Wonderful Wednesday:

Block A: You have your second group meeting tomorrow - make sure you are prepared with your sticky notes and your notes on character and characterization. If you have questions about your journals - tomorrow is your last chance as you have 3-4 entries due on Friday.

Block B: I tried to provide you with as much constructive feedback as possible on your first attempt at literary analysis. Read through your first paragraph and challenge yourself to improve next time. I then assigned your second attempt: the central theme analysis for "Saturday Climbing." Homework tonight is the front side of your graphic organizer - the brainstorm and the hook, T.A.G. and thesis.

Block D: Keep studying for your noun quiz on Friday! Homework tonight is to find a silent reading novel for tomorrow's class. It does not have to be the novel you choose for the Book Talk ELO, but you need to have a book in class. You have until Tuesday October 13th to choose your novel. By then you should try a few different books to find the one you would like to complete for the Book Talk. I will let you know the due date on the 13th.

Take That, Tuesday!

Block A: Almost all of the groups finished their discussions today - thank you all for your hard work. Tomorrow you will have time in class to read and prepare for the group meeting on Thursday, in addition to time to meet with your groups and discuss the journals that are due on Friday. Make sure you take the time to discuss your journals with your groups - to help you increase your understanding.

Block B: Please complete 4 incredible, and original theme statements for the story "Saturday Climbing." I've given you 4 big ideas - now you need to write the themes. Avoid cliches at all cost!

Block D: You will have a noun quiz on Friday - make sure you study! If you did not finish your paragraph on either exercise or smoking please do so tonight - we will move on to ELO 5 in class tomorrow.

Melodious Monday

Block A: A good day for a first group meeting. I hope that the discussion rubric helped you to be a stronger group member. I will give you time in class tomorrow to work on any unfinished group work. If you have already finished - then you should use your time in class to read and complete your sticky notes for Thursday's meeting and/or work on your 3-4 double-entry journals that are due on Friday.

Block B: Today in class we read the short story "Saturday Climbing." We discussed the timeline (because there are A LOT of flashbacks) then you got started on the plot diagram. If you did not finish your plot diagram in class - please do so for homework tonight.

Block D: We started to look at parts of speech with our noun review. If you did not finish the worksheets on common vs. proper and abstract vs. concrete - please do so tonight. We then reviewed the parts of a paragraph and started to practice putting together our own. We will continue our paragraph writing journey tomorrow.

Thoughtfully Thursday:

Block A: Today we reviewed some of the literary techniques that you are going to need to watch for in your novel: allusion, metaphor, imagery and irony. In addition we talked about expectations for the double-entry journal and how you will be evaluating your peers during the group discussions. Your homework over the weekend is to complete the reading that your group agreed to, in addition to the minimum 4 sticky notes per chapter of your thoughts. Not sure what to write on the sticky notes? Here is the list again:

Block B: We started off with a little game of literary term review - good times - keep studying your terminology. This weekend you need to take the feedback your editor has provided and improve your literary analysis paragraph. Remember this paragraph is about 250 words - a little more is ok - but clarity is key! Make sure you are not reinforcing points by just stating them again in different words. On Monday you will hand in a double-spaced good copy, rough draft, blue editing sheet, and graphic organizer.

Block D: If you did not finish your Zoo Revolution worksheet in class today - please do so for home work this weekend! We will be using it for our next ELO!

Task-Worthy Tuesday!

Block A: As a little reprieve before the real work of the novel study begins - I have not assigned the intertextuality journal response for tonight. We'll finish the rest of the movie tomorrow and have some time in class to complete it.

Block B: Today we reviewed the elements that make up a successful literary analysis composition. You are going to be writing ONE paragraph, not an essay about the character of Sammy and how he undergoes change in the story. The graphic organizer for your paragraph is due tomorrow. Make sure you are ready to write the double-spaced rough draft in class tomorrow.

Block D: Thank you for your hard work assessing your own writing samples today. I'm looking forward to reading about the writing goals you've made for yourself this semester. No homework tonight!

Masterful Monday!

Block A: Philosophy - how fun is that?! Today we looked at Plato and Descartes in order to get a better understanding of intertextuality. The basis for our novel study unit. I gave you a VERY brief introduction to these concepts - which hopefully did not make you feel too unsettled before we started watching the movie. There is no homework tonight - as we will continue to watch The Matrix in class tomorrow.

Block B: Your homework tonight is to finish the direct and indirect characterization chart for Sammy the protagonist of "A&P." Make sure you fully explain the inferences that you make about him.

Block D: We did not quite finish recording our observations about the four writing samples for grade 8 - but we will get to those tomorrow. There is no homework tonight!

Fun-Times Friday!

Block A: Hopefully you got some good feedback from your peer editor that you can incorporate into the good copy of your personal narrative. For Monday, please hand in the double-spaced good copy, rough draft, blue editing sheet, map and yellow criteria.

After the editing we watched a visual example of the transformational narrative by Jane McGonigal, which she explains in her TED TALK here she shares her own trauma and what she did to transform her life and those around her. If you did not finish the response to the video in class here is the slide from today. You may answer each question separately or as one whole - a page or two single-spaced.

Block B: We will share our group responses to "A&P" on Monday. Your homework this weekend is to complete the plot diagram for "A&P" make sure you include the 3 types of setting: Physical, Emotional and Social/Political.

Thankfully Thursday:

Block A: Great work today on your rough drafts! Make sure you have a double-spaced rough draft of your transformational narrative that can be peer edited in class tomorrow.

