the beginning of great brilliance and beauty there first must be a period of complete chaos." - I Ching

AND a bonus quote because it was too good to hold onto....
Kurt Cobain - "Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are."

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Period 1:
Present current events
Reading quiz & discussion on Breathing Underwater
Publishing beast fables
Relationships...

Period 2:
Present current events
Learning about the myth of the Monkey King
Reading Asian (Chinese, mostly) mythology & sharing thoughts - visit yesterday's post to learn more
Work on personal memoirs

Period 3:
Exploring Our Town

Period 5:
Writing creatively - Remember tomorrow is PUBLISH OR PERISH DAY
You can publish a work in progress to ask for feedback....(well, technically all writing is a work in progress).
For today's prompts: Write about 7 wonders of the world - they can be fictional, personal, or the real things OR write about something you lost OR freewrite.
You can always respond to the thought of the day.
Remember changing perspectives opens up even more opportunities.

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

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

A snow delay...

Period 1:
Animal Farm test
Review vocabulary

Period 2:
No class due to snow delay
Keep reading American Born Chinese & working on your memoirs.
Here's the promised link to explore Chinese mythology... I recommend looking at The Chinese Stage, Chinese Takeout, and the Chinese Lion Dance.

Period 3:
Our Town review and assignment of roles for Act I
Working on Act I
Begin Act II

Period 5:
Writing to an assigned prompt
Preparing to "publish or perish" - publishing on Friday

Thought for the day...
"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known." - Carl Sagan

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Early Release Day....meaning shortened periods

Period 1:
Review Animal Farm
Work on beast fables

Period 2:
Persepolis Jeopardy
Introduce American Born Chinese
Work on graphic memoir - remember minimum of 15 blocks.

Period 3:
Finish (for real) 2001: A Space Odyssey
What is Kubrick & Clarke's message?
What was it about???
Return to Our Town

Period 5:
Writing creatively
And if you are having trouble with what to write... Click here - they have over 542 different prompts!

Thought for the day...
The glory of great men should always be measured by the means they have used to acquire it.
- Francois de La Rochefoulauld

Monday, March 9, 2009

Period 1:
Animal Farm quiz & discussion
Reading Aesop's fables
What is the moral of Animal Farm?
Creating own beast fable

Period 2:
Discuss/review Persepolis
Work on crafting graphic memoirs

Period 3:
Finish 2001: A Space Odyssey
Fidelity between film and short story
What is the message/warning re: Hal?

Period 5:
Writing creatively... using what you've learned

Thought for the day...
"Words do two major things: They provide food for the mind and create light for understanding and awareness." - Jim Rohn

Friday, March 6, 2009

Period 1:
Vocabulary quiz
Animal Farm quiz & discussion
Begin working on propaganda project

Period 2:
Vocabulary quiz
Persepolis quiz & discussion
Begin working on memoir project

Period 3:
2001: A Space Odyssey

Period 5:
Free Verse

Thought for the day...
Never look down to test the ground before taking your next step; only he who keeps his eye fixed on the far horizon will find the right road.
— Dag Hammarskjold

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Period 1:
Present current events
Animal Farm reading quiz & discussion
Continue historical information
What is propaganda?

Period 2:
Present current events
Persepolis Presentations
Persepolis response/discussion

Period 3:
Watch 2001: A Space Odyssey

Period 5:
Publish & Comment on Sestinas

Thought for the day...
"You create your opportunities by asking for them." - Shakti Gawain

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Period 1:
Review vocabulary
Animal Farm reading quiz & discussion
Understanding types of government & reviewing Animal Farm research
Introduction to propaganda

Period 2:
No class due to NEAP testing
Good luck seniors!

Period 3:
Directorial decisions in Rear Window
Share thoughts on the Sentinel

Period 5:
Learning about and beginning sestinas

Thought for the day...
"Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure." - George Edward Woodberry

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Period 1:
All Quiet on the Western Front Test
Finish Research on Animal Farm

Period 2:
Review vocabulary
Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard Test
Finish Persepolis Presentation work

Period 3:
Viewing Rear Window

Period 5:
Post/Respond to Ballads

Thought for the day...
Confucius says..."I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."

Monday, March 2, 2009

Period 1:
Review All Quiet Review
Work on Animal Farm Research

Period 2:
Review Hullabaloo
How to read graphic novels
Work on Persepolis Presentations

Period 3:
Viewing Rear Window

Period 5:
Introduce Ballads
Post Free Verses

Thought for the day...
Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.
- Frederick Douglass

Friday, February 27, 2009

Period 1:
Vocabulary Quiz
All Quiet reading quiz and review
Animal Farm research

Period 2:
Shortened due to special senior meeting in Room 18!!!
Vocabulary Quiz
Quick book discussion
Work on presentations

Period 3:
Viewing Rear Window - evaluating fidelity

Period 5:
Publish and comment on odes
Free verse?

