Tuesday, April 29 and Wednesday, April 30

Freshmen: Today we continued to work on the Capstone Project in class and took a vocab exam. You should be spending at least a half hour each night on your project.

Sophomores: Today we began a film version of Hamlet prior to our reading of the play. Read the sections "Reading Shakespeare's Language" and "Shakespeare's Words" for homework tonight.

CNF: Today we began a study of a documentary to contrast against Season of Life.

Monday, April 28

Freshmen: Today we continued to work on your written project, which is due in a week and a half.

Sophomores: Today we began an overview of Hamlet. At the front of your book is a short essay titled "Shakespeare's Hamlet". Read it and add three notes to what you took today. Also, go to turnitin.com for your next essay assignment. The instructions are posted on the website.

CNF: Today we began Season of Life. 

Friday, April 25

Freshmen: Today our focus was on writing for your Capstone and reviewing both in-text and blocked citations. Keep working on your project this weekend.

Sophomores: We wrapped up Watership Down and The Poisonwood Bible, respectively. Periods 4 and 8, you need to respond to one of the following prompts by posting a comment on the blog: 1. What is the implication of Book VII having no narrator attributed to it? or 2. What ideas, images, and themes from Books I-VI are repeated and alluded to in Book VII? or 3. What are the implications of the shopkeeper's claim that "There has never been any village on the road past Bulungu?"

Please respond to what others have said in your response, if appropriate. It's expected that your response is a couple of paragraphs long, reflects depth and clarity of thought, and uses citations from the text.

CNF: Today we watched two pieces about Joe Ehrmann and his philosophy. If you were absent, please watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVI1Xutc_Ws and you can see the second half of the HBO special we watched at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqendAI6UYo We will begin Season of Life on Monday.

Thursday, April 24

Freshmen: Today we began the writing phase of the Capstone Project. I am asking you to spend 15-30 minutes a night writing your rough drafts. We moved vocab to the block day next week.

Sophomores: Today we took a vocab exam and read; Period 2 should finish Watership Down for Friday and have a seminar reflection; Periods 4 and 8 should finish Book VI for Friday.

CNF: Today we talked about exemplars and the miseducation of young men in our culture.

Wednesday, April 23

Freshmen: Today we went through a process to determine the topic and mode of each essay you will write for your Capstone Project, as well as the order of the information that you will use to prove your thesis. Wrap up conducting your research, and we will have vocab and begin writing your essays tomorrow in class.

Sophomores: Period 2, finish Watership Down for Friday; Periods 4 and 8, finish Book VI for Friday. We have vocab due on Thursday.

CNF: Today we talked about promises again, as well as moral exemplars, whom I assume always keep their promises.

Tuesday, April 22

Freshmen: Today was our final day of conducting in-class research. Bring your materials and index cards for the next few weeks as we will begin writing tomorrow.

Sophomores: Period 2 began analyzing which archetypes fit the various characters from Watership Down; finish the book for Friday's seminar. Periods 4 and 8 worked at finishing Book V for Wednesday's seminar.

CNF: Today we focused on promises and their importance.

Thursday, April 17

Freshmen: Today we continued to gather information (remember that step from last semester, step two of our seven step essay process?) about your Capstone Project subject. You should read about your topic for at least a half hour each of the four days your off (for a total of two hours) and come to class on Tuesday knowing a ton about your subject.

Sophomores: Period 2 had a seminar today, while Periods 4 and 8 focused on reading, finishing their essays, and discussing which archetype fit each of the major characters from The Poisonwood Bible. Both groups have reading due soon, so check your reading schedule. Periods 4 and 8 - yours has changed, so be sure you check it out.

CNF: Today we had a seminar; we will need Batman and Philosophy for next week.

Freshmen Honors Blog Prompt 4/15

Hi. What I would like you to do is pose a question to the group about The Count of Monte Cristo. This can be a close-ended question (one that has one right answer and is fairly straight-forward) or one that is open-ended (one that doesn't have only one right answer and will generate some discussion). My only stipulation is that it is one that you genuinely want answered. Post it on the blog before 4/17. Between 4/18 and 4/21, check the blog and pick someone's question to answer (or you can respond to someone else's answer).

