January 2013

Welcome back! Hope you all had a great winter break.  You will be given a January calendar when we return back to school on January 2, 2013.  The month of January goes very quickly and exams begin on Tuesday, January 22.  I will discuss the exam process with you in class and will provide you with a study guide sheet to help ease some of the anxiety you may have for your first ever high school English mid-term examination.   Upon our return, you will viewing O Brother, Where Art Thou? This film is connected to The Odyssey in so many ways.  It will be up to you to make the connections and fill out the viewing guide I will provide to you prior to our viewing of the film.  You will also be preparing for a group presentation for a mythology assignment I will be assigning you.  I will provide you with the necessary details in class.  I will also be giving you plenty of time in class to prepare as a group on this presentation. The calendar will list all of the due dates for January. 

Reminder:  Vocabulary Unit Test # 3 will be given on Monday, January 14.  Prepare for it in advance. 

The Odyssey-Week of December 17

The Odyssey Reading Assignments:
Book XXI & XXII (21 & 22) due Monday, December 17
*Pick out a passage from Book XXI or Book XXII - make sure it is significant, descriptive, has great word choice, etc.  -- Type it and make copies for classmates...remember how I explained to do this in class.  Be sure to include the book number and line numbers.  Example:  (XXI. 19-29)

End Test for The Odyssey:
Wednesday, December 18

The Odyssey websites:

Use this website to get a short version or a longer version of what happens in the books that you are finding difficult to understand and also to get a brief summary of the books we will not be reading in The Odyssey:
  http://www.mythweb.com/odyssey/index.html 

Use this website to gain a better understanding of the epic, the important themes and events found in each book, and some significant quotes from the epic:
 http://www.leasttern.com/HighSchool/odyssey/OdysseySG.html 

Learn about ancient Greece (Great Interactive Website):
 http://carlos.emory.edu/ODYSSEY/GREECE/home.html

Vocabulary, Research Paper, & The Odyssey

*FYI...Quiz on The Odyssey on Friday, December 7. Review the events and characters in Books I, V, and IX, and X. 
 
The dates listed below are subject to change.  Please review this blog on a weekly basis to note any changes made and discussed in class.  I hope this helps keep you focused for the next few weeks.  Our goal is to complete the research paper and The Odyssey before we go on December break. 

Vocabulary Tests:
Unit 1 Test:  Monday, November 19
Unit 2 Test:  Friday, December 14

Research Paper Due Dates:
Rough Draft:  Monday, December 3
Final Draft:  Monday, December 10

The Odyssey Reading Assignments:
Book I (1) due Thursday, November 29
Book V (5) due Monday, December 3
Book IX (9) due Wednesday, December 5
Book X (10) due Friday, December 7
Book XI (11) due Tuesday, December 11
Book XII (12) due Thursday, December 13
Book XXI & XXII (21 & 22) due Monday, December 17

End Test for The Odyssey:
Tuesday, December 18 (?)

The Odyssey websites:

Use this website to get a short version or a longer version of what happens in the books that you are finding difficult to understand and also to get a brief summary of the books we will not be reading in The Odyssey:
  http://www.mythweb.com/odyssey/index.html 

Use this website to gain a better understanding of the epic, the important themes and events found in each book, and some significant quotes from the epic:
 http://www.leasttern.com/HighSchool/odyssey/OdysseySG.html 

Learn about ancient Greece (Great Interactive Website):
 http://carlos.emory.edu/ODYSSEY/GREECE/home.html

Welcome Back!

We will be watching War Horse on 11/5-11/7 (Monday-Wednesday).  Please take notes while viewing the film, especially on the effects of war on towns, animals, soldiers, and families.  Write down any significant quotes from the film.

On Thursday and/or Friday (11/8 and 11/9), you will be contributing to the Socratic Seminar for Night.  Come to class prepared with your book, notes, etc. for the discussion.

The week of November 12:  We will begin the research paper.  The topic will be War. You will decide on the focus of your research.  We will be completing a plagiarism online test and going to the library on November 13-17.  Due dates for certain activities will be determine at a later date.


Plagiarism Test Website 
 The following websites will be used for the online test you will be completing in class on Monday, November 12:

This is the link to a practice test:
https://www.indiana.edu/~istd/practice.html

This is the actual test & you will need to print out the verification form:
https://www.indiana.edu/~istd/test.html

Unit 1 Vocabulary Test:  Monday, November 19.  In preparation, it is up to you to do the exercises and create your own style of studying the terms before the test. DO NOT WRITE IN VOCABULARY BOOKS!