Thought for the day.... (because perspective matters)
"I do not seek. I find." - Pablo Picasso

Odes, Sonnets & other Rhyming Stuff

For my creative writers...

Here are some sites that you may want to check out....

Rhyming Dictionary & Thesaurus - so many uses...and will also include phrases.

RhymeZone - This site allows you to search the word you want to rhyme and organize the results by syllable - because sometimes it matters!

Write Express Rhyming Dictionary - Exactly what you think it is.

Poetry 4 Kids Rhyming Dictionary - organizes by word length, not to be confused by syllables.

I will place these permanently on my new website - which you may want to bookmark: http://whstyler.sau23.org - just think Woodsville High Styler & you'll always find me!

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Period 1:
Present current events
All Quiet reading quiz
In class reading time
Animal Farm research

Period 2:
Present current events
Hullabaloo reading quiz & discussion
Work on Persepolis Presentations

Period 3:
Discuss "Rear Window" - anticipate the movie
Work on Our Town

Period 5:
Publish/Comment on Sonnets
What is an ode?
Begin writing an ode...

Thought for the day...
What is now proved was once imagined.
- William Blake

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

I'm debuting a new website... Check it out!

Period 1:
Review Vocabulary
Reading Quiz & Discussion
Begin researching the Russian Revolution

Period 2:
Review Vocabulary
Reading Quiz & Discussion
Begin researching Persepolis and Iran

Period 3:
Examining perspective by using Sweet Home Alabama
Discuss Our Town

Period 5:
Publish Haikus
Begin work on sonnets
Checking out William Shakespeare for inspiration

Thought for the day...
A book is the most effective weapon against intolerance and ignorance.
- Lyndon Baines Johnson

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Period 1:
All Quiet Reading Quiz & Book Review
Recognizing what is important...
What is the purpose of war?

Period 2:
Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard Reading Quiz & Book Review
Discussing goals, and ways to get there
What is happiness?
Understanding Sampath

Period 3:
Independent Film Project
Reading Our Town
Understanding Perspectives

Period 5:
Poetry...
We shall begin with the haiku (which is much more complex than you remember)

Thought for the day...
"What is art but a way of seeing?" - Saul Bellow

Monday, February 23, 2009

Welcome back, well almost. See you tomorrow.

Thought for the day...
For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.
- Nelson Mandela

February 13, 2009

Final Day of Winter Carnival!!!

Period 5:
Descriptions.....

Have a great vacation & see you all at the ball tonight!

Thought for the day...
All glory comes from daring to begin.
- Eugene F. Ware

February 12, 2009

Period 1:
Vocabulary quiz
Present current events
Review novel

Period 2:
Vocabulary quiz
Present current events
Review novel - what's important
Meet about essays

Period 3:
Read Our Town

Thought for the day...
“A competitor will find a way to win. Competitors take bad breaks and use them to drive themselves just that much harder. Quitters take bad breaks and use them as reasons to give up. It's all a matter of pride.” - Nancy Lopez

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Winter Carnival: Early Release Schedule!
Best of luck at Quiz Bowl and Lip Sync

Period 1:
Review vocabulary
All Quiet quiz
In-class reading

Period 2:
Review vocabulary
Don Quixote test

Period 3:
Reading Our Town

Period 5:
You are a detective - in a kitchen....

Thought for the day...
"Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game. "
Michael Jordan

May you all enjoy this week's events!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Period 1:
Discussed All Quiet & reading quiz
The image of earth
What is irony and how is it used...
Comparing Sunrise & All Quiet

Period 2:
Discussing Don Quixote
Work on essays

Period 3:
Finish A River Runs Through It
Examining the fidelity
Why the changes?

Period 5:
Flying...
Onomatopoeia

Thought for the day...
Unless a man undertakes more than he possibly can do, he will never do all that he can.
- Henry Drummond

February 6, 2009

Period 1:
Vocabulary quiz
All Quiet on the Western Front quiz
How to take notes: characters, major events/changes, relationships - how do the characters relate to one another....
Taking notes on Ch. 1 - reviewing some of the characters

Period 2:
Vocabulary quiz
Reviewing Don Quixote
Finishing Archetypes - Present on Monday

Period 3:
A River Runs Through It

Period 5:
Reading and discussing: "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros
Writing about your "ugly red sweater"

Thought for the day...
"Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see." - Arthur Schopenhauer

February 5, 2009

Period 1:
Present current events
Sunrise over Fallujah test

Period 2:
Present current events
Don Quixote quiz
Components of a literary analysis essay
Finish character archetypes

