Poetry Project

On Monday, 2 November, you will receive the Poetry Project handout. Among several tasks (requirements), you will have to MEMORIZE a poem and recite it in front of the classroom.

The handout will provide you with specific requirements to help guide your selection.

The first sentence of the handout reads as follows: "This assignment requires you to choose a poem that was published between 1950-now from any American poet and engage in a variety of activities with it." (If you have a passion for a poem that was published prior to "1950," meet with me to discuss why you would like to use this poem.)

I recommend that you survey poems from the link (Poetry Out Loud) that I have provided. You should "choose a poem of medium length."

"Some assignments will be extremely difficult if the poem is too short, and others will be very time consuming if the pom is too long."

This is a "Major Project," and hence, will be worth 35% of your second marking period grade!

You Quote It, You Note It

http://library.acadiau.ca/tutorials/plagiarism/

Please click on this link for a tutorial that will help you NOT to plagiarize!

Poetry Out Loud

http://poetryoutloud.org/poems/browsepoems.html

An anthology of poems from the National Recitation Contest. We will use this site for upcoming assignments.

Poetry Terms

http://quizlet.com/777972/poetry-terms-flash-cards/

Study these terms for a quiz (date TBA soon). Decide on the method that works best for you and just practice.

Poetry Explication Assignment

For Tuesday, 27 October, you will bring to class your three-ring binder, along with the poetry handouts you have received thus far. You will write a "poetry explication" and turn-it in at the end of the band.

Vocabulary Quiz: Unit 3

A reminder: Vocabulary quizzes are given on Fridays-unless notified otherwise.
Format: Sentence Completion

Unit 3: Friday, 23 October

Of Mice and Men Text

On Monday, 19 October, you will return your copy of the novella. We will begin the Poetry Unit-one I hope you enjoy. There are approximately ten poems mandated for this unit-after that-we are free to explore...

First-Marking Period Grades

For the first-marking period, you will receive a "letter" grade. Unfortunately, this does not reveal the "accurate" grade you would have received-if numerical grades were given for this marking period. All of the grades have been averaged-since the grades are "cumulative," the numerical grade you earned for the first-marking period will be part of the grade you receive for the second-marking period.

Please keep in mind that an "A" could be at the "low-end" or at the "high-end" of the scale (90-100). Yes, several students did earn a "100" for this marking period. Furthermore, a "B" could very well have been an "85," a "C" a "75."

Your grade was determined by the following breakdown:

Summer Reading Test-15%
Homework-20%
Classwork(Group Work)-15%
Project (Diary)-25%
Class Participation-20%
Vocabulary Quizzes-5%

NOTE: The Quick Write grades will be "carried-forward" to the second-marking period.

I readjusted the percentages at my own discretion- a "generous" act.

Vocabulary Quiz Unit 2 Update

I will not quiz you on the words from Unit 1. Focus on the sentence completion and meanings for Unit 2 only. Furthermore, the entire test will consist of sentence completions, resembling what will be found on the SAT.

Vocabulary Quiz

Unit 2 vocabulary quiz has been rescheduled because of the testing this week. The quiz is now scheduled for Friday, 16 October. This time you may see words from Unit 1.

Novella "Diary" Writing Assignment

Your diary project is due on Thursday, 15 October.
I will NOT accept this project late.

School-Wide Testing for 9th and 10th Grades

On Thursday and Friday of this week, you will be administered the Acuity ITA- a general assessment of your reading and writing skills. Please bring-in a PENCIL.

YES! You still have to turn-in the Chapter 6 Dialectical Journals

Cooperative Learning Activity

I am so pleased by how well all groups in both F and G Bands have been working on the Chapter 6 small group activity. Something tells me you would prefer to do this rather than listening to me standing in front of the classroom asking you to respond to questions/statements. Please keep up the outstanding work.

Dialectical Journal WARNING

I am outraged that too many of you are not following my instructions on how you were to submit these assignments. Some areas of concern:
*Quotes must ALWAYS include page numbers
*Spaces must be skipped after each response
*FIVE entries and at least 35 words per entry
*Avoid a RETELLING

If you submit the remaining two dialectical journals without following what is listed above, I will return the assignment and you will make the necessary corrections. Subsequently, your grade on the assignment will be reduced one-full letter grade. You have had ample opportunities to review the models I have provided and to come for assistance during the 37 1/2 minute period.

Of Mice and Men "Diary" Project

Please be advised that I will ask to see your diary on the three characters you have selected from Of Mice and Men while you are working collaboratively on the Chapter 5 questions. Since we have not finished reading the text, I do not expect you to be finished with this assignment. I have decided NOT to change the groups since I will be passing back the Chapter 3 cooperative learning activity. This will provide an opportunity for your group to review how well or how poorly you responded to the critical/analytical questions on this activity. Upon entering the classroom on Monday, 5 October-you will immediately turn-in the dialectical journal homework assignment for Chapter 5. You will then report to your assigned group and begin working. I expect to see a copy of the text in front of everyone! If you come to class without a copy, you will receive a "zero" for coming to class unprepared.

Of Mice and Men "Diary" Project

Vocabulary Quiz: Unit 2

On Friday, 9 October you will take the quiz for Unit 2. Click on the related link below-you may have to first click on "older posts." Do not wait until Thursday evening to prepare!

Of Mice and Men Dialectical Journals

Chapter 5 Dialectical Journal is due Monday, October 5.
Chapter 6 Dialectical Journal is due Thursday, October 8.
Please refer to the most recent rubric you received in formulating the journals for the remaining two chapters.
Too many of you have not visited the sites I have provided for the writing of the dialectical journals. This disturbs me! In addition, some of you are not providing page numbers for each of the quotes nor are you skipping spaces after each response. The remaining two dialectical journals must have at least 35 words per entry.