December 16th through 20th

1. This week we will be discussing the book as a whole. You were each able to select two or more discussion questions from the back of the text.
You will have a graded discussion on these questions.

• Your reading and speaking scores will reflect your answers on the questions you've selected.
• Your listening scores will reflect ALL of the discussions you were not a part of.

2. We will also be completing a wordle. This is due on the 17th for gold day students and the 20th for blue day students. The steps are below.

• download and install Firefox (in self-service on your computer under "web") and Java (here)
• select a section of the book (an entire part) and pull words from it that reflect the tone of that particular section
• type the words in Pages (for copying and pasting purposes...sometimes wordle is glitchy)
• the more you type the words, the larger they will be
• connect words that need to appear together with a tilde (~)
• watch your capitalization AND spelling
• click on "create" in wordle
• copy words from pages
• paste them into wordle
• click on "go" 
• your wordle should be created, but now you need to work on the following:
• font
• color (use custom palette to create your own please)
• layout
• all of the above should reflect the tone and mood of the piece
• take a screeenshot
• upload the wordle to your blog using insert image (see below)

• write about your selections (words, colors, and font) and their effectiveness and post this to your blog as well

HOMEWORK OVER VACATION: PROJECT

December 9th and 10th

Due on Tuesday and Wednesday:
project proposals

Thursday and Friday: finish book

Today we reviewed our projects. Due dates are below.

Book Thief
January 6th (gold day)
January 7th (blue day)

Choice Book Buzz
January 21st (gold)
January 22nd (blue)

December 2nd and 3rd

Today we had an assessment over parts VI and VII. We wrote clarifying and probing questions to utilize in discussions the next time we meet.

Due Thursday and Friday:
Part VIII

Due Monday and Tuesday:
Part IX

November 21st-23rd

1. Presentations (in class)
2. Discussions (graded)

Homework
1. Color Pieces (write for next week)
Recall a memory that is important in your life. Write a piece that focuses on color as well as this memory. Use the color symbolism handout I emailed to you as a guide. Refer back to the prologue of The Book Thief if you need clarification.
I also handed out a rubric that you can reference.
2. Please read Part V (for next week)
3. Please read Parts VI and VII over Thanksgiving break.

November 18th and 19th

Today we are going to do a small amount of research on a given topic. The research is due on Wednesday (for gold day classes) and Thursday (blue).

Your product will be a blog post that includes information on your topic as well any images/links you deem worthwhile. 

We are going to spend most of class discussing Part III and sharing our "Some Facts About" pieces.

Due Wednesday:

Research

Due Friday:

Part IV

Due Thursday

Research and Part IV

We are also going to discuss Part III. 

November 14th and 15th

We're having another discussion in class today AFTER we take the vocabulary assessment.
Here is a list of things you might be questioning concerning World War Two. Please let me know if there is anything we should add to the list.

• Propaganda (Justin) (Shamira) (Kaleb)
• How it is connected to WWI (Alex G) (Jack) (Devon)
• Book burning "Sauberung" (Emilee) (Caitlin)
• Stalingrad (Alex B) (Alex M)
• Hitler youth and perfect Aryan textbook (Sierra) (Anna) (Autumn)
• Nuremberg laws (Eryn) (Jordan)
• Jews under Nazi rule in Germany (pre-Holocaust) 1930's (Nikki) (Kayla)

Homework:

1. Read part three. You will be reading part four for the end of next week, so please feel free to read ahead.
2. Look on pages 33, 34, and 48 for some examples of excerpts about characters. "Some Facts About" is what they are titled. You need to write one of these for yourself and one for someone else you know. Make sure you point out unique details that make the descriptions engaging. Try to model the voice seen in TBT.

November 12th and 13th

Today we had a discussion of part one of The Book Thief.
Your homework is to read part two AND study for your vocabulary assessment.

November 6th, 7th, and 8th (and beyond)

Today we are going to look at color symbolism a bit before we start reading The Book Thief.

Your first reading assignment is to finish part one.

Come to class on Tuesday (or Wednesday depending on the section) ready to discuss. You should have questions and comments written down and pages marked in the text.

Homework:
Read part one
Study Vocabulary

Your homework for next week will be to study for Vocabulary and read part two of The Book Thief. It is okay to read ahead, but make sure you keep your conversation(s) in class about the first part.

You need to write vocabulary sentences for the words on your quack list.
The Quizlets are HERE.

