2011-2012+IBS+12

IBS 12 2011-2012

Quarter 4 Assignments
4 April, Wednesday
 * In-class: We discussed the reading assignment and categorized the vignettes we have read so far into thematic topics.
 * HW: Read pp. 88-110 and typed response to the foolowing---Discuss the structure of the novel. How does the structure of the novel reflect the theme?

2 April, Monday
 * In-class: Students turned in their notecards for the quotes they will memorize for the IB English exam. Students wrote their commentary on the excerpt from //A Fine Balance//.
 * HW: Read pp. 74-87 and type a response to the following prompt---Discuss Esperanza's relationship with the four skinny trees. Why are they so important to her? Ho do they serve as role models for her? You may use examples from other vignettes to support your short essay.

29 March, Thursday
 * In-class:We discussed the issues presented in the assigned vignettes for the reading. We discussed how to approach the IB exam and commentary.
 * HW: Read pp. 39-73. Choose 5 quotes to memorize for the IB exam. Make sure that the quotes you choose will be ones that you will be able to use for the exam. Annotate the excerpt from //A Fine Balance//.

27 March, Tuesday
 * In-class: We discussed the reading from the break and went over the meanings behind certain metaphors and images. Students examined the use of quotes for the vignette, "Cathy Queen of Cats."
 * HW: Read pp. 26-38 of //The House on Mango Street//. Respond to the following prompt in 250-500 words (typed)--The story of Rosa Vargas and her children raises many issues---about poverty, parental responsibility, neighborly responsibility, and respect. It also shows the disastrous consequences of a combination of negative social forces. Discuss the issues and the social forces. Please bring in your books for //Things Fall Apart// and //Chronicle of a Death Foretold//.

Quarter 3 Assignments
13 March, Tuesday
 * In-class: Writing about the issues of identity in the House on Mango street. Read pp. 3-11

7 February, Tuesday
 * In-class: Students edited each other's drafts of the Things Fall Apart paper. We also took notes on a slideshow about Magical Realism.
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 * HW: Revised Draft 2 due on Thursday.

3 February, Friday
 * In-class: We discussed irony, tragedy, and were working on themes in Achebe's //Things Fall Apart//.
 * HW: Choose your essay topic and write a typed draft of 750-1000 words (due on Tuesday).

1 February, Wednesday
 * In-class: We discussed the poem, "The Second Coming" and worked on the sheets for character quotes, character comparison, tragedy, theme, etc.
 * HW: Finish up sheets and be ready to present. Choose an essay topic.

30 January, Monday
 * In-class: We discussed the end of Things Fall Apart. Students also answered questions for the Part 3 discussion.
 * HW: Read the Yeats poem, "The Second Coming" and answer the questions.

23 January, Monday
 * In-class: We discussed the proverbs and their meanings. We discussed chapters 11-13 and focused on the story of the tortoise's shell, the wedding feast, and the funeral scene. Students connected main ideas from the proverbs with conflicts arising in the novel.
 * HW: Read pp. 129-161 (all of Part 2). Please take note of and pay particular attention to two speeches given in this section. The first one is early on in the reading and the last one is in the end of part 2. You will have an in-class-write on these two speeches on Wednesday.

17 January, Tuesday
 * In-class: We discussed the IOC schedule. We discussed chapters 4-6 and examined a passage from chapter 7. We looked at the section describing the death of Ikemefuna and discussed how the author creates tension and sympathy for Ikemefuna.
 * HW: Read pp. 63-94 and typed response---Both Okonkwo and Obierika are successful heads of households. Which character do you think is a more positive representative of Ibo culture, and why?

Need help with reading Hamlet? Here's the link to the [|Hamlet text and translation], but please, read the original first!
5 December, Monday
 * In-class: Students worked on their Hamlet character presentation projects. We also started listening to [|This American Life: Act V] about a group of inmates who stage Act V of Hamlet.
 * We watched the following Hamlet rap from the movie, "Renaissance Man."
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 * HW: Examine your motifs and write an essay based on your thesis statement and evidence collected. The essay should be 300-550 words. Please type your essay.
 * HW: Examine your motifs and write an essay based on your thesis statement and evidence collected. The essay should be 300-550 words. Please type your essay.

1 December, Thursday
 * In-class: We finished watching the Branagh version of Hamlet and also saw the duel scene from the Royal Shakespeare Company production of Hamlet. Students worked with their groups to plan the character presentations.
 * HW: Be prepared for an in-class write on your motif on Monday. Work on your character presentations. These will be presented on Friday.

