Embedded Files
26-line Essay Assignment (Start of a major assessment)
26-line Essay Assignment (Start of a major assessment)
Write a 26-line essay answering the prompt: Was George right or wrong to shoot Lennie?
CEC Character Analysis Assignment (Minor assessment)
CEC Character Analysis Assignment (Minor assessment)
1) Choose a character -- Curly's Wife, Candy, Crooks, Curly
2) What kind of a person is he/she?
3) Find quotes from the book that prove that.
4) Write a CEC.
Super Basic Example:
In the novel Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, the character of Crooks is lonely. When Lennie comes to visit him in the barn, he says, "..." (Steinbeck #). This shows the deep hurt that Crooks feels due to his rejection by the other men based on his skin color.
Here's an example thought log for Chapter 1, Chapter 2, and the CEC exercise we did in class. Here's an example thought log for Chapter 3, and here's one for Chapter 4.
Here's an example thought log for Chapter 1, Chapter 2, and the CEC exercise we did in class. Here's an example thought log for Chapter 3, and here's one for Chapter 4.
Everything you need for Of Mice and Men is HERE. The slide show about the Great Depression is below.
Everything you need for Of Mice and Men is HERE. The slide show about the Great Depression is below.
Final Exam Review
Final Exam Review
One Pager Assignment
One Pager Assignment
Instructions and Rubric Below
Please remember:
When you have a quote, you need to embed it and cite it.
For example:
- When Ms. Brown walked into the room, Ms. Craig said, "Hello, Ms. Brown" (Dobson 86).
- When Character did a thing, another characters response was "quoted text directly copied from the book" (Lee 86).
Your 4th and final thought log is due when we get back from Thanksgiving break.
Your 4th and final thought log is due when we get back from Thanksgiving break.
- Your fourth thought log should include a discussion of how the characters have changed over the course of the book, how the conflict was resolved, any final details/observations about setting, discussion questions, your reflections on the book (did you like it? why?), summaries of the last quarter of the book and so on. Why did the characters make the choices they did? How did the setting affect people's choices? How was the conflict resolved?
- It should also include 2 or more signposts. (What's a signpost? Look here.)
- You should be finalizing your idea of the theme. What are the big ideas the author is exploring in the book? Use quotes from the text to prove that the book is talking about that.
Here is a teacher model for the third thought log over the book Black and White that the freshmen used in class -- Page 1 / Page 2 . This would get about an 82 because the literary elements section is too brief. The two signposts are good, and the discussion of theme is OK, not great.
Planning worksheets and teacher model for the Literary Analysis Paper are below:
Planning worksheets and teacher model for the Literary Analysis Paper are below:
IMG_2603.jpgIMG_2604.jpgYour third thought log is due on NOVEMBER 13th.
Your third thought log is due on NOVEMBER 13th.
- Your third thought log should include a discussion of how the characters are changing, how the conflict is evolving, any new details about setting, discussion questions, predictions, summaries of the chapters and so on. Why are the characters acting the way they do? How is the setting affecting people's choices? How has the conflict changed?
- It should also include 2 or more signposts. (What's a signpost? Look below.)
- You should be looking for theme. What are the big ideas the author is exploring in the book? Use quotes from the text to prove that the book is talking about that.
Here is a teacher model for the third thought log over the book Black and White that the freshmen used in class -- Page 1 / Page 2 . This would get about an 82 because the literary elements section is too brief. The two signposts are good, and the discussion of theme is OK, not great.
Information on signposts and thought logs below:
Information on signposts and thought logs below:
IMG_2531.jpgIMG_2469.jpgThe grades in the grade book are your report card grades, unless you come to tutoring on Tuesday or Wednesday after school.
The grades in the grade book are your report card grades, unless you come to tutoring on Tuesday or Wednesday after school.
Be sure you have your book club books with you on Monday.
Be sure you have your book club books with you on Monday.
Your choices for book club are:
- Runner
- Boy 21
- All the Bright Places
- The Sky is Everywhere
- Every Last Word
Gamers to the End Essay
Gamers to the End Essay
Instructions:
Instructions:
- Think of a group of people such as teachers, police officers, doctors, parents, or friends.
