Day Sixty-Six / 12.17.10

Today we presented our holiday projects. Then, we discussed lyrics by Linkin Park, exploring how they use literary devices to convey their message.

Have a happy holiday break!

Day Sixty-Five / 12.16.10

Today we started with a Picture of the Day:

We journaled on: Do you find this image truthful? What kind of theme does it represent? Any other thoughts or feelings this image evokes?

Next, we looked at a sample script. You can use the following preview to help you write your script for your film.

Script

Then we went over a "principled" IB learner, then went to the computer lab to work on our projects.

Day Sixty-Four / 12.15.10

Today we started with a quote by Muriel Rukeyser: "If there were no poetry on any day in the world, poetry would be invented that day. For there would be an intolerable hunger."

We journaled on:

Is poetry a natural part of ourselves?

Would we have to make poetry, if it was not made for us by others?

Do you hunger for poetry?

Then we took the -graph vocabulary quiz. Then, we went to the computer lab to work on our holiday projects.

Day Sixty-Three / 12.14.10

Today we started with a quote: "The first mistake of art is to assume that it's serious." We reflected on: Is comedy art? Should art be lighthearted (or more so)? Can art still be serious?

Then we finished reading Christmas 2009. We discussed the form of the poem. You should know words like rhyme scheme, stanza, sestet, and couplet. Next, we talked about creating our own holiday stories. See the below sheet.

Holiday Project

Finally, we worked in the computer lab on our projects.

Day Sixty-Two / 12.13.10

Today we started with an On-Demand writing task, where we had to summarize an article on Kwanzaa.

Then, we started reading Santa's Last Ride, a narrative Christmas poem.

Day Sixty-One / 12.10.10

Today we started with a quote from C.S. Lewis: "I can't imagine [someone] really enjoying a book and reading it only once." We responded to the following prompts:

What are the advantages of second readings?

If you are not inclined to read a book twice, does that mean you didn’t enjoy it?

Next, we reviewed some Hanukkah article mini-summaries. Then we covered the following handout on responding to prompts:

Addressing the Prompt

Finally, we listened to these NPR broadcasts about "Hitmakers." And then we analyzed the lyrics from a song by the Fray.

Day Sixty / 12.09.10

Today you had a substitute teacher. You had the following quote:

"Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil." -CS Lewis

You wrote on:

Do you agree or disagree with the quote?

How can school help develop your morals?

Then you worked on summarizing A Christmas Miracle, based off your Sum It Up! sheet. Then, you read an article on Hanukkah, then worked to write a mini-summary of the article.

Day Fifty-Nine / 12.08.10

Today we started with a poem by E.B. White:

"The critic leaves at curtain fall

To find, in starting to review it,

He scarcely saw the play at all

For starting to review it."

We then wrote on:

When you are reviewing something, or summarizing it, do you forget to enjoy it?

Does reviewing / summarizing it limit your ability to partake in the story?

Then we took a Vocabulary Quiz. Next, we reviewed what we'd read in The Christmas Miracle, then we finished reading the story. After we finished, we continued to write about the story on our Sum It Up! sheet.

Day Fifty-Eight / 12.07.10

Today we started with a clip from Ratatouille. Then we discussed this quote from the clip: “But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new.” We wrote on the following prompts:

Does your opinion/review matter?

Is the critic a vital part of the writing process?

Next, we read a non-fiction article called "Christmas Decorations." We then wrote mini-summaries on this piece. Finally, we started reading The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey.

Day Fifty-Seven / 12.06.10

Today we started with a quote by John Updike: "Our brains are no longer conditioned for reverence and awe. We cannot imagine a [big event] not subject to pages of holier-than-thou second-guessing in The New York Review of Books.” We reflected on:

Do you look to be awestruck/surprised/entertained when you read?

Does thinking about books / writing about them lessen the experience?

Then we looked at our mini-summaries from The Tie Man's Miracle. Next, we started talking about major, 3 paragraph summaries. They are below:

Summarizing

Then we worked on completing the following sheet for a summary of TTM.

