Old+assignments

__**WEEK of 4 - 13 APRIL: **__ **Due Mon/Tues, 4/5 April:** Read chapters 4 - 5 of //Animal Farm//; answer one of the 4 wiki discussion questions

**Due Weds/Thurs, 6/7 April:** Read chapters 6 - 7 of //Animal Farm//

**Due Fri/Mon, 8/11 April:** Read chapter 8 of //Animal Farm//; find out what Stalin's "Moscow (Show) Trials" were

**Due Tues/Weds, 12/13 April:** Finish //Animal Farm// (ch. 9 - 10); change: no wiki post due until Thursday! (Sorry for any confusion)

__**WEEK of 28 MARCH - 1 APRIL: **__ **Due Friday, 25 (1st &** **2nd) / Monday, 28 March:** Pre-reading for //Animal Farm -//read [|this article] to familiarize yourself with the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia (1917), and look up the following terms: **totalitarianism, utopia, dystopia, satire, allegory**. (Check your e-mail for more detailed instructions.) You will be asked a few questions about this material at the beginning of class on Friday for a notecard response.

**Due Tuesday, 29 / Wednesday 30 March:** Finish reading the Foreword to //Animal Farm//; read Chapter 1 (pp. v - 14).

**Due Thursday 31 March / Friday 1 April:** Read Chapters 2 - 3 of //Animal Farm//; **remember that 4 blog entries are due by midnight on the 31st.**

**Due Monday 4 / Tuesday 5 April:** Read chapters 4 - 5 of //Animal Farm//; answer one of the four questions posted on the discussion tab (a maximum of 10 students may respond to each question)

**[|Comparative essay notes]:** Please review this information before the Julius Caesar & Antigone comparative essay on Friday / Monday.

**Feel free to choose your //Julius Caesar// memorization speech now to get one of the best ones. Let me know when you pick - your options are here. Please take the time to read the assignment description and rubric posted here as well.**


 * [[image:JuliusCaesarHBO.jpg width="398" height="281" caption="Caesar from the excellent (but very graphic) HBO drama "Rome""]] ||
 * Caesar from the excellent (but very graphic) HBO drama "Rome" ||

__**WEEK of 28 FEBRUARY - 4 MARCH: **__ **Due Thursday, 11 (1st & 2nd) / Friday, 12 March:** you will present your monologues from //Julius Caesar// on this date. Please post your paraphrased version on [|Turnitin.com] by this date. Remember to bring food on the monologue day, if you didn't chip in any money!

**Due Monday, 14 (1st & 2nd) / Tuesday 15 March:** post a response to one of the 3 wiki discussion questions about //Antigone// and //Julius Caesar//. **Each question should have a maximum of 13 responses - if there are already 13, choose a new question.**

**Julius Caesar & Antigone comparative in-class essay: Friday 18 / Monday 21 March**

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Old assignments and postings:

__**<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">WEEK of 21 - 25 FEBRUARY: **__
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Due on Tuesday (1st/2nd) & Wednesday (6th): **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Finish reading Act IV (pp. 177 - 225); you may answer the new wiki question about metaphor, but this is not due until Thursday (1st/2nd) / Friday (6th).


 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Due on Thursday (1st/2nd) & Friday (6th): **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Finish reading //Julius Caesar//. Choose your monologue passage, and e-mail me with your choice.

__**<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">WEEK of 14 - 18 FEBRUARY: **__
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Due on Monday (1st/2nd) & Tuesday (6th): **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Read all of Act I (pp. 6 - 57) of //Julius Caesar// (please don't be lazy about reading the annotations and clarifications on the left-hand side of the text), and finish posting your two responses to the Shakespeare topics.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Due on Wednesday (1st/2nd) & Thursday (6th):** Finish reading Act II of //Julius Caesar// (pp. 59 - 111), and post your paraphrased segment on the discussion topic (see "Discussion" for full instructions).

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Due on Friday (1st/2nd) & Monday (6th):** Finish reading Act III of //Julius Caesar// (pp. 115-175).


