Sunday, April 21, 2013

April 22nd-26th

Bring your permission slips for the field trip to the Hollywood Theater! Make sure I have them ASAP or you will not get to go with the sophomore class.

On Tuesday, please arrive at 8:05 and check-in with me in the large gym. You will need a pen or pencil and a spiral notebook to write on. There will be an assignment to turn in at the end of the day which will count as your record of attendance and participation.

We will continue to work on our writing work samples. I will pass back your reading work samples this week for you to look at.

We are beginning a new Unit--Middle Eastern Lit. and will be focusing on writing a research paper.

Remember Monday is a Thursday schedule--periods 1-4. Drop off your permission slips even if you don't have my class tomorrow!


Tuesday, April 16, 2013

April 15-20

Praise!
Wonderful job on your Extension Projects for the Latin American Lit. Unit. Your work was thorough, thoughtful, beautiful and thematic. Very nice job.

I am working through portfolios. Many of you will notice that instead of a grade you have an X in edbox. This indicates that I have received the work but have not graded it yet.

If I have not received it you will see a 0. Avoid 0s! They are hard to recover from!

This week we will be focusing on our writing work sample in class.

HW:
No official homework.
The only thing you should do at home is READ READ READ--whatever you wish.


Wednesday, April 3, 2013

This Week - April 1-5

This week we are working on Dream Narratives (or alternate Alchemist Essay). The Essay is the final piece in your portfolio. I am picking up your Alchemist books to grade and give feedback on your sticky quotes.

Complete portfolios are due April 8th (Monday for 5,6,8 and Tuesday April 9th for 3rd). They will include:

1.Your Mandala (which I will return Thursday (3rd) and Friday (5,6,8)) will be the cover. It should have your name, and Latin American Literature Portfolio written somewhere on it.

2. You will include at least 3 poems in the portfolio
a.  your "I almost..." (choice) poem
b. your ode (after Pablo Neruda)
c. your found poem (the 12 lines formed into quatrains from The Alchemist).

3. The final part of your portfolio will be the Essay/Dream Narrative (at least 3 pages in length, double spaced).

Super-amazing portfolios will include a table of contents, extra poems, or other journal writes pertaining to the book.

The poems should be revised and polished (we will work on this Thursday and Friday).

Extension Activities (worth 100 points) for either the short-story Magical Realism Anthology, or your Companion Novel are due on April 10th (periods 5,6,8) and 11th (3).  There are no extensions or exceptions. This is the end of the quarter.

You will bring a project to class ready to share. It will reflect a deep understanding of the book you read. The project will be accompanied by an artist statement. (We will look at several examples in class April 4th and 5th).

Your artist statement should introduce the theme of the novel as well as describe the significance of your project and exactly how it represents that theme as well as explain why you chose to represent your novel that way. It will be at least two paragraphs typed.

You will also turn in your book/short story packet and your note taking method showing that you have QUALITATIVELY engaged your novel/short story (imagine you are in a college course and the professor has told you to read the entire thing and come ready to discuss the book). You should have at least seven sections marked with a note about your thoughts or questions pertaining to the significance of the passage.