APELC Class Notes
Period 4 juniors and seniors, you completed the same as your third period counterparts Tuesday. Please check their notes for objectives and details.
All APELCers, we’ve covered many miles these past sixteen weeks with no less than nine separate final assignments (including the two introductory time-writings I greeted you with on day one), numerous drafts, sixteen analyses, a handful of covers sheets, and lots and lots of notes. And we still have a bit more to go in the next two and a half weeks. I’m thankful for your hard work and your patience with me as I slowly dug my way out of the avalanche of assignments.
I’ll post practice-exam self-assessment and final details no later than Monday, so keep an eye out, and have a great Thanksgiving weekend.
English 9 Class Notes
Period 2, you did much the same as period 1 yesterday. Period 6, you broke into groups led by Cooper, David, and Michael and finished your paragraphs over the “The Scarlet Ibis”, finally.
Of course there is homework to be completed this weekend for turn in on Monday. Please check your class page for details and attend them to ensure you at least earn the best grade possible, under the circumstances you find yourself in relation to your current score, with only two full weeks before finals.
As I advised all students in all classes, I again remind you, regardless of your grade, do not give up these last few days of the fall semester. Even if you don’t believe you’ll earn the grade you want come December 18, at least continue to put in the hard work to practice the skills you’ll need to achieve in spring. Despite what you may think, I do believe that each of you has the ability to accomplish as much and perform as well (or as little and poorly) as you exert the effort, make the right decisions, and work with me.
Have a great Thanksgiving weekend, kids. See you Monday.
APELC Class Notes
Objectives: APELCers 1) processed an excerpt from a non-fiction book, and 2) responded to peers’ example drafts.
Third APELCers, today we reviewed the Eighner piece in the context of Ascher, Quindlen, and Will. I asked you to consider the pieces together and develop an arguable thesis from your understanding of them. I then broke you into peer response groups to review the first drafts of your example papers.
I hope you all have a great holiday weekend, and I expect to see some pastries in yours hands for me when you return. I’m not picky, just no coconut or jellied items.
English 9 Class Notes
Objectives: Freshmen identified and explained character, setting, plot, imagery, irony, point of view, and symbol in a short story.
First freshmen, instead of my leading you through the story and task as I’ve done previously, I broke you into pairs as asked you to identify and explain the items in the objective. I also asked you to write accompanying evidence. You did these in your composition books.
We’ll talk about your findings on Monday as we prepare for a new paragraph.
Attend the homework listed on your class page and have a great holiday weekend.
Absent Again
As I asked the substitute teacher to explain to you today, I got a diagnosis of strep throat from the doctor and I’m not to return until I’ve completed the first twenty-four hours of my antibiotic regimen. So freshmen, today I asked you to complete some work after the our most recent story “Waiting”. Juniors and seniors, I asked you to process a text by George Will from your text.
I will be back next class, and we’ll tie up all the loose ends we can before the break. Thanks for your patience.
APELC Class Notes
Period 4 juniors and seniors, we covered the same ground as your peers yesterday. Check their notes for objectives and details.
Have a fine weekend.
English 9 Class Notes
Periods 2 and 6 freshmen, you completed the reading quiz as your peers did yesterday, but you ended your hours without completing your paragraphs. Period 2, your outstanding paragraphs are due Monday. Period 6, we’ll complete your paragraphs in class.
Please check your class page for homework details.
APELC Class Notes
Objectives: APELCers processed an non-fiction text.
Period 3 juniors and seniors, we picked up with the Quindlen text and compared and contrasted her ideas with Ascher’s. This took a good portion of the period, and with the remaining time we discussed your outside example papers which you also had time to begin brainstorming.
The first draft of the paper is due Tuesday; you also have a text to read for class.
Have a good weekend.
English 9 Class Notes
Objectives: Freshmen drafted an expository paragraph about symbol in a short story.
First period freshmen, I quizzed you over your reading of “Waiting” and then we proceeded with an expository paragraph over our last story.
Check your class page for homework details.