Period 3:
Film Vocabulary Test
Viewing A River Runs Through It

Period 5:
Discussing "Young Goodman Brown"
Role of description in writing

Thought for the day...
"Every time we say, "Let there be!" in any form, something happens." - Stella Terrill Mann

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Early Release Day - Shortened Periods

Period 1:
Review vocabulary
Sunrise over Fallujah review

Period 2:
Review vocabulary
Don Quixote quiz
Work on archetypes

Period 3:
Viewing A River Runs Through It

No Period 5 due to Honor Roll and Attendance Assembly
I'll see you tomorrow - be prepared to discuss "Young Goodman Brown"

Thought for the day...
Words, when well chosen, have so great a force in them, that a description often gives us more lively ideas than the sight of things themselves.
- Joseph Addison

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Period 1:
Sunrise quiz & discussion
Looking at archetypes in literature and identifying roles in novel

Period 2:
Don Quixote quiz & discussion
Tracing theme/archetype through novel
Bringing an archetype to life

Period 3:
Types of montages and their uses
Building a scene from A River Runs Through It - movie tomorrow, I found it! :)

Period 5:
Describing "a scary place"

Thought for the day...
Without words, without writing and without books there would be no history, there could be no concept of humanity.
- Hermann Hesse

Monday, February 2, 2009

Period 1:
Sunrise quiz
In-class reading
War presentations

Vietnam




World War II:


Iraq War


Korea:


Period 2:
Don Quixote quiz
Exploring themes and key passages of DQ
Working with archetypes

Period 3:
Categories for analyzing film
Lighting & shot length
Independent Film Assignment: Selecting a work
Review scenes from Citizen Kane

Period 5:
Literary devices: What is an archetype?
Identifying and using a situational archetype

Thought for the day...
"You get the best out of others when you get the best out of yourself." - Harvey Firestone

Friday, January 30, 2009

Period 1:
Vocabulary Quiz
Reading Quiz
Present Current Events
PRESENTATIONS ARE DUE WEDNESDAY

Period 2:
Vocabulary Quiz
Review Part One
Archetypes

Period 3:
A River Runs Through It test
Discuss scenes from Citizen Kane

Period 5:
Finish conferencing
Begin reviewing and revising - revision due Tuesday

Thought for the day...

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. - Abraham Lincoln

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Snow delay - No Period 1. Keep reading you should be at page 207 for tomorrow.

Period 2:
Present current events
Discuss Don Quixote
Continue archetype notes

Period 3:
What/Who is "Rosebud" and why?
Looking at mise-en-scene in Citizen Kane
FINISH A River Runs Through It

Period 5:
My day - from your shoes' persepective
Peer conferences on short story

Thought for the day...
For me, words are a form of action, capable of influencing change.
— Ingrid Bengis

January 28, 2009

Period 1:
Review vocabulary
Reading Quiz and discussion
Letter to Robin...

Period 2:
Review vocabulary
Reading quiz and discussion
Archetype notes

Period 3:
Viewing Citizen Kane

Period 5:
Conference Protocol
Conferencing Mrs. Tyler's story

Thought for the day...
Freedom is that instant between when someone tells you to do something and when you decide how to respond.
- Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Period 1:
Sunrise quiz & discussion
Work on presentations

Period 2:
Don Quixote quiz & discussion
A Hero's Journey notes
Begin literary archetype notes

Period 3:
Who are the essential characters?
Mise-en-scene
Viewing Citizen Kane

Period 5:
Writing short story

Thought for the day...
"The man who has no imagination has no wings. "
-Muhammad Ali

Monday, January 26, 2009

Period 1:
Sunrise over Fallujah Quiz
In-class reading time
Work on War Presentations - Due Thurs.

Period 2:
Don Quixote Quiz & Review
Reviewing and identifying steps in a Hero's Journey: Departure & Initiation Stages
Work on presentations - Due Wed.

Period 3:
Why does identity matter? Perception?
Viewing Citizen Kane

Period 5:
Identifying point of view
What is a short story?
Working on short story

Thought for the day...

"I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, And that enables you to laugh at life's realities." - Dr. Seuss

January 23, 2009

Period 1:
Sunrise quiz
Review expectations for current events & academic honor policy
Distributed vocabulary
Finish war research and use Noodletools accounts

Period 2:
Don Quixote quiz
Review expectations for current events & academic honor policy
Distribute vocabulary
Work on DQ research and using Noodletools accounts

Period 3: Literally Film
Continue reviewing film terms and vocabulary
Understanding camera angles and shots
Begin active viewing of Citizen Kane

Period 5: Creative Writing
Sharing setting and character informations
Building a scene
Begin story arc

Thought for the day...
The most original authors are not so because they advance what is new, but because they put what they have to say as if it had never been said before.
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Period 1:
Sunrise over Fallujah quiz
Discuss novel, characters
Continue war research

Period 2:
Don Quixote quiz
Discuss novel, characters, events
Begin hero notes
Continue period research

Period 3:
Film & elements of fiction vocabulary
Camera angles...
Skits

Period 5:
Working with a character
Setting up a conflict... what if?

