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

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

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

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."

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?

Monday, March 10th

There are only three seats left on the trip.

Period 1:
Literature Circles met and we explored the insides & outsides of our main characters.
We discussed the importance of reputations and whether it is easier to protect a good reputation or harder to lose a bad one.

Period 3:
Impromptu speeches. Students will be assigned various topics and asked to speak about them. Tomorrow: AWARDS!

Period 5:
Students will work on several writing activities and complete some editing.

Period 6:
Students will present their Three Cups of Tea presentation and will be completing research on their Kindness Project.
I will be conferencing with Ian & Kyle.

A point to ponder:
Do you think it is important to pay attention to what the writer does not say about a character? Why or why not? (5 bonus points on your next quiz for a thoughtful response)

Mrs. Tyler

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.

Monday, March 3

We're into March! Spring is almost here.

Period 1:
Literature Circles begin!
Students set reading schedules & assigned new roles. They also discussed the weekend's reading.
We discussed the final project and did some in class reading.

Period 3:
A Person Worth Knowing - students completed student interviews.
We will be establishing class awards.

Period 5:
Students continued to explore the importance of using specifics by doing a horoscope writing activity.

Period 6:
Students will check in on their Kindness Project.
We will discuss the reading and then students will research related reading topics.


Thought for the day:
Aristotle Onassis - "It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light."
Do you agree? What are your thoughts on this?

Thursday, February 28

Good morning, all.

Sorry about not posting yesterday. The 2-hour delay took away my planning period when I normally try and post.

Today:

Block 1:
Students will take their Cannery Row test and present their current events. Tomorrow we start literature circles!

Block 3:
Students will finish their group work activities and discuss how groups work.

Block 5:
Students will finish their "shimmering moments" writing, complete teacher conferences and read a short essay. Weekly essays are due tomorrow.

Block 6:
Students will present their current events, check in on their Kindness Projects and discuss the reading.

Now, here's your quote:
"If there is no struggle, there is no progress."
— Frederick Douglass

What do you think this means? What does it mean to you?