WEDNESDAY
Today in Class
We finished "Swing Kids" but didn't really finish a meaningful discussion. Tomorrow we will try to put into context the various Holocaust material and perhaps look at a couple of websites.

Homework
Try to complete the character chart for "Swing Kids." We will have a brief opportunity for questions before handing this in tomorrow.

Also, you need to be reviewing vocab 4-6; the test over these units will be on Friday.

MONDAY
Today in Class
Began video of "Swing Kids. Hand-out to help keep track of characters. Stopped after Peter talks with Thomas, who has voluntarily joined the HJ after Peter was forced to do so after being caught stealing the radio.

For Tomorrow
Complete the vocabulary sections from the 4-6 review section listed on Friday's post.
No other homework.

FRIDAY
Today in Class
Turned in both study questions for Night and the quote ID's
Took Night quiz

Homework
Selected sections of the Unit 4-6 review: do p. 75 through the top part of p. 77, and do p. 78. This will be checked on Tuesday.

Upcoming: Monday-Wednesday next week--"Swing Kids" film
(plus initial reading assignments in All Quiet on the Western Front)
Thursday next week--Holocaust era wrap-up
Friday next week--Unit 4-6 Vocab Test

THURSDAY
Today in Class
Video: Oprah and Elie Wiesel at the Auschwitz Death Camp
Some discussion at end of most powerful (horrific) indidents mentioned in Night

For tomorrow:
Continue studying quotes; prepare five in writing according to yesterday's instructions.
Quiz on Night tomorrow--refer to study guide distributed on Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY
Sorry for the late posting (it's nearly 7:15)

In Class Today
Talked about most of the questions for "A Spring Morning"--collected these
Hand-out: Test review for Night [sorry for no underlining or even italics--I'm home, and the Mac doesn't interface well with blogger.com]
Took Vocab Unit 6 quiz

Homework: Get started on work for Friday--

Quote ID's: there are 15, all fair game for Friday's quiz. You should know most of them just by reading--study the rest.

Also, write practice identification responses for FIVE of these--follow complete directions on hand-out

Next week--since we will be watching "Swing Kids" Monday through Wednesday, we'll do the vocab test on Friday. It will cover units 4-6.

TUESDAY
In Class Today
Night discussion focused on Eli's religious faith, choices he made, and the fate of the Dutch oberkapo and his young assistant.

Stamped questions for p. 63-end; all study questions will be turned in on Friday, the day of a quiz over the text.

Homework
Re: Night--Complete the questions on "A Spring Morning"
Locate ONE SCENE that seems especially horror-filled (other than the hanging of
the pipel, which we looked at in class). Just write down the page number(s).

Study for Unit 6 Vocab Quiz--standard format.

MONDAY
In class today
We talked about many matters relating to Night--the significance of the earlier group poster work on the Nazis' imposition of restrictions on the Jews and the dehumanization process, the predictions of (and responses to) Moshe the Beadle and Madame Schacter, and some of the friendships/human bonds Eli experiences during the camps. We also outlined ideas to think about as you complete the reading and study questions: father/son pairs, Eli's religious faith (and the changes it undergoes), and the reasons for choosing not to write for so long, or choosing to write at all.

I opened a final late-filing folder for anyone who has not managed to submit the Macbeth essay.

Upcoming Work
1. Complete the study questions for p. 63-end for tomorrow. These will be stamped, and ALL the Night-related study questions will be collected on the day of the quiz.

2. Read the short story "A Spring Morning"; do the accompanying study questions for Wednesday, Dec. 6.

3. Also on Wednesday: Quiz over Unit 6 vocabulary.

4. There will be a Night quiz either Thursday or Friday--I'll tell you for sure tomorrow. (We're seeing a short film before we do "Swing Kids," and I'm not sure if it's in DVD format or VHS--and that makes a difference in my scheduling.)

