English 9 Class Notes
Freshmen, sorry for my absence again, but, as I explained the juniors’ and seniors’ notes, although I catch them rarely, colds and flu knock tend to knock me out for a few days. And I usually only get sick once a year, near winter, so I wasn’t expecting to be taken ill so early.
Anyway, I’m proud to relay to you that my Friday substitute reported your best behavior and cooperation. I’m not sure how today went yet, but I was very pleased to read in my sub’s notes that you did as you were instructed unaccompanied by the common behavior students generally engage in when their teacher’s out. I’ve listed the assignments I left for you on Friday and Monday in case you need clarification. We’ll briefly talk about your work over “All the Years of Her Life” on Wednesday, and we’ll pick up with “Rules of the Game” after that.
I’ll see you in a couple of days.
APELC Class Notes
First, second, third, and fourth juniors and seniors, let me again apologize for my extended absence. I rarely catch colds or flu, but when I do (usually the beginning of winter when Mrs. Girard brings something home from the hospital), such illnesses tend to take their toll on me. I guess winter came early for me this year, but I’m feeling much better. I don’t like being away from school, and I’m looking forward to seeing you again tomorrow.
Over the last few days you’ve processed texts by Henry V (Shakespeare), Elizabeth I, and Niccolo Machiavelli, and you’ve practiced the note-review protocol. As I understand from my substitute’s notes, you’ve done a thorough job processing the texts, but I hope you’ve taken time outside of class to engage and taxonomize your notes so you’re getting the most from your classroom interactions.
During first and third on Tuesday and during second and fourth on Wednesday, we’ll review your processes first then move to your timed-writings and then work begin preparing for your conferences. To these ends, your timed-writings will be returned to you in your respective classes and the conference revision schedule will be posted at 2:30, after fifth period. Conferences will begin Wednesday morning. (See the conference revision schedule to get an idea of when you might sign-up.)
It’s my recommendation first and third period APELCers take advantage of conferences Wednesday morning and afternoon so they don’t miss this valuable opportunity to revise. Second and fourth period APELCers will necessarily have to sign-up for conferences starting Thursday morning after they have the benefit of timed-writing and preparation. There are enough slots for everybody to confer with me, some at better times than others, depending on your preferences, but none-the-less, they are available. Remember that you must meet and confer with me to turn-in and get credit for a revision; if we don’t meet, I’ll not accept your revision.
Also, make sure that you have these documents in your binders: the Course Outline, Bloom’s Cognitive Taxonomy, How to Take and Review Notes, How to Process a Text, Rhetorical Devices: Common Schemes and Tropes, AP Open Essay Rubric and Its Connection to Bloom’s Cognitive Taxonomy, and How to Prepare for a Revision Conference. These are the key handouts that you’ll be referring to often. I’ve asked you to print and bring them to class before, but I wanted to clarify again what, minimally, you’re accountable for.
Have a great rest of your day or evening, and I’ll see you tomorrow.
Still Sick
APELCers, won’t be in Friday. Still achy, throbbing, coughing, full of mucus and phlegm. Will review papers and conference prep Monday. Sorry for being out (enjoying laying in bed with daughter watching Suite Life on Deck, though). Will make up for absence with in-class movies and dessert party.*
*Not really.
English 9 Class Notes
Objectives: Freshmen 1) practiced employing reading strategies metacognitively while reading a short story, and 2) read independently for a sustained period.
Freshmen, you finally had the opportunity to apply the reading strategies we’ve been discussing the last two classes to a short story in our textbook, and you did a great job writing down, thinking about, and sharing aloud your ideas. We’ll finish reviewing the story next class and you’ll have an opportunity to begin the next.
We finished with independent reading today, something we’ll do most block days, so always have your books with you.
See you Friday.
APELC Class Notes
Objectives: APELCers 1) defined logos, ethos, pathos, and 2) processed a dramatic speech.
