Holiday Break

Have a great break! Do it!

1984

Students received copies of 1984 today. They are to complete the following assignment for HW: Read the following: • Chapter 1-This section contains the “2 Minutes Hate”. Respond to the following in writing: Compare the details of the scene to a real life example. What countries or organizations unite people through hatred of a common enemy? What is the face of the enemy?

1984

We discussed more privacy issues today. College essay/cover letter rough drafts are due tomorrow.

college essay/cover letter

Students will have 2 class periods to work on their essay assignment (12/3 and 12/4). Students received handouts guiding them in writing good essays and resumes.

Resume/College essay

Resumes were due today. Students will begin working on college essays/cover letters next week.

Facebook

Today we discussed the dangers of Facebook and how employers can check the pages of prospective employees. We discussed specific blunders that can get people fired.

College Essays

We are currently working on a college essay/resume unit. Students will be working on these assignments throughout the week.

The Things I Carry

Students completed questions for Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong and began brainstorming and drafting their TTIC essays. Here are the questions: Names: __________________________________ The Things They Carried: chapter questions - 20 points Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong 1. This story plays with truth. O’Brien tells us, “I heard it from Rat Kiley, who swore up and down to it’s truth, although in the end, I’ll admit, that doesn’t amount to much of a warranty” (101). How does O’Brien engage you in a story which, up front, he’s already admitted is probably not “true”? How is this a “true war story” even though it is fictional? 2. How does O’Brien use physical details to show Mary Anne’s change? (Think of her gestures, her clothes, her actions.) How, specifically, has she changed? And why? 3. Why do you think O’Brien keeps stopping the story so that other characters can comment on it (i.e. page 108)? How do these other conversations add to Mary Anne’s story? 4. Does it matter what happened, in the end, to Mary Anne? Would this be a better story if we knew, precisely, what happened to her after she left camp? Or does this vague ending add to the story? Either way, why? 5. Why do you think she changed? What did the change symbolize?

Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong

Today we read and discussed SSTB in class. Our focus is still on story truth vs happening truth. We will begin drafting the Things I Carry essay/poem tomorrow in class.

Big Fish questions

Students worked in groups responding to the following handout: The Power of Symbolism Edward Bloom loved to tell the story of the day his son was born. He said he’d been trying to catch a certain big fish his whole life. On the day his son was born he was out fishing, and he caught sight of the big fish again. He used his wedding ring as bait, and the fish chomped down. He was then in a predicament—his wedding ring was in the jaws of this great fish. What would he do? Finally, the fish tossed back the ring and swam away. [Q] Why does Edward enjoy telling this story? What does it mean to him? Will is angry when his father tells this story at Will’s wedding. He tells his father he’s just a footnote in the story, and anyway, Edward was on a business trip to Wichita, not on a fishing trip, the day Will was born. [Q] Why does Edward tell this story at Will’s wedding? What does the story reveal about Edward’s feelings for Will? [Q] What does the big fish represent? What meaning(s) does it hold for Edward? For each of the following items, provide what you feel actually happened. Consider what the core truth of each story is and why these people were at Edward’s funeral. Carl the giant The first visit to Spectre The werewolf The courtship of Sandra The double torso woman and his experience during the war Norther Winslow (bank robbery) The second visit to Spectre

Big Fish

We are currently viewing the film Big Fish and discussing how it presents the ideas of story truth vs. happening truth.

Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong

Today we discussed the issues surrounding women in the military and began reading SSTB.

The Things I Carry essay

Today students were introduced to their next writing assignment and began the brainstorming process. Write your own “Things I Carry/Carried” essay or poem. This needs to be something you carry both literally and figuratively. The more emotion you incorporate, the better it will be! Include the weight of some of the items you carry due to this figurative condition. While writing and editing, pay close attention to your use of voice and incorporate elements of figurative language. Your final draft must include at least: ______ five similes and/or metaphors, ______ two uses of personification, and ______ one example of hyperbole. You will have time to edit and add these elements in class. Complete the brainstorming worksheet to help you decide on a topic. Some example topics include: (This is just a brief list. The options are endless.) • “The Things I Carry as the Son of a Perfectionist” • “The Things I Carry as the Daughter of Breast Cancer Survivor” • “The Things I Carry as the Black Sheep of My Family” • “The Things I Carry as a Waitress” • “The Things I Carry as Wrestler”

