English 9 Class Notes
Freshmens, we practiced identifying and correcting errors in conventions of written English today and yesterday, and we finished the video that’s been supplementing our reading of Of Mice and Men. We also completed our study of the third chapter of the novella, and we saw Lennie’s strength. As Matt said in first, “He’s a beast”.
You have no homework; we’ll be finishing the novella quickly after the weekend. Finally, after some searching online, I found these clips from the 1992 film adaption of the book at MovieClips.com. The first is from the beginning of the story, the second and third from chapter 3, including Lennie’s confrontation with Curley. How well do they match the images you have in your minds of the characters and action in the novella?
I’ll see on Monday, kids.
APELC Class Notes
APELCers, yesterday and today we talked over the Tan text, and we touched on issues of ontology, identity, self-esteem, beauty, body image, and ideal forms.
The discussions in each period were interesting and informative. I asked at what point we stop “being ourselves” and change to find group acceptance. We talked a lot about media messages, especially those directed toward adolescent girls. In third period, David wondered if it was really a problem to appreciate “Ideal” forms when I asked why we continue to consume media that presents mixed messages and if we’d consume the same media if they reflected, in this case, actual body types we encounter in the population that don’t match the ideal. Then in fourth, if I recall accurately, it was Selina (correct me if I’m wrong) that noted that the “ideal” changes over time.
Here’re two items relevant to our discussion that you might find worth your time, unfortunately the second is only an excerpt:
Finally, in fourth period I mentioned a new song from Sesame Street that’s making an impression, and which my daughter loves:
Here’s the story behind the song at ABC news, and commentary from The Root.
I’ll see you in the liberry on Monday, kids.
English 9 Class Notes
Freshmens, yesterday and today you identified and corrected more conventions errors before we continued with the video Riding the Rails which we’ve been connecting to Of Mice and Men. We read and listened to most of chapter 3, and we stopped just as George accepted Candy’s offer to help them acquire and join them on their hoped-for farm. I gave you some time to read independently.
We’ll pick up where we left off next class, and we’ll probably finish the video, too. Remember to bring your independent reading books. I’ll be checking and awarding a few points for compliance.
APELC Class Notes
APELCers, Tuesday and Wednesday I asked you to think about group identity while we discussed the Angelou text. I encouraged you to think about what groups you belong to and how you know belong to them. I asked you also if it’s possible to not belong to any group at all, and most of you agreed that such seemed impossible. I also asked you to think about why we (arguably) feel the need to belong to a group, whatever type of group it may be. We focused on the details of the narration, and I want you to recall, in particular, how Angelou used dialogue and Southern black vernacular to create the scene of the story.
For a reason I don’t recall, the firing of Juan Williams from National Public Radio came up in discussion, and I was surprised that none of you knew the incident which attracted so much media attention last week. NPR has been heavily criticized for its handling of the situation which recalled, but was not exactly analogous to, Rick Sanchez’s recent firing by CNN. If you have the time, listen to this short piece from Tell Me More with Michel Martin: “NPR Fires Juan Williams, Journalists React”, and read this commentary at the LA Times blog The Big Picture: “Juan Williams, Rick Sanchez, Mel Gibson and our fickle moral appraisals”.
See you next class, kids.
English 9 Class Notes
We began both periods with a presentation from junior Adrienne on the Pima County Public Liberries. Thanks for that, kid. After, we began the second set of sentences from Daily Language Workout, and then we reviewed the remainder of the second chapter, which you were to have read over the weekend. Finally, I presented your After Reading assignment for the first chapter, and I talked over the final update to the question-answer rubric that you’re to use to guide your work.
That’s it, children. I wanted to embed this clip from the 1939 film version of our novella, but Turner Classic Movies doesn’t allow it: Here’s the scene where George and Lennie meet the boss for the first time. Have a look. Are the portrayals of Lennie by Lon Chaney’s and George by Burgess Meredith what you expected?
See you next time, freshmens.
