Wednesday, Feb. 27th

By Kate Lee

By Ryan Park

By No Name

By Sarah Kim

Homework

1. Finish Found / Blackout Poem

2. Type a 200 - 300 word Description of your theme in the novel and explain how both your word choice and image(s) support your theme.

NEED TO KNOW: 

Starting next week, there will be a NO LATE WORK POLICY. Too much work has been handed in late. Please make note.  

And Happy Birthday to Brian and Irissa!

 

Monday, Feb. 25th

Agenda: 
Presentations about Chapter 2 completed in class. 

Instructions on how to write a Found Poem continued.
More samples of Found / Black Out poetry

http://www.20x200.com/staytuned/

http://delightfuldabblings.wordpress.com/2012/03/31/poetry-month-is-almost-here/

http://learningparade.typepad.co.uk/learning_parade/2011/07/newspaper-blackout-poems.html

By Sarah Kim (section 4)

 


Homework:

1. Take Home Quiz on OMAM found here.

2. Found Poem with no more than 30 words from the text without design. Written out and identified on page.

Thursday, February 21

Agenda

Students were given the first 20 minutes to prepare their presentations to the class. For section 3, Groups discussing parallelism and names will go at the beginning of the hour on Monday.

Students were also to turn in found poems. Most were not completed. Late work will be accepted. Posted below are samples of Found poems:

http://chippedteacup.hubpages.com/hub/visual-and-found-poetry

By Carrie Arizona (www.deviantART.com)

http://chippedteacup.hubpages.com/hub/poem-charming-imperfection

kirstyes.co.uk

kirstyes.co.uk

http://piccsy.com/2011/05/night-overtakes/

http://www.gwarlingo.com/2012/the-sunday-poem-mary-ruefle/

Homework: 
1. Read Chapter 3 to review for a short quiz.

2. Read the following article on Euthanasia. Especially read the pro and anti euthansia arguments. Then comment below. What is your personal response to Euthansia after having read both sides of the argument? Refer back to the article in your response. Do you believe it an act of good will to allow Curly's dog to die as he is suffering a less than dignified existance and is in a great deal of pain? Or do you believe it to diminish the sanctity of life by putting Curly's dog down? Is Carlson wrong to suggest the notion in chapter 2 of OMAM?

3. Read over the Found Poems above for reference in class next week.

4. Section 3: Turn in chart with 5 points that extend both the argument that George is a good or bad friend. 

Tuesday, Feb. 19th, 2013

Agenda: 

Students will have come to class prepared with the following:

1. A chart that includes compelling arguments that support both claims that George might be  categorized as a good friend to Lennie as well as a bad friend to Lennie. A minimum of 5 points should be included.

2. Quotes relevant to the topics given to each group provided by all members

 3.  A journal reflecting on the topic either in respect to Steinbeck's use of the topic itself or the topic in a broader spectrum. (e.g. if the topic of Misogyny was given, students might write a reflection on the misogynistic attitudes carried by the characters in Steinbeck's novel, the state of the western world in terms of gender inequality during the 1930's, the conditions at large that proliferate misogyny.)

Students will be given time in class to collaborate with their group members in preparation for a 5 minute presentation of their worksheet the following class. The following rubric will be used to evaluate the handout.


Homework:
Complete the worksheet for class on Thursday. The first 20 minutes of class will be devoted to organize yourself for presentation. Presentations should not exceed 5 minutes and worksheets should be provided for all students (18 for section 3 and 16 for section 4).

Homework that was not collected in class today will be collected next class.

Complete a Found Poem on your topic. Go the following website to get additional instruction on how to write a found poem: here.

Rubric for Worksheet

Writing Feature	5	3	1
Focus	You focus on the issues posed by your question, addressing all of the issues posed by your question.	You focus on the issues posed by your question, addressing most of the issues posed by your question.	You don’t focus on the issues posed by your question, addressing few of the issues posed by your question.
Support and Elaboration	You use many specific details from the novel. You chose only the most important details.	You use many specific details from the novel, but some of them aren’t really important.	You don’t use enough details from the novel.
Organization	Your handout is very well-organized and shows your “big idea” clearly. You make it easy for your audience to understand your handout.	Your handout is organized and shows the “big idea,” though it could be clearer. Your audience can understand your handout.	Your handout is difficult for your audience to understand.
Style	Your handout is very creative. You take a unique perspective on the issues.	Your handout is creative. You take an interesting perspective on the issues.	Your handout isn’t very creative. I feel like you didn’t really try.
Conventions	You ran a spelling and grammar check on your handout, and proofread it before submitting. You include page numbers (cited parenthetically) with each of your quotes.	You ran a spelling and grammar check on your handout, but you should proofread it before submitting. You include page numbers for the quotes, but they aren’t formatted correctly.	Your handout shows no evidence of editing or citing quotes.
			Total ____X 4 =____

Wednesday, February 13th

Agenda:

Last class we reviewed the research that was done for homework. We made note of what we now know of the 5 subject areas relevant to Of Mice and Men. Students will keep this note as part of their notes portfolio for our novel unit. Students should begin compiling their lecture notes and supplemental worksheets for a portfolio that will include the following:

1. Notes
2. Quizzes
3. Journals
4. Novel Study Analysis (NSA) Proposal
5. NSA Outline
6. NSA Introduction rough draft (RD 1)
7. NSA Introduction + Body 1 (RD 2)
8. NSA (RD 3) Peer Edit
9. NSA (RD 4) Individual Edit
10. NSA (RD 5) Conference Edit
11. NSA Final Draft
12. Analysis Reflection

Today we worked on the worksheet for chapter 1 worksheet after taking a quiz.