 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">//Lord of the Flies// links: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Lord of the Flies map (thanks to Kameron for finding this)] **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Text-marking article] **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Wikipedia: The Coral Island] **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|The Bacchae link] **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|LOTF text with an excellent critical introduction] **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Beelzebub definition / explanation] **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|"The Second Coming" by William Butler Yeats] **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|"The Second Coming" critical analysis] **

__**<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">ACER test preparation: **__<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"> If you'd like to review the format and criteria for the writing section of the ACER test, please see these documents.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;">**Note that if you are interested in writing a sample essay and receiving feedback from me, you may do so via e-mail or in person before**

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"> **Tuesday morning.**


 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;">[|ACERTest 2011] (an explanation of the format of the test and criteria for evaluation)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;">[|Sample essays: narrative writing] <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> (you will only find the Level 9 essays helpful - they're at the end of the document)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Sample essays: expository writing] (unfortunately, there are no Level 9 sample expository essays - the Level 8 samples might give you an idea of what's expected of you, although successful Level 9 essays will contain more sophisticated vocabulary and ideas)

__**<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">WEEK of 7 - 11 FEBRUARY: **__
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Due by Monday morning (all periods): **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the wiki discussion tab, please post your verdicts for each of the trials in which you did not participate. (For period 1, post on the P.1 trial tabs; for period 2, P.2; for period 6, P.6.) You should post a 1 - 2 sentence rationale along with your "guilty" or "not guilty" verdict. Your grade (weight 1 - only one grade for all your posts together) will be for Standard 7 (listening and speaking), based on your incorporation of information you heard in the trials. **If you feel that an attorney or defendant did a particularly impressive job, please feel free to mention this in your post - however, there is no need to be unduly critical of your classmates.** Each student should have observed 3 trials, so you are each responsible for three posts.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**REMEMBER THAT ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, 8 & 9 FEBRUARY, YOU WILL NOT HAVE MORNING CLASSES DUE TO THE ACER TEST. (Periods 1 and 2, I will send you some information in case you wish to prepare for the writing sections of the test.) There is no homework due for this week. We will begin discussing Shakespeare and reading //Julius Caesar// on Thursday / Friday (and wrap up the LOTF Trial for period 1). Please remember to keep up with your blog - 3 new entries will be due by midnight on 28 February, for a total of 6 entries in 2011.**

__**<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">WEEK of 31 JANUARY - 4 FEBRUARY: **__
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Due Mon (1/2) / Tues (6): **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Periods 1 & 6, work on your trial speeches; period 2, prepare for the in-class essay (see specifics below).


 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Due Weds (1/2) / Thurs (6): **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Periods 1 & 6, prepare to present your trial speeches (see information below). Period 2, no written homework due - work on your trial speeches.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Due Fri (1/2) / Mon (6):** Periods 1 & 6, prepare for the in-class essay (see below); period 2, prepare to present your trial speeches (see information ; below).


 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">LOTF in-class essay: **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">This essay will take place on Monday for 2nd period, Friday for 1st period, and the following Monday (7 February) for 6th period. The format is a commentary - that is, an analysis of a specific passage from the novel. You will receive a copy of the passage, and you will also be allowed to use your text - annotations will be useful. The passage will be from an important moment in the text - that is, something we've talked about, at least briefly. You will write a 5 (or more, but 5 is sufficient) paragraph essay about the passage, in which you a) explain where the passage comes from in the text, and summarize it, b) analyze the different literary devices used in the passage (i.e., symbolism, metaphor, imagery, personification, and characterization - choose the 3 strongest and write a paragraph analyzing each), explaining how each of them illustrates the main ideas of the text. **Please take a look at the rubric for the essay, as well as these instructions for structuring commentary essays. You will be permitted to have a copy of the essay structure sheet on your desk - I will have copies in class. Please note that I will check your copy of LOTF to make sure there is nothing in it besides __your own annotations__ - if I find other materials, such as printed or transcribed materials from a website, this will be considered academic dishonesty, and you will not be permitted to complete the essay.**

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**LOTF trial speeches:** Please post your speech on turnitin.com before your class meets on trial day. (I will not be grading you for spelling or punctuation; the turnitin.com requirement is just to ensure that your speeches contain only original language.) Remember that you need to wear or bring one prop representing your character (lawyer or defendant) - for instance, lawyers might wear a suit jacket or carry a briefcase; defendants might have a seashell (representing the conch), a spear, etc.

