Portfolio Reflection Guiding Questions

Today you received back your portfolios from this year. Here were the guiding questions for your reflective writing:

1. Which piece of writing are you most proud of this year? Why?

2. In looking at these artifacts, think about your writing process and confidence. Have they changed over the course of this year? Do you think your writing or writing process have improved? What is your evidence for such changes? Have you developed a reliable approach to writing that helps you generate something good?

3. Reread your "Value of Literature" essay. Do you still agree with yourself? What new or different value do you see in reading literature?

4. Consider the texts we read this year for this class. Which of these did you enjoy? Why? Which didn't you enjoy? Why? What were the major themes or big ideas you will take with you?

Calendar & Final

We have just two weeks left! HERE is the calendar and an explanation of your final. This final is an essay or piece of writing that offers you an opportunity to say goodbye to high school (forever!). It should be reflective, personal and thoughtful. I hope it is also a meaningful final assignment.

Steve Jobs' Commencement Address

Today we watched Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address:



In our blue books we wrote reflectively:
What are the three important moments or relationships in your life that have shaped who you are today? 

This weekend...

continue work on your Outside Reading Project. It is due fully finished Friday, May 20th. You will share them with your classmates on that day.

Outside Reading -- PROJECT

You should now have finished your Outside Reading book! This week we begin work on the project for your book. This project is meant to be creative. HERE are some ideas.

This project is due Friday, May 20th.

Test Tomorrow!

Don't forget to study so you feel prepared for tomorrow's test.

Seminar Tomorrow, Exam Wednesday

Tomorrow is our last seminar for The Awakening. You should be fully finished with the book by then. In order to participate you must also complete some questions. HERE are the directions. This document also contains the study guide for your exam on Wednesday.

Important Date Reminders

The Awakening synthesis response (due two days ago) -- write reflectively about issues in feminism, The Awakening and any other text we have studied during this unit. Show me your deep thinking around these issues, using specific reference to texts.

Finish The Awakening -- due Tuesday, April 26th (last seminar that day)

Naturalism & The Awakening EXAM -- Wednesday, April 27th

Finish your selected outside reading book -- due Monday, May 2nd

Wuthering Heights essay rewrites -- due Monday, May 2nd 

AP Exam -- Wednesday, May 4th

My Last Duchess

Today we spent time reading and discussing Robert Browning's poem "My Last Duchess."

In groups you discussed:

• What are the new words you need to define in order to make meaning of this poem?
• What do you notice about poetic form?
• Who is the speaker of this poem and to whom is he speaking? What are the two of them negotiating at the end of the poem? 
• They are looking at a painting -- who is featured in this painting? Where is this painting hung?
• What are the subtle suggestions about the poem's narrator? What does his monologue reveal about his anxieties?
• What might have happened to the last Duchess? 
• What connections can you make to The Awakening?

This is a really creepy poem once you spend time considering it. If you like it, Browning has another one about a woman who is punished by her lover (Porphyria's Lover).


Tomorrow is Seminar #4. You should be read through the end of chapter 30. In addition to reading, your assignment is to select three passages that you find important and worth discussion tomorrow. Come ready with page numbers, comments and questions for the group.

Seminar Today & Writing Assignment

Today was Seminar 3 for The Awakening and Thursday is Seminar 4. Both of these days we will discuss the connections between The Awakening and the feminist movements.

After your seminars, you will write responsively about the readings and your classmates comments. HERE are the optional prompts and the writing directions.

Be sure to read!

You should be finished through chapter 24 of The Awakening tomorrow!

Feminism, Masculinity & The Awakening

Today you will split into groups to investigate various excerpts and issues surrounding the different feminist movements. There is no one feminism but a variety of ways that men and women have talked about women's rights over the last several decades.

Directions: As you read your assigned materials, take notes. Pull out 2-3 quotes from each source that you feel are essential for understanding that source. Write down connections to "The Awakening" and any other reactions or connections you may have. If you have time, discuss what you watched/read with your group. Your goal is to arrive at a deeper insight and prepare comments for tomorrow.

I will collect your notes. You should plan to draw upon your insights during our seminar, tomorrow.


