What's going on in class

Week of September 22nd 2014

12th grade:  Chaucer web quest Chaucer web quest site

Week of August 18th 2014

9th grade: The Odyssey: We are reading part one of this epic poem. Students have received a handout/study guide that we complete in class but that the students will need to use to prepare and study for the quiz on Friday. 

10th grade:  Things Fall Apart: The first half of the week we will cover background information on Chinua Achebe and Africa. The latter half of the week we will  read and discuss chapters 1 - 4 of the novel. 

11th grade: The Crucible Puritan background and reading and discussion of Act 1

12th grade:  Please refer to the Beowulf project tab. Students will work on the project in the lab until 8-27-14. The final project should be emailed to me by midnight on Sunday 8-31-14 

Week of February 11th 2013

9th grade: Romeo and Juliet Act III. Remember at home Journal projects are due Friday March 1, 2013. 

10th grade: Julius Caesar Act III 

11th grade: "You're Wrong Mr. Twain" rebuttal project due Friday Feb. 15th 2013

You’re Wrong Mr. Twain

Your task…. Your choice…..

Prepare a rebuttal of Twain’s essay in which you defend the human race as civilized and caring beings.

Your rebuttal can be in any of the following forms

·         10 slide power point with examples from the human race ( please include pictures)

·         A letter to Mr. Twain

·         An editorial

·         A poem

·         A photo –story 10 pictures with music.

Project will be graded on the following measurement topics: Ideas and content, Literary Analysis (did you portray a clear understanding of Twain’s message by giving a firm rebuttal),  Critical listening, speak, viewing (presentation skills). 300 points total. 

12th grade: Introduction to Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Week of January 7th 2013

9th grade: 

We will start with Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet over the next 5 weeks. We will delve into the language, rhyme scheme, culture, and the many universal themes of the play. Students will have study guides, quizzes, and writings associated with each act of the play. There will be a culminating newspaper project and a unit test. 

10th grade: 

We will start with the Shakespearean play Julius Caesar. It will take approximately 4-5 weeks to work with this text. Our focus will be on the literary elements of a tragedy  and we will examine the tragic hero as well as dramatic play structure. Students will have study guides, quizzes, and writings associated with each act of the play. There will be a culminating project and a unit test. 

• You will complete a power-point presentation that you will present to the class on Thursday, January 10th, 2012. Each student will complete his or her own power-point, so in the link provided below where it states group task, please remember that it is an individual task. 
• Web-quest link for power-point introduction task : Click here to start your quest!

11th grade: 

We will start this semester with Realism, Civil War Literature, and Modernism. This will take approximately 4 weeks. Students will read a variety of text from these literary periods. The focus will be on the structure and language of the texts; they will also hone their writing and presentation skills. There will be a culminating project as the unit assessment. 

12th grade: 

We will begin this semester with Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. It will take us approximately 3 weeks to work with this text. The students will focus on the universal theme of good vs evil, and how it is prevalent in literature. There will be study guides and quizzes to assess student knowledge and comprehension of the text. There will also be a newspaper project at the end of this unit. 

Week of September 10th 2012

9th grade:
We have been working on our reading of  To Kill a Mockingbird; we completed one multi-genre activity and discussed the novel while viewing the movie. Students were given the next study guide and asked to read chapters 16 - 21. Students should have the completed all study guides and vocabulary associated with these chapters by Friday. Quiz over chapters 16 -21 Friday. Students were given an introduction to the end of unit task you may view the guidelines under the 9th grade multi-genre project tab in the navigation bar. 

10th grade: 
This week we are focusing on part two on the novel Things Fall Apart. Students are working in collaborative groups to complete the chapter 14 -19 study guide questions, and graphics on our literary focus. The focus this week is on figurative language and summarizing plot events. Students should read novel at home to prepare for work in class. Student need to prepare for the part two quiz on chapters 14 - 19 which will be given on Monday 9-16-12. 

11th grade:
This week students are responsible for completing the out line and rough draft of their theme/character analysis essays. Mon - Wed are outlining, drafting, and student conferences with teacher for assistance with essay. Students will receive two lab days (Thurs and Friday) to work on their essays. Essay are due Wednesday 9-19-12

12th grade: 
This week students will work on a journaling themes written assessment. The journaling themes assignment is designed to help students when completing the Beowulf end of unit performance task. Students will receive project introduction and information Thursday. We will work on the performance for 1 week in class, but students may need to complete portions at home as well. Projects are due on Friday 9-21-12. You can review project guidelines in the Beowulf Project Task tab in the navigation bar. 