Sum It Up!

Day Fifty-Six / 12.03.10

Today we started with two quotes, and we chose which quote we liked better. Your choices were:

“Life is not determined by consciousness, but consciousness by life.” (Karl Marx)

OR

“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it” (Charles Swindoll)

We then debated the topic. After that, we reread The Tie Man's Miracle on our own, then discussed the progression of the plot. Finally, we began summarizing the stories events (while we did this, I handed back you rough drafts).

Your Final Draft Hero Paper is Due Tuesday!

Day Fifty-Five / 12.02.10

We started with a vocabulary quiz. Then we responded to the following quote by George Saunders: “I loved [Thomas Wolfe’s] big-heartedness and the way, apparently, he had just taken his life and made a huge book out of it." We wrote on the following topics:

Does this “making your life public” make for good writing?

Can inspiration happen to us from the daily things in life?

Do you write about your life (journal, poems, etc.)?

Then we corrected our peers' Rough Drafts. Finally, we read the book The Tie Man's Miracle, by Steven Schnur.

Day Fifty-Four / 12.01.10

Today we started with analyzing a piece of art by Lois Jones, from our art lecture yesterday. Her "The Ascent of Ethiopia" is below:

Then we responded to a quote from JD Salinger's Franny and Zooey: "I’m sick of not having the courage to be an absolute nobody. I’m sick of myself and everybody that wants to make a splash.” - Franny

We journaled on:

Is it courageous to be a nobody?

What drives our desire to be popular, successful, have lots of friends?

Is making a “splash” the best we can do with our lives?

Then we studied for our vocabulary quiz, which will be tomorrow. Finally, we worked on our rough drafts, which are due tomorrow.

Day Fifty-Three / 11.30.10

Today we started with an Art Master's lecture on Lois Jones. Her "Initiation Liberia" is below:

Next we wrote on a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt: "You wouldn't worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do."We responded to the following questions: Do you feel that people are consistently analyzing you? Does that affect how you act?

Finally, we started working on our responses to literature on the hero in Beowulf. We used the following handout to guide our time:

Response to Lit 4 Paragraph Essay Formula

Day Fifty-Two / 11.29.10

Today we started by sharing stories from our Thanksgiving break. Then we had a firedrill, and after that we discussed new classroom participation rules. We even changed seats. Then we wrote on a quote from Alan Lightman: "I believe in survival of the fittest of the ideas: if an idea has survived for a few years within the jungle of my mind, then I feel like it's worth pursuing and writing a book." We discussed: Do you feel it is important to let an idea develop before writing?

Or is writing a means of developing ideas? Next, we discussed the formula for a "chunk." It is below:

1. Address the Question.

2. Set the Context, Give the quote.

3. Explain the significance of the quote.

4. Tie the quote’s significance into the question.

Finally, we began discussing our Hero 1 page response. The prompt is below. And here's an example essay.

Literary Response

Day Fifty-One / 11.19.10

First, we turned in our stickmen. Then we moved to a quote by Roland Barthes: "Literature is the question minus the answer." Next, we reviewed for our Beowulf test. We took the test, did a MAZE test, and finished with a lesson about Thanksgiving.

Day Fifty / 11.18.10

Today we started with a quote from G.K. Chesterton: "A good novel tells us the truth about its hero; but a bad novel tells us the truth about its author." Then we Finished Chapters 11 and 12. We took a mini-quiz on Chapter 12, to prepare ourselves for tomorrow. Next, we finished the book.

Day Forty-Nine / 11.17.10

Today we started with a quote from Beowulf: “That man is truly brave who, feeling fear, yet puts his fear to use and plucks new courage from the fear itself” (69). Then we took a vocabulary quiz. Next we outlined what an IB "Thinker" would look like. Next, we started reading chapters 9 and 10.