Group 1: Women's Suffrage

• Overview of the suffrage movement
• Lucy Burns and American Women's Suffrage (video)
• Primary Sources from the Suffrage Movement -- carefully consider the images and what they communicate about the movement
• 7 Things You May Not Know About the Women's Suffrage Movement

Group 2: Betty Friedan and the "feminine mystique"

• Excerpt from Friedan's 1963 Feminine Mystique 
• Read the Friedan excerpt (first three pages of the doc) 
• Read Phyllis Schlafly's response to the women's movement (page 12)
• Read the very last page of the document ("The Equal Rights Amendment")
• Criticism of Friedan

Group 3: Bell Hooks & Black Feminism

• Excerpt from Shaping Feminist Theory (1984)
• Feminism is for Everybody (2000) -- Read the Introduction ("Come Closer to Feminism") and Chapter 1 ("Feminist Politics: Where We Stand")

Group 4: Women and Work in Contemporary American

• Sheryl Sandberg's TED Talk: "Why we have too few women leaders"
• The Problems of "Leaning In"
• Adela Baker's essay "The College Essay I Cannot Submit"

Group 5: The Crisis of Masculinity

• 19th Century Attempts to Assert Masculinity (beards!!!)
• "Why Traditional Manhood is Killing Us" by Mark Greene
• Male Identity Crisis 

For Monday

I hope you all are enjoying a restful break! For Monday, please bring your copy of The Awakening and your outside reading book. You will need to read The Awakening chapters 13-16 but if you finish you have time to read your other book. It should be a pretty relaxing week in class as we weave through a week of testing for the juniors.

DIA pics

I had such a fun time with you at the DIA. Here are some of the pictures from that day. If you took other pictures and wish to share them, email me!

Love you guys!

Outside Reading Book

Today is our Outside Reading Day! You should have a copy of your selected book and we will enjoy a luxurious hour of reading.

Remember to keep up with reading this book. It is due fully read by Monday, May 2nd.

You have no homework over break unless you are making up missed work. Have a great break!

The Awakening Seminar 2 Today!

Today we will have our second seminar about "The Awakening." You should now have read through the end of chapter 12 and also taken extensive notes (which I will collect).

Tomorrow (Friday) please bring your Outside Reading book. You will get points for having the book in hand and for reading throughout the hour.

Weekend Homework

Please be sure you are read through the end of chapter 8 of the Awakening and that you have taken careful notes. If you have already done this, you have no homework!

You also need a physical copy of your outside reading book on Monday.

The Awakening Calendar & Digital Text Copy

HERE is a PDF version of Kate Chopin's The Awakening should you need it on the go!

HERE is our unit calendar.

I will be out of the classroom Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. You job is to read chapters 2-8 by Thursday. You should also take careful notes using THIS notetaker.

On Thursday (March 24th) we will have a seminar discussion. Your notes and deep thinking will help ensure a productive and interesting conversation!

DON'T FORGET! You need to bring your permission slip and $10 by Thursday. You also need a copy of your Outside Reading Book this Thursday.

Today: Women's Rights & Naturalism

We began today by discussing the advice columns to young ladies of the early 20th Century, written by Dorothy Dix.

Then you had a little mini-lecture from me about Naturalism (our next literary period).

HERE are the slides from today. Please study these and understand the key differences between the Romanticism and Naturalism literary movements!

HERE is more great information about American Naturalism.

The great news: NO HOMEWORK THIS WEEKEND! Get a copy of your outside reading book. You must bring a copy next Friday.

yes, I'm going to keep posting pictures of suffragettes

The Women's Movement

Your homework for Friday is to read the advice columns by Dorothy Dix (see handouts from class).

Come tomorrow ready to talk about women and women's rights in American (yipee)!

Story of an Hour

Today we broke into groups to talk about "Story of an Hour." We look specifically for patterns related to:

1.     Language of dependency and weakness

2.     Language of grief

3.     Language of ownership/repression

4.     Language of independence, joy, freedom

5.     Symbolism of nature

6.     Language of death, ghosts, possession

Kate Chopin and "Story of an Hour"

HERE is a digital copy of "Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin.

Your homework is to read this very short story twice. Annotate it fully for discussion tomorrow. Leave no stone unturned! This is full of symbolism and pattern!

Outside Reading Choices

This Friday you must choose your book for our Outside Reading. HERE are the requirements. I want you to choose an award winning book that critics agree is valuable literature.

You can read a book by yourself or choose a book with a group of friends!

