Homework

 Continue to monitor Canvas for the reading and other assignments.

Last Day to Hand in Late Work

 Sunday, November 1 will be the last day to hand in any late work. Work with a due date prior to November will not be accepted after this date.

Extra Credit Opportunity

See https://stosselintheclassroom.org/student-contests/

Participation in this can earn you up to 50 points of extra credit.

Thursday, October 8

 Please see Canvas for both in school and at home learner instructions and assignments.

Wednesday, October 7

 English 12A and English Honors 9A: Please see Canvas as both in-person and at-home learners should complete the assignments there under today's date.

Monday, September 28 through Friday, October 2

 Please refer to Canvas for this week's assignments. Freshmen will meet online twice this week (Tuesday and Thursday) and seniors will meet on Wednesday. There is info about this on Canvas and in a Canvas Announcement.  

Friday, September 25

 Please refer to Canvas for our online learning content. I will post daily updates here starting next week.

Letter to Freshman Regarding Online Learning

 Students and Parents –

First, I would like to compliment this year’s freshmen. Thus far they have been wonderful to work with – bright, diligent, hard-working, and kind. I’m really bummed out we’re going to have to spend the next two weeks learning online, especially because were just about to enter a really critical part of our trimester and I have enjoyed the day to day interaction with the students very much. 

Second, I want to emphasize to the students that they are responsible for what we do the next two weeks. While it is less than ideal circumstances, they are expected to work daily, turn stuff in on time, and be completely caught up when school begins back up after October 9. Do not treat this like a two week fall break. Due dates will be adhered to and important content will be covered. Remember, I am always here to help you. Call the school or email me if you need help.

Third, we will have a class meeting on Friday, September 25 on google meet to discuss the end of trimester final project. Join via your csddocs account. Period 3 will meet at 11:00 AM. Your meeting code is bairdenglishperiod3. Period 5 will meet at 1:30 PM. Your meeting code is bairdenglishperiod5. Both of these meetings occur during time we would normally be having class. I think these meetings will last around 20 minutes. It’s important you attend so that you understand the expectations for this project. Please read through the material and do the assignments on Canvas on Thursday in order to prepare.

Lastly, we will begin To Kill a Mockingbird on Monday. If you need a copy of the book, please come into school and get a copy from the library. This is also true of those of you that still need a Chromebook. 

Thank you for your efforts thus far. Please let me know if there’s something I can do to help you during this time.

Thank you -

Mr. Baird

Tuesday, September 22

 Happy Hobbit Day! This is the day we celebrate Bilbo and Frodo's birthdays. Hey, if you don't know, now you know.

English 12A: Today our focus was on using short, one-syllable words. We read the essay "The Case for Short Words" and put this writer's advice into practice by crafting a composition ourselves that's composed of monosyllabic words. We'll complete and share the pieces in class tomorrow. Work on it tonight if you're going to need more than 20 minutes to complete it tomorrow and read for 20 minutes tonight. 

English Honors 9A: Today we read the short story "The Necklace" and took an exam on the literary concepts we have studied and applied thus far to short fiction. We also went to the library and checked out copies of To Kill a Mockingbird. Read for 20 minutes tonight.

Friday, September 18

 English 12A: Today our focus was on exploring the This I Believe website https://thisibelieve.org Your task is to read five essays from the website and write a reflection on each one as a way to gain an understanding of what an effective This I Believe essay looks like. This is due Monday. You can find this assignment on Canvas. Your homework is to read for 20 minutes as well. 

English Honors 9A: Today our focus was two-fold: one, we practice ironing out some issues the class is having with citing textual evidence; two, we covered different conclusion techniques to try. Take the quiz on conclusions this weekend and read for 20 minutes for homework.

Thursday, September 17

 English 12A: Today our focus was on our end of the trimester This I Believe final project. Go to Canvas and find the This I Believe module that is below this week's module. Today our focus was on reflecting back on people, events, and things that have shaped an influenced a personal belief or core value that we hold. We then crafted a dozen or so potential belief statements that may be the seed of a future essay.

English Honors 9A: Today we did an activity called Think/Write/Talk, which we used as a vehicle for practicing academic discourse while discussing the two most recent short stories we read. You can find the questions we used in a PowerPoint on Canvas. Read for 20 minutes for homework tonight.