Week of September 3rd 2012

9th grade:

We have been working on our reading of  To kill a Mockingbird, last week we completed a characterization activity and discussed the novel while viewing the movie. Students were given the next study guide and asked to read chapters 12 - 13. This week we will continue reading the last few chapters of part one in the novel 14 - 16. Students should have the completed all study guides and vocabulary associated with these chapters by Friday. Quiz over chapters 12 - 16 Friday. 

10th grade: 

Last week students worked on our extended literary text Things Fall Apart. We completed chapters 1 - 8, and this week we will read and work with chapters 9 - 13 in order to complete part one if the novel. There will be a write score assessment on Wednesday this week and a quiz on Friday over Part one of Things Fall Apart. 

11th grade: 

We have finished reading The Crucible and will now start on our theme and character analysis essays. Last week students were given lesson on using internet resources, Galileo, and MLA format. The students also chose an essay topic.  This week we will have two - three research days in the lab, an outline day, and a drafting day. I would suggest that students go to the local library in order to find more resources for there analysis paper. 

12th grade: 

  Last week we completed Part 1 of Beowulf and an activity on Herot. This week we will complete our Beowulf reading of part 2. There will be a quiz on Friday. 

Week of August 20th 2012

9th grade:

We are off to great start with our extended literary text To Kill a Mockingbird, and we will continue our reading this week. Our goal will be to cover chapter 7-11 by Thursday. Homework: Students shoudl be reading the novel at home and completeing the vocabulary, character, and reading guides given on Monday. We are reading in class adn completing the guides, but you should continue any work at home that is not finished in class in order to be prepared for the next day. Quiz on Chap. 7-11 Thursday.

10th grade: 
We have finished the informational portion and autobiographical writing. This week we will begin on the historical and author background of our extended literary text "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe. Students should be assigned novels by Thursday.
Power Point introduction: http://www.slideshare.net/chrissienehrenberg/121-intro-to-things-fall-apart-presentation


11th grade:
Student will continue reading The Crucible.  This week will cover Acts 3 and 4. Students should be completing reading of the play at home. Quiz over Acts 3 and 4 Thursday.

12th grade:
PART 11 TO PART 18 — GRENDEL’S BATTLE WITH BEOWULF will be the focus of this week. Students will quiz over prologue - 10 Tuesday. Student will complete a literary analysis reading guide on these sections. 

 

Week of August 13th 2012

9th grade:
Continue reading To Kill a Mockingbird. We will focus on Chapters 1-6 this week. Student should be reading their novels as homework an completing vocabulary in context graphic organizer. There will be a quiz on Thursday on Chapters 1 - 6. discuss historical background information on The Great Depression and Jim Crow laws. 

10th grade:
We will begin working on elements of informational text. Students will read various articles and analyze them for the focus element of the day. Students will begin writing an autobiographical narrative in class (1-2 pages MLA format typed). Tuesday> brainstorm and prewrite, Wednesday> rough draft writing & revising, Thursday & Friday> computer lab for typing and proofing. Final type copy due Friday at the end of class
Please click the line for information on MLA format: http://www.calstatela.edu/library/guides/3mla.pdf

11th grade:
 We will begin reading  The Crucible. We will cover Acts 1 & 2 this week along with a reading guide. Quiz Tuesday on Act 1 and Friday on Act 2. 

12th grade: 
Student presentation Monday on Anglo-Saxon background. Begin reading Beowulf (prologue - section 10). Student will complete a literary analysis reading guide on these sections. 

Week of August 6th 2012

9th grade:
Begin To Kill a Mockingbird. We will discuss historical background information on The Great Depression and Jim Crow laws. Students will receive books. Homework this week will be reading chapters of the novel and completing vocabualry in context.

10th grade:
We will begin working on elements of fictional literature. Students will read various stories and analyze them for the focus element of the day.

11th grade:
 We will begin our work on Puritanism and The Crucible. Students will be assigned novels. We will work on building background knowledge this week

12th grade:
We will begin building background knowledge on the Anglo-Saxon time period in preperation for the reading and analysis of Beowulf.

http://www.rbhs.w-cook.k12.il.us/aswebquest1.htm

Week of July 30th 2012:

9th grade - 12th grade

• Cover school and classroom procedures
• Wrap up Summer Reading
• RCPS Summer Reading Information
• All Summer Reading assignments and projects are due on Friday August 3rd, 2012