Friday, October 31

Happy Halloween!  Please stay safe tonight and this weekend!

AP Language and Composition
Students took the second part of the ACT writing practice in class today.

Homework:  Students need to read chapters 18-30 in Unbroken by November 19.

Pre-AP English 9
Students began presenting their research projects in class today.

Bible as Literature
Students took time in class today to work on their imitation of the "Song of Moses."

Homework:  Students need to finish their imitation of the "Song of Moses" by the beginning of class on Monday.

Thursday, October 30

AP Language and Composition
Students finished presenting their research today and began analyzing Haile Selassie I's speech to the League of Nations.

Homework:  Students need to read chapters 18-29 in Unbroken by November 12.

Pre-AP English 9
Students continued researching and preparing their presentations in the library today.

Homework:  Students need to finish their presentations, which will begin tomorrow.

Bible as Literature
Students learned about and discussed the deliverance of the Israeli people through the Red Sea today, as well as the famous "Song of Moses."

Wednesday, October 29

AP Language and Composition
Students took a practice ACT writing exam in class today.

Pre-AP English 9
Students continued their research in the library today.

Homework:  Students need to research and build their presentations at home in preparation for the research presentations on Friday.  ALL PRINTED BIBLIOGRAPHIES MUST BE TURNED IN ON FRIDAY.

Bible as Literature
Students finished presenting their three-minute plays in class today.  Afterward, they began watching The Prince of Egypt.

Tuesday, October 28

AP Language and Composition
Students continued presenting their research projects in class today.

Pre-AP English 9
Students began researching Southern folklore in class today.

Homework: Students should continue their research at home in preparations for presentations Friday.

Bible as Literature
Students were assessed on their knowledge of Exodus 1-12 in class today.

Pre-AP English 9 Current Events Blog for Week of October 27

Read the following opinion article from British newspaper, The Telegraph:

By Martin Daubney

7:00AM GMT 26 Oct 2014

A few days ago, the owners of Homebase announced they are to close a quarter of UK stores because of the reality, they said, of "a generation less skilled in DIY projects”.

Harsh obituary writers were quick to point out that Homebase is overpriced and a bit, well, crap compared to B&Q, but the sobering truth is that the entire DIY sector has taken a hammering in recent years.

Some might argue that the demise of DIY is down to the fact that home ownership on the decline, as more of us are forced to rent, unable to get on the property ladder. (Thought: if Homebase had stocked "property ladders" maybe their fortunes would have improved?)

Yet, undeniably, today’s 20- and 30-somethings don’t seem to possess your traditional “dad skills”. The dismal fact that a mere five per cent of 18-24s would attempt to unblock a sink doesn’t bode well for humanity – unless you’re a plumber.

Although the UK DIY sector is still worth a healthy £7.3 billion per year, that’s its lowest annual worth since 1999, and if it continues to decline at the current rate of 13 per cent per annum, there will be no DIY sector at all by 2040.

By then, Britain will have slowly drowned under the collective ocean of blocked bogs and leaky radiators.

Which is bad enough, before you begin to ask whether the decline in DIY is actually indicative of a deeper malaise in masculinity.

DIY used to make us feel manly. We’d chuck on a tool belt, press our power drill’s trigger – perhaps while even growling – and feel the testosterone course through our veins.

The trouble is, being a man – in the old-fashioned sense – is deeply unfashionable, naff almost, these days.

At some point this century, bombarded by an agonizingly right-on, feminist, PC doctrine through the liberal media, many men decided it was time to stop being men and embrace their inner sister.

Metropolitan, largely office-working men launched a mass PR campaign to win the hearts and minds of women – and their peers. They publicly decried wolf whistling and Page 3 of The Sun.

Men were clamouring over themselves to be seen as anything but sexist.

But as we lost our rough edges and took on more of what had traditionally been regarded as female roles, no one really stopped to question whether equality for women came with a cost for masculinity. If everything overtly “masculine” is dismissed as sexist, what’s left of men is, arguably, sexless.

You see this behavioural androgyny everywhere, from the increasingly corporate and sterile football terraces to the Croc-wearing househusband on the school run.

In an age where we’re expected to Hoover, iron, and change nappies, old-fashioned pursuits like DIY have become quaint, self-indulgent and almost shameful.

The result is that many modern men are more like our mothers than our fathers, while the opposite is true for women, who are increasingly wearing the trousers.

Women decry us for not being able to wire a plug like our dads, but can – or would – they cook a cracking apple crumble like their mums?

No, they’d rather watch some bugger else do it on the Great British Bake Off, then go to M&S – just like we’d rather watch Grand Designs, then pay a Polish geezer to do our wallpapering.

Manual labour is increasingly seen as something other people do for us. While 43 per cent of 18-25s would attempt a DIY task, 41 per cent would hire around their own deficiencies – and call in the navvies.

