English 11

I hope you all have a restful break, and I'll look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, January 3rd.  On that day we will have our third literature circle, so please read up to page 209 in our novel.  If you missed the last day of classes and do not know your role, you must obtain that information from somebody in your group.

Have a Happy New Year!  See you in 2012!

English 11

Tomorrow you will be given a story that you have never seen before. Review the larger concepts of this unit if you want (after today's test, you are already quite well prepared).  Also, take a look at the notes on the character sketches we discussed today in class.

Furthermore, your personal response to our  novel is due tomorrow.

English 11

Well, although this is not exactly related to class, I thought I'd post my favourite rendition of  "Baby It's Cold Outside" for Pearl.  Thanks to her, the song was my "ear worm" all day long...good thing it's such a catchy tune!  Colin James is a terrific local musician; I hope you enjoy it.  Hear it at this address:

http://youtu.be/m3iG8kYjO0c

On a more studious note, your exam on Monday will consist of three sections.  The first section (worth 25 marks) will be a combination of true/false questions, matching and supplying terms.  Review the bolded terms on your blue sheets.  The second section will be quotations from each of the five stories where you will be asked to discuss their significance (10 marks).  The final section will be two short paragraphs (5 marks each).  You will have four questions to choose from.  The questions will be related to the larger concepts we have discussed in this unit:  theme, conflict, symbol and irony, etc.

On Tuesday, you will be given a story that you have never seen before.  You will then be asked some questions relating to the larger concepts we have discussed.  There will also be a longer written response section.  This will be similar to the diagnostic reading/writing test you wrote at the beginning of the term.

Judging by how well you reviewed in class today, you seem well prepared for Monday and Tuesday.

English 11

The journal response to The Life of Pi has been postponed until next Tuesday.  Tomorrow, there will be a short quiz on semicolons (5 sentences).  Also, we will continue filling in the short story review sheet. 

English 11

Finish questions # 2,3 and 5 for "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty". Try writing a theme statement for this short story. Also, compose a personal response to the first 70 pages of The Life of Pi.  This response should be approximately 200 words, and may be written in first person.  This will be due on Friday.

English 11

Please correct the flawed sentences on the sentence fragment worksheet (some sentences are correct).  In addition, complete questions #2 and #5 on "Harrison Bergeron" in your short story textbooks.  Finally, continue reading the class novel and working on your first literature circle role sheet.  Have a terrific weekend!

English 11

Tomorrow you will have time to plan out your character sketch of either Charlotte or Miss Hancock from "The Metaphor".  Begin thinking of your chosen character's purpose in the short story.

Also, begin reading The Life of Pi.  We will have our first lit circle on Wednesday, December 7.  You have a week to read the first 70 pages.  I will supply you with more information on the lit circles tomorrow.

English 11

Tonight, polish the rough copy of your extended metaphor.  Tomorrow, hand in your good copy with an image of your animal.  Please ensure that the image is at least half the size of the paper you are submitting.  I plan on putting your metaphors and images on the cork board outside the class, and the pictures should be big enough to catch the attention of passersby.

Also, on the sheet entitled "Commas and Sentence Fragments", complete the 15 sentences in the comma section.  I hope these sentences will be a good review of comma usage for you.  We will go over the answers tomorrow.

English 11

This weekend, please write a rough copy of your extended metaphor.  We will peer edit them on Monday.  Try to include at least three ways your chosen animal is like your chosen emotion.  If you have more to say, all the better!

On Monday we will read the short story "A Game of Catch".  If you wish to familiarize yourself with the piece, you may.  Do complete the vocabulary for the story.

Finally, we will continue our discussion of character analysis on Monday.  We filled in the blue worksheet today in class, but I have assigned no homework related to it.

Have a great weekend. 

English 11

Your vocabulary quiz is tomorrow.  In addition, continue working on your extended metaphors.  Brainstorm at least three or four ways your chosen emotion is the same as your chosen animal.  Do not write a good copy of this.

English 11

On Friday we will be having our first vocabulary quiz.  Also, students should be reviewing the handouts on Purpose and the Short Story, Plot, and Character.

English 11

Tonight, please complete the reading booklet that was handed out last week. It contains the story "Lonesome Desert" and the article "Why Be Polite?".

Tomorrow we will read "The Metaphor" and discuss some of the poems I distributed last Friday.

English 11

Your seven sentence summary of they newspaper article "Good intentions can't protect our teens from bullies" is due on Monday.

