English 12A

Week of 6/9-6/13

2008-06-07T17:30:00.000-07:00

Monday: Read and discuss "I Want a Wife."
Tuesday: Read and discuss "The Meaning of a Word"
Wednesday: Critical article: Brave New World and 1984.
Thursday: Final review.

Final Exam: Tuesday, June 17

Week of 6/2-6/6: Yes, it's really JUNE!

2008-06-01T07:06:00.000-07:00

Monday: Begin watching The Pursuit of Happyness. Post your Happiness poem to your BLOG by midnight tonight!

Tuesday and Wednesday: Continue watching movie.

Thursday: Discuss movie as an example of a Definition essay. Review Ciardi's essay "What is Happiness?"

Friday: Senior Fun in the Sun Day!

Week of 5/27-5/30

2008-05-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

Monday: Happy Memorial Day

Tuesday: Discuss final chapters of 1984.

Wednesday: TEST on 1984.

Thursday and Friday: Senior Trip! Have fun and be safe! Read the poems and essay listed below while you're sitting on that long bus ride!

Thursday: Introduction to the DEFINITION essay. Read "Happiness" by Raymond Carver and "Happiness" by Carl Sandburg. Write your own "Happiness" poem for Monday.

Friday: Read and discuss "What is Happiness?" by John Ciardi.

Week of 5/19-5/23

2008-05-19T14:01:00.000-07:00

Monday: Review Doublespeak handout. Discuss chapters 9 and 10 and your predictions. HW: Read Chapter 1 of Book 3.

Tuesday: Discuss 3/1. HW: Read 3/2.

Wednesday: Discuss 3/2. HW: 3/3. Senior Scholarship Dinner.

Thursday: Discuss 3/3. HW: Read 3/4. Sports Awards Night.

Friday: Anyone coming today? Discuss 3/4. Read 3/5 and 6 (Finish the book) for Monday.

Week of 5/12-5/16

2008-05-11T16:39:00.000-07:00

Monday: Quiz on 1984: Part 2, Chapters 1-6. Read Chapter 2/7.
Tuesday: Review chapter. Read 2/8.
Wednesday: Review. Read 2/9. Due Friday.
Thursday: Trips. Continue reading 2/9.
Friday: Review 2/9. Read 2/10. Homework: Blog: Predict what will happen next. Due midnight on Sunday, 5/18.

Week of 5/5-5/9

2008-05-05T14:06:00.000-07:00

Monday: Quiz: Book One of 1984

Tuesday: Review Book One. Share issue articles. Read Book 2, Chapter 1.

Wednesday: Review chapter. Read 2/2.

Thursday: Review chapter. Read 2/3.

Friday: Review chapter. Read 2/4-6.

Week of 4/28-5/2

2008-04-28T09:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome back! I hope you are all rested and ready for the final stretch!

Research Papers due Wednesday, April 30. No late papers will be accepted.

The following is due Monday, May 5:

Book One of 1984.
Dialectical Journal (quote analysis) on each chapter of Book One.
Recent article on an issue presented in Book One; i.e. privacy rights, propaganda, etc.

Spring Break!

2008-04-18T18:24:00.000-07:00

Have a great week!

Issue Paper due on Wednesday, April 30--or earlier!

See you on the 28th! Have fun!

Week of 4/14-4/18

2008-04-11T14:38:00.000-07:00

Monday: Outline and thesis statement due.

Planning/Drafting: In class Monday-Wednesday. Use your class time well.

Thursday: Rough draft due. Peer conferences: Thursday and Friday.

Final paper due Wednesday, April 30. No late papers will be accepted. Early papers will be generously rewarded!

Week of 4/7-4/11

2008-04-04T10:29:00.001-07:00

Monday and Tuesday: Meet in the Library to continue research on your issue.
Wednesday: Back to class; work day.
Thursday: Source notes due.
Friday: Discussion of thesis statements, outlining.

Week of 3/31-4/4

2008-03-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

Opening Day! Let's go METS!

Monday: Discuss The Island. Review "Issues" questions and upcoming paper.
Tuesday: Introduction of databases. Evaluation of credibility of sources.
Wednesday and Thursday: Library. Background research. Complete notes page for each source.
Friday: Lesson on MLA citations.

Week of 3/26-28

2008-03-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

Wed-Fri: View The Island. What conditioning methods and manipulation of individual rights are similar to those found in Brave New World?

Have fun at the Senior Formal! Be safe!

Over the Weekend...

2008-03-20T10:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Long Weekend! Enjoy your time away but take a few moments to complete two assignments:

1) Respond thoughtfully and intelligently to each person who commented on your Genetic Engineering blog. Consider their points and suggestions and respond appropriately.