Another depressing fact is that Lloyd’s Bank estimate that some 3.3 million bodged DIY tasks need to be put right by a paid professional, at an average cost of over three grand each time.

A French electrician I once got in told me, “I love British DIYers: 75 per cent of my work is finishing jobs you guys started.” But at least I tried in the first place.

It’s unfashionable to admit, but some men are better at being men when they have traditional roles that they understand. And working with our hands gives us a sense of worth that we can never get from filing our tax return.

Answer the following questions:

1. What is DIY?

2. According to this article, define feminism.

3. From what you read, how do you believe the author feels about feminism?

4. How much did Lloyd's Bank estimate that botched DIY jobs cost on average?

5. What is the author's opinion on the current state of "masculinity"?  Why does he use statistics to back up his opinion?

6. What is your opinion?  Do you agree that today's men (including teenagers) are more akin to their mothers than their fathers, as the article claims?  Why or why not?  Back up your opinion with evidence.

AP Language and Composition Current Events Blog for Week of October 27

Read the following news story:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/state-quarantines-amid-ebola-threat-draw-criticism-as-governors-defend-actions/2014/10/26/00eff94c-5d22-11e4-8b9e-2ccdac31a031_story.html

Answer the following questions:
1. Who is Kaci Hickox? Of what organization is she a part?
2. What two states are coming under the most fire for their new Ebola quarantine policies?
3. What reasoning do the opponents of the quarantine procedures give for their opposition?
4. Who is Anthony Fauci?  Why does he say that health experts need to be able to go to West Africa with as little hassle as possible?
5. Why is Chris Christie so adamant about his state's new quarantine procedures?
6. What are President Obama's reasons for condemning the new quarantine measures?
7. When it comes down to it, who do you believe should get to make the decisions about the quarantine procedures, the governors or the president?

Friday, October 24

AP Language and Composition
Students continued presenting their research in class today.

Homework:  Students need to finish reading and reviewing Unbroken, which will be assessed on Monday, October 27.

Pre-AP English 9
Students finished the fairy tales and folklore PowerPoint in class today and discussed Old Cahawba in preparation for our trip on Monday.

Bible as Literature
Students presented their three-minute plays about the Exodus in class today.

Thursday, October 23

AP Language and Composition
Students began presenting their WWII research findings in class today.

Homework: Students need to finish and review chapters 9-17 in Unbroken by Monday, October 27.

Pre-AP English 9
Students continued studying fairy tales and folklore in class today.

Bible as Literature
Students began composing short plays based off of the exodus of Israel from the land of Egypt.

Homework:  Students need to finish their plays, which will be presented in class tomorrow.

Wednesday, October 22

AP Language and Composition
Students continued researching their WWII topic in class today.

Homework:  Students need to finish reading and reviewing chapters 9-17 in Unbroken by Monday, October 27.  They also need to finish their research presentations.  The printed bibliographies for every presentation is due on Monday.

Pre-AP English 9
We continued our sharing of folklore in class today.

Homework:  Students need to read Book IX of The Odyssey.

Bible as Literature
We continued discussing the ten plagues of Exodus in class today, wrapping up with a discussion of Passover.

Tuesday, October 21

AP Language and Composition
Students continued their research for their research projects today.

Homework:  Students need to continue researching their topics for their research presentation, and they need to finish and review chapters 9-17 in Unbroken.

Pre-AP English 9
We began studying fairy tales and folklore in class today.

Homework: Students need to read Book IX of The Odyssey.

Bible as Literature
We began studying about the ten plagues against Egypt in today's class.

Homework:  Students need to complete their Psalms Journal by Friday.  This week's Psalms assignment is Psalms 4-7.

Monday, October 20

AP Language and Composition
Students began researching the inciting incidents of WWII in preparation for a document study of the war.

Homework:  Students need to finish reading chapters 9-17 in Unbroken, which will be assessed on Monday, October 27.  They also need to work on their WWII research project.  Research presentations will begin on Thursday, October 23.

Pre-AP English 9
Students debated the actions of a school in Canada who punished a student for writing encouraging notes to her classmates.

Homework:  Students need to read book IX of The Odyssey.

Bible as Literature
Students read about Moses and the exodus in class today.

AP Language and Composition and Pre-AP English 9 Current Events Blog for Week of October 20

There will be no Current Events Blog this week.

Wednesday, October 15

AP Language and Composition
Today, students reviewed their Kennedy Inaugural Address analysis and self-analyzed their writing for quality commentary.

Homework: Students need to read chapters 9-17 in Unbroken by Monday, October 27.

Pre-AP English 9
Students analyzed their To Kill a Mockingbird essays in class today.

Homework:  Students need to read Book IX of The Odyssey.

Bible as Literature
We began to study the life of Moses and the Exodus on the children of Israel in class today.

Homework:  Students need to complete their Psalms journal by the end of the school day on Friday.

Tuesday, October 14

Happy Homecoming Week!!

