Pre-AP
Colons and Semi-colons smattered our grammatical time together today. If you would like a copy of the Colon and semi-colon rule sheet, you can download it by clicking here. Besides spending time on punctuation, we finished discussing the last part of The Odyssey. Finally, we also had a guest speaker in class today. Dr. William Ulmer, who has served as the head of both the Honors College and the English Department at the University of Alabama, came and spoke about what it takes to be successful at the college level, especially in an English classroom.
Homework: Students need to finish reading Part 4 of The Odyssey (pages 1009-1018) and be familiar with the action that ends our study of this epic. Students also need to start writing the Voyage of the Dawn Treader essay that they were assigned yesterday. (For the essay prompt, scroll down this page to Monday's post.) The test on the final part of The Odyssey is on Friday, and the essay is also due on Friday
AHSGE Reading Review
In today's class, we continued with our occupational education lesson series by bringing in Ishmael Pruitt, head of the Little Friends Daycare program at Calvary Baptist Church. Several of our students are interested in early-childhood education and Mr. Pruitt came and spoke as to how to pursue a career in that field.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Wednesday, February 15th
Pre-AP
In today's class, we resumed our quasi-normal routine. Before we jumped into The Odyssey, we discussed the rules of comma usage, and how they are much more complicated than simply placing a comma every time you pause. A copy of the "Comma Rules Worksheet" can be found by clicking here. After studying commas, we then covered Parts 2 and 3 of The Odyssey, paying special attention to the nautical symbolism that Homer includes in the poem.
Homework: Students need to finish reading Part 4 of The Odyssey (pages 1009-1018) and be familiar with the action that ends our study of this epic. Students also need to start writing the Voyage of the Dawn Treader essay that they were assigned yesterday. (For the essay prompt, scroll down this page to Monday's post.) The test on the final part of The Odyssey is on Friday, and the essay is also due on Friday
AHSGE Reading Review
In today's class, we finished our discussion of "The Lottery" that we began yesterday. We also began our lesson series on occupational awareness by bringing in our first guest speaker. Her name is Amber Kemp and she works as a stylist at New Creations Salon in Tuscaloosa, AL. She spoke to the class about what it takes to work in cosmetology and what students will have to do post-high school in order to pursue a career in this profession.
In today's class, we resumed our quasi-normal routine. Before we jumped into The Odyssey, we discussed the rules of comma usage, and how they are much more complicated than simply placing a comma every time you pause. A copy of the "Comma Rules Worksheet" can be found by clicking here. After studying commas, we then covered Parts 2 and 3 of The Odyssey, paying special attention to the nautical symbolism that Homer includes in the poem.
Homework: Students need to finish reading Part 4 of The Odyssey (pages 1009-1018) and be familiar with the action that ends our study of this epic. Students also need to start writing the Voyage of the Dawn Treader essay that they were assigned yesterday. (For the essay prompt, scroll down this page to Monday's post.) The test on the final part of The Odyssey is on Friday, and the essay is also due on Friday
AHSGE Reading Review
In today's class, we finished our discussion of "The Lottery" that we began yesterday. We also began our lesson series on occupational awareness by bringing in our first guest speaker. Her name is Amber Kemp and she works as a stylist at New Creations Salon in Tuscaloosa, AL. She spoke to the class about what it takes to work in cosmetology and what students will have to do post-high school in order to pursue a career in this profession.
Tuesday, February 14th
Happy Valentine's Day!!
Pre-AP
In conjunction with our study of the Greek Pantheon, we watched Disney's Hercules in class today.
Homework: Students need to finish reading Part 4 of The Odyssey (pages 1009-1018) and be familiar with the action that ends our study of this epic. Students also need to start writing the Voyage of the Dawn Treader essay that they were assigned yesterday. (For the essay prompt, scroll down this page to Monday's post.) The test on the final part of The Odyssey is on Friday, and the essay is also due on Friday.
AHSGE Reading Review
In today's class, we analyzed a short story by Shirley Jackson entitled "The Lottery." We studied symbolism in the story, using context clues to figure out intention and word meaning, and what the main idea of the story is.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Monday, February 13th
Pre-AP
In today's class student took the second test on The Odyssey, which also included the action of Voyage of the Dawn Treader. After the test was over, we finished watching the Disney version of Hercules.
Homework: Students need to write a five paragraph essay comparing elements of The Odyssey and Voyage of the Dawn Treader. See below for the prompt. Also, the third test, on part 4 of The Odyssey, is going to be on Friday, February 17th.
Essay Prompt: In both The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Odyssey, there is one character who drives the story on and keeps the crew of the prospective ships moving forward, even when they want to stop or turn back. In a five-paragraph essay, compare Reepicheep and Odysseus, describing their role as “cheerleader” and “motivator” on their ships with their crews.
This essay will be due Friday, February 17th!
AHSGE Reading Review
Students took a test on the Greek Pantheon today, as an exercise in following directions.
In today's class student took the second test on The Odyssey, which also included the action of Voyage of the Dawn Treader. After the test was over, we finished watching the Disney version of Hercules.
Homework: Students need to write a five paragraph essay comparing elements of The Odyssey and Voyage of the Dawn Treader. See below for the prompt. Also, the third test, on part 4 of The Odyssey, is going to be on Friday, February 17th.
Essay Prompt: In both The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Odyssey, there is one character who drives the story on and keeps the crew of the prospective ships moving forward, even when they want to stop or turn back. In a five-paragraph essay, compare Reepicheep and Odysseus, describing their role as “cheerleader” and “motivator” on their ships with their crews.