APELC Class Notes
APELCers, we discussed the issue of “ethnic studies” in TUSD high schools and Arizona House Bill 2281 and how these might apply to your revision of free-response 3. The texts we read are linked on your class page, and, in the interest of fairness, here’s the site of teachers fighting the state to keep the program in schools: SaveEthnicStudies.org. You had the opportunity to work on your theses and consider your sources; some of you used your time wisely while many did not.
I wanted to post the following notes on Friday, but the post was already long enough, so here’s more on Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, a very important SCOTUS decision that appeared to confute certain campaign finance laws and that came up during our discussion about government and trust our last two classes. In fifth period, Alyssa commented on the freedom this decision permitted foreign corporations to fund US elections and sent along this article: “The GOP’s foreign fans”. And today, also in fifth, Emery reported her informal, online research on various southern Arizona candidates including Ruth McClung and Raul Grijalva, and Jesse Gabrielle Giffords and Jesse Kelley, and I’d encourage you to do the same. If you want to know more about the election, and I hope you do, see the 2010 Arizona Voter Guide at AZ Central and Arizona’s page at Ballotpedia.
For more on this election cycle, I hope that you might surf to the NPR series “Message Machine: Fact-Checking 2010 Election Ads”. It’s a great set of reports that attempts to keep both sides honest (if that’s even possible); last Wednesday’s piece, “‘Cookie-Cutter’ Ads Dominate, Coast-To-Coast”, was particularly interesting and amusing.
Check your class page for homework details, and I’ll see you next class.
English 9 Class Notes
Freshmens, after more conventions practice, we reviewed your chapter 1 of our novella. I was very impressed, particularly with seventh period’s attention to the reading and the attendant questions. We viewed more of the video we began last class, and then we picked up with the second chapter of the story. Your homework is to finish the chapter and answer the Guided Reading questions (or not, as I’ve already explained).
Before I bid you a good weekend, I want to congratulate seventh period’s Maria on her new “baby”, G-Money. I’ll be curious to see how things went over the weekend.
Goodbye for now, every body.
APELC Class Notes
APELCers, we completed, as much as we could, our discussion of Gelsey and Dinh, and I was a little unnerved by many students’ indifference (?) toward privacy or at least their fourth amendment rights. It was intriguing. Coincidentally, and relevant to our discussion, I found this today at Newsweek: “What the Internet Knows About You”. And I’d be curious to hear your reaction to the following video from LAPD’s iWatch LA program:
It’s curious that this particular video is no longer on the website.
We talked a little your attitudes toward politics and the federal government, and many of you mentioned that issues of trust and corruption were important in assessing your feelings. For kicks, I recommended you look up the following politicians known for their recent scandals, all having to do with sex and money:
- Elliot Spitzer (D, former Gov. NY)
- Charles Rangel (D, former Rep. NY)
- William Jefferson (D, former Rep. NY)
- Mark Foley (R, Rep. FL)
- Larry Craig (R, former Sen. ID)
- Eric Massa (R, former Rep. NY)
That’s all for now. Have a fine weekend and I’ll see you Monday.
English 9 Class Notes
Freshmens, we began my favorite text of the year in each class yesterday and today. I’m looking forward to some day sharing Of Mice and Men with my son: George and Lennie share more of a sibling rather than a filial relationship, but the nature of their connection, their interdependence, their love for each other is attractive and admirable. For now, I’ll enjoy studying it with you for the next couple weeks.
To enhance our reading, we also watched a portion of American Experience: Riding the Rails, an interesting look at teens who hoboed and worked across America in the 1930s. We’ll continue to supplement our study of Steinbeck’s novella with this film, watching it in portions as we progress.
You do have homework detailed on your class page. I’m not going to collect it, and you don’t have to complete it. Base your decision on how you think it could help you with the graded work to come.
See you second and seventh, kids.
