Friday, February 23

English 12A: Today we heard some wonderful This I Believe presentations. Your final exam will be Thursday, March 1; your Tao te Ching packet and your Echoes of the Tao assignment are due Wednesday, February 28.

Englsh 12B: Today we heard some more of your outstanding Capstone Presentations.

12A Final Exam Study Guide 2018

Your final exam will consist of 50 multiple choice questions, each worth two points. Some of the things the test may cover include, but are not limited to, the following: introduction and conclusion techniques we studied; the 10% Solution; ideas Thomas Foster addresses in How to Read Literature Like a Professor (including, but not limited to, irony, things like rebirth, water, names, quests, symbols, intertextuality and the "one story," and geography), literary and writing terms and concepts we covered (such as irony, various kinds of stories - like memoir - and context) and reading skills we addressed (such as close reading, annotating, visualization, and prediction), and a few basics about the Tao te Ching (such as how old it is and who wrote it) and This I Believe (such as its purpose).

Thursday, February 22

12A: Periods 1 and 2 completed their reading of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly; Period 3 did that yesterday. Period 3 began their This I Believe presentations; Periods 1 and 2 will do so tomorrow.

12B: You continued with your excellent Capstone Presentations.

Tuesday, February 20

English 12A: Today we read several chapters from The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and wrote in response to some of the topics. Remember, your This I Believe essays are due soon, so complete those projects ASAP.

English 12B: Today we began your Capstone Presentations. Thank you and good job to those who presented.

Thursday, February 15

English 12A: Today we concluded the film version of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. We also read this essay from This I Believe: https://thisibelieve.org/essay/28381/

I have also posted extra credit on the blog for those that are interested. It is titled Mind-Body Connection Extra Credit.

English 12B: We took our final day to work on your projects in class. They are due Tuesday.

Wednesday, February 14

English 12A: Today we read this essay from This I Believe: https://thisibelieve.org/essay/7365/

We also viewed and read from The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

English 12B: Instead of getting into the monomyth structure to close out our study of the hero like I wanted to, I instead gave the class today to work on their projects and will do so again tomorrow. This means that, rather than being due on Thursday as originally planned, your projects are not due until next Tuesday.

Tuesday, February 13

English 12A: Today we viewed more of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, read the first couple of chapters, and read this essay: https://thisibelieve.org/essay/7710/

Be sure to complete your article of the week assignment on strokes; it is on Canvas.

English 12B: Today we explored various hero archetypes and worked on your Capstones. They are due Thursday.

Monday, February 12

English 12A: Today we did some things to prepare to read The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. To continue this, go to Canvas and complete the assignment "Article of the Week About Strokes." It is due Wednesday, February 14, by midnight.

English 12B: Today we did a little bit with archetypes as we conclude our study of the hero, and also did some work on your Capstone Project, which is due, bound and complete, by Thursday.

Friday, February 9

English 12A: Today we concluded our discussion of The Alchemist. You should be completing your This I Believe Projects on your own.

English 12B: Today I collected your index cards; continue to work on your Projects. They are due next Thursday.

Thursday, February 8

English 12A: Today we had multiple discussions on the various ideas running through The Alchemist. We will continue with this tomorrow. Continue to work on your This I Believe project.

English 12B: Today we continued working on the Capstone and wrapping up the Hero Catch Phrase Project. Tomorrow will be the last day for that; your Capstones are due in a week.

Wednesday, February 7

English 12A: Today we concluded reading The Alchemist, and we read these two This I Believe essays: https://thisibelieve.org/essay/i-am-better-than-i-used-to-be/ and https://thisibelieve.org/essay/88035/. We also practiced blending citations more effectively, and you have an assignment on Canvas titled The Alchemist Theme Citation Practice that you should complete tonight.

English 12B: Today we completed another entry in the Hero Catch Phrase Project, worked on the Capstone Project, and discussed the requirement for publishing (i.e. handing in) your Capstone, which are listed below:

Capstone Publication Criteria (50 points)

One element of publishing your Capstone is simply turning it in. When you turn it in, your Capstone should have the following components:

1. Your Capstone should be bound nicely in a binder or some other such thing (20 points).
2. Include a Cover Letter that introduces your reader to your Capstone. Tell them briefly about your topic, why you chose it, what your process was like, what difficulties you encountered, what you hope they get out of reading it, what they should notice about your work, and other such things (20 points).
3. All paper items you created for your Capstone should be included in the bound project (including a copy of the letter to the editor you sent in). If something you created for your Capstone is in a medium other than paper, include a single sheet of paper with a URL link to it. Arrange the items you created in a logical order for your reader. Consider the order that best suits each piece of information. How well-arranged your pieces are factors into your grade (10 points). Place your Cover Letter first and your Works Cited page last; in between, use your creativity to arrange your items in a way that is both logical and aesthetically pleasing to your reader.

Friday, February 2

English 12A: Today our focus was on irony, and the three most basic types (verbal, dramatic, and situational). We also read pages 104-121 in The Alchemist. If you were absent, find the reading schedule on the blog or on Canvas and read the corresponding pages on the PDF. Finally, for homework, you are to go to Canvas and complete the Quiz titled How to Read Chapter 26: Is He Serious? And Other Ironies.

And yes, he is very, very serious. And so am I.

English 12B: Today Mr. Anderson came in and taught us how to build the website component of your Capstone Project. Keep working on that, and the rest of your stuff.

Thursday, February 1

English 12A: Today we read pages 87-104 in The Alchemist (see the reading schedule on Canvas to find out the corresponding pages on the PDF), this essay https://thisibelieve.org/essay/16436/ and spent some time working on your own This I Believe projects.

English 12B: Today we did another entry in the Hero Catch Phrase Project and worked on your Capstone Projects. Tomorrow, we will talk about how to go about creating a website for your project.