English 10 Honors--4/1/2019

Jump Off
--After announcements, we will watch the following video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaOB-ErYq6Y

S. the C.
--Reminder: The protocol for Take a Stand:

• After I make a debatable statement, ... :
• if you agree with the statement, STAND UP next to your desk.
• if you strongly agree with the statement, STAND ON your desk chair.
• if you disagree with the statement, STAY SEATED in your desk chair.
• if you strongly disagree with the statement, SIT ON THE FLOOR next to your desk.

--"My" claim: Self-driving cars should replace human drivers as soon as possible.

• show your position
• cold-calling--students randomly selected to briefly explain their stance (no more than three sentences)

--agenda/HW

Transition

--Please pick up the following from the front table:

• a number (1-4) from the helmet
• a copy of the text that corresponds with your number
• a green or blue highlighter
• an orange or pink highlighter

Writing Workshop -- Writing a Text-Based Academic Argument ("Article of the Week"/ThinkCERCA #2)

--purposefully read your assigned text by...

• highlighting in green or blue any piece of evidence in support of the claim from earlier
• highlighting in orange or pink any piece of evidence that supports a counterclaim one would make with regard to the claim from earlier.

--briefly share in groups by like article

--whole-class share-out via a drawing of cards so as to populate the T-chart on the southern whiteboard

Transition

--move the desks/form a circle

Oral Reading/Discussion -- CHAPTER ONE of William Golding's Lord of the Flies
--discuss the question written up the northern whiteboard from the end of last class block 
--Reminder: Active/purposeful reading tasks:

• In order to engage in high-level discussions about Golding's challenging text, our active/purposeful reading tasks are as follows:
• complete Post-its as directed:
• read actively as you have done in the past (e.g., If you need to jot down basic plot notes to get/remember the "gist", do so!; If you connect the text to personal experience, jot down notes about the connection and flag the page; If you have a question, jot it down and flag the page; etc.)
• read purposefully with regard to...
• literary techniques/elements
• the conventions of literature
• theme
• the End-of-Course Assignment.

--continue engaging in an active/purposeful oral reading

Closure

--What were you able to "get" out of what we read today?

• turn and talk
• whole-class share-out/notes on whiteboard

HW (Practice/Take-Home Assessment)

--Complete 45 minutes of Membean training in three different days before 11:59 PM on Thursday, 4/4 (see the "English Department Membean Routine" sheet).
HW (Class Preparation)
--Finish an active/purposeful reading of CHAPTER ONE of Lord of the Flies as preparation for analysis/discussion/(an assessment?) NEXT CLASS (Wednesday, 4/3) (see the slip of paper).
--If you feel it is necessary, read through the packet of additional information pertaining to the common grammar error with which we dealt a few class blocks ago and complete PRACTICE #4 (located in a manila folder in the "Grammar Hammer Extras" area of the classroom).  A quiz about this error will take place at the beginning of NEXT CLASS (Wednesday, 4/3).
--You will finish taking the examination that you have been working on either at the end of this week or the beginning of next week after we have finished working on academic argumentation together.  Please come prepared!

--If you have not yet selected your final free reading book of the school year, consider doing so ASAP (with the knowledge, though, that you must read a memoir, and we will head to the library soon)--ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS!

On the backburner

• "Madness" done in class upon submission of revisions
• memoir of choice (could be An Ordinary Man!) as last free reading

English 9--3/29/2019 & 4/1/2019

Jump Off
--Please pick up one of the laminated "T/F" cards from the front table.
--Please read the following sentence to yourself a few times while I take attendance:

"In Act 2, scene 6, Friar Lawrence secretly marries Romeo and Juliet even though he has second thoughts."

When you are instructed to do so, please pick up a copy of the halfsheet titled "Paraphrasing Practice 'Jump Off'" from the front table.  We will work through the directions together to begin today's class block.

S. the C.
--Reminder: Beginning with the end in mind--our ultimate purpose when completing a first-draft "reading" and closely re-reading sections of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet:

End-of-Unit Assessment Writing Prompt:
Write a multi-paragraph essay in which you argue the extent to which both Romeo and Juliet are impulsive by analyzing their behaviors during similar circumstances.  Then, answer the "so what?" question.  So what?!  Who cares?!  Why does this matter?!