APELC Class Notes
APELCers, yesterday and today we talked about privacy and the USA PATRIOT Act. During our discussion several items came up that I encouraged you to research because of their relevance to our texts. They were:
- Probable cause
- Reasonable suspicion, Terry stop
- FISA Court
- Oscar Grant
- TSA full body scanners (millimeter wave scanner)
I mentioned Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols when we discussed home-grown terrorism, and I was absolutely stunned that only two or three of you ninety-one knew anything about these men. And those few only admitted scant, incomplete knowledge. Again, know who these two people are.
In addition to the informal request that you familiarize yourself with the items above, and the formal order to attend the homework on your class page, here’s some further:
- “Court Ruling on Wiretap Is a Challenge for Obama”
- “Judge says man within rights to record police traffic stop”
- Carlos Miller’s blog “Photography Is not a Crime”
Again, boys and girls, you must move beyond your assumptions about what you think you know and learn and engage important issues, no matter what side you of the political divide you occupy.
See you next class.
English 9 Class Notes
Freshmens, yesterday and today, while students completed After Reading questions over “The Scarlet Ibis”, I went over grades with individuals. As we finished the quarter, I asked after the most important idea you learned since the year began. Rather than some literary concept, most of you agreed that the vital concept you learned was “Complete all assignments, each and every assignment, to the best of your ability”. I like it.
Many students are in grade situations they don’t want to be in. For those students: It’s entirely possible to change your attitudes and approaches to work next quarter to your great success. Such changes would be entirely the result of decisions of the individual students who want to make them.
Have a great break, kids. I’ll be thinking of you as I careen past the Abominable Snowman on the Matterhorn Bobsleds with the fam and enjoy mouse-flavored ice cream.
See you in nine days.
APELC Class Notes
APELCers, you finished the quarter with your third free-response yesterday and today. It was also the third type of writing you’ll be required to do for the AP exam at the end of the year. I’ll have these essays and your revisions of and cover sheets for free-response 2 ready to return to you we meet after break.
You do have homework which is detailed on your class page, and I’d like you to refamiliarize yourself with The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, too, so we can begin a discussion of his text.
I want to leave you with some links before I close. Two are related to free speech and its limits: “Supreme Court weighs arguments over ‘Thank God for dead soldiers’ funeral protest” and “High Court: Does Father’s Pain Trump Free Speech?”. Read the first for background then listen carefully to the second for a question by question, answer by answer summary of the hearing. What do you think?
The last link is to an NPR series that aired this week, “Living in the Middle”, about the “middle-class”. The middle-class has come up a lot in our discussions (and it’ll continue to do so), and this series of reports examines the idea of the middle-class and what it means to be middle-class in various parts of the country today. It’s really worth taking time to investigate the origins and rise of the middle-class, and then listen to the audio. As always, I encourage you talk with your parents about what the term means for them and for you. Do you consider yourself middle-class?
Have a great break. I’ll be thinking of you while I’m riding the Mad Hatter’s Teacups with the fam and eating delicious mouse-meat corn dogs.
Peace.
English 9 Class Notes
Freshmens, today and yesterday we completed “The Scarlet Ibis” and discussed symbolism and the various possible symbols Hurst uses to shape his story. It’s important to remember that reading and understanding literature isn’t about the “symbol-hunt”, or at least it shouldn’t be, but there’s sometimes a temptation to see everything as a symbol, which can lead to incorrect interpretations of text. You also completed the vocabulary study and quiz associated with this story.
You’ll have time to complete the After Reading questions you began this class when we meet next. Until then, here’s a very brief audio adaptation of “The Scarlet Ibis” from Justin Bonilla on Vimeo:
Neat drama Justin.
APELC Class Notes
APELCers, yesterday and today you read two opinions on same sex marriage. After we tied up loose ends with Buckley, you spent the first part of the period reading and preparing for discussion, and we discussed the idea of marriage and commitment the second half. Opinions varied and discussion got heated, and we didn’t even get to the heart of the readings: We talked mostly about the nature of the institution, and I expect the discussion next class will be eventful.