The Man I Killed/Ambush/Good Form

We read all 3 stories in class and had a group discussion in response to the following prompts: “The Man I Killed” Why does O’Brien go into so much detail about the man’s life? How does he know these things? What is the focus of this story? “Ambush” This is another story about the same event. What is the reason for this? What is the focus of this story? Explain the repetition of the dead man’s description in both stories. “Good Form” What is the focus of the 3rd story dealing with the same subject? Explain why O’Brien would write the story 3 different ways with the focus and the facts changing each time.

Story truth/happening truth

Students worked in groups discussing the happening truth of each of the stories we have read from The Things They Carried.

How to Tell a True War Story

Today we read "How to Tell a True War Story" and discussed the importance of facts in a story. Final drafts of Division/Classification essays are due on Monday.

Enemies/Friends

Today we discussed the characteristics of friends and enemies. We then read two stories about this topic and discussed.

Division/Classification

Students completed a peer editing activity today. The final draft of their division/classification essay (100pts) is due on Monday.

Love/Spin

Today we read and discussed the story truth of the stories "Love" and "Spin".

The Things They Carried

Today we discussed the importance of tangible and intangible items carried by soldiers and students.

The Things They Carried

We continued reading and discussing the story in class. Students are to finish reading the story for HW and complete the following questions: The Things They Carried Study Questions The Things They Carried: 1. In what sense does Jimmy love Martha? Why does he construct this elaborate (mostly fictional) relationship with her? What does he get out of it? 2. When is Jimmy most likely to think about Martha? Why is he thinking about her while one of his platoon members is in the tunnel? 3. Why did Lieutenant Jimmy Cross feel guilty about Ted Lavender’s death? In what sense is Ted Lavender’s death his fault? 4. Here is his excuse for allowing his men to be lax: “He was just a kid at war, in love.” Why does Jimmy use this excuse? In what sense does it excuse him? In what sense, doesn’t it? 5. Why do the soldiers tell jokes about war, about killing? Why do they use profanity? 6. How is the idea of weight used and developed in this story (“Jungle boots, 2.1 pounds.”)? How do you, as a reader, feel reading those lists of weight? What effect does it have on you? 7. If this is a story about sacrifice, what does Jimmy sacrifice, and why? 8. How has Jimmy changed by the end of the story? How will he be a different person from this point on? What has he learned about himself? Or, to put it another way, what has he lost and what has he gained? 9. Do you think the war will affect him in a different way now that he refuses to think about Martha? How will it be different? What did “Martha” save him from?

Division and Classification essay

On Friday, students continued working on the D/C essays in class. I also returned their Why I Write essays along with a goal sheet that they will continue to fill out as the year progresses. The D/C essay is due Tuesday.

Division/Classification

Today we discussed tone, audience, purpose, effectiveness, and structure regarding the assembly the students attended yesterday. We then continued brainstorming ideas for a division/classification essay which is due Tuesday 10/9.

Division/classification essay

Today the students began brainstorming topics for their essay. We read a sample essay and then discussed hobbies/interests and began breaking them down.

Division and Classification

Students continued brainstorming topics that I gave them. They had to classify them according to their personal views. We then began putting them into an outline form.

brainstorming

We continued discussing the essay about lies. Students were then givenn a list of topics to divide and classify in small groups. We will continue brainstorming on Monday. Here is the list:  Types of cars  People’s temperaments or personality types  Vacations or holidays  People’s styles of spending money  Types of restaurants, or subcategories (such as types of fast food restaurants)  Clothing styles for your age group  Types of stores or shopping malls  Some type of activity, types of people or literature or entertainment that you like or dislike a great deal)

Lies

Today we began discussing the division and classification essay the students will be beginning. The students completed the following free write activity and discussed their responses: Write about some of the lies you have told. Why did you lie? What were the consequences (if any)? We then read a division and classification essay on the subject of lying. We will continue with this activity tomorrow.

final draft

Students are to turn in the final draft of their Why I Write essay on Thursday.

