December 18, 19, and 20

This is kind of a combo, because I had to miss school Tuesday:

Sophomores: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is due Friday. Be sure to finish it. We listened to an interview with Matthew Sanford ("The Body's Grace") and discussed the mind-body connection, as well as the relationship we have with our bodies and how this impacts our personal philosophies.

Your semester project can be handed in any time this week, and is due no later than 1/07/08.

Freshmen: Sleeping Dogs is due Friday. We continued our discussion of compare-contrast, focusing mainly on two texts, Cat Stevens's "Father and Son" and Langston Hughes's "Mother to Son." We also read "Playing House" from Short Takes.

December 14

Sophomores: We began the Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Finish the chapter titled "The Guardian Angel" for Monday.

Freshmen: We shared your letters to the editor and your division and classification essay. Chapter 9 from Sleeping Dogs is due Monday.

December 11 and 12

Sophomores: We listened to an interview titled The Buddha in the World. Go to www.speakingoffaith.org if you missed it. We applied the concepts and questions to Siddhartha as well as our own lives and our culture at large. Finish Siddhartha for Thursday.

Freshmen: We completed chapter 7 of Sleeping Dogs and continued to examine the device of division and classification by reading the essay "The Plot Against People" in Short Takes. We are writing an essay, likely in response to the ones listed under Essay on page 165, though you could do an alternative D&C essay, like classifying the various teachers you find here at Judge.

Basketball: We play at Riverview Junior High today at 4.

December 7

Sophomores: We listened to the first 20 minutes of a podcast from Speaking of Faith. It dealt primarily with the word aum and its importance. Go to www.npr.org and find the link to Speaking of Faith. Then podcast the program Approaching Prayer and listen to the first 20 minutes if you were absent.

Freshmen: We worked on Chapter 6 from Sleeping Dogs; complete it if absent. iCFinish Chapter 6 from Sleeping Dogs for Monday.

Basketball: Done at 5 today; 8-10 at JM Saturday with breakfast to follow.

December 6

Sophomores: We did a jigsaw activity to get an overview of the Buddhist concepts we need to understand in Siddhartha. Finish through "By the River" for Monday.

Freshmen: We focused on division and classification by reading two essays on the comma. Read Chapter 5 from Sleeping Dogs for Friday.

Basketball: We beat Provo 59-30 yesterday; practice until 5 the next two days; 8-10 Saturday with breakfast to follow.

December 3

Sophomores: Finish Part I for Siddhartha for Thursday. Finish "By the River" for next Monday. Finish the book for next Thursday.

Freshmen: We took a quiz on Sleeping Dogs and started studying division and classification as a rhetorical device. Chapter 4 from Sleeping Dogs is due Thursday; your Christmas essays (two copies) and your packaging for the gift is due next period.

Basketball: We're done at 5:15 tonight; 6 tomorrow. We play Wednesday vs. Provo at 5:30.

Letters About Literature Extra Credit

Google "letters about literature" or go to www.loc.gov/loc/cfbook/letters.html. Hand in a copy of your letter and show me your addressed, stamped envelope with your letter inside or proof you emailed it in (if they accept email submissions) by 12/14.

This I Believe Sophomore Semester Project

This I Believe: Sophomore World Literature Final Project

As you have seen, or will soon see, all of the novels we read have a philosophy at its core, whether it is the religion and spirituality of Pi, Peekay’s The Power of One, Santiago’s belief in following dreams, Bauby’s belief in the power of the mind and spirit to overcome adversity, or Siddartha’s enlightenment. As we study these novels and philosophies, you will also develop your own personal philosophy, and present it as our capstone project for the semester.

We are going to use National Public Radio’s “This I Believe” as our model and prompt. “This I Believe” is a weekly radio broadcast where “Americans from all walks of life share the personal philosophies and core values that guide their daily lives.” In class and on your own, you will explore NPR’s website, and listen to and read several of these essays, as we will model our project on theirs. You can get a start by going to NPR.org and searching their webpage for “This I Believe.” There are tips on writing your essay that will help you in this process.

Our project will have three phases.

Phase 1: Begin to develop and define your own personal philosophy. You should be able to state it in a sentence, but you should also avoid clichés. You should use the philosophies in our novels as well as the philosophies of people you respect (those you know and those you only know of; those living and those dead) to help you craft your own. Part of the project is acknowledging your influences, just as Peekay acknowledges the influence of Doc, Nanny, Geel Piet, and Hoppie, and just as Pi was influenced by the Mr. Kumars, his priest, his pandit, his imam, and Richard Parker. Take notes in your notebook as your thinking evolves on a separate piece of paper. It will be collected. Use class assignments and discussions to help you with this.

Phase 2: Craft an essay that fits the parameters of NPR’s “This I Believe” submission guidelines and submit your essay to NPR. I will set a due date for this. The guidelines can be found on NPR’s website. You must agree to their conditions in order to participate. You will also submit a paper copy of the same essay to me for a grade. The essay should be submitted to NPR before 1/7/08, and is due to me on or before1/7/08. I will take the essay any time after 12/17/07. Submitting the essay is worth 50 points; the essay itself is worth 100.