Next Friday we will have our first vocabulary quiz.  I might add a few more words to the list early next week. However, the list so far is as follows:

vernacular

anticipation

indomitable

writhed

blundered

obliquely (on the board I wrote "oblique" by mistake)

futile

demented

homogeneous

taunts

arsenal

verbatim

soothe

sacrilegious

blasé

hysterical

modicum

English 11

Tonight, look up the following words:  futile (adj), identity (n), homogeneous (adj), taunts (n), strands (n), and illusion (n).  A Rainbow Club is a club in a school that is organized to give to support to homosexual students and their friends.  Once you have completed the vocabulary, read the Vancouver Sun opinion article, "Good intentions can't protect our teens from bullies" and be ready to discuss this tomorrow.

English 11

Tonight, prepare your answer to the question:
Are people morally responsible to protect weaker beings?  "Beings" encompasses all creatures, not just humans.
Your response will be 125 - 150 words.  You will have 20 minutes to write this in class.  You will receive a score out of 6.  The mark break down will be as follows:

3 marks for clarity - 1 is poor, 2 is average and 3 is excellent
           *Can I understand everything you say?
3 marks for grammar/language conventions - 1 is poor, 2 is average and 3 is excellent
            *Have you used complete sentences?
            *Do all your verbs have a consistent tense?
            *Have you avoided contractions? Remember contractions are two words that have been blended by dropping a letter and adding an apostrophe, as in I'd for "I would".
            *Do your subjects and verbs agree (he seems / they seem)?

English 11

Look up the definitions for these words:

1. ewe

2. dingo

3.  eucalypt

4.  outback

5.  hackles

6.  incisors

7.  instinct

For Thursday, you will write a short paragraph responding to the question : Are people morally responsible to protect weaker beings?  You will have some class time for the paragraph.

English 11

Welcome to English 11!

Please complete the student survey and hand it in tomorrow.  Also, write two truths and a lie about yourself on three-hole punched paper.  This is also due tomorrow.  This second task should only be three to six sentences (three is fine).

English 12

Tonight, please finish the questions on the two readings assigned for last night.  Please also give some serious thought to how you would respond to the synthesis topic:  Examine the role optimism plays in both pieces of writing. 

English 12

Tomorrow there will be a short quiz where you will be asked to match lines of poetry to the appropriate poetic terms.  Also, ensure that you complete the multiple choice questions on "The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask..." as well as on "Be-ers and Doers".  Finally, fill in the graphic organizer that helps you to plan for the synthesis essay.  Be as comprehensive as you can, please.

Thursday is the deadline for handing in your polished narrative essay.  Be sure to staple your rough copy to your final copy (I will not mark it otherwise).  Also on Thursday, we will have a guest presentation so meet at 9:00 sharp in Room 212 with your chair.

Friday is the cut off for all marks, so if you need to stay after class one day to complete any of the assignments we have discussed, please do so.

English 12

Last lit circle on Monday. Also, complete the questions on the poem, "Summer in the Yakima Valley".  Finally, remember that the persuasive essay will be done in class on Tuesday.

English 12

Tomorrow you will be writing your analysis of a character from The Kite Runner.  You may bring in your planning sheet.  I'll collect it with your finished work.
On Monday, October 31st  we will have our next and final lit circle.  On Tuesday you will be writing your persuasive compositions either persuading or dissuading me from teaching The Kite Runner in my next Grade 12 class.

English 12

Answer the multiple choice questions on the poem "Prelude to Jumping in a River".  Also, read over the two handouts on persuasive compositions.  Tomorrow will be the final narrative composition.  Friday will be the in-class character analysis of a character from The Kite Runner.  Furthermore, on Tuesday you will come to class prepared to write a persuasive composition arguing for or against teaching The Kite Runner in future English 12 classes.

English 12

Tomorrow you will be writing an in-class paragraph on either "Digging" or "Wordsmith".  We discussed these poems today.  You may bring a small outline to class tomorrow, which will be stapled to your final product.
Please also complete the questions on "Tears in Heaven" and "On My First Son".  You may wish to view Eric Clapton performing "Tears in Heaven" on YouTube.
Be sure to look at the "Useful Links" section of this blog (to your right) for information on the Grade 12 Provincial Exam and compare/contrast essays.

English 12

Complete the poetry worksheet (two sides), and brainstorm the paragraph question at the end of the "Digging" package. Be sure to select 3 appropriate quotes from the poem.

The next lit circle will be on Monday, October 31st. Read to the end of the novel.

Looking ahead, on Wednesday we will be writing an in-class paragraph. We will write our last narrative composition on Thursday, and we will write a character analysis on Friday.

English 12

Prepare for your lit circle on Monday.  Assigned reading is up to page 306.  Please bring your question sheets on the various chapters. Do not worry about answering any questions at home, we will answer them in class.

Also, complete the questions on the poem "Digging". 

Finally, brainstorm the different ways that the father's repairing of his daughter's home serves as an extended metaphor for their relationship in the poem "Wordsmith".  Be sure to write down 3 relevant quotations from the poem to support your brainstorming notes.  I will be doing a homework check on this.  We will then use this information to write a synthesis composition in preparation for the English 12 final.  