Second and fourth, I posted the objectives today rather than in your peers’ notes yesterday because I was in a hurry to write only what was necessary then so I could attempt to sleep with cold away. I laid definitions for logos, ethos, and pathos on you that we’ll use in this class for the remainder of the year, an adjustment for those of you familiar with the concepts from before and entirely new ideas for those of you who weren’t. We began to apply them, and the entire text processing procedure, to the words Shakespeare gave King Henry V in his history of the same name.
Complete the process of Henry’s speech for next class, and do the same for the text of Elizabeth at Tilbury. You’ll not be turning these in, remember, but your practice will make perfect. I recommend you also engage the note review protocol so you can clarify what you know, isolate what you don’t, and prepare to follow-up with both.
All APELCers, please bring the documents I’ve noted under “Assignments” on your class page, and remember to come to T-12 to sign-up for a revision conference tomorrow (Thursday) at 2:30 pm.
NOTE. I’ve added “How to Process a Text” to Class Materials. This document is only to be used as a guide and shouldn’t be confused with the Text Processing form that you’ll use to type your processes out later.
APELC Class Notes
APELCers, sorry I’m getting to this later than I stated. I’m feeling quite ill. Docs are posted; bring them next class. Process Henry/Shakespeare, then Elizabeth (Hazlitt’s still on the sidelines), then use the review protocol to taxonomize your notes from our last classes. None of this’ll be collected, but you’re expected to prepare appropriately so you can participate productively and clarify your questions. Failing to do so will only hurt your performance in the long run.
Will post more tomorrow.
English 9 Class Notes
Objectives: Freshmen 1) categorized various reading strategies, and 2) read independently for a sustained period.
Ninth graders, today we reviewed the reading strategies you brainstormed last class and placed them under the broader headings I listed on Friday. Then you employed these strategies as we read a short piece together.
As I mentioned in the juniors’ and seniors’ notes, the air-conditioning problem persists all over school. If you’re parents are concerned about your learning environment’s conditions, they should direct such concerns to our principal, Marcia Volpe, (520) 696-5565. They can also contact Amphi’s Superintendent or contact the members of the Governing Board.
APELC Class Notes
Objective: APELCers wrote a rhetorical analysis.
First through fourth juniors and seniors, today you completed the first timed-writing that’ll be graded by me and revised by you. I’ll have them back to you two class days from now.
Please bring the rhetorical devices document next class along with Shakespeare text I’ve noted on your class page. Of course, bring the Hazlitt text which I plan for us to get to. Analyses of both should help you with your timed-writing 1 revision.
You can scan “How to Prepare for a Revision Conference” (under Class Materials on your class page) if you like to get an idea of how you’ll prepare for and what to expect at our conferences next week, but the language will change slightly before I ask you to print it for review in class.
Once again, we seem to be having difficulty with the air-conditioning, and it seems to be happening all over the school property. If you’re parents are concerned about the conditions of your learning environment, they should direct such concerns to our principal, Marcia Volpe, (520) 696-5565. They can also contact Amphi’s Superintendent or contact the members of the Governing Board.
English 9 Class Notes
Objectives: Freshmen 1) identified and explained various reading strategies, and 2) read independently for a sustained period.
Freshmen, today we talked about reading: what we read, how we read, how we overcome obstacles when we read, et cetera. Among the various ideas were the following six were broad strategies that many of us seemed to agree were useful:
- Making connections with a text from our experiences,
- Asking questions of a text as we read,
- Clarifying ideas presented in texts as we read,
- Regularly summarizing material as we finish sections,
- Evaluating events and thinking beyond the basics while we read,
- Making predictions about what’s to come in the texts we’re reading.
This is a great start to what’ll become active reading practice in class. We’ll begin to put these to use Monday. Deliberately thinking about these as you engage text will be awkward at first, and may be for some time, but once you get the hang it, using these reading strategies will become second nature to those who don’t use them yet and even easier for those who already use them
Remember to bring your textbooks on Monday along with your independent reading book.
Enjoy your weekend.
