Essay Extravaganza!

Hello students! Look at your essay planner. Now back at me. Now back at your planner. Now back at me. Sadly, it's worth 15% of your final mark. It won't write itself. Here's an outline of what you need to do every day in class to get it finished by the due date: Wednesday, June 8, 2011!!!

Thurs. May 26 - find supporting quotations for your body paragraphs.
Fri. May 27 - finish finding supporting quotations for your body paragraphs. You should now have 15 of them.

Mon. May 30 - start your essay planner (fill-in-the-blanks!)
Tues. May 31 - finish your essay planner, start your rough copy.
Wed. June 1 - finish your rough copy.

Thurs. June 2 - Period 2 and 4: good copy typing in Library; Period 5: Introduction to Poetry
Fri. June 3 - All classes: Library typing period.

Mon. June 6 - Period 2 and 4: Introduction to Poetry. Period 5: Library typing period.
Tues. June 7 - All classes: Library typing period. (LAST ONE!)

Wed. June 8 - ALL ESSAYS DUE!

After this we will be working on our poetry unit and exam review. We're almost there - don't fall behind now!

Good luck!

May 16-20

I hope everyone had a restful weekend. Here's what is going on this week:

Monday - work on the chapter summary booklet from Friday, submit the Facebook assignment, and read chapter 12

Tuesday - Chapter 9-12 quiz; read chapter 13, work on questions.

Wednesday - Finish up chapter 13; work on chapter 14

Thursday - Finish up chapter 14; work on chapter 15

Friday - Chapter 16 & 17? If we don't finish the novel today, we'll definitely finish it next week!

Remember this is a rough outline of this week - we may get farther, we may accomplish less, but that's okay! Get ready for essay writing next week!

This week!

Sorry about the lack of updates!

Today (Wednesday) we read to page 99 (period 2 and 4) or page 98 (period 5). Today we read through chapter 9 and went over the questions in class.

Thursday - we will finish chapter 10, go over the questions in class, and start chapter 11

Friday - finish chapter 11 and work on the activity for that chapter.

Have a great week!

What to know for tomorrow's quiz

A lot has happened in chapters 4, 5 and 6! Here are some highlights in no particular order:

-Uncle Axel's discovery of David and the promise he makes
-the captured Fringes man (Spider Man) and why he's important
-Joseph fighting with Angus Morton over the great horses
-Alan Ervin's discovery of Sophie, and the Wenders' flight to the Fringes
-Uncle Axel's geography lesson and how no one knows what the true image really looks like
-the Wenders get captured, and how the Inspector deals with David

Be sure to review the chapter questions we discussed in class. Good luck!

This week

Monday: Ch 1-3 comprehension quiz. Finish ch 4 and questions. Start ch 5.

Tuesday: Finish reading ch 5. Complete questions.

Wednesday: Ch 6 and questions.

Thursday: Ch 3-6 comprehension quiz. Ch 7 and questions.

Friday: Finish ch 7; start ch 8 and questions.

(This schedule is approximate; some days we get more completed than others. Use this as a general guide!)

This week!

Monday - holiday!

Tuesday - Nuclear event presentation (guest speaker), introduction to the Chrysalids

Wednesday - handouts: setting, style and theme. Hand out novels.

Thursday - Read chapter 1; hand out group questions

Friday - share group answers; read ch 2 (hopefully!)

Reminders: Your independent novel study was due on Tuesday. If you have not submitted it, you should have submitted a request for extension form by Wednesday at the latest. For period 5, your novel study is due on Friday. Again, request for extension forms need to be in ASAP.

Comparative Film Study - Last Column

Due to today's assembly, period 2 did not get a chance to fill in the last column of our play study sheet. Here are some suggestions for you to fill in. Feel free to add in your own ideas! When you have finished, you should complete the writing activity at the bottom of the page. If there is not enough room, write on the back. Have a great long weekend!

How is Dracula portrayed?
-white hair, funny
-pale, thin lips
-cape, hair hat/wig
-tall
-controlling powers
-clumsy

What forms can Dracula take?
-bat/bat with human head
-werewolf
-human/vampire

Where does he live?
-Carfax Abbey, London
-Castle Dracula, Transylvania
-abandoned building

How is Renfield depicted?
-dumb
-beginning - uptight British laywer
-after - crazy, messy hair, crazy laugh
-ate bugs

How is Lucy depicted?
-black curly hair
-attracted to Dracula
-seductive

How is Harker depicted?
-long wavy brown hair
-upright repressed British man
-dresses well
-engaged for 5 years to Mina

Which other characters are included?
-attendant, Van Helsing, Mina, maid, opera attendant, Dr. Seward, Dracula, Renfield, Harker, crew of ship, Lucy, village people, medical students, nurse

Describe the Dracula creation myth in this film.
-descended from Vlad the Impaler
-cannot go out in daylight
-drinks blood
-created vampire by draining all blood
-no reflection in mirror
-hates garlic and the cross

List differences that you observe between the play and the film version.
-Mina/Lucy switch
-Lucy involved way more
-no boxes of dirt
-Lucy did not kill children in the movie
-Renfield killed Dracula, had a death wish
-Dracula could fly as a human
-Renfield portrayed differently

This is your one week warning!