Day Forty-Eight / 11.16.10

Today we started with a quote from Henry Miller: "The ordinary man is involved in action, the hero acts." Then we went over the Cain and Abel handout. Next we read Chapter 7, then we worked on our stickmen. Finally, we finished with reading Chapter 8.

Day Forty-Seven / 11.15.10

Today we started with a quote from Beowulf: "The truly good man finds good where he can.” We then began reading chapter 5. We took a break, and then I introduced the Beowulf stickman (see below). We began working on this assignment, then read chapter 6. We finished by discussing the history of "the son of Cain" idea, which is a prevalent figure in myth and literature.

Stick Man

Day Forty-Six / 11.10.10

Today was the Hankey Hawk Trot. After the festivities of the trot we started with a quote from MLK Jr.'s book, Why We Can't Wait. We then took our vocabulary quiz. We ended by finishing chapter 4 of Beowulf.

Day Forty-Five / 11.09.10

Today you started with a quote by John Barth: “Everyone is necessarily the hero of his own life story.” Then you finished chapter 3 of Beowulf, then worked on the chapter 3 questions. Next you covered the vocabulary words for the quiz on Wednesday, then started reading chapter 4.

Day Forty-Four / 11.08.10

Today we started with a quote from Beowulf: "He was strong because he was good, and good because he had the strength to accept things in him that were bad." We reviewed the first 2 chapters of the book, then started reading Chapter 3 and continued working on our exaggeration paragraphs.

Day Forty-Three / 11.05.10

Today you started with a quote from John Henry Newman: “Calculation never made a hero.” You journaled, then took the lose / loose / loss / lost Quiz. You started reading Chapter 3 of Beowulf, and then went to the computer lab to fill out the Quarter 1 (Q1) survey.

Day Forty-Two / 11.04.10

Today you started with a quote from Bob Dylan: “A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom." You journaled, then continued practicing loss v. lost. You read Beowulf chapters 1 and 2. Then you worked on the following exaggeration handout.

Exaggeration Handout

Day Forty-One / 11.03.10

Today you had a substitute teacher. You wrote on the following quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson:

“A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.” Then you practiced loss v. lost. Next, you studied for your vocabulary quiz. You read silently, then started taking notes on the epic genre and read the Introduction to Beowulf.

Day Forty / 11.2.10

Today we started with a quote from Martin Luther King Jr.: -"If a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live." Then we continued working on lose/loose. We reviewed the vocabulary, then reflected on our persuasive essays.

Next, we continued working on our hero posters. Then we presented our posters.

Day Thirty-Nine / 11.1.10

Today we started by presenting our persuasive essays. We then went over lose/loose, then responded to the QOTD, a line from Beowulf: "Wise sir, do not grieve. It is always better to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning." We discussed the code of the hero. Finally, we began by creating our own heros, based on this stickman:

Hero Stickman

Day Thirty-Eight / 10.29.10

Today we started with a quote from Elmore Leonard: “If it sounds like writing, rewrite it.” Then we had a quiz on to/too/two and its/it's. After that, we read silently, then worked on our ads and conferenced about our rough drafts. The rough draft is due on Monday. Most of you have serious work to do to improve your current draft, so I expect quite a bit of time and thought will be given to these drafts. Best of luck, Happy Halloween.

Day Thirty-Seven / 10.28.10

Today we started with a quote provided from a student, by Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." Then we continued working on it's/its. Next, we did the following paragraph unscramble:

Paragraph Unscramble

Finally, we worked on creating ads that support our persuasive papers.

Day Thirty-Six / 10.27.10

Today we started with a quote from Alexandra David-Néel: “Does one become a visionary or, rather, is it not that one has been blind until then?” We discussed the idea of learning that we already have within us (the blankey-theory) and learning as building blocks. Then we worked on it's/its.

