Brit Lit:

Today:

I introduced you to how we will use peer editing in class, and placed your with a partner. We worked on making your writing "sparkle" by using strong transitional words and phrases. Often is the new all in all.... makes you sound wicked smart.

We rolled into break with a small reward for your diligent work this week- Beowulf. I asked you to list how the story follows the Hero's Quest.

HW: Have a wonderful vacation!

World of Shakespeare:

Today:

I introduced the controversial research behind what is known as the Mozart effect:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1281386/pdf/0940170.pdf

We listened to 10 min of Mozart music, and then I gave you 10 min to study immediately after. Did it work?

Your To be, or not to be lines were due today. If you were not ready, please be reminded that you will go first thing Monday. You loose 10 points for each school day late with the assignment.

We ended the week/class with scenes from Mel Gibson's version of Hamlet. How do you think he pulled off the "Hamlet crazy?"

HW: Have a restful vacation!

Brit Lit:

Today:

We went to the computer lab and completed your first draft. Please finish your draft for HW if you did not do so in class.

We will be working on peer edits in class on Friday- so please make sure that you have your first draft printed out and ready to go.

HW: Please finish reading Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in your Anthology for HW.

To snooze, to sleep—
To sleep, perhaps too long. Ay, there’s the problem,
For in oversleeping what events may come about
When we are hiding from the alarm’s harsh call
Must make us stop and think.
That’s the idea
That makes disaster of sleeping in.
For who really wants to face the 6 a.m. sun,
The first period’s quiz,
The morning person’s obnoxious cheeriness,
The disappointment in decaffeinated coffee,
The dance class’s early rehearsals,
The overly chipper song of the early bird,
And the cold looks
That early-risers send in my late-sleeping direction,
When they too may sleep in
On weekends free from tribulations?
Who would heed the alarm’s early call,
To squint and yawn through the first hours of the day,
But that the horror that something may be missed while dozing,
The unknown events that have occurred which
The gossips discuss
While we stand in a confused daze,
Wishing we had risen on time
Instead of seeking those futile thirty minutes?
Thus the chance of missing out does make early risers of us all,
And thus the bliss of sleeping in
Is tainted by eye-opening thoughts of lost news,
And peaceful moments of dreams and sleep
With this regard their paths are cut short
And lose the dark in favor of the harsh light.

Early Hamlet

Brit Lit:

We began with journal prompt #2.

We worked on your paper outline.

We went to the computer lab to write your paper.

HW: Please work on the 1st draft of your paper. These are due Friday.

World of Shakespeare:

Today:

We began with journal prompt #2.

We broke up into small groups and converted Hamlet's To Be Or Not To Be.

We finally made time to take the quiz on act 2.

HW: Please study your lines for Friday. Please study the terms given on Monday for a brief quiz Thursday.

Journal Prompt #2

Please describe a moment in your life when you were at your all time lowest point. 1pg.

Today:

We began using your journals for writing prompts:

#1 What is the craziest thing that you, or someone that you know, has done for love. 1 page free write.

We defined Medieval Romance. Please get the notes from me or another student in class if your were absent.

We read the first 1/2 of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

World of Shakespeare:

Today:

I passed out field trip forms for Macbeth: March 27. $5

Quiz #2 on Act 2

We collected your journals from the writing center. I explained the journal prompts.

Journal Prompt #1: What is the craziest thing that you or someone you know, has done for love. 1 page

We acted out act 3

I passed out a packet on Hamlet and assigned it for HW.

Quiz on terms this Thursday. Memorize lines for this Fri.

Word O' the Week:

Nous: (noos) Noun. Mind, intellect.

Brit Lit:

Today:

We talked about the movies that you selected for your paper and worked on an outline. We will be writing these in the computer lab this Wed and Thursday.

We did the following assignment:

The Ballad of You:

Directions: Today in class you will all be writing a ballad: A short narrative poem that tells a story and is usually set to music. To make this interesting, the ballad that you make will be about another student in class, based primarily on a short interview that you have with them today in class.


Step 1: The Interview:

Please generate 10 questions to ask and record their answer. These will be the foundation of your ballad:



Part 2: The Things They Carry….
Describe in detail 5 items that are on them right now. Please use detailed description. Do not just say it is a pen. Describe it in as much detail as you can.

Step 3, The Ballad of….

Write a 25-30 line folk ballad on the person that you interviewed and the information that you collected about them. Please begin this with the following and keep it in the 3rd person at all times:

There once was a boy named Joe that……




Step 4: Perform these in front of the class J

World of Shakespeare:

Today:

We looked at the special effects of Shakespeare's day: his words. We defined 8 terms. Please study these for a quiz this Wed.

I collected your take home quizzes from Friday.

I gave your a short quiz on Act 2

We looked at the To be, or not to be lines. Please learn the lines in bold for this Friday.

We read/acted Act III.