--turn and talk
--craft a successful paraphrase together on the northern whiteboard
--agenda/HW

Transition

--Bearing in mind what you are "picking up" about paraphrasing from the beginning of the class block, please attend to the following task:

Below, you will find the first line of a series of lines spoken by Benvolio early in Act 3.  After reading Benvolio's line at least three times, decide which of the four "paraphrases" that follow is the best.  Be ready to both share and defend your choice.

"We talk here in the public haunt of men":

• This place is haunted by our words.
• We are having a conversation out in the open where all the townspeople hang out.
• We discuss here in the not private haunt of males.
• Several townspeople are present while our conversation takes place in this spot.

Writing Workshop/Anticipatory Activity -- Act 3--Paraphrasing Practice

--discuss the "Transition" via another turn and talk
--discuss the "Transition" as a whole class

• Which is best?

--Transition

• Pick up the "Act 3--Paraphrasing Practice/Making Inferences" sheet from the front table.  Purposefully read the directions back at your desk.

--directions modeled for Benvolio's second line
--quiet and independent work time OR small group work time (groups formed via a drawing of cards) depending upon your personal preference
--whole-class share-out
--Closure/"Anticipatory Set" -- Making Inferences

• What do you think will happen at the start of Act 3?

Transition
--Pick up one or both of the following from the front table:

• "Viewing/Reading Guide" for Act 3
• "Text Frames with Gaps" for Act 3

Film/First-Draft "Reading" -- Act 3 of Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet

--engage in a "materials assessment" together for Act 3, scene 1 (guide first, text frames second)

• What are we "looking for" while viewing the next scene of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet?

--purposefully view the film in order to gather information for discussion/assessment preparation by jotting down notes, responding to viewing/reading guide questions/prompts, and/or filling in text frame gaps
--REPEAT THIS PROCESS FOR REMAINING SCENES

Closure -- True or False? (remainder of class [time permitting])

--Following each statement made about Act 3, show either your "True" card or your "False" card.

HW (Practice/Take-Home Assessment)

--Complete 45 minutes of Membean training in three different days before 11:59 PM on Thursday, 4/4 (see the "English Department Membean Routine" sheet).
HW (Class Preparation)
--Strongly consider re-reading/pre-reading Act 3 of William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet before next class to "firm up" your understanding/for the "gist".  Consider visiting the following web address:

• http://nfs.sparknotes.com/romeojuliet/page_136.html

--If you have not yet selected your final free reading book of the school year, consider doing so ASAP (with the knowledge, though, that we will head to the library during class soon)--ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS!

Miscellaneous

--ACE classes: Enjoy the weekend--you only get so many of 'em! :)

English 10--3/28/2019

Jump Off
--As most everyone is in a different spot with regard to our current endeavors--the most pressing of which is the literary analysis written response--, today's class is a flex block.  You will need your Chromebook; please procure it now and access today's block post.

S. the C.
--brief book-talks as per the "Jump Off" background
--to-do list shared/Q & A
--HW  

Today's To-Do List:

• Finish writing your literary analysis written response (about The Alchemist or your free reading book).  When you finish, turn in your best work by either submitting it electronically or placing it in the black basket on the front table.
• So far, I have a final copy from the following:
• L. Allison
• C. Kearney
• R. Martucio
• J. Rowe
• E. Smith
• Turn in your handwritten copy of the exemplary literary analysis written response by placing it in the black basket on the front table.  If anyone needs access to the response, it can be found on the blog.  When I assess your copy of the exemplar, I am asking myself the following questions:
• Did he or she copy the exemplar in its entirety?
• Did he or she copy the exemplar carefully?
• Log in to Membean and complete a 15-minute training session.
• Create another poster for one of your Membean words to add to the Membean Word Wall.  Please make sure that the word you have in mind is not already represented on the wall.  Open the following Google Doc and make a copy in order to create your poster.  Share your poster with me electronically once you finish:
• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nEztsou3cqT0g2Uy7-ntWbGy7C1sRZkZgwKo6z_Ey2M/edit?usp=sharing
• Find your claim paper on the southern greenboard from earlier in the course.  Now that much time has passed, a time period during which we read another novella, make a new poster via the following process:
• Draw a line underneath your last section of notes in your notebook.  Label this section of your notes "My Current Answer to the Essential Questions".  Then, thoughtfully respond to the following questions:
  