- What qualities make these people awesome?
- Write an essay.
- Your essay should have an intro, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
- Your intro should have a hook, bridge, and thesis statement.
An example of a thesis statement is: Exemplary teachers get to know their kids well, they're patient, and they know their subject thoroughly.
So, based on the thesis statement above, my first paragraph will tell the story of my 7th grade history teacher and how she knew each of us really well. My second paragraph will tell the story of my 9th grade Algebra teacher who was so patient with me when she was explaining things. My third paragraph will tell the story of my grad school Rhetorical Grammar teacher who knows EVERYTHING there is to know about English grammar.
This week, you have a few tasks:
1) Finish your Author's Chair writing. Turn that in.
2) Start work on your essay describing exemplary people (instructions forthcoming).
3) Clean up any missing assignments or low grades. Tutoring this week in C109 Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
This week we will work more on "notice and note" and our close reading skills. We will be writing a reflection on our independent reading books, and we will get started on organizing our book club groups. Remember that reading at home IS your homework for English. We are a little over 6 weeks into the quarter, so you should have read a good chunk of something that you will be able to write about this coming week.
We have been working on our "notice and note" skills. This slideshow has all your notes for this skill (and some revising skills we haven't covered yet because we're overly ambitious sometimes). You've already completed a close reading test and an assignment in Canvas for "notice and note." Log in to Canvas for the assignment over "Gamers to the End" if you were absent. Here is a copy of "Gamers to the End" in case you need it.
Here's a recap of the instructions for your first major assessment.
1) Re-read Life of Reilly
2) Choose a trait and a person (or three people, or three items) who (which) gave you that trait.
3) Choose an organization. See slide below.
4) Storyboard
5) Draft
Your first major assessment is upon us!
Prove that you have a particular trait or characteristic. Use three small stories (like in Life of Reilly) to prove that you have that trait. Below, you see three possible structures.
Do you need to review simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences? Click HERE.
Do you need to review simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences? Click HERE.
Sept. 4 -- Life of Reilly -- Identifying the main idea and the structure of a text.
Strategy: Storyboarding
STORYBOARDING can help me identify the supporting details of a main idea and can help me identify how a text is structured.
TONIGHT -- Aug. 28, 2018 -- If you didn't finish a draft of your "Explode the Moment" scene, the instructions are below, and you need to email me or send me a message over Remind in order to set up a tutoring time. Instructions are below:
Aug 20-24 We read from The Astonishing Color of After, we worked on our summarizing skills (Who wants what, but, so), and we remembered how to make simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences. We passed out All the Bright Places, and will start work with that this coming week.
Between August 15-17, we've done stations in order to familiarize ourselves with the classroom, signed up for Google Classroom and Remind, we've done some brainstorming bingo, and we've started with "Salvador, Late or Early " by Sandra Cisneros. Remember that you need to have done all formative work in order to be allowed to reassess. If you were absent, please send me a Remind or an email and let me help you get caught up.
Information for the 2018-2019 school year is above this line.
Information for the 2018-2019 school year is above this line.
Information for the 2017-2018 school year is below this line.
Information for the 2017-2018 school year is below this line.
INTERPRETIVE RESPONSE (simple break down)
INTERPRETIVE RESPONSE (simple break down)
In-class reading selections:
In-class reading selections:
Dozens of Roses, The Wallet, My Father (all one document, just scroll down)
Dozens of Roses, The Wallet, My Father (all one document, just scroll down)
Thesis example: In the short story "The Wallet" by Andrew McCuaig, and in the script "Dozens of Roses" by Virginia Wolff, the authors use symbolism in order to explore power in the way that those with power can dehumanize* those they wish to exercise power over.
(* To dehumanize means "to treat someone as if they were not human, to treat them as 'less-than' or unworthy of respect.)
Another thesis example: In "What They Took With Them" by Jennifer Toksvig and "My Father" by Pat Conroy, the authors explore what it means to lose a home to violence.
And another: In "The Wallet" by Andrew McCuaig and "My Father" by Pat Conroy, the authors explore how victims of abuse can reclaim their power.
