Block 2 Reminders

Today in class we discussed the characters in the first two chapters of the book, and we watched the PBS documentary about soldier's stories in Vietnam. The video can be found here: http://video.pbs.org/video/2166430461/

Please remember to bring your book with you to class on Thursday.

Block 4 post your questions for the chapter "Love" here

Block 4 post your questions for the chapter "The Things They Carried" here

I hope you are all enjoying the two chapters I assigned for homework ("The Things They Carried" and "Love"),  Tim O'Brien is a great storyteller.

Please post your questions in the comment section. Remember, you need to post 2-3 questions for each chapter, and don't repeat a classmate's questions!

Homework for Block 4

• Carefully revise two of your literacy vignettes. Be sure to consider the strategies we discussed as "tools" during our discussion of "Indian Education".
• On Monday you will hand in: the drafts of all five vignettes; the two revised vignettes; and the completed peer review sheet.

Have a nice weekend!

Homework for Block 2

• Your homework for Friday is to read the chapter "The Things They Carried" and prepare the following questions for discussion. If you didn't receive a book the books are available in room C246 or in our library.

 

1.   Why is Cross so fixed on Martha? What is so great about her?

 

2.   Why does Jimmy Cross blame Ted’s death on himself?

 

3.   Why did they carry all of those weird things? What is the point?

 

4.   Why did Lt. Cross burn the pictures of Martha?

 

5.   Why does Cross ask O’Brien not to put him in his book?

 

6.   Was Cross a good leader?

 

Homework for Block 4

• Revise and type the two vignettes that you chose in class. Be sure to use strategies that enhance the main idea of your vignette.
• Be sure to bring all your drafts to class.

Have a great weekend :)

Block 4 Homework for 9/18

• We will finish the graded discussion. Be sure to bring "Indian Education"
• Bring your completed literacy vignettes to class.

Block 2 "Indian Education" and literacy vignettes

• Please be sure to bring your copy of "Indian Education" with you to class on Wednesday.
• If you didn't complete the draft of your vignettes, be sure to bring them with you as well.
• If you took your writing folder out of class....bring it back!

Homework for block 4

Your homework is as follows:

• Finish drafting your literacy vignettes.
• I recommend that you skip lines.
• Remember to bring your book for your photo!
• Have a great weekend :)

Homework for Block 2

• Be sure to complete the draft of your literacy history.
• The five vignettes should be hand-written, double spaced and titled.
• Have a nice weekend!

Your Literacy History

 

 

What is literacy?

 

It’s more than just reading and writing!  What does it mean to be a literate person?

 

For our purposes, literacy is:

 

·        A set of skills, behaviors, attitudes and dispositions demonstrated by people who function successfully in a field.  These skills allow people to feel comfortable and confident as they function in an educated group.

 

 

What do you think reading / writing literacy is?

 

Do you remember defining moments that shaped your reading and writing literacy?

 

Do you like writing and reading?  Do you avoid reading or writing at all costs?  When was the first time you wrote or read something you loved?  Did you write or read because you wanted to, or did someone make you write?  What kind of feedback did your parents/ teachers/ friends give you on your writing or reading?

 

On the back of this sheet of paper is your literacy timeline.  Brainstorm moments in your life that most stick out as having shaped your views on writing.

 

Assignment:  Pick any five of these moments that you feel best represent your life as a writer (or non-writer, as the case may be!).  Write at least six sentences per memory relaying that experience to your reader.  How old were you?  How did you feel?  You may use my example to guide you in terms of format, content, etc.  REMEMBER TO CONSIDER YOUR VOICE AS A WRITER!  I want to hear you in your writing.

 

This assignment MUST be typed, 12 pt standard font, STAPLED!

 

Your assignment is due next class!  Printer broken?  E-mail: mforster@niskyschools.org

 

 

M. Forster

My Literacy History

 

 

Memory: 5 years old

I’m in trouble.  I’ve been sent to my room and told not to come out.  I can’t recollect what I did to land myself there, but it must have been bad.  Sitting there, in solitary confinement, I don’t quite know what to do with myself.  I must remove myself from this dreadful situation immediately, but how?  I find an old Steno notebook in my toy box and begin to construct my plea for freedom.  I write an apology note to my mother, begging her to forgive me for what I had done.  I offered her the alternative of “forgetting about me” if she wanted to.  My brother Travis having just been born, I also told her I hoped she “had a nice baby” (the implication that I may never see any of them again because of my imprisonment).  I folded it up like a letter, addressed it to my mother, and shoved it under my bedroom door where it skimmed down the hallway. 

