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Semester I-British Literature Honors

Individual Activity: Keep a “Monster” Journal. In the texts we’ve been reading there are many examples of monstrous behavior. You goal in this ongoing journal is to define and explore the different kinds of monsters and monstrous behavior you find. Include the following in your journals: 1) quotations pulled from the various texts we’ve read. 2) Commentary that identifies and analyzes the various qualities of the monsters you find. 3) Be neat. You will be given a

completion grade for this work, AND your thinking will most likely be very helpful when you start your Monster Project later in the semester.

Group Activity: Create an adaptation of one of the texts that we’ve been studying. With your group figure out a format/genre you might like to adapt one of the texts we’ve read. For example, you might want to make a comic book or graphic novel of Frankenstein. In your groups, assign roles, define the scope of your work and get started. What supplies will you need? What are the various roles your group members will assume? How can you be sure your project is the “right” size?

Semester I-Writing Lab

Individual Activity: Keep a Writing Journal. In this ongoing journal, reflect upon things you have learned about writing and pose questions that you have about the craft of writing. Be specific, and don’t worry about being able to answer your questions. Possible questions: what are my goals for a particular type of writing? As a writer in general? What is one important/cool thing I’ve learned lately? Am I beginning to think differently about writing? How does my writing reflect the way I think? What good writing have I noticed lately, and what made that writing good?

Group Activity: Create a lesson for the class. Find some topic relevant to our studies—a deeper look at a text, a genre, an era, some historical content, an author, etc… and design a lesson for the class. You might start by looking over the course expectations. Also be sure to divide up roles, find clever ways to hook your audience, create a handout for your classmates and use some kind of media/technology to enhance the lesson. For example, you might look into the topic of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or the causes of the Civil War, or the lives of the Lakota Indians.

Semester I-9^th Grade English

Individual Activity: Keep a “Journey” Journal. In the book we’ve been reading characters go on all kinds of journeys, which serve as metaphors for many things, like growing up or becoming a worthy leader. Your goal in this ongoing journal is to define and explore the different kinds of journeys you find. Include the following in your journals: 1) quotations pulled from the various texts we’ve read. 2) Commentary that identifies and analyzes the various journeys and how they affect the growth of specific characters. 3) Be neat. You will be given a completion grade for this work, AND your thinking will most likely be very helpful on the Hero Project you do later in the semester.

Group Activity: Create an adaptation of one of the texts we’ve been studying. With your group figure out a format you might like to adapt one of the texts we’ve read. For example, you might want to make a graphic novel of The Color of Water. Then, in your groups, assign roles, define the scope of your work and get started. So…what supplies will you need? What are the various roles your group members will assume? How can you be sure your project is the “right” size?

Semester II-British Literature Honors (Tentative)

Individual Activity

Found Poems. “Write” poems using the texts we’re reading to provide insight into whatever ideas strike your fancy. Just remember to pull words, phrases, lines, etc…from the texts. Also, you may use some artful repetition, and you should structure your found poems to distinguish them from their sources and draw attention to the ideas that you are inspired by.

Group Activity

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Create an adaptation of one of the texts that we’ve been studying. With your group figure out a format you might like to adapt one of the texts we’ve read. For example, you might want to make a graphic novel of Frankenstein. Then, in your groups, assign roles, define the scope of your work and get started. So…what supplies will you need? What are the various roles your group members will assume? How can you be sure your project is the “right” size?

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Create a lesson for the class. Find some topic relevant to our studies—a deeper look at a genre, an era, some historical content, an author, etc… and design a lesson for the class. Be sure to divide up roles, find clever ways to hook your audience, create a handout and use some kind of media/technology to enhance the lesson.

Semester II-Writing Lab

Individual Activity

Keep an America Journal. What is America? What kind of America is revealed by the texts we’ve studied? In this journal pull apt quotations from the literature we’ve studied and write commentary that develops a detailed vision of America.

Group Activity

Create a lesson for the class. Find some topic relevant to our studies—a deeper look at a genre, an era, some historical content, an author, etc… and design a lesson for the class. Be sure to divide up roles, find clever ways to hook your audience, create a handout and use some kind of media/technology to enhance the lesson.

Semester II-9^th Grade English

Individual Activity

Found Poems. “Write” poems using the texts we’re reading to provide insight into whatever ideas strike your fancy. Just remember to pull words, phrases, lines, etc…from the texts. Also, you may use some artful repetition, and you should structure your found poems to distinguish them from their sources and draw attention to the ideas that you are inspired by.

Vocabulary Review…study your vocabulary and write some original sentences that 1) use the words you’re studying and 2) comment on the text you are currently reading for this class.

Group Activity

Create a lesson for the class. Find some topic relevant to our studies—a deeper look at a genre, an era, some historical content, an author, etc… and design a lesson for the class. Be sure to divide up roles, find clever ways to hook your audience, create a handout and use some kind of media/technology to enhance the lesson.