Comm 12

Today we will be looking at a current event. Read the article from the CBC and complete the current events sheet provided.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/galleon-san-jose-1.3354114

Comm 12

Two weeks until Christmas!

 

I encourage all students to submit any previous work and stay up to date. For the next two weeks, we will be working on our grammar skills, vocabulary, sentence building and reading comprehension.

 

Before we travel down that road, I thought you should have an opportunity to check your marks and hand in any work you may have completed this last weekend.

 

Great! Let's get going.

Due to a slight delay, this Tuesday, you will have an opportunity to gain 5 marks for presenting your research on your Historical figure. Have a copy of your research and briefly summarize your findings. Be prepared.

1. After silent reading, complete your worksheet on sentence building.

2. Read your handout on short stories.

3. Read story one and answer the provided questions.

4. Class discussion. This is time for you to ask and questions that you may have about the assignment.

 

Comm 12

Create a poster advertising your Spoken Word night. In addition to making your poster visually appealing, be sure to include the following information:


Where: G.P. Vanier Gym
When: December 18th
What: Spoken Word Café.
Time: 7-9pm

This assignment is worth 10 marks.

 Reminder: You will be presenting your Historical Figure this Friday. Give a brief summary of your historical figure. Include the 5 W's. This is worth 5 marks.

Communications 12

Monday:

Writing your Spoken Word

Now that we have made connections between a community member and a historical figure, it is time to plan and organize your ideas. Use your handout titled, "Getting Started with Spoken Word" to help you begin.

• Use a mind map to help you organize your thoughts. Remember, you are writing a spoken word to help celebrate your community member's resilience.

• Explore ideas and look at the examples provided to help you begin the process. 

• Add poetic value to your work by exploring literary ideas. For example, if symbolism is important, you should use references and/or descriptions that symbolize resilient attributes.

 

Resilience Café Invitation Letter

Use your notes on letter writing to write a formal letter of invitation to your resilient community member. You are inviting them to a Resilience Café presentation night to be held at G.P. Vanier High School on December 18th. Explain that you are performing a spoken word that celebrates their resilience.

English 10

Assignment for Monday (12 marks):

 

Find some song lyrics that you like because of the songwriter's theme and skillful use of poetic devices. Hand in a copy of the lyrics and a three-part analysis that follows the format discussed in class. Re-read the introduction to poetry if you need a reminder.

All responses will be written with an introductory paragraph, which includes reference to the song title and author. Also, within your introduction, make reference to the three parts of your analysis (form, poetic devices, and theme).

You will have one class to complete this assignment. Spend no more than 10 min. searching for song lyrics. I have many for you to choose from if you need them.

Terms:

Stanza

Rhyme scheme

free verse

lyric poetry

narrative poetry

descriptive poetry

singleton

couplet

triplet

quatrain

sonnet

 

Devices:

Symbolism

alliteration

consonance

assonance

personification

metaphor

simile

imagery

allusion

irony

hyperbole

 

English

Introduction to Poetry

 

 

Like music, poetry can be a window to the mind and it's a wonderful form of expression.

Poems can convey feeling, emotions and ideas.

 

When it comes to poetry, there are three essential ingredients that contribute to the meaning and message behind a poem. They are form, devices and theme.  As an example, we will look at the ancient Japanese poetic form called haiku as it relates to these three concepts.

 

 

Form:  This refers to the actual way the poem is put together, such as the number of stanzas, the type of rhyme scheme, and the type of poem. Just like the body has a skeleton to hold its shape, poems have a structure that holds their ideas together. In poetry, that "skeleton" is called form. There are many different types or forms of poetry such as Haiku, Couplet, Quatrain, Limerick, and Free Verse. Poem’s form may be very restricted and limited or very free without many restrictions. Rules for form might include number of words, indention, capitalization, number of syllables, placement of rhymed words, and number and/or placement of lines.

 

• With a haiku, the poem is usually three lines long, has been broken up so that there are 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the next and back to 5 syllables in the last line. There is usually no rhyming, so the scheme would be ABC, and the type of poem is descriptive.

 

 

Poetic Devices: There are numerous devices employed within poetry, essentially it is language being used in a particular way to convey a certain feeling or meaning. Poetic devices are tools that an author uses to help the reader visualize what is happening in a story or poem. Devices include imagery, alliteration, metaphor, onomatopoeia and simile.