__**<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">WEEK of 24 - 28 JANUARY: **__
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Due Tues (1/2) / Weds (6): **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> read and mark pages 138 - 164 (ch. 10 & 11) (no wiki post due - sorry for the misinformation)


 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Due Thurs (1/2) / Fri (6): **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">read and mark pages 164 - 182 (ch. 12); post response to new wiki question (only 19 responses per question - if 19 people have already responded to a topic, you must choose the other)

__**<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">WEEK of 17 - 20 JANUARY: **__
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Due Tues (1/2) 18 / Weds 19 (6): **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">read and mark pages 83 - 109 (ch. 6 & 7), and respond to the new wiki question. **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">ONLY 9 PEOPLE MAY RESPOND TO EACH QUESTION! **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Choose a different topic once there are 9 responses.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Due Thurs (1/2) 20 / Mon 24 (6)** : <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">read and mark pages 110 - 137 (ch. 8 & 9).

__**<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">WEEK of 10 - 14 JANUARY: **__
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Assignment from during vacation, due Monday 10 January (1 & 2) / Tuesday 11 January (6): **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">NOTE: **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">For the LOTF discussion questions explained below, I will accept wiki answers for full credit until __10:30 a.m. on Tuesday January 11th__. If you do not have Internet while traveling, don't worry: you can post when you come home. However, you may want to write down the questions so you can think about them as you're reading - that way, you won't need to go back over the chapters to find the answers. **All students are still responsible for completing the reading by their first class when they return (Mon 10 / Tues 11).**

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**//Lord of the Flies://** Please read pages 1 - 47 (chapters 1 - 3) in the novel over the break, and respond to one of the four questions posted on the wiki discussion tab (no more than 10 answers per question). NOTE: we will be working on identifying literary features in the text during this unit. The questions you will be answering each pertain to one of several specific devices: symbolism, allusion, allegory, characterization, metaphor and imagery. You will need to read the definition and examples of each of these devices posted **HERE** in order to answer the questions. **Also, it is highly recommended that you mark your own examples of these devices in the text as you read - if you don't do so now, you will have to go back and do so later during the unit. Examples of imagery, metaphor, characterization and allusion should be relatively easy to mark; for symbolism, mark things you think //may// be symbols even if you're not certain what they symbolize, and for allegory, keep notes in the margin as to what you think the whole story or pieces of it may represent.** Please don't be afraid to write in your books; noting scenes or phrases of interest, questions you have, and words you don't know in addition to the literary devices is an excellent idea. In fact, choosing different colors of ink or highlighters to represent the most common devices (imagery, metaphor, characterization) will be make it much easier for you to locate them when we look over these chapters later in the unit.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Feel free to read beyond page 47, but remember that you will probably need to review what you've read in order to stay current and answer comprehension questions well.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Due Weds 12 (1/2) / Thurs 13 (6): read pages 48 - 64. **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Due Fri 14 (1/2) / Mon 17 (6): read pages 65 - 82, and annotate your text. **

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**FTKMF Essay N****ote: your essays should be between 500 - 1000 words (most will be closer to 1000), with 5 or more paragraphs and 4 or more quotes. Remember to include a clear thesis statement at the end of your first (introductory) paragraph, and support that thesis with every subsequent paragraph. The last paragraph should be a clear conclusion to your essay. If you are looking for guidance about how to write a 5-paragraph essay, [|visit this link] or come see me after school any day this or next week.**

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|An interesting article criticizing Loung Ung's account of the Cambodian Civil War]

__**<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Week of 22 - 26 November: **__ <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Due Tuesday the 23rd (1st & 2nd periods) / Wednesday the 24th (6th period): read pages 113 - 163 in FTKMF, and respond to one of the wiki discussion questions posted on the discussion tab. (Once there are 13 responses posted for any topic, choose another.) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> - Due Thursday the 25th (1st & 2nd periods) / Friday the 26th (6th period): read pages 164 - 202 in FTKMF. **Also, a blog post is due by midnight tonight.** <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> - Due Monday the 29th (1st & 2nd periods) / Tuesday the 30th (6th period): finish reading the book (pp. 203 - 238), and draft 2 - 3 paragraphs of your essay so you can receive feedback in class.

