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.

Personal Project Outline and Criteria

Overview of Project: The Personal Project is meant to be a creative extension of the Personal Unit we just completed. We focused a lot on experiences and how they shape our lives. This project can take any shape. It could be a video, an interview, a dance, a skit, a piece of art, a collection of poems or journal entries, a slideshow, a dramatization, a collection of photographs, a song, a timeline of events, a scrapbook, a musical performance or any combination of the above.

The project needs to be decided by each individual; in fact choosing the project is part of the process of the project. Students need to think about what is/has been  important in their lives and try to create a representation of this. If students are choosing to do something like a dance, piece of art etc., the project should be accompanied with a short piece of writing that explains what process they went through, why they chose this idea, what they learned from the project, and how the subject features in their life. All students can refer to the list of questions below to help them focus on a project idea and /or what to briefly write about in the written portion of the project. It is a good idea to pitch your idea to Ms. Chase to make sure you are on the right track. Remember, this project is all about you!

Criteria for Evaluation

• project has not been recycled from a past year (I will know!)
• all projects should have a small written portion attached, unless your project is writing
• focus of project should be strongly connected to YOU and learning more about you
• evidence of planning and attention to detail shown in project
• depth of thought given to project and how it connects with the self
• execution of project is at a high level

You should try to answer some of the following questions in your project.

Who am I? Who am I becoming?

What do I love doing and why?

Who is important to me and why?

What experiences have changed/enriched my life, helped me grow?

What relationships/friendships are important to me and why?

What makes me happy?

What does a typical day look like for me?

What are my favourite things?

What dreams do I have for the future or the future of our world?

How have I changed over the years?

How have I stayed the same over the years?

What difficult experiences have I had to overcome in my life?

What do I love? (foods, activities, games, etc.)

What bores me to death?

What inspires me?

What cause in the world is worthy of my thoughts?

What really bugs me? ( Please don’t say Ms. Chase’s English projects!)

How do I learn best?

What important events mark my life so far?

What are you grateful for?

What is like being the only, oldest, middle, youngest in the family?

Why did I choose to do the project idea that I did?

How does my project idea reflect who and what I am about?

What did I learn from doing this project?

The Week of Nov. 28 ....Test week.

Last week we went over how to write a basic essay in class. Students were given the test questions so that they can prepare for the test by completing a practice write. The test will be on the following:

Question #1: 10 marks ( organize your ideas, then spend 25-30 minutes writing) Compare Terry Fox with Steve Nash. In this question, we discussed in class ways that they are similar in character and one way they may be different.

Question #2: 5 marks This will be a poem students have not seen, but it is very similar in theme to the poem we studied in class. Students are expected to answer 2-3 short answer questions on this poem. (spend no more than 15 min. on this question)

Question #3: 10 marks This question will read: Using 2 pieces of literature we have studied this term, and your own experiences, discuss how we as individuals learn, grow and are enriched by our experiences.
NOTE: Only Terry Fox or Steve Nash can be used in this question, not both. But truly, feel free not to use either of these pieces. ( organize your ideas, then spend 25-30 minutes).


Criteria for Assessment : Total 25 marks

The focus of this test is on organization of ideas, paragraphing, use of transitions and communicating ideas clearly. I will NOT be deducting huge marks for grammar and spelling as long as I can make sense of what you are trying to say. Keep in mind, one idea = one sentence. If you have time, read over your work to make sure it makes sense.

I have handed out a sample essay answer to question three and we went over it in class. I discussed how I will be marking an essay question and what I am looking for. We specifically discussed the following:

Essay should have: general intro,specific intro, make your point, back it up with an example/proof, continue to do this several times, specific conclusion, general conclusion. Make sure you answer what is asked and avoid retelling the entire story...focus on the point you are trying to make. Also make sure you prepare by practising, not just thinking, but doing!!!!

The week of Nov. 14

Students have been working in groups to present their spy characters. Only about an hour of total time was given to students to prepare for the presentations. I have been away most of this week, but Ms. Mareck has been working with students and observing many of the presentations. Students will be receiving a report this week, which should be signed and returned. Next week will see us preparing for our Personal Unit test and I will be introducing the final project for this unit. Much of the work on this project will take place outside of class time.



We will begin Greek Mythology after completing the tests. This is a heavy content unit, students are expected to memorize some information which they will have several quizzes on. During this unit, students will also be working on an independent novel study. It is expected that students will choose a novel at their reading level.