Next, we took a vocabulary quiz on -inter words. Finally, we looked at advertisements and what they are selling/saying. An example is below:

Day Thirty-Five / 10.26.10

Today we started by peer editing our rough drafts. Then, we read a quote from John-Paul Sartre: "A writer who adopts political, social, or literary positions must act only with the means that are his own—that is, the written word." We discussed a writer's place, and whether he should remain only in the world of the page. After that, we had another to/too/two practice sheet.

Next, we read silently, then we continued discussing the argument / counterargument from the two cheerleading articles.

Day Thirty-Four / 10.25.10

Today we started with a quote from Doris Lessing, "Think wrongly, if you please, but in all cases think for yourself." We then worked on our to/too/two. After that, we discussed that commentary does not always have to directly follow facts/opinions, but it can come at different times, sometimes you start with commentary, sometimes a fact, sometimes an opinion. Then we read silently. After that, we looked at argument/counterargument through the lens of this article from Sports Illustrated, and this article from Cheerhome.com. Your Persuasive Essay Rough Draft is due tomorrow.

Day Thirty-Three / 10.22.10

Today we started by talking about the dress code. We then participate in the morning announcements with the elementary school students. After that, we discussed the quote of the day, "The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple." (Oscar Wilde) We read silently, then went over interviewing techniques and practiced our own interviews.

Day Thirty-Two / 10.21.10

Today we started with a quote from John Milton: "...for smiles from reason flow." We journaled on whether reason, emotion, or fact were the highest form of virtue (or good). After that we worked on their/they're/there. Then we discussed premise's v. conclusions. Finally, we peer reviewed our classmates outlines.

Day Thirty-One / 10.20.10

Today we started with the Vocabulary Quiz on -dis words. Then we discussed facts versus opinions. Finally, we figured out where commentary fits into the equation (hint: it can be fact or opinion, at different times). After that, we took our Tangerine quiz. Finally, we worked out our outlines, which are due tomorrow. Here's the outline to help you, and here's my example:

My Story Outline

Day Thirty / 10.19.10

Today we started with a quote from Eliza Griswold's poem "Evolution."

The moral is movement

is awkward. The lesson is fumble.

We then reviewed the vocabulary words for tomorrow's quiz. Next, we continued working on their/they're/there. If you'd like more practice, click here. After that, we read silently, then wrote poems about the downpour. Finally, we started to identify the differences between facts and opinions, based on this sheet.

Here are some great poems about the rain today:

Rain is peaceful, like flowers

falling on your head.

God is crying, he is sad. And flowers, trees, and

nature grows thanks to God.

Clouds crying of depression

making people sick by its coldness.

The sky is dark

the clouds are out

and nature is getting a shower

from the spouts of water

coming out of the sky.

The clouds got in a fight

one lost

and started to cry

rivers of

rain.

There is no rainbow, so

maybe there will be a flood.

Day Twenty-Nine / 10.18.10

Today we started with a quote from A.J. Liebling: "Cynicism is often the shamefaced product of inexperience." We talked about the difference between a critic and a cynic. A cynic is a person who believes that people are motivated purely by self-interest rather than acting for honorable or unselfish reasons. A critic is a person who judges the merits of literary, artistic, or musical work. We wrote about how can you be persuasive without being cynical.

Then we worked on a their/they're/there worksheet. We read silently, then went over the Persuasive Essay Prompt.

Essay Prompt

Day Twenty-Eight / 10.15.10

Today we started with a quote from Henry David Thoreau: “Thaw with her gentle persuasion is more powerful than Thor with his hammer. The one melts, the other breaks into pieces.” We discussed, power v. persuasion.

Then we finished going over the article about Texting. We then read silently, then finished our discussion of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. On a separate sheet of paper, please complete the following. Your homework is below:

Persuasive Thesis Statement: _______________

Ethos. Provide 3 reasons for why you are a credible source.

Pathos. Provide 3 reasons for how you can draw someone’s feelings into your argument (humor, appeal to happiness, etc.).

Logos. Provide 3 facts you can use to strengthen your argument.