APELC Class Notes
Periods 2 and 4 juniors and seniors, you did as your peers did yesterday with the Katy Perry text. You saw, as your colleagues did, the observational, analytical, and evaluative potential of even the most (apparently) superficial texts.
For those absent these last two days and those who didn’t get all of the information at the time in class, write down these classifications of phrases and clauses. You’ll be responsible for knowing and analyzing their organization in written text we come across. (We’ll also creatively apply these to visual rhetoric.) Phrases are groups of related words centered around a head, and have four different functions (Van Gelderen, 2002):
- Subjects are noun phrases, eg., Rob, The team, Clouds
- Predicates are verb phrases, eg., teaches the class, won the game, are on the horizon.
- Complements can be direct and indirect objects, usually noun phrases, or subject and object predicates, usually adjective phrases.
- Adverbials are adverb and prepositional phrases that describe when, where, why, and how in a predicate.
Clauses must contain a verb and come in two varieties (Van Gelderen, 2002).
- A main or independent clause is minimally composed of a subject and a predicate and can stand alone, ie., it’s not embedded in another clause.
- A subordinate or dependent clause is a clause embedded in another by means of a complementizer (that, which, since, because, et cetera).
I also want to share something Leah, in third period, bringed to my attention regarding the question and our discussion of human culture and animal behavior, New York Times article from 2006 “An Elephant Crackup?”. As you can probably tell by the way I introduced the piece, I consider the difference one of conscious, reflective culture, versus mere patterned behavior. But of course, you don’t need to agree with me; if you wanna fight, let’s. (And yes, my use of “bringed” and “wanna” was deliberate. We can talk about that, too. Let’s see who’s paying attention and they’ll do with it.)
Finally, regarding our discussion of the assumptions we have about methods that violently deprive persons of life, Brigette, also in third, bringed two definitions to class, one for “manslaughter” and the other for “murder”. (I’ve linked both to Dictionary.com, a great online resource). I did my own search for murder, and found the following text by Paul Cezanne titled, simply, The Murder. What can you discover by applying the rhetorical triangle to it?
No homework other than a suggestion that you practice the review protocol for the notes you’ve taken these last two weeks. Remember, in the future when you come to me to discuss difficulties with class material, the first thing I’ll ask you is “Have you review your notes according to the protocol?”
Have a good weekend all.
Open-house
Freshmen, juniors, and seniors, and parent I enjoyed meeting many of you last night. Open-house provides me a good opportunity to connect students and their folks, practice names, and shed some light on what happens in my classroom.
For those interested in traveling with me in 2011, please remember to return the bottom portion of the invitation letter you took as you left so I can prepare appropriately for the meetings on Tuesday, September 8, and Wednesday, September 9.
Parents, my classroom door is always open, and I hope you’ll all have the opportunity over the year to come and observe your students in authentic learning situations. As I said, I looked forward to working with your sons and daughters.
Finally, as of this afternoon, the air-conditioning in T-12 is operational. Thanks to those concerned who put in calls. Now I can go back to a shirt and tie, although the t-shirt and shorts were comfortable.
Best.
APELC Class Notes
Objectives: APELCers 1) analyzed a pop song, 2) defined phrases and clauses, and 3) practiced taxonomizing notes.
Period 1 and 3 APELCers, although I’d planned only a brief discussion and analysis of a pop song to get your brain juices flowing before beginning to look more cloasely at the Hazlitt piece, we were able mine Katy Perry’s “Hot N Cold” for much of the period before moving on to defining phrases and clauses and finally leaving the last fifteen minutes for notes review according to the handout I aksed you to bring to class. Third period had a bit more time during the discussion to pick their own pop cultural icons and symbols to scrutinize in groups and share with the class, but both classes were able to see how the rhetorical triangle can be applied to and reveal much from even the most inane pieces of text.
For kicks, here’s Katy Perry’s “Hot N Cold” video. What further analysis can you make of the speaker, context, audience, and text with this additional medium of this ridiculous song? (Note this isn’t the complete video, but Capitol Music doesn’t permit embedding of its full hq version.