See you Monday.
APELC Class Notes
Juniors and seniors, as I thanked the freshmen, so I thank you for your patience with my absence. This appears to be my annual respiratory viral infection, which, since it came early, I’d not planned on being out three days―I’ll be out tomorrow, Wednesday, too. (This usually hits me in the second week of December.) This has, fortuitously, allowed me time to catch up on papers and planning as I convalesce in bed between sleeping and watching news and the History Channel.
Please check your class page for homework details. And while I have your eyes, lemme offer a few content and formatting ideas of what I’d like to see in your short essays you’re completing for each reading that may help you. First, avoid a meandering introduction; give me one clear and specific thesis sentence. Then give me three or four focused PIE paragraphs. You’ve practiced the PIE, you know the terminology, and it reflects perfectly the levels of critical thinking:
- Evaluation or argument or claim is your point (theses, topic sentences, syntheses within the body of the paragraph)
- Observation or evidence or data is your illustration/information; and
- Analysis or inference or warrant is your explanation.
Neat, no? Further, leave the concluding sentence. No need for it. Limit your work to two pages (no more, no less). This’ll give you enough room to develop three, maybe four ideas, but limit you so you’ll have to sharpen your analyses.
Use the title of the piece you’re writng about for the title of your own paper. Remember that short fiction and non-fiction text titles are surrounded by quotation marks and long works’ (novella length and beyond) titles are italicized (not underlined).
If you’re writing about multiple pieces, as you do with the Connections essays, merely title your with the authors surnames and the subject about which they wrote, eg., Angelou and Tan on Cultural Pride, Ericsson and Lutz on Lies and Doublespeak, and Ascher and Quindlen on Homelessness. Note these titles are not enclosed in quotation marks.
We’ll continue to work on systematizing this approach. It may all seem uniform, rigid, or formulaic, but I don’t mind.
The writing conference sign-up sheet will be posted Thursday during fifth with appointments beginning Monday. Note that if you do not have your essay highlighted, or you’re lacking any or all of the rubric, “How to Prepare” protocol (with your own notes for steps 4 or 5), or essay prompt, I’ll not confer with you.
See you in Thursday and Friday.
English 9 Class Notes
Freshmen, I appreciate your patience with me in my absence. I tend to fall ill this of year with a nasty crud, but it’s happened earlier this season than in those past. Anyway, I asked you to review the Literary Focus summary at the end of our most recent story and answer the associated questions. That was to be completed on Monday. For Tuesday and Wednesday, you’re to complete Before Reading notes for the following story in your composition books and to have read and completed story notes on Post-its. Everything’s listed on your class page.
On Friday, you’ll draft an expository paragraph about symbol in “The Scarlet Ibis” and you’ll have a final quiz over the story. You should be prepared for a check quiz over “Waiting” as well. Sounds like a lot but as long as you’re completing your work and cooperating with the sub the week should work out fine for all.
I trust you’ll do your best while I’m gone. See you on Thursday and Friday.
APELC Class Notes
Fourth juniors and seniors, you completed timed-writing 5 as your third period colleagues did but then you commenced with peer responses you were unable to attend on Monday.
Have a fine weekend.
English 9 Class Notes
Second and sixth freshmen, we completed “The Scarlet Ibis” as your peers did on Monday but in both classes we got into interesting discussions about the brothers and their relationship while we reviewed the After Reading questions I assigned for homework. I asked you about the value of life, whether life has inherent worth, and relationships. Your answers were interesting. We’ll continue to explore these questions as the year proceeds.
APELC Class Notes
Objective: APELCers wrote a rhetorical analysis.
Third period, you completed timed-writing 5 today, the last of this type until next semester. You will complete three timed-writings in rapid succession near the end of the semester as part of exam prep, but I’ll not be grading those. Rather, you’ll be scoring yourselves and writing a self-assessment of your progress. More on that later, though.