BIG PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS FOR Q4
BIG PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS FOR Q4
Your official One Pager Instruction Sheet is here.
Your official One Pager Instruction Sheet is here.
What do I turn in?
A poster.
On it you must write the following:
- A thematic statement (Ex: Love can give us the strength to do things we thought were impossible.)
- 6 total quotes that prove your thematic statement. 3 of those quotes should include a literary device.
What are literary devices? Stuff like diction (word choice), simile, metaphor, allusion...
How am I supposed to do that?
1) Read your book and do your thought logs. (What's a thought log? Scroll down a little and look at the green box just below this one. )
2) OK, but how do I make that into a thematic statement? Click this link.
3) Make your poster "intelligently pretty" -- decorate it with images that relate to the book's theme
After you manage your poster, you need to write an interpretive response.
After you manage your poster, you need to write an interpretive response.
How do you write an interpretive response?
How do you write an interpretive response?
Ms Brown, when do you have tutoring?
Every day after school in B116.
Here is a photo of the pink bookmark that has the questions on it for the thought logs.
Here is a photo of the pink bookmark that has the questions on it for the thought logs.
Your first thought log is due on April 6th/9th and should cover the first 1/4 of the book.
Your second thought log is due on April 16th/17th and should cover the second 1/4 of the book.
Your third thought log is due on April 26th/27th and should cover the third 1/4 of the book.
Your fourth and final thought log is due May 8th/9th and should cover the last 1/4 of the book.
(Look at the total number of pages in the book and divide by 4 to figure out how many pages you'll need to read for each thought log.)
Here are some examples of thought logs that Ms. Romero has made as samples for you:
Welcome to quarter 4! It's time to choose a book. You can choose one off the list you received in class today (also below), which you will need to buy, get from the library at school, or get from the public library. OR you will be assigned the book Whale Talk, which we have many copies of at school to check out to you.
Possible books:
- Every Last Word
- All the Bright Places
- Turtles All the Way Down
- The Sky is Everywhere
- Boy 21
- Homeboyz
- The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriguez
- Never Fall Down
- Sold
- Tyrell
E-mail me if you have any questions!
Are you missing your persuasive essay? Here are the possible prompts: page 1, page 2. How to write an essay? Click here. Do the essay in Google docs and share it with me at lbrown5@g.dentonisd.org and with sromero@g.dentonisd.org
STAAR test practice can be found here. Just scroll down to English II. Email me if you want to work on something.
Work for Julius Caesar Unit
Work for Julius Caesar Unit
By now, it's missing:
- (Minor) Persuasive letter to your parents using ethos, pathos, and logos. Persuade them to let you do something they wouldn't ordinarily do. Use ethos, pathos, and logos. Underline and identify your use of each.
- (Minor) Identifying ethos, pathos, and logos worksheet (You've all completed this).
- (Minor) Rhetorical Analysis Paragraph based on Act 2, Scene 1 Brutus Soliloquy
- (Minor) Analysis of Act 3, Antony's Funeral Speech (done in-class on Friday, Jan 26) If you didn't do this, you must see Ms. Romero.
MAJOR -- FUNERAL SPEECHWRITER PROJECT
MAJOR -- FUNERAL SPEECHWRITER PROJECT
Short Answer example:
Claim: In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck repeatedly references both Lennie’s strength and childlike demeanor, suggesting that innocence does not preclude violence.
Evidence: When George throws away Lennie’s dead mouse, he notes that Lennie is “‘Blubberin’ like a baby!...A big guy like you’” (Steinbeck 9). Lennie wants to know why he can’t keep it because he remembers his aunt used to give him mice all the time, but George reminds him that “‘she stopped givin’ ’em to ya. You always killed ’em’” (9).
Commentary: This tells us that Lennie has killed mice repeatedly since his childhood; although this is not his intention, his strength and his lack of control make this outcome inevitable. It’s important to note this violence is not exclusive to the mice. His inability to connect his actions (such as pinching the mice when they bite him) with the outcome (their deaths) is what causes Lennie to repeat his violent actions in a variety of settings, making him a frightening force despite his innocent nature.
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