Phase 3: Present your personal philosophy to the class in a roughly 4-minute presentation, which we will begin on 1/8/08. Your presentation must have the following elements:
• You will read your completed, best copy of your essay to the class, the one you submitted to NPR and to me.
• In the background, you will have a photo essay on a slide show that shows pictures while you read. Burn this on a disk or bring it on a jump drive, or email it to yourself. You can do this either here at school in the lab or at home. These might be personal photos, or pictures you find or scan from elsewhere, including artwork. Start this collection now.
• If you don’t have the know-how or capability to do an electronic photo essay like this, you can go “old school” by bringing in photos and figuring out how to display them in another way, guiding your audience through them as you read your essay.
• You don’t need to have a ton of photos because your photos should be coordinated with your essay. In other words, the visuals you provide should be in sync with the words you read.
• Your presentation will be worth 100 points and includes your reading of the essay as well as the photo essay.

Good luck, and see me if you have any questions.

November 29

Sophomores: I am getting soft in my old age: you get another extension - The Alchemist is due Monday, not Friday. Just because I love you. We viewed a couple of models for our semester This I Believe project and shared our Five Facts paragraphs.

Freshmen: We took a quiz on Chapter 2 from Sleeping Dogs; Chapter 3 is due Monday. You need a copy of your Christmas Essay for tomorrow.

Basketball: We're done at 5:30 tonight and 5:15 tomorrow; we start at 8:15 Saturday at Judge.

November 27 and 28

Yes, it's my birthday, if any of you are bothering to read it. I prefer cash as a gift, but no checks please.

Sophomores: We focused on parts of a plot, foreshadow, irony, and making predictions. You should have 3 predictions, 3 foreshadows, and 3 examples of irony by the end of The Alchemist, due Friday. 5 Facts paragraph - correct format, great title, 7-10 sentences, good transitions between ideas - is due Thursday.

Freshmen: We began a writing gift project. See me if you have questions. A typed draft for workshopping is due Friday. Chapter 2 from Sleeping Dogs is due Thursday.

Basketball: We play Lehi tonight.

November 26

Sophomores: You should have reviewed the elements of a parable and applied them to the story Melchezidek tells Santiago, and to the book as a whole. Finish The Alchemist for Friday. Bring the 5 Facts Tuesday or Wednesday.

Freshmen: Finish Chapter 2 from Sleeping Dogs for Thursday. There'll be a quiz.

Basketball: We defeated Juan Diego 43-27, thanks in part to a first quarter where we held them to 1 point. Our next game is 11/27 against Lehi.

November 20

Sophomores: We began The Alchemist. Finish page 79 of The Alchemist for Monday. Bring your 5 facts on notecards then, too.

Freshmen: We took a quiz on Sleeping Dogs. No homework for the break.

Basketball: First game is tomorrow night at Judge, 7 PM.

November 19

Sophomores: Periods 1 and 7 took their final for The Power of One and discussed the end of the book. Period 8 reviewed the components of a parable and applied it to our next book, The Alchemist.

Freshmen: We discussed the concept of using examples in essays by reading a few by Rick Reily. You should have chapter 1 from Sleeping Dogs and an example essay from Short Takes read for tomorrow, as well as an example essay of your own.

Basketball: Our first game is Wednesday night, 7 PM, at home against Juan Diego.

November 16

Sophomores: Periods 1 and 7 read from The Power of One, analyzed some themes emerging over the past month from The Tao te Ching, and viewed another example of an essay from This I Believe. Period 8 began The Alchemist, which 1 and 7 will do Monday. For all sohps, the 5 Facts assignment is due Monday, November 26. You may revise your film essays by Tuesday, and you may hand in your in class essay Tuesday for extra credit.

Freshmen: We covered some more key vocabulary and began Sleeping Dogs Don't Lay. Chapter 1 is due Tuesday, as is the reading of an example essay, and a draft of your own.

Basketball: We're at Vincent's Saturday; parent meeting and pictures Sunday at Judge.

November 14 and 15

Sophomores: Period 8 finished The Power of One today and will begin The Alchemist on Friday. Periods 7 and 1 will have The Power of One finished Monday, and start The Alchemist Tuesday. We concluded our essays on what we have learned from The Power of One, and you can type it up and turn it in by Tuesday for extra credit.

Freshmen: We started studying the rhetorical device of example. You should choose 1 essay from Chapter 4 in Short Takes and read it; you should also choose one of the essay options at the top of page 137 and write up an essay for Tuesday. It should be at least 7 paragraphs - work on using paragraphs more effectively.