Show one example of inductive / deductive reasoning to prove one of your facts.

Ethos, Pathos, Logos

Day Twenty-Seven / 10.14.10

Today we started with a quote by Paul Simon: “Facts can be turned into art if one is artful enough.” We journaled on why facts would not be art to begin with, and how we can use facts to persuade people in an artful way.

Then we talked about our Ethos and Pathos statements that we did for homework. After that we read silently, then discussed this article about texting.

Day Twenty-Six / 10.13.10

Today we started with a quote from John Cleese: “If I can persuade you to laugh at the particular point I make, by laughing at it you acknowledge its truth.” We took a Vocabulary Quiz on -Un words. We read silently. We worked on our Persuasive Thesis Argument Statements. Then we talked about Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. Here's the short version on those three:

Ethos: the source's credibility, the speaker's/author's authority

Pathos: the emotional or motivational appeals; vivid language, emotional language and numerous sensory details.

Logos: the logic used to support a claim (induction and deduction); can also be the facts and statistics used to help support the argument.

Check SchoolLoop for your homework assignment.

Day Twenty-Five / 10.12.10

Today we started with a quote from Alexander Hamilton, "Those who stand for nothing, fall for anything." Then we finished reading the article by Steve Almond. We outlined his persuasive progression. We then read silently, reviewed vocabulary, then started writing what we know, which led to some persuasive statements.

Day Twenty-Four / 10.11.10

Today we started by sharing our essays. Then, we wrote on a quote by Paulo Friere, "Critical reflection is also action." Next, we wrote our own reflections on the Personal Moral Narrative stories. The form is below.

Personal Moral Narrative Reflection

We then read silently, then started analyzing Steve Almond's argument in his article. The article is here.

Day Twenty-Three / 10.08.10

Just a reminder, your Personal Moral Narrative Final Draft is due Monday. Moral Story Prompt

Today we started with a discussion of the rules. We clarified a few things that needed clarification. We then wrote on a quote by Deepak Chopra: “All great changes are preceded by chaos.”

After that, we finished defining a knowledgeable English-person. We then read an article on music by Steve Almond. It is here. Next, we read a prosety poem (poetry + prose) by David Shumate. It is below.

Shooting the Horse

I unlatch the stall door, step inside, and stroke the silky neck

of the old mare like a lover about to leave. I take an ear in

hand, fold it over, and run my fingers across her muzzle. I

coax her head up so I can blow into those nostrils. All part of

the routine we taught each other long ago. I turn a half turn,

pull a pistol from my coat, raise it to that long brow with the

white blaze and place it between her sleepy eyes. I clear my

throat. A sound much louder than it should be. I squeeze the

trigger and the horse's feet fly out from under her as gravity

gives way to a force even more austere, which we have named

mercy.

Finally, we wrote poems about Dusty...

Day Twenty-Two / 10.07.10

Today we started with a quote from Machiavelli: "Make no small plans for they have no power to stir the soul." We journaled on what plans we had that "stirred our soul." Then we practiced responding to stories.

Next we outlined what a Knowledgeable IB person would look like. After that we had conferences during SSR. Finally, we did an activity creating our own dialogue.

Day Twenty-One / 10.06.10

Today we started with a quote from Dr. Wilbur: “Why do we as a society, feel the need to act ‘fine’ when we are sick? What does this tell us about ourselves?” We journaled on this topic. Then, we reviewed the story "A Day's Wait." We took a quiz on the story. Then we studied for vocabulary, and took the "sub-" vocabulary quiz. Next, we had a SSR time and conferences on our essays. Then, we started on a dialogue project with our table groups.

Day Twenty / 10.5.10

Today we started with the end of WS Merwin's quote: "One is trying to say everything that can be said for the things that one loves while there's still time." We journaled, then worked on some language problems. After that, we reviewed our "Two Kinds" quiz, then did a quick vocabulary review. We read silently, then read Ernest Hemingway's story "A Day's Wait."