Your independent novel study is due in ONE WEEK! That's next Tuesday! You should be working steadily to complete all activities. If you have a legitimate reason why you cannot complete your activities, please get a request for extension form from behind the door. Good luck!

Coming up this week!

Monday - Grammar test review; Gattaca

Tuesday - Grammar Test; Gattaca continued

Wednesday - Independent Novel Study work period

Thursday - Complete comparative film activity from Dracula; go over essays and common errors

Friday - Good Friday - have a great long weekend!

***REMINDERS***

What to know for the grammar test:

• comma splices, fused (run-on) sentences, sentence fragments
• ways of correcting sentence errors - be able to record the methods AND actually correct sentences
• subject/verb agreement
• parts of speech

**Your independent novel study is due TUESDAY! All activities must be submitted then!

This week: an overview

I hope you all had restful weekends! Here's what is in store for this week:

Monday - Dracula Unit Test (good luck!)

Tuesday - Finish up movies; start in-class essay writing activity

Wednesday - In-class essay writing demonstration

Thursday - Finish essay, start grammar unit

Friday - Grammar continued

**Reminder** You have about two weeks left to finish your independent novel study activities. Those of you who have not submitted any activities yet - what are you waiting for? Don't leave it all to the last minute!

Independent Novel Study

A quick reminder to all students: you should be working on your independent novel study at home, and you should have a few assignments finished by now. If not, what's stopping you? Stay on track and enjoy your freedom of choice and the creativity you can showcase in these activities!

As you finish an activity, please hand it in to your class bin. Staying on top of handing these in means fewer chances for them to go missing, and it demonstrates to me that you are staying on track.

If you need any assistance or clarification with any of the activities, please discuss it with me! I'm here to help!

Dracula Unit Test

What to Know for the Dracula Unit Test:

• characters in the play
• significant plot points from the play and films
• You can review/re-read the text of the play on this blog (they are out of order but all three acts are here)

Format:

• Multiple Choice (15 marks)
• Short Answer (15 marks)
• Long Answer (20 marks)

*For the long answer question you will respond to an opinion question in full sentences and proper paragraphs.

The test is on MONDAY. Good luck!

This week: an overview

I hope everyone had a great long weekend!

Here is an overview and a few reminders for this week:

Monday - finish 1931 version of Dracula, fill in comparative media chart, start 1992 version.

Tuesday - continue 1992 version of Dracula.

Wednesday - finish 1992 Dracula; fill in comparative media chart.

Thursday - Dracula: Dead and Loving It

Friday - Activity with Mrs. Behiel from the library.

Reminders: You should strive to have one or two independent novel study activities finished by Monday (if not more!) Don't leave these until the last minute!

Next week: Grammar Unit (you'll be fine!)

Reminders for Monday!

Hello students! I hope you had a great day of practicing while I was away. Just a few reminders:

• Your independent novel must be read for Monday. Some of you have some intense reading to do this weekend!
• Groups will be presenting their Dracula scenes on Monday as well.
• Next Friday is a PD day for you!
• Remember to check the due date on your library book. Try to go to the library to renew your books before you get late fees! You should be going on your own time, not during class.
  

Welcome back!

I hope you all had a great March Break! Now that we are recharged and refreshed, we are going to start a new unit! Here's an overview for this week:

Monday - Introduction to Dracula; discussion of Gothic Literature; read article; introduction to play, vocabulary

Tuesday - Start reading Dracula - parts will be assigned for bonus marks

Wednesday - Continue reading

Thursday - Continue reading; Act 2 Presentation Assignment distributed

Friday - Mrs. Bentham is absent today (at an off-site learning team meeting); you will have time to practice your presentations for MONDAY in your groups.

Important:
Please have your independent novel finished for Monday! Your assignment will be distributed, and your silent reading time will be transformed into time to work on your novel study activities. As always, if you have questions or concerns, please talk to me!