Block B: Lots of good work on your inferential stories - if you are using screen shots for your Twitter stories or Google Search stories - please turn it into a slide show or some other one file format to make it a bit easier for me to follow. We will move on to "A&P" first thing tomorrow.

Wonderful Wednesday!

Block A: Thank you for handing in your Paradox assignments today - I'm very much looking forward to reading them. Today you spent some time finishing up the map of your transformational event. If you got the stamp - you started on the double-spaced rough draft. There will be another drafting day tomorrow, then peer editing on Friday. The double-spaced good copy in pen or typed is due on Monday September 28.

Block B: Your metaphors look great! Can't wait to read them! After finishing up our interpretations of "Ordeal by Cheque" we shared our various inferences - so creative!!! At the end of class there was just enough time to start on task 2 - writing your own inferential story. You could work alone or in pairs and write a (school-appropriate) story using a method of your choice. Facebook statuses? Text messages? Tweets? Google Searches? Messages in a bottle? I will give you time in class to work in it tomorrow - just make sure you bring the resources necessary for you to work on it.

Take That, Tuesday!

Block A: The transformational narrative continues. Today we finished our discussion of "Chicken Hips" and then started working on our own essays. I gave some advice on the process and a map for your transformational event. You should have finished the map in class today - but I will not be assigning it for homework as you have to hand in the good copy of your paradox tomorrow. Tomorrow will be a drafting day for your essay - so make sure you come ready to write!

Block B: So much fun today! I love the way you inferentially think! Work continues on "Ordeal by Cheque" tomorrow. Make sure that you have your rough draft, good copy and pink criteria sheet to hand in, first thing.

Block D: Today was all about you. First we learned about how we learn best! An interesting class profile! Then you wrote a paragraph on survival for me as a diagnostic task so that I can better teach what we need to work on. There is no homework tonight! Have so much fun at camp - can't wait to hear all the stories when you get back!!!

Most of all Monday!

Block A: Hopefully you found the feedback from your editor useful today. The double-spaced good copy of your paradox is due on Wednesday, along with your rough draft and criteria sheet. Today we started to talk about our first essay assignment: the transformational narrative. We have read through 2 examples and will discuss the second one tomorrow in class. You should already be thinking about what you might like to write about for your own event!

Block B: There was time in the beginning of class today to get feedback on your metaphor. The double-spaced good copy with visual is due on Wednesday. Make sure you also hand in the rough draft and pink criteria. We then started talking about terminology related to short stories. Study the blue handout - as you will need to know the terms. As a review of the plot diagram we watched two different Pixar shorts, Partly Cloudy and One Man Band. We did not quite finish discussing One Man Band - so we will do that tomorrow.

Block D: Wow - I was impressed by your focus and concentration today! You all worked so hard on the rough drafts of your poems - and a lot of you got a head start on the good copy. Tomorrow, please hand in the rough draft, good copy and green criteria sheet for evaluation.

Fun-Times Friday!

Block A: Hopefully you've been able to get a good start on the double-spaced rough draft for your paradox assignment. I will give you some time on Monday for self/peer editing - so make sure you have your draft in class with you. The double-spaced good copy (typed or in pen) with accompanying visual is due on Tuesday.

Block B: I know that writing an extended metaphor about oneself is not exactly the easiest task - but what would be the point of taking grade 11 English if it didn't challenge you once in a while?! Boring and easy is no fun. For Monday, please have your double-spaced rough draft finished so that you can do some self or peer editing before handing in the good copy (typed or in pen) with your visual on Tuesday.

Block D: Today we had some time to finish off our introductory letters and 21 Questions Surveys. After all the work was handed in we got started on our first assignment: My Life in 30 Words. You worked so hard today on the brainstorm - looking good so far! If you did not finish the brainstorming sheet - that is your homework this weekend. Also - there are a couple of people who still need to hand in their purple parent letters - Monday is the deadline!

Thoroughly Thursday!

Block A: Make sure you post your book selfie to the padlet tonight: http://padlet.com/nmatsuzaki1/en12 If you did not get your yellow letter signed, please do so tonight and hand it in tomorrow. The Paradox assignment is not due yet - you will have time in class tomorrow for the rough draft.

Block B: Your book selfie is due tomorrow on the padlet - go to http://padlet.com/nmatsuzaki1/EN11 I will still be accepting blue parent letters tomorrow too. Thank you to all that got them in so quickly today! Keep thinking about your conceit for tonight - but don't stress as there will be time in class to plan and start the rough draft tomorrow!

Block D: Make sure you post your book selfie tonight at http://padlet.com/nmatsuzaki1/en8
If you have any problems - send me an email or talk to me tomorrow. I will be collecting your signed purple parent letters in class tomorrow as well. Don't worry about your letter - I will give you time in class to finish up.

Back to Basics Wednesday!

Hello and welcome back to another year of adventures in English Class!!!

Thanks for visiting the blog - I hope that you remember to check it often for updates and reminders about the upcoming semester. Staying on track and handing in all assignments is YOUR responsibility - use this blog to help you be successful.

Block A: Some interesting a creative responses to the first day quiz! Please have your 21 Questions Survey and the yellow parent letter completed for tomorrow.

Block B: You think you know someone, right?! We're off to a good start so far! I will give you time in class to finish the 21 Questions Survey - so the only thing you need to bring for me tomorrow is your signed blue parent letter.

Block D: I hope that you learned a little something about the expectations of high school and of English class! I will give you time in class tomorrow to complete your 21 Questions Survey - so there is no homework tonight!