Thursday, April 30, 2009

Today you wrote your poetry unit exam.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Today, you were given terms and definitions that you must learn for the poetry exam and for the end of the year. These were broken into sets of ten. You formed groups and rotated through them in order to ensure they were examined, understood, and hopefully retained. Your poetry unit exam is tomorrow.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Today, we went over the visuals you created from the poem "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (and listened to the song, of course). This was a class discussion to discern how well the task was collectively met. After this, you were placed into two groups and, reaching consensus, had to use the images and paste them in order and with enough visuals to successfully show what could be definitively seen in the lyrics.

Monday, April 27, 2009

You major assignment must be handed in today (no exceptions).
We will be in an assembly watching Dawyne Peace. Your job is to ligically think about what his thesis is and what evidence he is presenting to support it.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Today, you will finish your major assignment for the poetry unit.

Thursday, April 23, 209

Today you will work on your major assignment for the poetry unit.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Today, you are to hand in your major analysis of "Prophet" poem (already it is a day late! so 10 per cent off). We will be working on another poem, "Ambition of the Eldest Son" (doing step one and two and mc questions). If you were not here, it is in your portfolio.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Yesterday, you were given the poem from "Prophet Of the New World: A Poem For Voices". Today, you will analyze it doing step one, step two and then doing the questions and justifying it. This is due at the end of class today. It is also a major assignment. You do NOT have to do step #2 questions 6, 7, 8, 3, or 5.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Today, we went over the homework you had from Friday in which you were to do a poetry analysis and questions on the poem "Gifts". A number of you didn't complete it. As a result, I took the mark but am allowing you to make it up tomorrow with another assignment.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Today you will analyze the poem “Gifts”
you are to read it actively doing “Step “1” activities. You are then to do “Step #2” analysis . Finally, you are to answer the questions I will hand out and justify your answers as well.
This is an independent activity (no pairing up).

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Today, you will learn how to read and analyze a poem.
We will examine the poem “Did I Miss Anything?”
I will hand out “Step #1: how to read a poem and “Step #2: Poetry long answer evaluation sheet” (on back of step one).
We will analyze the poem together doing all of the steps. This sheet needs to be with you in class every day for this unit (which is why it is in a different colour).

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Today, you guys worked on your novel studies. We then went over some of the sentences you worked in pairs on from yesterday. There were a couple new words added to your terminology (hyperbole, understatement).

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

We started the poetry unit today. I introduced why poetry is important (the value of it in the past and today), and then handed out a terminology sheet (goldenrod yellow). I also defined a number of terms on the board which you had to add to your sheet. You were then broken into groups of two and given sentences to analyze and define in terms of literary language. There could be one or more than one type of literary device present. This will be worked on a bit more tomorrow.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Today, you wrote a unit exam on the novel The Bean Trees. This essay should show us improvement as a result of the one-on-one meetings we have had over the past 5 weeks.
We will start a new unit (poetry) on Tuesday (we should have started today).

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Today we reviewed the novel The Bean Trees by answering the questions you were assigned to answer over the holidays. We focussed on those that I felt might assist you in the essay test tomorrow.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Today, you were to show that you finished and comprehended the novel The Bean Trees. If you did this, you were given a success mark. If not, you were given a zero.
We then discussed the four questions handed out yesterday, summarized the novel, and reviewed some of the questions (which we will finish tomorrow).
I also reminded you to review the common themes used by Alberta Learning in preparation for your in-class essay on Thursday. These themes were handed out to you in early February.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Today, you are to hand in your questions from The Bean Trees. You are then to put yourself in pairs and, using a point form or a visual format (web, concept map, mind map), answer the following questions in depth (provide as much information as you can... remember... with TWO of you working on this, the expectations are higher. These will help you with the essay you will be writing on April 8 (or 9th... I might move it over due to this absence).

1. How do the characters in The Bean Trees demonstrate that the role of women in America in the twentieth century has changed? (remember... you will have to look at the role prior in order to answer this...)
2. List the social issues (you will need to define what this means to YOU) that Kingsolver presents in The Bean Trees and explain how these issues affect the lives of the novel’s characters.
3. Research the Cherokee Indian and Guatemalan peoples to learn more about the cultures Kingsolver refers to (again, this is the 70's).
4. How is the link between rhizobia (the microscopic bugs that live in the roots of legumes, turning nitrogen gas into fertilizer and allowing the plants to thrive in poor soil) and wisteria vines (“bean trees”) similar to the relationships that form between the women in the novel?

Friday, April 3, 2009

Today, you will work on your readings and questions.... Keep in mind that the questions will be discussed starting April 6th (in other words, due on that date...)

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Students will continue on with their readings and independent novel study.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Students will continue on with their questions and readings for the Bean Trees and for their independent novel study.