Welcome to semester 2!

For starters, we're going to go over our course outline and learn a few things about the routines and rules of our class.

For writing, we'll write on the following topics:

1. ELL 1/2 Social Studies: If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
2. ELL 3 Social Studies: Is it better to see the world through a computer/device or through your own eyes? Why?
3. ELL 1/2 Science: How much time do you spend taking care of your health? Do you feel like you take care of yourself?
4. ELL 3 English: Is it ever acceptable to keep a secret in order to protect someone?

Yes - the rumors are true. The science test has been delayed until Monday, January 22.

ELL Social Studies Your Topic:
What is one thing you couldn't live without? Why?

It's halfway day!

Social Studies
Read this article about an endangered species. An endangered species is for things that live in the world - we use this word when they might all die. Some animals become extinct when people hunt too many of them, some animals become extinct because there are other, stronger animals which eat or kill them.

After you read, think about this question:

How much should people spend in time and money to help endangered species? Should people even bother?

It's time for more January!

Hello everyone, here's are work today!

Social Studies

Let's start by reading this, and answering a few questions about it! (These questions are for 850L - so you can try that level!)

1. What are two health problems that children can get from too much screen time?
2. What is the problem with changing "no-screen rules"?
3. What is similar when we compare snacks and using cell phones?
4. What ability will improve if we put our phones away for a short time?
5. How does taking cell phones away make children more independent?

Science

Today I'll make sure your sentences are corrected, then we'll talk about the next part of our chemicals unit.

It's halfway day!

Social Studies
Today we'll be going over part 30 for grammar and onward towards the end of the semester!

1. Grammar 30.
2. Check answers (weather)
3. Fire and Fury // Discussion
4. Writing Prompt

Good Morning!

Social Studies

1. Basketball questions and reading.
2. Read this and do the questions below!
3. Unit 29/30 GRAMMAR.

Questions for reading!

1. Why do schools close sometimes in the winter?
2. What are some of the worries school leaders have about students if the schools close?
3. What does the article recommend to avoid becoming cold?
4. How bad do you feel the weather should be before we close SLSS?

ELL Science

1. Homework check (vocabulary)
2. Vocabulary speaking review.
3. Reading questions (p. 18-22)
4. Vocabulary practice handout.

More to come!

ELL Science
Welcome back everyone! Here's our new vocabulary!

1. Copy vocabulary on to your vocab tracking sheet.
2. Do the questions.
3. Do the vocabulary review.

Welcome to 2018!

Welcome back to the new year! It's time to wrap up our work as the semester comes to a close. That means lots of writing!

I know we've been away for a month, so we'll go over the big parts of the paragraph again before we start. Check it out:

1. Topic sentence. What will you write about in your paragraph?
2. Body sentences (3 - 6 sentences). 
3. Concluding sentence. There are many ways to do this, think about these questions. You only would answer one of them:
1. What is your overall feeling about this topic?
2. What big message should we remember about this topic?
3. Why was it important to write about this topic?

If you're feeling brave, you can also write many paragraphs.

In Canada many people like to make New Year's Resolutions. These are goals that we work on for the year. Here's an example of a New Year's Resolution:

(Check the underlined section - this is how to use a semi-colon. Two sentences that are very similar can have a semi-colon. You don't have to make a semi-colon in level 1 or 2, but you can if you like!)

-----------------
     This year, I will drive less, and take the bus more. Driving cars makes a lot of pollution and people don't get exercise in their cars; if I take the bus, I can help the environment. As long as I leave a little earlier, I can get to school on time. Also, I can meet interesting people on the bus, like other students who take the bus to school. I think all people should do something good for the world, and this is my way to do a good thing.

----------------

Now, make your own New Year's Resolution!

Social Studies
Check out this link, and read a little about the history of basketball!

Pick your reading level - the lowest is about level 2. Please use a dictionary if you need help with new words.

1. Why is it called "basket" ball?
2. Who invented Basketball? Where was it invented?
3. How did racism affect basketball in the 1960s? What rule changed?
4. After this rule changed, how did they make basketball exciting again?
5. Overall, do you think that basketball has improved or become worse? Why?

Enjoy the Holidays!

Reading Questions!

Enjoy!

1. What does the word "acid" mean?
2. What is the acid called which is used in a car battery?
3. What happens when we have too much acid in our stomachs?
4. Why do farmers and gardeners put lime on the soil?
5. Where in our bodies is there salt?
6. How does salt get into the sea?
7. What are three ways that we use salt?
8. Why is chlorine often put in swimming pools and drinking water?
9. Where does sugar come from?
10. Where does sugar cane and sugar beat grow?
11. Name one chemical which is made from sugar.
12. Where does chalk come from?
13. How was chalk formed?
14. What are two uses of chalk?

Chemicals - Part B

Greetings science people! Here is our second vocab list for science!

Onward, to CHEMICALS

Below is our working vocabulary for CHEMICALS part A. This will probably extend up to Christmas. Copy these words and definitions to a new vocabulary sheet.



Once we finish our reading in class, answer these questions below on a separate piece of paper:

Happy Tuesday!

ELL Social Studies

Read this article. It is about polar vortexes. Pick a reading level you want to read at - at this time, many of you will be at 570L.

Questions:

1. What is a polar vortex and how does it move?
2. Normally, the polar vortex is over the north pole. Why does it come south, sometimes?
3. Write your own weather report for LONDON, ENGLAND. Use some exaggerated language. This is very unusual weather!

ELL Science

After we finish Lilo and Stitch, we'll finish the handout then move on to our big questions:

1. Do you think aliens might exist? Why or why not?
2. Summary time! Write a summary no more than half a page for this film. NO PHONES.

