Vonnegut

Today we analyzed the use of tone in Vonnegut's "The Manned Missiles." If you were absent, complete the following:

Create a notebook page entitled, “The Manned Missiles.”

1. Reread the beginning of Ivankov’s letter, from “I, Mikhail Ivankov,” to “She works very hard so she can forget sometimes her grief for Stepan.” As you reread, underline or circle words or phrases that help convey emotion or attitude.

2. In your notebook, try to describe the tone (attitude) of the letter.

3. Now reread the section of Charles Ashland’s letter on page 291, beginning with, “I tell you, Mr. Ivankov,” and ending with “…it would be cute and silly in Russia, too, and you would laugh and like us better.” As you read, circle/underline words/passages conveying emotion/attitude.

4. In your notebook, describe Ashland’s tone.

I also introduced the choices for the choice book unit. Here are the three choices:

The Weight of All Things by Sandra Benitez

The last time Nicolas saw his mother, she was slumped over him, mortally wounded by gunfire that erupted in a crowded plaza during a funeral for a martyred archbishop. Watching while her body is dragged away with other victims, Nicolas believes that his mother is still alive. He vows to find her again, no matter what. Thus begins the young boy's harrowing journey through his war-ravaged country--a journey that brings him face-to-face with the danger, cruelty, and violence inflicted today on so many parts of the world by terrorism and repression. Inspired by real events, this gripping yet poignant novel will solidify Benitez's place in the pantheon of contemporary authors writing brilliantly about the realities of Latin American life.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com

Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut

Unstuck in time, Billy Pilgrim, Vonnegut's shattered survivor of the Dresden bombing, relives his life over and over again under the gaze of aliens; he comes at last to some understanding of the human comedy. The basis of George Roy's great 1972 film and perhaps the signature student's novel in the 1960's embracing protest and the absurdity of war.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

Julia Alvarez's eagerly awaited second novel is a powerful story of courage, innocence, and political martyrdom in the Hispanic Caribbean. Based on actual events--the death of three sisters on November 25, 1960--the novel immerses us in an epoch in the life of the Dominican Republic. The "Butterflies," as they were known, lived daringly and dangerously under a regime that imprisoned, tortured, and killed with impunity.

If you really want to read The Weight of All Things, or Slaughterhouse-Five, you should work on finding your own copy this weekend (check the public library and/or used book stores). If you don't have a copy on Monday and I run out of those selections to give to students, you will read In the Time of the Butterflies as your choice unit book.


Homework: Read "All the King's Horses," by Vonnegut

Bitter Grounds

Today in 1st and 3rd hour we took a quiz on "Customs," by Julia Alvarez. It consisted of some of the same questions from the previous quiz. Then we read from "Bitter Grounds," by Sandra Benitez. We did some work with the reading.

If you were absent, please create a notebook page entitled, "Bitter Grounds." On the notebook page, respond to the following:

In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Uchendo claims: “Mother is Supreme.”
Explain how this is a true statement in Achebe’s novel.
Is that statement true in your life?
Is your mother supreme?
How are women supreme in U.S. culture?

When you come back to school, pick up a copy of the reading (it is a couple of blue pages). After you read it, create a thesis statement for the piece and write it at the bottom of your "Bitter Grounds" notebook page.

Homework: Read "The Manned Missiles"

Customs

DON'T FORGET TO BRING YOUR OUTSIDE READING BOOK TO CLASS TOMORROW!!

We began class today with a quiz on the assigned short story, "Customs." Then, we did some round-robin thinking about the story.

DON'T FORGET TO BRING YOUR OUTSIDE READING BOOK TO CLASS TOMORROW!!

If you were absent, complete the following maps on separate sheets of paper and submit them when you return to class:

1. Describe Don Mundo using a bubble map.

2. Use a flow map to show the sequence of events in the story.

3. Use a circle map to define the setting of the story (The Dominican Republic).

4. Compare and contrast Steven and Francisco using a double-bubble map.

5. Identify the causes and effects of Yolanda’s inability to use the tent using a multi-flow map.

DON'T FORGET TO BRING YOUR OUTSIDE READING BOOK TO CLASS TOMORROW!!

