Friday, March 27, 2009

Have a Great Break!!

Today we had our final discussion of Night. It was wonderful to see how much you all engaged with the text!

If you were absent, we did the following--in notebooks on a page entitled, "Night Final Discussion":

1. Find the passage that you think is most important to the text. Explain your choice.

2. Find the passage that made you cry (or made you want to cry). Why is this passage so poignant?

3. Find the most beautifully crafted sentence in the book. What makes it so?

Also, I have not yet checked 3rd quarter blogs. Late blog posts are MUCH BETTER than missing blog posts. If you are still missing posts, get them done--quickly!!

Have a relaxing, fun, amazing break!!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Night Falls on Quarter 3

After I collected research papers today, we took the Night exam.

Homework: Night Study Guide

Tomorrow we'll spend the hour discussing the book.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

FINAL RESEARCH PAPER DUE TOMORROW!!

Today we did peer-evaluation of the research paper rough drafts. Then--if there was time left--individuals worked on reading and completing the study guide.

The final research paper is due tomorrow. The paper must include a correctly formatted works cited page. Finish reading Night--the exam is tomorrow. There WILL BE vocabulary on the exam! I suggest you get as much of the study guide done for tomorrow as you can since you will be allowed to use it for a portion of the exam time. The study guide is not officially due until Friday.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

To Guide Your Studies

Today I reviewed the requirements for tomorrow. They are:

Complete rough draft including works cited page. The works cited page should contain three sources; thus three sources should be cited in the paper. Please use the Online Writing Lab link in the previous post to see sample works cited pages, sample papers, and explanations of MLA rules.

After discussing the rough draft, we worked on reading Night and completing the study guide. The Night exam will be given on Thursday. The study guide is due on Friday (or you are welcome to turn it in on Thursday). If you are leaving early for your spring break destination, the Night exam should be taken before you leave--see me to arrange an early administration of the exam.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Wiesel's Style

Today we analyzed a passage from Night in our notebooks. See a classmate to copy the work that we did. I also collected the research paper outlines. During the passage analysis I reviewed outlines. The outlines were returned at the end of class.

The homework for tonight is to read pp. 66-85. Also, the rough draft of the research paper--INCLUDING WORKS CITED PAGE WITH 3 CITED SOURCES--is due on Wednesday, final draft due Thursday.

For reference as you are writing your research paper, visit the Online Writing Lab at Purdue University.

**DON'T FORGET AMNESTY DAY TOMORROW. COME IN BETWEEN 9 AND 10:15 TO SUBMIT ANY/ALL LATE WORK!!

Friday, March 20, 2009

It's Dark

Today we worked on reading Night and completing the study guide (see Edline, or get a copy in the classroom). For the second half of the hour, we worked on research.

Homework: Read through page 65. Also, the RESEARCH PAPER OUTLINE is DUE MONDAY (see Edline for a sample format).

**Don't forget to include a Works Cited page with the outline!!

Thursday, March 19, 2009

NIGHT Reading Schedule

Date Reading Assigned as Homework
3/18 Chapter One, pp. 3-22
3/19 Pages 23-46
3/20 Pages 47-65
3/23 Pages 66-85
3/24 Pages 85-97
3/25 Pages 98-115

Night Sets In

Today in class we responded to questions about chapter 1 (see Edline). We also spent some time working on research.

Homework: Read pp. 23-45 in Night. Continue to pull info. from sources--research paper outline due Monday.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Exam Today!

Today we took the Things Fall Apart Exam. Overall, scores were excellent! Congrats to the following people for perfect exam scores:

Sasha W., Tanner L., Elizabeth H., Izzy K., Spencer C., Olivia L., Olivia K., and Will R.

WAY TO GO!!

Then, I went over the research paper outline requirements. We also talked about our next text, Night, and I distributed books. There was time in class for reading and/or research work.

Homework: Read the first chapter in Night.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Exam Tomorrow!!