__**<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Week of 15 - 17 November: **__ <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Due Monday the 15th / Tuesday the 16th: read pages 50 - 78 in FTKMF, and respond to one of the wiki discussion questions posted on the discussion tab of this page. (Once any question has 13 responses, you must choose a different one to respond to.) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> - Due Wednesday the 17th (1st & 2nd periods) / Monday the 22nd (6th period): read pages 79 - 112 in FTKMF, and post the number of your selected essay question topic on the wiki. Also: the first blog entry for this grading period is due by midnight on Wednesday for all students. There is no assigned topic this time; see the English 9 Blogroll page for suggestions and information.

__**<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Week of 8 - 12 November: **__ <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">- due Tuesday the 9th: all presentations need to be ready to go by today <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> - due Thursday the 11th: read pages 1 - 49 in //First They Killed my Father// (if you are leaving for CAISSA, make sure you also complete the next reading assignment, pp. 50 - 78, and post a response on the wiki discussion )

__**<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Week of 22 - 26 November: **__ <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Due Tuesday the 23rd (1st & 2nd periods) / Wednesday the 24th (6th period): read pages 113 - 163 in FTKMF, and respond to one of the wiki discussion questions posted on the discussion tab. (Once there are 13 responses posted for any topic, choose another.) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> - Due Thursday the 25th (1st & 2nd periods) / Friday the 26th (6th period): read pages 164 - 202 in FTKMF. **Also, a blog post is due by midnight tonight.** <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> - Due Monday the 29th (1st & 2nd periods) / Tuesday the 30th (6th period): finish reading the book (pp. 203 - 238), and draft 2 - 3 paragraphs of your essay so you can receive feedback in class.

__**<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Week of 15 - 17 November: **__ <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Due Monday the 15th / Tuesday the 16th: read pages 50 - 78 in FTKMF, and respond to one of the wiki discussion questions posted on the discussion tab of this page. (Once any question has 13 responses, you must choose a different one to respond to.) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> - Due Wednesday the 17th (1st & 2nd periods) / Monday the 22nd (6th period): read pages 79 - 112 in FTKMF, and post the number of your selected essay question topic on the wiki. Also: the first blog entry for this grading period is due by midnight on Wednesday for all students. There is no assigned topic this time; see the English 9 Blogroll page for suggestions and information.

__**<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Week of 8 - 12 November: **__ <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">- due Tuesday the 9th: all presentations need to be ready to go by today <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> - due Thursday the 11th: read pages 1 - 49 in //First They Killed my Father// (if you are leaving for CAISSA, make sure you also complete the next reading assignment, pp. 50 - 78, and post a response on the wiki discussion )

__**Week of 1 - 5 November**__ <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">- due Monday the 1st (periods 1/2) / Tuesday the 2nd (period 6): read the following brief summaries of Books 18 & 19 and the complete text of Books 20 - 21 of //The Odyssey// (pp. 410 - 438). You don't need to answer any wiki questions, but you will need to answer a context question in class. **You should also be working on your presentations, due on the the 5th (groups only), 8th, and 9th of November.**


 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Please look at the [|Odyssey presentation rubric] before finalizing your presentation. **

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Summary, Book 18:** Odysseus is provoked into a physical fight with a local beggar, Irus - Odysseus wins. The suitors enjoy the fight and applaud his victory, some more begrudgingly than others. One suitor, Amphinomus, shows signs of loyalty to Odysseus, but "not even so could he escape his fate" (210) - it is too late for Athena and Odysseus to forgive any of the suitors' behavior (see foreshadowing at the top of page 381). Penelope, persuaded by Athena, presents herself to the suitors looking lovely, and flirts with them until they shower her with gifts. Odysseus is amused. That night, he tests her maids' loyalty, finding some of them unimpressive. He tends the torches while the suitors party, and when they ridicule him, he stands up to them. Another suitor, Eurymachus, throws a footstool at him. Telemachus criticizes the suitors' behavior harshly.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Summary, Book 19:** Telemachus and Odysseus initiate their plan. Telemachus removes all of the suitors' weapons from the hall, and shuts the women up in their rooms. Athena helps. One of the maids, Melantho, is particularly hostile to Odysseus. He visits Penelope, but does not reveal anything to her except the prediction that Odysseus will return today. She gives him clothes and has the old maid, Eurycleia, bathe him. Since Eurycleia was Odysseus' maid as a boy, she recognizes an unmistakable scar on his thigh and identifies him. She is overjoyed and promises not to reveal his identity. Penelope, still oblivious, tells Odysseus that she is tired of the suitors dominating her household, and that she plans to give in and choose one to marry. Tomorrow she will stage a competition in which the suitor who can string Odysseus' bow and shoot an arrow through the heads of twelve axe heads will win her hand in marriage. Odysseus tells her that he will be there for the competition, but she is doubtful.

