In Class Writing

Goal: On demand, in class, writing assessment.

Agenda: 
Assessment
Read when you finish your essay.

Our assessment: 
Earlier this week you read a poem and yesterday you read a short story. Today you will be writing an essay comparing them. I will give you the prompt in class.

Use THIS LINK to get back to the short story you read yesterday.
I'll pass back your annotated poem in class.

Absent? 
See Mrs. Roberts after spring break to make up this assessment. You'll probably need to do it after school unless another teacher is willing to let you miss a class.

Got a good book? 
Today is a really good day to make sure you have a good book (or two) to read over break.
You can also get the Overdrive app and connect it to your public library card to read ebooks and audiobooks for free.

A little assessment

Goal: Read some new texts so that you can write about them tomorrow.

Agenda: 
Read
Readings for assessment

New Text: 

• I've shared a new story with you using GoFormative. 
• Be sure to click on the green and blue boxes as you read to get more information and answer some questions. If you can't answer a question go back and re-read until you can answer the question. 
• Click HERE to go to the story. (Let me know if you need help getting access.)
• If you want to use the older (more reliable) version of GoFormative click HERE. 

Essay Coming Soon:
In our next class you will be writing essays in class comparing this story to the poem you read yesterday.

CALL IT IN:

• You can still call in your dramatic reading. 

Spring break is a great time to catch up or get ahead 
on reading a book you enjoy. 

Do you have a good book to read over break? 

Poetry Jigsaw and Logistics

Goals: Share out the poem you read yesterday and apply the SIFT protocol to a new one.

Agenda: 
Read
Upcoming assessments
Poetry Jigsaw
New poem

Upcoming assessments: 

• Comparative Analysis essays final drafts are due tomorrow. 
• Friday you have an in class essay test. You'll be writing about a poem and a short story, comparative analysis. Thursday you'll get a chance to read the short story. 
• Your next book review #8, will be due April 19th. Read over spring break. 
• Book review #9 will be different. Don't start writing it. I'll give you more information in April. 

Poetry Jigsaw: 

Pull up the SIFT document you created yesterday. Tell the people at your table about the poem you read and discuss the symbolism, imagery, figurative language, tone, and theme. 

New Poem:

I'm giving you a new poem on paper. Put your NAME and period on it. 

You need to read it and apply your sift strategies. You can talk about it with your group. 

I'm collecting it before you leave. 

Reminders: 

Bring back your course request form signed. 

SIFTing Poems

Goal: Further practice SIFTing poems. 

Agenda: 
Read
SIFTing a poem with your group.

Due Date: 

• Last week we had writing groups for your comparative analysis papers. 
• I told you the final draft would be due this week. 
• You should have your's finished and ready for grading by Thursday 3/23. 

SIFTing a poem:

• Today you will be getting more practice SIFTing poems with a small group. 
• Use this document to organize your thinking about the poem. (Don't share this with me.)
• Complete the organizer ALL the way through writing the paragraph at the bottom.
• PASTE that paragraph into your English Journal
• Tomorrow you will present this poem to a different group. Be prepared to explain your analysis. 

Poems for Groups
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
Group 5
Group 6

Absent? Choose a poem to SIFT on your own. Be sure to paste that paragraph about the poem into your English Journal when you are done. 

Lets check out some poetry

Goal: Looking at some poetry, entry into analysis.

Agenda:
Read
Looking closely at a poem
SIFT poetry analysis
English Journal Entry

Comparative Analysis for Poetry
Comparative analysis means looking closely at two things and comparing how they work. We did this with some short stories and then compared what an author does with a story to what a director does with a film. Now we will try it with some poetry.

A bit of poetry: 
We are going to look at some techniques for reading poetry this week.

1. Read this poem A Barred Owl by Richard Wilbur. Read it a few times until you are comfortable with the literal meaning of the poem.

3. Let's look at this prezi about poetry analysis together.

4. Use this document to organize your thinking about the poem. You do not need to share it with me.
5. Be sure to complete the paragraph at the end of the doc AND paste it into your English Journal.

Self Score and AOW

Goals: Self score your English Journal and read/write about an article.

Agenda:
Read, make sure you have a good book for the weekend.
English Journal self score
Article of the week.

1. English Journal Self Score:

1. Open your English Journal
2. Review the English Journal Scoring Guide. 
3. Determine how you would score your English Journal. 
4. PASTE this sentence below into the TOP of your English Journal and be sure it is complete. 

March 17, 2017 Self Score:        
I believe I have earned a ______ <<(Your score 1-5) on my English Journal because_______________________ _______________ <<(Your reasons you think you earned that score.) 

2. Article of the Week:

• President Trump issued executive order about travel to the US on 3/6. 
• The article you'll read today is about how this travel order compares to the previous order. 
• It is assigned to you in Newsela. It was originally published by the Associated Press. 
• The new order went into effect yesterday, so you may be hearing about it in the news, but headlines and TV news can't fill in the details. Reading about it will make you more informed. 
• Get the article HERE and be sure to sign in with Google to access the article. 