English 12

Your lit circle response (on the future of Afghan women or the Taliban today) is due tomorrow. Also, be prepared to write a narrative composition on: "The best gifts are the simple ones".

English 12

Quiz tomorrow on commas, semicolons and colons. Finish questions on "The. Gold Mountain Coat".

English 12

For homework this weekend, please complete the questions on the poem "Wordsmith", and also review the package "What Should You Get Out Of Poetry?".  Complete the sheet entitled "Can You Identify These Devices (Part 2)" at the back of the package.  Most of you did very well today on our "fun quiz" so I hope that this should give you little trouble.

For grammar, please make certain that you have finished all the questions on the back of the worksheet entitled "Colons : )", as well as the hand out given today in class, "Commas, Semicolons, and Colons (One More Time, With Feeling!)".  The latter will look very much like the grammar quiz you will have on Tuesday, October 18th.

As next Thursday and Friday are both Professional Development days, our next lit circle on The Kite Runner will be on Monday, October 24th.  Our discussion will encompass everything up to page 306 (Chapter 23).

Your journal response for today's lit circle will be due on Wednesday, October 19th.  You may write on the topic given in the original handout--The Future of Afghan Women--or you may choose to write on the Taliban today.  If you choose this second topic, be sure to cover questions such as:
Where are Taliban strongholds?
Who are their supporters?
Who are their enemies?
Who are most vulnerable to their policies or conflicts?
Should Canada and the world care about the Taliban?
Why or why not?

To properly respond to either question, you must use at least two recent sources for you information (news or magazine articles, web sites, documentary videos, etc.).  You must provide hard copies of any articles and staple them to your response.  If you use websites or videos, you must cite your sources.  Any evidence of plagiarism will result in a mark of zero.


The following link will take you to a website with a 40 minute documentary about the Taliban today.  It was aired earlier in 2011 (Just copy the following link into the place where your URL address goes and hit enter.  I'll try to make this process easier within a few hours!):
video.pbs.org/video/1134781691/


If I find any more applicable sites, I will put links to them here.

Have a good weekend.

English 12

Complete questions #10-15 on semi colons. Come mentally ready to write a narrative composition on a valuable lesson. Have a beginning, middle and end in mind. Also, know your dialogue and sensory imagery.

Tomorrow you will teach your poetic terms. So, be prepared!

English 12

On Tuesday I'll be collecting your second journals on The Kite Runner.  Also, I'll be collecting your three body paragraphs on point of view in "Just Lather, That's All".

English 12

Lit circles are tomorrow. We will also have a vocabulary quiz. Make sure your three body paragraphs for point of view in "Just Lather, That's All" are completed for Tuesday.  I will only be checking for proper structure.

A few words on using transitions:

Transitions contribute to style, organization and clarity.  They help to make your writing flow smoothly and naturally, emphasize your paper's underlying structure as well as clarify the relationships between your ideas.
Here are some examples of transitions that you can start using today!

Order in Time:
In the beginning, afterward, finally, ultimately, meanwhile, since, when, whenever, at the same time, subsequently, later...
Similarities and Differences:
Similarly, in a similar way, likewise, in contrast, like/unlike, on one hand, on the other hand, nevertheless, in the same way, however, although...
Example/Explanation:
For example, for instance, such as, that is, in other words, along with, to illustrate, specifically, in particular, generally, namely...
Summary:
In summary, in conclusion, therefore, accordingly, finally, consequently, hence, in closing, thus...
Cause-Effect:
Because, consequently, since, as a result, therefore, so, thus, for that reason, as an effect...
Adding Ideas:
In addition, furthermore, also, not only...but also, another, moreover, additionally, equally, as well...

English 12

Continue working on your lit circle work and study your vocabulary words.

English 12

Study for your unit test tomorrow.  On Friday, we will have lit circles and a test on this week's vocabulary words.

English 12

Review for the test on Wednesday, continue to work on your lit circle roles, and study your vocabulary words. The words are :

Murky, insomniac, immersed, chasm, kneaded, sluiced, encapsulated, retort, precipitous, scoff, boycotting, pungent, permeated, and luminous.

English 12

Your first journal entry is due on Monday.

This week we will read pages 85-150 of our novel. Finish answering the rest of the "Quick Quiz Questions" as you read.

Remember, the short story unit test is on Wednesday, October 5th.

English 12

Prepare your lit circle role for tomorrow. Have the chapter questions completed in point form. Finally, study for your vocabulary quiz.

