English 10 Honors--11/20/2012

Jump Off 
--Take out your literary analysis paragraph from last class.

S. the C.
--agenda/HW
--read letter aloud about the midterm exam and discuss manner for dealing with first score

--Mr. Martin shares list of students needing to revise for the Writing Portfolio.  Any student with a "mastery mark" on the first assignment and not planning to do any additional revisions can submit the essay to Mr. Martin for the Writing Portfolio.  

Mini-Lesson -- Controlling Idea Paragraphs
--take a critical look at sample response (consider score assigned, grading scale, pros/grows, etc.)
--independent work time--improving/finishing paragraphs
--share sample paragraphs

Transition -- form a circle

Discussion -- "Once Upon a Time"

--discuss this work via “Short Story Analysis Sheet”

--final story ("The Last Night of the World")/"Short Story Analysis Sheet" handed out--while reading, also consider what connects this final story to "Once Upon a Time" (controlling idea)

Brain Break -- Apples to Apples 

HW  

--Be working on revisions of the Unique Peer Writing Assignment for your Writing Portfolio. I hope to have the remaining submissions shortly after our return from break! 
--Finish purposefully reading "The Last Night of the World" by way of the "Short Story Analysis Sheet" and be ready for a discussion in the future.
--Enjoy break--when we return, we will wrap up the unit and prepare for the unit exam!  

Senior English--11/26/2012

Jump Off

--If you need to revise for the Cumulative Writing Portfolio, think about when you might schedule an appointment with Mr. Martin (the sooner, the better!).

--Open your vocabulary book (if you brought it with you) to page 51.  Look through the list of words and put a star next to all of the words that you are pretty confident about knowing already.

S. the C.

--agenda/HW

--Mr. Martin shares list of students needing to revise for the Cumulative Writing Portfolio--due date is December 13^th (less than three weeks from today)
--Reminder: Any essay that has already received a score of 80% or higher can be given back to Mr. Martin for submission today.

Instruction -- Vocabulary Unit #4
--go over Unit #4 word list page 51
--For HW, begin preparing for the Unit #4 assessment, which will take place this Friday.

Writing Workshop -- Tuesdays with Morrie Analysis Essay (Cumulative Writing Portfolio Assignment #2)

--re-visit assignment analysis questions (particularly question about organization)
--purposeful reading of literary communion source (oral)--discuss (finish in Block 1/begin and finish in Block 4)

--take a look at Works Cited page--match entries to sources, review how to determine parenthetical references using Works Cited page entries, write parenthetical references at top of two sources

--For homework, you may want to begin/continue finding details from Tuesdays with Morrie for use within your essay--SEE MR. MARTIN IF YOU NEED TO RE-SIGNOUT A BOOK.

Activity --Helmet O' Destiny/60-Second Club
--brainstorm topics for the helmet (directions given)
--share protocol/60-Second Club entrance requirements
--Mr. Martin models--tips shared
--draw cards 

Closure -- What is your unit goal? (Jot down on an index card for submission.)

HW 
--Be working on revisions of the College Admission/Job Interview/Military Essay for your Cumulative Writing Portfolio--the due date is December 13^th (less than three weeks from today). 
--Begin preparing for the Unit #4 assessment, which will take place this Friday.

--You may want to begin/continue finding details from Tuesdays with Morrie for use within your essay--SEE MR. MARTIN IF YOU NEED TO RE-SIGNOUT A BOOK.
--We will continue impromptu public speaking next class!

English 9--11/20/2012

Jump Off--Clear your desk of all but a writing utensil in preparation for the Odyssey Unit Exam.

S. the C.
--agenda/HW
--read the directions for the test
--reminder about the scoring scale (M, D, O, L, C)
--model a quality short answer response (see Smart Notebook file)

Assessment -- Odyssey Unit
--carefully complete the exam
--during the exam, Mr. Martin will be around with your Unit #3 vocabulary quiz--take a look to see how you did--Mr. Martin will be back around to recycle the quizzes
--after you've finished the exam, go back through and re-read/improve your responses (if time permits).  Then, put the exam on the floor next to your desk and put your head down and relax!  (If you'd like to go to your locker to get some assignments to work on, see Mr. Martin.)