I had a couple of lines of investigation to propose to you after the timed-writing, but somehow we got into a rather heated and valuable discussion of the merit of Stephanie Meyers’ Twilight novels. Since all were present, there’s no need to summarize, but it was interesting, in light of the recent assertion by some there exist no ultimate referents or objective standards by which we can measure our judgments, the ire that several students expressed toward the author and her “books” and the tastes of her audience.
I love it.
English 9 Class Notes
Objectives: Students will ask and answer level questions.
Period 1 freshmen, I took time today analyzing to introduce you to the idea of different levels of questions we ask when experience any text by analyzing the painting Automat by Edward Hopper.
Level 1 questions are fundamental and come in two varieties: “Right there” questions and “Pulling it together” questions. Answers to the first can be found directly in a text, eg., “What colors are the woman’s clothes and makeup?”, or for our most recent story “The Scarlet Ibis”, “How did Doodle get his name?”. Answers to the second come from connecting various elements from different parts of a text, eg., “Why is the woman in the automat?”, or, also from “The Scarlet Ibis”, “What words can be used to characterize Brother?”
Level 2 questions involve the “Text and ‘me’”. Answers to these questions rely on my educated guesses about a text I’m reading, or, how I draw conclusions from my analysis and interpretation of elements in a text, eg., “Why did Hopper choose the empty chair as the painting’s balance point rather than the figure of the woman?”, or, again from our latest short story, “How is the appearance of the scarlet ibis symbolic of the events surrounding Doodle and his death?”
Level 3 questions, which we didn’t really delve into, ask me to provide answers “On my own”. Answers to these questions ask me to develop an informed opinion about a text based upon my reasoned understanding it. I can also rely on my personal experiences in and my knowledge of the world to help me answer these types of questions, eg., “What insight does Hopper offer to the problem of loneliness in Automat?”, or, for “The Scarlet Ibis”, “What are the origins and consequences of human pride as exemplified by Doodle’s brother?”
We’ll tackle level 3 questions more later, but you’ll begin to see that understanding better how you think by separating and classifying your thoughts may enhance your comprehension which may result in better ideas in your written work.
We’ll begin drafting a paragraph about the Hurst story next Monday. See you then.
APELC Class Notes
Fourth juniors and seniors, you processed Lutz as your colleagues did Monday, but, since our day was short, you didn’t have time to respond to your peers’ description drafts. You’ll attend that on Friday after timed-writing 5.
Until next class.
English 9 Class Notes
Periods 2 and 6, with little time today I handed over grade reports to you and offered you the same as I did your first period peers on Monday: Earn 10 study points by sharing with and having your parents 1) sign your grade report, 2) write the best number at which to contact them, and 3) note the best time to call I can talk to them about your grade. You must return your document Friday and no later.
We did a brief vocabulary practice and you went on your way.
See you Friday.
APELC Class Notes
Objectives: Students 1) processed an argumentative text, and 2) responded to peers’ description drafts.
Period 4, after tackling Lutz you began reviewing your colleagues’ description papers.
I pointed out to you again that implicit in Lutz’s piece, as in Ericsson (and Didion and Tan and Colson and Lincoln and Vowell and everything we’ve read this semester), is a standard of truth, morality, and reality. Their definitions will continue to plague you as we proceed.
See you Thursday.
English 9 Class Notes
Objectives: Freshmen identified and explained character, setting, plot, imagery, irony, point of view, and symbol in a short story.
Period 1 freshmen, we began to wrap up “The Scarlet Today” but i suspect we won’t actually begin a new piece until Monday since the short Wednesday will throw off my planning for your second and sixth friends.
No homework, except for the grade report to your parents/guardians. Remember, you must 1) have your parents sign your grade report, 2) write the best number to contact them, and 3) note the best time to call so I can talk to them about your grade. If you do this, you’ll earn 10 study points, but you must return your document Thursday and no later.
APELC Class Notes
Fourth juniors and seniors, we completed Bob Roberts as your colleagues did yesterday and you had time to begin reviewing your note set. Remember that I’ll be collecting a review Wednesday since Monday’s a Tuesday schedule.
Have a nice weekend.