Tuesday, February 28 and Wednesday, February 29

Freshmen: Today we began a study of Shakespeare and Romeo and Juliet. You got some background on the play and we began watching a film version of it so that you could get a sense of the language and characters. You should read the essays at the start of your Folger's edition of the book titled "Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet," "Reading Shakespeare's Language" (including the stuff on words, sentences, word play, and stage action), and the essays on "Shakepeare's Life" and "Shakespeare's Theatre." Take a total of ten notes on the ten most important things you learned through your reading. The notes and your reading are due on Monday, March 5. You may use this for your 20 minutes of reading homework and your in class reading.

Sophomores: Today we had a seminar on Chapters 15-22 in The Kite Runner; finish the book for a week from Wednesday, and again come to class with a dozen notes for the seminar. Get a copy of Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible for Thursday, March 8.

CNF: Today we watched the documentary Rivers and Tides about artist Andy Goldsworthy.

Monday, February 27

Freshmen: Today we learned about the sonnet form. Your homework is to do the following: Read 20 minutes tonight and Tuesday; have a copy of Romeo and Juliet for next class meeting; search the web for some of Shakespeare's sonnets and print one and bring it on Thursday; and on Thursday bring in a sonnet you wrote that adheres to all the parameters we outlined in class today.

Sophomores: Today our focus was on reading The Kite Runner; Chapters 15-22 are due for Wednesday with a dozen seminar notes.

CNF: Today we focused on trying to finish Part II from The World Without Us.

Thursday, February 23

Freshmen: Today we wrote a short reflective essay on what we learned about free verse poetry and handed in your poems; read for 20 minutes and bring your vocab book to class tomorrow - chapter 9 is due.

Sophomores: Today we concluded our introduction to the four stages of the hero. Your task is to write an essay in response to the following prompt: Choose a character from Into the Woods and explain how he or she progresses through the four stages of the hero. Use your notes and graphic organizer to help you. Cite specific lines, actions, and plot events to prove your thesis. This is due next Thursday. Follow these other considerations: The essay should be typed, double spaced, and free of spelling and punctuation errors; you should have a clear thesis supported by evidence from the text; craft an interesting title for your essay.

CNF: Today we began Part II of The World Without Us. You need a dozen seminar notes for our seminar next week.

Tuesday, February 21 and Wednesday, February 22

Freshmen: Today we focused on figurative and literal language. Tonight, revise your previous four poems for figurative language if it will improve the piece. You also need to write a fifth poem that uses at least one of the types of figurative language we covered. It should be based on a first hand experience, use I and avoid participles, begin in the midst of things, conclude strongly, and have proper format. Avoid ineffective repetition, but if you can use repetition effectively in your poem, by all means, do so. Vocab chapter 9 is due Friday.

Sophomores: Today we had a seminar on chapter 8-14 from The Kite Runner and discussed more about the four stages of the hero. Chapters 15-22 (and a dozen notes for seminar) are due on February 29. Vocab chapter 9 is due Friday.

CNF: Today we had a seminar on the first part of The World Without Us, Life After People, and Cave of Forgotten Dreams.

Friday, February 17

Freshmen: Today we focused on using effective repetition. Revise your three previous poems - if there is a word, line, image, or idea you can repeat effectively, do so. Also, craft a new fourth poem that is about a first hand experience, uses I, avoids participles, begins in the midst of things, concludes strongly, is cut well, and uses repetition effectively. Due next class meeting. Read for 20 minutes over the weekend, as well as on Monday and Tuesday. Vocab is due next Friday.

Sophomores: Today we continued our focus on the four stages of the hero. Continue reading The Kite Runner. Chapters 8-14 are due next class meeting with twelve notes for seminar. Vocab is due next Friday.

CNF: We continued Part I of The World WIthout Us. The goal is to have Part I done for our next class meeting.

Thursday, February 16

Freshmen and Sophomores: Today we went to Poetry Out Loud. You both should be reading; Freshman Honors students who need to hand in the Letter to the Editor assignment may do so tomorrow.

CNF: Today we made some good headway in The World Without Us. We'll shoot for finishing Part I for next block period.

Tuesday, February 14 and Wednesday, February 15

Freshmen: Today we read William Stafford's "Traveling Through the Dark" and had a discussion in response to it. We also focused on the importance of cutting redundancies and fluff from our poem, what with it being an art of compression. Read for 20 minutes; revise your poems for our current principle.

Sophomores: We continued our focus on the four stages of the hero. Keep reading.

CNF: We watched Cave of Forgotten Dreams in conjunction with The World Without Us. Finish Part I ASAP.