Mission Accomplished

The hour was spent today writing an essay justifying the Mission's Oscar for Best Cinematography. At the end of the hour, students picked up a copy of "Customs," by Julia Alvarez. The story must be read before class tomorrow.

The Mission is Over

Today we finished The Mission. On Monday, we will have an in-class essay in which you justify The Mission earning the Oscar for Best Cinematography.

Our Mission Continues

Today we watched The Mission.

If you were absent, check out a classmate's notes.

Our Mission

Today we read our outside reading books for the first 15 minutes of class. Then we watched the beginning of The Mission. Since our "mission" is to defend the film's Oscar for Best Cinematography, we took notes on at least 4 examples of good cinematography from today's viewing.

Homework: Continue the outside reading...

Reading Film

DON'T FORGET TO BLOG TONIGHT!!

Today we finished talking about reading film. If you were absent, please get the notes from a classmate.

DON'T FORGET TO BLOG TONIGHT!!

Homework: Bring your outside reading book to class tomorrow!

DON'T FORGET TO BLOG TONIGHT!!

Poetry Finale

Today we took the final poetry quiz. Then, we took notes on film terms.

If you were absent, you must make up the poetry quiz. You should also get the film term notes from a classmate.

Fabulous Friday with Frost

Today we discussed the work we did with Frost's "Mending Wall," and I collected the homework. Then, we read "The Wood Pile" and worked on the analysis questions.

If you were absent, please print the poem "The Wood Pile" and the analysis questions from Edline. Then, glue the poem and answer the questions in your notebook.

Homework: Prepare for the poetry quiz on Monday.

Frosty Poetry

Today we worked with the Robert Frost poem, "Mending Wall," We analyzed both the poem's form and its content.

If you were absent, please find--on Edline--a copy of "Mending Wall" by Robert Frost & TWO sheets that you will need to complete (so you're printing a total of 3 items from Edline).

Also, don't forget to introduce your outside reading book on your blog--title, author, and an explanation of why you want to read it.

MCA Days: The Full Report

During our long class period on MCA test day, we began by submitting outside reading book reflections. Then we read for 20 minutes. After outside reading we discussed a poem, by William Carlos Williams, which describes a scene. We then went outside to take notes about a scene and wrote our own "Still-Life" poetry.

If you were absent, please submit your reflection and show me--a physical copy of--your outside reading book tomorrow. Also, set aside 2 notebook pages for a "Reading Log"--we will be logging our reading on Wednesdays. Then, create a notebook page entitled, "Still Life Poem." Create a short but descriptive poem, describing an everyday scene (the chair in your bedroom, for example).

HOMEWORK FOR ALL: Create a new blog post and either cut-and-paste your outside reading book reflection, or write a new reflection describing the title and author of your book, and an explanation of why you're reading it. So basically, introduce your book to us on the blog!

MCA Day

Today was a long day. In 1st and 3rd we began the hour with silent reading and then worked on analyzing and writing simple, descriptive poetry.

6TH HOUR: DON'T FORGET REFLECTION AND OUTSIDE READING BOOK TOMORROW!!

Check back tomorrow for more specific discussion of the April 14/15 poetry activity as well as a more specific description of homework for this week.

Monday the 13th

PERIODS 1 &3: BE SURE TO BRING OUTSIDE READING BOOK AND WRITTEN REFLECTION TO CLASS TOMORROW!!

Today we took a final practice test for the MCA's which start TOMORROW!! Then, we returned to "White Man's Burden" and used it to review some poetic terms.

PERIODS 1 &3: BE SURE TO BRING OUTSIDE READING BOOK AND WRITTEN REFLECTION TO CLASS TOMORROW!!