Understanding weather

Check it out! Here's what a weather report might look like on your phone. What does it all mean?



You can see a similar, web-based report here.

Before we can speak about weather, we need to write about it. Answer these questions about your weather report:

1. What will the weather be today? Will we see some sunlight?
2. What is the high/low temperature?
3. What is the POP?
4. How far can you see on this day?
5. How much will it rain?
6. How much water is in the air?
7. When does the sun rise and set?
8. Do we need to wear sun screen today?

More Vocabuary // Weather

More vocab! Copy these down and make sentences. Don't worry - there's no more vocab after this.

1. Flurry
2. Showers
3. Precipitation
4. Ridge (high pressure or low pressure)
5. Cyclone
6. Hurricane
7. Rainstorm
8. Deluge
9. Drizzle
10. Humidity
11. Pouring

Weather!

Welcome Social Studies ELL Students! Below is our new weather vocabulary. Please use the pictures to write your own definition on your vocab tracking sheets:

After you have completed your vocabulary, check out this article - read at your level!

CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE

Then, copy and answer these questions in full sentences:

1. What is the difference between Climate and Weather?
2. How are clouds made?
3. How do clouds affect the climate?
4. How do clouds affect people?
5. What does Berndnaut Smilde do? How does he make _______?

Solar System ppt

Greetings ELL Science!

Click here for the PowerPoint slides. These are the same slides as the one we did in class today. Please study this to help prepare you for both vocabulary quizzes.

A Note to all parents and students

The ELL department at SLSS is testing a new assessment program which means marks and rubrics for students will be posted online. To access marks, please follow the instructions included in your report card. There will be a website and a specialized login for each student. Comments for each student will also be found here.

Welcome back to SLSS!

ELL 1/2 Science
Please study the meaning and spelling for the words on exercise 28. This is the handout I gave you on September 7.

It's been good, SLSS - The Rogers continues in Richmond school district!

English 9
Today we read "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty". Do these questions!

Complete the 3 questions for Walter Mitty:

1. How would you evaluate the status of Mitty's relationship with his wife? *USE QUOTES* - 1/4 PAGE SINGLE SPACED
2. What connections can you make between Mitty's fantasies? - 1/4 PAGE SINGLE SPACED
3. Are fantasies an important aspect of our lives or are they a distraction from reality? - HALF PAGE SINGLE SPACE

Greetings team!

Here are some updates:

English 9
We've been working nicely on our mini-inquiry projects. Students have been designing their own inquiry questions and selecting their own anchor texts. This week we'll be finishing our individual responses to these questions and submitting the final product on Monday, March 6.

English 11
We've been finishing up Lord of the Flies, and working on our individual analysis project. Today was a library day.

English 9
Good morning, all! Today we started working on a mandala that defines us - at least partially. Here's the info you should put on the mandala:

1. Name
2. What defines you? (4-6 things)
3. What defies you? (4-6 things)
4. Where are you going? (4-6 things)

Finish your mandala for homework and bring it in on Tuesday, February 28.

English 11

Today we handed in our DEJs to finish up Lord of the Flies. We discussed our final presentation for the unit and worked on the following questions:

Chapter 10

1. How do Ralph and Piggy view Simon's death? How does each of them react to it? Why does Ralph laugh as he says, "I got the conch," and why does Piggy react so strongly to his laughter? How do we explain their bizarre behaviour, and what excuses do they come up with?
2. How do the biguns seem to define a "proper chief"? What does this criterion suggest about human psychology?
3. What does Jack do that causes Roger to have doubts about his leadership?

Chapter 11

1. In what way are the twins "seeing Ralph for the first time" before they all set off for Castle Rock?
2. Why does Roger ultimately push the rock off the cliff?
3. How is the destruction of the conch symbolically significant?

Chapter 12

1. Why does Ralph think that the boy he sees is "not Bill"?
2. Why do you think Samneric decide to join Jack's tribe? Why do they tell Jack where Ralph is hidden?
3. What is the reason for Jack's hatred?
4. Explain the significance of this quotation: "Percival Wemys Madison sought in his head for an incantation that had faded clean away."
5. What is ironic about how the boys are saved? What is ironic about the fact that the boys, who have become savages, are British, and why do you think Golding chose to write about a group of British boys? Consider what the naval officer says: "I should have thought that a back of British boys would have been able to put up a better show than that."

English 11
Good morning English 11! Here's our work for the weekend:

1. Finish the book.
2. DEJ for chapter 10, 11, and 12.

English 11
Today, your DEJs are due. We'll hand them in!

Your essays are still in progress. I made little progress on them over the weekend unfortunately. I will continue to motor through them this week.

1. What does Jack proclaim he will do in Chapter 5?
2. Who was in charge of the signal fire, but had fallen asleep? (chapter 6)
3. What do the boys find at the end of their journey to find the beast? (chapter 7)

---



Questions for our Class
Chapter 5

1. What points does Ralph make at the meeting? What general point does he make that he wants people to discuss? Why are these points so significant?
2. How does Jack's response to Ralph shock him?
3. What does Piggy mean by his claim that "life is scientific"? What does he mean when he suggests that "there isn't no fear, either... unless we get frightened of people"?
4. What does Simon say about the beast, and what do you think he means? How does everyone else react to what he says?

Chapter 6

1. How does "the beast from the air" connect with the novel's themes, and what does it symbolize?
2. What does Sam and Eric's description of the beast tell us about human psychology?
3. What significant thoughts does Simon have about the beast while the boys are walking to the "castle"?

Chapter 7

1. What does Simon say to Ralph that makes them both smile? Think carefully about Simon's choice of words - do you think it foreshadows something that might happen later in the novel?
2. What does the hunting party do immediately after the encounter with the pig? How is Ralph's behaviour surprising?