Day Nineteen / 10.04.10

Today we started with a quote from W.S. Merwin: "I think there's a kind of desperate hope built into poetry now that one really wants, hopelessly, to save the world.” We talked about hopeless hope, then journaled on whether or not we can save the world. After that, we peer edited our rough drafts. Then we read silently, and then talked about converting cliches.

Day Eighteen / 10.01.10

Today we started with a Question of the Day: How do other's ideas influence our own? This lead into a discussion on leaders and followers, and whether we come up with our own ideas, or if we simply regurgitate other's ideas.

After that, we read silently, then took a quiz on "Two Kinds." Finally, we discussed Show don't Tell and how to avoid Cliche. Your Rough Draft is due on Monday. 3 pages, typed, MLA format, size 12 font, show don't tell, avoid cliches, create tension, include a moral, and make a great story.

Day Seventeen / 9.30.10

Today we started with a quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald, "A writer like me must have an utter confidence, an utter faith in his star. It's an almost mystical feeling, a feeling of nothing-can-happen-to-me, nothing-can-harm-me, nothing-can-touch-me." We then journaled on our own feelings about our writing and what our insecurities and confidences are. Then we did some practice language questions based on a poem.

We then went over the Show don't Tell dialogue sections, and your homework is to complete the sheet. Finally, we read "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan, and discussed the meaning of the title.

Day Sixteen / 9.29.10

Today we started with a quote from bell hooks: “The academy is not paradise. But learning is a place where paradise can be created.” We then journaled on the difference between the academy and learning, and where else learning can occur outside of the academy.

We took a vocabulary quiz. We continued to read "Two Kinds," and we started the Show don't Tell handout.

Day Fifteen / 9.28.10

Today we started with the conclusion of Faulkner's quote from yesterday, "By sublimating the actual into apocryphal I would have complete liberty to use whatever talent I might have to its absolute top." To put it into our own words, we said, "By changing for the better the real Southern life into the fictitious, Faulkner felt he had liberty to use his talent to the fullest." We journaled about whether or not we felt people were interested in Orange County, and why.

Then, we finished covering the introductory paragraphs. Next, we wrote our own, trying to include: tension, setting, main characters, and dialogue. After that we read, then we brainstormed expectations our parents had for us. Finally, we started reading "Two Kinds," by Amy Tan.

Day Fourteen / 9.27.10

Today we changed seats. Then, I handed back your poems from Friday, your Vocabulary Quiz and Cat/Dog Quiz, and your My Name Final Drafts. Then, we read the quote of the day by William Faulkner, "I discovered that my own little postage stamp of native soil was worth writing about and that I would never live long enough to exhaust it." We then wrote in our own journals about whether or not it is necessary to leave the place you live. We reflected on the importance of knowing our place.

Next, we went over the Personal Moral Narrative prompt. After that, we read silently for a bit. Then, we did an inquiry chart on what we already know about stories, and what we want to learn about writing stories. After that, we went over introductory paragraphs and the devices author's use to draw their audience into a story and create tension.

Day Thirteen / 9.25.10

Today we started with a discussion on what is health, looking at it in a holistic (adj. - something intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole) way. We then did a t-chart in our journals, writing things we found to be essential or non-essential for our own health.

After that, we wrote a journal entry on a moral story from our life, based on the following three prompts:

Tell a story (in 2-3 lines) of:

1. Something where you were caught.

2. Something where you were rewarded.

3. Something where you did something where no one ever found out (good or bad)

Then we shared our 3 stories with our neighbor and they picked our best story. Next, we filled out a guideline for our story. You can find it here. Then we read silently, and finally we wrote some poems on sunflower seeds. Here are some of the best ones from the class:

The birth is first, it always is. Next

is growth, which is important, then

fall bloom, and finally the wilt.

The shape

a raindrop

falling from the clouds

the clouds that started the sunflower.

Opened and one seed on its way to your mouth

One bite a flash back of memory

The crunchiness spit out,

the salt stings your mouth.