 

• With haikus, imagery is the main poetic device.

 

Theme: Theme is just that, it is the general idea or thought being conveyed through the poem.  The theme is the point a writer is trying to make about a subject. Learning about theme helps you decide what is important. The theme of the poem tells what the whole poem is about. All the words, descriptions, figurative language, detail sentences, and scenes are all small parts that add to the reader's understanding of what you feel about the theme.

 

• With haikus, the general theme has to do with a moment in nature.

 

English 10

Sign out Romeo and Juliet from the Library. Return your novel-study book if you have completed your novel study.

Look at the book. Flip through the play and other readings from the introduction. Read the introduction. Consider the following questions:

 

1. What is the difference between verse and prose? (HINT: the answers are found in the introduction to the play)

2. How many Acts are in this play?

3. Over how many days does the play take place?

 

We will read the prologue and Act 1 together.

 

Discuss Literary terms and devices. Complete provided worksheets.

Discuss poster project.

Comm 12

Questions for the day:

1. What is Spoken Word?

2. What is resilience? What are resiliency attributes? (handout)

3. What is an attribute?

Spoken Word

Spoken Word, according to http://www.calgaryspokenwordfestival.com is poetry that encompasses word, language, rhythm, sound, music, and beat. It is written and presented in the voice and tone of the people. It is for the people. It represents the community.

Spoken Word is........

Always

• Passionate

• Full of voice

• Rhythmic

Sometimes

• Rhyming

• Metaphorical

Never

• Boring or Dull

• A five paragraph essay

Examples:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riXNDSZplvc


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VrZE8MCnIA

TED's Best 10

http://blog.ted.com/10-spoken-word-performances-folded-like-lyrical-origami/

Resilience

• the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties or toughness

• strong

• resistant

• spirited

• determined

• flexible

Example:

"the often remarkable resilience of children is inspiring"

 

Your turn:

You have 10 minutes to describe a time in your life when you had to be resilient. When you are finished, read the handout on resiliency attributes and choose three attributes that you used in your example.

 

Attribute

• Quality

• Characteristic

• Trait

Your Turn:

Before one can write a spoken word piece or poem, the following terms need to be defined and understood (complete the hand out you received):

Alliteration
Allusion
Euphemism
Hyperbole
Imagery
Metaphor
Paradox
Personification
Repetition
Simile
SLAM!

English-Novel Study

Good morning,

Students are well into their novel study and are making great progress. At this point, all of your Part A (writing assignments) should be completed. Part B (fun assignments) should be completed by this Friday. Students may use the weekend to complete their projects if they need to.

Comm 12

Note: please be sure to complete and hand in any missing work before Nov. 5th. The end of the term is Nov. 10th.

Students are beginning a novel unit this week. Our class is reading Different Seasons by Stephen King. The book is a collection of short stories. We will be reading the story "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption."

There are two parts to this assignment:

1. Written assignments (20 marks)
2. Fun assignments (30 marks)

There are a number of assignments in each category for students to choose from. Please complete your written section first before starting your fun assignments.  Students have two weeks to complete their work.

English 10-Novel Study

Note: please be sure to complete and hand in any missing work before Nov. 5th. The end of the term is Nov. 10th.

Students are beginning an self-directed novel unit. There are two parts to this assignment:

1. Written assignments (20 marks)
2. Fun assignments (30 marks)

There are a number of assignments in each category for students to choose from. Please complete your written section first before starting your fun assignments.  Students have two weeks to complete their work.

English 10

Students are finishing their writing unit as well as their short story unit.

Writing unit:

Complete the self-assessment form and hand it in. Be sure to include your three final copies of your stories. This will be a shared mark between the teacher and the student. I have read some awesome writing and students should be proud of their hard work.

Short story unit:

Please be sure to read all assigned stories and review the "elements of the short story" to prepare for your upcoming test. In addition, students should review literary terms. Wednesday will be a review and Thursday will be our test.

Communications 12

Good morning,

Please hand in your Study Guides as well as your six written responses. Study guides are worth 25 marks.

Written Responses:

Remember to type your best two written responses and place them on the top of your rough work. Students will be given a completion mark for handing in all rough work (2 marks for each response for a total of 12 marks) and a final mark for each of the best two edited written responses (6 marks for each for a total of 12 marks).