Thesis Paper Due Dates and Reading Dates for All Quiet on the Western Front

Thesis Paper Dates

Due Thursday, Oct. 4:
Working Thesis Statement
Organizational Outline

Due Friday, Oct. 5:
Works Cited Page
Introduction/First Section of Paper (Rough Draft - Don't go crazy over it...it is a rough draft!)

Due Wednesday, Oct. 10:
Rough Draft of Entire Thesis Paper
(this includes works cited page)

Due Tuesday, October 23:
Final draft of thesis paper and revised works cited page (the rough draft and peer evaluation will be collected with the final draft, too.)

All Quiet on the Western Front Dates

Dear Students, 

Some of you are a struggling with the plot of All Quiet on the Western Front.  The following link will help you become an active 9 Honors reader: 

 http://www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/litlibrary/pdf/all_quiet.pdf 

I must remind you that a quiet reading area without distractions and reading earlier in the night will be beneficial to you when completing a novel for 9 Honors.  You may also want a notebook by your side to jot down notes, passages, and even characters.  The activities in the above link are not required; however, it will be helpful for you to review each activity before you begin reading each section.  A reading guide link, such as the one above, is much more appropriate for a 9 Honors student.  Using SparkNotes, Pink Monkey, Schmoop, etc. do not allow you to work on your critical thinking skills and literature analysis skills.  Such sites simply summarize and tell you what to think.  Please stay away from such sites.  

Due Friday, Oct. 12:

Chapters 1-4
Due Monday, Oct. 15:
Chapters 5 & 6
Due Thursday, October 18:  
Chapters 7 & 8
Due Wednesday, October 24:
Chapters 9-end of novel

Assignments and Assessments for All Quiet on the Western Front:
Poetic Language Passage Assignment:  Due Wednesday, October 17.

In-class Writing:   Friday, October 19 (this will include providing examples from Chapters 1-8)

End Test:  Either Thursday or Friday, Oct. 26 (The entire novel will be included in this test)

Webquest Links:

World War I Website
http://www.worldwar1.com/

The Christmas Truce
http://www.fylde.demon.co.uk/xmas.htm

Thesis Paper

We will be discussing the steps to writing a thesis paper.  Please do not worry about the due date for the final paper.  Instead, worry about the due dates I give in class for the different steps in the process -- creating an outline, creating a thesis statement, creating a works cited page, creating a rough draft.  Eventually, you will have everything you need in order to prepare a well-developed, MLA formatted final draft.  Once you begin the final draft, I will provide you with the due date of the final paper.  Although I do accept final thesis papers late (up to two days with a letter grade penalty for each day late), you really should not have any problems having it in on time!  Any written work we do in preparation for the final paper, however, will not be accepted late.

YASMINA KHADRA NOVEL & SUMMER READING CHOICE

A reminder of long term assignments:

Due Thursday, September 13:  typed assignment for summer reading choice
Due Friday, September 14:  Read "Marriage is a Private Affair" and complete the questions found on the handout
Due Monday, September 17:  first half of Yasmina Khadra novel and typed assignment
Due Monday, September 24:  second half of Yasmina Khadra novel and typed assignment

The above assignments will not be accepted late.  Please have your book and assignment with you for the discussions. 

Short term assignments will be announced in class.  These will include assignments for:
"Marriage is a Private Affair"
Osama

Unit 1: September 2012

Welcome to 9 Honors English!

As 9^th grade English students, you will be exposed to many different cultures this year through films, literary works, and nonfiction.  What can learn from reading articles and stories and from viewing films about different cultures?   Why is it so important for young students in today’s society to be exposed to these different cultures?  Although both of these questions will be revisited throughout the year, it is how I would like to begin your first marking period of 9^th grade English.

You will be using the film we will be watching, the articles we will be reviewing, the short stories and novel we will be reading this marking period to help answer the above questions.  Eventually, you will answer the question in a formal thesis paper.  All the tools you will need to be a successful high school English student will be given to you during the first marking period.

The following are the items we will be working on over the next marking period:

·         Quote Analysis

·         Critical Thinking Skills

·         Writing Skills (Thesis Statements, Paragraph Organization, MLA format, Citations, Works Cited Page, etc.)