Tuesday, September 15

 English 12A: Today we spent time editing your college application essays using The 10% Solution. We will continue this tomorrow in class before submitting your final draft to Canvas tomorrow. Read for 20 minutes as well. 

English Honors 9A: Today we focused on how an author will use multiple literary devices and concepts to develop a story by reading Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery." You can find it on Canvas. Read for 20 minutes tonight.

Monday, September 14

 English 12A: Today we learned how to edit using The 10% Solution. The notes and the powerpoint we used in class are on Canvas. Tomorrow in class we will apply this editing technique to our essays as we finish up the essay project and finalize our drafts. Read for 20 minutes tonight.

English Honors 9A: Today we focused on using textual evidence in a body paragraph to support a thesis. We read Chapter 3 of the book They Say I Say, took notes on how to quote, and then did some practice. We then worked on an assignment in Canvas for "Raymond's Run." It is due Tuesday. Read for 20 minutes tonight. 

Friday, September 11

 English 12A: Today we engaged in a peer review. Your task is to take your peer's feedback and improve your essay. You should bring two copies of your essay to class Monday: The copy you brought to class today and had marked up by a peer, and the improved essay you produce this weekend. You'll be asked to compare the two on Monday.

English Honors 9A: Today we read the short story "Raymond's Run" and focused on implicit and explicit themes emerging in the text. You should read for 20 minutes and come to class Monday ready to write about a theme you saw develop in "Raymond's Run."

Wednesday, September 9

English 12A: We decided everyone needed one final day to complete their drafts of their reflective memoir college application essay assignment. We will do this tomorrow and you need to bring a printed copy of your essay to class on Friday for a peer review. Read for 20 minutes tonight.

English Honors 9A: Today we combined what we learned about introductions, hook techniques, and our reading of the short story "Lamb to the Slaughter" by writing a couple of sample intro paragraphs to the prompt "Was Mary's killing of her husband justified?" The Canvas assignment is due tonight. Read for 20 minutes as well.

Tuesday, September 8

English 12A: Today we continued to work on your essay. We will take some time to focus on this in class tomorrow as well. You should have a finished, printed final copy for class on Thursday. Your homework is to read for 20 minutes.

English Honors 9A: Today we continued to focus on introductions, particularly different hooks to try in an introduction. You took a Introduction Hook Technique Quiz in groups during class (you do have two attempts at this, so if you have one left you're welcome to take it again) and need to take the Follow Up Quiz for homework (you only get one attempt at this, and should take it by yourself without the aid of any notes). Both of these are on Canvas. Read for 20 minutes tonight as well.

Friday, September 4

English 12A: Today our focus was on conclusion techniques. You are to identify the conclusion technique that best fits your essay and eventually craft one that fits its parameters. You should read for 20 minutes twice over the long weekend and, if you are not at least at the halfway point of your essay, work on it for half an hour or so. We will have Tuesday and Wednesday next week to continue to draft in class.

English Honors 9A: Today our focus was on learning the four ingredients of the introduction and a focused study of hook techniques to try. We will continue this focus next week. Read for 20 minutes at least twice over the long weekend.

Thursday, September 3

English 12A: Today we continued to work on drafting your essays; tomorrow we will talk about conclusion techniques as you start to build toward your finish. Read for 20 minutes tonight.

English Honors 9A: Today we had a Socratic Seminar which focused on your questions and observations about the short story "Lamb to the Slaughter."

Wednesday, September 2

English 12A: Today our focus was on drafting the body of your essay, building upon the introduction you wrote. Use your notes, especially your story arc, to help you do this. We will have about 30 minutes to work on it tomorrow in class. If you haven't shared it with me yet, do so, so that I can begin to give you some feed back: jeffrey.baird@csddocs.org. Read for 20 minutes tonight.

English Honors 9A: Today we read a short story called "Lamb to the Slaughter" and used it as an opportunity to learn how to "show our work" as we read through annotation. In class, we studied the different kinds of ways readers might express their thoughts using questions and annotated the text for a minimum of five questions. Your homework tonight is to reread the story and, rather than asking questions, move to observation and annotate it for Dahl's use of the various literary devices we studied the past two days. You should have a minimum of seven annotations regarding his use of literary devices for class tomorrow. Use your flip books to help you.

