Poetry Out Loud Recitation Rubric

Hi there -

Just so you are aware, this is how you will be assessed when you recite your poem for Poetry Out Loud on the 12th or 13th of February.

Poetry Out Loud Recitation Rubric
Name:

Trait	Score		Comment
Physical Presence		/10
Voice and Articulation		/10
Dramatic Appropriateness		/10
Level of Difficulty		/10
Evidence of Understanding		/10
Accuracy		/10
Provided Copy of Poem		/10
Overall Performance		/30
Total		/100

Tuesday, January 29 and Wednesday, January 30

Freshmen: Today we introduced Poetry Out Loud. Follow the directions on the handout you were given. We also read several examples of essays that use definition as their primary mode. Read for 20 mintues Tuesday and Wednesday. Vocab Chapter 8 is due Thursday.

Sophomores: Today we studied The Hero's Adventure. Your homework is to write a short essay (say a page or two, typed and double-spaced) that summarizes and synthesizes the main ideas, particularly applying them to Oedipus and Oedipus the King. This is due on Monday, along with the think sheet. We also introduced Poetry Out Loud. Follow the directions on the handout you were given. Finish Oedipus Rex for Thursday, and vocab is due Friday.

CNF: Today we watched most of The Last Lecture, which can be found on youtube if you missed it. We will start up at the 56 minute mark on Thursday. Have the book with you that day.

Basketball: Great come-from-behind win against Juan Diego!

Monday, January 28

Freshmen: Today our primary focus was on the rhetorical device of definition, what it is, and when and why a writer might use this device. Your homework is to read for 20 minutes, and note that Vocabulary Chapter 8 has been moved up to Thursday.

Sophomores: Today we focused on the tragic hero archetype. Due Thursday is Oedipus Rex with notes or a reflection; due Friday is vocab.

CNF: Today we wrote our own obituaries in response to a Robert Kirby article. Bring The Last Lecture to class tomorrow.

Basketball: Regular practice today; check out at 1:45 tomorrow with our game at JD at 3:30.

Friday, January 25

Freshmen: Today we finished writing your response to "Don't Blame the Eater" in class today. Your assignment over the weekend is this: Type your response and bring it to class on Monday. You need to be sure to have the following elements:
1. An interesting title top and center, formatted correctly.
2. A lead and conclusion technique that we have studied this year used correctly and identified in the header.
3. At least one template from each of the first four chapters: one that helps you enter the conversation, one that helps you summarize, one that helps you quote, and one that helps you state whether you are agreeing, disagreeing, or both (which is obviously going to be your thesis, or at least a central component of it). YOU NEED TO UNDERLINE IN PEN THESE TEMPLATES AND LABEL THEM IN THE MARGIN SO IT'S EASY TO TELL WHERE YOU ARE USING THEM. Remember, these templates don't have to be used word-for-word - you can adapt them to your style and purpose.
4. Correctly format your essay - double space, indent paragraphs, etc.
Also, read for 20 minutes and complete Chapter 8 vocabulary for Friday's quiz.

Sophomores: Today we began reading Oedipus the King. This weekend, read at least to the start of the Second Episode (page 28 in the orange book). I want to finish this play and have a discussion on it on Thursday. You should have a dozen notes or a one page reaction for that day to aid you in the seminar. Also, complete Chapter 8 vocabulary for Friday's quiz.

CNF: Today we listened to the final three Acts of This American Life's Superpowers episode.

Basketball: We play Union at home at 3 today; checkout is after 7th period.

Freshmen: Today we began an essay that is explained in exercise #2 of Chapter 4 of They Say I Say that we're writing in response to "Don't Blame the Eater." Read for 20 minutes and spend 10 minutes working on this assignment.

Sophomores: Today you got some background information on Oedipus, Sophocles, Greek Tragedy, and concepts like fate, hamartia, and irony.

CNF: Today we listened to the first twenty minutes of the program listed on yesterday's post.

Wednesday, January 23

Hi. Welcome back to the third quarter...

Freshmen: Today we read Chapter 4 from They Say I Say; your homework tonight is to read Don't Blame the Eater and then do Exercise #1 from Chapter 4 on the same sheet of paper where you took notes on the reading. That is your 20 minutes of reading homework.

