Week ending May 25

This was a shortened week since we had the holiday on Mon. We presented our imagery poems to the class, those who missed this will have to present when you return. We spent some time doing some nice relaxed quiet reading and looking at some poems read by their authors on video and some poems set to video which reinforce the imagery in the project we just completed.

If you have access to a computer, we looked at Dylan Thomas' poem, "Do not go Gentle into that Good Night."

I will be moving on to a mini- unit on Shakespeare over the next two weeks. I am also hoping to fit in a small debate unit and a final media unit.

Week Ending May 16, 2012

Hello wonderful English students. Here is an update from this week. We discussed the limmerick and students set to writing 2 limmericks and two Yankee Doodle poems. There were some very cleaver poems...I will post some up soon. We discussed the importance of imagery when an author writes. Imagery focuses on the sights, sounds, tastes, touches, and smells that are brought to life through words. Students had to find a poem that they felt was full of  great imagery. We are using this poem to create a visual representation of some of the images the poet is trying to convey in their writing. Students have two classes to finish the work..it will be due mid next week.

For students going away, please check this blog for work that you will be missing. I will try to keep you up to date day by day. Also, for any students needing help, I am always available during X Block. I will be letting students know this weekend if you are missing any work. The following is a list of work that should be in for term 4 so far.

1. Poetry terms quiz (25)
2. 8 line poem on a them (10)
3. Lesson of the Moth response (20)
4. Stopping by the Woods questions (10)
5. Road not Taken questions(10)
6. 2 limmerick and 2 yankee doodle poems (10)
7. Imagery artwork piece (10)

The Road not Taken by Robert Frost

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

Questions: Please complete in full sentences.

1.       How many stanzas in the poem?

2.       What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?

3.       What is happening in the poem? This is what is the literal interpretation of the poem is.

4.       How would you interpret this poem metaphorically?

5.       From your reading of the poem do you think the speaker was happy with his choice to take a different path? Explain why you think the way you do.

6.       What is your opinion of this poem like/don’t like why or why not?

Poem by Robert Frost

The following poem is a classic poem written by famous American poet Robert Frost. I would like you to read the poem and answer the following questions.

1. How many stanzas in this poem?

2. Write out the rhyme scheme of this poem.

3. What is this poem about literally? ( This is the in the lines stuff)

4. What do you think is the deeper meaning of the poem? ( Beyond the lines) By referring to the poem, find the lines that might support this deeper meaning.

5. What time of year do you think this poem is taking place? For those of you who are really smart, you should be able to determine the exact date.

6. What is the mood of this poem? Find  the lines that suggest mood.

Stopping by the Woods

By Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

The Lesson of the Moth by Don Marquis

Students have continued to read a favourite poem to the class. I am expecting to hear all students read a poem before we finish the unit. We had quite an interesting discussion about risk taking and living life to the fullest. We discussed the idea of good risk and bad risk. Why people choose risky activities...and even the idea that for some people speaking in class can be risky.

Students should complete a full page response (typed) to the poem, "Lesson of the Moth." Make sure you introduce the poem, make your point/opinion and then back it up with an example from the poem.  This assignment will be due next Mon. for class 84 and Tues. for class 85. For those who have been away please get your parents to edit for you. The rest of the class has benefitted from discussion of the poem and editing by me. Make sure you have your work edited by someone.

PLEASE NOTE: if you do not have a copy of the poem, print one out from the internet.

Report Cards Coming Soon

Students will be receiving back their major projects this week, and should know their term 3 marks by the end of the week. We have started term 4 off with Poetry and will continue this unit for a couple of weeks. So far, students are expected to find a poem that they like and it will be read aloud to the class. So far, I have been most impressed with student readings, especially Will's full memorization of his poem and Sterling's solo rendition of "The Shooting of Dan McGrew." I had a real good laugh when Kane read a Dr. Seuss poem on aging. So far, we have heard everything from Wordsworth to Shel Silverstein.

This week students were given four sheets on poetic devices/types of poems and asked to memorize the definitions which were starred. I am not a huge fan of teaching memorization...but in this case I believe it is important for students to know these terms becuase they will need to know them for the next 4 years in their English classes. We will be having a quiz on these terms Wed. for class 84 and Friday for class 85. The test will be a combination of matching and fill in the blanks. Students should also have the good copy of their 8 line poems handed in for marking on the test day.

Assignments due next week

• Have a poem ready to read to the class
• Good copy of 8 line poem, edited and typed
•  (remember it should include 1 simile and be on a theme)
• TEST ON POETIC TERMS

Parents: This is the time of year when students start to "slack off" due to great weather and feeling tired of school. If there is any time to monitor and support your children, it is now. Marks have a habit of dropping lower each term. It is my hope to try to keep things interesting and fun to help students remain motivated.