Tuesday, September 1

English 12A: Today our focus was on assessing whether or not we have mastery of the introduction hook techniques we covered this week in class. We took one quiz in groups in class today, which elicited some terrific discussions about writing (which was my main goal, rather than quizzing you: I cared way more about the conversation than the quiz, what you might call a Jedi Mind Trick). You're are to take the Introduction Hook Technique Follow Up Quiz tonight on Canvas. We also shared our introductions with the teacher (jeffrey.baird@csddocs.org) for credit and with a classmate for some feedback regarding these two questions: Does the writer use the stated hook technique effectively? And, which of the three introductions is the best? Finish this for your classmate tonight and decide what you think for about your own introductions before class tomorrow. Finally, read for 20 minutes tonight.

English Honors 9A: Today we completed our overview of literary terms via Nearpod as we completed the flip book we began earlier this week. Your homework is to read for 20 minutes and to identify as many literary concepts or terms in your reading as you can tonight.

Monday, August 31

English 12A: Today our focus was on naming, defining, and recognizing seven different hook techniques to use when crafting an introduction. You wrote three different potential introductions for your essay using three different hook techniques. These are due tomorrow at the start of class for homework. Read for 20 minutes as well.

English Honors 9A: Today our focus was on naming, defining, and recognizing various literary devices in order to build a common vocabulary we can use when discussing literature together. We will complete this tomorrow. When reading for 20 minutes tonight, see how many of these concepts you can identify or recognize in your reading.

Friday, August 28

English Honors 9A: Today we took a Literary Terms pretest on Canvas to determine our level of knowledge regarding literary terms and concepts. We then constructed a flip book that we will use for notes on these terms on Monday. This weekend, read for 20 minutes.

English 12A: Today we focused on the elements of a good introduction, and focused specifically on how to craft three types of hooks: Anecdotes, Quotes, and Analogies. You choose one of these, and crafted an introduction to your essay that uses one of as its hook. This is due on Monday. Read for 20 minutes.

Thursday, August 27

English 12A: Today we contrasted a less successful essay, "Ecuador," with the much more successful "Don't Take Pooping for Granted" that we analyzed yesterday. We then planned out our reflective memoir college application essays using an Aristotlian story arc. This should be completed for tomorrow's class, when we will study different hook techniques to try in the introduction. Your homework is to also read for 20 minutes.

English Honors 9A: Today we completed work on the District Wide Standards Based Assessment. Your homework is to read for 20 minutes.

Wednesday, August 26

English Honors 9A: Today we focused on getting a baseline on our writing through the District Wide Standard Based Assessment. It can be found on Canvas under the Module Pre-Assessment. We will complete it tomorrow. Read for 20 minutes tonight.

English 12A: Today we focused on identifying the moves good - and bad - writers make. You should complete the assignments Don't Score By Accident #1 and #2 on Canvas and read for 20 minutes tonight for homework.

Tuesday, August 25

English 12A: Today we began a College Application/Reflective Memoir assignment, which you can find on Canvas under today's date. We listened to a segment of This American Life, took notes on pitfalls high school writers make when applying to college, explored some of the Common App's prompts, and took notes on the three prompts that held the greatest appeal for each individual. Your homework is to complete that prewriting assignment, read for 20 minutes, and acquire a device you can compose on in class.

English Honors 9A: Today we took the Reading Inventory, which you can do on your own if you log into your csddocs account, open a new tab, go to the waffle, and then scroll down until you see the Reading and Math Inventory app. Take the RI, record your Lexile, and write down the titles of five books that are in your Lexile range that you might read. Read for 20 minutes as well tonight.

Monday, August 24

It was great meeting you all today. I hope that we have a great trimester together and that we all stay safe and healthy throughout the year.

English 12A: Today we covered first-day kinds of things: procedures, the disclosure, and basic expectations. You wrote a short reflective piece about either a childhood dream you harbor or what you believe your personal legend to be. Your homework is to go over the disclosure, take the Canvas quiz, and get a book. You should have your disclosure, book, and device for class tomorrow.