MONDAY

Today in Class
Turned in the final draft of the Macbeth essay, together with back-up parts (peer edit, first draft, shaping sheets, stamped prep work). Don't forget to submit it to turnitin.com by 11:59 tonight!!

Worked on group response posters for Night:
Question 8 from Section 1 reading and Question 1 from Section 2.

Returned Vocab. Unit 5/Alternate format quiz. You were supposed to convert the score from __/15 to __/20. On Wednesday there will be a second Unit 5 quiz, in the traditional format. I will record the higher score.

Homework
Complete Section 2 questions if you have not done so already. It will be stamped at the beginning of class tomorrow.
Start reading the next section (actually pp. 45-62).
Get far enough that you can finish those questions in class tomorrow.

WEDNESDAY

Today in Class

Reviewed MLA formatting details
Collected Macbeth texts--please bring yours on Thursday if you forgot today.
Distributed Night--students were to start reading in class (pp. 1-26). If you didn't get that far, you can hold off until Thursday evening, because Wednesday night's homework is to finish the first draft of the essay.

Tomorrow
Peer response to first draft
More reading time for Night

TUESDAY

First, what happened on Monday: time to work on introduction and conclusion of essay. Monday night's homework: work on first draft. Tuesday, continue work on first draft.

Today in Class
Looked at options for embedding quotations. Do NOT use "stranded" ("orphan")quotes. That's the term for simply plunking down quoted material on the page, without introduction. In your draft, do your best to apply what we discussed today.

Tomorrow as I stamp the shaping sheet the sub initialed on Monday, I'll look at your sample embedded quote from class today or at ONE quotation from your draft to see how you're doing.

I have extended the deadline for the first draft until Thursday, Nov. 16, because since I wasn't here Monday I couldn't discuss embedding the quotes, and you might have some significant work to do in that regard. If you worked as you should have Monday night, you can go back over that material and adjust quotes as needed. The completed typed draft is due on Thursday without fail or excuse.

Be sure to double-check all quotations on your shaping sheet. I need to collect your books on Wednesday; I will keep several copies in class for you to consult if necessary, and there is an e-text of Macbeth as well.

Homework
Complete the writing of at least half of your essay. Remember that the draft you bring on Thursday must be properly formatted (heading, running header, title, citations, etc.)

THURSDAY
Today in Class
Stamped shaping sheet for second body paragraph
New handout: Detailed essay content, what is due, when it's due [Most important fact to restate here: first draft, TYPED, due on Wednesday, Nov. 15]
Returned Macbeth tests (/50 points; last section on Shakespeare's background
counted only 1/2 each)

For Monday:
Do the third body paragraph.

THURSDAY
Today in Class
Stamped shaping sheet for second body paragraph
New handout: Detailed essay content, what is due, when it's due
[Most important fact to restate here: first draft, TYPED, due on Wednesday, Nov. 15]
Returned Macbeth tests (/50 points; last section on Shakespeare's background
counted only 1/2 each)

For Monday:
Do the shaping sheet for the third body paragraph.
Start double-checking your quotations: you may not wind up using the entire quote (some are very long right now), but check them for accuracy.

TUESDAY
Today in Class
Went over homework about Macbeth's essential qualities; turned these
into an "Although" sentence asserting both postive and negative traits.
Handout--essay assignment: character analysis, NOT of Macbeth, but of one of
the following: Macduff, Banquo, Lady Macbeth.

For tomorrow
Do the paragraph shaping sheet for ONE body paragraph (one trait)
Can deal with any one of the traits, regardless of final arrangement.
Quotations do not--at this point--have to be embedded in a sentence. DO put act/scene/line numbers after the quote (4.2.33-35)
Commentary must be in complete sentences, but of course can be revised for style later.