__**Week of 25 - 29 October**__ <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**- due Monday the 25th (periods 1/2) / Tuesday the 26th (period 6)**: read [|Shmoop summaries] of books 10 & 11 and full text of Book 12 of The Odyssey, pages 271 - 285. Answer one of the wiki questions for Book 12, **integrating a quotation correctly and using at least one term from the vocabulary list.** There are 2 question options; once 18 people have answered a topic, choose a different one.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**- 5 new blog entries must be finished by Sunday, the 24th of October.**

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**- due Thursday / Friday (28th / 29th October):** read Book 17 and post your Odyssey presentation topic on the discussion tab (read my example first)

__**Week of 11 - 15 October**__
 * - Due Monday (periods 1/2) / Wednesday (period 6): read Book 1 of //The Odyssey//, pages 77 - 92** <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">(you'll be asked to answer a short question taken directly from the text of your book when class begins)

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**- Comparative essay update:** If you, like nearly everyone, failed to observe one of the formatting guidelines discussed in class and posted on the guidelines page, **your essay will receive a zero for conventions until you format it properly and e-mail it to me again** (you do not need to submit it to turnitin.com a second time). Yes, I realize this may seem extreme - but imagine my __**extreme shock**__ when I looked at the drafts and realized that nearly everyone had ignored at least one of the guidelines!! If you resubmit before Thursday / 3:30 p.m., the zero will be replaced with the correct conventions score as marked on your graded essay. **The guidelines I'm speaking of are:** not using giganto-font (i.e. a font larger than 12 point) for any element of your essay, including your title / giving your essay a proper title that indicates what you'll be discussing, and in which stories or for which author (see the examples on the guidelines page if you don't know what I mean - "Comparative Essay" or "Isabel Allende" are NOT proper titles!) / not using random formatting anywhere in your essay, such as boldface, italics, or underlining on quotes / not using multiple fonts / deleting random notes to yourself at the end of the paper (we didn't discuss this; it should be obvious!) / omitting paragraph captions such as "Conclusion." / turning it in to turnitin.com (this is for the two people who did not submit to turnitin.com, and never e-mailed me to explain why)

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**- For the five people who did not submit an essay at all,** your score will go down one point in each standard for each day you wait, so get your late work in now to avoid losing all the points! **Scoring for the essay will be based on the following standards: 2 (Organization, weight 2 - this is weighted twice because it was the focus of our workshop) / 3 (Conventions, weight 1) / 6 (Reading analysis, weight 1)**


 * - Due Thursday (periods 1/2) / Friday (period 6): read [|Shmoop summaries] of Books 2 - 8 and full text of Book 9 of** **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> //The Odyssey//, pages 77 - 92; ALSO: answer the wiki discussion prompts for Books 1 and 9, using a direct, integrated quotation from the text to support each of your responses **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">(judging from the compositions, nearly everyone needs to work on quotation integration - this is how we'll be doing that). (There are 3 question options for Book 1 - once 13 people have answered each question, no one else may choose it. For Book 9, no more than 10 people may answer each question. **ANSWERS THAT DO NOT INCLUDE DIRECT QUOTATIONS WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY POINTS.**)

