Thursday, March 27

Freshmen: Today we focused on your potential Capstone Project topics. For 4/10, you need to have a minimum of 5 sources with you in the classroom. Your sources need to be diverse - audio, video, text; printed, published on the Internet, and so on. Honors students have an essay due on their return related to The Language of Life and should also have The Count of Monte Cristo them on 4/7.

Sophomores: Today Period 2 had a discussion; Periods 4 and 8 focused on more responses to Williams's "The Red Wheelbarrow." These two periods have reading due on 4/7 with a reflection.

CNF: Today we had a seminar.

Extra Credit Opportunity

Hi. If you're interested, check this out: http://www.ncte.org/awards/student/nmwa

I will give you 10 points extra credit for submitting something you've already written. Let me know what you have written and forward me your confirmation of submission.

Period 2 Extra Credit

Hi. If you'd like, listen to this interview http://www.wiredforbooks.org/richardadams/ and write a summary for up to 25 points extra credit, due Monday, April 7.

Sophomore Western Traditions Extra Credit

Hi. For those of you who want some final extra credit for the third quarter, here's what you can do. Read Antigone, the third of Sophocles's Theban plays. Write an essay about it. This is due on Monday, April 7. You can earn up to 50 points extra credit.

Tuesday, March 25 and Wednesday, March 26

Freshmen: Today we began talking about the Capstone Project; you need to come with three potential ideas for Thursday. Also due for Thursday are two aphorisms for the fourth quarter Great Thoughts assignment.  Read for 20 minutes Monday and Tuesday.

Sophomores: Today we focused on some of Joseph Campbell's ideas as they applied to our text. Period 2 has a seminar and some reading due on Thursday.

CNF: We concluded The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill.

Monday, March 24

Freshmen: Today we discussed Romeo and Juliet; you now need to get your own book to read and read for 20 minutes each night. Due Thursday are two Great Thoughts (aphorisms, maxims, what-have-you). One should be from some great thinker other than yourself, and one should be something you have devised. Format it the same as always, and put your name on the back of it.

Sophomores: Period 2 wrote some essays regarding leadership and has a seminar, with a prep, due for Thursday's Part II discussion of Watership Down. Periods 4 and 8 wrote some poems that imitate William Carlos Williams from the point of view of some of the characters in The Poisonwood Bible. You have reading due after the break.

CNF: Today we began The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill.

Friday, March 21

Freshmen: Due Monday is Romeo and Juliet. You can read the essay at the back, A Modern Perspective, and write down the five most important ideas from it for extra credit if you want.

Sophomores: Continue reading. Go on to turnitin.com, read the comments regarding your Four Stages of the Hero essays, and revise your essay accordingly. Print it. On the printed page, annotate (that is, make notes) about what you changed and why. Your new and improved (and annotated) essay is due Monday.

CNF: Keep chillin'.

Extra Credit Opportunity

Some of you may be interested in doing this: http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/newsfrom187/entry/8103/

Thursday, March 20

Freshmen: Today we began talking about the rhetorical device of argument. Due Monday is Romeo and Juliet. If you would like extra credit, read the essay at the back of the book titled "A Modern Perspective." Then write down what you felt were the five most important ideas from that essay. Due Friday is vocabulary.

Sophomores: Today we had a seminar on The Poisonwood Bible. Continue to read and keep up with the reading. Vocab is due Friday.

CNF: Today we finished Chasing Ice.

Tuesday, March 18 and Wednesday, March 19

Freshmen: We finished our viewing of a film version of Romeo and Juliet; finish reading Act V for Monday. Your Letter to the Editor assignment is due Thursday. Chapter 12 vocab is due Friday.

Sophomores: Today we focused on an essay about the four stages of the hero. Periods 4 and 8, Book Two from The Poisonwood Bible is due with a seminar prep on Thursday. Chapter 12 vocab is due Friday.

CNF: We began Chasing Ice.

Monday, March 17

Freshmen: Today we shared some of your creative response poems and continued with our study of Romeo and Juliet. Finish Act IV for Tuesday; due Thursday is your Letter to the Editor; due Friday is vocab Chapter 12.

Sophomores: Period 2, we read a chapter from Watership Down; Periods 4 and 8, we did a Hero Catch Phrase entry and read - Book Two is due on Thursday along with a seminar prep; vocab Chapter 12 is due for all periods on Friday.

CNF: We continued with Part III today.

Thursday, March 13

Freshmen: Today we focused on Romeo and Juliet and what is taking place in Acts II-IV. Read Act IV for next Tuesday; due Monday is your creative response to art. I am moving the letter to the editor due date back to Thursday, 3/20. Vocab is due 3/21.

Sophomores: Today we focused on the first part of the book we're reading. Please check the reading schedule for the upcoming due dates. Vocab is due 3/21.

CNF: Today we began Part III of our book.

