Tuesday, September 25th (section 3)

Agenda: 

The important features of a narrative were reviewed. The rubric used for the First Language Paper 3 Section 2 were reviewed. An ecopy of this rubric can be found here.

Students were handed back their narrative works and given time in class to write a paragraph reflecting on what areas they'd like to improve.

Additionally, students corrected half of hteir worksheets they finished for class regarding A Fly in the Ointment. Students handed in their hand-written work at the end of the hour.

Homework: 

1. Students are to hand write their edits of their Memoirs and now lengthen their piece to 750 words giving special attention to elaborating on the setting, but also creating characters, perhaps introducing dialogue with it in mind that they are creating a piece that attempts to also include the crafted purposeful pieces of the writings we've been reading such as allusions, using punctuation for emphasis, extended metaphors and foreshadowing and the flashbacks to further their perspectives on one or more topics. This extension is due Monday, October 8th.

2. Students are to finish reading their IRB's with the extended deadline of Monday, October 8th.

Friday, September 21st (section 3) and Wednesday, September 26th (sections 1 and 2)

 Super Sophomores prepping for Tug of War.

Agenda for Section 3

Agenda: 

 Students took a timed writing. Then attached their outline to their completed response. 45 minutes was marked on their papers for self-timing purposes.

List of verbs describing what an author does:

Agenda for Section 1 and 2 on September 26th

Homework: 

1. Per post on September 19th, students were to visit the link and complete the worksheet, found on an uneditable google doc. Students are to hand write their answers on the worksheet.


2. Students were handed back their quiz on My Greatest Ambition. The quiz was corrected for accuracy and then correct paragraph construction. A total of 7 points was possible. Students must correct their quiz by rewriting their quiz with both accurate answers and well-developed arguments.

3. Reading of IRB1 is extended to October 8th or 9th, the first day we return from Chuseok holiday break. 

Section 3 hard at work on their timed writing, especially Saleh. =)

Wednesday, September 19th (section 3) and Monday, September 24th (Section 1 and 2)

Agenda:  

Agenda for Section 1 and 2 on September 24th

Agenda for Section 3 on September 19th

 A brief overview of the exam that the students were preparing to take for Literature and First Language in Spring 2013 was given.

After, students were engaged in a full class discussion with minute pair shares interspersed to fine tune their observations about the constructive elements of My Greatest Ambition.

Notes from Section 2

The outline format was reintroduced and students were given time in class to work on developing a thesis while Mrs. Lee came around to give one-on-one help. 

Notes from Section 2

Homework: 

1. Watch the video by clicking here and the fill in the worksheet linked here. The google doc is not editable so be sure to print it out and hand write your answers, per usual in IGCSE land. The worksheet is due Tuesday, September 25th. Hint: You will find this video helpful to develop your understanding of what is expected of you so it may be helpful to complete this homework before Friday's timed' writing.

2.  Prepare an outline that addresses the question, How does the writer present the development of the character, Nu, in My Greatest Ambition? Be sure to construct your outline with it in mind that you will only 45 minutes to write a five paragraph essay.

Tuesday, September 18 (section 1 and 2)

Today's Schedule 
(Half Day for students)
**Reminder: Thursday is Field Day.








 

 

Agenda: 
We started the day reviewing some of the major features of 'My Greatest Ambition' by Morris Lurie. We worked through the question, how did Lurie portray Nu's moments of disillusionment by first identifying the illusion he was under before going to meet the people from the magazine and then identifying moments in the text where it was evident that the he was no longer being acknowledged as a candidate for a full-time comic artist.


Homework: 
1. Weblog 2 for 9/20: Based on our discussion today, articulate yourself in P-Q-C format how Lurie portrays Nu's sense of disillusionment.

2. Weblog 3 for 9/22: see image.

3. Complete the characterization worksheet. Include evidence from the text and underline words/phrases within the text that specifically supplements your claim. The link is not editable so print it out and hand write your responses.

Monday, September 17 (section 3)

Agenda: 

Today we checked our annotations for A Fly in the Ointment by V.S. Pritchett. While I checked your annotations and made comments individually, students took a quiz on My Greatest Ambition in point-quote-comment format. Students were to be graded on answer accuracy but their construction would be marked separately by me. Additionally, although the figurative language exercise that were posted on my blog were brought up for our admiration and finally a Characterization Worksheet was given for homework.

Homework: 

Using your worksheet, prepare an analysis of how 'Nu' is characterized by identifying the trait, the quote that reveals the trait and underline which words specifically in the quote stand out as a signifier. How does Lurie draw your attention to or illustrate Nu's quirks. This exercise is designed to prepare them for a timed writing regarding characterization.

Thursday, September 13 (Section 3) and Friday, September 14 (sections 1 and 2)

We took a quiz on My Greatest Ambition and corrected it in class. 

Wednesday, September 12 (section 1&2)/ Thursday, September 13 (section 3)

 Agenda: 

Today student are to turn in their reflection on an item that they may have fixated on while trying to acheive a goal. Verbally it may or may not have been announced in class to elaborate up to 200 words or 300 words. Going forward, any assignment will have a 300 word minimum as a standard unless otherwise indicated.