Monday, February 13

Freshmen: Today we focused on breaking lines and stanzas. Revise your previous three poems: single space lines, double space stanzas, use a hard left margin and a ragged right margin, use standard capitalization and punctuation, and make your title look like rest of your text. Bring your three revised poems to class next time. Read for 20 minutes as well.

Sophomores: Today we focused on the four stages of the hero. Continue to read. Check the reading and vocab schedules.

CNF: Today we continued to read Part I of The World Without Us.

Friday, February 10

Freshmen: Today we talked about how to conclude a free verse poem well. We focused especially on ending on a key idea, image, or phrase. You are to revise your previous two poems for this principle, and write a third free verse poem that uses I, avoids participles, begins inside the experience, and concludes strongly. Bring your new, typed poem and your revised ones on Monday. Read for 20 minutes this weekend as well. Don't forget about the extra credit at the Freshman Basketball Tournament.

Sophomores: Today we had our first seminar on The Kite Runner, covering the first seven chapters. Due for Wednesday, February 22 are Chapters 8-14 with a dozen notes for the seminar we will conduct on that day. Remember that vocab has been moved back and that we moved the Honors AM meeting up to next Thursday, the 16th.

CNF: Today we began reading the Prologue and Part I of The World Without Us. You need to have a dozen notes for a seminar sometime next week.

Thursday, February 9

All: You have an extra credit opportunity - attend the Freshman Tournament quarter final game against East on Monday, 2/13 at 3 PM at Judge. Stay for the whole game and afterward write a 1/2 page typed, double spaced sports article about the game. 25 points possible.

Freshmen: Today we talked about how to begin a free verse poem, with the idea being you start the poem inside the experience, going right to the moment. You are to revise last night's poem for this principle, and you are to write a new free verse poem tonight. It should be typed, about a first-hand experience, use I, avoid participles, and begin inside. Read for 20 minutes. Also, Chapter 9 vocab is now due 2/24.

Sophomores: Due for Friday are Chapters 1-7 with a dozen notes for the seminar on Friday. Honors students: We moved up our meeting to next Thursday, 2/16 at 7:35 AM. Also, Chapter 9 vocab is now due 2/24.

CNF: Today we concluded Life After People; we will begin Part I of The World Without Us tomorrow.

Tuesday, February 7 and Wednesday, February 8

Freshmen: Today we started a study of free verse poetry. The first two principles we covered are using "I" well and avoiding participles. Due Thursday is a typed poem about a first-hand experience. Use I well and avoid participles. The poem need not be about a big, profound experience, but should relate something important about the human experience. Read 20 minutes Tuesday and Wednesday.

Sophomores: Today we focused on Aristotle's concept of the tragic hero. Due for Friday are Chapters 1-7 and your seminar prep for Friday's seminar.

CNF: Today we began watching Life After People. We will begin reading The World Without Us later this week.

Monday, February 6

Freshmen: Today we either had an intro to free verse or took the vocab exam, depending which section you're in. Read for 20 minutes today and Tuesday; get a copy of Romeo and Juliet (the Folger Library edition) soon; Honors students get a copy of The Language of Life ASAP.

Sophomores: Today we did our Poetry Out Loud recitals; chapters 1-7 of The Kite Runner and your seminar prep is due on Friday.

CNF: Today we had our seminar on The Last Lecture; get The World Without Us ASAP.

Thursday, February 2

Freshmen: Today we did Poetry Out Loud recitals. If you didn't go today, you will go tomorrow. Periods 4 and 7 have vocab Chapter 8 due tomorrow, with the found poem due Monday; period 3 has a found poem due tomorrow with vocab due on Monday. Read for 20 minutes Thursday and this weekend. Honors students, see the earlier post for this day regarding our course.

Sophomores: Today we did Poetry Out Loud recitals. You did well. Tomorrow Chapter 8 vocab is due. I also adjusted the reading schedule for The Kite Runner, so check that post.

CNF: We are almost done with The Last Lecture. We will have a seminar in class on Monday.

Freshman Honors Update

Hi. We had a meeting and established a few of things:
1. We will have a meeting for sure on March 1 at 7:30. There may be another meeting before that.
2. Before that time, everyone should get a copy of Bill Moyer's The Language of Life.
3. By 4th quarter, everyone needs a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo.

The Kite Runner Reading Schedule 2012

Friday, February 10 - Chapters 1-7 due; dozen notes for seminar due.
Wednesday, February 22 - Chapters 8-14 due; dozen notes for seminar due.
Wednesday, February 29 - Chapters 15-22 due; dozen notes for seminar due.
Wednesday, March 5 - Book due; final seminar.

Note, Chapters 1-7 means all those chapters including chapter 7. Frame your notes as the internal dialogue you have with the text as you read, and use your question stems for socratic seminar to help you do this.