Tuesday, March 11 and Wednesday, March 12

Freshmen: Today we focused on the idea of creative response as a form of poetry and looked at poems written in response to works of art that fell into four distinct motifs. Your task is to choose a work of art (regardless of medium) and write two distinct poems in response to that art. Each poem should be in one of the four motifs we studied. A copy of your poems and the work of art are due on Monday. This can take electronic form, you can put them in a book, on a poster board, etc. That's up to you, but I want you to be able to display or present them. Due Thursday is Act III of Romeo and Juliet.

Sophomores: Today we focused on writing character sketches and correctly citing a source in writing. Due Thursday is Part I or Book I of your book and a seminar prep.

CNF: Today we finished Addicted to Plastic and looked at some good Ted Talks on the same topic and also had a seminar. 

Monday, March 10

Freshmen: Today we focused on some of the 'language tricks" (i.e. rhetorical devices) that Shakespeare uses throughout Romeo and Juliet, but most obviously in 2.3. Read Act III for Thursday's class.

Sophomores: Today we did a Hero Catch Phrase Project entry and did some reading. We will have a seminar on Part I or Book I, depending on your section, on Thursday.

CNF: Today we continued studying plastic and it's impact on the Earth.

Friday, March 6

Freshmen: Today we focused a little bit on vocab and Romeo and Juliet. Your homework is to finish reading Act II for Monday.

Sophomores: Today we took a vocab exam and focused on reading. Check the previous posts so you know what's due for the reading. Your essay is due to turnitin.com on Monday as well. Please look at the comments I made regarding your fate and free will essay prior to posting your hero stages essay so that you don't repeat the same mistakes.

CNF: Today we began a study of plastic and it's impact on our world.

Watership Down Reading Schedule 2014

On each due date, we will have a seminar. Please come prepared with a reflection for the seminar. Your reflection should be about you and what you were thinking about as you read and not summarize the section.

3/6 - Begin the text. We have 50 days to read this 474 page book, but because rabbits can't count past four I have no way of calculating how many pages a night that is. Wait, let's see... ah, yes, it's hrair. Just what I thought. 

3/6 - Begin text.

3/13 - Part I Due (118 pages).

3/27 - Part II Due (140 pages).

4/15 - Chapters 30-35 Due (we will read 36-38 in class). 

4/17 - Part III Due (108 pages).
4/25 - Part IV Due (106 pages). 

Thursday, March 6

Freshmen: Today we focused on the famous balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet. Your homework is to read 2.1 and 2.2 tonight; vocab is due on Friday.

Sophomores Periods 4 and 8: Today we began The Poisonwood Bible. Check the reading schedule on the blog. I'd like you to at least read Orleanna's first entry for homework; vocab is due on Friday.

Sophomores Period 2: Today we began Watership Down. Check the blog for the schedule; read at least  the first four chapters for homework; vocab is due on Friday.

CNF: Today we finished the film about Andy Goldsworthy and also studied some of Nathan Sawya's work.

The Poisonwood Bible Reading Schedule 2014

On each due date, we will have a seminar. Please come prepared with a reflection for the seminar. Your reflection should be about you and what you were thinking about as you read and not summarize the section.

3/6 - Begin text. We have 50 days to read this 543 page book. Because I am a math wiz, I calculate that to be about 11 pages per night, including breaks (sorry about that, but it's a good book and you'll forgive me). So, please stay on top of the reading.

3/13 - Book One due (83 pages).

3/20 - Book Two due (84 pages).

4/7 - Book Three due (126 pages).

4/14 - Book Four due (64 pages).

4/23 (all periods - this is changed from the original post) - Book Five due (130 pages).

4/25 - Book Six and Seven due (38 pages).

Tuesday, March 4 and Wednesday, March 5

Freshmen: Today our focus was on Act I; your homework is to read 1.5 tonight. Vocab is due on Friday.

Sophomores: Today we completed our study of the four stages of the hero and Into the Woods. Your task is to write an essay in response to the following prompt: Write an essay that analyzes to what extent the character you were assigned from Into the Woods progresses through the four stages of the hero. Your essay must have the following components: A lead and conclusion technique we've studied and listed in your header; an interesting title; a clear thesis that is supported by and proved by citations from the text and information from your notes; at least one citation from an outside source that supports one of your ideas. This is due to turnitin.com by Monday, March 10 at 7:59 AM.

We also had our final seminar on The Kite Runner. We will begin our next book Thursday and have a vocab exam on Friday.

CNF: Today we began Rivers and Tides.

Monday, March 3

Freshmen: Today we began Act I from Romeo and Juliet. Your task is to read Act I Scene I for homework tonight. Vocab is due Friday. We have an honors meeting tomorrow morning.

Sophomores: Today we studied the fourth stage of the hero cycle. Due next period is the rest of The Kite Runner; due Friday is vocab.

CNF: Today we wrapped up Part II of The World Without Us.