29 November Tuesday
 * In-class: We watched the end of Act 4 and 5.1 of the Branagh version of Hamlet. Students turned in their chart about the deaths in Hamlet.
 * HW: Collect the quotes for your assigned motif and type them into the Google Document, "Motifs" that was sent to you via gmail. Once you have type din your quotes, include a thesis statement that examines the significance of the motif in developing theme, character, plot, conflict, etc.

10 November, Thursday
 * In-class: We discussed the answers to the questions for 3.1-3.2 and watched the Branagh version of Hamlet.
 * HW: Read 3.3-3.4 and comment on your assigned speech on Voicethreads (see below). After you have placed your comment, go to another group's voicethread and comment on one of their comments---you can agree or disagree or point out another interpretation as to the significance of the text.
 * === Speech #1 3.2.419-432 (Tom, Daniel, Ryota, Jessica) ===
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 * === Speech #2 3.3.40-76 (Tommy, Edwin, Min Sik, Allen) ===
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 * === Speech #3 3.3.77-101 (Danny, Aaron, Kwang Eun) ===
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8 November, Tuesday

4 November, Friday
 * In-class: Students took the Act 1 and 2 test on Hamlet.
 * HW: Read Act 3.1-3.2 and answer the questions (writers will answer evens and authors will answer odds).

2 November, Wednesday
 * In-class: We watched the Branagh version of Hamlet through Act 2. We also looked at the "Rogue and Peasant slave" soliloquy in the Royal Shakespeare Company 2010 version.
 * HW: Study for the test on Acts 1 and 2 on Friday, 11/4. The test will have the following parts: quote identification, quote interpretation, literary device identification, and an essay (based on your truth chart).

31 October, Monday
 * In-class: We discussed Act 2 and the "Rogue and Peasant Slave" soliloquy.
 * HW: Complete the truth chart.

20 October, Thursday
 * In-class: Students went to the presentation on credit and banking.
 * HW: Complete Hamlet's character web and then write a short essay based on Hamlet's character.

18 October, Tuesday
 * In-class: We discussed the speech Claudius presents to the court of Elsinore (1.2.1-39) and examined the literary elements. Students physicalized Hamlet's first soliloquy.
 * HW: Read 1.4-1.5 and complete the worksheet on the ghost. Authors should complete the chart for Activity 1 (front page) and writers complete the chart for Activity 2 (back page). You do not have to draw the poster or the storyboard....just fill in the chart completely and thoroughly!

14 October, Friday
 * In-class: We discussed the end of 1.1 and the section about what is happening with Fortinbras. We listened to an audio recording of 1.2. We watched the Kenneth Branagh version of Hamlet up to the point where Horatio tells Hamlet that the ghost of the dead king has appeared.
 * HW: Read 1.2-1.3 and answer the questions on the sheet you were given. Please answer the questions (typed) on another sheet of paper. You need to know that (from http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/lit_terms_A.html)
 * || **ANTITHESIS** (plural: //**antitheses**//): Using opposite phrases in close conjunction. Examples might be, "I burn and I freeze," or "Her character is white as sunlight, black as midnight." The best antitheses express their contrary ideas in a balanced sentence. It can be a contrast of opposites: "Evil men fear authority; good men cherish it." Alternatively, it can be a contrast of degree: "One small step for a man, one giant leap for all mankind." Antithesis is an example of a [|rhetorical scheme]. ||

12 October, Wednesday


 * In-class: We watched the Standard Deviants presentation of "Shakespeare." Students should have taken notes. We read 1.1.1-80 and discussed how Shakespeare used words to establish the exposition of the play. Pay attention to the appearance of the ghost---why is it appearing? How do the characters behave?
 * HW: Read 1.1 and write a response on how conflict, character, or setting is revealed.

Quarter 1 Assignments
4 October, Tuesday
 * In-class: Students were given time to work on late work. Drafts for the Robert Frost paper were turned in and returned to the students with edits. If you have not completed your comments for the voicethread, please do so as soon as possible in order to receive credit!
 * HW: Robert Frost paper due on Thursday.

30 September, Friday
 * In-class: In class write on the Robert Frost poem, "The Road Not Taken."
 * HW: Robert Frost paper (I will write the assignment here once I get it at school.)