Also tomorrow--Vocab Unit 5 quiz

MONDAY
Today in Class
Vocabulary Unit 5--stamped and checked; quiz on Wednesday

Looked at clothing imagery as a key to Macbeth's character deterioration, from someone who was aghast that he was being given a title that didn't belong to him--"Why do you dress me/ In borrowed robes?"(1.3.114-115--to a tyrant who "cannot buckle his distempered cause / Within the belt of rule" (5.2.17-18. Rather than someone whose new titles are "Like our strange garments" which take some getting used to before they can be worn comfortably (1.4.160-162), Macbeth's stolen kingship "Hang[s] loose about him, like a giant's robe / Upon a dwarfish thief" (5.2.23-25). He has become a morally shrunken man.

Discussed comic relief ("Porter scene" for its connections to theme

For tomorrow
Write out 2 negative character traits and two positive traits (personality characteristics) for Macbeth. Provide a brief justification/explanation for each one. No quotes required for this homework--just explain.

FRIDAY

Today in Class
Test over Macbeth

For Monday
Vocab Unit 5--checked and stamped

Continue to bring Macbeth: essay work next week

WEDNESDAY

Today in Class
Vocab Quiz--Unit 4

Hand-out: "Hand" Imagery
For each of the six examples, write A) the brief context B) a paraphrase C) an interpretation that helps provide insight or deeper meaning

Tomorrow in class, we will talk about putting these together to understand structure of imagery in the play, and look together at a few more examples.

Macbeth Test: Will be on Friday instead of Thursday. In addition to direct material on the play, review the pages in Elements about Shakepeare life and Elizabethan theater (see earlier post), notes on blank verse, and notes on "key ideas."

MONDAY
Today in Class
Stamped and checked Vocab Unit 4
Discussed/reviewed overall plot structure
Didn't get to the rest of the "key ideas"; will pick up there tomorrow

Homework
Review material in Elements textbook on Shakespeare:
Shakespeare's Life (762-764) and The Elizabethan Stage (765-768)
Handout: "The Tragedy of Macbeth" plus Key Ideas

Upcoming
Quiz, Vocab Unit 4 on Wednesday
Macbeth Test on Thursday

WEDNESDAY

Today in Class
Took Vocabulary Unit 1-3 Test

Finished reading the play aloud (10 seconds after the bell)

Since I didn't have a chance to announce/explain the assignment on the board, you don't have any official homework for tomorrow. (The quiz took a bit longer than I'd expected.)

MONDAY

Today in Class
Completed discussion of Act IV, Scene iii
Returned several assignments; Basmati updated today.

Homework
Read--just read, but carefully--Act 5, Scenes 1 and 2

Upcoming
Vocab 1-3 Test on Wednesday; definitions and frame sentences

WEDNESDAY

Today in Class
Unit 3 Vocab Quiz
Time to read/get started on homework

Homework

You need to read Scene 1 of Act IV. Do the following things.

For page 119 to the top of p. 123 (where Macbeth comes in), just read.
However, read and reread until you feel comfortable saying the lines smoothly and rhythmically.

For pp. 123 through p. 129, provide written evidence of your reading:
1) Three labeled pictures of the "apparitions". Put the label (what the apparition is called) at the top, draw a picture of what is described, and at the bottom write out the "prediction" that the apparition says.

2) For the "show of kings," write a summary (a couple of sentences) that describes what Macbeth sees at this point.

For the last page of the the text (131), just read it.

TUESDAY

Today in class
Careful completion of Scene 4 of Act III; briefer summary of Scenes 5 and 6.
Short quiz over Acts II and III

For tomorrow
Study for Unit 3 Vocab Quiz

MONDAY

Today in class
Vocab Unit 3 stamped and checked

Handout of Act II and Act III quotations--
We reviewed quotes pertaining to scenes 1-3 of Act III, then began reading Scene 4.

Homework:
Finish reading Scene 4, and read Scene 5. You can certainly read Scene 6 if you have time, but I plan to summarize its content for you tomorrow. We will spend 30 minutes of class time tomorrow working with Scenes 4 and 5.