English Honors 9A: Today we covered first-day kinds of things: procedures, the disclosure, and basic expectations. You wrote a short reflective piece about a previous first day of school. Your homework is to go over the disclosure, take the Canvas quiz, and get a book. You should have your disclosure, book, and device for class tomorrow.

Period 5 Membean

With the announcement that we're going to be out of class until May, I have decided that we will participate in an online vocabulary program I have used before called Membean. This is great preparation for AP classes and exams and standardized tests like the SAT and ACT. It's going to require you to train on it for 15 minutes a day, 4 days a week, for a total of 60 minutes per week. I am going to give you 1 per minute trained per week, starting May 30 (this will not be required the next week due to spring break). This means there will be a Membean grade in Skyward each week. NOTE: You only get credit for minutes actively training - if you switch screens, or have multiple tabs open, those minutes get tagged as "suspicious" and you won't get credit for it. When you train, you cannot have any other tabs open and can't jump off the screen. This will help you build your concentration.

Go to membean.com/enroll and enter the code B8SQ98W to join our class. After you do this, it will ask you to calibrate (great vocab word!). This will give you your level (I am level 5, by the way - very impressive, I know!). That takes about 5 minutes. Once you do that, you can start training. Use this week to practice, and starting March 30, it will start to become a part of your grade.

Tuesday, March 17

Hi. I realize the irony of sending this message via the internet, however we would like to know which students do not have either access to a computer at home or internet access at home. Please let me know if this is the case for any of you. If you need a Chromebook, the school will be checking them out to students on Wednesday, March 18 between 8 AM and 3 PM in the library. Please come and get one if you need it. There are also a limited number of hotspots available that the school can check out to you if you don’t have internet access. If you have friends or know of someone who needs one of these things, please either let me know or make them aware of these opportunities yourself. Thank you.

Mr. Baird

Wednesday, March 11

Film: Today we began watching the film The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, focussing especially on the film maker's use of point of view shots, music and sound (and especially how these contribute to what I call a "motif of interruption"), and the plot's structure (particularly the use of in media res).

CNF: Today we practiced thin slicing people, relationships, and what a person's bedroom reveals about themselves. If you need to finish Chapter 1 from Blink, do so for homework.

English Honors 9B: Today we shared your Theme for English 9B poems and attempted to create a large, whole-class poem. Your homework is to read for 20 minutes.

Friday, March 6

Film: Today we finished watching Searching for Bobby Fischer.

CNF: Today we read the Introduction to Blink.

English Honors 9B: Today we finished listening to several poems by Billy Collins. Your homework is to read for 20 minutes.

Thursday, March 5

Film: Today we began watching Searching for Bobby Fischer. 

CNF: Today we listened to a segment of This American Life's "Superheroes" episode and discussed which superpower we would choose, flight or invisibility.

English Honors 9B: Today we listened to several poems by Billy Collins. Your homework is to read for 20 minutes.

Wednesday, March 4

Film: Today we practiced reading different mediums: photography and art, music, and film. We watched the short film More by Mark Osborn, which you can find on youtube.

CNF: Today we listened to two different podcast episodes of This American Life (Fear of Sleep) and Radiolab (Lost and Found) as we studied how constructors of nonfiction use ethos, pathos, and logos to influence their audience.

English Honors 9B: Today we talked about the class's attitudes toward poetry and read a poem by Billy Collins, "Introduction to Poetry." Homework is to read for 20 minutes.

Monday, March 2

Welcome to the new trimester!

Film: Today we talked a little bit about our experiences with film; your homework is to get your disclosure signed for Wednesday.

CNF: Today we got an overview of the two ends of the decision-making spectrum we will study this trimester. Your homework is to get your disclosure signed for Wednesday.

English Honors 9B: Today we focused on getting to know our classmates; your homework is to get your disclosure signed for Wednesday and to have a book for Wednesday's class.

Friday, February 21

English Honors 9A: Today we wrote an essay that answers this prompt: Should Atticus Finch have accepted the Tom Robinson case?

English Honors 9B: Today we finished reading Act V from Romeo and Juliet.