28 September, Wednesday
 * In-class: Students presented their voicethreads on the two Frost poems. We went over some of the details in each of the poems. Students began working on an explication of another Frost poem.
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 * HW: Please make sure that you comment on the other group's voicethread. Offer constructive criticism as well as offer your own insight into their interpretation of the poem. You must also read and annotate the last Robert Frost poem we will read, "The Road Not Taken."

26 September, Monday
 * In-class: Students discussed the answers to their questions for the group's assigned poem. Students also began working on their voicethread for their poems.
 * HW: Voicethread for "Tuft of Flowers" and "The Woodpile" must be completed by Wednesday. All members of the group must be featured speaking in the voicethread. Please make sure that it is organized, thoughtful, insightful, and informative. We will view the voicethreads in class on that day.

22 September, Thursday
 * In-class: We discussed the interpretations to "After Apple-Picking" that each student read for homework. We also watched and listened to a voice thread about "Birches." We discussed the good points about the presentation and also critiqued the points that need improvement. Students were assigned a poem to read, annotate and answer questions in groups.
 * HW: In your groups,read the poem ("Tuft of Flowers" - Tommy, Min Sik, Tom, Daniel, Allen; "The Woodpile"- Ryota, Kwang, Aaron, Danny, Edwin, Jessica). Make sure that you annotate the poem and answer the questions. On Monday you must be ready to work on the voicethread for this project.

20 September, Tuesday


 * In-class: We finished the "Voices and VIsions: Robert Frost" video. We listened to the audio recording of Robert Frost reading his poem, "After Apple-Picking." [|__http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/173523__] We discussed the student answers to the questions as well as the poetic devices used in the poem.
 * HW: Read the literary criticism you have been given. Examine the source. Write a "works cited" entry (in MLA format) for the source. On the voicethread below, add your commentary about the poem, making sure to correctly cite at least two ideas from the literary criticism you read. Agree or disagree with the two statements made by your literary critic and then cite evidence from the poem to validate your opinion. Your form of commentary must be in audio format. You must type in the works cited entry by writing, "My source was: ....place works cited entry here..." on the voicethread.
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16 September, Friday
 * In-class: We discussed the poem, "Mending Wall." We also watched the video, "Voices and Visions: Robert Frost" and took notes on the video.
 * HW: Read and annotate the poem, "After Apple-Picking." Please answer the questions as well---authors will work on the even questions and writers will work on the odd-numbered questions. Please do not answer #9. The voicethread for your commentary on Robert Frost is up, but it will not be due until Thursday, 22 Sept.
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14 September, Wednesday
 * In-class: We annotated and discussed the Frost poem, "Mending Wall." We listened to the NPR news article, [|"Xenophobic School of Poetry."] Students started to complete the form and content analysis chart.
 * HW: Please finish the form and content analysis chart for "Mending Wall."

12 September, Monday
 * In-class: We watched the animated shorts from [|StoryCorps] and listened to the audio recordings of Franke Devito remembering his grandfather and Daejin Ryook remembering his daughter, Sunga. Scroll down to look for [|"He just won't get out of my mind..."] and [|"After we lost our daughter, we lost everything..."]
 * Animated shorts from [|StoryCorps September 11 Initiative]
 * //She Was the One//
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 * //John and Joe//
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 * //Always a Family//
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 * In an answer to the question, "Why do we study poetry?": Here is a [|video of Dame Judi Dench reading two poems]---one by Christina Rossetti and the other by Henry Van Dyke. We study poetry because poetry speaks to the human experience. Click on the link on the site to watch Judi Dench read the two poems.
 * HW: Emily Dickinson's poems, "I measure every Grief I meet", "It was not Death," and "After great Pain a formal feeling comes" all deal with the pain of loss. After listening to the stories of family and friends who lost their loved ones on 9/11, write about how their feelings of loss compare with those Dickinson writes about in her poetry. Is Dickinson able to capture the sense of loss? Is her poetry relevant? Your paper should be 300-500 words. Please make sure to mention the name of the victim as well as the person/people who spoke about them on storycorps.

8 September, Thursday
 * In-class: We discussed the poem, "After great Pain." We watched the following video about the power of words.
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 * HW:Commentary on your chosen topic for "After great Pain." The commentary should be 200-500 words in length.