Tomorrow:
After substantial discussion of Scenes 4 and 5, we will have a brief quiz (30 points max) on Acts II and III.

WEDNESDAY
Sorry for Tuesday's missing post.

Today in class:
Quick reading check quiz
Discussed Scene 4 of Act II
Barely started Act III

Homework:
Read Scenes 1 and 2 of Act III

FOR MONDAY
Do Vocabulary Unit 3; Quiz over Unit 3 will be Wednesday, Oct. 20

MONDAY
In class
Homework turned in (3 questions)
New handout/in-class assignment: Paraphrase of "Is this a dagger . . . ?" soliloquy
Some discussion of Scene 2
Good beginning on Scene 3

Homework
Read the rest of Act II, Scene 3, on your own. No study questions or other written work tonight, but read it carefully. Be ready to ask about what seems difficult.

FRIDAY

In Class
Quick discussion of Act II, Scene 1
Vocabulary Quiz, Unit 2

Homework
Read Act II, Scene 2
Write three good discussion questions or interesting observations about
something in Scene 2.

THURSDAY

Today in class
Discussed problematic questions from the Act I homework
Took the Act I quiz

Homework:
Review for Unit 2 vocabulary quiz
Read Act II, Scene 1
Focus on three "conversations"--Banquo talking with his son, Banquo talking with Macbeth, and Macbeth's soliloquy as waits until it's time to kill Duncan.

Tomorrow:
Vocab quiz

WEDNESDAY

In class today:
Unit 1 vocab quizzes returned and re-collected
Unit 2 stamped and checked

Homework:
Finish Scene 7 questions (all Q's collected on Thursday)
Study for quiz, including quote handout from yesterday

Tomorrow:
Macbeth Act I quiz

TUESDAY
Handout:
Quotes to know from Act I--we started in class, but continue at home. Not to be turned in for this act.

In Class:
Quick collaboration on Macbeth's soliloquy (I.7.1-28); overhead outlining his thinking

Discussed the first several quotations from hand-out

Homework:
For Wednesday--Unit 2 vocab; finish own notes on quotes
For Thursday--the Scene 7 questions (Scene 5-7 questions will be handed in on Thursday)

MONDAY

Short and sweet:
I stamped Scene 5 questions.
We read Scenes 6 and 7 in class.

Homework:
Do the questions for Scene 6 (questions 6 & 7)

In class tomorrow:
We will outline Macbeth's soliloquy (start of Scene 7)
Quote Toss
Time to work on Scene 7 questions

FRIDAY
First thing: Took vocabulary quiz for Unit 1
Unit 2 work will be checked and stamped on Wed., Oct. 4; Unit 2 quiz Oct. 6

Macbeth
Went over Scene 4; I played Lady Macbeth for Scene 5
Handout--Questions for Act I, Scenes 5-7

HOMEWORK
Answer the Scene 5 questions for Monday; own paper, in ink, complete sentences.

THURSDAY
Sorry about Wednesday's belated entry; I tried to post from home last night, and either the site wasn't working or there are interface issues with a Mac. It worked fine just now!

So today . . . we heard presentations from the remaining background groups. We discussed the rest of Scene 3, noting especially Banquo's and Macbeth's reactions to the news that Macbeth is to become the Thane of Cawdor.

Homework
Read Scene 4 (very short): what do we learn about the manner of the Thane of Cawdor's death? What does Duncan have to say about how to judge someone's character?

Study for Unit 1 Vocab Quiz, given first thing on Friday.

WEDNESDAY
Stamped and checked vocabulary
Poster presentations: Elizabethan view of witches, Weird/wyrd

Homework: be studying for Vocab Quiz, Unit 1 on Friday (Sept. 29)

Tomorrow--we'll continue with Macbeth, and complete the poster presentations

TUESDAY
Macbeth Background Material
Group work to create posters out of the last week's library research.
These will be presented in class starting tomorrow.
Wednesday for sure: Weird/wyrd; View of Witches; maybe Chain of Being
(The rest of the groups will present on Thursday.)