T-Shirt Orders DUE MONDAY!

Here is our shirt design! I hope you will order one. The cost is just $5.50! Orders and money are due by Monday, March 14th. Use the Google Form below to place your order!

Punny

Thanks Aayaam for this great pun!

(It's Heathcliff on a Heath-cliff)

LOL

Essays Due Monday

Don't forget to work on your Wuthering Heights essays (due Monday). Spend time really organizing your ideas and editing your writing. Tomorrow will be an in-class workday.

T-Shirt Orders!

Here is our shirt design! I hope you will order one. The cost is just $5.50! Orders and money are due by Monday, March 14th. Use the Google Form below to place your order!

The Poison Tree

Today we read and discussed "The Poison Tree" by William Blake. We thought about connections to Wuthering Heights.

Please finish the book tonight and start work on your essay. It is due next Monday!

Free Reading Assignment

This semester you will choose 1 book from a list of award winners. Here are some suggested titles. If you would like to do something that is not on this list (but is still an award winner), you can get it approved by me by March 15th.

You will sign up for your chosen book next Friday, March 18th. Spend time thinking about this and choose wisely!

This week's calendar & Sonnet 138

Here are our plans for the next week!

Today we started with Shakespeare's Sonnet 138. This is a difficult poem because Shakespeare seems to suggest so many contradictory things about love. As readers we are left wondering: How can love exist separate from trust and honesty? These are the same questions we should ask in Wuthering Heights.

SONNET 138

When my love swears that she is made of truth
I do believe her, though I know she lies,
That she might think me some untutor'd youth,
Unlearned in the world's false subtleties.
Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young,
Although she knows my days are past the best,
Simply I credit her false speaking tongue:
On both sides thus is simple truth suppress'd.
But wherefore says she not she is unjust?
And wherefore say not I that I am old?
O, love's best habit is in seeming trust,
And age in love loves not to have years told:
   Therefore I lie with her and she with me,
   And in our faults by lies we flatter'd be.

Homework Due Monday, March 7

This weekend please read Wuthering Heights through the end of chapter 29.

You should also start brainstorming and planning your essay. HERE are the prompts. Remember that your first step is to narrow your topic to something manageable in 5-7 pages.

The final draft of your essay is due Monday, March 14th.

Tomorrow (Friday) is an in-class workday. Use this time to catch up on your reading or begin planning your essay.

Homework Tonight

Read Wuthering Heights chapters 20-21

Homework Tonight

Read chapters 18 & 19 of Wuthering Heights

Psychology of Revenge Response Analytics

HERE are the Google Analytics of your responses to the journal article.

Directions: Look at your classmates' responses. Choose 1-2 that stand out to you as interesting (maybe you agree with it, disagree or find the assertion worth discussing).

Share your favorite responses with your group and continue the conversation. Remember to be respectful! You can always look back at the original article to supplement your discussion.

Task: Decide on the major take-aways from this article and its connections to Wuthering Heights. Be prepared to share with the larger group.

Psychology of Revenge

This assignment is due by Monday (February 29).

Read THIS article from the Association for Psychological Science entitled, "The Complicated Psychology of Revenge."

Then answer the questions below thoughtfully. Please note this should represent your own thinking. Don't use one another's answers!

Revenge Killing

Today in class you read THIS article from the Baltimore Sun. We discussed vengeance and why human beings engage in this kind of self-destructive behavior. We thought about connections to Wuthering Heights.

Don't forget that final copies of your Romantic short story are due Monday. You should also be triple-sure you carefully read Wuthering Heights through chapter 17.

Romantic Short Stories Due Tomorrow

Hi all -- Don't forget that your Romantic Short Stories are due at the end of class tomorrow (Friday).

Based on the few that I've already read, I'm really excited to see them!

Schedule Change

Hi all. After our discussion of Wuthering Heights yesterday I see that you need more time for reading and processing this text. Here is our updated calendar:

Tuesday (TODAY): short story work-day
Wednesday: Wuthering Heights reading day [bring your books but nothing is due]
Thursday/Friday: short story work days, peer editing

FRIDAY: email Mrs. K your short story in a Google doc

OVER BREAK: Read Wuthering Heights through chapter 15

Weekend Homework

Today we took a walk in the woods in order to gain a little inspiration for our Romantic short stories.