English 12

Continue working on your lit circle assignments (see yesterday's post) and studying your vocabulary words for Friday.  As all the groups worked well today in class, I've given full marks to everyone for their work on questions #1-5.  I'll take questions #6 - 9 in for completion marks tomorrow.  The questions are:
6.  What considerations tempt the barber to kill Captain Torres?  What considerations motivate him not to?  Which of his motivations are admirable and which are selfish?
7.   State the theme of the story and provide two quotes that support your theme statement.
8.  Is it cowardice to kill or not to kill the captain?  Justify your answer with supporting evidence from the story.
9.  Would the barber have been a hero or a murderer if he had killed the captain?  Defend your choice.

English 12

Read over the POV and theme handouts.

Work on your novel assignment.  You should be well on your way to finishing the first 84 pages of The Kite Runner.  Work on your lit circle role (that you discussed with your group today) and jot down the answers to the questions on the novel.  The assigned questions for this week are Chapters 1-4 #1-6 and Chapters 5-9 #1-7.  Your answers can be in point form.  The questions are simply to ensure that everybody is keeping up with the reading.  You will receive completion marks on Friday for coming to class with the questions finished. 

Also, study your vocabulary words for Friday. Your words are:
Profuse, scold (noun), interminable, boisterous, recital, petulantly, reprimand, perfunctory, jovial, civic, craned, lapse, feigned, imposed, astray, and conscientious.

English 12

Study vocabulary words from "Miss Brill " for Friday. Finish point -of - view exercise for tomorrow. Read over your literature circle role and come in tomorrow prepared to discuss it further.

English 12

Study for you vocabulary quiz tomorrow.  Polish your character sketches of "Miss Brill" which are due tomorrow.  Also, finish questions #1-6 on "The Lottery".

English 12

Finish your rough copy of your "Miss Brill" character sketch.  Continue studying for your vocabulary quiz on Friday.

English 12

Polish your descriptive paragraph tonight. It is due tomorrow. Study for the vocabulary quiz on Friday. The words are:

deter, fester, abreast, invalid, quivered, rogue, solemn, poignant, eavesdrop, hollow, frail, dashing, clasp, gravely, resolute, spinster

English 12

Finish the question sheet on "Miss Brill" and be prepared to share your answers with your new group tomorrow.  Also, complete the descriptive paragraph that you planned in class today. The paragraph assignment is as follows:

In paragraph form, tell me about an exciting, frightening, painful, or happy incident from your life. Use at least 3 different sense images to bring your descriptions to life.

English 12

Brainstorm the word "lesson" to come up with a specific incident from your life that concerns a lesson.  This will be the first step in writing a narrative composition.  Your incident can be humorous, sad, exciting, or frightening.  The lesson can be life-changing and profound or simply entertaining. We will be sharing our stories with each other at different stages in the writing process, so keep that in mind as you plan, please.

Also, read the short story "Miss Brill" by Katherine Mansfield on page 57 of your text.

English 12

Study for the vocabulary quiz. Also, complete your personal narrative as it is due tomorrow.

English 12

Complete the four questions on the short story, Identities, posted on the white board.
Read pages 10-11 in your short story textbook.
Write a 1 - 1.5 page personal response to the statement:  Tell about a time when a person made an unfair judgement about you OR you made an unfair judgement about someone else.  This will be due on Friday and I will be marking it according to the purple scoring guide that we discussed in class.
Remeber the vocabulary quiz on Friday too!

English 12

Complete the questions on "Fish Cheeks " and study the vocabulary words for Friday.  The vocabulary words are:

1. mnemonic
2. commiserate
3. surly
4. vex
5. cicada
6. splatter
7. smack
8. ceaseless
9. insistent
10. swinish
11. macabre
12. vanity
13. impetuous
14. unbidden
15. thwart
16. slake

(and possibly 4 more words, to be added tomorrow)

English 12

After reading "Two In One", answer questions #1-3 and explain in a few sentences what makes this a compelling story.  Also, summarise it in 6-8 sentences.  Have a good weekend.

English 12

A. Poetry - Read "September Rain" and "September Midnights" silently and out loud a few times. (See "September Poems" under the pages menu.) Do the following 2 things :

1.  Explain what the poet wants to communicate (his or her purpose for writing the poem).

2.  Write down 3 effective images or words from each poem and be prepared to explain your choices.

B. Personal Response - In 1 - 1.5 single -spaced pages, tell about a person who had a significant influence on your life and future plans.

English 12

Complete your personal information sheet and hand it in tomorrow. Read the short story, "How Dewey Decimal Saved My Life".  Organise your binder to have 5 sections: Writing, Short Stories, Novel, Poetry, and Grammar and Usage.

Welcome to English 12

This is the place to come to find out about course content and assignments.  I will try to update this site often.  From this point forward, you will be responsible for keeping track of all your work and ensuring all assignments have been completed and handed in.  Absences are no excuse for missed work; so check this site regularly.