Homework
Unit 1 Vocabulary stamped/corrected tomorrow

MONDAY
Be working on vocabulary--Unit 1 due Wednesday

Today:
We wrapped up Act I, Scene 2 more carefully than our trying-to-beat-the-bell session on Friday. (The Captain's report on Macbeth's activities, and Duncan's response to the Thane of Cawdor's treachery; also reflecting on "won/lost" idea)

We read part of Scene 3 (The witches share their experiences as they wait for Macbeth; Macbeth and Banquo are riding along (speculation on "fair and foul", and they run into the witches. . . and time ran out.)

Homework:
Finish reading Scene 3.

FRIDAY
In class, we worked on Act I, Scene 2 of Macbeth
(By the way, I will want you always to underline play titles and novels; the reason I have them in italics on the blog as that underlining is not an available option.)

Homework:
You are supposed to be working on Unit One of vocabulary. I may have implied it was "due" on Monday--it's not (though that is the pattern we will be settling into soon). This time it's not "officially" due until Wednesday--however, I recommend doing the majority of it over the week-end because you don't have any other homework in English at the moment.

THURSDAY EVENING

Books:
Macbeth checked out to all students
Vocabulary books distributed to those who had paid for them at registration or last week.
Be sure to bring a check for $9.00 if you have not already paid. (If you bring cash, take it directly to the bookkeeper and show me your receipt; if you bring a check, you can turn it in in class.)

Vocab:
Read sentences for Unit 1 aloud, with special attention to Pronunciation Key
What is due: Unit 1 work by Wed., Sept. 27; Unit 1 quiz on Friday, Sept. 29.

Macbeth: We got started: we read Scene 1 aloud and discussed in class.

For Friday: Read Act I, Scene 2

A BUSY WEDNESDAY
We returned to the library to finish up individual work and to work in groups to "compile" everyone's findings in order to answer the original questions on each group's small slips of paper.

Some groups got finished and turned in the following required materials:
Each person's individual worksheet with sources used and notes
A single piece of paper (typed or handwritten) which gives the most complete and clearest responses to what your group was asked on the original slips.

Other groups needed to have someone finish typing/writing the synthesized material--you may turn it in at the beginning of class tomorrow.

Remember to read the Shakespeare intro material in your textbook if you didn't get to it last night (see yesterday's post for page numbers). No other homework.

TUESDAY
Introductory letters returned today--they were lots of fun to read, and I'm really impressed by the rich and varied experience of the sophomore class!

Macbeth background work in the library--
Students received a brief research topic, learned of a few specific resources from Mr. Schadt, and had time to find material and record both sources and notes on a handout. There will be time tomorrow to finish up, and then to meet in groups with other people who had your same topic.

Homework:
Read the general Shakespearean material in your textbook, pp. 762-768. Don't go on to p. 769 (unless you're simply interested!) because that part refers to Julius Caesar and we'll be reading Macbeth.

This material will be on a future quiz (I'll let you know when), but you don't have to bring your book to class for a while. You will receive a separate text for the play on Thursday.

MONDAY--
I stamped the homework: HWP Entry #3, the list of terms related to the first three literary elements: plot, character, and theme.

We talked again about the "choices" posed in the story, since that was a bit hasty on Friday before we went to the library.

We reviewed the terminology from the reading and literary term homework.

Quiz over terms and story; handed in homework packet.

No homework for Tuesday.

FINALLY FRIDAY!
We've had a good first full week of school, but I know everyone is ready for the week-end.

Today's activities:
Most of the period was spent with Mr. Schadt in the library so that students could become familiar with its layout and resources.