English 12B: Today we heard more Capstone presentations. You must upload your research paper by midnight tonight for credit.  

Thursday, February 20

English Honors 9A: Today we addressed the following question: Should Atticus Finch have accepted the Tom Robinson case? We brainstormed reasons both for and against, and found textual evidence to support our ideas. We then had a philosophical chairs debate, and finally, outlined ideas for an essay in response to the prompt. Part of that was including a counterclaim, or a naysayer. Your homework is to read about that idea in the book They Say I Say, which can be found here:

http://www.drivelearning.org/uploads/4/4/1/1/44110523/they_say_i_say_3rd_edition.pdf

Read pages 78-91 in Chapter 6 for your 20 minutes of reading homework.

English Honors 9B: Today we concluded Act IV of Romeo and Juliet. Read for 20 minutes tonight for homework.

English 12B: Today we had more great Capstone Presentations. In order for you to get credit for your research paper, you must upload it to Canvas by midnight Friday!

Wednesday, February 19

English Honors 9A: Today we finished the film version of To Kill a Mockingbird. Your 3EJ and TIB Connections Chart is due Friday. Read for 20 minutes tonight.

English Honors 9B: Today we finished 4.3 and focused on the imagery created by Juliet's fear. Read for 20 minutes tonight.

English 12B: Today we saw some good presentations.

English 9A Final Exam Study Guide

These are the things that will be on the final exam:
-The components of an effective introduction
-The different kinds of introduction and conclusion techniques
-Various literary devices and terms
-Ideas and theories from How to Read Literature Like a Professor

Monday, February 17

English 9A: Today we watched the first little bit of the film version of To Kill a Mockingbird. Read for 20 minutes tonight.

English 9B: Today in period 2 we read 4.1 in Romeo and Juliet; period 3 we will do this tomorrow, as we had too few students to move ahead in the text.

English 12B: Today we as our last in class work day for the Capstone Project - be ready to roll tomorrow in class!

Thursday, February 13

English 9A:  Today we finished everything through Chapter 29 and read Chapter 1 of How to Read Literature Like a Professor and discussed the journey, or quest, motif. Read for 20 minutes tonight.

English 9B: Today we wrote about what Romeo and Juliet teaches us about life and the human experience. Read for 20 minutes tonight.

English 12B: Today we discussed two-voice poems and rap battles; write one for your project. The whole thing is due next Tuesday.

Wednesday, February 12

English 9A: Finish everything through Chapter 27 in To Kill a Mockingbird tonight.

English 9B: Today we continued to work at citing sources. Period 2, complete your essay; Period 3, be ready to begin yours tomorrow.

English 12B: Today we focused on bibliographies. Your project is due in six days.

Capstone and This I Believe Presentation Schedules

Senior Capstone Project Presentation Dates:

Tuesday, February 18

1. Lexi

2. Sebastien

3. Josh

4. Marianne

5. Taylor

Wednesday, February 19

6. Kennedy

7. Jeff

8. Mccaye

9. Korbyn

10. Alexis 

Thursday, February 20

11. Jillian 

12. Kevin

13. Bubba

14. Tyler

15. Matt

Friday, February 21

16. Jake

17. Jose

18. Cali

19. Zak K

20. Simeon 

Monday, February 24

21. Saige

22. Redd

23. Oakley

24. Nagle

25. Phil

Tuesday, February 25

26. Isabel

27. Porter

28. Evan

29. Jayden

Freshman Period 1 This I Believe Presentation Schedule:

Thursday, February 20:

1. Ella
2. Hanna
3. Tino
4. Alex
5. Marcus
6. Cam
7. Shelby
8. Liz S.
9. Micah

Friday, February 21:

10. Emma
11. Grant
12. Fiona
13. Katelyn
14. Jacob
15. Julia
16. Savannah
17. Mason
18. Sarah

Monday, February 24:

19. Zane
20. Owen
21. Andrew
22. Kerry
23. Noah
24. Natalie
25. Nick
26. Sienna

Tuesday, February 25:

27. Liz M.
28. Margo
29. Zach
30. Matt
31. Makenna
32. Lia
33. Jacki

Monday, February 10

English 9A: Finish Chapters 22 and 23 of To Kill a Mockingbird.