Week Ending March 22

One more time, this is what is due on March 30:

All of the following is due by next Fri. March 30. I would prefer to have assignments handed in during class, but Friday is the last possible date for this.

1. title page ( include title of book/author/border/drawing/your name)
2. 3 summaries of book (beg/mid/end)
3. novel sheet #1 (why you chose book/vocab/setting) only sheet that does not need to be typed
4. Character sketch ( written description of main character)
5. Plot graph ( include plot line graph and point form main points corresponding to the graph)

6. Novel extension assignment (creative project) Students were to choose ONE project from the handout/list. Example: board game, brochure, timeline, map, film etc. Please check the marking criteria to make sure you have included all the components. For some projects these components will be integrated into the project, for others like the shield/poster they need to be added to the backside of the assignment.

The following other work which is at this point overdue, but still needs to be handed in by Mar. 30 includes:

Norse myth package
Loki mth sheet
Percy Jackson movie review
Creative writing piece on setting favourite place

Plot structure

What is plot?

A plot is the sequence of events that make up a story. Aristotle stated that plot structure had "a beginning, a middle and an end". But it is much more than simply the telling of events one after another. A plot needs a motivating purpose to drive the story to its resolution, and a connection between these events. If you watch a movie with a string of unconnected scenes, you will probably be frustrated because the plot makes no sense. Unless these scenes are tied together in some way, it will be very hard to make a real story out of it. So, we should say that plot is the CAUSAL( meaning purposeful) sequence of events that make up a story. Of course, this "sequence" doesn't necessarily have to be in order - detective stories, equals or thrillers can often work backwards or jump from one event to another - but at the end of the day, everything should come together. 

About plot by Kaitlin Davis: Check it out,click here

Students your last component to your assignment is to complete a plot graph of your novel. On Kaitlin Davis' page, she explains the beginning part of the plot graph with something referred to as an Exposition...which in class I called the Inciting incident. It might also be called the beginning or initial problem...it depends on where you get your information from, there are many terms to describe it.

DUE DATES: Another Reminder: We will be working on the novel studies all next week. I would  like to get all of the following work in by the end of next week:
( Most of this work should be done by now except for plot)

• 3 summaries from the novel (250 wds each approx.) (Beg/Middle/End)
• Title Page
• Novel sheet #1 (why you chose the book/vocab/setting)

• Character sketch of your char. in the book

• Plot graph from the book( include the drawing as well)

The novel creative package will be due the week following, which is the last class before break.

Week of March 12

Good morning students...no power today means you can all be reading or working on your novel study package. I will remind you that the following will all be due by March 29 ( before you go away for March Break) Anyone leaving early should hand in their work before they leave.

Extended Novel project to be handed in: The last class before March break

Need to complete!

1. Three short summaries of your novel...one from the beginning, middle and end. Divide the book up wherever it seems logical. When I say short, I mean no more than 250 words for each summary. The summary should focus on the main plot action.

2. A) Novel sheet : Title page, hand drawn include title of book, author, border and a main image from your story.
B) Novel sheet #1: Setting ( we worked on this in class, make sure it is complete)
C) Novel Sheet #2:  Character ( I just assigned this last day) See detailed instructions below
D) Novel Sheet #3: Plot ( We will learn about this later this week)

3. Extended Novel Package: Students are to choose a creative  assignment and complete the required criteria connected with their chosen assignment. Please follow the criteria for the assignment as well as the marking criteria. Note to parents: This assignment was handed out in class over a month ago and students have been given time to read their novels in class. If your son/daughter needs another copy of this assignment please get a copy from me as soon as possible.

Novel Sheet #2 Character

Description of Assignment; Students are to write a detailed character description of the main character in their novel. One page in length should be long enough to complete this assignment.

As we discussed in class, we learn about a character in the following ways:

• description of physical traits (red hair, tall, good looking)
• description of personality traits ( kind, courageous, good friend) 
• what the character says to others 
• what is said about a character by another character or by the narrator
• by what the character does (their actions)
• likes/dislikes

Other ideas we discussed in class:

Protagonist - The most important character in a story; hero, central character, leading role, “good guy.”

Antagonist- The character who opposes the hero, or protagonist, and provides the story's conflict; villain, enemy, “bad guy.”

Flat character- suggesting one dimensional

Round character- suggesting multidimensional, a lot more to the character with regard to depth

We also discussed that it is fine to present information about a character, but it is also important to back up our ideas with proof/examples. For example, if I said, Harry Potter is a courageous hero...I would want to find an example from the novel which suggests this idea. So I might write...Harry Potter is a courageous individual, this is shown on many occasions when he battles the evil forces of Voldemort.

