Tuesday, October 27, 2009

One-Page Essay Reflection of Learning

Think about what areas you need to spend more time with:
test-taking, literary analysis, poetry, discussion, literary terms and devices, formulating essays, other skills.


Type one page examining (don't waste our time with rush writes!) what you status is with each of these skills. Come ready to discuss and prioritize with your classmates.

Due Dates for upcoming work as of October 27th

October 28th--
last day to make up discussion on the short stories--2:15 in room 288.
review the definitions of connotation and denotation.


Friday, October 30th--
discussion reflection is due at the beginning of class.
have your writing goal from your last essay reflection ready to list on your in-class essay.



Monday, November 2nd
reader's notebook on The Metamorphosis at the beginning of class.



Tuesday, November 3rd
one-page reflection (typed) of learning needed to participate in discussion
turn in The Metamorphosis books.



Friday, November 6th
reader's notebook for addition text is due at the beginning of the period.

Reader's Notebooks

1. As with this summer, you may work with one or two partners on your reader's notebooks.

2. Using first and last names, you must clearly identify the sections of the notebook that each person completes.

3. All reader's notebooks must be typed and should use the questions provided on the template.

4. The reader's notebooks this fall are worth 20 points each and will be assessed on the completeness of the entry and the quality of the thought process.

October 27th and beyond B-day and what follows.

Wednesday, October 28th
Last make up discussion: 2:15 Forsberg's room.


B-day
Finish The Metamorophis presentations.
We will discuss the meaning of the text. We will use the protagonist as "our way in."

Friday, October 30th
In-class essay on additional text. You will focus on theme. You will choose one of three prompts that we give you as "ways in to the text." You will use your ID numbers as identifiers.


Monday, November 2nd.
Rehash
You will peer review a classmates essay.
Once the review is complete, you will do a brief in class reflection on how well you met your goal and what your next goal in essay writing will be.


Tuesday, November 3rd
Discussion about the strengths students have and where the "holes" are.
The House on Mango Street.


B-day
Multiple Choice practice test


Friday, November 6th
Additional Novel Reader's Notebook is due.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Graded Discussion Reflection

What did you do?
How well did you meet your goal?
How did it help with your discussion skills?
What will you do to improve your discussion skills?
What goal do you are you setting for yourself next time? Why? Think about how it will improve understanding the text.


Dufault and Forsberg want you to know you should get if finished sooner rather than later becaue it will be "fresh in your mind." They are also aware that lots of stuff is coming due with finishing two books and completing reader's notebooks. The due date for the reflection will be Friday, October 30th.

Literary Terms and Improving

A number of students said something like this in their practice test reflection:
"I will brush up on the literary terms before the next time so that I can do better."

Being literary teachers, we see the importance of precise language. Don't study your flash cards, don't review last year's lists, don't go over the terms before hand...

LEARN THE TERMS! USE THEM! KNOW THEM! INTEGRATE THEM INTO YOUR STUDY OF LITERATURE!

Also remember that we studied Covey for a purpose...What is in your circle of influence? You have the ability to learn the information. If you don't take it, you are shorting yourself. If you choose to do nothing, your products won't improve.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Graded Discussion Make Up

If you were absent the day of the graded discussion, you have two times available to make it up:
1. Tuesday, October 27th at 6:45 AM with Ms. Dufault
2. Wednesday, October 28th at 2:15 PM with Mr. Forsberg

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Wednesday, October 21st and beyond

After the graded discussion today, we hope that you learned how much there is to finding the meaning in a text. It's not as simple as we may think. We want to help you get better and better at that!

B-day
Rehash the discussion and looking for meaning in texts.
Talking about the two stories and searching for meaning together.
Read time Metamorphosis or additional novel.

Friday, October 23
Visiting with a new poem--learning about enjambment
Setting groups of Metamorphosis presentations.
You can begin to do the reader's notebook for Metamorphosis, but you will want to be able to revise after the presentations and discussion.

Monday, October 26
Working in your group to get the presentation put together for Tuesday.

Tuesday, October 27th
Metamorphosis presentations
Discussion Looking at Main Characters

Friday, October 30th
In- Class essay on your additional novel. Be ready to write about the meaning of the text and examining literary devices.

Monday, November 2nd
Reader's Notebook for Metamorphosis is due. TYPED.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Metamorphosis

The question came up as to when you are expected to be finished with the text:
Friday is ideal.
Monday is the "drop-dead" deadline.

Also expect to complete a reader's notebook on the text. Working on it as it's fresh in your mind will lead to better results than putting it off.

