31 October - "How Siegfried Was Slain"

1. Turn in "White Snake" homework if not completed on Wednesday.
2. Add "White Snake" to heroic quest data chart in place of "Hundred Questions." Fill in information.
3. The Nibelungenlied and "How Siegfried Was Slain" follow instructions on handout. Everyone was present; everyone has a handout.

Grade reports were given. Any assignment with "**" can still be turned in TODAY except the essay. Any assignment with "X" is exempt or dropped. Essays will be entered and returned next week.

Due & Homework: Turn in what was finished from today's assignment. Everything else is finished at the beginning of class Wednesday, November 5.

29 October: Vocab Test, "White Snake"

1. Vocabulary Test - 35 minutes2. Journal3. "White Snake" - story in text. Vocabulary, Author Study, Read, Questions
Journal: "A Test"Write about a test in which you performed especially well. What was responsible for your success? Did your view of yourself change as a result of your performance?
"White Snake"Vocabulary: –Curt – rudely brief–Predicament – problematic situation–Amends – makes up for a wrong done, makes right–Scorned – ridiculed; rejected–Diligence – hard work; constant effort
Author Study (Part A)The Brothers Grimm (page 52)Read about the Brothers Grimm, and write 2 questions that being with each of the following question words.Who?What?Why?When?Where?How?
Answer the following:1) What is romanticism? What did romantics believe?2) What political effects are nationalism and ethnic pride having in today’s world? Explain.3) Do you think a work ethic plays a significant role in today’s American society? Explain.4) Do you think fairy tales should be "cleaned up" before they are told to children, or told in their original versions with all the grisly details included? Explain.

Additional information about the Brothers Grimm and Germany:
Brothers Grimm and Nationalism: In 19th century Germany, increased pride in ethnic heritage fueled the rise of nationalism, and yearning for national independence and unity. The German states had been under French rule since Napoleon conquered them in 1806. In 1871, the Germans overthrew the French and established a unified, independent country.
Work Ethic: According to the traditional Protestant work ethic, hard work and material success in this world were signs that a person was one of those selected by God for salvation after death.


Terms, Reading, Questions (Part B)

• Define motif, moral lesson, and suspense (see pages 46 and 51)
• Read "White Snake" (page 47)
• Answer the following on page 51
• First Thoughts.Identifying Facts 1-3Interpreting Meanings 1-3Applying Meanings

Students should have finished Part A. If not, whatever was finished should have been turned in. If nothing was turned in, the grade will be ZERO. Homework: Any of Parts A & B that weren't finished in class.

Today is the last day I will be available after school for extra test credit.

27 October: Injustices, Active Reading, Vocab Review

Journal: “Importance”
Write for 10 minutes about things that are important to you.
Use at least 7 vocabulary words.
Underline the vocabulary words.

Jigsaw Group Activity - Social Injustices
Students were grouped according to 4 different issues of social injustice (corporal punishment; gender inequalities; healthcare inequalities; civil rights and the American with Disabilities Act). They read information, spent 20 minutes immersing themselves in their subject. After 20 minutes, they moved back to their original groups of 4 where they shared their information. Information was written on a sheet and turned in after 20 minutes.

Active Reading - "When senior year is canceled, adulthood hits with a jolt" (article can be found here: http://hamptonroads.com/2008/10/when-senior-year-canceled-adulthood-hits-jolt)

• Actively read the article.
• Highlight and make notes next to characteristics of teenagers in 1959.
• Identify injustice. Who was being unjust? Why? Who was affected? How did the closing of Granby High School affect students’ lives, even 50 years later?
• What would you do it you suddenly were told there was no more high school (and there was not another school for you to go to)? Think reasonably, rationally, and logically. What would happen to your life? What would you miss out on?
• Compare and contrast teenagers in 1959 with teenagers today. Compare and contrast “those in charge” in 1959 with “those in charge” today. Make a Venn diagram for each.

HOMEWORK: Finish active reading if you didn't in class. Study for vocabulary test.

I will be here after school on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for those who need extra test credit.

23 October: Commas & Vocabulary Practice

1. Turn in essays. Staple the final draft to the top. Rough draft in between. Prewriting (green packet) goes at the back.
2. Journal
3. Comma Uses #2 & 3
4. Vocabulary Practice & Review (A-D)

Journal - "Change" If you could change 1 thing about your high school, what would it be and why? Give specific details. 1000 word minimum.

Comma Uses: #2 & 3

#2 To set off most introductory elements, including subordinate conjunctions.
First, what are subordinate conjunctions? They join subordinate or dependent clauses to main/independent clauses. (Ex: after, although, as, because, before, even though, if, since, though, unless, ntil, when, whenever, where, while)

• Example using an introductory word
  First, I would like to thank my family for supporting me.
  Later, they went to the movies.
• Example using an introductory phrase
  First of all, I would like to thank my family for supporting me.
  After eating dinner, they saw a movie.
• Example using an introductory (subordinate) clause. These are called COMPLEX SENTENCES
  When he won an academy award, he thanked his family first.
  After we ate dinner, we saw a movie.
• When a sentence starts with the independent clause, you don’t use a comma.
  When he won an academy award, he thanked his family first. versus He thanked his family first when he won an academy award.
  After we ate dinner, we saw a movie. versus We saw a movie after we ate dinner.