Within moments I was released from my shackles and permitted to rejoin humanity.  The power of writing astounded me, and I kept it as a tool, in reserve.

 

Memory: 8 years old

 

I excel at penmanship.  I practice D’Nilean handwriting in my workbork.  I like its curly letters and graceful turns.  I hold the pencil tightly and stare intently at the guidelines on the paper, making sure all of my arches and tails fall exactly where they should.  This seems to be the sign of a good writer.  Row after row of scripty m’s proved I had the gift.

Homework for next class

Be sure to bring a copy of a book that you have read and enjoyed to our next class.

Welcome to English 11 R

Welcome to English 11R and the Syllabus

English 11R:

Dr. Moore and Ms. McCarty

kmoore@niskyschools.org

http://henrywalt.blogspot.com/

 

Welcome to English 11R!  In our first class, you expressed  your goals  for our year together.  These ranged from improving writing and speaking skills to learning how to study more effectively. In addition, many of you said that you would look forward  to assigned reading more if it were chosen to be engaging and relevant, and if it were presented in such a way that the pleasure of reading wasn’t sacrificed. An essential part of the American Experience comes from the energy of understanding ourselves individually and as a culture, and as we read, write, and speak this year, our ultimate goal is helping one another expand our horizons.                              

 

Student Expectations:

 

Improving your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills will require that you work diligently over the course of the year. In order to reach our goals for this year it will be necessary for students to meet the expectations below.

 

• Active class participation in class activities and discussion
• Serious effort (seven to eight hours of work a week)
• Ability to work on long term projects
• Maturity of thought and expression
• Willingness to work both collectively and independently
• Willingness to revise written work
• Willingness to complete reading assignments

 

Objectives from the NYS Common Core for English:

 

1.     Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. Explore and inquire into areas of interest to formulate an argument.

 

2.     Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)

 

3.     Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3

 

4.     Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

 

5.     Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.

 

6.     Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

 

7. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

 

 

Materials:

• A notebook devoted only to English
• An assignment notebook
• A folder or binder devoted to English handouts
• A blue or black pen

 

 

Evaluation:

              

 

Students will be evaluated on a wide-range of assignments, both individual and collective. Students will be evaluated through tests, writing, discussion, projects, research and presentations.

 

 

Reading Quizzes and Notes Quizzes                                                        25-50 pts

Tests                                                                                                               100 pts

Major Writing Assignments                                                                       100-150 pts

Major Projects                                                                                              100-150 pts

Presentations                                                                                                50-100 pts.

Homework                                                                                                     20-50 pts

Class Participation                                                                                      10% of the tot al grade                                                                                

 

 

• The final will be the Regents Exam and will be worth twenty percent of the student’s final course grade.

 

• Each quarter grade will be calculated by a point system; the grade will be determined by dividing the number of points the student earned with the number of possible points in the quarter.
• Final school marks will be determined by using quality points.

 

 

Policies:

 

• Students who miss 15 class periods will be denied credit for the class. Any absence of more than twenty minutes constitutes an absence.
• Students are encouraged to seek extra help; please make an appointment.
• Students may be offered the opportunity to redo certain assignments after a conference.
• No late homework will be accepted, unless a student has been absent.
• Ten points will be deducted each school day an assignment is late.
• Tests, presentations and quizzes missed due to absence must be makeup within one week. Failure to make up work within one week will result in a zero. All missed quizzes will be available in the English department. It is not necessary to make an appointment.
• Students are expected to follow the guidelines for academic integrity and plagiarism outlined in the Niskayuna Student Handbook. All work a student hands in is expected to be wholly his or her own. If a student consults outside sources, he or she must properly cite his or her work using MLA format. Students are encouraged to consult their teachers, the MLA handbook, the media center, and the Niskayuna Research Guide with any questions. All suspected violations of this policy will be reported to the administration. Students found guilty of academic dishonesty will be subject to failure, reduction of grades and disciplinary action.
• Students who fail to complete major assignments in the fourth quarter will not be allowed to take the final examination. A grade of zero will be assigned for the final exam grade.