This essay will be due Friday, February 17th!
AHSGE Reading Review
Students took a test on the Greek Pantheon today, as an exercise in following directions.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Friday, February 10th
Students took the first test on The Odyssey today. On Monday, because of time restraints, they will be taking the second test on The Odyssey.
Homework: Students need to finish reading Part 3 of The Odyssey, they need to finish Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and they need to study over the Greek Pantheon to prepare for the second Odyssey test, which they will take on Monday, February 13th.
AHSGE Reading Review
Today's class continued our discussion on the Greek Pantheon.
Thursday, February 9th
Pre-AP
Heroes were the topic of discussion in today's class. Well, actually, heroes and how they fit into the epic poetic cycle was the real discussion topic. The epic cycle can be used to map the plot of numerous works, both ancient and modern, and what we discovered in class today is that many of the movies and books we enjoy the most can be classified as "epic." To finish out our time, we discussed the background of The Odyssey, including Odysseus' role in the Trojan War.
Homework: Students should review Parts 1 and 2 of The Odyssey and look over the "Close-Reading Toolbox" terms in preparation for their test tomorrow. It will cover Words of the Day, the "Close-Reading Toolbox" terms, and the action of the first parts of The Odyssey. Students should also continue reading Voyage of the Dawn Treader and have it finished by Monday, February 13th.
AHSGE Reading Review
In today's class, we began an exercise in following directions by beginning a discussion of the Greek Pantheon. After studying all of the Greek gods and goddesses, we will be doing an activity relating these ancient stories to our modern life.
A copy of the PowerPoint used in class today can be downloaded by clicking here.
Heroes were the topic of discussion in today's class. Well, actually, heroes and how they fit into the epic poetic cycle was the real discussion topic. The epic cycle can be used to map the plot of numerous works, both ancient and modern, and what we discovered in class today is that many of the movies and books we enjoy the most can be classified as "epic." To finish out our time, we discussed the background of The Odyssey, including Odysseus' role in the Trojan War.
Homework: Students should review Parts 1 and 2 of The Odyssey and look over the "Close-Reading Toolbox" terms in preparation for their test tomorrow. It will cover Words of the Day, the "Close-Reading Toolbox" terms, and the action of the first parts of The Odyssey. Students should also continue reading Voyage of the Dawn Treader and have it finished by Monday, February 13th.
AHSGE Reading Review
In today's class, we began an exercise in following directions by beginning a discussion of the Greek Pantheon. After studying all of the Greek gods and goddesses, we will be doing an activity relating these ancient stories to our modern life.
A copy of the PowerPoint used in class today can be downloaded by clicking here.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Wednesday, February 8th
Pre-AP
In today's class, in the absence of the test, we continued on with our discussion about the Greek Pantheon. We also began talking about Homer's background, along with his use of the epic poetic cycle and the epic story arc.
Homework: Students need to review Parts 1 and 2 of The Odyssey and be prepared for the test on Friday, which will cover Words of the Day, the terms off of the "Close-Reading Toolbox" worksheet, and the action of Parts 1 and 2 of The Odyssey. On Monday, we will take the next test on The Odyssey which will cover Part 3 and all of the notes we have taken in class on the Greek Pantheon, Homer, and the epic poetic cycle. Monday's test will also cover Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
AHSGE Reading Review
Mrs. Coleman came to class today to discuss college readiness and good study habits.
In today's class, in the absence of the test, we continued on with our discussion about the Greek Pantheon. We also began talking about Homer's background, along with his use of the epic poetic cycle and the epic story arc.
Homework: Students need to review Parts 1 and 2 of The Odyssey and be prepared for the test on Friday, which will cover Words of the Day, the terms off of the "Close-Reading Toolbox" worksheet, and the action of Parts 1 and 2 of The Odyssey. On Monday, we will take the next test on The Odyssey which will cover Part 3 and all of the notes we have taken in class on the Greek Pantheon, Homer, and the epic poetic cycle. Monday's test will also cover Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
AHSGE Reading Review
Mrs. Coleman came to class today to discuss college readiness and good study habits.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Tuesday, February 7th
Pre-AP
The topic of today's class was two-fold. First, we discussed several literary devices that authors can use in their writing to varying degrees and for various purposes. Students presented these terms to each other and taught each other what each term means and gave examples of each. After finishing with these presentations, we then turned our attention to the Greek Pantheon (the collection of Greek and Roman gods and goddess). This discussion serves to build background knowledge going into the text of The Odyssey.
Homework: Students need to finish reading parts 1 and 2 of The Odyssey out of their literature textbooks. DATE CHANGE! The first Odyssey test will now be on Friday, February 10th, instead of Wednesday, February 8th. Students must also finish Voyage of the Dawn Treader by Monday, February 13th.
To download a copy of the Greek Pantheon PowerPoint, click here. (Warning: it's a large file!)
AHSGE Reading Review
In class today, we finished watching October Sky and drew a comparison between events in this storyline and the storyline of Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.
The topic of today's class was two-fold. First, we discussed several literary devices that authors can use in their writing to varying degrees and for various purposes. Students presented these terms to each other and taught each other what each term means and gave examples of each. After finishing with these presentations, we then turned our attention to the Greek Pantheon (the collection of Greek and Roman gods and goddess). This discussion serves to build background knowledge going into the text of The Odyssey.
