Imagery

Silent Reading

Mini Writing Challenge: evoking the senses!
When writing creatively, or even when writing an essay, you can add flair and interest to your ideas by making your reader see, hear, taste, feel, smell whatever it is you are writing about.

Barbies vs. Chickens - In two sentences describe a barbie doll - yup, a nod to yesterday's poems. Okay, okay, if you really can't manage describing a barbie... then what about a chicken? Alive or cooked... your choice.

Homework Check:

Imagery: T.S. Eliot Preludes

Writing Work: How to Write an Imagist Poem We'll work on this tomorrow.

Connotation vs. Denotation

Silent Reading

Mini Writing Challenge: Sentence Variety
** In five minutes of silent writing, produce two sentences about the speaker in one of the poems from yesterday; you'll remember that we read and discussed "Daddy," "Papa's Waltz" and "To a Sad Daughter." Make one sentence short and simple. Make the other complex and long. (Peer review and mark on a six point scale... Discuss: what do we notice?)

Denotation vs. Connotation - the next question to ask about a poem is, "What language is used?" Etc... Language = WORDS

Denotation - the dictionary definition of the word. (Multiple meanings can lead to puns).

Connotation - the ideas/impressions that the words make you think of.

The connotations of a word are what we react to most strongly. Poets love connotation as it leads directly to symbols and themes.

Today's Poems: Two old feminist rants: Barbie Doll, by Marge Piercy and Paper Matches, by Paulette Jilles.

Connotation Word Discussions

Homework: War Poem Handout and Questions - due tomorrow - be prepared to discuss.

New Books and First Poems

1) RCE Essays/Stories are due.

2) Lit. Circle Books - Who is reading what and off to sign out from the library... (no mini-writing lesson today as our time will be taken up with getting books out.)

3) Silent Reading.

4) Questions to ask of a poem.

5) First Poems -all about fathers... let's put our questions to work.

Daddy, by Sylvia Plath - I will model how to use the questions to garner ideas and understandings about a poem.

Papa's Waltz, by Theodore Roethke
To a Sad Daughter, by Michael Ondaatje
In pairs, you will be responsible for determining the speaker, setting, tone, plot.
In groups you will discuss the remaining questions. Your group will select three of the most significant quotes to write on the board... with some annotations about what these quotes reveal.

Discussion.

Writing Topic: Nothing today... I know you wrote all weekend. :)

Into the Wild - our poetry unit begins...

Book Talk first.

Unit handout. No textbook. Return The Kite Runner.

Discussion:

What do we think of, when we think of "The Wild?" Think of the wind last night...

What do we think of when we think of poetry?

What do the two share in common?

I didn't always like poetry. Until I came across Batter my Heart Three Personed God. What did I see and hear and feel in it?

There's a storm inside us all. The sounds. The feelings. We are poetry!

So, now, let's read some... first a poem that offers a persuasive argument - Tara, this is stupid stuff!

Terrance this is stupid stuff.

Online Lit Circle - Book Choices

Catcher in the Rye

Deniro`s Game

Lord of the Flies

Oryx and Crake

Obasan

Of Mice and Men

The Secret Life of Bees

A Complicated Kindness

Into the Wild

pdf of notes

Kite Runner Notes

Here they are.

Friday, November 18th

1) Reminders/Finish yesterday's presentations - test on Monday. I'll email you all the notes. Lots of multiple choice and an essay. Project and journal due.

2)Royal Commonwealth Essay Competition:
CLASS A Born 1992 - 1994 1400 - 1750 words
All questions can be answered by writing an essay or story which explores the topic in an interesting and relevant way.

1. Who should sit in judgment for those charged with “Crimes against humanity”?

2. There are those who believe that it is the control of natural resources that leads to conflict. What do you believe?

3. “The despair of youth with limited opportunities is the major reason they turn to violent conflict.” Take a position on this statement and defend it.

4. To what extent will migration from the developing world to the developed world become a greater social and political issue in the future?

5. What do you think is the major cause of Global Terrorism?

6. The Commonwealth Question: The Commonwealth Heads of Government will meet in Australia in 2011 to discuss global issues. There are also regular meetings to consider foreign affairs, finance, justice, education, health, youth, tourism, gender, environment and sports. Choose one of these topics and explain why you think it is important and what decisions you feel the Commonwealth representatives should attempt to reach.

3) Compositions
What the heck is a composition?
Look at the photo -->
What do you notice about it?
What is it trying to do?
Why is it effective?


Why should I care?
English 12? Seriously?
Essays vs. Narratives - handout.

4) Library
CMap back --> decide narrative or essay --> decide on main idea --> submit to teacher--> begin research --> find five sources that inform your topic --> online articles, interviews, videos, books, etc... --> make notes and keep track of your sources--> all this rough work will be submitted/handed in.

5) Homework: STUDY!

SKATEISTAN: and indie documentary...

SKATEISTAN: TO LIVE AND SKATE KABUL from Diesel New Voices on Vimeo.

Our Class Calendar

You can keep up with deadlines and see where we are heading by following our class calendar - scroll down to the bottom of the page. You can also add this to your calendars on your Google Apps page.

Friday, Nov.4th

I'm sick. I'm sorry to be away again...

Catch Up Day

Here is a list of the most recent stuff that is due. After Monday, all old term 1 work will be given a ZERO (with the exception of the creative project).

• Kite Runner Creative Project - you had a choices like a letter, psych report, character CD, etc...


• Kite Runner Visual Project - the Wordle or Postsecret card.


• CMap Brainstorm for Essay Project


• KR Bulleten Board Contribution - a group thing.


• KR Notes (if you were responsible for one of the chapters from the first half of the book)


• Short Story

Reading Log should also be in progress... you ought to be half way through.

Reading Homework: Read to the end of Chapter 20.

Have a productive day and a happy weekend.

Thursday, November 4th - Taliban Tutorial

1) The Taliban Rules - Discussion and Activity

2) Case Studies - hand them in.

3) Read Ch. 17 in class, read to the end of Chapter 20 for Monday.

4) Tomorrow - whole time to work on Term 1 assignments.

Tuesday, November 2nd - A note from Ms. Colborne...

I'm away today - please keep up your good work on The Kite Runner without me. Here is today's plan.

1) Quiz

2) Library

• You must complete your Cmap brainstorm today. It is due at the end of class. This is just your starting place for your big essay topic but it will give you something to work with. If you do not know what this is, ask another student who does. Problems with Cmap? Ask Ms. Gerome, the librarian.
• You should have at least 10 entries in your reading journal. Remember - be reflective and analytical - share your thinking and your feeling. Your reader response matters.
• Notes are due up to Ch.13 now - have you submitted your notes? Have you noticed all the significant details and literary elements?

See you tomorrow! I'm in Vancouver today visiting some other high schools to learn about the International Baccalaureate program. We hope to offer IB course at Highland in the future.

PS - Only 32 school days left before Winter Holidays...