Introduction to Greek Gods/Goddess mythology and The Odyssey.

VOCABULARY words 1-10 QUIZ:

Thursday, 12/22

PORTFOLIO REFLECTION:

Write a paragraph in which you reflect on the work you have done over the course of this unit.

For example, focus on the strengths and weaknesses that you experienced, the poems you are especially proud of, and you’re overall portfolio.

POETRY PORTFOLIO WEEK

Checklist:

• Do you have a creative/interesting cover sheet?



• Does each poem have a title?



• Is each poem edited, free of spelling and grammatical errors?



• Does each poem follow the correct criteria?



• Do you have a reflection at the end?

Your portfolio should contain the following poems:

Extended Metaphor

Nature Poem

Haiku

e.e. cummings style

Song Lyrics / Reflection

Confessional

Free Verse

Rhyme Scheme

Style of Your Choice (Choose to duplicate one of the above)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Sir Thomas Wyatt was a 16th century poet and statesman. Today we would call him a Renaissance man, and did as much pioneering and inventing in English poetics as American renaissance men such as Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Edison did in more mechanical respects. Wyatt delved into erotic subject matter with grace and civility so as to make it socially acceptable to read. His poem They Flee from Me can be explicated as such, especially by looking at the extended metaphor used. Wyatt was skilled in using metaphors of animals and nature to tone down the true undercurrent of his poems - which were sexual in nature. They Flee from Me is no acceptation to this. The scansion of the poem is irregular iambic pentameter, dipping to nine syllable lines and even tetrameter in line thirteen:

"They Flee From Me"

What can attitude tell us? To help you find out the meaning behind this poem, begin by asking who owns the action of each stanza in this poem. This will help trace the speaker’s transformation from line to line and stanza to stanza. Then ask about shifts in the speaker’s attitudes toward women, the loose gown–wearing ones in particular. How does the speaker feel about women by the end of the poem? Be warned: This provocative poem is rated PG-13, after close reading you might understand it perfectly.......

At the age of twelve, Walt Whitman began to learn the printer's trade, and fell in love with the written word. Largely self-taught, he read voraciously, becoming acquainted with the works of Homer, Dante, Shakespeare, and the Bible........






"Beat! Beat! Drums"
What can intonation tell us? With pounding rhythms and overwhelming images of destruction, Whitman’s famous anti-war poem mimics the fervent speech of a warmonger but leaves the reader nearly chanting in protest of war.

In three powerful stanzas, Whitman catalogs the ways in which war obliterates peaceful domesticity, civil society, and even the restfulness of death. This text presents a number of interesting challenges for the performer. Paying special attention to the actors and what they say will highlight the emotional dramas, which are expressed in a series of ironic commands and rhetorical questions. The last line in each of these stanzas suggests the question How would you say that aloud? “So fierce you whir and pound you drums—so shrill you bugles blow.”

Taken as a separate unit of meaning, this line could be an answer to the question What is the cause of this horror? As part of the sentence, however, it must be spoken as a command. Thus, part of the difficulty of this performance is negotiating the irony of these speech acts. The powerful cadence of this series of iconic images and the onomatopoeic devices gathers enormous weight in performance.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14
C r E a T e YOUR OWN e. e.

inspired










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(50 w0rds please).


TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15
Birches, Robert Frost




















WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16
1. Select a song of your choice to analyze and present to the class.
2. Include AND annotate lyrics and a 200 word analysis
DUE: 11/18

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18

~ Haiku
To me, finding what gives the haiku its essence is what is most important in its study. Sure, everyone knows about the 5-7-5 structure and the inclusion of a seasonal reference, but these seem secondary when one looks at what makes the haiku different from other poetic forms.




Haiku Moment: It seems easiest to liken haiku to a photograph, which captures a moment in time. A pure photograph describes a scene, and this description causes an emotional response in its viewer. There is no caption on the photograph that tells us what emotional response we are to take from it. It is instead a simple moment in time, unencumbered.



Haiku is the same thing. When a butterfly lands upon an open flower, what does the haiku poet take from this? The same thing that his reader will take from it when he describes the moment in verse. But he trusts his reader to sense the same emotion from his accurate description of the scene. He does not need to say "How beautiful!" in reference to the moment, because his words should evoke the correct response in his reader.

