Pre-AP
In today's class, we took a quiz on propaganda and had a short discussion about how it affects our everyday lives. We also continued our comparison of Simon Birch to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The Word of the Day quiz will be tomorrow.
AHSGE Reading Review
In today's class, we review propaganda's place in today's society and took a short quiz on the subject. We also continued our previous comparison between Simon Birch and Romeo and Juliet.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Tuesday, August 30th
As we have finished our study of Romeo and Juliet, we are now turning our attention to the fact that the themes that are found in the play (love, sacrifice, fate, etc.) are still extremely prevalent in our media today. This week we will be sampling several different types of media to prove this, including short stories, poems, and the movie Simon Birch.
Tomorrow, the Pre-AP classes will be taking a propaganda quiz, and on Thursday we will take our weekly "Word of the Day" quiz. So make sure not to let these sneak up on you!
AHSGE- Reading Review
In today's class, as well as tomorrow's, we will be going back over the topic of comparing and contrasting two different works. In order to do this, we will read through parts of Romeo and Juliet, ensuring that students understand the basic tenants of plot, setting, and characters in the play, and we will then move on to Simon Birch, a movie that has some striking similarities to Shakespeare's great work.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Monday, August 29th
Today's class was very enlightening. As we continued and finished our discussion of propaganda, students saw how many of the strategies employed in WWII propaganda are still used today to try and influence our opinions and actions.
We also completed an exercise is narrative composition, as we read and then emulated a short-story version of the play Romeo and Juliet. Students were given the assignment to write their own short-story version of the play, which had to be five paragraphs long (one paragraph for each act), and is due tomorrow (Tuesday, August 30th).
(4th block also took the Shakespeare test that they missed on Friday due to the in-school fashion show.)
AHSGE Reading Review
In today's predictive class, we discussed predictions and generalizations and how we can use both of these concepts to keep us engrossed in even the dullest of stories. We also discussed how authors and movie-makers use our natural abilities to predict to get us interested in their stories or movies.
To end the class, students took a quiz that measured their ability to predict and generalize.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Friday, August 26th
Pre-AP
We've been building up to today's class for a while. Today, first block took the Romeo and Juliet and Shakespeare Test and then had a discussion about propaganda and how it affects our everyday lives. Fourth block had the propagand discussion (an EXCELLENT discussion I might add) and will take the test on Monday, due to an in-school fashion show.
AHSGE Reading Review
In today's class, we review the importance of following directions. We also discussed cause and effect, and watched a video of a rube golderberg machince to prove the importance of cause and effect. To end the class, we played the "week in review" game, in which we read several passages and answered questions correlated with the AHSGE standards.
We've been building up to today's class for a while. Today, first block took the Romeo and Juliet and Shakespeare Test and then had a discussion about propaganda and how it affects our everyday lives. Fourth block had the propagand discussion (an EXCELLENT discussion I might add) and will take the test on Monday, due to an in-school fashion show.
AHSGE Reading Review
In today's class, we review the importance of following directions. We also discussed cause and effect, and watched a video of a rube golderberg machince to prove the importance of cause and effect. To end the class, we played the "week in review" game, in which we read several passages and answered questions correlated with the AHSGE standards.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Thursday, August 25th
Pre-AP
After taking this week's "Word of the Day" quiz, we moved on to talking about several strategies that students can use to help them study for comprehensive tests. In lieu of our comprehensive test on Shakespeare and Romeo and Juliet that we will be taking tomorrow, we also discussed how to write and effective essay with an on-target thesis.
AHSGE Reading Review
Today we finished watching August Rush and took the aforementioned quiz. However, in the quiz's instructions, was a statement that read, "If you will just answer number seven as "a" and then put your head down on your desk, you will receive full credit for this assignment." This was an illustration to prove that the majority of the time we miss direction-answers is simply because we do not read the directions fully. Case-in-point, only three people in the class read through the directions and followed them correctly. When it was revealed to the class what the true nature of the assignment was, the point about following directions was driven home.