Homework: Students need to finish reading parts 1 and 2 of The Odyssey out of their literature textbooks. DATE CHANGE! The first Odyssey test will now be on Friday, February 10th, instead of Wednesday, February 8th. Students must also finish Voyage of the Dawn Treader by Monday, February 13th.
To download a copy of the Greek Pantheon PowerPoint, click here. (Warning: it's a large file!)
AHSGE Reading Review
In class today, we finished watching October Sky and drew a comparison between events in this storyline and the storyline of Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Monday, February 6th
Pre-AP
In today's class, students broke into groups and studied different parts of the "Close-Reading Toolbox" information sheet that they received at the beginning of the year. Students then spent time teaching each of their fellow classmates about each one of the literary terms.
Homework: Students need to read The Odyssey Parts 1 and 2 (pages 963-992) by Wednesday, February 8th, when they will take the first Odyssey test. The test will also cover the aforementioned close-reading terms and the Words of the Day. Students also need to be reading Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis. They should have this finished by Monday, February 13th, when they will have a test on it and the third part of The Odyssey.
For a copy of the "Close-Reading Toolbox" information sheet, click here.
AHSGE Reading Review
As an exercise in understanding context clues, students created non-sense poems about their favorite subjects and put in made-up words throughout the poem. Their classmates then had to figure out what the words meant that they created based on their use in the poems.
In today's class, students broke into groups and studied different parts of the "Close-Reading Toolbox" information sheet that they received at the beginning of the year. Students then spent time teaching each of their fellow classmates about each one of the literary terms.
Homework: Students need to read The Odyssey Parts 1 and 2 (pages 963-992) by Wednesday, February 8th, when they will take the first Odyssey test. The test will also cover the aforementioned close-reading terms and the Words of the Day. Students also need to be reading Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis. They should have this finished by Monday, February 13th, when they will have a test on it and the third part of The Odyssey.
For a copy of the "Close-Reading Toolbox" information sheet, click here.
AHSGE Reading Review
As an exercise in understanding context clues, students created non-sense poems about their favorite subjects and put in made-up words throughout the poem. Their classmates then had to figure out what the words meant that they created based on their use in the poems.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Friday, February 3rd
Pre-AP
Finishing up our unit on Romeo and Juliet, students finished watching Simon Birch today and completed an analytical worksheet comparing the two works, with a special emphasis on the role of fate and love in each prospective work's story. Then, we had a short lesson on Shakespearean etymology.
Homework: Students need to begin reading The Odyssey. Parts 1 and 2 (pages 963-992 in the literature book) should be completed by Wednesday, January 8th. Students should also begin reading Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis. It must be completed by Monday, February 13th. If students are completing the extra credit essay on Romeo and Juliet vs. Simon Birch, it must be turned in on Monday, February 6th.
AHSGE Reading Review
In today's class, we discussed context clues and how to find the meaning of words based on their context in a sentence. We used the poem "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carrol as an example.
Finishing up our unit on Romeo and Juliet, students finished watching Simon Birch today and completed an analytical worksheet comparing the two works, with a special emphasis on the role of fate and love in each prospective work's story. Then, we had a short lesson on Shakespearean etymology.
Homework: Students need to begin reading The Odyssey. Parts 1 and 2 (pages 963-992 in the literature book) should be completed by Wednesday, January 8th. Students should also begin reading Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis. It must be completed by Monday, February 13th. If students are completing the extra credit essay on Romeo and Juliet vs. Simon Birch, it must be turned in on Monday, February 6th.
AHSGE Reading Review
In today's class, we discussed context clues and how to find the meaning of words based on their context in a sentence. We used the poem "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carrol as an example.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Thursday, February 2nd
Pre-AP
In today's class, students completed a worksheet on sentence fragments and sentence run-ons. Then, students began watching Simon Birch, a movie with striking similarities to Romeo and Juliet. Students will complete a worksheet comparing and contrasting the two works and will have the opportunity to write an extra credit essay expounding on the worksheet. The essay prompt will be, "Write a comparative analysis describing the pathos of Simon Birch and Romeo and Juliet." Essays must be at least five paragraphs in length and must follow all grammatical rules we have covered in class. They must also follow the standard MLA format. (Essays NOT in the MLA format will receive NO credit.)
For a reminder on the definition of pathos, click here.
Homework: Students need to get a copy of C.S. Lewis' Voyage of the Dawn Treader as quickly as possible and start reading it. It should be read by Monday, February 13th.
AHSGE Reading Review
In today's class, students took a test on predictions and generalizations. Then, they began a compare/contrast activity that stresses the importance of literary interpretation and highlighted the basic tenets of medieval chivalry.
In today's class, students completed a worksheet on sentence fragments and sentence run-ons. Then, students began watching Simon Birch, a movie with striking similarities to Romeo and Juliet. Students will complete a worksheet comparing and contrasting the two works and will have the opportunity to write an extra credit essay expounding on the worksheet. The essay prompt will be, "Write a comparative analysis describing the pathos of Simon Birch and Romeo and Juliet." Essays must be at least five paragraphs in length and must follow all grammatical rules we have covered in class. They must also follow the standard MLA format. (Essays NOT in the MLA format will receive NO credit.)
For a reminder on the definition of pathos, click here.
Homework: Students need to get a copy of C.S. Lewis' Voyage of the Dawn Treader as quickly as possible and start reading it. It should be read by Monday, February 13th.
AHSGE Reading Review
In today's class, students took a test on predictions and generalizations. Then, they began a compare/contrast activity that stresses the importance of literary interpretation and highlighted the basic tenets of medieval chivalry.