To help you with Question 3 on Chapter 1 Worksheet, refer to the word bank below. You are not limited to using just these words to describe Lennie and George.

Homework:
1. Finish Chapter 1 Worksheet
2. Read chapter 2
3. your own list of idioms and vocabulary loaded phrases for chapter 2 only.
4. Optional: Write a 1 page summary of the chapter (hand written one page, typed - MLA format) if you'd like 1 point back from your quiz.

Tuesday, February 5th

 Agenda:

Before launching in to the Mice and Men Unit, student were to consider the following key points in class today:

1. What are qualities you find central to sustaining friendship in your relationships you have now?
2. How does A.A. Milne describe the necessity of friendship?
3. How does Paul Simon conversely describe the necessity of isolation?

After considering the two positions when considering the necessity of relationship, students were to consider their own take where they stand between voluntary isolation, engaging in friendship and in addition what factors are involved in their arrival of their position.

Homework:

Students are to compile a paragraph of 100 - 150 words of research on the following topics. Be sure to leave the website where you found your information, your name and section. If the slot to research has been filled, you must research another section:

     -----Great Depression

     -----Okies / Migrant Farmers

     -----Dust Bowl

     -----Economic hardship in the U.S. in the 1930's

     -----John Steinbeck

Grade 10 - section 3 use the link for the online doc HERE.

Grade 10 - section 4 use the link for the online doc HERE.

Friday, January 25

Dear Students,

After much deliberation, and as you already know, I have decided to not collect your SSA's today, Monday, January 28th. However, if you are prepared to do so, please come ready to turn in your essay with all your rough drafts included to class. Only if you hand in your essay today, you do not have to read the below and can skip down to the *** at the bottom of the page. Also, you do not have to do the assignment listed below.


After our in-class meeting on Thursday, I must admit that I was quite crestfallen after noting the lack of progress and polished quality of your work, but your lack of progress also indicated to me that perhaps you needed more time. Thus, I'd rather give you an extension than get back papers that were rushed and do not reflect instruction.

It is essential that you recognize the manner in which your class and yourself have not worked within the time allotment and must identify this misappropriation of time as something
utterly un-dismissible. In fact, it was an egregious error on the part of your class collectively to be
unprepared to turn in a summative piece. If there were any deficits in your understanding of how to write an analytical essay, the obligation to seek instruction beyond what was offered in class belongs to the student. However, requests for appointments have only recently flooded my inbox.


This isn't a hand slap. This does not change the way I believe in all of you as talented, kind and warm-hearted young people who I intensely believe in and am proud to teach. I want to celebrate your learning with you. However, I must react to your actions because I would not be a good teacher, mentor, fellow human if I did not hold you to a certain level of expectation. So, please take responsibility by completing the following assignments.


Homework: 


1. Please reflect on the above and respond on this blog no later than Wednesday, January 30th. A suggestion would be not to make excuses or assign blame. Instead, demonstrate that you have understood in 75 - 100 words by summarizing the key points above.

2. Also include in your comments your due date assigned by Mrs. Lee for your individual paper and list three areas of your essay you intend to fix and how. You may want to refer back to your outline or ask Mrs. Lee to see your midterm to help you articulate your needs.


3. In reflection of the way you used your time, indicate 3 or more concrete method you intend to use going forward to make sure you meet your due dates (e.g. allot 2 hours a weekend just for editing, journal about my topic before attacking the conclusion or introduction, keep my lecture notes out while writing my essay so I know I am fulfilling the writing expectations of an analytical essay, hold myself accountable for my actions, ask a peer to be my partner so that we would both keep each other on track, set my own due dates for myself for preliminary steps, etc.)

*** Some of you have been asking how to write a Conclusion Paragraph. Please take note of additional instruction indicated below, a review of our lectures and adapted from http://www.writing.ucsb.edu/faculty/donelan/concl.html

Conclusions vary widely in structure, and no prescription can guarantee that your essay has ended well. If the introduction and body of your essay have a clear trajectory, your readers should already expect you to conclude when the final paragraph arrives, so don’t overload it with words or phrases that indicate its status.

Below is an outline for a hypothetical, abstract essay with five main sections:

V: Conclusion

1. Transition from last body paragraph
2. Sentences explaining how paper has fit together and leads to a stronger, more emphatic and more detailed version of your thesis
3. Brief mention of the counter argument, to be dismissed by (e.g. Although Mr. Kapasi's actions may suggest he struggled to maintain emotional fidelity, under close inspection Lahiri rather presents a man whose central motivation was [reinsert observation in thesis]).

4. Final comment or BIG SO WHAT

1. Why is the essay important or may be interesting to a wider audience?
2. What are areas your essay highlights? An ethical dilemma that is universal?  A practical applications that was overshot? Mores or scruples that were overlooked? A political/moral stronghold?