The following graphic organizer was used to develop literal sentences:
 Students were asked to develop sentences such as
     1. I ate a sandwich.
     2. I fell in love.
     3. I ran to the store.

Side note: A wall in HS 015 has been designated the No Name Wall of Shame. If you have handed in work that does not have a name on it, it has been hung there.

Protocol to get your work back in the books?

1. Make an appointment during an Extra Help session from 3-4:00 on Thursdays.

2. Make an appointment during a different time we are both available. DO NOT STAND ME UP. This is a privilege given to students who have already once come to an Extra Help session because you have demonstrated already that you can keep appointments.

**getting your book "reconciled" is YOUR responsibility. Not mine. Additionally, if you stand me up three times or more, you have revoked your right to seek extra help for the quarter and a letter will go home to your parents notifying them.

Homework: 
**Pay attention to the section differences for homework 2**

1. Rewrite your item memoir you wrote for homework, this time including sentences that include literal, figurative and symbolic language. Minimum: 500 words. If you need a hard copy of your original and I have it, please see me.

2. (Section 1 and 2) Finish reading and annotating My Greatest Ambition. If you need a copy of the text or need to pick up your book, please see me. (Section 3) Read and annotate Fly in the Ointment by Pritchard.

3. Post a sentence that you developed in class that you think you did the best job on. An example would be:

Joe Student
IGCSE English Y2 - (1, 2 or 3)

Literal Sentence: I ate a sandwich.

Edit 1: I inhaled the turkey, bacon sandwich on bread speckled with grain my mom made for me.

Edit 2: The cold cut gave in to the grinder-like rotation of my teeth and the bacon unearthed its flavor. The bread was speckled with grain and I looked up at her just in time so my forehead met the weight of her hand.

Edit 3: The bread speckled with grain jacketed the cold cuts and bacon that gave in to the grinder-like rotation of my teeth. The suction and slapping of eating filled my head so much so that I failed to hear my mother's beckoning to take a bite of her apple. I looked up at her just in time so my forehead met the weight of her hand.

Tuesday, September 11 (section 3)

Reflection/Agenda:
Today we talked about Annotations. Students handed in their annotations for the first two paragraphs of "Miss Brill" by Katherine Mansfield after watching a youtube video during which a lecturer points out features about the text to note. The lecturer also addresses the importance of the pre-reading process. Students should have taken copious notes and then afterwards compared their notes to the PDF Teacher Sample copy posted on Edline. Students then took an open note quiz on annotations covering the following questions:

1. Describe the pre-reading process.
2. When you come across a word you don't know, (Jardin, eiderdown, knock) what should you do?
3. Explain the significance of each AND how Mansfield draws your attention to:
     a. Miss
     b. Fur
     c. Season

Students corrected the quiz in class.

We continued reading "My Greatest Ambition" stopping often to insert observations we made about the character in the margins. Since students have been given a lesson on annotations in the general sense of what is important to note, and then have had the close-reading process modeled for them in class, they have been tasked with the following homework:

Homework: 
1. Read and annotate "My Greatest Ambition" by Morris Lurie, making note of Nu's character. Consider the following questions while reading (a formal written assignment is not required):
     What are some characteristics you might assign Nu based on
          a. his observations of those around him?
          b. rhythm and word choice of his language the way it changes depending on the situation?
          c. how his motivation to be a comic changes?
2. Write a journal reflecting on a goal you had an how you fixated your focus on an item (like the brown lipstick example I gave at the end of the hour). How did your feelings about the item change as you accomplished your goal or failed to achieve your goal? What was it about the item that made you desire/cherish it before your actualized or failed at your goal? What was it about the item after goal was achieved/failed that made you think differently about it?

September 10 (for sections 1&2)

Welcome to the IGCSE English Y2 class blog. As a supplement to Edline, we will be using our blogs as a way to document what was done in class. Refer to Edline for board photos of classes prior to this first blog and also a source for where documents that are not hyperlinked as a google doc here would otherwise be located.

I'd like to use this space to post Work of the Week, descriptions of what was done in class, and homework. Check this blog regularly and feel free to comment below on any of these posts to extend conversation further beyond what has gone on in the classroom.






Today we started with D.O.L. It was first copied erroneously and then corrected with a sage/scribe exercise in which a pair of students each take one role and then switch roles for the second sentence. When a student is designated the scribe, their sole purpose is to remain silent and copy according to the direction of the sage. The sage informs the scribe what corrections should be made including a justification for the correction.















Next, students were handed back their writing from a previous in-class times writing addressing the question, "Where is Brewster figuratively from in her poem, 'where I Come From'"? Students color-marked their peers page following the key after exchanging papers, write marginal comments, an then gave verbal feedback. The owner of the paper also related their observations about the paper they corrected. The final task assigned before students left for the day was to write a paragraph making note of their writing strengths and weaknesses.

This self-evaluation task is designed to hone student ability to self-assess. Students will be held accountable for their learning and free having recognized their writing deficits.

Homework: If students did not complete their color-marking, marginal notes, peer share, and then write their reflective paragraphs during class, the paragraph became the homework and the length was extended to the standard 300 word response.