Question materials sourced: C. Brantley Collins, Jr. (2008)

English 11
Just a reminder for everyone to complete their homework for tomorrow: read chapter 5, 6, and 7. Write a DEJ that covers all 3 chapters.

English 11
Let's see just how much you've kept up with the reading!

Chapter 3

1. What is Simon helping Ralph with?
2. What's preventing the important work from getting done?

Chapter 4

1. What causes some of the kids to become ill?
2. Why didn't the ship save the children?
3. Name two boys who tease the littluns.

English 11
Read this story:
The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas

Answer these questions:

1. What is the meaning behind:
1. the child in the basement
2. the role of religion
3. the description of the landscape
4. the promiscuity of Omelas
2. What's the point of view? Why is this significant in Omelas?
3. How does the setting enhance the message of the narrative?
4. Would you walk away from Omelas? Why would you leave? Why might you stay?

Good morning, world!

English 11
Today we tried our hand at synthesizing ideas between our philosophers and Lord of the Flies. We then spent some time preparing for our essay tomorrow. Your essay topic is:

What is the fundamental nature of human beings? Are we naturally good, bad, or somewhere in between? Argue your position using evidence from Hobbes, Locke, and/or Rousseau. You may also draw on experiences and other texts (like Lord of the Flies, or others).

After I return your preparation work from today, we'll start writing first thing tomorrow.

Homework
Complete your first DEJ which covers both chapter 1 and 2.

English 11
Due to the weather, our attendance was not so great today, so we made a few small changes to the lesson. We'll be taking on an essay either tomorrow or Thursday. You'll have two days to work on it. Here's the criteria:



Also - our first real DEJ is coming up on Thursday. Please complete a DEJ that covers chapter 1 and 2 for Thursday.

English 11
Today we took a look at the three big thinkers on human nature. Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau each have a take on why we act the way we do. Here are the readings we took a look at during class time:

1. Hobbes (Leviathan)
2. Locke (Tabula Rasa)
3. Rousseau (Noble Savage)

Right now, we're leaning towards Wednesday being our first composition day. I won't ask you to write a complete composition in one class, so we might use Wednesday and Thursday for this - possibly Friday if we need the time. Please be well-read on these three concepts before moving on to the composition.

**These materials are sourced from a combination of wikipedia, sparks, and:
http://www.iep.utm.edu/hobmoral/
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hobbes/
http://www.biography.com/people/john-locke-9384544

English 11
During class today, we discussed some of the big ideas coming out of our questions, and began applying Freudian literary theory to the short story "The Lottery". After this, we reviewed the big elements of fiction to get us all set for our class novel: The Lord of the Flies.

Here's a link to the PowerPoint we used in class.

Homework

1. Read chapter 1.
2. Create a 4 column chart, with the following names at the top of each column: Ralph, Jack, Piggy, Simon. These are fairly important characters in Lord of the Flies. In each column describe the characterization of that character. Once you have finished chapter 1, draw a line horizontally across the page just under where you finished writing down some notes on these characters.
3. Do a single Double Entry Journal item. That is, find one quote, and write one response to it. This is not for marks, but it will allow me to make sure that you're on the right track in terms of what I expect of DEJ responses. This way there won't be any major surprises when you finally do a DEJ for marks :)

English 11
Today, we read "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson.

Here's the link!

Homework
Do the following questions:
1, 3, 4, 8, and 9

Also, respond to the following:
How does the ID, EGO, and SUPEREGO take form in "The Lottery"?

English 11
Today, we worked through an introduction to Freud's structure of the psyche. Tough stuff! We also filled in a 3 column chart with information about these elements.

Welcome to semester 2 of SLSS!

Students of my semester 1 classes: Your work has been marked, and you may pick it up any time. Please come by and see how you did - especially on your creative projects.

English 11
Good morning and good afternoon! Today we took a look at our syllabus for English 11. We'll be starting with some handouts and light reading this week, followed by a few short stories late this week/early next week.

Please be sure to take your syllabus home for a signature tonight. Hand them in by Wednesday, February 1. Also, finish your mandala by Tuesday, January 31.

Mandala items:

1. Name. (1, 2)
2. What you want. (4)
3. What you don't want. (4-6)
4. How you'll do it. (4-8)

Here's a mid-weekend update for English 12.

Compositions are coming along. Currently on schedule to finish before our class on Monday.

English 12 Provincial: January 24. 9:00 - 11:00am.
Location: Shark Tank.

English 12

The time is now. Prepare yourselves!

English 12
Here's some information for your third composition.

1. Samples of the composition - this is the same format we'll be using for our 1984 response. Click here for the prompt.
2. Once you have examined these samples and the marking guide/prompt, take a gander at another provincial sample. On our current schedule, we'll be doing our 1984 composition response on Thursday.

English 12 Provincial (January 2015)

English 9

Today we should be finishing our documentary, "Up in Arms".

Provincials are around the corner. Time to get to business!

Creative Projects are due on Friday, January 20.

English 9
Here are some links to help us discuss our social issue today:

Map of Canada and Distribution

Politics of Gun Laws in the States

Culture of Guns in the States

Canadian Reaction to Florida

Documentary for our viewing down the road.

English 12

June 2015 Provincial Exam

English 12
Here are the rest of the reading assignments, as requested. The date posted is the assignment for that evening (due by the next class):

1. Wednesday, January 11: Part 2, Chapter 6 & 8.
2. Thursday, January 12: Part 2, Chapter 10. Part 3, Chapter 1.
3. Friday, January 13: Part 3, Chapter 2, 3, and 4.
4. Monday, January 16: Part 3, Chapter 5 and 6.

English 9
Our creative project for your literature circles is ready.