Dreaming of being in the ground,

the sun against the soil starting to grow.

Day Twelve / 9.23.10

Today we started with a quote from David Foster Wallace: “The key to writing is learning to differentiate private interest from public entertainment.” Then we edited a paragraph. After that, we went over the fables handout and discussed the morals of each fable. We read silently for a bit, then read David Sedaris' story "Let it Snow." Then we outlined Sedaris' story, highlighting the characters, timeline, setting, and morals.

Day Eleven / 9.22.10

Today we started with a quote from Terry Eagleton: “...morality actually consists in this process of unfolding our creative powers and capacities, not in some law set above it or some august set of ends pitched beyond it.”

We discussed how morals are dynamic not static, and we can play a role in how morals will be defined in the future. We then took our mono- vocabulary quiz, then reviewed the Cat/Dog story, highlighting how the cat and dog were projections of the peasants inner consciouses. Finally, we took the Cat/Dog quiz.

Day Ten / 9.21.10

Today we started with a quote from Albert Einstein: "What is inconceivable about the universe is that it is at all conceivable." Then we edited another paragraph. Next, we defined the characteristics society contrives for "beautiful appearances." We also talked about the things we do as a society to try and achieve those high and lofty goals. After that, we read a short story about peasants who get a mirror, and see themselves clearly for the first time. They realize they're not meeting the "beauty quotient" and begin longing for shorter chins and skin salves. They become sadden by this, and eventually return the mirror and return to happiness. The story was a folk tale, and we talked about its moral. Then we discussed where our morals come from. Finally, I handed out a sheet on fables, where you are asked to write down the moral from the story. The sheet is here.

Day Nine / 9.20.10

Today we started with a quote from Thomas Hardy: "Try to learn something about everything and everything about something." Then we edited a paragraph, and discussed expectations for our journals. The journal handout is here. Then we discussed Walt Whitman's poem excerpt, and took a pop-quiz. After that, we discussed beauty and how we as a society define beautiful appearance. We wrote a quickwrite about it. No homework, relax.

Day Eight / 9.17.10

Today we started with a question: What does it mean to be literate? We defined different aspects of being literate, and then we responded to the question of: is literacy a luxury or a necessity? We were divided, but it proved to be a lively debate. After that, we discussed a poem by Emily Dickinson.

We discussed Nobodies and Somebodies. We watched a Cribs video of a Somebody—a guy named Akon. We then started Walt Whitman's excerpt from "Song of Myself." We talked about the universe blanket/towel and how we're all interconnected. Finally, we discussed MLA format. Your FINAL DRAFT of the My Name assignment is due MONDAY, as is your coat of arms. Have a great weekend.

Day Seven / 9.16.10

Today we started with a quote from Victor Hugo, “There is one spectacle grander than the sea, that is the sky; there is one spectacle grander than the sky, that is the interior of the soul." Then we read for a bit, went over editing marks, and how to edit a paper. We then edited our classmates "My Name" essays. After that, we worked on our Coat of Arms.

Day Six / 9.15.10

Today we started with a quote by Pablo Picasso: “Art is the lie that tells the truth.” Then we took the pre- vocabulary quiz. We also received the mono- vocabulary list; the quiz will be next Wednesday (the 22nd). After that, we discussed a poem by Patricia Fargnoli. You can view the poem here. After that, we went over the editing checklist for the Rough Draft. Finally, I handed out the coat of arms, which you can decorate to turn in with your "My Name" final draft.

Day Five / 9.14.10

Today we started with a quote from Clara Schumann: "My imagination can picture no fairer happiness than to continue living for art."

Then we read. Next, we outlined Amy Tan's piece from The Joy Luck Club. After that, we worked on hooks. The hook handout is here. After that, we started working on writing our own "My Name" Essays. The assignment prompt is here. Remember, we have a Vocabulary Quiz tomorrow, on pre- words.