Remember, the text is about 60 pages, but it is DENSE.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Information for people looking for AP help

Starting the first Thursday in November, Ms. Hein can see AP students for test taking and study skills during Foundations. She will be in room 356. If you could benefit from some test analysis and practice, let me know. This opportunity is open to all AP students. See Ms. Hein in room 266 (I am in the building on Tuesdays from 10:30-3:30 and Thursdays from 7:00-11:20.); She will sign their planner so that they can come to room 356 during foundations. She will turn in the purple sheet for attendance at the end of the session.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Some Help with "A Conversation with My Father"

Here are a couple of stories you might want to take a look at. The first are from Guy de Maupassant
There are links to quite a few of his stories here.
Guy de Maupassant

These are from Anton Chekhov (not the guy from Star Trek)
http://chekhov2.tripod.com/

Metamorphosis Suggestions

1. Get it read sooner rather than later.
2. Annotate.
3. Do a close read and plan to read things more than once.
4. Reading things and taking them at "face value" will give you a "surface" understanding of the text.
5. ALWAYS GO DEEP!

Monday October 19th-Monday October 26th (with a couple of holes to fill)

Monday, October 19
Evaluation essay due.
"A Conversation with My Father" and "Indian Camp" read and annotated.
You will be working with a clock buddy to prepare for Tuesday's Inner/Outer discussion. One of you will be discussing one story and the one of you will be discussing the other. You'll have time to share insight and ideas using the annotations that you have both completed. Remember that we are always looking for meaning!
You will also be identifying one discussion skill you want to work on improving.
Your partner will be helping achieve that by listening for evidence of the work that you are doing.

Tuesday, October 20th (A-day)
Graded discussion. Come prepared to talk, to listen, to write, to learn. Have your one area of improvement listed on a sheet of notebook paper that you can hand off to your partner to use to gather evidence for you.

B-day
We aren't quite sure what we are going to do. We are open to feedback...Get it to us by Saturday, October 17th. We could have you take a practice multiple choice/poetry AP test. We could give you time to explore poetry and practice pulling it apart. We would be open to hearing suggestions about other things from you as well. BY Saturday, October 17th!

Friday, October 23rd
We will begin discussing Metamorphosis. Be ready to use your annotation to explore some things Kafka is saying and not saying!

Monday, October 26th
You will be preparing a presentation on very short passages of Metamorphosis. Be ready!

Tuesday, October 27th
Presentation and Discussion on the book begins...plan on every group presenting.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Another Langston Hughes Poem

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/mother-to-son/

I'd be interested to hear what you think...

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Reflection of an AP English 12 student 2009

I'm not quite sure if you remember me. My name is Anna Schmidt and I took your AP English 12 course last year, 6th hour.
I just wanted to thank you for pushing me to challenge myself in class. All the techniques you taught really help in college. Reading thoroughly, especially taking notes along the way, makes discussion and idea development run smoothly. Even the texts we read provide a strong reference point for essays. For one, "The Hollow Men" by T.S. Elliot still gives me things to think about to this very day. I even used the poem as a text material for class and intend to delve deeper into Elliot's meaning as I go through college.
Coming from a student who knows the difficulty of a Forsberg class, and the stress, your students should understand that all of it WILL help later on. Tell them to embrace it.
Finally, the main lesson I learned in your class was to think outside the box. Learn the rules so you know how to break them. Assignments can't be "wrong", in the sense that every idea is valid if supported with evidence.
Thank you for all the help, all the advice, all the knowledge.
Sincerely,
Anna Schmidt

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Week Six: October 7-October 12

B-Day "The Barred Owl" and "The History Teacher" Deconstruct prompt; analyze poem; write thesis; contruct outline.
Examine Essays: Evaluate; list strengths; suggest improvements.

Friday, October 9th--No school for good students.

Monday, October 12th--TEST on two poems. Students will construct and write an essay.

A-Day
Introduce "A Conversation with My Father" (come ready to try a new form of annotation), "Indian Camp" and Metamorphosis by Frans Kafka


GO TWINS!

Mid-Trimester Thoughts and Suggestions

This is Forsberg--take it for what it's worth.
We are in week five. That means you have finished nearly 1/6 of your senior year--over 15%. It went fast.

So, are you focusing on what's important? Being an educated person is important. How are you working to become an educated person? Do you think about your learning? Your thinking? Your knowledge and skill set?

Have you begun the additional reading? Have you written about what you are reading? Are you using the annotation skills that you already have to be effective in your reading? Are you reading purposefully?

Have you looked for a poem to read--just to practice?

With some things to think about...
Make it a great learning time or not, the choice is yours.