Tomorrow we are beginning to write business letters. I will have templates as well as the format for writing a variety of letters.

Communication 12

Symbolism: any object, person, place, or action that has both a meaning in itself and that stands for something larger than itself, such as a quality, attitude, belief, or value.

Example: the owl a as symbol of knowledge or a rose as a symbol of love or death.

Theme: The theme is the central idea of the story, usually implied rather than directly stated. Theme should not be confused with moral or plot. It is usually a general statement about life and how it should be lived. A theme statement is always a sentence, not one word.

Watch the following clip and write a theme statement.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdUUx5FdySs

Communications 12

Notes for today:

Irony occurs in three types. Verbal, situational, and dramatic.

Verbal Irony-occurs when a speaker or narrator says one thing, while meaning the opposite.

Example: "It's easy to stop smoking. I've done it many times."

Situational Irony-occurs when a situation turns out differently from what one would normally expect-though often, the twist is oddly appropriate.

Example: a deep sea diver drowning in a bathtub or a pick pocket getting their wallet stolen.

Dramatic Irony-occurs when a character or speaker says or does something that has different meanings from what he or she thinks it means, though the audience and other characters understand the full implications of the speech or actions.

Example: Oedipus curses the murder of Laius, not realizing that he is himself the murderer and so is cursing himself.

English 10

Students are continuing their writing unit with "suspense" as their weekly theme. Their task is to write a suspenseful scene. We have discussed the question, "what helps to create suspense in writing?"

Some of our answers include: being vague, working under a time limit, conflict, using the senses to add to description and adding doubt to a story.

Today we got into small groups and students read part or all of their stories. Listeners were to give constructive feedback, which the writers used to add to or tweak their stories.

Tuesday will be a continuation of their short story unit. We will read "The Brass Teapot" and answer questions pertaining to the following literary devices:

• protagonist/antagonist
• point of view
• foreshadowing

Wednesday's class will examine the short story, "The Tell-Tale Heart," by Edgar Allen Poe. We will watch a short animated clip and discuss how suspense was created in the story.

Have an advanced viewing by clicking below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7d7qVgNj8g

Communications 12

Having finished the novel Of mice and Men, students will be working on completing their study packages. We will have a test early next week.

In responding to the novel, students will be asked to choose two following prompts to write a full paragraph (150-200 words). Make reference to the novel in support of your ideas. Please attach your responses to the completed study guide.

1. Why do we have friends? What makes a friend?
2. How important is it for human beings to have a place where they belong, where there are people who know them and love them?
3. Why do dreams sometimes fail?
4. Define euthanasia. Then defend or condemn the practice. Justify your belief.
5. Who is your favourite character from the book? Give your reasons for choosing him or her.

Comm 12 Practice Exams Link

Here is the link to your practice exams. Check them out when you have completed and handed in your work.

Happy Friday everyone.


http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/exams/search/searchResults.php

English 10

The short story “All the Troubles of the World” and the movie Minority Report portrays a futuristic view of the world and the problems that society could face.  In both examples, our society has managed to find a way to predict crime, but the tool used to predict crime has its flaws.  For this assignment, compare the two technologies—multivac and the Precogs.  You are going to write two paragraphs: one paragraph will be about the benefits of technology, whereas the second will be about its flaws. Use examples from both the story and the movie to support your ideas.

 

 

 

Comm 12

Watch Amy Purdy's Ted Talk titled, Living Beyond Limits and answer two of the following questions:

1. If life were a book, and you were the author, how would you want the story to go?
2. If you could write a new chapter in your life, where would you start?
3. Amy comments, "in our mind, we can do anything if we face our fears face on." What are some of your fears and how are they holding you back?
4. How, if at all, has Amy's story changed the way you feel about facing challenges.

Click on the link below to view the TED Talk
Amy Purdy


 Each response is worth 6 marks.

English 10

English—Expository Writing

Continuing with expository writing, students are to compare and contrast two dissimilar items. We started with a graphic organizer, such as a Venn diagram, and wrote a simple, but organized, multi-paragraphed response.

Compare and Contrast

A Baseball and the Great Wall

          There are many similarities and differences between a baseball and the Great Wall of China. Firstly, both objects are man-made.  Secondly, both have ridges that weave around like a meandering river. Finally, they are both hard objects. Like the similarities, there are also differences that can be detected.