November 13

Sophomores: Periods 1 and 8 need to have The Power of One finished for our next class period. We will take an exam, and continue our essay on the lessons, morals, and themes contained within the text. We will also continue our study of This I Believe in preparation for our semester project. Bring The Alchemist to class Friday. Period 7 needs to finish The Power of One for Monday.

Freshmen: We focused on defining the common terms and vocabulary we have used this year when talking about reading and writing. Bring Sleeping Dogs Don't Lay for Friday.

Basketball: We will practice at Judge on Saturday with a parent meeting at 9 after.

November 12

Sophomores: We began an essay on the themes and lessons evident in The Power of One, practicing citing from texts according to MLA format. NVC stuff was due today.

Freshmen: We finished up our documentary and The Elements of Style study; definition essay is due next period. Bring Sleeping Dogs Don't Lay on Friday.

November 8 and 9

Sophomores: We discussed our end of the semester project: This I Believe. Refer to your hand out and visit NPR.org for more info. You might also want to go to www.thisibelieve.com, though you must submit your essay to the NPR website. We also synthesized the info from yesterday's interview, which we'll continue in essay form next week. Period 8 must finish The Power of One for next Wednesday; Period 7 will finish it before 11/19, and Period 1 will finish it by next Thursday.

Freshmen: We finished "Spellbound" and the activities we did with it. Finish The Elements of Style by Monday - you will have a quiz on chapters 3-5. Also for Monday, do the NVC stuff, as well as finish reading and writing a definition essay from Short Takes.

Basketball: We are at St. Vincents on Saturday.

November 6 and 7

Sophomores: We watched an interview between Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell titled "The First Storytellers" and took notes on the information and applied it to our first two texts, Life of Pi and The Power of One. NOTE: We have struck a deal, because I am so wonderful, that stipulates we will finish The Power of One by 11/19. NOTE: The NVC modules are due next Monday, not next Friday, due to the football game field trip - good luck football!

Freshmen: We read a definition by Marylin Vos Savant about spelling ability, discussed some strategies to improve our spelling, and watched a documentary titled "Spellbound." We took notes on words, how documentaries are examples of cinematic essays, found examples of narration, definition, and description in the documentary, and reflected on the level of dedication shown in the film.
NOTE: The NVC modules are due next Monday, not next Friday, due to the football game field trip - good luck football!

Basketball: We begin practice today. Saturday we are at St. Vincents.

November 5

Sophomores: We took a quiz on The Power of One, discussed Merlin and the Crystal Cave, and set Wednesday November 14 as the due date to finish the book.

Freshmen: We took a quiz on The Elements of Style and read an essay on color symbolism in the English language. Chapters 3 and 4 from Elements are due Thursday 11/8; the NVC modules are due Friday 11/9. Students should also pick one of the remaining definition essays from Chapter 3 of Short Takes, read it, and do one of the essay options. It should be around 500 words, and is due Monday.

Basketball: Tryouts begin today at Sunnyside.

November 2

Sophomores: The 10% solution essay was due today, and we reflected on the process. We also discussed ideas present in your triple entry journal. Chapter 18 from The Power of One is due Monday.

Freshmen:We started our study of definition essays. We read the intro to the genre from Short Takes (pages 76 and 77) and talked about how words have both connotations and denotations. We also talked about the words others use to define us. We then read "The Handicap of Definition" from Short Takes. Chapter 2 from The Elements of Style is due Monday.

Basketball: Tryouts are Monday, until 5:30, at Sunnyside. Bring your eligibility cards.

November 1

Sophomores: Today we had short periods, so we took some time to read from The Power of One, briefly discussed what to do with the essays and the 10% Solution, and the NVC. Remember, the 10%ed essay is due Friday, Chapter 18 is due Monday, and the NVC modules are due November 9. You must take the NVC quiz sometime this month. BE SURE TO ENTER THE COACH CODE 004 when you register.

Freshmen: We finished our Jeopardy! game, and took a quiz on Chapter 1 of the Elements of Style. Chapter 2 is due on Monday - you may use your 20 minutes of reading homework for this. NVC modules are due November 9. You must take the NVC quiz sometime this month. BE SURE TO ENTER THE COACH CODE 004 when you register. We also discussed the Letter to the Editor assignment - several students have already had something published. This quarter's letter is due December 14 - it should be in a stamped, addressed, unsealed envelope, and meet all of the Tribune's guidelines.

Basketball: Tryouts are Monday and Tuesday, at Sunnyside, until 5:30.

October 29

This is my first ever blog. I am creating it so my students can check it for notes and assignments. Today the freshmen played a Jeopardy! style game to as a prereading guide for The Elements of Style, and the sophomores learned about The 10% Solution. Freshmen should read the foreword, introduction, and chapter 1 from ELEMENTS, due Thursday - there will be a quiz. They can use their nightly 20 minutes of reading for this assignment. Sophs should bring their original film essay final draft as well as a hard copy of their 10%ed one, due Friday. Sophs also need to finish chapter 18 of The Power of One for Monday. Happy Halloween!