Wednesday, February 1st
Pre-AP
Students took Part II of the Shakespeare Unit Test today. They wrote a five-paragraph essay dealing with prejudice in Romeo and Juliet. After the essay, we had a mini-lesson on Shakespearean etymology. Shakespeare actually created many of the words and phrases that are common in the modern English lexicon, and we discussed and used several of them in class today.
Homework: Students need to procure a copy of Voyage of the Dawn Treader and begin reading it. They should have it read by February 13th. Students SHOULD NOT wait until the weekend before the due date to try and read the book, because they will also be reading The Odyssey in conjunction with this novel.
Finally, students wishing to complete the extra credit, five-paragraph essay on Simon Birch must turn in it by Monday, February 6th.
AHSGE Reading Review
In today's class, we discussed predictions and generalizations and did several activities related to making predictions about characters.
Students took Part II of the Shakespeare Unit Test today. They wrote a five-paragraph essay dealing with prejudice in Romeo and Juliet. After the essay, we had a mini-lesson on Shakespearean etymology. Shakespeare actually created many of the words and phrases that are common in the modern English lexicon, and we discussed and used several of them in class today.
Homework: Students need to procure a copy of Voyage of the Dawn Treader and begin reading it. They should have it read by February 13th. Students SHOULD NOT wait until the weekend before the due date to try and read the book, because they will also be reading The Odyssey in conjunction with this novel.
Finally, students wishing to complete the extra credit, five-paragraph essay on Simon Birch must turn in it by Monday, February 6th.
AHSGE Reading Review
In today's class, we discussed predictions and generalizations and did several activities related to making predictions about characters.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Tuesday, January 31st
Pre-AP
Students took Part I of the Shakespeare unit test in class today. It covered everything we have done in class thus far.
Homework: Students need to procure a copy of Voyage of the Dawn Treader and begin reading it in preparation for our study of epics and The Odyssey. Students also need to study for the unit test essay, which they will take in class tomorrow.
AHSGE Reading Review
Today, we continued our work with USA TestPrep, an online service that gives practice for the graduation exam. This is a valuable service as students can access it from any computer with the Internet, whether at the school or away from it.
Students took Part I of the Shakespeare unit test in class today. It covered everything we have done in class thus far.
Homework: Students need to procure a copy of Voyage of the Dawn Treader and begin reading it in preparation for our study of epics and The Odyssey. Students also need to study for the unit test essay, which they will take in class tomorrow.
AHSGE Reading Review
Today, we continued our work with USA TestPrep, an online service that gives practice for the graduation exam. This is a valuable service as students can access it from any computer with the Internet, whether at the school or away from it.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Monday, January 30th
Pre-AP
In class today, students received some previous tests, and we went over all previous tests as a review for tomorrow's unit test.
Homework: Students need to study!!! The Unit Test will cover everything we've done in class so far, including grammar, Shakespeare notes, and all notes from Romeo and Juliet.
If you need some extra help on any of the grammatical concepts we've covered in class, click here.
AHSGE Reading Review
We worked on USA Testprep today (www.usatestprep.com) which is a service that students can use to practice for the grad exam at home or any computer with an Internet connection.
In class today, students received some previous tests, and we went over all previous tests as a review for tomorrow's unit test.
Homework: Students need to study!!! The Unit Test will cover everything we've done in class so far, including grammar, Shakespeare notes, and all notes from Romeo and Juliet.
If you need some extra help on any of the grammatical concepts we've covered in class, click here.
AHSGE Reading Review
We worked on USA Testprep today (www.usatestprep.com) which is a service that students can use to practice for the grad exam at home or any computer with an Internet connection.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Friday, January 27th
Pre-AP
Students took the Act V Test on Romeo and Juliet in class today. After the test, they were reminded of the correct MLA format and correct structure for their Sarah Byrnes essays that are due on Monday.
NOTE: The Unit Test that was scheduled for Monday, January 30th has been changed to Tuesday, January 31st to give students an extra day to study.
Homework: Students need to finish their Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes essays and have them ready to turn in on Monday, January 30th. Students also need to study for the Shakespeare Unit Test, given on Tuesday, January 31st, which will cover parts of speech, sentence objects and complements, phrases, figurative language, Freytag's triangle, all Shakespeare notes, and all of the action of Romeo and Juliet. THIS IS A MAJOR TEST and students should be studying for it all weekend. PLEASE DO NOT WAIT UNTIL MONDAY NIGHT TO BEGIN REVIEWING FOR THIS EXAM!!!
AHSGE Reading Review
Students took a test on organizational patterns and following directions in class today. But before that, we played a review game to help students get ready for the test.
Students took the Act V Test on Romeo and Juliet in class today. After the test, they were reminded of the correct MLA format and correct structure for their Sarah Byrnes essays that are due on Monday.
NOTE: The Unit Test that was scheduled for Monday, January 30th has been changed to Tuesday, January 31st to give students an extra day to study.
Homework: Students need to finish their Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes essays and have them ready to turn in on Monday, January 30th. Students also need to study for the Shakespeare Unit Test, given on Tuesday, January 31st, which will cover parts of speech, sentence objects and complements, phrases, figurative language, Freytag's triangle, all Shakespeare notes, and all of the action of Romeo and Juliet. THIS IS A MAJOR TEST and students should be studying for it all weekend. PLEASE DO NOT WAIT UNTIL MONDAY NIGHT TO BEGIN REVIEWING FOR THIS EXAM!!!