To learn and strengthen these skills we will use the following for our discussions:

·         Summer Reading Choice

·         The Sirens of Baghdad, The Swallows of Kabul, or The Attack by Yasmina Khadra

·         “Marriage is a Private Affair” and other selections from World Literature: An Anthology of Great Short Stories, Drama, and Poetry

·         Osama

·         2012 summer and fall current event articles from around the world

·         Nonfiction Sample

Summer Homework 2012 - 9 Honors English/World Studies

Incoming Honors Students:   Summer work for 9 Honors English/World Studies  can be accessed through the High Point Regional High School website (http://hpregional.org).  You will first need to click on High School Info and then click on the Summer Homework 2012 link  under Student Resources.

Exam Review

 Exam Review Sheet

Part I:                         Terms (25 Points)

Vignette

Imagery

Metaphor

Simile

Synesthesia

Oxymoron

Malapropism

Allusion

Anachronism

Rhetoric

Soliloquy

Aside

Concealment

Syntax

Diction

Sonnet

Prose

Couplet                      

Blank Verse

Satire  

Fable

Allegory

Propaganda

Euphemisms

Glittering Generalities

Part II:           Formal Essay (45 Points)

Review the requirements of a formal thesis paper.  When writing for this section of the paper, all thesis paper rules apply.  Review the characters and plots of the following works:

·         Hedda Gabler

·         Romeo and Juliet

·         Julius Caesar

Part III:          Creative Writing Assignment (30 Points)

Review the personalities and behavior of the following characters and the stories of their lives:

·         Paikea from The Whale Rider

·         Esperanza from The House on Mango Street

·         Nora from A Doll House

Review PowerPoint presentations, handouts, old tests and quizzes, and essays/log entries.  All will help refresh your memory about the works studied the second semester of the 9 Honors Course.  The terms listed on the previous page are all terms found on the PowerPoint presentations for Romeo and Juliet/Julius Caesar, The House on Mango Street, and Animal Farm.  

Animal Farm

Please review the class calendar you received for the reading assignments for Animal Farm.  If all goes well and we stay on schedule, you will have a final objective test on Animal Farm on Monday, June 4.

Thesis Paper - Due May 22, 2012

Length: 

3-5 typed pages (double-spaced, 1” margins, 12 Font, Times New Roman, MLA Heading)

Type of Thesis Paper: 

Look at your novel and film choices listed below.  Decide on a topic you would like to use for your comparison/contrast thesis paper.  You must use three different works.  You must provide  quotes (at least 2 per work) and specific examples from the novels/film are to be used to support every point you are making.  This is not to be a summary about each work, but create a bold statement that you are going to defend through the works & in the comparison/contrast mode of writing.

Choose  two out of the six works to use in the paper:

 Hedda Gabler

A Doll House

Romeo and Juliet

Julius Caesar

The House on Mango Street

The Whale Rider

 Choose one other work of your choice from the following category:

Short Story

Poem

Steps for writing the paper:

Step # 1:  You must decide on what you would like to compare and the works you will use.  

Step # 2:  You must create a thesis statement.

Step # 3:  Based on your thesis statement, think about how you will organize your essay and create an organizational outline.   Point-by-Point or Subject-by-Subject

Step # 4:  Create your works cited page by using your noodletools account.  Do not use Easy Bib.  Your noodletools account should be through High Point Regional and should be MLA Advanced.

Step # 5:  Think before you begin writing:  Is my thesis statement strong enough? Is it argumentative?    How might I change it?  Do I like the way I have organized the paper?  What other ways may I want to organize this? Make any necessary changes.

Step # 6:  Once you are done with creating a strong thesis and organizational outline, begin writing your rough draft.  Provide a balance of necessary summary, commentary, and specific examples from the works to defend your thesis statement.  Write first and add quotes later.  Go back once you are done, and decide what quotes would help defend certain parts of your paper.  Add the quotes and properly document the in-text citations. 

 Step # 7:  Develop, revise, and edit.

Step # 8:   Turn your final copy in to turnitin.com by 12:00 PM on Tuesday, May 22 . 