After taking this week's "Word of the Day" quiz, we moved on to talking about several strategies that students can use to help them study for comprehensive tests. In lieu of our comprehensive test on Shakespeare and Romeo and Juliet that we will be taking tomorrow, we also discussed how to write and effective essay with an on-target thesis.
AHSGE Reading Review
Today we finished watching August Rush and took the aforementioned quiz. However, in the quiz's instructions, was a statement that read, "If you will just answer number seven as "a" and then put your head down on your desk, you will receive full credit for this assignment." This was an illustration to prove that the majority of the time we miss direction-answers is simply because we do not read the directions fully. Case-in-point, only three people in the class read through the directions and followed them correctly. When it was revealed to the class what the true nature of the assignment was, the point about following directions was driven home.
Wednesday, August 24th
Pre-AP
We started out the day by taking the quiz on Romeo and Juliet Act V. After we finished up the quiz, we also talking about summarizing in the narrative form, and what it means to summarize well. To illustrate the point, we watched a short clip from Disney's Remember the Titans and summarized it together.
AHSGE Reading Review
Today we reviewed the figurative language that we discussed yesterday, ensuring that everyone in the class understood the concepts. Then we moved on to following directions.
To illustrate the point, we began watching August Rush, a movie about an orphaned boy trying to find his parents. I instructed students to take notes while watching the movie, telling them that we would have a quiz on it at the next class meeting.
We started out the day by taking the quiz on Romeo and Juliet Act V. After we finished up the quiz, we also talking about summarizing in the narrative form, and what it means to summarize well. To illustrate the point, we watched a short clip from Disney's Remember the Titans and summarized it together.
AHSGE Reading Review
Today we reviewed the figurative language that we discussed yesterday, ensuring that everyone in the class understood the concepts. Then we moved on to following directions.
To illustrate the point, we began watching August Rush, a movie about an orphaned boy trying to find his parents. I instructed students to take notes while watching the movie, telling them that we would have a quiz on it at the next class meeting.
Tuesday, August 23rd
Pre-AP
In today's class we began a discussion of tone and mood and how it is used to help us visualize what we read. Specifically, we discussed how Shakespeare used specific words and setting to help set the ominous tone of Romeo and Juliet.
In addition to this, we also discussed several dramatic terms that help us to understand the play even more deeply. (Special thanks to Robin Ball for creating this powerpoint.)
Tone Handout
Shakespeare Drama PowerPoint
AHSGE Reading Review
Today we discussed and practiced figurative language. Specifically, we talked about five different kinds of figurative language: simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification, and idiom. We wrote our own examples of each and then practiced reading through short stories to identify the figurative language found therein.
In today's class we began a discussion of tone and mood and how it is used to help us visualize what we read. Specifically, we discussed how Shakespeare used specific words and setting to help set the ominous tone of Romeo and Juliet.
In addition to this, we also discussed several dramatic terms that help us to understand the play even more deeply. (Special thanks to Robin Ball for creating this powerpoint.)
Tone Handout
Shakespeare Drama PowerPoint
AHSGE Reading Review
Today we discussed and practiced figurative language. Specifically, we talked about five different kinds of figurative language: simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification, and idiom. We wrote our own examples of each and then practiced reading through short stories to identify the figurative language found therein.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Monday, August 22nd
Pre-AP English (9th)
In today's class we started our time together by taking a quiz on Romeo and Juliet Act IV. After the quiz we discussed different forms of note-taking and necessary good note-taking is to prepare for exams and essays.
Finally, we practiced our new note-taking skills by going through a powerpoint that discussed life as it was lived in Shakespeare's day (1500s). We finished our time in class by writing in our journals.
AHSGE Reading Review
Today's topic was authorial purpose and logical fallacy. We discussed the three types of purposes for writing (information, entertainment, and persuasion). Stemming off of persuasion, we discussed logical fallacy and how authors can use it to convince us that their point of view is the only valid point of view.