Thought for the day...
"The more you read
The more things you will know.
The more that you learn,
the more places you'll go."
- Dr. Seuss, I CAN READ WITH MY EYES SHUT!

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

I am out today, but I know you will have a great day with my fabulous, fantastic substitute! See you tomorrow!

Period 1:
Class will be held in the library...
Quiz on Sunrise and begin war research

Period 2:
Class in the library
Quiz on Don Quixote and begin related research

Period 3:
Writing a script for a show debating movie vs. book

Period 5:
Reading "Desiree's Baby" and answering related questions
Creating a character and a setting

Thought for the day...
Each time someone stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, they send forward a ripple of hope.
— Robert F. Kennedy

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Today is the inauguration of our 44th President: Barack Obama!

We have a modified schedule due to Jodi Picoult's visit and the viewing of Obama's inaugural address.

Period 1:
Intro to the class
Sunrise over Fallujah

Period 2:
Intro to the class
Don Quixote

Period 3:
Intro to the class

Period 5:
Intro to the class
Character sheets

Thought for the day...
Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'
- Martin Luther King

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Wow, can you believe the first semester is over? And what a great semester it was! We read LOTS of books and many of you received your college acceptances. Have a great second semester and I will see you at graduation (or in the halls).

For the remainder of this week I will be entering your final grades in, and preparing for next semester's classes. I hope you all enjoy the long weekend.

Remember Tuesday we will have mini-classes as we host the author of Nineteen Minutes, Jodi Picoult, and take part in our country's inauguration and celebration of our first African American President, Barack Obama on the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth.

And a thought for the day....
What is important is to keep learning, to enjoy challenge, and to tolerate ambiguity. In the end there are no certain answers.
- Martina Horner

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Finals begin today!

Period 1 & Period 6....
Finals

Thought for the day...
Seven days without laughter makes one weak.
- Mort Walker

and for those of you needing a laugh...
Last night I dreamed I ate a ten-pound marshmallow, and when I woke up the pillow was gone.
- Tommy Cooper

Monday, January 12, 2009

Final Exams start tomorrow!! Period 1 & 6 are Tuesday & Period 2 will be Wednesday. Make sure you have returned ALL your books!

Period 1:
Finish publishing sonnets
Review for Final

Period 2:
Their Eyes Were Watching God test
Review for Final

Period 6:
Finish The Stranger Test
Review for Final

Thought for the day...
"When you have a dream, you've got to grab it and never let go." - Carol Burnett

Friday, January 9, 2009

Can you believe finals are next week? Be prepared to review on Monday and/or finish up your book discussions.

Period 1:
Ethan Frome test
Publish and comment on sonnets

Period 2:
Discuss Their Eyes Were Watching God
Continue passage quilt
Begin developing review sheets

Period 6:
The Stranger Test
Begin reviewing

Thought for the day...
A man's mind, stretched by new ideas, may never return to its original dimensions.
— Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Period 1:
Review Ethan Frome
Work on Light, Winter, Death Sonnets
Click below to read the sonnets & comment...

Period 2:
Discuss Their Eyes Were Watching God

Period 6:
Discuss/Review The Stranger
& Myth....

Thought for the day...
Ideas without action are worthless.
- Harvey Mackay

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Period 1:
Ethan Frome Quiz
Review novel
Work with images - create haiku & begin poem

Period 2:
Discuss Their Eyes Were Watching God
Finish Tartuffe

Period 6:
Discuss The Stranger & The Myth
What is absurd?

Thought for the day...
While we have the gift of life, it seems to me the only tragedy is to allow part of us to die --- whether it is our spirit, our creativity, or our glorious uniqueness.
— Gilda Radner

Tuesday, January 6, 2008

Period 1:
Discuss/Review Ethan Frome
Work on Winter, Light & Death imagery
Floorplans

Period 2:
Their Eyes Were Watching God Quiz
Discussion of novel & letter from Nanny
Reading Tartuffe

Period 6:
The Stranger Quiz & Discussion
Documenting the Murder
Myth of Sisyphus

Thought for the day...
"...we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential."
- Ellen Goodman

Monday, January 5, 2009

Happy New Year!!

Period 1:
Ethan Frome Quiz
Exploring Wharton's images of: winter, light, and death
Creating our own images
Begin floorplans

Period 2:
Peer & Teacher Conferences

Period 6:
Stranger Quiz
Discussion of novel

Thought for the day...
"Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eyes off his goal." - E. Joseph Cossman