BEHOLD!

English 12
Your final project is ready.

BEHOLD!

English 12

Here's some doublethink!

English 9 Literature Circles

These are our meetings dates, please come with your role sheet prepared ahead of time.

1. Monday, January 9
2. Friday, January 13
3. Wednesday. January 18
4. Monday, January 23

English 12
Here are some resources for our work on 1984.

1. Parental involvement in your social media.
2. Little Brother Is Watching.

Welcome back from the holidays!

As we begin to finish up our semester, we have one final assignment to consider. Here we go!

English 12
If you are considering a new-do for your TED talk, please let me know during tomorrow's class, at which time we'll do a sign-up on the board.

Also tomorrow, we'll be signing out our books and begin work on Orwell's magnum opus, 1984.

English 9
Tomorrow we will spend most of the class learning about the books for our lit circles. We'll go over expectations for the lit circles and the role sheets.

Please bring your giant orange text books to class on Wednesday.

English 12
Hey, here are some essay samples:

http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/apcentral/ap13_engl_lit_q2.pdf

English 9
So as we approach the end of our Romeo and Juliet unit, I'll be collecting the following:

1. Your two homework assignments. Questions for Act I and Act II.
2. Your DEJ for Romeo and Juliet. This should have 4 entries and 3 questions (like always). Please remember the rules for citing Shakespeare.

These are due on Friday - without exception. I will mark them over the winter break.

English 12

We're making good progress through our TED talks!

English 9
We'll be moving into our presentations on Wednesday and Thursday. We have discussed at length about the content of our skits/performances. Below are the items I'll be looking for in your scenes:

1. Translation is optional: you may translate the text to a modern, easily comprehensible form, but please be considerate of the original meaning of the text. Your group may use their discretion on how much text you translate and how much you keep original.
2. Cutting lines and characters: if your scene is more than 5 pages long, you may cut lines from the scene to keep it within 5 pages. Please be careful about your choices so you don't lose meaning in the process of editing the scene.
3. Memorizing lines is optional: if you memorize your lines, I will be very impressed, but it is not required for your scene. As long as it's clear that you've practiced it enough that your lines roll off the tongue and you don't get constantly stuck on difficult words, you'll be fine.

Some interesting things you could do:

• How you dress isn't defined in the text: it's up to you!
• Are there any props you might use?
• Have you ever tried using an accent when reading your lines?

English 12
On Monday we're starting our TED talk presentations. You might have a visual or prop if you like - but I won't be marking a visual component of your presentation. I'll be looking at the following:

1. Ethos, Pathos, Logos
2. Your Speaking

English 9
We'll be starting your scenes for Romeo and Juliet from Wednesday and Thursday. DEJs for Romeo and Juliet will be due Thursday.

Monday and Tuesday we'll be finishing the play!

English 12
Watch the following video. Like yesterday, track the main talking points. Today we'll be forming our own talking points.

English 9
The questions from yesterday are due tomorrow. Today you'll have some time in class to work on them as well as a few Act III questions.

English 9
Today, we're taking a close look at some of the items in Act II. I will be asking you to complete a DEJ for Romeo and Juliet later this week, so if you find quotes that you really like, you can save yourself some time and copy them down for your DEJ.

Here are the Act II Questions:

Please provide complete answers. You may quote the play to support your answer. See the board (right side) on how to quote Shakespeare. Some answers can be completed in a single sentence, but some will need several sentences.

Prologue, Scene 1 and Scene 2

1. How does the Prologue add suspense to the plot?

2. Explain the “Juliet is the sun” metaphor. (beginning of II.ii)

3. Explain the Name/Rose metaphor. (II.ii.40-45)

Scene 3

4. What foreshadowing is in Friar Lawrence’s speech about herbs and flowers?

5. Why does the friar agree to marry Romeo and Juliet?

6. How is the friar an unknowing servant of fate? 

Scene 4

7. Both Mercutio and Juliet believe that they know the “real” Romeo. How are their perceptions of Romeo different?

Scenes 5 and 6

8. Give two examples of foreshadowing.

9. How is the Friar in contrast to all other characters in the play? How does he change to be just like all the other characters? (the answer to the second question is not in the scene, but try to predict)

English 12

Nonverbals: These are the actions that communicate meaning without using your words. Gestures are a form of nonverbal communication.

Watch this video.

As you watch it, take note:

1. How does Cuddy introduce new ideas to expand on the knowledge we already have?
2. Does her use of images in  her presentation distract or improve the presentation? Why?
3. What does she suggest we change after the presentation has ended?
4. If you could describe her 4 most important talking points what would they be (one sentence each).

Greetings team, we have homework!

English 12
Today we started our TED unit. You'll be doing a 3-4 minute TED talk where you persuade the audience to make a simple change in their lives. It may also look into an idea you have and inspire the audience.

Here are some of the videos we checked out:

1. This is effectively the criteria of an excellent speaker.

2. Example of a fairly specific and inspiring TED talk.

3. A very specific and effective TED talk.

English 9

Today we read up to Act 3 scene 2. What will Romeo and Juliet do to escape their predicament? We'll find out on Tuesday!

Happy Friday!

English 12
Today we began work on our analytical essay for Hamlet. A few of you are away at a band event or were sick today. Below are images of the rubric that we'll use for this assignment. We start writing on Monday. Pick one question on the first page. This is your essay question.

Be sure to bring in a card with the quotes you will use, no prior planning allowed. Only quotes may be used on the card.




English 9
We worked through Act 1 of Romeo and Juliet. Here are our questions for the weekend!

Each response should be at least 3 sentences!