          The differences are much easier to spot. A baseball is round, while the Great Wall is long and tall. The Great Wall is made out of bricks, mud, and stone, while a baseball is made from leather and string. A final difference is in the colour. The Great Wall mostly grey, whereas a baseball is white. As mentioned, there are many similarities and differences between a baseball and the Great Wall of China.

Communications 12

Good morning


Concepts covered so far include: Brainstorming (mind map); creating an outline; writing a topic sentence; capturing the readers' attention.



Written Response Question # 1

Write one paragraph about some some of the challenges that migrant workers face. Use complete sentences. Keep this assignment in your binder.

• brainstorm and organize your thoughts
• use a topic sentence 

Assignment:

Pick a topic of your choice
Brainstorm (mind map, list, drawing)                                       5 marks
Create an outline                                                                       5 marks
Write a rough draft and have it peer edited                              5 marks
Make your changes and complete a final draft                         12 marks


Hand in all pages, in order, for marks.

Communications 12

Good morning.

1. Review the writing assignment from Friday. Review upper and lower case lettering.
2. Discussion topics: The Great Depression; Of Mice and Men--setting. 
3. Show images of The Great Depression  
4. Continue reading Of Mice and Men. 
5. Introduce the concept of a topic sentence.
6. Introduce methods of organizing and categorizing (listing, drawing, mind map)
7. As a class, use a mind map to brainstorm a topic of their choice.

Written Response Question

Write one paragraph about some some of the challenges that migrant workers face. Use complete sentences.

• brainstorm and organize your thoughts
• use a topic sentence 

English 10

Inside Stories II / Irony & Symbol

"Harrison Bergeron"

Commentary:

                "Harrison Bergeron" is a satire that follows a recognized story pattern:  like many other works, it presents a vision of  a utopia that is flawed.  Before reading this story most readers would likely agree that our society values the idea that all people are equal, particularly in the eyes of the law.  Kurt Vonnegut has taken the idea of equality to the extreme and created a story about a society in which everyone has been made equal in every way.  Such an equality is possible, of course, only if handicaps are given to people born with extra beauty, grace, strength, talent or intelligence.  The resulting world is a sad one in which clownish figures live lives of mediocrity.

               

Pre-reading:

Research the concept of utopia as presented in literature. Is everyone in our society equal?  Explain.  Should everyone be made equal in every way?  Why, or why not? Is it possible to create a perfect society ?  Comment.

Questions:

1. Find three examples of similies from the story and explain how each example contributes to the story's tone (6 marks)
2. How does the story's opening paragraph contribute to what happens later in the story (4 marks).
3. Create a poster designed to encourage people to treat others as equals. Or, create a poster advertising one of the views of utopia you found from literature. Or, create a poster of your view of utopia  (10 marks). 

Total marks: 20                         

English

English—Expository Writing

Expository Writing

What is the best pet?

    The best pet is a cat.  The first reason is cats are smart.  The second reason is they are clean animals.  The third reason is they are good friends.  For these reasons, cats are the best pet.

The best pet is a cat.  The first reason is cats are smart.  The second reason is they are clean animals.  The third reason is they are good friends.  For these reasons, pets are the best pet.

The best pet is a cat.  The first reason is cats are smart.  They can learn and adapt to people and environments.  The second reason is they are clean animals.  They bury their waste and keep their bodies clean.  The third reason is they are good friends.  They can sense when people are down and always do what they can to support them.  For these reasons, cats are the best pet.

English 10

Tell me your story. Watch the youtube link and write a 2-3 paragraph response to help me better understand who you are as a person. The questions below may help you.

Who are you and what makes you tick?
Who is your family?
What are your hobbies?
Do you have pets?
Favorite food?



"Said and done" video link
Who are you?

English 10 Course Outline

English 10 Course Outline                                     Mr. Miller

English 10 provides students with the opportunity, through the study of literature, to experience the power of language. The course will explore the structure and process of writing, short stories, novels, poetry, as well as grammar and spelling. The goal of this course is to enrich students’ understanding of the English language and to help develop their communication skills through writing, reading, discussing and presenting. Students will work to develop an understanding of themselves and their world by becoming aware of how people use language for various purposes.