Brain Break (if time) -- Odyssey Film

HW
--Students may stay through lunch to finish up the exam (though I don't feel great about having you do this!) and/or stay after school today until the late bus.  YOU MUST be finished with the exam by the end of the day, however.
--Awesome work throughout our first unit--enjoy break!  You deserve it.  

Senior English--11/19/2012

Jump Off 
--If you need to revise for the Cumulative Writing Portfolio, think about when you might schedule an appointment with Mr. Martin (the sooner, the better!).

--Spend the first few minutes of class doing some last-minute studying for the Unit #3 vocabulary quiz.

S. the C.

--agenda/HW

--Mr. Martin shares list of students needing to revise for the Cumulative Writing Portfolio--due date is December 13^th (an admirable personal goal would be to “take care of business” before Thanksgiving Break!)

-- Reminder: Any essay that has already received a score of 80% or higher can be given back to Mr. Martin for submission today.

--Reminder: “Drawing Study Strategy”

Assessment -- Vocabulary Unit #3

--quiz handed out--complete quietly and independently (Block 4: Incentive from Unit #2 performance given out!)

--trade and grade--reflect

Transition -- quizzes in/writing assignment packet and a highlighter up

Writing Workshop -- Tuesdays with Morrie Analysis Essay (Cumulative Writing Portfolio Assignment #2)

--purposeful reading of assignment sheet, paying particularly close attention to “Assignment”--discuss

--purposeful reading of sources (independent/oral)--discuss

--take a look at Works Cited page--match entries to sources, review how to determine parenthetical references using Works Cited page entries, write parenthetical references at top of two sources

--For homework, you may want to begin finding details from Tuesdays with Morrie for use within your essay--SEE MR. MARTIN IF YOU NEED TO RE-SIGNOUT A BOOK.

Brain Break (cont.) -- Tuesdays with Morrie
--watch film from the point at which we left off last class

HW 
--Be working on revisions of the College Admission/Job Interview/Military Essay for your Cumulative Writing Portfolio--the due date is December 13^th.  I hope to have some submissions from you before Thanksgiving Break! 

--You may want to begin finding details from Tuesdays with Morrie for use within your essay--SEE MR. MARTIN IF YOU NEED TO RE-SIGNOUT A BOOK.

--Enjoy break--we will continue working on the writing assignment and begin the Public Speaking Unit when we return!

--FYI: Breaks are a great opportunity to pull out the ol' 100 Goals List and see what you can accomplish!

Odyssey Wrap-up/Review Discussion Notes

The Odyssey--Food for Thought

(1)    Odysseus is an epic hero (larger-than-life, embodies ideals of a nation, encounters danger, demonstrates courage, etc.).

(2)  Odysseus is not perfect!

(3)    The Greek people valued both a healthy/strong mind and a healthy/strong body.

(4)    Because The Odyssey is an epic, all of our unit terms can be found “in action”:

Be on the lookout for epithets and  epic/Homeric similes, and consider the authorial purpose of any examples that you find.

English 10 Honors--11/16/2012

Jump Off
--Please take out your mindfully completed homework ("Controlling Idea [Theme Statement] Practice—'Nature'" sheet—explication and controlling idea sentence).

S. the C.
--agenda/HW

Mini-Lesson -- Controlling Idea Paragraphs

--Students share sample sentences.

--Check out the following link: http://www.nysedregents.org/comprehensiveenglish/812/engl82012-exam.pdf 

--Discuss approach for "attacking" this particular task.
--Students craft a controlling idea paragraph about either "The Necklace"/"Richard Cory" or "The Open Boat"/"I Saw in Louisiana a Live-Oak Growing".
--Students share sample paragraphs.


HW time
--pick up the "Short Story Analysis Sheet" and Nadine Gordimer's "Once Upon a Time"
--get started together


HW
--Finish purposefully reading "Once Upon a Time" by way of the "Short Story Analysis Sheet" and be ready for a discussion in the future.