1. Discuss the sources of tension in the first scene.  Why are these characters upset?
2. How does Romeo describe the woman he loves in Scene 1?  Refer to things like word choice, connotation, tone, figures of speech, and so on.
3. Describe the Nurse.  Describe her relationship with Juliet.
4. Who are Romeo’s friends and what is their plan?  Discuss the debate they have with Romeo, as well as their motivations for this plan.
5. Describe Romeo’s reaction when he first sees Juliet.

The big discussion question:

1. Is there such a thing as love at first sight?

It's been a whirlwind! Just when you think the marking is all done, you get another load of it!

Here's the latest update for this week.

English 9
Today we started Romeo and Juliet. Here are some questions to get us thinking about the kind of language and meaning Shakespeare is working towards.

Prologue:
1. In which northern Italian city is the play set?
2. What is the purpose of hte prologue?
3. Describe how the mood is conveyed through specific phrases and words.

I.i

1. Romeo and Juliet is essentially a love story. Why do you think Shakespeare begins with a violent street fight?
2. For which family do Gregory and Sampson work?
3. A pun is a play on words. It is a form of joking, using words which sound the same but have different meanings.
1. Write down the words in the first four lines which create the pun.
2. What does Sampson mean when he says 'we'll not carry coals' in line 1?
3. What does the word 'choler' mean?
4. There are a number of bawdy jokes made in this scene.
1. What is the purpose of these jokes?

Homework

• Complete the questions above.
• Finish the good copy of your essay (typed or written).
• Prepare for your 2nd grammar quiz,

English 12
We'll be writing an analytical essay for Hamlet. Be prepared to day to discuss his famous soliloquy in III.i.

(more coming soon!)

Report cards will be handed out tomorrow!

English 12
Today we got our marks back for our sonnet presentations. Those of you who want a redo, we'll be doing them tomorrow!

We began the Hamlet film, and finished the first two scenes and examined Hamlet's first soliloquy, "Frailty, thy name is woman."

English 9
We're getting near the end of our first of two major compositions. The plan is to finish our draft by Thursday. Tomorrow, we'll be doing a bit more grammar and with the remaining time, we'll work on our essays.

Well that was a crazy week! Report cards are done and we're now full steam into term 2.

English 12
Today we finished presenting our sonnets. We'll be getting our marks for the sonnets tomorrow. Once you've seen your mark, you can decide if you want to redo on Wednesday. No matter how you do on Wednesday, your mark will not go down. That said, redos, as always, are optional.

English 9
Today we'll look closely at Direct Objects, Indirect Objects, and Object Complements. After some work in this area, we'll put some more time into our essays.

Survey for grade 9s: tinyurl.com/hj786q8 

English 12
Today we're finishing the film "The Importance of Being Earnest" and we'll be doing a brief discussion before moving on to your sonnet slam (part 1).

English 9
Today we'll be doing our first grammar quiz. We'll do a practice run on some sentences before we start. Also, we'll be filling in a graphic organizer to help us with the next big steps of our essay.

No information for today -

Grade 12s - be sure to complete your final sonnet for Tomorrow's class!

English 12
Today we completed our last presentation: "The Yellow Wallpaper". We then discussed some of the elements of fiction that will appear on the text, as well as a figurative device. Here's the list we discussed:

1. Symbolism
2. Characterization and Dynamic Characterization
3. Setting
4. Point of View
5. Theme
6. Conflict
7. Allusion

Theme will appear several times. Remember, you only need to select one question from the list of questions tomorrow. There will be one question for each short story we have done, and therefore 7 questions in total.

English 9

Today we spent more time with "Secret Life of Walter Mitty". Tomorrow we'll be going over thesis statements.

Next week, we'll be starting your composition on Monday, and your grammar quiz and continuation of the composition will be on Tuesday.

Greetings team - I am recovering, but the work must go on!

English 9
Today we did nothing, because it was take your kids to work day!

English 12
Today we looked at the short story, "Spring Storm". It was a big hit when we got to the debate!

Greetings!

I am sick today, but your education must continue! Here's the plan for the day:

English 9
Grammar and - Walter Mitty!

English 12
Here's a link to the provincial exam for your class today.

Happy Halloween!

English 9
Today we'll be selecting one of our two big questions. We'll go over conclusions, and get started on our first composition. This means we need to decide on a thesis statement and start our evidence hunt.

Also, we'll now be keeping all our work on this assignment in our folders. Any work you bring from home on this assignment will not be usable.

English 12
Today we'll be finishing up our skits for "Tuesday Siesta."

Happy Friday!

English 9
Today we worked on more grammar sentences and the parts of a sentence. After that we took a look at 8 big topics for "The Scarlet Ibis." Here they are:

1. How does pride feature into "The Scarlet Ibis?"
2. Is the narrator to blame for Doodle's death? Why or why not?
3. Discuss the significance of the scarlet ibis in the story.
4. How do the narrator's feelings towards Doodle change over time?
5. What is one important message that "The Scarlet Ibis" relays to present-day children?
6. Why is it important that Doodle died at the end of this story?
7. How does the framing as a retrospective affect the way readers interpret "The Scarlet Ibis"?
8. How is Doodle's birth name, William Armstrong, an element of foreshadowing?

Homework

Pick 2 questions. Decide on a note taking method that best suits you. Some methods might include Venn Diagrams, point form, headings, or mind maps.

English 12

Today we'll discuss your planning for our practice provincial, then have the presentation for story #5. Tuesday Siesta!

It somehow feels like an entire day went by...

Greetings!

English 12
Today we're taking another gander at "The Painted Door" and looking closely at the characterization. We'll talk briefly about your third sonnet, then another glance at the provincial exam. We'll continue our discussion of the Contrast piece tomorrow!