Students will be expected to:

interact with others to explore, understand and create ideas and texts and deepen understanding select and apply strategies to develop, organize, revise and publish written, visual and oral communications create personal oral and written communications and representations with clearly developed ideas that connect experiences, opinions and feelings

listen, read and view literary, information and visual texts to comprehend, analyze, synthesize and evaluate ideas, attending to bias, perspectives, voice and context use features, structures and conventions of language to enhance meaning, artistry and coherence in written and spoken communications use the features, structures, patterns and context of language to make meaning from what is heard, read and viewed

Rules and Expectations

Ø  Attendance is mandatory. If you are going to miss class then please let me know 3–4 days ahead of time. If you miss assignments you are responsible to find out what you missed.

Ø  Come to class on time. Late arrivals disturb the class and it will affect your mark.

Ø  I do not want to see MP3 players or cell phones in the class. 

Assignments and Tests

Please hand in all assignments on time. If you know that you are not going to be at class then it is your responsibility to make arrangements to hand something in early. If you know that you are going to have trouble getting an assignment done on time then come and talk to me. If you don’t talk to me I will not accept a late assignment. If you miss a unit test you must provide a note explaining your absence before you will be permitted to rewrite the test.

Course Evaluation Term 1            40%   Based on assignments, class involvement, exams and quizzes. Term 2            40%   Final Exam     20%  The Provincial Exam constitutes 20% of your final grade. The key to success is to work hard and get all your assignments in on time. Use class time wisely as I will give you the opportunity to complete much of your work in class. If you have any problems or issues, please come and talk to me. Good luck!

English—Poetry

Journal Response Topic# 8(last one): "Why do friends let us down?"

Listen to "positively 4th Street" as you read the lyrics.

Write your response.

Poem # 8: Write a poem about friendship. (Special Task: use an inverted triangle shape).

English—Poetry

Journal # 7

"What's so great about being old?"

Listen to "18 Till I Die" by Bryan Adams as you read the lyrics.

Write your response

Poem # 7

Write a poem about being young at heart (highlight a poetic device of your choice, such as "symbolism")

English 10—Poetry

Tuesday

Journal Question # 3: How do teenagers feel when they are in over their heads?

Listen to"Just Like a Woman" by Bob Dylan and "Running on Empty" before you write

Poem # 3: Write a poem about courage (highlight a simile)

Wednesday

Journal Question # 4: If you could show your most treasured photograph, which one would it be? Why?

Listen to "In my life" by the Beatles as you read the lyrics. Write your response.

Poem # 4: Write a poem about what is important in your world (highlight personification)

Thursday

Journal Question # 5: Why do humans hunger for companionship?

Listen to "Unchained Melody" as you read the lyrics. Write your response.

Poem # 5: Write a poem about someone learning the difference between lust and love. (Special task: concentrate on writing from another person's point of view).

Friday

Journal Question # 6: "What do you think about the poem entitled 'Growing up perpendicular'?" (read it)

Write your response.

Poem # 6: Write a poem about a childhood memory (Special Task: try to use Prof. Leggo's style)

English 10-Poetry

Journal topic to ponder:

"Why are some insightful people disillusioned with our technology-dominated modern life?"

Listen to "Too Many Hands" as you read the lyrics.

Write Journal Response # 2

***Make sure you have at least two paragraphs 

Poem # 2: "Getting back to the simple life"

Highlight a metaphor

English-Poetry Unit

For this unit, students will create a portfolio of their writing and poetry. The portfolio will include 8 Personal Journal Responses worth 6 marks each for a total of 48 marks. In addition, students will write 8 Original Poems worth 6 marks each for a total of 48 marks. We will also continue to sharpen our skills throughout the unit by looking at how to write a formal response to a poem. Please read and re-read your introduction to poetry (posted previously in this blog) to gain a sense of meaning and message within a poem.

Yesterday we listened to and discussed the meaning and message of the song "The Sound of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkle. The song or "lyrical Poem" contains many poetic devices, such as imagery, metaphor, simile, etc., and contains rich discussion points that pertain to message.

For today: Search for a song of your choice to analyze. Print off the lyrics and begin your dissection. Highlight any poetic devices and write side-notes that will help you with your response. All responses will have an introduction that introduces the title and author of the song.

Here is an example:

In the song "The Sound of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkle meaning can be derived from its form, poetic devices and theme. Like many songs "The Sound of Silence" conveys a wonderful array of feelings, emotions and ideas. And so on..........

Have fun and be insightful..........