To reinforce this point, we talked through several moral dilemmas and saw how the people who pose those questions try to make the reader believer there are only two options in each situation, which is a logical fallacy. We finished our time together by working some extra practice on this topic.
In today's class we started our time together by taking a quiz on Romeo and Juliet Act IV. After the quiz we discussed different forms of note-taking and necessary good note-taking is to prepare for exams and essays.
Finally, we practiced our new note-taking skills by going through a powerpoint that discussed life as it was lived in Shakespeare's day (1500s). We finished our time in class by writing in our journals.
AHSGE Reading Review
Today's topic was authorial purpose and logical fallacy. We discussed the three types of purposes for writing (information, entertainment, and persuasion). Stemming off of persuasion, we discussed logical fallacy and how authors can use it to convince us that their point of view is the only valid point of view.
To reinforce this point, we talked through several moral dilemmas and saw how the people who pose those questions try to make the reader believer there are only two options in each situation, which is a logical fallacy. We finished our time together by working some extra practice on this topic.
Friday, August 19th
Pre-AP English (9th)
Several connections were made in class today. After taking the Romeo and Juliet Act III Quiz, we discussed lingual etymology and watched several examples of works in which the authors created words and phrases to suit his or her needs. These works included Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, "Jabberwoky" by Lewis Carroll, and Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien. Students were also given an extra credit opportunity to create an original poetic piece. The poem must have at least 10 lines, must rhyme, and must contain at least four made up words (that make sense within the context of the poem). Students have until Friday, August 26th to turn in the poem.
In addition to making etymological connections, we also made imagery connections by discussing selections from Romeo and Juliet Act III and watching those scenes from the 1996 remake of Romeo and Juliet starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. We discussed how different our picture of a story can be than when it is portrayed in film.
AHSGE Reading Review
Today's class saw the continuation of our discussion on propaganda and fact vs. opinion. After review the different types of propaganda that advertisers and governments use to persuade people, we also discussed fact vs. opinion and the pivotal role it plays in propaganda's effectiveness.
After our final discussion on this topic, we took a propaganda / fact vs. opinion test.
Several connections were made in class today. After taking the Romeo and Juliet Act III Quiz, we discussed lingual etymology and watched several examples of works in which the authors created words and phrases to suit his or her needs. These works included Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, "Jabberwoky" by Lewis Carroll, and Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien. Students were also given an extra credit opportunity to create an original poetic piece. The poem must have at least 10 lines, must rhyme, and must contain at least four made up words (that make sense within the context of the poem). Students have until Friday, August 26th to turn in the poem.
In addition to making etymological connections, we also made imagery connections by discussing selections from Romeo and Juliet Act III and watching those scenes from the 1996 remake of Romeo and Juliet starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. We discussed how different our picture of a story can be than when it is portrayed in film.
AHSGE Reading Review
Today's class saw the continuation of our discussion on propaganda and fact vs. opinion. After review the different types of propaganda that advertisers and governments use to persuade people, we also discussed fact vs. opinion and the pivotal role it plays in propaganda's effectiveness.
After our final discussion on this topic, we took a propaganda / fact vs. opinion test.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Thursday, August 18th
Pre-AP
Today we took a trip to the library to get acclimatized to one of our greatest literary resources here at Hillcrest. Students learned about book classification and even had the chance to check out a book of their own. This is important because starting today, we will have time in class every day to read. Students can read a book for pleasure or can take the time to catch up on class reading.
We also took our first "Word of the Day" quiz. We will have a "Word of the Day" quiz every Thursday at the beginning of class.
Students need to be prepared for the Romeo and Juliet Act III quiz which will be on Friday, August 19th.
AHSGE Reading Review
The Reading Review class also took a trip to the library. Most of the students in this class are already familiar with the Hillcrest Media Center, but we went for an orientation to ensure everyone's familiarity.
We also continued our reading of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
Finally, we finished our discussion of propaganda and learned how to distinguish fact fom opinion, a skill necessary for recognizing propaganda.
