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

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

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

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

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