6 September, Tuesday
 * In-class: Students annotated "I measure every Grief". Students were responsible for a particular stanza and discussed it in class. We were not able to view the following videos to enhance our knowledge of Dickinson:
 * [|Garden Roots of Emily Dickinson's Poetry from PBS]
 * [|Poetry Everywhere animation of "I started early---"]
 * HW: Read and annotate "After great Pain". Make sure that you follow the directions on the back of the sheet about what you must annotate. Please make sure that you are able to discuss the answers to the questions on the back of the sheet with the poem.

1 September, Thursday
 * In-class: We discussed the poem, "It was not Death" and talked about the contrasts present in the poem.
 * HW: Write a commentary on the poem, "It was not Death." Make sure to include information about Dickinson as well as evidence from the poem.

30 August, Tuesday
 * In-class: We watched the video, Emily Dickinson---A Certain Slant of Light." We discussed information regarding her poetry and her life.
 * HW: Read and annotate "It was not Death."

26 August, Friday
 * In-class: We listened to the voice threads on "This World is not Conclusion." We annotated the poem in class and discussed the categorizations of verbs and capitalized words. We went over the "How to interpret a poem" handout.
 * HW: Read the second version of "This World is not Conclusion" and then write a short essay examining how the edits and cut lines have affected the theme of the poem. Make sure to make textual references. If you have used outside help to reach your conclusions, please make sure to cite your source.

24 August, Wednesday
 * In-class: We heard the presentation of "A Bird came down the walk." We discussed the poem. Students began working on "This World is not Conclusion"
 * HW: Read and annotate "This World is not Conclusion." Complete the exercises on the sheet to help you analyze the poem. For your [|voice thread], please go to the site and then sign up for a voice thread account. You will not be able to comment if you do not have an account. Watch the tutorial, "What 's a Voice Thread anyway?" to get started. Sign up for your account and then go to our IB class voicethread on "This World is not Conclusion" through this link http://voicethread.com/share/2189463/
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 * Please listen to my recording and read my comments before you start yours. Make sure you comment in at least two ways: by typing in a comment and by audio recording.

22 August, Monday
 * In-class: Students turned in their essay about Emily Dickinson's thoughts on the role of the poet. Students worked on the annotations and explications of the two bird poems. One group presented their findings.
 * HW: Continue to examine and discuss your poem. The next group will present on Wednesday.

18 August, Thursday
 * In-class: We discussed the two poems about poets. We read the background information regarding Emily Dickinson's poetry.
 * HW: Typed response- According to Emily Dickinson, what is the role of the poet?

16 August, Tuesday
 * In-class: We finished watching the "Voices and Visions: Emily Dickinson" video. We started reading the handout with the introductory notes about Dickinson's poetry. Students read and annotated "The Poet lights but Lamps---". Students began to annotate their assigned poem in groups. "I dwell in Possibility---" :Kwang Eun, Tom, Aaron, Ryota, Edwin. "This was a Poet---It is That" :Min Sik, Tommy, Allen, Jessica, Daniel, Danny.
 * HW: Finish reading and annotating the poem you were assigned. Be prepared to present the poem to the class on Thursday.

12 August, Friday
 * In-class: We went over the two versions of "Safe in their Alabaster Chambers." We examined diction and rhyme scheme as well as Dickinson's choice of imagery. We started watching "Voices and Visions: Emily Dickinson."
 * HW: Write a 500 word response to the "Safe in their Alabaster Chamber" poems. This should be a coherent and cohesive essay with a thesis and supporting evidence. (Typed!)

10 August, Wednesday
 * In-class: We went over the information compiled on the Google document for Emily Dickinson. We read the poem "I never saw a Moor" and annotated it. We examined the two versions of the poem.
 * HW: Read and annotate the two versions (1859, 1861) of "Safe in their Alabaster Chambers". Students should follow the directions on the poetry guide handed out in class. Type your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

8 August, Monday
 * In-class: We went over the syllabus. We discussed the IB learner profile and identified the traits that we possessed and the traits that we need to develop over the course of the year. In groups, students discussed and shared their ideas regarding the following prompts:
 * Poetry is..
 * The subject/s or theme/s of poetry is/are...
 * I think poetry...
 * I wish poetry...
 * HW: Conduct a little research on Emily Dickinson. Post at least three pieces of interesting information about Emily Dickinson on the GoogleDoc that I have shared with you. Please make sure to cite the source of your information. If you are not the first to post, please read through what others have written and then add your information, making sure not to duplicate the work of another. This information may assist you in understanding Dickinson's poetry as well as provide you with background data for an oral presentation. Please post only significant information that we will find useful.