Anthem

I collected essay revisions today which are worth 10 possible points. We then continued viewing the documentary on North Korea and discussed connections to the novel. Anthem questions are due Monday.

Anthem free write

The students completed a free write on Anthem and discussed their thoughts. We then viewed a clip from The Vice Guide to North Korea in an effort to make connections between Anthem and real world conditions. The "Why I Write" revisions are due tomorrow. Anthem-Free write Anthem is a novel about a government that has stripped its citizens of individuality. What are some similarities to your life? Differences? Is this novel too extreme or is this a possible future? Explain. Connect some aspects of Anthem to different parts of the world. The citizens have been completely indoctrinated. In other words, they have only been given one side of the story and accept it without question. How have you been indoctrinated? Have you overcome indoctrination? Explain.

Essay revisions/Anthem

Today we began revising the Why I Write essay. Students are to incorporate figurative language throughout their next draft. This draft is due Friday. Students also received the following assignment for Anthem which is due Monday: Name: _____________________________ English 12B Anthem sections VI- XII Please answer the following questions as you read. VI. 1. What is Equality 7-2521’s punishment? VII. 1. Explain the following quote: “We are old now, yet we were young this morning” (Rand 68). 2. Why is the Council horrified at Equality’s discovery? (p. 73-74) VIII. 1. What emotion is Equality 7-2521 experiencing for the first time? IX. 1. What does Equality learn to do for the first time as he walks through the forest? (p. 86) X. 1. What is strange and unique about the house discovered by Equality and Liberty? XI. 1. What does Equality 7-2521 now realize is the goal and purpose of his life? XII. 1. What does the following quote mean to you as you prepare to graduate this year? “To be free, a man must be free of his brothers” (Rand 101).

Music

Today we read a division and classification essay on music and discussed. The "Why I Write" essay is due tomorrow.

Anthem

Today we began reading Anthem and discussing collectivism. Students are to read through part V and complete the following questions by Wednesday of next week: Name: _____________________________ English 12B Anthem sections I-V Please answer the following questions as you read. I. 1. Why is the word “alone” fearful? (p.17) 2. How does Rand create Equality 7-2521 so that he stands out from his brothers? (p.18) 3. What is Equality’s great sin? (p. 21) 4. Where are men sent at age 40? (p.28) 5. What has Equality 7-2521 stolen? Why? (p. 35-36) II. 1. How does Equality feel about Liberty 5-3000? What is Equality’s name for them? 2. At what time are they sent to the Palace of Mating? Why? 3. Why was a man burned alive? (p. 49) III. 1. What has Equality 7-2521 discovered? IV. 1. What name does Liberty 5-3000 give Equality? Is this perfect for him? Explain. 2. Would you be a friend to Equality 7-2521? Why/why not? V. 1. What does Equality 7-2521 wonder for the first time? (p. 61) 2. Why don’t inmates try to escape from prison?

Why I Write

Students must complete an essay titled Why I Write, Why I Read, or Why I Read and Write. This essay is due Tuesday 9/18.

Why I Read/Why I Write

We are currently discussing why we read and write. This will be the basis for the first writing assignment of the year.

Education

Today we read a speech from a valedictorian that criticizes education. We then discussed and began responding to the following questions: Reflect on Erica Goldson’s June 2010 graduation speech. The bullets below are just suggestions on what you may want to discuss in your free-write response. • Find your favorite passage/quote and explain why you liked it. • What points do you agree with in the speech? What points do you disagree with? Explain, • Was it a good speech? Was it appropriate? Think about audience and purpose. Are you surprised the valedictorian was allowed to give this speech? Why might a principal, superintendent, teacher, etc. approve such a speech? Why might I give you such a speech to read on your first day of your senior year? • How can students learn from this speech? How can teachers learn from this speech? • How can I run this English class in your final year at High Point so that your number one goal for the year will not be “to get out as soon as possible”? How can I “support you” rather than “hold you down”? • What can you do to change your ways in order to not be “disheartened” in the classroom?

Welcome class of 2013.