AHSGE Reading Review
Students took a test on organizational patterns and following directions in class today. But before that, we played a review game to help students get ready for the test.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Thursday, January 26th
Pre-AP
In today's class, we discussed all kinds of phrases. Our discussion consisted of gerund phrases, infinitive phrases, participial phrases, prepositional phrases, and appositives phrases. Each of these will be covered on the test that students will take tomorrow. We also finished our discussion of Romeo and Juliet by discussing the alchemical imagery shown in the play's fifth act as it relates to the apothecary character that is seen there.
Homework: Students need to study for their test tomorrow which will cover Words of the Day, the phrases mentioned earlier, figurative language, freytag's triangle, and Act V of Romeo and Juliet. Students also need to finish their Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes essay (for the essay prompt, please see the post from Monday, January 23rd) which is due on Monday, January 30th. ALSO, students need to go ahead and begin reviewing for the Unit Test on Romeo and Juliet which will cover all of the play, as well as all Words of the Day and grammar lessons that we have done in class thusfar this semester.
AHSGE Reading Review
Today we covered following directions and took a graduation exam practice test.
Homework: Students should study over their notes on organizational patters and following directions as we will have a test on these two concepts tomorrow.
In today's class, we discussed all kinds of phrases. Our discussion consisted of gerund phrases, infinitive phrases, participial phrases, prepositional phrases, and appositives phrases. Each of these will be covered on the test that students will take tomorrow. We also finished our discussion of Romeo and Juliet by discussing the alchemical imagery shown in the play's fifth act as it relates to the apothecary character that is seen there.
Homework: Students need to study for their test tomorrow which will cover Words of the Day, the phrases mentioned earlier, figurative language, freytag's triangle, and Act V of Romeo and Juliet. Students also need to finish their Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes essay (for the essay prompt, please see the post from Monday, January 23rd) which is due on Monday, January 30th. ALSO, students need to go ahead and begin reviewing for the Unit Test on Romeo and Juliet which will cover all of the play, as well as all Words of the Day and grammar lessons that we have done in class thusfar this semester.
AHSGE Reading Review
Today we covered following directions and took a graduation exam practice test.
Homework: Students should study over their notes on organizational patters and following directions as we will have a test on these two concepts tomorrow.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Wednesday, January 25th
Pre-AP
In today's class, students took the Romeo and Juliet Act IV test which also covered Words of the Day and verbals.
Homework: Students need to finish Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes and begin on the essay that was assigned on Monday. (For the prompt, see Monday, January 23rd's post.) Students need to remember all of the formal grammar rules we have been discussing in class as well as the specific MLA style rules that they were given in class. The essay is due Monday, January 30th.
AHSGE Reading Review
In today's class, we completed some further practice with organizational patterns and moved on to discussing directions and how important it is to read and follow directions explicitly.
In today's class, students took the Romeo and Juliet Act IV test which also covered Words of the Day and verbals.
Homework: Students need to finish Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes and begin on the essay that was assigned on Monday. (For the prompt, see Monday, January 23rd's post.) Students need to remember all of the formal grammar rules we have been discussing in class as well as the specific MLA style rules that they were given in class. The essay is due Monday, January 30th.
AHSGE Reading Review
In today's class, we completed some further practice with organizational patterns and moved on to discussing directions and how important it is to read and follow directions explicitly.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Tuesday, January 24th
Pre-AP
In today's class we worked our way through some more examples of verbals, ensuring the students' understanding of the concept. We also looked at Act IV of Romeo and Juliet, and saw the Friar's plan for Juliet unfurled amd discussed the social ramifications of Shakespeare's portrayal of the Friar.
Homework: Students should re-read Act IV of Romeo and Juliet and study through all of their notes on verbals and the Words of the Day to be prepared for the test tomorrow. Students also need to finish Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes and begin writing the essay that was assigned yesterday. (See Monday, January 23rd's entry for the essay prompt.)
The extra practice we went over in class can be found by clicking here.
AHSGE Reading Review
Students took a test on literary elements and Freytag's triangle today. We also began talking about organizational patterns and went over several examples to ensure understanding of this concept.
In today's class we worked our way through some more examples of verbals, ensuring the students' understanding of the concept. We also looked at Act IV of Romeo and Juliet, and saw the Friar's plan for Juliet unfurled amd discussed the social ramifications of Shakespeare's portrayal of the Friar.
Homework: Students should re-read Act IV of Romeo and Juliet and study through all of their notes on verbals and the Words of the Day to be prepared for the test tomorrow. Students also need to finish Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes and begin writing the essay that was assigned yesterday. (See Monday, January 23rd's entry for the essay prompt.)
The extra practice we went over in class can be found by clicking here.
AHSGE Reading Review
Students took a test on literary elements and Freytag's triangle today. We also began talking about organizational patterns and went over several examples to ensure understanding of this concept.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Monday, January 23rd
I hope everyone remained safe during the storm outbreak last night.
Pre-AP
In today's class, we discussed verbals and how to identify them and use them in our writing. Students were also given an essay assignment that can be found in the "Homework" section before. Then, we began our study of Act IV of Romeo and Juliet.