English-Song Lyric and Poetry Unit

Journal Response Topic to ponder:

Why are some people so focussed on external beauty?

Listen to "She Ain't Pretty"

Write Poetry Journal response # 1

Write an original poem about Beauty
(Highlight Alliteration)

Poetry

English-Introduction to Poetry

Like music, poetry can be a window to the mind and it's a wonderful form of expression.

Poems can convey feeling, emotions and ideas.

When it comes to poetry, there are three essential ingredients that contribute to the meaning and message behind a poem. They are form, devices and theme.  As an example, we will look at the ancient Japanese poetic form called haiku as it relates to these three concepts.

Form:  This refers to the actual way the poem is put together, such as the number of stanzas, the type of rhyme scheme, and the type of poem. Just like the body has a skeleton to hold its shape, poems have a structure that holds their ideas together. In poetry, that "skeleton" is called form. There are many different types or forms of poetry such as Haiku, Couplet, Quatrain, Limerick, and Free Verse. Poem’s form may be very restricted and limited or very free without many restrictions. Rules for form might include number of words, indention, capitalization, number of syllables, placement of rhymed words, and number and/or placement of lines.

• With a haiku, the poem is usually three lines long, has been broken up so that there are 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the next and back to 5 syllables in the last line. There is usually no rhyming, so the scheme would be ABC, and the type of poem is descriptive.

Poetic Devices: There are numerous devices employed within poetry, essentially it is language being used in a particular way to convey a certain feeling or meaning. Poetic devices are tools that an author uses to help the reader visualize what is happening in a story or poem. Devices include imagery, alliteration, metaphor, onomatopoeia and simile.

• With haikus, imagery is the main poetic device.

Theme: Theme is just that, it is the general idea or thought being conveyed through the poem.  The theme is the point a writer is trying to make about a subject. Learning about theme helps you decide what is important. The theme of the poem tells what the whole poem is about. All the words, descriptions, figurative language, detail sentences, and scenes are all small parts that add to the reader's understanding of what you feel about the theme.

• With haikus, the general theme has to do with a moment in nature.

English—Romeo and Juliet

Poetic Devices Assignment

Students have been introduced to a variety of poetic devices. Shakespeare uses many throughout the play, Romeo and Juliet. For this assignment, students are asked to provide an example of a poetic device from the play and display it on a poster. Here are the steps:

1. Find an example of a poetic device from the play. For example: "parting is such sweet sorrow"
2. Identify the device. In the previous example, it is an Oxymoron
3. Create a poster with both the poetic device and the example. Your poster must include the poetic device definition and an image that you feel represents the overall essence of the quote.

Criteria:

• creates overall impression of insightful and personal response 
• all required details evident
• effective, creative, and appealing presentation
• strong link between chosen image and representation of text

All categories will be marked out of four for a final mark    /16

English—Romeo and Juliet

For our Romeo and Juliet unit, there are three goals I would like to accomplish: Read the play, understand the play, enjoy the play. Thus far, we have read Act 1.

Thanks to the courageous readers who have stepped up so far. As one can see, reading the play aloud breathes life into these pages. Our class has shared many a laugh as we mispronounce words, discover meaning, and fumble our way through the plot. In addition to reading, we will watch two versions of the play on DVD.

Key Concepts:

Literary devices (Imagery, symbolism, metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, oxymoron)

Rhyme Scheme

Verse vs. Prose

Final Project—We will discuss this in class. In essence, students will choose a quote, match it to a literary device, and choose an image to match it with. Posters will be displayed in class.

English 10

This is a reminder that all novel study work is to be handed in no later than May 8th. There are two parts to this assignment. Part A and Part B.  Both are to be handed in separately for marking.

Before we transition to Romeo and Juliet, we will be watching Into the Wild. It is inspired by the true story of a young man who abandons his life to pursue the freedom of the road. Following the movie, we will have a brief discussion. Topics may include: adventure, rebellion, searching, and of course...the hero's journey.

 

English 10-Self-directed novel study

Self-Directed Novel Study

For this unit, you will choose from a broad range of challenging materials for recreational and informational purposes. Your novel study will cover a number of learning objectives and hopefully engage you in the act of reading and interpreting text. All assignments will be discussed in class. Complete parts A, B, and C.