2) Start thinking about the stuff that matters to you...what are the important issues, the big questions, the controversies that puzzle you? What would you like to investigate further? Come in on Wednesday with a list of 10 questions that you would like to explore, from the most intriguing to the tenth most intriguing.

Happy Spring!

Week of 3/17-3/20

2008-03-17T05:02:00.000-07:00

Monday: Discuss end of Brave New World.
Tuesday: Read article "The Future as Literature" for Thursday.
Wednesday: In-class Writing
Thursday: Discussion of article.

Week of 3/10-3/14

2008-03-10T15:33:00.000-07:00

Monday: Complete Questioning chart for chapters 10-13. Due Tuesday.
Tuesday: Reading and chart due on chapters 10-13.
Thursday: Chapters 14-16 due.
Friday: Work on creative writing based on chapters 11-16.
Monday: DUE: the rest of the book!

Two comments on fellow classmates' genetic engineering blogs by Sunday at midnight!

Week of 3/3-3/7

2008-03-02T13:11:00.000-08:00

Due Monday: BNW, Chapters 4-6 (guest teacher)
Tuesday: Discuss PMI: Preparing an argument; brainstorm PMI for this proposal: All parents should be able to genetically design their children.
Wednesday: Quiz: chapters 1-6
Due Thursday: BNW, Chapters 7-9;
Friday: Continue discussion. Work on essays. Blogs due by midnight SATURDAY (you're welcome).

Due Tuesday: BNW, chapters 10-13

Comments on "This I Believe" Essays

2008-03-01T16:42:00.000-08:00

I've shared my blog with some teacher-friends and they are so impressed with your work. Some have left you comments and one, The Teach, has left this message for all of you...

First, thanks goes to Ms. H. for inviting her cyber-teaching colleagues to read your "I Believe" blogs. I am a retired teacher who enjoys dropping into classes and sharing thoughts. I find, however, that the blog is too public for what I would like to say. Sometimes I prefer to respond directly to the person without having the rest of the world knowing what I have to say. I feel that what I have to say may
embarrass the person.

I applaud all of you for having the courage to write such personal narratives, knowing that anyone who has a blogger account can read your reflections. Writing personal reflections is risk taking. Yet, your stories inspire and challenge the reader. Some cause the reader to laugh; some move the reader to tears. Others evoke memories. We never know how the reader will react to our narratives, our arguments, our descriptions. What we envision may not be what the reader sees. Even the videos will generate different reactions.

I did not watch but a few of the videos; thus my comments appear beneath the essay rather than beneath the video. I wanted to savor the power of your words, consider the development of your message (notice I do not use "thesis"), reflect on the details that caused my reaction. Perhaps later I will return to the videos and watch. Those that I did watch, I found interesting. I wondered if I could put together something remotely similar and just how long it would take me. I am rather slow at such things!!! As one of you wrote, you want a perfect product; you want to do things right the first time. Thirty times later, I still do not approach
perfection!

It is heart-warming to read honest observations and self-evaluations. Again, I think it takes courage to do this. All of you have the potential to make a difference in your corner of this world. Perhaps the day will come when you will impact a larger part of this world. That change begins with one person or a small group. Look at the various social movements in our country. There was a time when the slave was considered property, when women could not own property--they too were considered
property. Women could not vote. At one time only male landowners could vote. One person had an idea; others learned about it; then people began to act.

I keep thinking that you should create a small class booklet of your reflections, something that you can carry with you and read now and again. Each of you has offered lessons of life, along with ways to solve problems we encounter everyday. If creating a little book is too old-fashioned, then create a file on your computer, something to which you can refer quickly: Daily Reflections. Years ago a young woman gave me a small spiral book of various things she had collected. I still read passages from her book, though not daily. We have lost touch, but I have her book, her lessons that she never realized are lessons.

Keep up your good work. Keep exploring the use of media with writing. Whether you realize it or not, you are learning to analyze critically and to express your thoughts in ways that challenge your readers to ponder and perhaps change the ways they view the world and act.

Thank you for letting me read "I Believe."

theteach

PS if you wish to respond or ask questions about my posts, please write to theteach@theteachonline.net

Week of 2/25-2/29

2008-02-23T11:07:00.000-08:00

Monday: Room 438: Complete Scholarship Application.

Tuesday and Wednesday: Discussion of BNW questions and chapters 1 and 2. Read Chapter 3 for Thursday.

Thursday: Discussion of chapter 3. Read chapters 4-6 for Monday, March 3.

Friday: Continue BNW discussion.