  • What are your current answers to the essential questions that overarch our course?  (Here is the series of related questions: Why do people say what they say, do what they do, etc.?  What are human beings really like?  What is your "why?", and how is it related to your observations about/understanding of human nature?)  After some thought, write your claim about human nature in your notebook.  Re-read and revise your claim as necessary; then, write your claim neatly in marker on a sheet of computer paper. 
• If you have not yet selected a memoir for the last free reading book of English 10, please do the following:
• Join the "Memoir Project--2018" Google Classroom via the following code: smrrygx AND/OR try this Padlet link:
• https://livh.padlet.org/ddonohue1/3z5v3g8fttnu
• Engage with some of the projects posted.  If you want to "dig deeper" regarding any titles, click on the link below:
• www.goodreads.com
• On a Post-it, write your name.  Then, jot down any titles that seem appealing to you (e.g., Michelle Knight's Finding Me, Mark Lukach's My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward, Jeannette Walls' The Glass Castle, etc.).  Stick your Post-it on the front table when you finish.
• If you already have a memoir, engage in free reading.
• Continue searching for proper sources for your research topic using the high school library databases.

DURING TODAY'S CLASS BLOCK, I WILL MEET WITH STUDENTS VIA THE FOLLOWING ORDER:

• S. Gwyn
• E. Smith
• D. Sickler
• O. Forbes
• A. Field
• D. Reed
• S. Gunn
• Back to the top of the order beginning with L. Allison 

ATTEND TO THE TO-DO LIST

HW (Practice/Take-Home Assessment)

--Complete 45 minutes of Membean training in three different days before 11:59 PM TONIGHT (Thursday, 3/28) (see the "English Department Membean Routine" sheet).
--Complete another 45 minutes of Membean training in three different days before 11:59 PM on Thursday, 4/4 (see the "English Department Membean Routine" sheet).
Writing

--Continue thinking about the following questions:

• Research Unit: What might you argue with regard to your research topic?
• At this point, you should have at least two proper sources printed out and actively/purposefully read.  Continuing to read in this manner should help you zero in on your argument!
• End-of-Course Assignment: What is your "why?"?

HW (Class Preparation)

--If you were absent two class blocks ago, you must make an appointment with me to make up the assessment that you missed as per the Room 203 policy.
--If you have not yet selected your final free reading book of the school year, consider doing so ASAP (with the knowledge, though, that you must read a memoir, and we will head to the library soon)--ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS!
Miscellaneous
--Enjoy the weekend--you only get so many of 'em! :)

English 10 Honors--3/28/2019

Jump Off
--Find your materials at the same desk at which you sat last class block.  After announcements, I will share some directions/information before setting you free to continue working for up to 45 minutes.
--I will be touching base with the following students during today's testing block:

• E. Henderson-Schultz
• O. Krebbeks
• A. Nichols
• F. Ray

S. the C. #1
--directions/information shared

Assessment -- "Midterm" Examination in English Language Arts
--as you work, I will come around and deliver the following:

• a copy of William Golding's Lord of the Flies
• a slip of paper with Post-it directions
• a stack of Post-its

S. the C. #2
--HW

Transition

--active/purposeful reading tasks shared via slip of paper:

• In order to engage in high-level discussions about Golding's challenging text, our active/purposeful reading tasks are as follows:
• complete Post-its as directed:
• read actively as you have done in the past (e.g., If you need to jot down basic plot notes to get/remember the "gist", do so!; If you connect the text to personal experience, jot down notes about the connection and flag the page; If you have a question, jot it down and flag the page; etc.)
• read purposefully with regard to...
• literary techniques/elements
• the conventions of literature
• theme
• the End-of-Course Assignment.

--engage in an active/purposeful oral reading

• I'll simultaneously do a "think-aloud" for the first few pages as per our reading tasks as modeling.

Closure

--What were you able to "get" out of reading the first few pages?

