1. APees: I am still trying to bump up our senior Guidance visit date, to ameliorate any woe as you prepare for college. If I can't, please order your unofficial transcript and go over it with a fine-tooth comb for errors and inconsistencies. This is very, very important.
2. All classes need their textbooks (or, seniors, your paperback of ORex) until further notice. Every day. No locker passes. EVERY DAY.
3. Seventh period: We need to have a chat. I am very unhappy with about half of you, and the other half is going to hurt the erring half if the whole class goes on a seating chart. Settle down, and now. Today was hot, yes, but the slippery slope towards immature behavior started Tuesday. I'm glad you're all friends, but we have serious work to do and we need to get to it.
The briskness of business out of the way, here is our tentative learning schedule for the upcoming week:
GIFTED ENGLISH II (Periods 1 and 2)
Monday, 9/13/2010 Pass back an enormous amount of graded work from the basket, after which our Author of the Day is Isaac Asimov and our Word of the Day is "ameliorate." We will be having an A of D quiz this week, and you are allowed to use YOUR notes. YOUR notes, not anyone else's, and I don't have any since I do this stuff out of my head. After we do this, we will continue to work on Antigone, Scene 1 and Ode 1, and answer the questions on the guide I gave you last Friday. HW tonight: Define your vocabulary words #61-80; I may not be able to review as thoroughly this week.
Tuesday, 9/14/2010 Our Author today is Harper Lee, and our word is "insouciant." Before we launch headlong into ancient Greece, we need to do a short activity of PSAT preparation. The PSAT is a very important test you will be taking in exactly one month, and it's the single best way we can tell where you need to focus your efforts. You are already signed up to take it on the second Wednesday in October during your morning classes (it's excused) and the cost to sophomores is covered by College Board, as far as current information indicates. Antigone discussion/reading. HW: Bring Count of Monte Cristo with you tomorrow for in-class reading, and a beverage with a cap or lid on it. (No spills in 313!)
Wednesday, 9/15/2010: No Author today; today is the first of three scheduled in-class reading days for The Count of Monte Cristo, which is otherwise an OUTSIDE reading task. I have a character list for each of you and some suggestions on pre-reading, then it's off to the races. The success of the first two reading days will predict how comfortable the last one will be. . . HW: A short handout about commas.
Thursday, 9/16/2010: Author of the Day is Shel Silverstein, and the word of the day is "per se." (I am sick of people spelling it persay.) Then. . .dun dun dun. . .Author of the Day quiz. Then. . .I will answer ten questions about this week's vocab list. Then. . .Antigone! HW: Study for vocab quiz.
Friday, 9/17/2010: Author of the Day is Leo Tolstoy, and word of the day is "egregious." We will have a few minutes to study for our quiz, then we will take the fourth vocab test. Afterwards, we will dive back into Antigone. Your HW this weekend is to continue reading CMC since there will be a progress check next week.
AP Lit and Comp
Monday, 9/13/2010 We initiated a double-entry form of reading on Friday; I'd like everyone to select one quote or line from the play thus far and write it in a universal diagram on the board to initiate discussion. Then, we'll go more linear and take a good look at the in-order questions I gave you Thursday to ensure that everyone understands what's going on with this play. Focus papers go back today, and you have a week to resubmit if you are so inclined.
Tuesday, 9/14/2010 Our focal point today is Jocasta, who is possibly the tragic epicenter of the play and not her son-husband. Her attitude towards omens and the gods is suspect in this time period and we need to see why Sophocles may have created her in this skeptical vein. Also, we will move forward with the double-entry analysis and continue gathering evidence from the play.
Wednesday, 9/15/2010 Switching gears entirely, with popcorn. Last week, we created a timed writing in 30 minutes on a topic from a previous AP exam. Today, you will have a chance to redo that assignment as a revision--for a grade. You may change topics if you like (some of the TWs felt a little rambly, like you couldn't settle on a position in that short a time period) or you may clean up the draft you've already composed. Whatever you turn in at the end of the period gets graded on the 1-9 scale, but I'll try to be nice.
Thursday, 9/16/2010 Back to Oedipus Rex. Today, I have a critical piece by Frederick Glaysher on Sophocles and the "plague of modernity." It's worth reading for several reasons, not the least of which is that responding to this article is Topic #2 for your second focus paper of the year, which I am also assigning today. It is due next Thursday, September 23, 2010.
Friday, 9/17/2010 Oedipus wrap-up (as far as narrative and literary elements go, that is) and finishing the discussion questions in-class. Our next text will be Macbeth by Shakespeare, but it won't be until the end of next week as we have other business to attend to first.
Be well, everyone!