Homework: Students need to finish Act IV of Romeo and Juliet in preparation for a test tomorrow (Tuesday, January 24th). Students also need to finish reading Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes and may begin on their essays. The essay prompt is: "Write a comparitive analysis describing the similarities and differences of Romeo and Moby, with particular emphasis on their relationship with their prospective heroine." Essays will be due Monday, January 30th. Remember, the essay must be typed, with size twelve font (Times New Roman or Calibri only), one-inch margins, double spaced, and must follow all rules of formal grammar that have been discussed in class. Its format must also be in the correct MLA style. Any papers not following this format will receive an automatic zero.
For extra help with verbals, click here.
AHSGE Reading Review
We finished our comparing and contrasting activity today and took a test on the literary elements that we learned about in class last week.
Pre-AP
In today's class, we discussed verbals and how to identify them and use them in our writing. Students were also given an essay assignment that can be found in the "Homework" section before. Then, we began our study of Act IV of Romeo and Juliet.
Homework: Students need to finish Act IV of Romeo and Juliet in preparation for a test tomorrow (Tuesday, January 24th). Students also need to finish reading Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes and may begin on their essays. The essay prompt is: "Write a comparitive analysis describing the similarities and differences of Romeo and Moby, with particular emphasis on their relationship with their prospective heroine." Essays will be due Monday, January 30th. Remember, the essay must be typed, with size twelve font (Times New Roman or Calibri only), one-inch margins, double spaced, and must follow all rules of formal grammar that have been discussed in class. Its format must also be in the correct MLA style. Any papers not following this format will receive an automatic zero.
For extra help with verbals, click here.
AHSGE Reading Review
We finished our comparing and contrasting activity today and took a test on the literary elements that we learned about in class last week.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Friday, January 20th
Pre-AP
Students took a test on Act III of Romeo and Juliet today that also covered their Words of the Day and adverbs. We also began a discussion on figurative language and Freytag's triangle.
Homework: Students need to begin reading Act IV of Romeo and Juliet and should have it finished by Tuesday, January 24th. Students also need to finish Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Friday, January 27th. On that day, they will receive a take-home-essay prompt on the book that will be due on Monday, January 30th. (Please note, this is a change in the original due date of the essay from Monday, January 23rd.)
AHSGE Reading Review
In today's class, we finished our discussion of figurative language and began talking about the difference between comparison and contrast.
Homework: Students should review their figurative language and literary elements notes for a test that will take place on Monday, January 23rd.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Thursday, January 19th
Pre-AP
We finished discussing the different levels of literary interpretation in class today, and began our analysis on Act III of Romeo and Juliet. We also discussed adverbs and did several exercises to make sure we understood this most mysterious of grammatical concepts.
Homework: Students need to finish reading Act III of Romeo and Juliet and be prepared for the test on this section of the play on Friday, January 20th. This test will also cover Words of the Day and adverbs.
For extra help and practice with adverbs, click here.
To access the website that we discussed in class today, a collection of blogs and podcasts about everything grammar, click here.
AHSGE
Figurative language and literary elements were the continued discussion in today's class. Students wrote through several examples of each of the types of figurative language we learned about, and also saw a real-life example of Freytag's triangle at work.
Homework: Students should study over each type of figurative language and be prepared to identify each type on a test that they will take on Monday, January 23rd.
We finished discussing the different levels of literary interpretation in class today, and began our analysis on Act III of Romeo and Juliet. We also discussed adverbs and did several exercises to make sure we understood this most mysterious of grammatical concepts.
Homework: Students need to finish reading Act III of Romeo and Juliet and be prepared for the test on this section of the play on Friday, January 20th. This test will also cover Words of the Day and adverbs.
For extra help and practice with adverbs, click here.
To access the website that we discussed in class today, a collection of blogs and podcasts about everything grammar, click here.
AHSGE
Figurative language and literary elements were the continued discussion in today's class. Students wrote through several examples of each of the types of figurative language we learned about, and also saw a real-life example of Freytag's triangle at work.
Homework: Students should study over each type of figurative language and be prepared to identify each type on a test that they will take on Monday, January 23rd.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Wednesday, January 18th
Pre-AP English
After completing a re-write of the infamous balcony scene today, and performing it for the class, we discussed the different levels of reading that proficient literary students are able to employ. The three levels of reading are base reading, analytical reading, and thematic reading. We then did several activities to reinforce this idea, one of which students will complete for homework.
Homework: Students need to read Act III of Romeo and Juliet and be prepared for a test on it on Friday, January 20th. They also need to read and complete Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes and will have a comparative essay on the book that will be due Wednesday, January 25th. Finally, students need to complete the "Levels of Reading" activity that they started in class.
AHSGE Reading Review
In today's class, we finished talking about predictions and generalizations and began talking about literary elements including plot and figurative language. Students will have a test on these literary elements on Monday, January 23rd.
After completing a re-write of the infamous balcony scene today, and performing it for the class, we discussed the different levels of reading that proficient literary students are able to employ. The three levels of reading are base reading, analytical reading, and thematic reading. We then did several activities to reinforce this idea, one of which students will complete for homework.
Homework: Students need to read Act III of Romeo and Juliet and be prepared for a test on it on Friday, January 20th. They also need to read and complete Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes and will have a comparative essay on the book that will be due Wednesday, January 25th. Finally, students need to complete the "Levels of Reading" activity that they started in class.
AHSGE Reading Review
In today's class, we finished talking about predictions and generalizations and began talking about literary elements including plot and figurative language. Students will have a test on these literary elements on Monday, January 23rd.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Tuesday, January 17th
I hope everyone had a restful Martin Luther King Jr. Day. May our country ever continue its struggle for equality among all its citizens.