3. Respond to the article in your English Journal

1. Write one paragraph summarizing the article.
2. Write a second paragraph exploring your opinion about the issues and events of the article. 

Reminders: 

Keep reading

I'll be grading EJs this weekend. 

Ms. Love is already grading book reviews. Ask her about that grade if you need to. 

Returned your signed course request form if you still have it. 

Book Review Day

Goal: Making sure you have two reviews of books you've read recently on your book review document.

Agenda: 
Read 10 minutes  (Got a new book? Check it out!)
Book reviews
Catch up

1. Book Reviews

1. Open the Book Reviews document Mrs. R sent you back in January. 
2. Add two new reviews at the TOP of the document. 
3. Be sure to include dates for your new reviews. 
4. Label them Review #6 and Review #7. 
5. Follow the Book Review Structure chart for your reviews. 
6. New to our class? If you were not in our class in January you may not have this document. Create a new Google Doc for your reviews. Share it with Mrs. R and Ms. Love. (Name it: period, last name, first name, Book Reviews.)

2. Comparative Analysis Essay

This week you got peer feedback about your essay. The final draft will be due next week. Many of you have some work to do to revise your essay before you turn in the final draft. 

3. English Journal

Tomorrow you will self score your English Journal. Is everything in it complete? Are you sure? 

4. Call in your dramatic reading

Some of you still have not called in your dramatic reading assignment. See the tab above for more info. This is a quick grade boost if you get it done today. 

5. Read

Done with all of the above? Really? You may read. Enjoy.

Reminders:
Returned your signed course request form if you still have it.

Writing Groups for Comparative Analysis Essays

Goal: Writing groups for your comparative analysis essays.

Agenda:
Read
Writing Group Procedures
Writing Groups
Debrief

Writing Groups: 

• Sharing your writing with a group will help you improve your writing and learn what a reader might think while reading your work. 
• Follow the procedures in the chart or on THIS PAGE with your group. 

Reminders: 

Read! (Really not kidding about that. Book reviews happen this week!)

Make revisions to your comparative analysis essay. Final drafts will be due next week.
English Journals due Thursday.

Catch up day

Goal: Catch up and/or get ahead.

NOTE: Return course requests paper signed ASAP. (I'm passing them out today.)

Agenda:
Read
Reading Progress
Quick write
Catch up and get ahead

Reading progress:
Update me on your reading progress.

Quick write: (In your English Journal)
Describe the process of writing your comparative analysis essay. What was difficult about it? What was easy? What do you know now about writing essays that you didn't understand before?

Catch Up Day:
The grading period ends this Friday! Tomorrow we will have writing groups for your comparative analysis papers. Today I want to give you some time to catch up and/or get ahead. I suggest you work on these things in this order.

1. Finish your comparative analysis essay. Ms. Baker's blog has some helpful resources too. 
2. Write one of your book reviews. Make sure it is on your book review doc. 
3. Make sure you have all assignments in your English Journal complete.
4. Call in your dramatic reading. 
5. Read your book so you will be finished by Wednesday. 
6. Check PS for work you need to do to bring up grades in other classes. 

Reminders:

Complete draft (all paragraphs) of your comparative analysis essay is due tomorrow. 

Visiting the Counselors

Goal: Visit the counseling office to check on your course requests.

Agenda:
Visit the counselors
Read while you wait

• Today we will be in the counseling office to review your course selections for next year.
• Bring your book so you can read while you wait your turn.

Back in class?
If we make it back to class before the end of the period you should:

• Work on the essay we've been writing this week.
• Keep reading. 

Reminders:

Complete draft (all paragraphs) of your essay due 3/14.
Keep reading. We will be doing book reviews on 3/15.
Call in your dramatic reading before 3/16. See tab above. 

Adding an introduction and conclusion

Goals: Adding introduction and conclusions to your essay. 

Agenda:
Read
Dramatic Reading
Working on your essay

Dramatic Reading: 
An opportunity to show off your dramatic reading skills for course credit. 
I'll explain more in class. See also the tab above for more information. 

Essay Work: Introduction:

1. The names of the authors and the titles of their work. 
2. A brief summary (one-three sentence) of the gist of each creation, text or film.
3. A thesis statement that explains how the author and director use similar or different techniques to create the irony, moods, and themes in their works.

Conclusion: 

1. Restate your claims, hint look at the beginning of each of your body paragraphs. 
2. Restate your thesis statement from the introduction. 

Period 3: We will be going to the field for the ROTC Pass and Review Ceremony. 

Reminders: 

Keep writing. Draft of your complete essay is due Tuesday 3/14. 

Keep reading. Book reviews happen on Wednesday 3/15. 
Tomorrow we visit the counselors. Bring a good book. 