AP Language and Composition
Students took time to review their nine weeks' test in class today.

Homework:  Students need to finish reading chapters 9-17 in Unbroken by Monday, October 27.

Pre-AP English 9
Students worked on a creative writing assignment in class today that emphasized characterization and imagery.

Homework:  Students need to have the correct copy of The Odyssey by Wednesday (Oct. 15).

Bible as Literature
We began to discuss the story of Moses and the exodus in class today.

Homework:  Students need to complete their Psalms journal by Friday.

Pre-AP English 9 Current Events Blog for Week of October 10

Read the following article:

http://mic.com/articles/101056/an-inspiring-teen-girl-took-a-creative-stand-against-bullying-her-school-wasn-t-happy

Answer the following questions:

1. In what city and country does this story take place?
2. What incident caused Caitlin to want to post all of her positive messages?
3. Who voted to make "Positive Post-It Day" an official holiday?
4. In your opinion, can the school's actions toward Caitlin be justified at all?  If so, how?  If not, why do you think that they were so quick to act the way they did?
5. Do you believe that this article is biased in any way.  In other words, does it portray Caitlin and her circumstances in a completely objective and even way, or does the article's author have a pre-existing opinion about Caitlin and her circumstances?

AP Language and Current Events Blog for Week of October 13

Read the following article:

http://mic.com/articles/100242/white-mom-s-lawsuit-over-black-baby-exposes-ugly-truths-about-white-privilege?utm_source=huffingtonpost.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pubexchange

After you finish reading, answer the following questions:

1. Near what city does Jennifer Cramblett live?
2. Besides skin color, what other physical features did Cramblett want their child to have?
3. According to Cramblett, what is the hardest part about raising a biracial child?
4. How big of an issue has racism been in raising their child, according to Cramblett?
5. How does the author of this article portray Cramblett and her family?  Is there any sort of bias on the part of the writer?  Why do you believe this to be true? (Give examples from the article.)
6. According to the article, Cramblett claims that the money she is hoping to win from the lawsuit will go to cover the cost of their move from their current community.  In your opinion, is Cramblett and her family making the right decision to move their child away from an area where they fear discrimination based on her race?

Wednesday, October 8

I apologize for the lack of a blog yesterday.  I was out of the county all day long and didn't get the chance to complete an entry.

AP Language and Composition
Students took a practice AP multiple choice exam in preparation for their nine weeks' test.

Homework:  Students need to finish reading chapters 9-17 in Unbroken by October 22.

Pre-AP English 9
Students took a practice Pre-AP multiple choice exam in preparation for their nine weeks' test.

Homework:  Students need to obtain their copy of The Odyssey (the Dover Thrift edition) by Wednesday, October 15.

Bible as Literature
We finished discussing the story of Joseph in today's class, including a discussion on Jacob's prophecies concerning his children.

Monday, October 6

AP Language and Composition
Students debated the ethics of non-citizens serving in the military in class today.

Homework:  Students need to read chapters 9-17 in Unbroken by October 22.

Pre-AP English 9
Students debated whether or not the government has / should have the right to monitor the daily lives of its citizens.

Homework:  Students need to obtain the Dover Thrift Edition of The Odyssey by October 15.

Bible as Literature
Students worked on identifying Biblical allusions in class today for an opportunity to get extra credit on the last test that they took.

Friday, October 3

AP Language and Composition
Students took their word of the day test in class today.

Homework:  Students need to read chapters 9-17 in Unbroken by October 22.

Pre-AP English 9
Students took their word of the day test in class today.

Homework:  Students need to read chapters 9-17 in Unbroken by October 22.

Bible as Literature
Students took their third test in class today, covering the stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Thursday, October 2

AP Language and Composition
Students began to comparatively analyze a statement from several Alabama clergy that was published in the Birmingham News in 1963 and a letter written in response by Martin Luther King, Jr., during the same year.

Homework:  Students need to read chapters 9-17 in Unbroken by October 22.

Pre-AP English 9
Students began to comparatively analyze a statement from several Alabama clergy that was published in the Birmingham News in 1963 and a letter written in response by Martin Luther King, Jr., during the same year.

Homework:  Students need to obtain the Dover Thrift edition of The Odyssey by October 15.  The website to order this edition can be found by clicking here.

Bible as Literature
Students finished reviewing in class today for the test that they will be given tomorrow.

Wednesday, October 1

Welcome to one of my favorite months of the year!

AP Language and Composition
Students finished analyzing JFK's inaugural address in class today.

Homework: Students need to read chapters 9-17 in Unbroken by October 22.

Pre-AP Language and Composition
We read Langston Hughes' "Thank You Ma'am" in class today, focusing on Hughes' use of epiphany and direct and indirect characterization.

Homework: Students need to buy their copy of The Odyssey by October 15.

Bible as Literature
We continued discussing Jacob's life in class today, reading through several selections in which different authors struggled with the idea of Jacob's struggle.