HOMEWORK: Select an image to create a 5 - 7 - 5 Haiku. This poem should capture the moment this image projects. DUE: 11/21

MONDAY
The Necklace. De Maupassant was interested in the psychology of characters, so its not surprising that he tells this famous story from the limited point of view, of Mathilde Loisel.
BLOG ASSIGNMENT: From your perspective, how do you view Mathilde? Support your answer using a specific detail from the text.
DUE: Tuesday, 10/26


TUESDAY
Blog assignment due.
Homework: The Sniper
*Read to paragraph #12
"He ground his teeth to overcome the pain."

WEDNESDAY


THURSDAY



FRIDAY
"Sniper" Vocabulary Quiz!!!

We will be in the computer lab today.
****Bring all INDEPENDENT READING materials!!!!

BITSTRIP SITE: Remember to login using your class code.
GLOGSTER SITE: You may create your own account for free.
ANIMOTO: Use the following to update your account to Plus: A4EOct11

MONDAY
Begin reading "Balto," T.C. Boyle

TUESDAY
Homework: Read "Balto" to p.63 (to the break in the page)

WEDNESDAY
BLOG POST: React to the ending of "Balto." Do you agree with what Angelle did? Could you do the same to your parent/guardian?
DUE: Thursday, 10/20

THURSDAY
IN A JOURNAL ENTRY: (Not to be posted to the blog)
Write an alternate ending to your favorite tale. Then come up with a comical moral to go along with it! DUE: Friday, 10/21

FRIDAY
Bring all INDEPENDENT READING materials to class. We will be in the computer lab!!!

TO CREATE A BITSTRIP, follow THIS LINK
Obtain login code from Ms. Molloy and create your avatar.

TO CREATE A GLOGSTER, click here and create your own account.

TO TRY ANIMOTO, click here to try a sample.

MONDAY


No school - Columbus Day



TUESDAY



WEDNESDAY


Introduction to: Independent Reading Assignment

HOMEWORK: Complete reading The Most Dangerous Game

Study guide questions: 3-5

THURSDAY


FRIDAY



INDEPENDENT BOOK DUE!!!
"The Most Dangerous Game" Vocab Quiz words 1-20

October 3 - 7

Monday, 10/3

In-class Critical Lens essay

Tuesday, 10/4

In-class Critical Lens essay

Wednesday, 10/5

Begin Short Story Unit

Thursday, 10/6

Friday, 10/7

Early dismissal for students

TEST ANALYSIS: Due 10/3

WHAT: Test analysis is an excellent opportunity to earn extra credit through in-depth analysis of the text.

HOW: All work must be completed individually and typed.
Three points must be made: (see example given out in class)

1. Why did you choose the answer you chose?


2. How did the class justify the answer with the most votes?


3. What do you think now and why?

POINTS: You may earn up to the full amount of points that a question was worth on the exam. For instance, a comprehensive response on a 10-point question might earn you the full 10 points back. Superficial or irrelevant evidence, illogical arguments, or incomplete discussions will reduce your awarded points.

NOTE: Alternative opinions will certainly be respected – and awarded – as long as the textual evidence supports them.

MONDAY, 9/19

Unit Exam: Of Mice and Men

TUESDAY, 9/20
Test-debate begins.........

WEDNESDAY, 9/21

Vocabulary Quiz #2: 11-20

Test debate

THURSDAY, 9/22
Film: Of Mice and Men

(Gary Sinise, 1992)

FRIDAY, 9/23

John Ernst Steinbeck

(February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) is one of the best known and most widely read American writers of the 20th century. A winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962, he is best known for his novella Of Mice and Men (1937) and his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath (1939), both of which examine the lives of the working class and the migrant worker during the Great Depression.

John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California and situated struggling, disadvantaged people at the center of his stories. His characters and his stories drew on real historical conditions and events in the first half of the 20th century. His body of work reflects his wide range of interests, including marine biology, jazz, politics,philosophy, history, and myth.

John Steinbeck's writings and characters are a window into the essential aspects of humanity: conflict, grief, fear, and the struggle that humanity has with itself. When students research Steinbeck's version of history and humanity, geography and politics, they see where America came from, who the people were, and how they have grown, what in the world has changed, and what remains. Very few pictures in American literature are as vivid as those depicted by John Steinbeck. History is no longer diluted with simple facts and dates, but rather becomes an intimate, uncertain journey full of neglected characters, their harrowing experiences, and the future's promise that urges them onward.