Today we talked about Okonkwo as tragic hero. If you were absent, print and complete the assignment from Edline.

Tomorrow: Exam on Things Fall Apart.
On the exam: Multiple choice questions on the book, and matching vocab.

I revised the due dates for the research paper--see the prompt on Edline. Tomorrow we will return to the research, after the exam, and begin our next book.

BRING YOUR THINGS FALL APART BOOKS TO CLASS TOMORROW--I WILL BE COLLECTING THEM!!

Monday, March 16, 2009

The Final Straw

Today we presented images of Things Fall Apart. Then, we worked in groups to create multi-flow maps showing causes and effects of persecution/colonialism events. Groups also worked to write Works Cited citations for each of the sources that people brought in. I also completed an in-class notebook check (30 points).

If you were absent, please show me your 2 sources and your notebook tomorrow.

Homework: Finish the novel.

Citation Information for Angelica:

Web Page
Author’s last name, first name. “Title of Web Article.” Title of Web Site. Date of publication or
last update to site. Date you accessed it.

Database
Author’s last name, first name. “Title of the Article.” Title of Publication. Date of publication:
page numbers. Title of Database. Edina High School, Edina, MN. Date you accessed the
article.

FYI-
Things Fall Apart Theme Statements Presented during Image Activity:

A culture will change when a new one interferes.

Following superstitions can result in either success or tragedy.

Leaders do not need to rule with an iron fist in order to be successful.

A strong male leader is necessary for a culture’s survival.

Being hospitable will gain you many allies and bring you prosperity.

Colonization has many undesirable effects on both the colonizing and colonized countries.

Cultural traditions can silence personal aspirations.

Even involuntary actions come with serious consequences.

Hard work almost always equals power and prestige.

In some societies men are the leaders and the strongest members.

Tradition is highly respected and followed within a community or culture.

There is an absolute punishment for everything in society.

Culture influences the way people think.

Elders and men dominate Igbo culture.

To become greatly respected, hard work is in order.

Hard work and dedication make a person rise above everyone else.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Sources for Monday!

Today in class we completed an activity about characters and themes in the novel. If you were absent today, you may make up the in-class activity by completing the following: on a blank piece of paper, choose two characters and complete a bubble map describing each character. Each bubble map should have 5-6 adjective bubbles, and should include examples for each adjective in the map's frame. Submit this assignment on Monday.

For Monday, read pp. 168-191. Also, bring your two printed articles to class on Monday (see previous post).

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Printouts From 2 Credible Sources

You need them in class on Monday, March 16!

After a quiz today on chapters 15-17, we got into research groups and discussed preliminary information and ideas about where to get credible research about the persecution event. The research assignment for Monday is to find--and print or photocopy--two CREDIBLE sources that discuss the causes and/or effects of your event. Here is the information from the power point slides that I showed today in class:

For Monday, March 16th:
1. Find two CREDIBLE sources of information about the causes and effects of your event.
2. Print out the sources including author, title, date of publication, etc. information.
3. Bring your sources to class on Monday.

**REMINDER: CREDIBLE sources...
Come from university sites, respected organizations, etc.
Name an author
Offer a bibliography

YOUR SOURCES FOR MONDAY MUST BE CREDIBLE!!

A great place to look is the EHS databases (SIRS and EBSCO in particular):
EHS DATABASE LIST
**You need the EHS passwords for these databases--hopefully you wrote them down in class.

As Kelly P. pointed out first hour, you can also try looking at news sites like the NY Times. When I googled "New York Times Darfur," I got a long list of interesting (and credible) articles about the situation there.

Also--read pp. 154-167 for tomorrow. If you didn't read pp. 136-153, please try to get that done for tomorrow as well since things are truly falling apart for Okonkwo.

GO HORNETS!!!!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Things are About to Fall Apart

In tonight's reading, you will see the foreigners come into the Igbo villages.