Pre-AP
Students took the second test on Romeo and Juliet today, covering Act II and all of the grammar that we have covered in class. They also began a re-write of the infamous "balcony scene" that they will perform for their classmates.
Homework: Begin reading Act III of Romeo and Juliet. The next test will be on Friday, January 20th. Also, students need to procure a copy of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes and have it read by Monday, January 23rd.
AHSGE Reading Review
In today's class, students displayed their knowledge of propaganda and fallacy by taking a test on the subject. Afterwards, they learned about predictions and generalizations and their importance to reading comprehension.
Pre-AP
Students took the second test on Romeo and Juliet today, covering Act II and all of the grammar that we have covered in class. They also began a re-write of the infamous "balcony scene" that they will perform for their classmates.
Homework: Begin reading Act III of Romeo and Juliet. The next test will be on Friday, January 20th. Also, students need to procure a copy of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes and have it read by Monday, January 23rd.
AHSGE Reading Review
In today's class, students displayed their knowledge of propaganda and fallacy by taking a test on the subject. Afterwards, they learned about predictions and generalizations and their importance to reading comprehension.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Friday, January 13th
Pre-AP
In today's class, we discussed sentence objects and complements as well as prepositional phrases. We also finished discussing Act II of Romeo and Juliet.
Homework: Students should finish reading Act II of Romeo and Juliet and prepare for the test they will have on Tuesday. It will cover Words of the Day, all of the grammar we covered in class, as well as Act II of Romeo and Juliet. Students should also order or buy Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes and begin reading it. It must be read by January 20th.
AHSGE Reading Review
In class today, we reviewed all the concepts we covered this week in preparation for a propaganda test on Tuesday.
To download a copy of the propaganda powerpoint, click here.
In today's class, we discussed sentence objects and complements as well as prepositional phrases. We also finished discussing Act II of Romeo and Juliet.
Homework: Students should finish reading Act II of Romeo and Juliet and prepare for the test they will have on Tuesday. It will cover Words of the Day, all of the grammar we covered in class, as well as Act II of Romeo and Juliet. Students should also order or buy Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes and begin reading it. It must be read by January 20th.
AHSGE Reading Review
In class today, we reviewed all the concepts we covered this week in preparation for a propaganda test on Tuesday.
To download a copy of the propaganda powerpoint, click here.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Thursday, January 12th
Pre-AP
Today's class was very action-oriented. Verbs dominated our discussion for the first part of class, as we studied transitive and intransitive verbs. Then, we continued with our analysis of Romeo and Juliet, as we discussed the infamous balcony scene, and what Shakespeare was actually trying to tell us about the two titular characters in this scene.
Homework: Students need to finish reading Act II of Romeo and Juliet in preparation for the Act II test on Tuesday, January 17th. This test will also include all of the grammar and Words of the Day that we have covered in class. Additionally, students need to procure a copy of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes and to begin reading it.
AHSGE
Students in today's class were introduced to the difference between facts and opinions and were asked to use their new-found fallacy knowledge to determine why certain moral dilemmas were inherently flawed.
Today's class was very action-oriented. Verbs dominated our discussion for the first part of class, as we studied transitive and intransitive verbs. Then, we continued with our analysis of Romeo and Juliet, as we discussed the infamous balcony scene, and what Shakespeare was actually trying to tell us about the two titular characters in this scene.
Homework: Students need to finish reading Act II of Romeo and Juliet in preparation for the Act II test on Tuesday, January 17th. This test will also include all of the grammar and Words of the Day that we have covered in class. Additionally, students need to procure a copy of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes and to begin reading it.
AHSGE
Students in today's class were introduced to the difference between facts and opinions and were asked to use their new-found fallacy knowledge to determine why certain moral dilemmas were inherently flawed.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Wednesday, January 11th
Pre-AP
Today we took the first test on Romeo and Juliet. The test also covered Secret Life of Bees, the grammar we have studied in class, and the Words of the Day. After the test, we continued to delve into Romeo and Juliet, finishing our discussion of Act I and starting Act II.
Homework: Students should begin reading Act II of Romeo and Juliet. Each student also needs to order or buy a copy of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes.
AHSGE Reading Review
Today, we continued our discussion of propaganda. We watched several cartoons from the WWII-era Warner Bros collection, and saw that even then propaganda was used to try and influence our thinking about the war. We also began discussing logical fallacies.
Today we took the first test on Romeo and Juliet. The test also covered Secret Life of Bees, the grammar we have studied in class, and the Words of the Day. After the test, we continued to delve into Romeo and Juliet, finishing our discussion of Act I and starting Act II.
Homework: Students should begin reading Act II of Romeo and Juliet. Each student also needs to order or buy a copy of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes.
AHSGE Reading Review
Today, we continued our discussion of propaganda. We watched several cartoons from the WWII-era Warner Bros collection, and saw that even then propaganda was used to try and influence our thinking about the war. We also began discussing logical fallacies.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Tuesday, January 10th
Pre-AP
In today's class, we discussed adjectives and finished up our Shakespeare notes. We also began discussing Act I of Romeo and Juliet.
Homework: Students should finish reading Act I of Romeo and Juliet. They should also study for their exam tomorrow, which will cover Secret Life of Bees, Romeo and Juliet Act I, Nouns, Pronouns, and the Words of the Day. Students also need to buy or order a copy of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by January 18th.
AHSGE Reading Review
Today we took a test on main ideas, supporting details, and adequate summaries. Afterwards, we began studying propaganda and its effects on our society and societies in the past.