• turn and talk
• whole-class share-out/notes on whiteboard

HW (Practice/Take-Home Assessment)

--Complete 45 minutes of Membean training in three different days before 11:59 PM TONIGHT (Thursday, 3/28) (see the "English Department Membean Routine" sheet).
--Complete another 45 minutes of Membean training in three different days before 11:59 PM on Thursday, 4/4 (see the "English Department Membean Routine" sheet).
Writing
--Your properly formatted, fully revised short story or poem is due before 11:59 PM TONIGHT (Thursday, 3/28).  See your "Preparing for the GVEP Literary Contest" document for additional information.
HW (Class Preparation)
--You will finish taking the examination that you have been working on either at the end of next week or the beginning of the week after next after we have spent some time together working on academic argumentation.  Please come prepared!
--Finish an active/purposeful reading of CHAPTER ONE of Lord of the Flies as preparation for analysis/discussion/(an assessment?) NEXT CLASS (Monday, 4/1) (see the slip of paper).

• This assignment has been postponed so that we can get farther in the text together first.

--If you feel it is necessary, read through the packet of additional information pertaining to the common grammar error with which we dealt a few class blocks ago and complete PRACTICE #4 (located in a manila folder in the "Grammar Hammer Extras" area of the classroom).  A quiz about this error will take place at the beginning of class on Wednesday, 4/3.

--If you have not yet selected your final free reading book of the school year, consider doing so ASAP (with the knowledge, though, that you must read a memoir, and we will head to the library soon)--ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS!

Miscellaneous

--Enjoy the weekend--you only get so many of 'em! :)


On the backburner

• "Madness" done in class upon submission of revisions
• preparing to read LotF
• "Madness" done in class upon submission of revisions
• memoir of choice (could be An Ordinary Man!) as last free reading

English 9--3/27/2019 & 3/28/2019

Jump Off
--Please clear your desks of all but a writing utensil in preparation for today's mini-test.

S. the C.
--directions read/protocol shared (partial open notes)

Assessment -- MINI-TEST--Drama Terms/Poetry Terms; The Shakespearean Sonnet; "Sonnet 116"; Act 1 and Act 2 (Including Prologues)
--at the 25 minute mark, students can access and use any notes for the next 5 minutes
--at the 30 minute mark, students can access and use the text for the next 5 minutes
--When finished, place your best work in the black basket on the front table.  Then,...

• log in to Membean and complete a training session AND/OR
• engage in free reading

Brain Break -- Baz Luhrmann Film
--If everyone completes the assessment and time still remains in the class block, we will view the beginning of Baz Luhrmann's William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet.

HW (Practice/Take-Home Assessment)

--Complete 45 minutes of Membean training in three different days before 11:59 PM TOMORROW (Thursday, 3/28) (see the "English Department Membean Routine" sheet).
HW (Class Preparation)
--If you have not yet selected your final free reading book of the school year, consider doing so ASAP (with the knowledge, though, that we will head to the library during class soon)--ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS!
Miscellaneous
FYI: We will proceed with Act 3 next class block!

On the backburner:

• Finishing Gnomeo & Juliet by further discussing/returning to guide
• opening a window into The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet
• continuing to master Reading Literature standards, irony, and theme
• Prior to "The Interlopers", complete acting activity reviewing the types of irony from both Gnomeo & Juliet and Act 1 of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.
• Writing returned/revised in waves
• Wave 1?!?!
• Wave 2--organization as per sample paragraphs for "The Cask of Amontillado"
• Prior to "The Interlopers", share a few paragraphs as review of both organization and concepts therein.
• Wave 3--grammar hammer as per common errors
• Continuing to master Reading Literature standards, irony, and theme
• Short works--The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Unit
• Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado"
• Saki's "The Interlopers