Comma Use #3 between items in a series

• Example: I am studying history, geometry, chemistry, and language arts.
• This comma isn't always necessary, but you should be consistent with its usage.
• This is also correct:I am studying history, geometry, chemistry and language arts.
• When it’s important to put a comma before "and"
  Example: She enjoys dining out, long hikes in the woods, holding hands and playing the guitar. It doesn't make sense to "hold hands and play the guitar" - these need to be separated by a comma.
• When in doubt, USE THE COMMA!

Vocabulary Practice:

(A) Vocabulary with introductory elements of sentences (7 sentences total)
Write a complex sentence using the following vocabulary words and subordinate conjunctions.
Vocab words: philosophy, educate, precocious, institute, hypocrisy, martyr, corpulent
Subordinate conjunctions: after, because, before, if, since, when, while

(B) Make a cinquain for the following nouns:
1.Dilettante
2.Injustice
3.Lamentation
4.Purview
5.approbation

(C) Make an acrostic for the following words:
1.Abyss
2.Just
3.Ethics

(D) Find at least 4 pictures to represent the following words:
1.Corpulent
2.Disconsolate
3.Articulate
4.Hypocrisy
5.Divinity

There will be a vocabulary test on Wednesday, October 29!

21 October: Sundiata Essay

1. Information was provided to students via PowerPoint about specific parts and details of their essay.
2. Students had time to work on their rough drafts.

Introduction: Sentence 1 = HOOK

• The hook gets the reader’s attention. This does NOT mean saying "Hey, reader, I’m going to tell you…"
• This is a sentence that makes your essay seem interesting. You have to make the reader WANT to read your essay.
• State an opinion related to your thesis.
• Create a visual image that represents your subject.
• Define a word central to your subject.
  

Introduction: Thesis Statement

• Last sentence in the introduction.
• 1 sentence stating the central idea of your essay.
• What is your main goal?
• What should be included in the sentence?
• Title of story (Sundiata or Sundiata. Why italicized/underlined instead of in quotation marks?)
• Something about the movie being a heroic quest, journey or something like this.
  Very basic example: The African epic Sundiata is a heroic quest story.
  Example: The story of Sundiata is about a journey taken by the hero Sundiata to save his country.

Body Paragraph 1: Topic = stages 1 & 2

• Topic sentence should include
  1)Call to adventure
  2)Toolkit
• Detail sentences (RENNS)
  Tell specifically what the call to adventure is.
  Give details about Sundiata’s toolkit (what helped him to defeat Soumaoro?)

Body Paragraph 2:Topic = stages 3, 4, and 5

• Topic sentence should include:
  Monstrous world
  Tests and trials
  Supreme ordeal
  Example: On his quest to save Mali from the evil sorcerer Saumaoro, Sundiata must brave many obstacles.
• Details (RENNS)
  Give specific details about the obstacles (tests and trials)

Body Paragraph 3:Topic = stages 6 & 7 (reward & recognition)

• Topic sentence should include:
  1) Reward = peace in the land
  2) Recognition = master of the world
  Examples:
  All is well in Mali after Sundiata defeats Saumaoro.
  After Sundiata defeats Saumaoro, peace is restored to the land and he becomes the master of the world.
• Details (RENNS)
  Give specific details about the reward and return.

Conclusion: Thesis restated Do NOT copy and paste your thesis from the introduction.
RESTATE (rephrase) it.

Conclusion: final statement about the story: You may want to add your thoughts about the story, characters, quest, etc.

Conclusion: insightful thought

• Give the reader something to think about without writing "You should think about…"
• This shouldn’t be about the story itself, but about the theme of the story.
• You may want to:
  Give a symbolic or powerful fact or other detail or
  Strike a note of hope

17 October

We were scheduled to watch an heroic quest movie today, but due to technical difficulties, we weren't able to. Instead, we read Sundiata in the textbook and analyzed it for heroic quest stages. Notes on the heroic quest stages can be found on the Y-drive in the "Heroic Quest" folder.

Pre-reading: Vocabulary (use glossary to define)
affront, efface, nascent, impregnable, implored.

Students will write an essay in which they analyze Sundiata for heroic quest stages. A prewriting packet and outline were given to students.

The assignment is as follows:

Heroic Quest Analysis Essay

Sundiata Analysis Essay, 1 major grade. You will write an essay in which you analyze the heroic quest stages in the story Sundiata.

This is a process piece and will be graded as follows:
15 points = Brainstorming (handout from “movie day”)
25 points = Revised and Edited Rough Draft**
60 points = Final Draft

**If you fail to revise and edit, you will receive 0 (ZERO) points, and what you may consider a final draft will be considered a rough draft. You cannot have a final draft without a revised and edited rough draft!

**I must see evidence of revision and editing. This means you must revise and edit with a different color pen! No exceptions!

**Revise to remove second-person (“you” “your” “yours” “yourself”)
-5 points for each instance of second-person

Final draft due: October 23

You will be given time in class to work on the essay, but you will not have all class to do this. You are responsible for working on the essay outside of class, too.

If you want me to look at your essay, you must have it typed and bring it to me by October 22. I will then look at the paper with you and return it to you to take home and finish.

An extra 7 points will be given if you type it.See syllabus for typed work requirements/format. If you do not follow the required format, you will not receive the extra points.

Illegible work: If your work is handwritten and I can’t read it, it will be returned to you. You will lose 15 points, be required to type it, and will NOT receive the extra credit.

October 15

Students took the PSAT during 2nd period. There was no class. They were assigned active reading homework on Monday that is due Friday.