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**- due Monday the 25th (periods 1/2) / Tuesday the 26th (period 6)**: read [|Shmoop summaries] of books 10 & 11 and full text of Book 12 of The Odyssey, pages 271 - 285. Answer one of the wiki questions for Book 12, **integrating a quotation correctly and using at least one term from the vocabulary list.** There are 4 question options; once 10 people have answered a topic, choose a different one.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**- 5 new blog entries must be finished by Sunday, the 24th of October.**

__**Week of 4 - 8 October**__ <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**- All classes: comparative essays are due on Saturday, and must be submitted electronically to turnitin.com before midnight to receive full credit.**

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Instructions for submitting your essay:** <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. Go to the [|turnitin.com] website <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. Log into your account (create one if you don't have one yet) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">3. Add English 9, using your class ID: 1st period, 3400959 / 2nd, 3400994 / 6th, 3400998 (enrollment password for all classes = jessbarga) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">4. Click on your class (English 9-#) - the assignment "Comparative Paper" should be visible <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">5. Click "Submit" and follow the instructions to upload your essay (use "Single file upload"; type an essay title __**including your first name**__) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">6. After uploading, you will be taken to a new screen where you must click "Submit" once more <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">7. If your essay is submitted successfully, you should see a screen that reads "Digital Receipt" - if you have technical problems or aren't sure whether or not your paper was submitted successfully, send me an e-mail immediately with a copy of your essay attached. (You will also receive an e-mail copy of your digital receipt - make sure you hold on to this until you know I've received your essay. <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">8. After you've submitted your essay, you can click "view details" on your English 9 homepage to see the originality score for your essay. As a general guideline, good papers usually receive a score of 10 - 15% (this indicates that you've used enough quotations, but haven't relied excessively on words other than your own). Clicking on the originality score takes you to the originality report, where you can see all non-original text highlighted. You may wish to make certain that all non-original text is surrounded by quotation marks! If it isn't, resubmit a paper with proper citation of quoted material - but keep in mind that turnitin.com gives you only **one** opportunity to resubmit, and the second time, you aren't permitted to view the originality report for your essay.

__**Week of 28 September - 1 October**__ <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Guided comparative essays - we'll be working on these in class Friday and Tuesday, but both in class and at home you should make sure to review these guidelines before writing yours.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> “Clarisa”(Catarina, Sofi) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> "And of Clay are we Created" (Ale, Ignacio) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> "An Act of Vengeance" (Marco M, Karim) || <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> "Tuesday Siesta"(Hayden, Claudia) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> "Death Constant Beyond Love" (Pablo, Nathalia) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> “Eyes of a Blue Dog” (Isa, Vero) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> “One of These Days” (Andras, Vale C) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” (Matías,Kameron, Irene) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> "The Last Voyage of the Ghost Ship" (Estefy) || <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> "Axolotl" (Clarisa, Marco D) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> “House Taken Over" (Luiza, Matthew, Laura) || <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> “Funes the Memorious” <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> "The Circular Ruins" (Allan) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> "[|Death and the Compass]" (Fernando, Alex) ||
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Stories from this unit: ** || **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Additional stories: ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Allende, Isabel: “Two Words” || “<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Walimai” (Tais, Eleni, Valentina L)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">García Márquez, Gabriel: “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings ” || “<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Eva is Inside her Cat” (Maggie)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cortázar, Julio: “The Night Face Up”, “The Continuity of Parks” || “<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Blow up.pdf|Blow up" (Sebastian)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pardo Bazán, Emilia: “The Red Stockings” || "<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">First Love" (Victoria, Vita) ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Borges, Jorge Luís: “The South” || “<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Aleph" (Rodrigo, David)

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">__**Week of 20 - 24 September (i.e. what to work on over the long weekend):**__ <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">- finish posting your 9 vocabulary sentences //(note: there are quite a few grammatical errors in your sentences - we will be going over these together to correct the grammar, so you may want to look over your own sentences and post your corrections so that the whole class does not need to correct your errors . . . if you post corrections, I will delete your original sentence).// **Remember, there should only be 4 sentences for each word! Once 4 people have posted their sentence, you need to choose a different word, or you won't receive credit.**

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">- The only other homework over the long weekend is to read the story ""A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" (Gabriel García Márquez), and post a response to ONE of the THREE questions on the discussion tab (if there are already 13 responses, you must choose another question). **__You must post your answer before school on Tuesday, regardless of when your class meets__. The vocabulary quiz scheduled for next week will be canceled,** because I don't want to get too far behind. We will still be doing a concluding activity for the short story unit, which I will explain to you when class meets on Tuesday / Wednesday. We'll begin a new unit (//The Odyssey//) the week of October 4th.