We did several other things before heading off to the library:
Wrapped up "overhead" questions from yesterday.
Discussed a chart that put the choice the narrator made--between the bass and Sheila Mant--into categories of more significant life choices. (The blog format won't allow a T-chart, so I'm just using "vs." here to represent the choices.)
The Bass (Fish) vs. Sheila Mant (the girl)
what he loves vs. saving face with Sheila
being true to oneself vs. doing what others expect of you
the natural world vs. society; man-made world

For Monday, be thinking about what these choices mean with respect to theme.

HOMEWORK AND MONDAY QUIZ
Also for Monday, write Entry #3 in your homework packet. For each of the three literary elements assigned earlier (pp. 32-34; pp. 110-111; pp. 182-183), write out definitions of the following terms. You may paraphrase from these articles or look them up in the "Handbook of Literary Terms" (the red-edged part at the back of your textbook). Terms: for plot: basic situation, conflict, complication, resolution. For character: direct characterization, indirect characterization, round character, flat character, stock character.
For theme Just define theme; then write in ONE COMPLETE SENTENCE what you think the theme of "The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant" might be.

ON MONDAY--a short quiz over both the story and these three articles

WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY COMBINED POST

Introductory letters and pictures handed in on Wednesday. I took pictures of those who didn't bring photos, which (sadly enough) I didn't get developed in time to post for Curriculum Night. But I've given a first reading to the letters, and I'm really enjoying them!

"The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant":
We continued with HWP Entry #2 by answering four questions on an overhead, and we got partway through with discussing them. We didn't quite get to a "chart" reflecting theme.

New reading assigned:
Just a two-page discussion of theme as a literary element (183-183)

Upcoming on Monday:
A short quiz on the story and the three literary element pieces (plot, character, and theme).

Tuesday's Post--

Most students managed to set up the turnitin.com account. If you didn't, see if you can do it from home tonight. Assuming you get it set up, be sure to submit your introductory letter to turnitin.com; if you get stuck, or can't get the account set up in the first place, just BE SURE TO SAVE YOUR LETTER ELECTRONICALLY. You can submit it later.

We finished the story "The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant," but we didn't get much beyond that, except for. . .

HWP Entry #2
Will have two parts--first part (very basic)--just list 5-7 sentences recounting the PLOT of the story

Stay tuned for the second part of Entry #2

So for tomorrow--

Bring Picture (or else I take your picture in class)
Bring letter, completed according to instructions and both printed out and submitted to turnitin.com

Monday's Class
Students received planners; Mrs. Phelps provided an overview of major school policies. However, students are responsible for all of the information in the handbook section.
Special note from me: I expect you to have your planner with you daily and to use it to help you organize assignments and due dates.

In the remaining time, we continued reading "The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant"--we almost finished.
No homework other than to be working on the introductory letter/picture assignment. If you don't have a suitable picture of your own that you want to share, I'll take yur picture on Wednesday.

Class Activities on Friday

We went over the syllabus. . . don't forget to bring back the signed portion.
Picture/Letter assignment is due on Wednesday, 9/13

We started a short story, "The River, the Bass, and Sheila Mant"--p. 36 in the textbook. But no homework, since you don't have the book yet.

HWP #1--Short Stories
Entry 1--just a few sentences describing a tough choice you had to make, a situation when you had to give up one thing in order to have/do another

Two days of class are behind us now--

On Day One we took roll . . .

Day Two
Handouts: Skill Matrix for language arts components (reading, writing, language)--students assessed their own placement
Syllabus--we'll go over in stages (read and heed)
Description of Picture/Introductory Letter Assignment--Due Wednesday, Sept. 13

Short writing piece--can be done as homework if you were absent

Welcome to Issaquah High School and English 10. I'm looking forward to meeting you. As you know, you're the first group who will be new to IHS as entering sophomores, so I'm less certain about what you've read and done in your English classes than is usually the case. But I've heard great things about PCFC, and I'm sure you're well-prepared as well as excited to get on with the next academic (and social!) chapter of your lives.

Enjoy the rest of summer vacation--see you in September!

Dr. Boaz