No homework this weekend except to review your notes up to this point and perhaps practice the review protocol on what you’ve noted in class the last two weeks.
Oh, and thanks to Priscilla for volunteering for the laborious task of writing out the definitions of phrases and clauses on the board for her peers in first and third.
English 9 Class Notes
Objective: Freshmen demonstrated knowledge of liberry systems and organization.
English 9, we spent today in the liberry where Mr. Alzner reviewed the catalog system and toured you around the stacks. After the tour you were given a scavenger hunt to complete to show what you learned. Please bring your textbooks and your liberry books to class on Friday.
I hope I see most you with your folks tonight in T-12 for open house.
APELC Class Notes
Second and fourth juniors and seniors, we did much the same as your first and third period peers yesterday. Please check their notes for objectives and details.
I look forward to seeing you and your parents tonight in our ridiculously hot classroom for open-house.
APELC Class Notes
Objectives: APELCers analyzed a poem, and 2) identified and defined parts of the rhetorical triangle.
Periods 1 and 3 APELCers, today we reviewed and attemtped to answer the questions you developed over Billy Collins poem. I then gave you a brief introduction to the rhetorical triangle, as we’ll use it, this year. (I put that adverbial hedge in the last sentence because there are a few different versions of the rhetorical triangle that have been floated over the last two and half millenia. The one I present you in class will be the one you’ll come to utilize well.) I’ll elaborate more next class.
If you’re displeased with the current environmental conditions of our classroom (that is, our lack of A/C in T-12 the last several days) you might tell your parents and suggest they call Ms. Volpe, our principal, at (520) 696-5565.
Please check your class page for homework details and I’ll see you on Thursday. And I hope I see your parents tomorrow night at open-house. I really do enjoy meeting and talking with them.
English 9 Class Note
Objectives: Freshmen answered questions about a map’s contents based on inferences drawn from its features.
Freshmen, in my absence today you were to have completed and reviewed the questions and answers we’ve been working on since last week. Then I asked you to recopy them onto clean notebook paper in blue or black pen.
I’ll find out how you did tomorrow when I return.
APELC Class Notes
Objectives: APELCers analyzed texts from multiple genres.
In my absence APELCers, you were to analyze the Collins and Hazlitt pieces by developing lewvel 1, 2, and 3 questions.
I look forward to seeing how you did when I return.
Bloom’s and Questioning
APELCers, I’ve updated a document that I’ve used previously when discussing Bloom’s cognitive taxonomy and in which I use the Hopper text. It was from this document, during last class, I read to you the example questions I’d developed for examining the painting. I’ve revised and posted it on your class page under Class Materials as “Bloom’s Cognitive Taxonomy and Levels of Questioning”.
I’ll provide you with my sample questions in tomorrow’s class instructions, but you might print the revised document to keep in you binder as a resource.
English 9 Class Notes
Objectives: Freshmen 1) identified key features of a map, and 2) drew inferences from map’s features about its content.
Freshmen, we completed (kind of) the map activity today. You’ll do the clean up work on Monday in class. Please bring your notes and answers to the map questions then, and don’t forget to bring your self-selected reading books, which most of you checked out after your brief introduction to the liberry by Mr. Alzner. Several of you asked to continue reading books you’d started at home, which I assented to, but all of you must have your self-selected books with you each class day.
See you next week.
APELC Class Notes
Second and fourth period APELCers, we did much the same as your first and third counterparts. The main difference was that the stifling heat made understanding level 2 questions that much more challenging. I’ll continue to help you and your even-day peers comprehend this useful method for entering text and even thinking through existential conundrums.
All APELCers, remember to bring “The History Teacher” and your Bedford text to class on Monday.
And, relevant to our discussion of memes, which I elaborated more and less in some classes, here’s a summary of the concept at Wikipedia and an older article from Wired, “Meme, Counter-meme”. They’re worth taking a look at; you’ll most likely encounter the concept in college, and certainly hear references to it in public discourse.
Have a good weekend.