__<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Class activities for Tuesday, 21 September:** __ <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hi everybody - unfortunately I'm stuck at home with a cold and a fever. It's pretty awful. . . plus I've been having these weird nightmares where Aztecs are chasing me and there's this weird old man with a dagger in a café. ..

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Actually, it's nothing that exciting: I'm just really sick. Today in class I'd like you to do the following: <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">- 15 minutes of silent reading <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">- 40 minutes of work with the vocabulary posted on the English 9 Vocab page (explained below) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">- 30 minutes of blog time: make sure you're actually working on your blog! <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Note: the vocabulary quiz originally scheduled for Thursday will be postponed until Monday so we have a chance to talk about any difficult terms together.**

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**__Vocabulary instructions:__** <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">You'll notice that, on the discussion tab for the English 9 Vocabulary page, I've started a discussion thread for every one of the words in the left column, and all of the non-italicized words on the right. These are all the terms that I may choose to put on the quiz (I won't put all of them, but I will select randomly). I've also added definitions along with the discussion thread for the words on the right; those on the left do not have definitions, but I've written model sentences for the more difficult of them.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Your task is to write a complete sentence of 7+ words __in the formal register__ (the subject of the sentence does not need to be formal, but the language does - no 'like's or 'kind of's or 'a lot of's, etc.) for each of the terms here. Not everyone needs to write a sentence for every word, however. You must write sentences for **__9 of the terms__**; 3 or more of these should come from the list on the right (more difficult terms). No word should have more than 4 sentences, so once a term has 4, you must choose a different one. **Remember, your sentences should be 7 or more words, and __must indicate the meaning of the word through context__**. For example, "The man was writhing around in his apartment," would not work, because it doesn't tell the reader anything about the meaning of //writhing//. However, "After the snake bit him, the man was writhing in pain, his body coiling awkwardly on the apartment floor," would be fine. If this assignment seems dry, why not try to write amusing sentences? They'll improve the activity for your peers (and me).

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**I will be awake and online while you work on this. As you post sentences, I'll be checking them - if they are inadequate or inaccurate, I will send you an e-mail immediately indicating that I've deleted your sentence and that you'll need to write another. Thus, it would be a good idea to write each sentence first in OneNote or a Word document so you have a record of what you did wrong if I delete your sentence. You should try to complete this work in class, but if you don't, you can finish for homework. Feel free to e-mail me or contact me via Google Chat during class if you have a question about any of the terms.**

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">- due Monday 13 / Tuesday 14 September - read "Two Words" by Isabel Allende; remember, whenever there is a reading assignment, you will be asked to answer a brief question linked to a passage from the reading; please stay caught up!
 * __Week of 13 - 17 September__**

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">- due Wednesday 15 / Thursday 16 September - read "The Red Stockings" (link on assignment calendar page) by Emilia Pardo Bazan, and respond to the discussion prompt in which you're asked to compare & contrast this story with "Two Words"

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> - due Friday 17 / Monday 20 September - read "The Night Face-Up" by Julio Cortazar; post 3 suggested vocabulary terms from the story on the English 9 Vocabulary page

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">- due Tuesday 21 / Wednesday 22 September - read "The South" by Jorge Luís Borges, and answer one of the 2 questions posted on the discussion tab. __**Once one question has 19 responses, you must answer the other one if you wish to receive credit.**__

__**Week of 6 - 10 September**__ <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">- poetry memorization and analysis: your memorized poems will be presented in class on Tuesday / Wednesday, 7 / 8 September. On that day you will also tur in a formal, essay-length analysis of your poem. Please take a look at this sample analysis: Sample analysis, Storni Here's another poetry analysis, structured differently but with similar content: [|"Solace" analysis]