Students need to be prepared for the propaganda quiz that we will have in class on Friday, August 19th.
Today we took a trip to the library to get acclimatized to one of our greatest literary resources here at Hillcrest. Students learned about book classification and even had the chance to check out a book of their own. This is important because starting today, we will have time in class every day to read. Students can read a book for pleasure or can take the time to catch up on class reading.
We also took our first "Word of the Day" quiz. We will have a "Word of the Day" quiz every Thursday at the beginning of class.
Students need to be prepared for the Romeo and Juliet Act III quiz which will be on Friday, August 19th.
AHSGE Reading Review
The Reading Review class also took a trip to the library. Most of the students in this class are already familiar with the Hillcrest Media Center, but we went for an orientation to ensure everyone's familiarity.
We also continued our reading of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
Finally, we finished our discussion of propaganda and learned how to distinguish fact fom opinion, a skill necessary for recognizing propaganda.
Students need to be prepared for the propaganda quiz that we will have in class on Friday, August 19th.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Wednesday, August 17
Pre-AP
Today we focused on one of our summer reading assignments, The Secret Life of Bees. After taking a quiz on the book's main plot points, we then broke into groups to discuss whether or not we enjoyed SLB or The Hunger Games more. The class divided into the two different camps, and used the elements of a persuasive essay (which we discussed in class) to come up with a creative presentation proclaiming why their book was the best. Secret Life of Bees won out, as the group avowing its grandeur created a poem saying why it was better than The Hunger Games.
Make up work: notes
AHSGE Reading Review
Propaganda was the main topic of today's lesson. We learned about what propaganda is and how it influences our every day lives. We also learned that in order to distinguish propaganda we must be able to tell the difference between fact and fiction and recognize how each can influence our views on certain things.
Make up work: notes, Hunger Games Quiz #4
Today we focused on one of our summer reading assignments, The Secret Life of Bees. After taking a quiz on the book's main plot points, we then broke into groups to discuss whether or not we enjoyed SLB or The Hunger Games more. The class divided into the two different camps, and used the elements of a persuasive essay (which we discussed in class) to come up with a creative presentation proclaiming why their book was the best. Secret Life of Bees won out, as the group avowing its grandeur created a poem saying why it was better than The Hunger Games.
Make up work: notes
AHSGE Reading Review
Propaganda was the main topic of today's lesson. We learned about what propaganda is and how it influences our every day lives. We also learned that in order to distinguish propaganda we must be able to tell the difference between fact and fiction and recognize how each can influence our views on certain things.
Make up work: notes, Hunger Games Quiz #4
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
First week of class
The first week of class certainly proved to be hectic, chaotic, and very educational! In first and fourth block (Pre-AP) we started the year with Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare's penultimate play about love conquering all. We also started work on our writing, as students completed and turned in preliminary essays on Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games. The reading review class wasted no time in our preparations for the Alabama High School Graduation Exam, as we covered main ideas, supporting details, summarizing, and lots of other topics as well. Below, you will find each day's assignments and quizzes for the day.
Please remember, if you miss a day of class, then per board policy, you have TWO days to get a copy of the assignment you missed and turn it back into me for a grade. Otherwise, it will be counted as a zero.
Without further ado...