For a copy of the propaganda powerpoint, click here.
For a copy of the propaganda powerpoint, click here.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Monday, January 9th
It's that day! Roll Tide!
Pre-AP
Pronouns, antecedents, and the Bourgeoisie were the topics of today's class. Specifically, we discussed Shakespeare's life and the elements that led up to his prominence as the Bard. Again, a copy of the Shakespeare PowerPoint can be downloaded by clicking here.
Homework: Read Romeo and Juliet Act I and be prepared for a test on it on Wednesday, January 11th. Also, make sure that you are endeavoring to obtain a copy of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, and that you are reviewing Secret Life of Bees and the class notes on Parts-of-Speech in preparation for Wednesday's test.
AHSGE Reading Review
Today we discussed supporting details and summarizing passages. A copy of the notes for finding supporting details can be found by clicking here. A copy of the notes for adequately summarizing a passage can be found by clicking here.
Homework: Review all notes on finding main ideas, finding supporting details, and writing adequate summaries in preparation for a test on the concepts tomorrow.
Pre-AP
Pronouns, antecedents, and the Bourgeoisie were the topics of today's class. Specifically, we discussed Shakespeare's life and the elements that led up to his prominence as the Bard. Again, a copy of the Shakespeare PowerPoint can be downloaded by clicking here.
Homework: Read Romeo and Juliet Act I and be prepared for a test on it on Wednesday, January 11th. Also, make sure that you are endeavoring to obtain a copy of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, and that you are reviewing Secret Life of Bees and the class notes on Parts-of-Speech in preparation for Wednesday's test.
AHSGE Reading Review
Today we discussed supporting details and summarizing passages. A copy of the notes for finding supporting details can be found by clicking here. A copy of the notes for adequately summarizing a passage can be found by clicking here.
Homework: Review all notes on finding main ideas, finding supporting details, and writing adequate summaries in preparation for a test on the concepts tomorrow.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Friday, December 6th
As we get started into the year, I want to make sure to stress the importance of pacing yourself academically, both in my class and in your other classes as well. By and large, the best method of studying is not to wait until the night before something is due or before a test and to try and cram all of the information in at one time. The best course of action to take is to study over your class notes and materials each night, slowly absorbing the information and storing in your long-term, rather than short term memory. Please take my advice on this matter, as it will make your life MUCH, MUCH easier!
Pre-AP
Today's class was such a character! After studying about the different types of nouns, students created imaginary character about whom they will be writing for the rest of the semester! Then, we studied the structure of a five-paragraph essay, with special emphasis on the components and importance of the introduction paragraph. A downloadable copy of the character worksheet can be found by clicking here. A copy of the five-paragraph worksheet can be found by clicking here. BOTH worksheets, if not finished in class, are due on Monday, January 9th.
To finish out the class, we began a discussion of Shakespeare and Shakespearean England. A copy of the Shakespeare PowerPoint can be downloaded by clicking here .
Homework: There are several homework assignments for the weekend. They are:
- Finish the Hunger Games essay. It is due on Monday, January 9th. (It must be five-paragraphs long, typed, and double spaced with a title. The essay is on the presence of prejudice in The Hunger Games.)
- Buy and bring in a composition notebook for a class journal.
- Bring in the signed information form that is an addendum to the class syllabus.
- Finish the "Character Worksheet" and "Five-Paragraph" worksheet (copies of which can be found above).
- Buy or order a copy of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. It is due on January 18th.
- Begin reading Romeo and Juliet, Act I. There will be a test on Act I and Secret Life of Bees on Wednesday, January 11th.
If you have any questions, please email me and let me know.
AHSGE Reading Review
After beginning Catching Fire today, we started studying main ideas: what they are and how a student can identify them.
A copy of the main idea notes can be found by clicking here.
To practice with this new concept, we looked at examples of main ideas across several different mediums.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Thursday, January 5th
Welcome back to a new year at Hillcrest!! I'm sure the break seemed short, but I'm excited to get things rolling!!
This blog is meant to be used by both students and parents to keep up with the classwork and homework in Pre-AP English and the AHSGE Reading Review class taught by Justin Ray. If you have questions about anything in the course, please let me know by emailing me at jlray@tcss.net
Pre-AP
To start out the year, we did the normal introductory stuff. You know, personal introductions, syllabus review, etc., etc. The main thing you need to look at for today is the homework, found below:
Homework: There are several things that you need to do to start your year off right! They are:
-- Re-read through the class syllabus and have your parent or legal guardian fill out the information sheet that accompanies the syllabus. THESE ARE DUE ON MONDAY, JANUARY 9th and will be your first grade in the class!
-- Begin writing a five-paragraph, typed essay on the role that prejudice plays in The Hunger Games. THIS IS ALSO DUE ON MONDAY, JANUARY 9TH!!
-- Order or buy Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. A great and cheap place to buy it is www.half.com . You will need a copy of this book by Wednesday, January 18th.
-- Begin reading Romeo and Juliet Act I. We will have a quiz on it (and The Secret Life of Bees) on Wednesday, January 11th.
AHSGE Reading Review
In today's class, we introduced ourselves and covered the class syllabus. We also began watching a documentary from 20/20 about education on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and the challenges that teenagers there must overcome in order to receive an education. The point of this activity is to prove that no matter a student's background, he or she can accomplish anything he or she sets his or her mind to. We need to make sure to start this year off right by preparing our minds to pass the graduation exam in March.
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