Day Four / 9.13.10

Today we started with a quote from John Locke: "Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours." Next, we discussed why we read. Then, I read you the first few pages of Tangerine.

We then created a coat of arms for Esperanza, based on our reflections page. After that, we outlined Sandra Cisnero's short story, "My Name." We noticed that the structure does not emphasize her name explicitly, but reveals it indirectly, through telling her great-grandmother's story and anecdotes from school/her sister. As writers, we're often better suited to reveal something about our topic by telling a story that relates. Stories draw readers in and show them, rather than tell them, what we're trying to say.

Day Three / 9.10.10

Today we started with a discussion on what an inquirer is. We then discussed what an inquirer would look like in an English classroom. Next, we inquired about the sunflower.

Here are a combination of student poems, to create our first class poem:

Seven Ways of Seeing a Sunflower

I.

The knife comes

when it strikes

the sunflower numbs.

II.

Bring the flower of sun to the river

When the flower moves the river goes too.

III.

A sunflower's petals are yellow, soft, and silky.

A little pointy, but fine.

IV.

A lonely seed in the dirt longs

for a friend, like the sun and

over time the seed grows, just like

his loneliness, but stays patient, then

in time, the seed becomes a flower

and is friends with the sun.

V.

Peaceful fantasy, mankind should worship the sunflower.

The desire to take it is overwhelming.

VI.

A little boy asked, "Why is

the sun a brown face?"

VII.

Out of all the gravel and pebble

The only thing breathing was the sunflower.

*We ended the day with a trip to the library, then started Sandra Cisnero's My Name. The story/grading schedule is here. The reflection assignment is here, and is due Monday.

Day Two / 9.9.10

Today we finished our Blackbird drawings and presented them. Then we did some housekeeping. . We went over the syllabus. We talked about the 1,000,000 word challenge. Your first 250,000 are due October 28, 2010. We then talked about vocabulary. The first test is next Wednesday, 9.15.10. We were assigned to tables. To learn more about your table's college, click on the following link:

Davidson Wildcats

Swarthmore Phoenix

Carleton Knights

Middlebury Panthers

Amherst Minutemen

Williams Purple Cows

Bowdoin Polar Bears

Then we talked about IB. Here's the mission statement:

The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.

These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

Day One / 9.8.10

Today we analyzed Langston Hughes poem "Hope":

He rose up on his dying bed

and asked for fish.

His wife looked it up in her dream book

and played it.

Then we completed a survey. After that, we began working on our Blackbird drawings. The whole poem, by Wallace Stevens, is pasted below:

I

Among twenty snowy mountains,

The only moving thing

Was the eye of the blackbird.

II

I was of three minds,

Like a tree

In which there are three blackbirds.

III

The blackbird whirled in the autumn winds.

It was a small part of the pantomime.

IV

A man and a woman

Are one.

A man and a woman and a blackbird

Are one.

V

I do not know which to prefer,

The beauty of inflections

Or the beauty of innuendoes,

The blackbird whistling

Or just after.

VI

Icicles filled the long window

With barbaric glass.

The shadow of the blackbird

Crossed it, to and fro.

The mood

Traced in the shadow

An indecipherable cause.

VII

O thin men of Haddam,

Why do you imagine golden birds?

Do you not see how the blackbird

Walks around the feet

Of the women about you?

VIII

I know noble accents

And lucid, inescapable rhythms;

But I know, too,

That the blackbird is involved

In what I know.

IX

When the blackbird flew out of sight,

It marked the edge

Of one of many circles.

X

At the sight of blackbirds

Flying in a green light,

Even the bawds of euphony

Would cry out sharply.

XI

He rode over Connecticut

In a glass coach.

Once, a fear pierced him,

In that he mistook

The shadow of his equipage

For blackbirds.

XII

The river is moving.

The blackbird must be flying.

XIII

It was evening all afternoon.

It was snowing

And it was going to snow.

The blackbird sat

In the cedar-limbs.