Tuesday, April 15 and Wednesday, April 16

Do your taxes, kids. Don't forget to give me 15% of all your income and candy as a teacher-tax.

Anyway...

Freshmen: Today we had some terrific presentations and continued working on gathering information. Continue to research your topic by reading from your sources for 30 minutes each of the text two nights.

Sophomores: Period 2, we read one of the most exciting passages in all literature today from Watership Down. We'll have a seminar on Part III on Thursday; have a reflection for it. Periods 4 and 8, we focused on the archetype that fits each major character from The Poisonwood Bible. Consult the reading schedule for the next due date.

CNF: Today we wrote an essay and completed Part IV of The World Without Us. We will have a seminar on it on Thursday.

Monday, April 14

Freshmen: Today we focused on conducting research for your Capstone Project. This is what you should use your 20 minutes of reading for, as well. Bring your materials to class every day this week.

Sophomores: Period 2, you have reading due tomorrow. Check the schedule for more info. Periods 4 and 8 took a quiz and had a seminar. Keep up with the schedule as well.

CNF: Today we concluded No Impact Man. We will finish The World Without Us on Wednesday and have a seminar on Thursday.

Extra Credit Opportunity

Hi. Visit http://www.utahfreedommemorial.org/events/essay-contest/ for more information. You can earn up to 25 points extra credit, and it's due no later than 4/30. This is for freshmen, sophomore, and CNF students.

Thursday, April 10

Freshmen: Today we took a vocab quiz. Due tomorrow are your minimum of five sources on your capstone topic and at least a dozen index cards. Read for 20 minutes; honors students be sure you're reading from The Count of Monte Cristo.

Sophomores: Today we took a vocab quiz. You should come to class tomorrow with five facts about your archetype; they must come from two different sources. Continue to read; Periods 4 and 8 need to finish Book IV, with a seminar prep, for Monday; Period 2, finish chapters 30-35 for Tuesday.

CNF: Today we began viewing No Impact Man.

Period 2 Supplemental Reading

Hello Period 2:
I would like you to read the following post and be prepared to address the ideas in Thursday's seminar: http://ashbrook.org/publications/guest-06-policz-watershipdown/

Tuesday, April 8 and Wednesday, April 9

Freshmen: Today we continued to focus on the rhetorical device of argument. In preparation for the next step of the Capstone Project, you should be gathering sources related to your topic and you need to have these sources in hand on Friday. Remember, vocab is due Thursday, not Friday this week. Your homework is to read for 20 minutes tonight and Wednesday. Honors students should begin The Count of Monte Cristo. This needs to be finished by 5/27, when we have our next seminar. Because we will not meet before then, we're going to meet online every so often and discuss elements of related to the text. So, please post a comment tonight related to the following prompt, and please address each other's comments and ideas in your post. Multiple entries create a dialogue and earn you more points. Prompt: Is it ever acceptable to exact revenge upon a person you feel has wronged you, or should we categorically forgive those who trespass against us?

Sophomores: Today our focus was on six standard archetypes. Your task is to research your archetype, and come to class with five new facts about it, from at least two different sources. These are due Friday. Remember, vocab is due Thursday, not Friday this week. Continue to read.

CNF: Today we talked about the Voyager project, listened to some audio from the Golden Record and saw some images those involved with the project sent out to ET and all his pals, and listened to a segment from Radiolab about the project.

Monday, April 7

Freshmen: Today we focused on the technique of Argument and how it incorporates all the other techniques we have studied. We also have a change in schedule: vocab is due Thursday, not Friday, and your five sources (minimum) and index cards are due Friday instead of Thursday. This is due to a change in the schedule for a school assembly. Read for 20 minutes. Honors students should begin The Count of Monte Cristo, and have a meeting tomorrow morning along with an essay that is due.

Sophomores: Period 2 focused on the Hero Catch-Phrase Project; Periods 4 and 8 had a seminar on Book III of The Poisonwood Bible. All periods should refer to the schedule posted on the blog regarding the reading schedule. We also have a change in schedule: vocab is due Thursday, not Friday, and your five sources (minimum) and index cards are due Friday instead of Thursday. This is due to a change in the schedule for a school assembly. Honors students have a meeting and an essay due next week.

CNF: Today we began Part IV of The World Without Us. The next book we'll begin is Season of Life.