Making Progress on our Essay

Goal: The essay continues. Your goal today is the paragraph on theme.

Agenda:
Read
Make progress on your essay.

Resources: 

Collected Evidence: The examples you submitted.

Examples of Theme Mood and Irony in Cask of Amontillado

Examples of Theme Mood and Irony in Night of the Hunter

Absent yesterday? 

1. We worked on the irony paragraph. See below. 
2. Review the writing task below. 

Writing Task:Consider the short story “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe and the movie The Night of The Hunter (1955) directed by Charles Laughton. What techniques do the author and director use to create the theme and mood?
Write a comparison/contrast essay discussing the similarities and differences between these two works. Keep in mind how the author and filmmaker use various literary and cinematic techniques to create mood, theme, and irony.

Reminders: 
We visit counselors Friday 3/10. Bring a good book to read while you wait. 
Keep writing. Draft of your complete essay is due Tuesday 3/14. 
Keep reading. Book reviews happen on Wednesday 3/15. (Or maybe Thursday 3/16.)

Building on success: Add another paragraph to your comparative analysis essay.

Goal: Write the irony paragraph of your comparative analysis essay.

Read:
We always read.

Write:
Yesterday you started your essay and we wrote the mood paragraph together.
Today you will write your irony paragraph.
Use the structure we used yesterday. Include the evidence.
Use the chart on the back wall.
Need to see our work from yesterday? Period 2, Period 3, Period 5, Period 6.

Absent Yesterday:
Read the post below. I will come check on you.

Due Dates!
A complete draft (all paragraphs complete) is due before school on Tuesday 3/14/17.
The final draft will be due the week of 3/20. I haven't picked an exact date yet.
The grading period ends Friday 3/17/17.
Book reviews will be due next week. Be sure you are working on yours.

This Friday:
We visit the counselors to confirm your course selections.

Beginning our Comparative Analysis Writing

Goal: Getting started on our comparative analysis paper.

Agenda:
Read & Progress
Comparative Analysis Assignment
Modeled Writing: Mood Paragraph

Reading Progress: 
Update your reading status HERE.

Comparative Analysis Assignment:

1. I have sent you a new Google Doc called "Comparative Analysis Essay"
2. Find it in your "Shared with me" section in Google Drive. 
3. Read the prompt carefully to yourself and then we will write one of the paragraphs together. 
4. Mood Paragraph tutorial video. 

Writing Task:Consider the short story “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe and the movie The Night of The Hunter (1955) directed by Charles Laughton. What techniques do the author and director use to create the theme and mood?

Write a comparative analysis essay about these two works. Consider how each uses irony, mood, and other literary and cinematic techniques to reveal the theme. 

Collected Evidence: The examples you submitted.

Examples of Theme Mood and Irony in Cask of Amontillado

Examples of Theme Mood and Irony in Night of the Hunter

Click to see this picture larger. 

Viewing Night of the Hunter, final day

Goal: Finish watching Night of the Hunter and collect evidence for irony, mood, and theme.

Agenda: 
Read
Watch the last 13 minutes of the film
Continue notes
Collect Evidence

Film: 
Today the exciting conclusion of Night of the Hunter. Will Harry Powell get away with his crimes as Montressor did, or will he be caught in time? Continue watching for all kinds of irony, see how the director creates various moods for each scene, and look out for those bits about the theme.

Speaking of theme, remember the quote in the beginning, "Beware of false prophets in sheep's clothing, for really they are ravening wolves." How does that fit with what you know about the film now? (Don't get confused between prophet and profit. They mean different things.)


Collecting Evidence:
Just as you did for "Cask of Amontillado," today you will work with your partner to describe and explain scenes from Night of the Hunter.

• Use this FORM to submit your responses. 
• Use the notes you took while watching the film. 
• Remember that your answers will be shared with all of my classes to support your work when we begin writing our comparative analysis essays. 
• Use complete sentences, please. 

Movie at Lunch:

Remember if you missed part of Night of the Hunter I am re-showing it at lunch this week, (and next week too if you ask nicely.)

Reminders: 

• The first grading period ends 3/17. Check power school to see if there is anything you can do in any of your classes to bring up your grades. 
• Talking to your teachers helps too. 
• On 3/14 we will submit book reviews and self-score English Journals. 

Viewing Night of the Hunter: Day 3

Remember that scene in the hallway. 

Goals: Review day 1, and continue taking our notes on irony, mood, and theme in the film.

Agenda: 
Read
Review notes from yesterday
Watch part three.

Reminders: 
I am reshowing part 2 at lunch today. You are welcome to bring your food and watch it again.
Keep reading at home.
This grading period ends March 17th.
We will work on book reviews March 14th.
(Mrs. R will be at a conference March 16 and 17.)

Writer's Conference for high school students. 

Saturday March 11th, free, check out the schedule HERE.