Thursday, August 11 Pre-AP
-- Begin discussing Shakespearean England and Shakespeare's life (Life of Shakespeare PowerPoint- click to download) (click here for notes handout)
-- Compared themes and archetypal figures from Romeo and Juliet and The Hunger Games
Thursday, August 11 AHSGE Reading Review
-- Read through the first selection of The Hunger Games
-- Discussed main ideas and found main ideas across different mediums
-- Main idea quiz
Friday, August 12 Pre-AP
-- Romeo and Juliet Act I Quiz
-- Played Family Feud to review Shakespeare notes
-- Began discussing Act I of Romeo and Juliet with an emphasis on tone and mood (click here for handout)
Friday, August 12 AHSGE Reading Review
-- Read Hunger Games selection and took Hunger Games Quiz #1
-- Learning centers: we studied Context Clues, Figurative Language, Sequence of Events, and Comparing and Contrasting
-- Played review game covering all four of these topics
Monday, August 15th Pre-AP
-- Turned in The Hunger Games essay on "Prejudice in The Hunger Games"
-- Finish class discussion of Romeo and Juliet Act I
-- began writing in our journals
Monday, August 15th AHSGE Reading Review
-- Read Hunger Games selection and took Hunger Games Quiz #2
-- Discussion of Summarizing
-- Practicing summarizing across various mediums
-- Summarizing quiz
Tuesday, August 16th Pre-AP
-- Romeo and Juliet Act II Quiz
-- Balcony Scene rewrite
-- Journal writing
Tuesday, August 16th, AHSGE Reading Review
-- Read Hunger Games selection and took Hunger Games Quiz #3
-- Make prediction about The Hunger Games (What will happen to Prim after the reaping?)
-- Review of summarizing
-- Summarizing practice
-- Summarizing quiz
That's a lot of information in a short space, so please make sure to email me if you have any questions about an assignment.
Until tomorrow...
Please remember, if you miss a day of class, then per board policy, you have TWO days to get a copy of the assignment you missed and turn it back into me for a grade. Otherwise, it will be counted as a zero.
Without further ado...
Thursday, August 11 Pre-AP
-- Begin discussing Shakespearean England and Shakespeare's life (Life of Shakespeare PowerPoint- click to download) (click here for notes handout)
-- Compared themes and archetypal figures from Romeo and Juliet and The Hunger Games
Thursday, August 11 AHSGE Reading Review
-- Read through the first selection of The Hunger Games
-- Discussed main ideas and found main ideas across different mediums
-- Main idea quiz
Friday, August 12 Pre-AP
-- Romeo and Juliet Act I Quiz
-- Played Family Feud to review Shakespeare notes
-- Began discussing Act I of Romeo and Juliet with an emphasis on tone and mood (click here for handout)
Friday, August 12 AHSGE Reading Review
-- Read Hunger Games selection and took Hunger Games Quiz #1
-- Learning centers: we studied Context Clues, Figurative Language, Sequence of Events, and Comparing and Contrasting
-- Played review game covering all four of these topics
Monday, August 15th Pre-AP
-- Turned in The Hunger Games essay on "Prejudice in The Hunger Games"
-- Finish class discussion of Romeo and Juliet Act I
-- began writing in our journals
Monday, August 15th AHSGE Reading Review
-- Read Hunger Games selection and took Hunger Games Quiz #2
-- Discussion of Summarizing
-- Practicing summarizing across various mediums
-- Summarizing quiz
Tuesday, August 16th Pre-AP
-- Romeo and Juliet Act II Quiz
-- Balcony Scene rewrite
-- Journal writing
Tuesday, August 16th, AHSGE Reading Review
-- Read Hunger Games selection and took Hunger Games Quiz #3
-- Make prediction about The Hunger Games (What will happen to Prim after the reaping?)
-- Review of summarizing
-- Summarizing practice
-- Summarizing quiz
That's a lot of information in a short space, so please make sure to email me if you have any questions about an assignment.
Until tomorrow...
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Welcome to a new year!
Welcome to a new year at Hillcrest High School! I know that all of the new changes and new faces can be very daunting and confusing, but rest assured that this is going to be a great year!
On this class blog, you'll be able to find all of the assignments that we are doing in class, along with copies of powerpoints and extras that may be able to help you on a test or two. So make sure to bookmark this page and check it often! And as always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call or email me.
Stuff for August 10th...
Pre-AP Syllabus
Creating your own character
Five paragraph essay template
Thanks!
On this class blog, you'll be able to find all of the assignments that we are doing in class, along with copies of powerpoints and extras that may be able to help you on a test or two. So make sure to bookmark this page and check it often! And as always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call or email me.
Stuff for August 10th...
Pre-AP Syllabus
Creating your own character
Five paragraph essay template
Thanks!
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