English 9B: We took the RI and discussed the Bloom article.

English 12B: Today we focused on "Ways" poems. Your project is due in 8 days.

Wednesday, February 5

English 9A: Today we began Chapters 18 and 19 in To Kill a Mockingbird. Finish them for homework tonight. Consider: What was Tom Robinson's critical error during the trial?

English 9B: Today we focused on the end of Act II and some of the rhetorical devices Shakespeare employs. Read for 20 minutes tonight for homework.

English 12B: Today we focused on sonnets, as they are a required part of your Capstone Project.

Thursday, January 30

English 9A: Today we focused on Chapter 15 of To Kill a Mockingbird and how this particular chapter, perhaps more so than any other, reveals essential themes that run throughout the book. Read for 20 minutes tonight.

English 9B: Today we focused on 2.1 and 2.2 of Romeo and Juliet; come prepared tomorrow to discuss why 2.2. is considered the "vital center" of the play. Read for 20 minutes tonight.

English 12B: Today we focused on free verse poetry as a part of your Capstone Project. Work on that tonight. 

Monday, January 27

English 9A: Today we began Chapter 12 from To Kill a Mockingbird. Finish it tonight, and come prepared to discuss why you think Aunt Alexandra came to Maycomb to live with the Finch family. Read 20 minutes tonight.

English 9B: Today we read 1.3 and 1.4 in Romeo and Juliet. Come tomorrow prepared to discuss the various characters' attitudes about love and marriage. Read for 20 minutes tonight.

English 12B: Today we focused on the first Creative Response genre required of you: A letter to the editor of the Salt Lake Tribune. Work on your project for 20-30 minutes tonight.

Friday, January 24

English Honors 9A: Today we completed an assignment on Canvas related to symbols and symbolism. Read for 20 minutes this weekend.

English Honors 9B: Today we read 1.1 and 1.2 in Romeo and Juliet. Read for 20 minutes this weekend.

English 12B: Today we focused on conclusion techniques to try for your research paper. Work on it for 30 minutes this weekend.

Thursday, January 23

English 9A: Today our focus was on a triple entry journal designed to aid us as readers as we tease out themes from To Kill a Mockingbird revealed by character dialogue as well as the narrator.

English 9B: Thou dids't hone thy ability to hurl insults at knavish fools, not to mention thou dids't make plain as day Shakespeare's intent with revealing Romeo and Juliet's end at the beginning.

English 12B: We did another Hero Catch Phrase entry and continued work on the Capstone Project.

Tuesday, January 21

English 9A: Today we focused on the power of language. Read Chapter 10 in To Kill a Mockingbird for homework tonight.

English 9B: Today we focused on the Prologue of Romeo and Juliet. Read for 20 minutes for homework.

English 12B: Work on your Capstone research papers tonight for 30 minutes.

Tuesday, January 14

English 9A: Today our focus was on Chapter 6 of To Kill a Mockingbird; your homework is to read Chapter 7 tonight.

English 9B: Today we began watching the first half of a film version of Romeo and Juliet. Your homework is to read for 20 minutes tonight.

English 12B: Today our focus was on Chapter 6 of They Say I Say, and integrating a nay-sayer into your research papers.

Monday, January 13

English 9A: Today we read Chapter 5 from To Kill a Mockingbird; read for 20 minutes tonight.

English 9B: Today we shared our sonnets and got an overview of some of the major character, plot, and thematic elements of Romeo and Juliet. Read for 20 minutes.

English 12B: Today we began Part V of The Elements of Style, reviewed how to blend citations, and worked on your research papers.

Tuesday, January 7

English Honors 9A: Today we began reading To Kill a Mockingbird. Your homework is to finish Chapter 1 and to complete the first section of your This I Believe Connections Chart for the essays about Neighbors and Neighborhoods. Your This I Believe overview worksheet is due Thursday with five essays read.

English Honors 9B: Today we learned about the sonnet. Your homework is to read for 20 minutes and to find a sonnet by Shakespeare and bring a printed copy to class tomorrow.

English 12B: Today we focused on the introduction of your Capstone research paper. Work on it tonight.