Week of 2/20-2/22

2008-02-21T15:31:00.000-08:00

Wednesday: Discuss of Brave New World pre-reading questions.
Thursday: Silent reading of Brave New World. Chapters 1 and 2 due Tuesday.
Friday: Continue discussion.

Homework: Local Scholarship essays. Read Ch. 1+2 in BNW.

Woo Hoo!

2008-02-17T17:36:00.001-08:00

Way to go, High Point Wrestling! We're proud of you, Blue Tiger and the rest of the State Champions!

Over the Long Weekend...

2008-02-14T19:19:00.002-08:00

A few things for you to do:

View/Read/Listen to several of your classmates' "This I Believe" projects. Comment on at least TWO of them. Be sure to be thoughtful and helpful in your commentary. Comments due by midnight on Tuesday, Feb. 19.

Go here: Brave New World Socratic Seminar Questions. Open the document and answer the questions; read the articles and respond fully to the questions. Save and print the document with your responses. Due Wednesday, Feb. 20.

Have a nice weekend!

Happy Snow Day!

2008-02-13T12:36:00.001-08:00

Update: We'll assess the completion of the projects on Thursday. Do the best you can today to get them posted. We cannot get into the computer lab Thursday or Friday. Plan to stay after school or use your lunch/study to finish them up. Even if the video is not finished, be sure to post your essay. We will meet in 235 but we might move to 426. Gotta be flexible!

Enjoy your day!

Week of 2/11-2/15

2008-02-08T12:26:00.000-08:00

Monday: Lab 316

Tuesday: Lab 316...last day! If the project isn't done at the end of the period, plan to stay or finish at home. It must be posted, along with the essay, by midnight on WEDNESDAY.

Wednesday: Intro articles for Brave New World.

Thursday: ROOM 426 to watch your awesome projects.

Friday: Ditto. By MIDNIGHT on SUNDAY, 2/17, comment on two classmates' projects. Be specific and helpful!

Way to go, Giants!

2008-02-04T16:08:00.000-08:00

Week of 2/4-2/8

2008-02-03T16:17:00.001-08:00

Monday: Work on "This I Believe" essay. Rough draft due Tuesday.

Tuesday: Rough draft due. Peer review.

Wed, Thurs, and Fri: Computer Lab 316. Gather images, music, and work to put together your Photo Story project.

Week of Jan. 29--Feb. 1

2008-01-30T13:59:00.000-08:00

Tues: Into to Local Scholarship Application. Do it! Due March 7.

Wed: Intro to "This I Believe" Photo Story Project. Follow the schedule on your handout.

Thurs: Tutorial on Photo Story. Sample Photo essays.

Fri: Narrow down topic. Work session: rough draft; import pictures; import music.

HOMEWORK: Work on Rough Draft: due TUESDAY.

Week of 1/21-1/25

2008-01-19T15:36:00.000-08:00

Enjoy your day off on Monday!

Tuesday: Last two presentations.

Wednesday: Midterm! Meet in room 428!

Good luck on the rest of your exams!

Week of 1/14-18

2008-01-13T16:19:00.000-08:00

Monday: Work on Process Analysis paper and presentation
Tuesday--Friday: Process Presentations
Post your Analysis paper to your blog by midnight on Friday. Post comments to two of your classmates by Tuesday. Study for your midterm exam!

Week of 1/7-1/11/2008

2008-01-08T09:57:00.000-08:00

Process Analysis

Monday: Read "Arranging a Marriage in India"
Tuesday: Discuss the story: audience, purpose, strategies. Homework: Read "How to Poison the Earth" and "How to Open a CD Box." Prepare responses to questions.
Wednesday: Discuss the stories. Discuss possible topics for paper and presentation.
Thursday and Friday: Work days on paper and presentation.

Presentations start Tuesday, January 15.
Paper must be posted to your blog by midnight on Friday, January 18.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T16:14:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2008!

We will be starting a unit on Process Analysis.

1/2: How to give directions.
1/3: Riverside Reader: Process Analysis
1/4: "Third World Driving Hints and Tips" Questions due (yes, all 10).

Two and a half weeks until mid-terms!

HOMEWORK!

2007-12-19T06:30:00.000-08:00

Due over BREAK--yeah, yeah, I know, it's a break...Just do it!

Midnight on Saturday, Dec. 22: Post your COLOR paper.
Midnight on Saturday, Dec. 29: Post comments on the Color papers of two of your classmates.
Midnight on Monday, Dec. 31 (HAPPY NEW YEAR!): Post your response to the Catcher in the Rye article: "The Importance of the Work."

Week of 12/17-12/21

2007-12-16T19:21:00.000-08:00

The home stretch!