This weekend:

• Reading Wuthering Heights chapters 1-5
• Begin brainstorming and doing some initial writing for your short story (full draft due next Friday)

Romantic Short Story

HERE is the assignment sheet for the Romantic short story. We will have in-class work time next week, but please start brainstorming and writing this weekend.

Tomorrow we will take a walk in the woods for inspiration (bring your coats!).

Andy Goldsworthy

Today we watched some videos about a contemporary artist, Andy Goldsworthy. He very clearly falls within the category of Romantic, don't you agree? Remember that all of his materials come directly from nature. He is interested in the cyclical process of art and creation. Here are those videos we watched:





If you are interested in his art, check out some of these other pieces:

Reading Assignment For Tonight

Read THESE poems ("In Iowa" and "Summer Day"). Use your best annotation techniques! We'll talk more tomorrow about these.

Technology is Killing us (Video)

Read "Last Child in the Woods" Excerpt Tonight!

Tomorrow we will talk about this excerpt and neo-Romanticism!

Hooray! You did it!

Congratulations on finished 1st Semester. This was a tough one and you made it! Rest and recovery so you're ready for Tuesday :)

If you haven't sent me your Literary Device Dictionaries, don't forget to do so.

Mrs. K

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities have crept it; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." -- Emerson

A few practice questions...

HERE are a few practice questions we reviewed in class today!

Studying for your final...

Spend some time this weekend preparing for your final!

Be able to:

• match titles to authors
• put literary movements and major works in chronological order
• identify parts of a poem (couplets, octaves, sestets, quatrains, couplets, caesuras, end-stops, enjambed lines, etc.)
• perform basic scansion
• read and annotate a poem
• write briefly about the poem you read

HERE is a practice poem. Read and annotate it. Can you place the literary movement? What kind of sonnet is it? Could you create a thematic inquiry statement about it?

For the exam you will be expected to write 2-3 paragraphs about the poem you read, considering literary devices, patterns and theme.

Today

Hi all!

In case you missed today we spent the hour working on literary device dictionaries. We will study for the final next Monday.

Over the weekend plan to review the finals study guide and collect questions for Monday.

Don't forget your Outside Reading Book tomorrow!

Tomorrow (Wednesday) we will have Outside Reading conversations and work together on understanding our chosen selections. Be sure to bring your copy!

Missing Hamlet Essays

I've now graded all of the 6th Hour essays I received. There are a number of you who never turned one in! This surprises me given the incredible amount of time I gave you to work on them. I never had any conversations about extra time or extended due-dates with any of you. Please turn these in this week and know that they will be severely penalized for lateness.

A lesson for college -- if you cannot make a deadline, you MUST have a conversation with your professors before the due date.

Important Reminders

You have a Romantic Poetry test next Tuesday (January 19th)

Your Outside Reading book is DUE (fully read) on Wednesday, January 20th.

Your literary device dictionary is due at your final.


Work like busy bees! We're almost there.

Romantic Poetry Test

Your Romantic Poetry Test will be next Tuesday (January 19th). You will be presented with three new "texts" (one poem, a short passage, and a painting). You will annotate the poem and analyze these three pieces together. Then you will write a careful essay in which you draw connections between the pieces and explain how they embody some of the important traits of Romanticism.

Things to study:

• Traits & characteristics of Romanticism
• Annotations of Romantic poems

For the poem annotation and analysis be prepared to consider:

• Title
• Meter & rhyme
• Literary devices & what they contribute to meaning
• Punctuation
• Romantic elements

Romantic Genius Slides

HERE is the lecture I gave today about Romantic Genius (Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, Wordsworth and Blake).

Literary Devices Dictionary Assignment

HERE is the literary devices dictionary assignment. It is important that you keep up with working on this a little everyday. There are 82 terms!

This is due at the time of your final on January 28th.

Classicism vs. Romanticism

Today you all did great work thinking about Classicism and Romanticism. HERE are the slides we looked at (including the important definitions of Romanticism at the end).

We began annotating William Blake's "London" but will finish this Monday.

Hamlet Essay Tips

Here are the slides I'll work with this week during our mini-lectures.

Finals Guide

HERE is the Semester 1 Final Study Guide

January 2016 Schedule/Calendar

HERE is the January AP Calendar! You can find major due dates and lesson topics, as well as information about registering for the AP exam.