January 5 - 9

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015

"She wasn't doing a thing that I could see, except standing there leaning against the railing, holding the universe together". JD Salinger "A Girl Knew"

• TEDtalks "The Puzzle of Motivation"
• entry #49 recall a favorite line from a book/song/poem/movie and explain why it is so great. Why do you remember this line?
• entry #50 What motivates you?
• begin new unit Memoir Persepolis/Night

"To place yourself on the page is in part self-discovery, part self-creation" from "Good Prose: The Art of Non-fiction" 

• entry #51 write about an eye-opening experience, a time when you shifted your opinion entirely about something.
• terms and vocabulary for Persepolis
• current event Iran
• essential question carousel
• entry #52 recall a very specific moment in your life and write a half page dialogue recalling that moment.
• Youtube "A History of Iran and America in 10 minutes"
• George Bush's "Axis of Evil" speech 2002
• read "The Secret Garden" by Azadeh Moaveni page 167 Holt
• questions after story

December 15 - 19 PROGRESS REPORTS DUE TUESDAY DECEMBER 16TH

Writing Samples 

HAPPY WINTER BREAK!

December 8 - 12

• reading Antigone
• entry #47 word bomb (island, butter, stench, cranberry, time)
• Write Source pages 201-238 The Persuasive Essay
• Writing Samples Antigone
• entry #48 who is right Antigone or Creon? Why? Explain...
• watch Antigone with Juliet Stevenson

Week of December 1st - December 5th

• Finish Antigone
• begin essay (in class)
• continue individual reading of semester challenge book and choose project

Week of November 24th - 26th THANKSGIVING BREAK, NO CLASS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY

• Begin Greek Tragedy/Antigone unit
• Aristotle "The Poetics" and Antigone background
• active reading with tragedy hand-out
• Begin Antigone
• in class dialogue journal - 3 passages that connect to the theme of Man's law VS God's law. The 10 entries you collect from the play will ultimately be used in your argumentative essay; who is right, Antigone or Creon? Is it more important to follow the laws of the land and society or is it more important to follow your own religious beliefs - even when they are in conflict with the laws of society?

Week of November 17th - 21st

2 journal entries due, also some students have not turned in last set of reading questions from The Alchemist

• students worked on building a synthesis essay in class this week and typing it up in the computer lab on Thursday.
• Students also completed a college readiness survey
• checked out The Theban Plays. Must read Introduction - P. 71 first play King Oedipus. For extra credit students can read second play in the trilogy; Oedipus at Colonus and prepare a dialogue journal using the same format as used for The Alchemist. We will read the 3rd play in the trilogy Antigone in class after the Thanksgiving break.

Week of November 10th - 14th

• A short week as the end of the first quarter came to an end. Students placed in new English class on Monday November 17th.
• Thursday NO SCHOOL ICE DAY