English 10--Literary Analysis Written Response Exemplar

    In Paulo Coelho’s novella The Alchemist, it is clear that symbolism is being implemented in Coelho’s description of both the church and the tree at the beginning of the story.  Symbolism is when something such as an object or character or setting, though maintaining its literal meaning, represents something far more significant beyond itself.  At the beginning of the novella, Coelho writes, “the boy arrived with his herd at an abandoned church.  The roof had fallen in long ago, and an enormous sycamore had grown on the spot where the sacristy had once stood” (3).  Literally, the protagonist Santiago and his sheep are about to sleep in this rundown structure.  However, an astute reader soon realizes that this structure represents something far beyond itself with regard to Santiago’s life journey.  Coelho writes that “[t]he roof had fallen in,” which literally means that the roof has failed to fulfill its purpose of keeping out the elements.  Soon after this point in the novella, readers learn that religion has not fulfilled its intended purpose in Santiago’s life: “His parents had wanted him to become a priest, and thereby a source of pride for a simple farm family” (8).  In other words, Santiago, who “attended a seminary until he was sixteen” (8), is expected to learn and appreciate religion so much that he continues studying and teaching it for the rest of his life, and in so doing, he will make his family proud.  Santiago, though, “wanted to travel” (8).  He did not pursue the path of the priesthood, deciding instead to develop and flourish along another life path, much like the “sycamore [that] had grown on the spot where the sacristy had once stood.”  Like the roof, the sacristy, the room in the church in which sacred items were once kept, no longer fulfills its original role.  However, something equally sacred has grown in its place, which might symbolically foreshadow that where religion once “failed” Santiago, an alternative path will lead to growth.  Symbolism undeniably exists in Coelho’s novella.

      Coelho’s implementation of symbolism also helps develop a central idea of the novella, namely that all individuals must pursue their own paths to happiness and success, not those that others envision for them.  People develop and flourish via experience and reap additional rewards when they follow their dreams.  First off, had Santiago become a priest as his parents had initially hoped he would, he would not even have been in the abandoned church at the start of novella.  Santiago is at the church because he is a shepherd, a lifestyle that he decided on so that he could fulfill his dream of traveling and seeing the world.  It is in this same church that Santiago experiences a recurrent dream in which he is “in a field with [his] sheep, when a child appear[s] and…[takes him] by both hands and transport[s him] to the Egyptian pyramids” (13).  This dream ultimately sets Santiago off on his quest to find treasure at the pyramids that drives the plot of the novella, and none of this would have happened had he entered the priesthood.  Instead, Santiago travels across the Strait of Gibraltar, works for a crystal merchant in Africa, meets and falls in love with a woman, and eventually arrives at the pyramids, growing as a person as time progresses.  For example, when Santiago has a conversation with the crystal merchant prior to setting off into the desert, he thinks to himself, “There had been a time when [I] thought that [my] sheep could teach [me] everything [I] needed to know about the world.  But they could never have taught [me] Arabic” (58).  Santiago learns and appreciates this valuable lesson during his time with the crystal merchant.  It is the novella’s conclusion, however, where Coelho makes his theme most clear. Fittingly, a few pages before the novella ends, readers encounter the following passage: “‘Two years ago, right here on this spot, I had a recurrent dream, too.  I dreamed that I should travel to the fields of Spain and look for a ruined church where shepherds and their sheep slept.  In my dream, there was a sycamore growing out of the ruins of the sacristy, and I was told that, if I dug at the roots of the sycamore, I would find a hidden treasure.  But I’m not so stupid as to cross an entire desert just because of a recurrent dream’” (163).  This passage, words spoken by an African man who attacks Santiago at the pyramids, reveals that technically speaking, Santiago did not need to go anywhere to get the “Spanish gold coins…precious stones, gold masks adorned with red and white feathers, and stone statues embedded with jewels” (166) that readers see him dig up in the epilogue of the novella.  Bearing in mind the symbolism made evident at the start of the novella, though, readers realize that the ultimate treasure is not the chest buried beneath the sycamore, but instead, the growth experienced by Santiago on his journey that the sycamore represents.  The literal treasure is merely an added bonus, but not the most significant reward.  Coelho’s novella ends with the following words: “‘I’m coming, Fatima’” (167).  True love is also bestowed upon Santiago because of his pursuit of his dreams, helping readers draw the conclusion that the unique learning experiences and sense of fulfillment discovered on one’s journey is always more significant than the destination.