English 9
Today we'll be trying some more of these tricky grammar sentences. I'll model my method and hopefully we'll make some progress on them.

Also, we'll go over your 6 questions from Tuesday and check out some extended response questions today.

English 12
Today we'll spend some time working on our sonnets, then move on to something a little different - a poem to get us thinking!

English 9
Today we'll be working with the short story you all read for homework: The Scarlet Ibis. Beware, you might have a surprise regarding this short story. I hope you've read it!

After our little surprise, we'll work on some questions for discussion on The Scarlet Ibis. Also, we'll take a moment to check out the structure of body paragraphs for your upcoming essay.

1. Describe the elements of setting for the story.
   a. Time:
   b. Place:
   c. Geographical location:
   d. Weather:
   e. Social conditions:

2. Now that you know what happens, reread the first 2 paragraphs and record any words that foreshadowed Doodle’s death.

3. How do we know this story is told as a flashback?

4. Do you think the narrator is a dynamic character or a static character? Explain.

5. Who is a possible round character?

6. Give an example from the story of one of each of the following types of characterization.
a. Direct: (The story tells you about a character directly)
b. Says: (You have to infer a characteristic by what a character says)
c. Does: (You have to infer a characteristic by what a character does)
d. Thinks: (You have to infer a characteristic by what a character thinks, usually the narrator)
e. Others’ reactions: (Indirect characterization - we have to figure out characteristics by the way that character is treated)

Good morning!

English 9
Today we'll be taking one more step towards your first composition. After we do our work today, I'll ask you to keep your progress inside your folder at the front of the room. I'm currently marking your creative writing work for "Lather, Nothing Else".

Yes, you will get back your presentation marks today.

We discussed the form of introduction paragraphs today. Here's the example we used:

---------
     Many people around the world enjoy the nutrition and flavor offered by apples and oranges. When visiting the local grocery store, patrons are often conflicted between selecting apples and oranges. When considering food choices, one must also consider the nutritional value of the food they eat. Fruits are often used as ingredients in drinks, and selecting an appropriate fruit for this purpose is essential to successful culinary pursuits. Based on the nutritional and culinary benefits of oranges, they are clearly the superior choice when one must decide between apples and oranges.
---------

Homework

Please read "The Scarlet Ibis" before class on Tuesday.


English 12
Today we'll be viewing the presentation for "Masque of the Red Death". Spoiler alert, Death's in it. I hope you're ready for some killer poetry!

Tomorrow is a Pro-D day, no school!

English 12
Since many of us are away today, we'll spend the class taking a gander the sonnets and our next short story - "Masque of the Red Death".

Check it out - Here's a link to the short story we'll be doing on Monday!

Looking at the calendar, we'll be speeding up the pace of our short story unit in order to accommodate the report card timeline. This means we'll try to fit them in every two days rather than every three days. Ideally, we can complete presentations before the first reporting period and dive right into Hamlet!

English 9
With the two big questions out of the way we've completed a task where we take on the devil's advocate by taking the position we had originally disagreed with. Today we'll be handing in our short story component and work on the next step of our composition for the worldview unit.

English 12
Since many of us are away today, we'll spend the class taking a gander the sonnets and our next short story - "Masque of the Red Death".

Looking at the calendar, we'll be speeding up the pace of our short story unit in order to accommodate the report card timeline. This means we'll try to fit them in every two days rather than every three days. Ideally, we can complete presentations before the first reporting period and dive right into Hamlet!

English 9
With the two big questions out of the way we've completed a task where we take on the devil's advocate by taking the position we had originally disagreed with. Today we'll be handing in our short story component and work on the next step of our composition for the worldview unit.

Gooooooood morning!

English 9
Today we looked back on our mind map for worldviews, and did a short brainstorm on what we feel are the 6 most important ones. Below are images of our brainstorms from late September.




3.2 If you were the princess, what option would you have indicated, and why?
3.3 If you were the lover, what door would you have taken, and why?
3.5 Do you agree with the author that the king's method of administering justice was fair?

Homework
Complete the expansion of your creative response to "Lather, Nothing Else". Highlight, or box the area of your writing that you expanded for homework.

Also, for 3.2 and 3.3 above: we did these questions in class. For homework, take the opposite position of the one you took during class, and defend it in 4 sentences for each question.

English 12
Today we shared our sonnets and presented some visualizations for Horses of the Night!

English 12
Today we had our 2nd presentation: "The Horses of the Night" (p. 282). Great presentations from both classes. Keep in mind though, that borrowing a few ideas you might have found from a prezi requires a reference.

Tomorrow we'll be using our sonnets, and check out the visuals you all have come up with for "The Horses of the Night"

Homework
Finish your sonnet, and complete the visual for Horses of the Night.

English 9
Today we shared our short stories from the perspective of Torres, the tyrant from "Lather, Nothing Else." During our share, we provided some feedback to our classmates on their narrative writing. Then, we went back to work on our short stories.

Homework
Select a portion a paragraph length or so of your short story to expand and edit. This is your area of focus. Add some descriptive writing to enhance the big 3 elements we talked about today: Suspense, Plot, and Tension.

Greetings!

English 9
I was obviously planning a day ahead! Sorry for the mixup. Today we went over #3 and started work on a creative activity for "Lather and Nothing Else".

For those of you who haven't handed in your Mitty questions, here they are:

1. How would you evaluate the status of Mitty's relationship with his wife? *use quotes*
2. What do Mitty's fantasies have in common?
3. Are fantasies an important aspect of our lives or are they a distraction from reality?

Homework
Complete your own version of the short story as Torres. Roughly 2 pages written, or 1 page typed.

English 12
Today I'm collecting your selection from the Omelas narrative/response as well as your Show Don't Tell charts.