Part A. Written Assignments (50):

1.     Compare and contrast two main characters from your novel (10 marks)

2.     Complete a character description as discussed in class (15 marks)

3.     Outline six major events from your novel using a theme or motif (20 marks)

4.     Write a book review following the format discussed in class (5 marks)

5.     Write a letter to the author. Explain your reaction to the novel. Proper letter format is essential. Include examples from the novel to support your ideas (10)

Part B. Fun Assignments (20):

1.     Design a book jacket cover for your novel (5 marks)

2.     Create a vocabulary word jumble or crossword (5 marks)

3.     Interview a character-compose 6-8 questions to ask the main character (5 marks)

4.     Create a comic strip that includes dialogue bubbles (5 marks)

5.     Draw a new character. Write a paragraph that explaining why you would add this character and how it would change the novel (5 marks)

6.     Design a travel brochure that describes the setting in the novel. Include illustrations and a written description that portrays the setting (10 marks)

Part C. Book Talk (10)

All students will lead a group discussion on your book during our scheduled book talk. A handout will be provided. (10 marks)

Total marks:  /80

English-Original Compositions

Hi all,

Students in this course have finished their short stories unit and are now working away at their original compositions. For this unit, students are asked to write four stories:

The first is an injury story. Students shared their various injuries and then put them to paper. Three areas of focus are climax, setting and character development, as well as grammar.

The second story is a conflict story. Areas of focus are establishing characters and setting, climax, and quotations.

The third and fourth story are student choice. Students are asked to vary perspective, point of view, and attempting a flashback.

All student MUST have a peer edit and provide feedback for their work. Feedback includes favourite line, where should there be more description, what changes would you make, and what additions would you add to your work. All edits also include basic grammar and sentence structure.

Final assessment for this project is twofold: Completion of four stories in a timely manner and a self-evaluation. Self evaluation sheets include work habits, reflective questions, and perceived letter grades for each story.

Good luck and enjoy the writing process.

English-Short Stories

Happy Monday,

For this week, students will be nearing the end their short stories Unit. Continue to familiarize yourselves with the "elements of a short story." All terms and definitions can be found both online and in their handouts on literary terms.

After finishing the movie freedom writers, students will be asked to write a short reflective piece on the theme of change. While watching, students were asked to follow a character from start to finish. They will then write a one page response to their chosen character. Please include the following elements in your writing:

An introduction with setting and context (say what you are going to say).
A transition statement between the introduction and the character you are following.
Clear examples of how the character changed. Use embedded quotes to provide support for your examples (say it)
A concluding statement which re-states your main premise or idea (say what you said).

This will be marked out of 6 using our writing rubric and doubled for a total of 12.

English 10-Short Stories

Theme of the week: CHOICE

Reading and Comprehension:

 Read and answer questions on the story "Choices" by Susan Kerslake.

Writing Activity:

Have you ever had to make a difficult choice? What was it and would you make the same choice again?

Write 2/3 paragraphs for a total of 6 marks.

Discussion:

Watch the and discuss the TED talk The Paradox of Choice

http://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_on_the_paradox_of_choice?language=en

English-Short Stories

This week will be a continuation of our short-stories Unit. Today we finished watching the movie Minority Report. Students will be asked to write a three-paragraph which is outlined below:

The short story “All the Troubles of the World” and the movie Minority Report portrays a futuristic view of the world and the problems that society could face.  In both examples, our society has managed to find a way to predict crime, but the tool used to predict crime has its flaws.  For this assignment, compare the two technologies-Multivac and the Precogs.  You are going to write three paragraphs: one paragraph will be about Multivac, one about the Precogs, and then one about both. 

Before you write, use this graphic organizer to make notes on their similarities and differences.

Multivac	Similarities	Precogs

For this assignment you will need to:

·         write fully developed and complete paragraphs

·         use quotes to support your points

OUTLINE

Topic Sentence – Minority Report

_________________________________________________________________________________
Main points to support 

1.________________________________________________________________________________2.____________________________________________________________________________ 3.________________________________________________________________________________

Topic Sentence – All the Troubles of the World

_________________________________________________________________________________
Main points to support
1.________________________________________________________________________________2.________________________________________________________________________________3.________________________________________________________________________________

Topic Sentence – Both

_________________________________________________________________________________

Main points to support 

1.________________________________________________________________________________2.________________________________________________________________________________3.________________________________________________________________________________

English—Short Stories

In addition to writing a written response, students in English signed out the book Inside stories II.  To begin our short stories unit, I have assigned the story "All the Troubles of the World" by Isaac Asimov. Please have the story read for Tuesday, Feb 17th.