Short example of what I am looking for:
Although Harry Potter looks like a typical 12 year old, slightly geeky with dark hair and black rimmed glasses, he has many qualitites that separate him from the average pre-teen. First he has exceptional special powers which grants him wizardry status. As Potter heads off to wizard school, he makes some good friends. Throughout the novel, we begin to realize his loyalty toward these friends, for example, ....

Week of Feb. 22

In this unit, I am trying to get students to look at the books they read not only as readers, but as writers as well. I will be including some creative writing assignments spinkled into this novel unit. As a part of understanding the elements of the novel, we have begun with setting. The purpose of the setting is to "activate the imagination of the reader." (as quoted by Cate from Eng. 84) There are many components of setting that we discussed in class such as time period, location, geography, surroundings, weather, and culture just to name a few.

Students were given novel sheet#1 which asks them to discuss why they chose the book. They were also to include at least a six sentence description of the setting of their book.

In class lesson on setting: The focus of writing a setting is to be descriptive and bring the setting to life for the reader. Writers use words to paint a picture for the readers. We discussed the idea of  "show not tell" and utilizing the senses in their writing.( sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) As they continue their reading, they should be looking for examples as to how their authour is incorporating these ideas in their work.

Example: Tell: "It was very  cold outside. I noticed the mountains were covered in snow."

Show: " Frosty bits clung to the man's beard as he gazed toward the magestic towers beyond. Snow capped and gleaming in the sunlight, the mountains silently sung their magic."

Assignment: Students are to complete a one paragraph piece which focuses on a favourite place. Basic criteria includes: use of the senses, show not tell, and the avoidance of too many overdone adjectives. The goal is to paint a picture using words. (10 marks) Due date: early next week.

Week ending Feb. 11

We have had a few busy weeks as we continue to wrap up our unit on Mythology. There have been two worksheets ( Intro to Norse Myths and the Myth of Loki). The first sheet was to be handed in this week. We will spend a few more days on this and wrap up with a creative assignment (making runes out of clay). We will also spend one class on comparative mythology (creation myths).

Last week, students watched the video version of, "Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief" which is lightly based on mythological characters. As with most films, especially when one has read the book, the film was somewhat disappointing. This proved perfect for my next assignment ...which was to complete an original movie review. We discussed what a hook is and how students needed to be clear to express their opinion of the movie in the first few lines. They should then progress with their opinions but back up their ideas with examples. We discussed avoiding I think, I believe, since the entire piece is an opinion piece.

As the second term draws to a close, marks will be communicated to students/parents over the next week. This term was much easier for many students compared to term #1 and most students did very well. We head into a more difficult term in term #3.

Overview of term #3

Improving reading for information
Elements of the novel
Independent Novel Study ( has already been sent home...worth 75 marks due the end of March without exception)
Poetry terms
Responding to poetry
Writing poetry
Reciting poetry

 If parents are interested in my assessments of their students beyond a grade, I would be pleased to communicate my observations at any time.

Week of Jan 19 : Notebook: To be handed in next Thurs.

We are beginning to wrap up our Mythology Unit. The Gods and Monsters sheet is our last Greek Myth sheet. We will spend some time reviewing and comparing myths from other cultures. The unit will wrap up with a short test, based on some questions from the myths we have studied. Students will be expected to know the basics of the myths. Students will also hand in their notes in a duotang and they will be marked out of 20.



Title page: hand drawn picture of gods, should include colour
What is Mythology handout
God's sheet: a list of all of the main gods, their Greek and Roman names, and their symbols
Prometheus Worksheet
Poseidon Worksheet and Crossword
Demeter and Persephone Worksheet and Crossword
Pandora Worksheet
The Flood Worksheet
The Love of Zeus Workheet
Gods and Monsters Worksheet
Also include your Myth Quiz

Week ending Jan. 6

The personal project is now overdue. Any students who have not spoken to me about late work will be putting themselves in a difficult position as we move forward with our new unit.

We have already begun our Mythology unit and students need to keep an organized and up to date notebook because I will be collecting all notes at the end of the term in a duotang and marking the work for organization and completeness. The following list includes the myths that should be in student's notebooks so far.

Title page: hand drawn picture of gods, should include colour
What is Mythology handout
God's sheet: a list of all of the main gods, their Greek and Roman names, and their symbols
Prometheus Worksheet
Poseidon Worksheet and Crossword
Demeter and Persephone Worksheet and Crossword

There will be a test out of 20-25 marks on the god's sheet next Wed/Thurs in class. Be prepared and study for it.