English 10--Notes for Writing a Literary Analysis

English 9--TToRaJ--Act 1 and Act 2 Impulsiveness/Re-reading/ and Discussion Notes

English 10--3/26/2019

Jump Off
--Please take out the following:

• your notebook in which you jotted down notes a few class blocks ago ("More Notes for Writing a Literary Analysis")
• your copies of the following:
• the "The Alchemist Novella Unit--End-of-Novella-Unit Literary Analysis Written Response" sheet
• the "The Alchemist Novella Unit--End-of-Novella-Unit Literary Analysis Written Response Exemplar" document
• your current draft of the assignment that we are aiming to wrap up today

--Today's writing meetings will occur in the following order:

• P. Thousand
• T. Willis
• S. Gwyn
• E. Smith
• D. Sickler
• O. Forbes
• A. Field
• D. Reed
• S. Gunn

*IF TIME PERMITS, I WILL CYCLE THROUGH AND MEET WITH STUDENTS FOR A SECOND TIME.*

S. the C.
--a second "gist" reading of paragraph #2 of the exemplar (symbolism conveying theme)
--finish copying down paragraph #2 of the exemplar
--copy down the grammar hammer notes about verb tense and RE-READING with regard to FANBOYS and WUBAIS
--RE-READING MODELED on the SMART Board via a sample sophomore written response

Writing Workshop (cont.)/Application Activity #2 -- End-of-Novella-Unit Literary Analysis Written Response
--move forward on the writing assignment quietly and independently

• aim to finish writing both paragraphs (if not already completed)
• RE-READ for verb tense, comma error(s), etc., fixing any errors that you find

*DURING THIS TIME, I WILL CONTINUE MEETING WITH STUDENTS ONE-ON-ONE.*

Ticket-Out-the-Door
--Turn in your completed literary analysis written response by placing it in the black basket on the front table or sharing it with me electronically.

• If you finish and turn in your response before the class block ends, log in to Membean and complete a training session.

HW (Practice/Take-Home Assessment)
--Complete 45 minutes of Membean training in three different days before 11:59 PM on Thursday, 3/28 (see the "English Department Membean Routine" sheet).

Writing
--At the end of class next time (Thursday, 3/28), I will ask you to turn in each of the following:

• your handwritten copy of the exemplary literary analysis written response
• Did you copy it carefully and in its entirety?  If not, take initiative!
• your best work with regard to your own literary analysis written response (about The Alchemist or your free reading book)

--Continue thinking about the following questions:

• Research Unit: What might you argue with regard to your research topic?
• At this point, you should have at least two proper sources printed out and actively/purposefully read.  Continuing to read in this manner should help you zero in on your argument!
• End-of-Course Assignment: What is your "why?"?

HW (Class Preparation)
--If you were absent last class block, you must make an appointment with me to make up the assessment that you missed as per the Room 203 policy.
--If you have not yet selected your final free reading book of the school year, consider doing so ASAP (with the knowledge, though, that you must read a memoir, and we will head to the library soon)--ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS!

English 10 Honors--3/26/2019

Jump Off
--Please place the following in the black basket on the table:

• your counterargument paragraph so that I can continue scoring/providing feedback
• your "Poetry Assessment #1"
• your conventions of literature written response

--Find your name on the roster slip on the front desk in each column.  Then, seat yourselves alphabetically and wait for further directions.

S. the C.
--HW

Assessment -- "Midterm" Examination in English Language Arts

HW (Practice/Take-Home Assessment)

--Complete 45 minutes of Membean training in three different days before 11:59 PM on Thursday, 3/28 (see the "English Department Membean Routine" sheet).

Writing
--Your properly formatted, fully revised short story or poem is due by the end of the day on Thursday, 3/28.  See your "Preparing for the GVEP Literary Contest" document for additional information.

HW (Class Preparation)

--If you feel it is necessary, read through the packet of additional information pertaining to the common grammar error with which we dealt last class block and complete PRACTICE #4 (located in a manila folder in the "Grammar Hammer Extras" area of the classroom).  A quiz about this error will take place sometime in the near future (next week, maybe?).

--Continue reviewing the conventions of literature, bearing in mind that you are expected to apply your knowledge and understanding (on the examination that you will continue taking this week, to Lord of the Flies, to your free reading books, to anything, really!) moving forward.

--NEXT CLASS (Thursday, 3/28), you will continue taking the examination that you started today.  Please come prepared!