Also, have a glace at your handout on Literary Terms.

English—Written Response # 1

Watch Amy Purdy's Ted Talk titled, Living Beyond Limits and answer two of the following questions:

1. If life were a book, and you were the author, how would you want the story to go?
2. If you could write a new chapter in your life, where would you start?
3. Amy comments, "in our mind, we can do anything if we face our fears face on." What are some of your fears and how are they holding you back?
4. How, if at all, has Amy's story changed the way you feel about facing challenges.

Click on the link below to view the TED Talk
Amy Purdy


 Each response is worth 6 marks.

English—Expository Writing

Continuing with expository writing, students are to compare and contrast two dissimilar items. We started with a graphic organizer, such as a Venn diagram, and wrote a simple, but organized, multi-paragraphed response.

Compare and Contrast

A Baseball and the Great Wall

          There are many similarities and differences between a baseball and the Great Wall of China. Firstly, both objects are man-made.  Secondly, both have ridges that weave around like a meandering river. Finally, they are both hard objects. Like the similarities, there are also differences that can be detected.

          The differences are much easier to spot. A baseball is round, while the Great Wall is long and tall. The Great Wall is made out of bricks, mud, and stone, while a baseball is made from leather and string. A final difference is in the colour. The Great Wall mostly grey, whereas a baseball is white. As mentioned, there are many similarities and differences between a baseball and the Great Wall of China.

English

Today's class covered prewriting activities, which include listing, mind mapping or clustering, and free writing. We also explored different ways to "get the juices flowing."

English 10—Expository Writing

Expository Writing

What is the best pet?

    The best pet is a cat.  The first reason is cats are smart.  The second reason is they are clean animals.  The third reason is they are good friends.  For these reasons, cats are the best pet.

The best pet is a cat.  The first reason is cats are smart.  The second reason is they are clean animals.  The third reason is they are good friends.  For these reasons, pets are the best pet.

The best pet is a cat.  The first reason is cats are smart.  They can learn and adapt to people and environments.  The second reason is they are clean animals.  They bury their waste and keep their bodies clean.  The third reason is they are good friends.  They can sense when people are down and always do what they can to support them.  For these reasons, cats are the best pet.

English 10—Welcome

English 10 Course Outline                                     Mr. Miller

English 10 provides students with the opportunity, through the study of literature, to experience the power of language. The course will explore the structure and process of writing, short stories, novels, poetry, as well as grammar and spelling. The goal of this course is to enrich students’ understanding of the English language and to help develop their communication skills through writing, reading, discussing and presenting. Students will work to develop an understanding of themselves and their world by becoming aware of how people use language for various purposes.

Students will be expected to:

interact with others to explore, understand and create ideas and texts and deepen understanding select and apply strategies to develop, organize, revise and publish written, visual and oral communications create personal oral and written communications and representations with clearly developed ideas that connect experiences, opinions and feelings

listen, read and view literary, information and visual texts to comprehend, analyze, synthesize and evaluate ideas, attending to bias, perspectives, voice and context use features, structures and conventions of language to enhance meaning, artistry and coherence in written and spoken communications use the features, structures, patterns and context of language to make meaning from what is heard, read and viewed

Rules and Expectations

Ø  Attendance is mandatory. If you are going to miss class then please let me know 3–4 days ahead of time. If you miss assignments you are responsible to find out what you missed.

Ø  Come to class on time. Late arrivals disturb the class and it will affect your mark.

Ø  I do not want to see MP3 players or cell phones in the class. 

Assignments and Tests

Please hand in all assignments on time. If you know that you are not going to be at class then it is your responsibility to make arrangements to hand something in early. If you know that you are going to have trouble getting an assignment done on time then come and talk to me. If you don’t talk to me I will not accept a late assignment. If you miss a unit test you must provide a note explaining your absence before you will be permitted to rewrite the test.

Course Evaluation Term 1            40%   Based on assignments, class involvement, exams and quizzes. Term 2            40%   Final Exam     20%  The Provincial Exam constitutes 20% of your final grade. The key to success is to work hard and get all your assignments in on time. Use class time wisely as I will give you the opportunity to complete much of your work in class. If you have any problems or issues, please come and talk to me. Good luck!