COURSE OUTLINE

North Salem High School 20010-2012

J. Molloy
914.669.5414 ext.2193molloyj@northsalem.k12.ny.us
http://english9ns.blogspot.com/

Course Description:
English 9The ninth grade English curriculum is based upon a genre approach to literature. Short stories, poetry, drama, novels, and film will be utilized throughout the year in order to assist students in developing their appreciation and understanding of the English language. A strong emphasis will be placed on expository writing, critical analysis, and literary response and expression.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of English 8.

New York State ELA Standards Standard
1Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.Standard 2Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and expression.Standard 3Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.Standard 4Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.

Reading Assignments
Students are expected to come to class having read the assigned texts and prepared to discuss the themes and the author’s purpose supported by literary elements and techniques. While reading, students should make notes on the text using post-it notes. *(If students purchase their own novels, they may write directly in the text).

Writing Assignments
Analysis of poetry, short stories, novels and plays will be assessed in the following forms: (1) timed in-class essays that require students to either read/listen and interpret a short piece of literature and construct a response – or interpret a longer work through the lens of a specific prompt, (2) reflective responses to literature in the form of journal entries, (3) insightful responses to literature in the form of blog responses, posted on the class blog, (4) a formal MLA interdisciplinary research paper.

*Essay revisions are encouraged and will take place during an after-school.


Texts
The Alchemist, Paolo Coelho
Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck
Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucher
The Odyssey, Homer
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
Short Stories:
“The Most Dangerous Game,” Richard Connell
“Thank You Ma’am,” Langston Hughes
“The Open Window,” Saki
“The Tell Tale Heart,” Edgar Allen Poe
“By The Waters of Babylon,” Stephen Vincent Benét
"The Snows of Kilimanjaro," Ernest Hemingway
“The Bucket Rider,” Franz Kafka
“Balto,” T.C. Boyle
“The Sniper,” Liam O’Flaherty


Course AssessmentsQuarterly grades will be based upon:
Formal Writing 40%
Assignments include in-class essays and formal research papers. (Must follow the conventions of formal, standard English – revision of initial draft is encouraged.)

Each quarter, students will also complete an “Independent Reading Assignment.” Students will be required to read a novel of their choice and establish a reading schedule since this assignment is to be completed independently.

Examinations 30%
These include both quizzes and examinations, weighted accordingly. Examinations follow the three part process (Test Analysis/Test Debate), created to support conceptual understanding of the textual themes, critical thinking skills and metacognition.
*This course will culminate in a final exam that will mirror the NYS English Regents and count as one-fifth of the final grade for English 9.

Journals/Blogs 20%
These shorter reflective writing assignments require students to draw conclusions, weigh and comment on the assertions of their classmates, and make connections between themes studied and the outside world. (Rubrics used to grade these assignments are attached).

Homework/Participation 10%
Homework is always posted online and in the classroom.All assignments must be completed on time.Students will loose 10 points each day for late homework assignments.*It is the student’s responsibility to make up any work he/she has missed due to an excused absence or lateness.

Test Debate /Test Analysis
The Test Debate / Test Analysis process seeks to prepare students for the rigors of state and national testing which is used to determine student’s educational progress. Research has shown that the activity builds critical thinking skills by encouraging students to think conceptually about (in our case) a work of literature. Such skills are necessary to excel on the AP English exams, as well as the SAT and ACT exams, which all require students to differentiate between good answers and best answers.

A simplistic way to illustrate the process would be to say that the multiple-choice test turns into a short answer exam where partial credit is given. A student will never be penalized for an answer that is "correct," but this process allows them to earn points back on questions that they originally marked "wrong."

Test Debate Process
1) The class debates the conceptual question using Socratic Technique:
Step 1: One of the participants initiates the discussion by phrasing one or more questions. (Question on exam…)
Step 2: This is followed by the presentation of a response that sets forth hypotheses, which are developed through demonstration.
Step 3: Refutation and cross-examination, takes place.
Step 4: The final phase hopefully will consist of a modification of the original position held by each participant. The desired end result is shared meaning and enlarged understanding.
(Golden, Berquist, & Coleman,1983)
2) At the conclusion of the discussion, the class votes on the BEST answer.
3) That vote does not determine a student's grade on the test.
4) The student, after hearing the discussion, draws final conclusions about the question, which is done in the form of Test Analysis.
GuidelinesStudents are expected to be prompt and prepared on a daily basis.
Students are expected to complete all assigned reading.Students are expected to participate in class through active listening, discussion, and group work.Students are responsible for completing assignments on time and for making up missed work due to legal absences.Attendance will be recorded daily and cuts reported.

Extra Help
Ms. Molloy: W-24
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:15 - 2:55 or by appointment.