Sophomores: Today we focused on the hero and the qualities and characteristics heroes possess. Your homework tonight is to get the disclosure signed, get a copy of the Oedipus Plays of Sophocles, and get ready for the vocab exam next week.

CNF: Today we focused on whether or not you'd rather have the power of flight or the power of invisibility. Tomorrow we will listen to the first 20 minutes of http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/178/superpowers. If you are not going to be at class tomorrow, check that out. Bring your disclosure tomorrow; get The Last Lecture ASAP.

Basketball: Our game against Park City has been moved to 4:30.

Thursday, January 10

Freshmen: Today we focused on your WCW poems and your letters to the editor. Tomorrow we will do more vocab review. Tonight read for 20 minutes.

Sophomores: We did a bevy of things, but the bottom line is that you need to review for your final.

CNF: We are hoping to finish Freakonomics on Friday so we can discuss it on Monday.

Tuesday, January 8 and Wednesday, January 9

Freshmen: Today we focused on poetry by William Carlos Williams, particularly This is Just to Say, The Red Wheelbarrow, and Between Walls. Bring your vocab books on Thursday.

Sophomores: We began your This I Believe projects.

Compelling Non-Fiction First Semester Review Guide 2012-2013

Hello. What follows is your final exam. While you are not allowed to come with any notes or anything like that, and must write the exam in class in the alloted amount of time, you should feel free to think and prepare ahead of time for the essay so that you can write the best essay possible.

Compelling Non-Fiction First Semester Final Exam

Directions: Choose one of the following essay prompts to answer. Support your answer with evidence from four different sources: Both texts we read this semester, at least one of the films we have viewed, and your own personal experience.

Possible Prompts:

1. Is the statement that “Morality represents how we would like the world to work; economics represents the way it actually does work” a true statement?
2. What ethical obligations must constructors of non-fiction texts adhere to?
3. Is conventional wisdom wisdom? Or is it folly?
4. How can we use our knowledge of incentives to encourage moral behavior and make the world a better place?
5. Which method of thinking that we studied this year – Blink-style thinking or Freakonmics-style thinking – is more effective?

Freshmen English First Semester Final Exam Guide 2012-2013

Hello there. This is what you need to know about your final: The least important part of the exam is vocab exam that covers the first seven chapters of our book. The next most important part of the exam is the objective exam based on the writing techniques we have covered this sememster. This is all in your notes, and includes but is not limited to the following areas of study - lead and conclusion techniques, the 10% Solution, the Seven-Step Essay Process, different rhetorical devices, and free verese, haiku, and "Way" poems. Finally, you will be assigned an essay prompt that looks like what is below. The only change between what is on the blog and what you will be given is that in the blank space I will assign you one of the three modes of essay we have studied thus far (narrative, compare and contrast, or example/illustrative/descriptive).

Essay Exam: 100 points. Write a ________________ essay. Your essay must adhere to the conventions and parameters of this genre. You must have a header that indicates what genre of essay you are writing, which lead and which conclusion technique you are using, and you must have an interesting title at the top. Missing any of these elements will drop your grade by a full letter grade (10% each). The rest of the grade will be determined by how well you write in the assigned mode. Please double space and write as neatly as possible.

Sophomore World Literature Final Exam Review Guide 2012-2013

Hi. Here's what you need to know about your final exam. The least important part of it is the vocab exam - it will cover the first seven chapters in our book. The objective exam will cover literary concepts and writing techniques we have covered so far in class. Use your notes to prepare for this. The most important part of the exam is the essay exam. The essay prompt is listed below. While you have to do all the writing in class during the exam and are not allowed to use any notes or anything like that during the test, feel free to do some preparation for the essay now. Think through what you want to say, how you want to say it, and what evidence you want to use to support your thesis.

Essay Exam: Choose one of the following essays and write an essay that thoroughly and completely answers the prompt. In your header, please include the following: Name, number of prompt responded to, and lead and conclusion techniques. Failure to include this information will adversely affect your grade. Regardless of which prompt you choose, it is expected that you have a clear thesis that you support with citations from the text. You should adhere to standard form when citing a text. Throughout your essay, please double-space.  When finished, give your essay an interesting title.

Prompts:
1. What common themes did you see present in several of the books we read, and what do these commonalities reveal about the human race?
2. Examine several of the major characters in texts we read this semester and explain what common philosophy guides and shapes their lives.
3. How are the books we read essentially Taoist in nature?