--If you have not yet selected your final free reading book of the school year, consider doing so ASAP (with the knowledge, though, that you must read a memoir, and we will head to the library soon)--ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS!

On the backburner

• "Madness" done in class upon submission of revisions
• preparing to read LotF
• "Madness" done in class upon submission of revisions
• memoir of choice (could be An Ordinary Man!) as last free reading

English 9--3/25/2019 & 3/26/2019

Jump Off
--Please take out your copy of the "Text Frames with Gaps & Viewing/Reading Guide (Franco Zeffirelli Film/Richard Parsons Text)" document for Act 2.

S. the C.
--Reminder: Beginning with the end in mind--our ultimate purpose when completing a first-draft "reading" and closely re-reading sections of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet:

ROUGH End-of-Unit Assessment Writing Prompt:
Write a multi-paragraph essay in which you argue the extent to which both Romeo and Juliet are impulsive by analyzing their behaviors during similar circumstances.  Then, answer the "so what" question: So what?!  Who cares?!  Why does this matter?!

--agenda/HW

Film/First-Draft "Reading" -- Act 2 of Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet

--read questions/prompts aloud (beginning with 2.4 #1) before viewing the film
--purposefully view the film up to the 1:10:50 mark in order to gather information for discussion/assessment preparation by jotting down notes and responding to viewing/reading guide questions/prompts

Discussion Preparation -- Act 1 and Act 2 of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet
--THINK: Quietly and independently, use the following materials to further process through the play and prepare for discussion: 

• your Act 1 viewing/reading guide
• your Act 1 "close" readings about Romeo and Juliet 
• your Act 2 viewing/reading guide
• your Parsons text 
• 2 ACE: your side-by-side text

--Transition

• take a look at the list of potential discussion topics for today's circle (ALSO WRITTEN UP ON THE SOUTHERN WHITEBOARD):
• Act 1
• Who's who?
• What's still "tripping you up" (e.g., challenging items on the viewing/reading guide)?
• Asking "why?!"
• Act 2

• Who's who?
• What's still "tripping you up" (e.g., challenging items on the viewing/reading guide)?
• Asking "why?!"
• Romeo's characterization and level of impulsiveness
• Juliet's characterization and level of impulsiveness
• So what (e.g., personal connections)?!
• form groups of two-three (depending on class block) via a drawing of cards

--PAIR: Continue responding to questions/prompts and compare/share your thoughts, ideas, questions, responses, etc. with each other until time is up, making sure to enter today's circle discussion with at least two potential contributions.

Transition

--set up a circle out of the desks in the following manner:

• Choose the character that you think is more impulsive, Romeo or Juliet.
• Rank the character on a scale of 1-10.
• "Romeos"--sit on the south end of the circle, ordered from lowest number to highest number.
• "Juliets"--sit on the north end of the circle, ordered from lowest number to highest number.
• Feel free to begin justifying your choices/rankings while setting up!

Discussion -- Act 2 of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet

Today's discussion protocol:

• We will pass the ball around the circle clockwise.  As we do so, someone will jot down notes on the front board.
• When you offer a thought, idea, question, response, etc. make sure to TAKE IT TO THE TEXT whenever possible!
• If you want to offer an alternative response, additional related contribution, etc., make sure to do so when the ball arrives at your desk.  (This puts a premium on the next direction!)
• Unless a discussion thread is clearly "dying out", contributions should relate to/build upon whatever was previously shared.  If you intend to "switch gears" with a contribution, make sure that your intentions are fine by the greater majority.
• You have the right to pass if you are not prepared to contribute when the ball arrives at your desk as per the current topic; however, everyone must contribute at least once to today's discussion, and no one is permitted to share more than twice.
• Contributions will be assessed via the "Discussion Contribution Rating Scale" (SEE BELOW).
• I reserve the right to... 
• "jump in" whenever appropriate
• randomly select students to share.

Discussion Contribution Rating Scale

4.  HIGHLY EFFECTIVE: Asks a higher-level question that probes textual evidence and reasoning from others; offers a contribution that is strong and well-supported by textual evidence; takes the text insightfully beyond itself by linking it to personal experience via detailed anecdote and/or other readings/research conducted with textual evidence as support

3.  EFFECTIVE: Asks a reasonable question or makes a contribution with some textual evidence as support (e.g., referring to a page, but not sharing the actual specific piece of text therein OR speaking about a specific section of the text from memory) that could potentially push the discussion forward; takes the text beyond itself by loosely linking it to personal experience, other readings, etc.

