Thursday, September 30, 2010

Today, you will read the short story "Outside Edges" on pages 48 to 58 in your Viewpoints I2 text.
You will then write a short story critique on it for tomorrow.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Today, we reviewed the sentences you identified literary terms in.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Today, you wrote a short story critique for the short story "The Painted Door". While you were doing this, I met with those of you who had handed in your topic responses (19 personal ones). The critiques are due tomorrow.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Today, we discussed the questions you had to answer for the short story "The Painted Door" by Sinclair Ross. We then discussed the Fit to Print section critique you did. If you were given it back with marks on it, I want it to be fixed.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Today, you read the short story "The Painted Door", by Sinclair Ross. You then had to answer the questions provided which are due on Monday.

The questions are as follows:
For each of the following, answer "Yes" or no to whether they are present or not within this sotry. If they are present, provide one example verbatim and the page number after in brackets (ie: "Moodily she went to the window...(p. 225)"

Direct Characterization

Description

Action

Speech

Thoughts

Environment

Other's comments about the character

Name that is revealing (and, if so, how)

CHARACTER TYPES: For each of the following, answer "yes" or no to whether they are present or not. If they are present, provide the name of the character.

Static character

Developing character

round character

Flat character

Stock character

PLOT: Answer these questions in point form:

What is the setting of this story?

What is teh initial incisent in this story?

What is the climax of this story?

What is the conflict in this story? Provide the type (ie., person agains person) and a summary of the conflict.

What is the point of view presented in this story? How do you know that this is the point of view? Explain.

What is the topic of this short story?

What is the theme of this short story?

Are there any symbols present in this short story? Explain.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Today, I returned your multiple choice marks to you. We then discussed how to do an article/chapter critique again. I gave you an exemplar to use when redoing the one you already handed in (if you had less than a 100 %).
I also handed out a booklet for the short story unit which you are to have read by tomorrow.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Today, you wrote your multiple choice unit exam. Tomorrow, we will start the short story unit.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Today, you wrote an in-class essay as part of your essay unit final. This was a personal essay used previously by Alberta Learning (June, 2010). Remember that you have your multiple choice final tomorrow (study your terminology and bring a pencil!)

Friday, September 17, 2010

Today, in preparation for writing personal responses, we did the following:
Read it all to understand.
List of previous Personal Response themes

Example question:

What do these texts suggest to you about the ways in which the desire for independence and the need for security shape an individual’s identity? Support your idea(s) with reference to one or more of the texts presented and to your previous knowledge and/or experience

survival and endurance against difficulties
the struggle to maintain identity through commitment to a belief, cause, or goal.
the effect of external or internal factors that impose limitations on lives
the influence (power) of imagination in people’s lives
factors that contribute to and result from an individual’s desire to escape
human isolation and its effect on individual lives
the influence of dreams, goals, or ideals
the impact of significant experiences on an individual’s life
the nature and effect of individual responses to opposing forces or views
the consequence of the individual response to risk-taking
the significance of ideals and its pursuit in the shaping of an individual’s life.
The significance of an individual’s response to challenge
how an individual’s ability to persevere influences his or her life
characters’ responses to circumstances that compel them
characters’ responses to unfamiliar situations in their lives
characters’ responses to difficult situations
the significance of characters’ responses to the varied behaviours and/or beliefs of others
the desire for independence and the need for security
Interplay between fear and foresight when individuals make life-altering choices

If you look at the bolded words in the example question, you will notice that you could rewrite it, plunking in any of the themes below to create a new focus. This is what Alberta Learning does! I want you to write out each one as a complete question (use the computers if possible) and then come up with a thesis and personal example to back that position up (look for the topic words as well before you start).

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Today, we reviewed the provincial exam resources available from Alberta Education (I have put the address in your portfolio). We then discussed the chapter summaries for Fit to Print. The citation information is dated, so I handed out a supplemental sheet on how to cite sources (APA style) and we worked through this in class. Finally, I provided you with time tonight to fix your chapter summaries.
Keep in mind that you have an in class essay on Monday and an in class MC exam on Tuesday (unit exam).

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Today, I handed out a chapter/section critique rubric for students to follow when they are reading assigned sections in Fit to Print. We then discussed the part A first assignment: Personal Response to texts and examined a piece of writing from a previous response. The students had to highlight it according to opinion and fact in order to ascertain if the student is on the right track (and then use this to help them in their own writing). I then assigned pages 3 to 11 for reading and doing a critique on. This is due tomorrow.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Today, we examined fact vs. opinion (I handed out a sheet - if you were not here, it is in your portfolio). I then gave you the essay "parents as People (with kids)" which you were to read and highlight all factual sentences in one colour and all opinion sentences in another. Then you were to answer all of the multiple choice questions presented fully. I then handed out a sheet of terms to be filled in without a dictionary (if you read actively, you would already have them highlighted and defined on your page). There are also questions related to thesis and topic which need to be answered.
For homework, you are to examine the answers you got back from the Fit to Print book. There were a number of you who didn't look in the pages but simply at the index. Fix this so you get an idea of how the book is useful.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Today, we went over the multiple choice (practice PDE) you finished on Friday. I then discussed the personal essay you wrote with you. Some of you are not writing anything personal, which is where you are losing marks. As this is one of the pieces of writing you will have to do for the end of the year, we will work on it more. There is no homework for tonight with the exception of studying your terminology.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Today, you finished working on the practice PDA you started yesterday. If you finished early, you used the time left for your novel study. There is no homework this weekend with the exception of studying your terminology, which should be ongoing.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Today, you wrote a journal and then worked on a copy of a released provincial exam. This is to be treated as an exam, but the purpose is to determine what kind of mark you would realistically get at this point and areas of weakness that we can improve upon. I have stressed to the class that this mark will be entered as a completion mark so the actual mark will only be for reflective purposes. If you were not here, you need to arrange to do this in your own time (though it is a two day activity so you could get some done tomorrow if you are here).

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Today, we worked in groups to defend the answers arrived at for the essay "The Pleasures of Love". You then took notes on some of the writing problems I found in your essays as a whole. There is no homework.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Today, we worked on the most effective way to address and answer multiple choice questions. You were to answer multiple choice questions based on the excerpt of the essay "The Pleasures of Love", which you read last week. This begins as an individual activity but then branches into a group one. You should have finished answering the individual questions. If not, they are due for tomorrow. If you were not here, you will need to check your portfolio in the morning so you can get caught up.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Today, you wrote your first in-class essay. This was a personal essay. If you were not here, we have already made arrangements to have you in after school on Tuesday.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Today, the students filled in a worksheet to help them understand how to use the text Fit to Print. This text can be used in the part B final for both English and Social Studies so knowledge of it is vital to success.
I then handed out an excerpt from the essay, "The Pleasures of Love". This is to be read actively.
Your first essay will be tomorrow. The subject will be fulfillment. You will have the knowledge of two essays to help you develop your ideas but will not have the essays themselves in the room with you. Further, you will have the choice of bringing Fit to Print in with you as well. This will be a personal essay.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Today, we discussed "The Dimensions of a Complete Life" by Martin Luther King Jr. You were to answer questions for today which I checked. You then had to complete the following assignment:

Create a visual on a 11 X 17 sheet of paper provided, using a triangle in the middle. Put the thesis at the top, the three dimensions where they belong, and then the evidence King uses to support the three dimensions in the appropriate places.

This is due for tomorrow.