2G:
Emilee: 1A
Eryn: 1B
Sierra: 2A
Alex B: 2B
Alex G: 3A
Nikki: 3B
Justin: 2A

4B:
Shamira: 1A
Jordan: 1B
Alex: 2A
Kaleb: 2B
Anna: 3A
Autumn: 3B
Jack: 1A
Devon: 1B
Caitlin: 2A
Kayla: 2B

November 4th and 5th

Why Read?



How to Read a Poem: Beginner's Manual

October 28th and 29th

2 Gold:
Due: Post Secret
Homework: finish Act V (we read lots of it in class today)

4B
Due: Post Secret
Homework: prepare for graded discussion
We put items in categories today (reading, speaking, listening) and discussed what is important during a discussion.

Your post secret assignments (personal and from the play) are wonderful. I really appreciate what you shared.

Remember your vocabulary assessment!

October 23rd through the 25th

Today we took an assessment and read.

Homework over the weekend:

Finish the play (4B)
Finish Act IV (2G)

Both classes: Create a post secret for one character from the play and yourself.

October 21st and 22

Period 4 Blue
Today we read Act IV (or most of it) in Macbeth.
You need to finish it for homework and come to class ready for an assessment.
I also handed out new vocabulary words.

Period 2 Gold
Today we read Act III of Macbeth. You need to read Act IV scene i for homework, and come to class ready for an assessment.
I also handed out new vocabulary words.

October 17 and 18

4 Blue:

Today you completed a self assessment and handed in your final drafts of your constructed responses.
You also took a vocabulary assessment.

We read some of Act III in class. You need to finish Act III for homework. Make sure you continue to track your image/word for the rest of the book.

Homework:
Finish Act III and be ready for a reading check.

2 Gold:

Today we will edit constructed responses AND take a vocabulary assessment.

Homework:

Edit your constructed responses.

October 10th and 11th 2013

Today we went over the following:

• Words and Phrases to Avoid When Writing an Essay (handout)
• Writing a Constructed Response (handout)
• Quoting Shakespeare (notes)
• PSAT Questions

Homework:

Tuesday the 16th: 1st draft of a constructed response

Thursday the 18th: vocabulary assessment and final draft of constructed response

Friday the 19th: vocabulary assessment and first draft of constructed response

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Quoting Shakespeare:

Three or fewer lines (example)

Macbeth’s most interesting line in this act is “Wake Duncan with thy knocking. I would thou / couldst” (II.iii.94-95).

Four or more lines (example)

Lady Macbeth says,

          My hands are of your color, but I shame

          To wear a heart so white.

          I hear a knocking

          At the south entry. Retire we to our chamber. (II.ii.81-84)

Then you go back out to the left margin (don’t begin a new paragraph).

October 8th and 9th 2013

We finished Act II in class today.
Homework:

The last time we met you were asked to do a close reading of a passage. You are now going to use an online concordance (at the bottom of this post) to do the same thing. I want you to find three or more passages from the first two Acts of Macbeth that use the word(s) you want to track.

night (day)--Devon, Alex B     

dark (light)--Caleb, Justin

sleep--Kayla, Eryn

hands--Autumn, Emilee

blood--Alex, Jordan

animals--Shamira, Nikki

color (black, white, gold, silver, green, red)--Caitlin, Sierra

heaven/hell--Anna, Jack, Alex Gilbert

Write out the passages (or copy and paste them), and complete the SAME close reading process for these passages.

They are likely shorter, but you will be treating them all as one. 

Concordance

October 3rd

Today we read through II.ii of Macbeth.
Important things to note follow:

1. Banquo is having dark thoughts as well
2. Macbeth's dagger scene 
3. Duncan dies

Gold Day Honors: Don't forget your reading assignment due on Wednesday.

October 1st and 2nd

Today we finished Act I of Macbeth.
We are going to work on close reading.

1. Circle and define unfamiliar vocabulary.
2. Underline language you find interesting. Why do you find it interesting? Jot down your reasons.
3. Look for patterns in language (diction). Highlight words with positive (or negative) connotations.
4. Opinions and reflections: What do you think of the story, narrator, character, et cetera.
5. Predictions: Make predictions about what will happen in the piece.
6. Connections: Does the passage remind you of your own experiences or other books and films? In what way?
7. Questions: Write them down. Open ended questions are fine.
8. What key themes do you feel are reflected in the passage?