I can’t forget to recognize Kate in fifth for courageously defending her opinions on marriage against a barrage of questions and comments from other-minded peers. This is the second time she’s faced such an onslaught and lived to tell about it. You’re a great sport Kate!
Here’re some links that I may inform your reading and thinking for next class:
- “Marriage” and “Polygyny”
- “Same-sex marriage in the United States” and “California Proposition 8 (2008)”
- “U.S. divorce rates for various faith groups, age groups, & geographic areas”
- “Study breaks down divorce rates by occupation”
- “Southern Baptist leader says divorce rates, not gay marriage, should be primary concern”
- “Couples study debunks ‘trial marriage’ notion of cohabiting” (and see the PDF near the end of the article)
Take some time to scour these, see how they may inform your own opinion.
English 9 Class Notes
Freshmens, today we continued the “The Scarlet Ibis”. We’ll complete the story next class, and we’ll discuss literary concepts associated with the text.
Be sure to bring your IDs with you on Thursday and Friday when we’ll head to the Bookstore to pick up the novella Of Mice and Men which you’ll begin over the break.
I look forward to seeing you next class.
APELC Class Notes
APELCers, we discussed a little the imminent synthesis essay you’ll complete on Thursday and Friday, free-response 3. I misspoke myself when I told third period we’d have six timed-writings this semesters; we’ll only have five, and you’ll complete the fifth on the last day of the semester. (We’ll begin revision conferences the second day back from winter recess.)
We also discussed the Buckley piece today and talked about why we don’t complain. This commentary was written almost fifty years ago, and you all seemed to agree that things haven’t changed much; rather, you observed that as our dependence on technology has increased, our apathy has also increased. Two notable exceptions I mentioned were the incredible turn-out for the 2008 presidential election and the rise of the so-called Tea Party. Please familiarize yourself with the latter; it’s too important a movement to dismiss, as some pundits initially suggested we should.
English 9 Class Notes
Freshmens, we began “The Scarlet Ibis” yesterday and today. This is the last short story we’ll tackle for this quarter. We should have most of our literary concepts nailed down by the time we finish; of course, we’ll add more, but we’ve got the foundation.
Until next class, dig this brief clip from the BBC Worldwide:
We’ll talk Monday.
APELC Class Notes
APELCers, we began yesterday and today with a visit from Mr. Gutman, one of our new counselors, who spoke to you about post-secondary planning. Many of the resources he showed you, I have (and more) on the “Pride Time” page. Remember that if you use the page and encounter any broken links, please let me know so I can fix them.
After Mr. Gutman left, I went over some final considerations for your revisions. I reminded you that you need to attempt to define concepts of “worth”, “opinion”, and “democratic values”. I instructed you that your examples must be as specific and detailed as possible, that generalities won’t do. And I reminded you that your paper must be personalized; that is, since you’re expressing your opinion, it’s appropriate and desirable that you speak in the first person, and even that you include personal experiences in the public sphere to inform your essay. However, you must avoid crass, baseless evaluation.
The organizational scheme I recommended for those struggling for an approach was simple: Touch on values and opinion in your introduction before you state your thesis, develop and clarify these ideas in your first body paragraph, and apply these ideas in your second and third body paragraphs with your analysis and evaluation of public opinion by various figures in popular media. Of course, be sure that you actually answer the prompt.
As we’ve been focusing on public opinion and democratic values (and responsibilities), I encourage you to read and think critically about these two relevant stories: “Michigan employee with blog on gay student takes leave of absence” and “Rick Sanchez fired from CNN”. I mentioned the first in class, the second broke as I was talking about the first.
Finally, and this is more for fourth period, I showed part five of The Story of English during third since so much was time left over from having less conferences, and I showed it the second hour of fifth while I conferred with writers rather than trust remaining students to focus on the Buckley text for Monday. It’s broken in to parts itself for upload, and it informs the discussion we had over Black Vernacular English:
For those interested in the rest of the really excellent series, it begins here:
Work hard this weekend, and I’ll see you Monday.