*Reminder* we have our 2nd short story presentation coming up on Tuesday. It will be for "Horses of the Night" in our short story book. Please have this story read prior to coming to class, as we'll be doing some work with it after the presentation on Tuesday.

Today we'll get the remainder of the essays back to students, and will be moving on to more creative writing. We'll be taking a break from narrative styles, and instead, check out some poetic forms!

Shakespearean Sonnets

SONNET 12

When I do count the clock that tells the time,
And see the brave day sunk in hideous night;
When I behold the violet past prime,
And sable curls all silver'd o'er with white;
When lofty trees I see barren of leaves
Which erst from heat did canopy the herd,
And summer's green all girded up in sheaves
Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard,
Then of thy beauty do I question make,
That thou among the wastes of time must go,
Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake
And die as fast as they see others grow;
   And nothing 'gainst Time's scythe can make defence
   Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence. 

99, 126, and 145 do not conform to standard Shakespearean sonnet form.

Homework
Read "Horses of The Night" before class tomorrow. Do the sonnet if time permits.

Check out that weather!

English 9
Today we finished up our presentations. Excellent job! This took a lot of courage on your part - to share your values and your family's values. After our presentations, we talked about suspense as a tool for building tension in short stories. So far, we've read "The Most Dangerous Game" and "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty."

Today we read "Lather, and Nothing Else."

Homework
Do #3. Why didn't the narrator kill Torres? Provide a complete answer for this question!

English 12
Today we took a break from the usual, and worked a provincial exam, for practice of course. Our next presentation is for group 2 - "Horses of The Night" on Tuesday. If we continue on schedule, group 3, "Masque of the Red Death" will be on Monday the following week.

English 12
Today we worked on editing our creative/narrative response using a Show, Don't Tell chart. Here are the things I'll be marking for this assignment:

1. A SDT chart that you fill in for your partner's narrative.
2. A Selection from your narrative that I'll check for SDT qualties. 

We also received our essays from early last week. If you have questions about your mark, you need to see me ASAP to discuss it. We can discuss the grade you have and go over any improvements you might consider for our next essay.

Homework
Revise your narrative/creative response for Monday. DEJ for "The Day They Set Out" due Friday.

English 9
Today we finished most of the presentations. There are a few more to go.

Homework
If you haven't handed in your DEJ or your 3 questions for Mitty, please do so by tomorrow at the latest. I will be marking these over the weekend, and you will be missing out on important grade opportunities if they are not done.

English 12
Today we had our first short story presentation for "The Day They Set Out". Thanks group 1 for a wonderful and engaging presentation!

With this, we moved forward into a very brief exploration of the possible role of music in this short story. With that in mind, we began work on a DEJ for "The Day They Set Out" due on Thursday.

Homework

1. If you haven't finished your essay yet, you need to come in early in the morning and during lunch to finish it.
2. The creative/narrative response to Omelas is due tomorrow (Thursday).
3. The DEJ for "The Day They Set Out" is due on Friday.

English 9

We began our Worldview Symbol Presentations. Pretty interesting so far! More to come tomorrow!

Homework
Be sure to complete your Walter Mitty DEJ for Tomorrow.

English 12
Today we started the next step of our creative work with Omelas. We traded our short story responses with a partner, and began work on a quatrain that encompasses what happens in our partner's story.

Homework
Read "The Day They Set Out" and complete your quatrains by Thursday.

English 9
Today we worked through the questions for Walter Mitty, and had some class time to finish up our presentations.

Homework
Presentations are tomorrow, be ready!

DEJ for Walter Mitty is due on Thursday. If you haven't given me your 3 questions, please hand them into the bin ASAP.

Greetings all!

English 12
Behold, the link for the PowerPoint example.

(more to come as the day progresses)

English 9
Today we began reading "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty". You have some homework this weekend, here it is!

Complete the 3 questions for Walter Mitty:

1. How would you evaluate the status of Mitty's relationship with his wife? *USE QUOTES* - 1/4 PAGE SINGLE SPACED
2. What do Mitty's fantasies have in common? - 1/4 PAGE SINGLE SPACED
3. Are fantasies an important aspect of our lives or are they a distraction from reality? - HALF PAGE SINGLE SPACE

Do as much work as possible on your Worldview Presentation. I will check my email several times this weekend if you have any questions. jrogers@sd38.bc.ca

Our presentation day is Wednesday, October 12.

Greetings all! Here's today's plan.

I will check this blog throughout the day. If you have any questions, email me jrogers@sd38.bc.ca

English 9
Unfortunately we don't have access to the laptop or iPad carts today. Use your electronic devices and brainstorming to work on your Worldview presentations. As an inquiry you have several choices as to how you will present. Here are some guiding questions to think about as you decide on your object, and what you will talk about in front of the class:

1. How does your symbol represent your worldview?
2. Explain the history and significance of your symbol.
3. How does your symbol represent the culture/values of your family, or where you are from?
4. Is there a story about your family that the symbol reminds you of?

These presentations won't be long - 3-5 minutes each. Here's what I'll be looking for:

• Speaking in front of an audience: clarity, volume, pacing.
• How effectively do you explain the elements of your symbol using the traits/characteristics and values/culture of your family?
• Does your visual component (PowerPoint, Prezi, or any of the options we discussed in class this week) present your visual and interpretation clearly?
• What will you add to the presentation? Tell a story that the symbol reminded you of? Is there a story behind the object itself?

English 12
Take some time today to work on your first creative assignment - the Narrative Response to Omelas.

On Friday, we'll have the ipad cart, so we can put a bit more time into our presentations then. The priority today should be on developing your creative responses to Omelas. If your response is in good shape, you could work with your group on the presentations. The first presentation should on Wednesday next week.