Monday: Discuss the end of The Catcher in the Rye. Introduce the final project.
Tuesday: Peer review of "Color" papers. Work on projects.
Wednesday: Work on projects.
Thursday and Friday: Presentations of final projects.
Saturday: By midnight: Post your "Color" papers to your Blogs.
By Saturday, December 29: Read and comment on two of your classmates' "Color" papers.

Week of 12/10-12/15

2007-12-09T06:45:00.000-08:00

Be sure your Precious Object paper is posted on your blog.

Monday: Work on "Color" paper in class.
Tuesday: Peer review of "Color" papers.
Wednesday: Reading day
Thursday: Chapters 16-23 due in The Catcher in the Rye.
Friday: Rough draft of "Color" paper due.

Sunday: By midnight, read and post comments to at least two of your classmates' "Precious Objects" posts--two that you did not review in class.

Finish the novel for Monday, Dec. 17.
Nicenet: I'll push the final due date for Nicenet posts to midnight Tuesday, Dec.18.

Dec. 6

2007-12-05T07:58:00.000-08:00

Post your Precious Object paper to your blog.

Everyone loves Holden: read this.

Post your Nicenet comments.

Finish chapters 10-15 for Friday.

Dec. 1 + next week

2007-11-30T10:06:00.000-08:00

The Catcher in the Rye: Nicenet posts due by midnight on Saturday, Dec. 1.

Read Chapters 10-15 for next Friday.

Rough draft of your "significant object" paper due Tuesday, Dec. 4.

Week of 11/26-11/30

2007-11-26T14:30:00.000-08:00

The Catcher in the Rye! Finally, your chance to read the cult classic that every teenager must read. Join the Nicenet discussion--with a class from Illinois weighing in on the novel as well. Play nice!

Here's your reading schedule:
Chapters 1-9 due Friday, Nov. 30
Chapters 10-15 due Friday, Dec. 7
Chapters 16-26 due Friday, Dec. 14

Week of 11/19-11/21

2007-11-18T10:24:00.001-08:00

Monday: Computer Lab: Book review of your chosen memoir.
Book review must be posted by midnight Friday, Nov. 23.

Tuesday: Personal memoir is due.

Week of 11/12-11/16

2007-11-11T18:41:00.000-08:00

Rough draft of Personal Memoir due Wednesday; peer conferences.

Friday: In-class writing on your Independent Reading Memoir.

TUESDAY, November 20: Final draft of Personal Memoir due.

Week of 11/4-11/10

2007-11-05T14:39:00.000-08:00

Short week--woohoo!

Monday: In-class writing on your memoir.
Tuesday: "The Stranger in the Photo is Me"; discussion of your personal memoir.
Wednesday: Work on rough draft of personal memoir.

Sunday-Saturday: Four Nicenet posts on your memoir.
Over the loooooong weekend: FINISH READING YOUR MEMOIR!
Due Wednesday, Nov. 14: Rough draft of personal memoir.

Week of 10/28--11/3

2007-10-28T10:52:00.000-07:00

Check your reading schedule for your memoir. Follow it!

10/28-11/3: Four Nicenet posts due.

10/29 and 30: Voice in memoir: blending of the innocent voice of the child and the insight of the adult.
10/31: Bring in personal photograph--ages 6-9, if possible. Don't show it to anyone! Memoir Blog done in class.
11/1: Silent reading of your memoir.
11/2: In-class writing on your memoir. Bring your book to class.

By Wed, 11/7: Comment on one of your classmates' blog.

Week of 10/22-10/26

2007-10-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

Set reading schedules for memoirs. Read!

Four posts on Nicenet due by Saturday, 10/27.

Examine use of child's voice and adult's voice in memoir:
"The Portrait"
"Salvation"
"Shame"

Quiz Friday: Voice in your chosen passage.

Week of 10/15-10/19

2007-10-18T11:22:00.000-07:00

Pick group memoir. READ!

We will create your scholarly blogs and your Nicenet accounts. Begin to discuss your memoir with your group. Four posts due between 10/21 and 10/27.

Make a difference day letters. Have a parent or guardian sign your Blog Info Letter.

Due Monday, 10/22: Read the article: "Fiction? Memoir? Where's the Line?"

College Essays

2007-10-10T09:35:00.000-07:00

It's time! Get those applications together and start planning. We will use this week (10/9-10/12) to work on college essays. Meet in room 438 (yes, this is a change) on Thursday and Friday. Finished college essay due at the end of the period on Friday, 10/12. You'll thank me later.

English 12A

2007-10-08T07:10:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the English 12A Class Blog. This page will give you updates on your reading and your assignments. Check back often.