Homework: Get your outside reading book and write the written reflection for tomorrow (if you're in perios 1 & 3) or Wednesday (period 6).

PERIODS 1 &3: BE SURE TO BRING OUTSIDE READING BOOK AND WRITTEN REFLECTION TO CLASS TOMORROW!!

Get plenty of rest tonight so you can do your best on the test!!

PERIODS 1 &3: BE SURE TO BRING OUTSIDE READING BOOK AND WRITTEN REFLECTION TO CLASS TOMORROW!!

Friday

On Friday we did key word notes with the poem, "White Man's Burden," by Kipling. I have copies on the side table (they're blue).

The only homework is to work on finding an outside reading book and write the written reflection on it (see assignment on Edline) for Tuesday, 4/15 (per. 1 & 3) or Wednesday, 4/15 (per. 6).

Poetry Prep

Poetry term 4-squares were due at the beginning of the period today. After I checked them, we went through each term, one-by-one, discussing it and sharing examples of it. You are responsible for all 29 poetry terms:

1.Alliteration
2.Assonance
3.Consonance
4.onomatopoeia
5.End rhyme
6.couplet
7.Meter
8.accent
9.Rhythm
10.Scansion
11.Rhyme scheme
12.Stanza
13.Caesura
14.cacophony

15.simile
16.metaphor
17.oxymoron
18.personification
19.tone
20.mood
21.figurative language
22.Irony
23.Imagery
24.symbol
25.Connotation
26.Denotation
27.Hyperbole
28.Speaker
29.theme

After the poetry terms we briefly analyzed a poem.

Homework: work on choosing and acquiring an outside reading book (due next Wednesday!)

More MCA?

Yep. Today we reviewed the answers to the practice test. Major lesson for the day: take your time, going back and forth between questions and text to be sure that you understand the question and are choosing the MOST APPOPRIATE answer.

Tomorrow we'll do more with poetry. Homework: Create a four-square in your notebook with the following information:

Upper left square: Image

Upper right square: Find the definition of the term in the context of poetry and cite your source

POETIC TERM IN CENTER

Lower left square: Synonyms or a paraphrased
definition (use your own words)

Lower right square: Write an original line of poetry to illustrate the poetic term or find an
example of the poetic term in the poems already studied in class.


I assigned poetic terms. If you were absent, complete your four-square for the following term: alliteration

The MCA, continued

I began the hour by reviewing the test vocabulary (see previous post). Then, we spent most of the hour taking portions of a sample MCA test. Tomorrow we'll go through the test, question-by-question, to see how you did and try to understand the questions and justifications for the correct answers.

After the sample test, students began working on reading Elie Wiesel's Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech and writing test questions from it. This work is due tomorrow.

**If you were absent, you need to pick up the homework--2 yellow sheets--from the side table in the classroom upon your return to school.

THE MCA

Today we began our preparation for the MCA exam. We discussed test-taking tips, and covered the following vocabulary:

Fact = known to exist; a truth
Opinion = a personal view
Main idea = main point of the text
Supporting Ideas = the information that adds details to the main idea
Definition in Context = words that precede or follow a specific word, usually influencing its meaning
Point of View = the way things are viewed or believed
Infer = to hint; imply; suggest
Tone = a particular style or manner of expression
Mood = the atmosphere or prevailing feeling
Figurative language = words that create vivid pictures in your mind
Connotation = associations that the word calls to mind
Irony = surprising contradictions
Imagery = descriptions that re-create sensory experiences (e.g. sights, sounds, smells, tastes)


If you were absent, you must choose two words from the list above and create two four-squares on a piece of loose notebook paper (front and back). Your squares follow this format:

Upper left square: Draw an image Upper right square:
with which you associate the word Definition in your own words


Center: Word and definition
(from above)

Lower left square: synonyms Lower right square: create a test
question about Night that uses the
word

Absent (4/6) students: Submit your 4-square vocabulary tomorrow.

All students: you are responsible for the above vocabulary!!