Due Wednesday(gold) and Thursday (blue):

1. close reading (Wednesday the 9th for gold day students)

2. vocabulary assessment

September 27th and 30th

Today we read Act I scenes i-iii of Macbeth. Your homework is to respond to the text via a blog post.

comments
connections
questions
close reading
analysis

Make sure your response is organized.

Period 4 Blue notes and predictions:

Witches

• curse?
• revenge
• fair is foul and foul is fair
• Is Macbeth working with them? No, but they are going to find him.
• fog and filthy air...does that mean deception
• Storm: dark, eerie, evil, dramatic, menacing

Scotland is at war with Norway.

Macdonwald is an Irish mercenary.

Macbeth is "brave" but his execution of Macdonwald is merciless.

The first Thane of Cawdor (in the play) was a traitor.

Predictions made by the witches are as follows

1. Macbeth will be Thane of Glamis
2. Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor
3. Macbeth will be King
4. Banquo will not be king, but his sons will

Macbeth starts thinking murderous thoughts.

September 25th and 26th

Today we are going to finish our discussion from our last session. Gender stereotypes are where we left off, so I'm expecting some more heated discussion. We'll see though.
We are going to look at our blogs and discuss the scoring rubric.
Finally, we'll be commenting on the blogs in class. Please refer to the rubric when commenting.
You have no homework for Friday (for 4 Blue) or Monday (for 2 Gold).

September 23rd and 24th

1. Pieces of You
2. Vocabulary
3. Songs
4. Blogging Assignment
5. Anticipation Guide

Shamira needs to present her pieces of you (welcome back Shamira) in class and we're going to review vocabulary words for an assessment you will have next week. Right now this is how we'll be looking at vocabulary. It might shift toward the middle of the year.

Due:
Songs (we're going to do something with them later)

Homework:
Please write about two of the following concepts and how they have played a role in your life. This will be a blog post.

power
ambition
fate
guilt
gender

September 19th and 20th

The blog posts due for today were fine, and they read that way. You have the weekend to revise them and make them pop. Please email me if you want suggestions or feedback.

We're beginning to work with Shakespeare today. While I don't particularly love all of his works, I do love language and words. I also really enjoy Macbeth. We're going to take it easy with Macbeth for a bit, and we'll build gradually until you are reading most of it on your own.

Today we're going to talk about the following:
What do I know about Shakespeare (I being you)?
iambic pentameter
Shakespeare or hip hop

Homework:
Revise your first blog post. You really have made some wonderful selections.
Find lines from songs that you think could pass as Shakespeare. (Push yourselves here. I'd rather have three wonderful examples than eleven poor ones. Eleven wonderful examples would be fantastic.)
Bonus: Find at least one Shakespearean line that could pass for something more modern.

Shakespeare Ted Talk

September 17th and 18th

Your post today needs to be based on a blog you enjoy (or might enjoy). Post the link to your blog and discuss what makes it "postable" for you. Why did you select it? What makes it attractive (or not so attractive), engaging (or not so engaging)?

I love Sherman Alexie's writing. I think he is witty, engaging, serious, and intelligent. I never want to meet him because I somehow feel the Alexie that I've created in my mind is likely better than the man in real life. I'm scared that he would open his mouth and become an awful person. Then I would feel bad about loving his writing so much. I would feel tricked, and it would hurt my soul. That being said, here is a link to his blog. Do I love it? No. Do I like it. Yes. I appreciate the simplicity of the blog. I really like how he doesn't say a lot (because who really has time to read all that), but links to things that his readers (followers?) might like to peruse. Here is an Alexie poem about basketball and Walt Whitman that's not really about either.

Speaking of poems, here is another blog I enjoy. Austin Kleon has taken a simple idea (blackout poems) and run with it in a way that is amazing. His blog works. It just does. It incorporates words and images and ideas in a way that is simple yet complex at the same time.

The final blog I'd like to share is where I find new music. It's sometimes a little too singer/songwritery and obscure for the sake of being obscure, but for the most part I really like Heather Browne's I am Fuel You are Friends. The writing is accessible and the music can often be downloaded for free. She's got great bootlegs and playlists, but when it comes down to it she really just has great taste in music. I follow other music blogs, but this was the first one I found and really stuck with.

The blogs I've listed are all really simply set up. There aren't weird advertisements and glaring colors screaming at me, and I appreciate that.