Temporarily offline

I regret to announce that Battle Creek Public School's technology department is now blocking access to Blogger.com from school. (Blogger is a free service used to publish weblogs like this one. Some inappropriate blogs use Blogger to post -- but the inappropriate stuff is not actually on Blogger but at another hosting platform. Nonetheless, they've decided to ban all access from Blogger.)

Since I can not access this blog from school, I can not keep it updated.

I will keep you posted if (and when) this blog re-appears. I hope to have this resolved before the start of second semester.

If I am young and right...

Today we added notes to all our worksheets based on yesterdays reading and then we continued by looking at the fight between Haimon and Creon in Scene 3.

Reminder: Your final draft is due tomorrow!

Who is the man here?

Today we began by journaling and showing our second rough drafts to Mrs. Gilbert. The final draft is due Friday, January 12th.

Then we finished reading Scene 2 of Antigone and learned some startling new information about Antigone and Creon to add to our worksheets.

NOTE: All students now have planners and will be expected to bring them to class every day (just like their binders, writing utensils, books and IDs)

Bring me the man!

We finished scene 1 of Antigone and began scene 2. We added many quotes to both Creon's and Sentry's character worksheets.

Don't forget that rough draft #2 of your literary analysis paper is due tomorrow!

Our ship of state is experiencing some storms...

Today we began by journaling and then we reviewed a handout on how to revise our rough drafts. We should apply the advice on the handout to the rough draft and have our second rough draft ready to turn in on Wednesday.

We also began reading Scene 1 of Antigone and began filling out the character notes worksheet on Creon. Tomorrow we'll continue Scene 1 and fill out a worksheet on Sentry as well.

Homework: Finish/revise your rough draft!

Make your choice: a traitor or loyal to your family?

Today we read the Prologue of Antigone and began filling in the character worksheets on Antigone and Ismene, including memorable quotes from the Prologue.

We also journaled and discussed some of the themes/conflicts at work in this opening scene.

Don't forget: your rough draft is due on Monday!

The backstory

Today we took notes over the backstory of Antigone -- essentially the myth and family tree of Oedipus. Be sure to copy these from another student if you were absent.

Then we signed up for parts to read in the various scenes of Antigone and had time to rehearse our parts. Grades for reading will be determined by volume (Can everyone hear you?) and emotion (Do you sound appropriately angry, sad, scared, etc.?).

We'll begin with the Prologue tomorrow!

Keep working on that rough draft!

Welcome to 2007

Today we rang in the new year with some journaling time. Then...

1) We worked on the next step of our literary analysis paper -- translating the outline to a rough draft. The rough draft is due on Monday (1/8) and absent students should pick up today's handout in the crate.

2) We began anticipating the next reading, Antigone, with a "what if" scenario that we wrote in our journal and discussed as a class. The prompt for your journal is posted on the wall by the handout's crate.

Your homework for Monday: Write your rough draft!

A week in review...

This week we:
1) delivered our literary analysis presentations on Monday and Tuesday
2) brainstormed possible themes to explore in our literary analysis paper on Monday
3) began filling out the literary analysis outline on Tuesday
4) spent all of Wednesday and Thursday looking at sample outlines and working on them in class.

The outline was due on Thursday, although students who were not yet finished were encouraged to finish it over break.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Presentation prep

Today we took a quiz over the end of Speak.

Yesterday we had time to work in our literary terms presentation groups. That was our last chance to prepare in class -- presentations begin on Monday. Any handouts to be copies must be in no later than 11 a.m. the day of the presentation.

Remember that your handout must define your term, tell why author's use it, give 10 examples of it, and then 3 paragraphs of analyzing quotes (e.g. quote sandwiches)

Catch-up day

Since some of our classtime was used up by outside events, we used today as a "catch-up" day. Work was passed back and everyone got a list of what assignments they were missing. Tomorrow there will be a binder/neatness check and we'll have our last chance for groups to prepare for their presenations.

Friday there will be a quiz over the end of the book -- so keep reading!

Discussions & More Quote Sandwiches...

Today we used our discussion questions to have (gasp) discussions, and then we turned in the questions.

Then we reviewed some samples of good quote sandwiches and discussed the importance of them. During the last 15 minutes of class, everyone was to write one quote sandwich for the lit. terms presentation and turn it in.

How to...

Today we journaled and then we took notes on how to write good (high-level) discussion questions. Everyone must write 8 discussion questions for tomorrow and at least 3 of the questions must be over events that happen after page 150 in the book.

Lit. presentation prep

On Thursday we had an oral quiz over the pages 95-125 of Speak.

Today we journaled and then reviewed the requirements for the literary terms presentations. Everyone had time to work with their partner/group to get their quotes together for this presentation and 10 quotes were to be turned in by the end of the period.

We wrapped up with some open-mic time.

Symbolism part 2

Today, after journaling, we took a look at the symbolic art from another class and wrote them letters about what we think their art symbolizes.

We wrapped up the hour with some reading aloud.

Tomorrow you should be through page 125 and prepared to participate in an oral quiz.

Symbolic art

Today we tried creating modern art, just like Melinda in Speak. Then we talked about Symbolism and practiced analyzing it in writing.

Don't forget to do your writing & reading for tomorrow!

Speak sandwiches

Today, in groups, we discussed questions about the reading from Speak. Then, individually, we had to write up our answer in quote-sandwich form. Our homework: to write up an answer to another question (of our choice, from the list) in quote-sandwich form.

Homework will be due Wednesday. By Thursday, you should be through page 125 of Speak in time for a quiz.

Quiz day!

Today we reviewed test-taking tips from our last test.

Then we took a quiz on Speak, pp.1-65.

Homework:
1) Take your book home in case we have a snow day. By Monday: pp. 66-92.
2) Bring two objects to class that you are willing to donate (permanently) to the class. Make sure they're appropriate, legal, and not food or a biohazard. Within those limits, the stranger the better. EC for extra objects or extra weirdness.

Time to do some work

Today we journaled for 10 minutes.

Then we completed the exercise "Left Out" on page 24 of "Writer's Choice."

Then we had time to begin the reading for tomorrow through p. 65 -- We have a quiz tomorrow!

Quote sandwiches

Today we began class by discussing Speak (for points) and then we had time to get in our literary technique groups and find more examples of our assigned literary technique.

Then we got a handout to review how to make a quote-analysis sandwich, or, in otherwords, how to write a really good paragraph of analyzing a quote.

Our homework is to practice analyzing one of our literary techniques using the sandwich organizer.