Link to the example PPT for short stories is coming!

English 9
Today we wrapped up the subject/predicate component of our grammar work. We began working on Haikus for "The Sniper".

English 12
Today we'll check out an example of a presentation for our short story unit. I'll post a copy of it here for your reference once we've seen it in class.

English 12
The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas - Usula Le Guin

Read this before tomorrow's class!

English 9
Today we did some practice with subjects and predicates. Tomorrow we'll wrap that up and discuss our presentations and a little "The Sniper" assignment!

Happy Monday, everyone!

English 9
We have a few things on the go now - first, we have your Worldview: Culture presentations, next we're beginning to take a look at some grammar items. Lastly, we've got our short story unit. Busy times!

As for the Worldview: Culture component, we are now deciding on objects/symbols that we might bring in that represent our family values/culture. You have choices here because we all might feel differently with how we identify with our family. That said there are a few major central ideas that we need to discuss. This object must symbolize where you are from or what your family values (or both!). You could bring it in, or show us in your presentation.

1. How does your symbol represent your worldview?
2. Explain the history and significance of your symbol.
3. How does your symbol represent the culture/values of your family, or where you are from?

Homework
Create 4 sentences which we'll use tomorrow to locate simple, complete, and compound subjects and predicates!

English 12

Depending on your class, we'll be finishing essays and beginning our short story unit. Block D will get a little more time, as we lost some writing time for the cops for cancer event. If you need extra time to finish, please come during lunch or before school.

English 12
Many of us our in the final stages of our essay. The goal is to finish our good copies by the end of tomorrow's class. If you need more time, you can come in during off hours next week to wrap up your work.

English 9
Today we went over our answers for semicolons, and did some exploration of the parts of speech. Then we started our next short story!

Well, that was a brief hiatus! Computer problems aside, we're back in action with the blog.

English 9
Today we presented the remaining poems we created collaboratively. Guess what? You made sonnets!

Then we began some grammar work - semicolons!

English 12
Today should be our last day for writing this essay. Block D will be at the cops for cancer event, so we'll be doing our third writing block tomorrow instead. Block C will begin editing tomorrow.

Good day, everyone! It may be fall, but don't fall behind!

English 9
Today we discussed conflict in literature, and came up with a few examples. After that, we tried our hand at some poetry - namely, making our own quatrains. The quatrains must be about the conflict in "The Most Dangerous Game".

English 12
IT'S SUPER FUN ESSAY WRITING DAY(S)!

**If you have questions about your thesis or quotes, please see me ASAP**

English 9
Today we finished discussing the questions we had for "The Most Dangerous Game." and began working towards our own world view. Here are some of the questions that help us to understand our own worldview:

Experiences

1. What previous experiences do you feel had the biggest impact on you?
2. Have you ever had an experience that changed the way you think about the world and other people? Explain.

Homework
Complete a full-page single spaced journal response for the above question. That's a full page in total for both questions - combined!

English 12
Today we spent some time refining our thesis statements and preparing evidence for our essays on Monday.

Here's what to bring:

1. Works Cited, or Bibliography of websites and sources you might use that I haven't provided.
2. Thesis statement.
3. Copy of the quotes you're going to use for your essays.

English 9
Greetings, everyone! Today we'll be having a discussion about this short story so we can make some sense of it all, and I'll even introduce an idea that'll turn this whole story upside down.

English 12
We'll be looking at some 5 and 6 point examples for synthesis essays. Then we'll need to decide on a topic and begin searching for quotes in our materials.

English 9
For "The Most Dangerous Game," do questions 3, 4, and 5.

Homework
For homework, we'll need to complete our first DEJ and the above questions. Bring it all in tomorrow.

English 12
Today we'll be looking at the components of the synthesis essay, as well as a quick overview of how I'll be marking it.

Currently, we have 14 topic choices. This is too many - having too many choices can slow down our thinking and congest the process of gathering evidence and decided on a "good fit". Here is the list of topics we have currently. We'll be trimming this down today (this has been updated to reflect our elimination process).

• 1.    How have different societies shaped people’s values and behaviours?
• 4.    How does people’s cultural background influence people’s judgement towards the ethics of the other societies?
• 5.    How does the diversity of moral outlooks on controversial actions in cultures show that right and wrong are determined by culture?
• 6.    If infanticide is committed for what is perceived as a means of survival, can it be said to be morally correct because it prevents the collapse of society?
• 8.    Does our own cultural values limit our ability to observe other culture’s beliefs as morally iniquitous?
• 12.    Should we try and question cultural actions we deem as immoral and try to change them to what we think is right?

Greetings!

English 9
Today we'll be looking at the short story, "The Most Dangerous Game".

With our remaining time, complete a DEJ (finish it for homework if you are unable to complete it in class). Due Wednesday.

With a broad concept of Worldviews, we'll begin organizing a worldview of our own this week.

Homework
Finish "The Most Dangerous Game" and get started on your DEJ. Don't wait until tomorrow night to start it!

English 12
For homework, you created at least one question that might be a good synthesis question. Today, we'll be sharing our questions in groups and examine some examples of synthesis essays. Also, we'll discuss how these will be graded.

As the meme above suggests, the goal is to get started on our first synthesis this week.

Quick Guide to Synthesizing Success

1. Introduction covers the premises of the argument and presents a thesis statement.
2. Body paragraphs that draw evidence directly from at least two sources.
3. Conclusion that clearly reveals how the topic was addressed or resolved.
4. A final thought or idea that might suggest further reading, or identifies the implications of the conclusions your synthesis has accomplished. For example, if your essay suggests that Romeo & Juliet can be read as a cautionary tale, than perhaps there may be other Shakespeare plays worth rereading in this light.