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?

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?

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?

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?

Tuesday, March 4

There are only 7 spots (as of this moment) left on the Theater trip - Reserve your spot now!

Period 1:
Literature circles met. Several groups did an excellent job. Remember it is important to fully complete your role and be an active participant in your group.
Students discussed whether their narrator can and should be trusted.

Period 3:
We discussed nominating speeches in relation to the up-coming Presidential election, as well as looking at nominating speeches that others have made.

Period 5:
Students read a sample essay and looked at the introduction & conclusion. We also continued our work with being specific.

Period 6:
Students will be finishing their Three Cups of Tea presentations.
We will discuss the reading and do a Kindness Project update.

February 1st

Period 1:

We reviewed A Step from Heaven and took the weekly vocabulary quiz.
The test on the novel is on MONDAY.
We will be starting Cannery Row next week.

Period 3:
We will be working on the presentations for Monday.

Period 5:
We will be sharing essays and discussing how to make them more effective, as well as coming up with a revision plan on Monday.

Period 6:
We will be discussing Things Fall Apart, taking the weekly vocabulary quiz on Monday.
Please finish doing research for Monday's presentations .
For those of you doing your research projects - here are some links you might want to check out:

• Achebe & Tribal Information: http://www.websteruniv.edu/%7Ebarrettb/achebe.htm
• Things Fall Apart Resources (a whole page of useful links): http://home.hawaii.rr.com/mrscrawford/resources.htm
• Religion: http://www.kwenu.com/odinani/odinani.htm
• Igbo (Ibo) Information: http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/people/Igbo.html
• Masks: http://www.mama.org/masks/index.html
  

Skiers, please see Thursday's post for your writing prompt.

Get home safely. Enjoy the weekend & GO PATS!

Mrs. Tyler

Did you know?

The other night I was driving home and NPR (National Public Radio) did an intriguing broadcast discussing Scarlett O'Hara, the issues of race, feminism and the message of survival. Apparently it was part of a series about fictional American characters "who have captured something about who we are. Our human frailties. Our need for comic relief. Our darkest corners." and perhaps inspired you. The challenge is to craft an essay, in 150 words or less, describing the character and why you believe he or she is important, compelling and/or provocative.

Points your essay might include: Why does the character intrigue you, specifically? What's universally appealing about him? What does she reveal about human nature? Did this character capture the psyche of a particular generation, inspire other characters or coin a phrase? Has this fictional person changed someone's life — maybe even your own?

I urge you to check out the blog: http://www.npr.org/blogs/incharacter/in_character_conversation/
it is really fascinating and includes characters from Jack Bauer (yes, of 24) to Holden Caulfield (Catcher in the Rye).
Who would you nominate? What would you say?

SPOILER ALERT: this will be an assignment coming soon to Mrs. Tyler's classroom.