In class, we worked on analyzing three passages from last night's reading.

Homework?
1. Complete the preliminary background research assignment (see previous blog post and research paper prompt on Edline)

2. Read pp. 136-153

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Researching Persecution

Today after a reading quiz we discussed the research paper. Your job for Thursday, March 12, is to do some preliminary research on an example of persecution or colonialism in the world. Some possible options are:

· Darfur
· Khmer Rouge in Cambodia
· Tibet
· Rwanda
· Black War in Australia
· Iraqi Kurds
· Bosnia and Herzegovina
· Other specific examples of colonialism

You may click on a a link above to go to the Wikipedia page about the example. Read through the information on Wikipedia, and respond to the following in your notebook:

1. Dates of this persecution/colonialism event.
2. Describe the persecutors.
3. Describe those being persecuted.
4. What is the general nature of the conflict?

Friday, March 6, 2009

Jaguar Destroyers

Today I collected the counselor assignment. Then we worked on proverbs. We completed the following activity in the notebook:

Pick three proverbs from Things Fall Apart to study more closely

For each proverb:
1. Write the meaning of the proverb (explain it using your own words)
2. Write the relevance to the novel (how it is used, why it is used
3. Consider its relevance or irrelevance to today’s world. Can you think of a time when the wisdom of the proverb was applied to a modern situation? Can you think of a time when the wisdom of the proverb should have been applied and wasn’t?

Some proverb possibilities:

“The sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them.” p. 8
“If a child washed his hands he could eat with kings.” p. 8
“Let the kite perch and let the eagle perch too. If one says no to the other, let his wing break.” p. 19
“A man who pays respect to the great paves the way for his own greatness.” p. 19
“A toad does not run in the daytime for nothing.” p. 20
“An old woman is always uneasy when dry bones are mentioned in a proverb.” p. 21
“The lizard that jumped from the high iroko tree to the ground said he would praise himself if no one else did.” p. 21
“Eneke the bird says that since men have learned to shoot without missing, he has learned to fly without perching.” p. 22
“Looking at a king’s mouth, one would think he never sucked at his mother’s breast.” p. 26
“Those whose palm-kernels were cracked for them by a benevolent spirit should not forget to be humble.” p. 26
“When a man says yes his chi says yes also.” p. 27

Pages 52-109 must be read by Tuesday. Since Monday night we are supposed to unplug, you will have a good portion of the hour on Monday to read in class.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Reading, Reading

Today in class we worked on reading Things Fall Apart.

Homework:

1. Cheer on the boys against Jefferson.
2. Complete the counselor assignment--due tomorrow.
3. Read pp. 52-86 (for Monday)

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Breaking it Down

Today in class we answered analysis questions about chapters 1-3 in Things Fall Apart. The homework for tonight is to read pages 26-51. (1st and 3rd hour students can leave the reading for tomorrow in class since I'll be in a meeting and you'll be with Ms. V). I also suggest that you take some time tonight to be sure that you are caught up on the outside reading assignment. At this point you should have 10 blog posts about the reading that you are doing outside of class.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Drinking from human skulls?

Yep, that happens in the reading for tonight. Your assignment is to read through page 25.

In class we took a quiz, talked about Okonkwo, and finished discussing Igbo culture.

**Don't forget to complete the counselor assignment (previous post) for Friday!!

Monday, March 2, 2009

Things Will Not Fall Apart...

...if you read pages 3-8 for tomorrow.

Also, work on the assignment you received today from the counselor. To do so, follow these instructions:

1. Log onto Family Connections in Naviance. If you have forgotten your password, type in your email address, hit forgot password, and then check your email to retrieve your password.

2. Complete the personal inventory, "Do What You Are," which can be found under the About Me heading on the left tool bar.

3. Analyze your results by answering the questions on the yellow sheets you received today.

4. Submit your responses to ME by Friday (this assignment is worth points in English).