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">- on Thursday / Friday, 9 / 10 September, we will conclude the poetry unit with a short (40 minutes) essay assessment. You will read an unfamiliar poem, and then write an essay in which you analyze it, using the poetic terms from your list and the concepts we've discussed in class during this unit. See above (resource list) to download a copy of the poetry essay rubric used to grade both your at-home and in class poetry analysis essays. This rubric features the same 3 standards as the rubric used for the in-class essay about the trapeze artist story, but is weighted differently: Standard 2 (organization), 1 / Standard 3 (conventions), 1 / Standard 5 (reading process), 2

__**Week of 30 August - 3 September**__ <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">- in class on Wednesday / Thursday, 1 / 2 September, we'll be taking some time to set up your blogs in class, so you should have chosen a title and a couple of images (remember not to include pictures of you and / or your friends that show faces) to post with your introductory entry. All the entries should be returned to you by then, with corrections suggested (if any are needed). **Once you've set yours up, please send me a link to your blog (before class mets on Friday / Monday).**

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">- after class on Wednesday / Thursday, 1 / 2 September, **please read the poem "Inheritance (Peso ancestral)" by Alfonsina Storni.** (This poem is by an Argentine poet, so the original as well as the translated version is included for those of you who wish to read both; however, only the English version is required reading.) **After reading, click 'Discussion' at the top of this page, and enter a response to the discussion topic I've posted there. Your comment should be one short paragraph in length, and will be assessed only for standard 5 (reading process).**

__**Week of 23 - 27 August**__ <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">- due Tuesday 24 / Wednesday 25 August, analysis of 2 Shakespearean sonnets from class (#18 / #130) and evaluation of which one is more effective / which you would prefer to receive (one thorough paragraph; this assignment will be assessed for standards 2 [organization] / 3 [conventions] & 5 [reading process]). Make sure you include specific references / evidence from the sonnets!

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">- due Thursday 26 / Friday 27 August, draft an introduction to your blog: your first entry. Explain who you are (without using your name or ECA's name) in general terms, and what you think you'll be writing about. **The entry should be 1 - 3 paragraphs in length, and at least 250 words in length.** //[You might include: general physical description / personality description / your interests / what you see as the greatest injustice in the world / what makes you happiest / which things annoy you most / how to be successful in school, life, friendships / e//tc.] Your work will be assessed based on standards 1 [writing process] and 3 [conventions]. ***If you would rather invent someone than write about yourself - i.e., treat your blog as a creative writing assignment - feel free to do so. Just invent someone with good grammar who intends to improve their writing!**

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Sample introductory blog:** //* do give your post a title - "introductory blog post" is pretty boring// **A blog is born:** Well, I’ve been asked to introduce myself. That’s easy, you say? What does anyone know better than him- or herself? However, I’m stumped. What can I say that will tell the world: **“Read my blog!”** I guess I should forget about marketing myself. This will be the raw, unbiased me.

For starters, I’m a 9th-grade English student attending an international high school in Venezuela. I’m writing this blog because – well, because I have to. (Do you think I would be doing this if my English teacher weren’t forcing me to?) But to give you a little more background, I’m average height and average weight; I like sports (mostly soccer and volleyball); I’m shy when I don’t know people, but I can’t stop talking when I feel comfortable. I care a lot about music, television, and food. My favorite music is rock and a little bit of rap, although I play the piano a little, and so I don’t mind classical music either (although I don’t really listen to it on my own too often). On TV, I mostly watch comedies and dramas. I’m a vegetarian most of the time, and cheese is probably my favorite thing to eat. I have a dog – medium-sized – and I hate cats. The most important things in my life are my friends and my family (not always in that order, but sometimes it seems that way).

And what do I plan to write about on this blog? I’m not exactly sure yet, but I think I’ll probably change the topic almost every time I post. . . I don’t know if there’s one theme that interests me more than others. But in general, I’ll probably write about the books I'm reading (the ones I choose more than the ones I have to read for school), my favorite TV shows (I like HBO series best), and new music I listen to, and whether or not I like it. From time to time, especially around vacations when my family usually travels, I would like to write about the differences between where I live (Venezuela) and the other places I know a little bit about. For example, we have family in Florida and family in Argentina, so I go to those places frequently and will compare my thoughts and observations about all three.