This paper will be worth 75 points (50 Points - Content  & 25 Points - Conventions)

A Doll's House Assignment

The reading of A Doll's House is due on Wednesday, April 25.  An objective quiz will be given on this date.  The Socratic Seminar will be on Thursday, April 26.  Please have your typed Socratic Seminar Questions (Assignment # 1) with you on that date.  No late questions will be accepted.  The Diction Assignment (Assignment # 2) will be collected on Thursday, April 26.  Late assignments will be penalized by a letter grade each day it is late.  I will only accept the assignment up to two days late. Once we have completed Hedda Gabler, you will be responding to an essay prompt comparing Hedda Gabler and A Doll's House.  This will be an in-class writing. 

Assignment # 1: Socratic Seminar (20 Points)

Create five typed questions which will allow for a good group discussion.  These questions should be open-ended questions.  I want the discussion to allow you and your classmates to use your critical thinking skills and provide textual support when responding to the question. 

Bad Question: 

In Act I, what is the lie that Nora keeps from her family?

Good Question:

In Act I, the reader finds out that Nora has a secret from her family; Torvald believes that secrets or lies corrupt the family.  Who is correct?  Is it ok to lie, if it is for a good reason?  Or is the truth the only way?  Use evidence from the play to support your response. 

Assignment # 2:  Diction Assignment (25 Points)

Create a two column chart.  List the names of the characters (Torvald Helmer, Nora, Mrs. Linde, Dr. Rank, and Nils Krogstad) and your chosen line(s) of dialogue for each in the left column and use the right column to analyze the choice of words used in each line of dialogue. Please review the handout given in class for an example of how this is to be done. 

APRIL/MAY 2012

The class will spend Monday, April 16 in the library to complete the Mythology project and to be able to print it out with the color printer.  You will need to print out a copy for each of your group members in preparation for the sharing of the myths on Wednesday, April 18.

On Tuesday, April 17, the 9 Honors class will receive the background information necessary to understand and appreciate Henrik Ibsen's plays A Doll House and Hedda Gabler.  As you read A Doll House independently at home, we will be reading Hedda Gabler as a class. There will be assignments to go with along with A Doll House.  The assignments and the due dates will be given to you in class during the week of April 16.  You will also be given an objective test to go along with A Doll House and an in-class comparison writing for A Doll House and Hedda Gabler.

Just a reminder:  The fourth marking period seems go by very quickly.  Therefore, every assignment needs to be completed and done on time. 

As we move into May, you will be required to complete a comparison/contrast thesis paper for the unit we are currently completing - Family Relationships and the Role Family Members in Different Cultures.  This will be a major grade for the marking period.

Creation Myths Group Project

We will be working on the project below over the next couple of days.  Please use your class time wisely.  I expect you to get as much done as possible before we go on break.  The due date will be announced in class.

World Mythology:  An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics (25 Points)

You are going to be the teacher of one of the creation myths listed below.  You will be responsible for presenting a chosen myth to a small group of students.  The group members have not read your myth.  Therefore, you are the expert on your chosen myth.  Provide them with the significant characters, details, etc. that are important to the understanding of your creation myth.  Be creative!

The Creation, Death, and Rebirth of the Universe (India) Pages 291-295

The Creation of the Universe and Human Beings (China) Pages 324-329

The Creation Cycle (New Zealand – Polynesia/Maori) Pages 351-359

The Creation, Death, and Rebirth of the Universe (Northern Europe) Pages 459-466

The Creation of the Universe and Ife (Nigeria—Yoruba) Pages 509-514

The Origin of Life and Fire (Zaire-Boshongo/Bakuba) Pages 515-517

The Creation (Guatemala—Maya) Pages 595-599

1.  Create a Brochure/Newsletter for your presentation.  The brochure/newsletter should contain the following:

• The newsletter title or the opening page of your brochure should have the title of the myth and your name, date, and period

• Provide information to the students pertaining to the Historical Background and Appeal and Value sections before presenting your myth

• Provide a map showing the location from where the myth originated

• Provide a list of the main characters in your myth (if possible)

• Provide the important events/details of your myth – What do we learn?

• Provide the Questions for Response, Discussion, and Analysis from the end of the myth and a response for each.  You only have to pick three questions to answer.

The brochure/newsletter should be visually appealing and informative.

2.  Create a comic strip recapping the major events of your myth and provide the important characters, too.  This can be a part of your brochure/newsletter – you may have to draw it by hand after you finish the rest of the brochure.  If you don’t like this idea – you may create a 6 panel comic strip on a separate piece of paper.