2.  DEVELOPING: Provides a contribution/an answer to a question with little or no textual evidence as support that does not push the discussion forward—student clearly demonstrates involvement in the discussion (e.g., attempts at contributing and attentive listening), but ability to participate effectively is a work in progress

1.  INEFFECTIVE: No contributions made and/or shows no evidence of preparation and/or not paying attention and/or not on task and/or dominates the discussion

Transition -- re-column the desks

Closure -- Ticket-Out-the-Door (time permitting)
--Expand upon your response to the final question on the viewing/reading guide in quick-write fashion--do not worry so much about spelling, punctuation, how it "sounds", instead focusing on getting your ideas down.  What happens in the text that helps you draw your conclusion?

HW (Practice/Take-Home Assessment)

--Complete 45 minutes of Membean training in three different days before 11:59 PM on Thursday, 3/28 (see the "English Department Membean Routine" sheet).

HW (Class Preparation)

--NEXT CLASS (Wednesday, 3/27 [ACE]/Thursday, 3/28 [BDF]), a The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Unit mini-test will occur.  In order to continue/finish preparing, consider...

• reviewing your "Purposeful Viewing of Gnomeo & Juliet" document
• reviewing your "Drama Terms Notes/Poetry Terms Notes" document
• Are you able to match each of the terms to its definition?
• Can you apply your understanding of each of the terms to Act 1 of the play?
• reviewing your "The Shakespearean Sonnet" sheet, especially bearing in mind the highly effective answers/responses to the "'Sonnet 116'--Comprehension/Closure Questions" sheet
• Can you recognize a sonnet when you see one?
• What distinguishes a Shakespearean Sonnet from, say, a Petrarchan Sonnet?
• What is the "gist" of "Sonnet 116"?
• What is the theme (central idea) of "Sonnet 116"?
• How does Shakespeare deliberately use writing strategies (e.g., diction, figurative language, etc.) to convey the theme (central idea) of "Sonnet 116"?
• reviewing the character map on the inside cover of your Parson text
• Who's who?! 
• Who are the main characters?
• What relationships exist between the main characters?
• What are the roles of some of the minor characters (e.g., Samson and Gregory)?
• rereading Act 1 of the play and visiting the following web address in order to improve your Act 1 viewing/reading guide responses
• http://nfs.sparknotes.com/romeojuliet/page_4.html
• reviewing your Act 1 viewing/reading guide responses
• reviewing Romeo's initial characterization and Juliet's initial characterization via the following:
• the "Purposeful Close Re-reading--Act 1, scene 1, lines 152-230" document
• the "Purposeful Close Re-reading--Act 1, scene 3, lines 64-100" sheet
• rereading Act 2 of the play and visiting the following web address in order to improve your Act 2 text frames with gaps items and viewing/reading guide responses
• https://www.sparknotes.com/nofear/shakespeare/romeojuliet/page_74/
• reviewing your Act 2 text frames with gaps items and viewing/reading guide responses
• staying after school in Room 203 to discuss any lingering questions that you have.

--If you have not yet selected your final free reading book of the school year, consider doing so ASAP (with the knowledge, though, that we will head to the library during class soon)--ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS!

On the backburner:

• Finishing Gnomeo & Juliet by further discussing/returning to guide
• opening a window into The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet
• continuing to master Reading Literature standards, irony, and theme
• Prior to "The Interlopers", complete acting activity reviewing the types of irony from both Gnomeo & Juliet and Act 1 of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.
• Writing returned/revised in waves
• Wave 1?!?!
• Wave 2--organization as per sample paragraphs for "The Cask of Amontillado"
• Prior to "The Interlopers", share a few paragraphs as review of both organization and concepts therein.
• Wave 3--grammar hammer as per common errors
• Continuing to master Reading Literature standards, irony, and theme
• Short works--The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Unit
• Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado"
• Saki's "The Interlopers"