Mrs. Bentham's Short Story

In class today I used the media projector to write a short story in front of you. The purpose of this was to demonstrate when to use paragraphs and how to punctuate dialogue properly. For any of you who wanted to know what happened in the rest of the story, I have finished it! Here it is:

A Modern Fairy Tale
By Mrs. Bentham

The prince rode hard, squinting against the dust and rays of sun blinding him. It had been a long journey, but the end was in sight. Three years ago he had set out from his homeland because of the promise of a treasure greater than he had ever imagined. Now that treasure was within reach.

The tower was silhouetted starkly against the grey clouds. The prince was overjoyed; finally, he had almost reached his destination! He spurred his tiring horse, urging him to move more quickly toward their goal.

He dismounted hastily, scarcely bothering to tie up the horse. He tore open the door, ignoring the groaning hinges, and propelled himself urgently up the spiralling stairway. So close – he was so close!

There she was! The most beautiful woman in the world!

“At last I have found you!” the prince cried, his eyes brimming with emotion.

The princess looked the prince up and down. “And why do I need to be found?” she sneered.

“Why . . . aren’t you a damsel in distress?” he stammered.

She choked back a laugh. “Are you for real?”

“Yes.”

“And you seriously expect me to be happy that you burst into my home without invitation, probably breaking my antique door in the process, and came in here like some . . . medieval buffoon?” she laughed. “What century do you live in?”

The prince stared blankly at the princess. When his parents sent him on this quest three years ago, they had promised him the most beautiful wife the world had ever seen. They had urged him to woo her to unite the two kingdoms. They had failed to mention that she was a feminist.

The princess eyed the prince coldly. When her parents sent her to this tower three years ago, they had promised her a better future. They had urged her to accept her suitor to unite the two kingdoms. They had failed to mention that the suitor believed he was saving her.

The princess had not been raised entirely without manners. She softened visibly, and invited the bewildered prince to sit down.

“Let’s talk about this calmly,” she said. “I apologize for the cold reception; it’s just not every day someone bursts into my home. You startled me. Usually I get monthly visits from home bringing me supplies.”

The prince stared around him. The tower was lavishly furnished with everything a princess could want. He suddenly felt embarrassed. Maybe he wasn’t rescuing someone. He felt more like he was breaking and entering.

The princess smiled gently at the silent prince. Immediately he could see why she was the most beautiful woman in the world: she was radiant. That made him feel worse, and he couldn’t think of a thing to say.

“Well,” said the princess, “maybe we should look at this logically. Our parents have put us through this charade in order to unite our kingdoms, although why they did not choose a more conventional method of betrothal I will never know. There are certainly economic and political reasons for the kingdoms to unite, don’t you agree?”

“Guh?” said the prince. “I mean . . . uh . . . guh-reat idea!”

“What?”

“I mean . . . ahem!” The prince stalled for time. He had not been listening to her discourse so much as looking deeply into her eyes. “I agree!”

“With what?” the princess asked skeptically. “Here I am trying to figure out this situation logically and you don’t even have the decency to listen!”

“Listen. I’ve been on the road for three years. I’ve been away from my home for so long that I don’t know if anyone will recognize me when I return. I came expecting . . . I don’t know, something else, and you haven’t exactly been welcoming. Give me a break.”

“I will certainly give you a break,” the princess said haughtily. “I didn’t ask you to come here in the first place!”

“Listen lady –” were the last words the prince uttered before he was none-too-gently shown the door. After his ears stopped ringing from the slamming of the door, the prince found himself face-to-face with his horse.

“Women,” he muttered as he remounted and rode away toward home.

This Week

Hello students!

Here is this week's plan at a glance.

Monday - Short Story Writing Workshop assigned; don't lose your booklet!

Tuesday - Work period - compose the rough copy of your short story.

Wednesday - Proofreading Workshop - follow the instructions! Please remember that I won't be in class today (having dental surgery) so I expect wonderful behaviour. Make sure you have your rough copy in class!

Thursday - SHORT STORY DUE!! Don't be late! We'll start a fun activity today.

Friday - Finishing the fun activity; this day will have a special schedule for Sherwood Idol.

As always, please see me if you are having difficulty! Furthermore, if you have any outstanding work from the short story unit, make sure it is in BEFORE March Break.

Creative Writing Activity 2

An Encounter Under the Lamppost

The lamppost stood tall and straight in the evening shadows. There was a little rust around its base, and its light had dimmed with age, but it was still the same beautiful lamppost it had been all those years ago when oil lamps first lined the city streets. Those were the days before kerosene when whale oil was still popular and the whales were not extinct. The lamp had been converted to burn kerosene, but even that was becoming rare as the wasteful age of fossil-fuel energy was finally stalling out.

Preserved by city decree, the lamp stood as a testimonial to forgotten years when men wore tall hats and women wore elegant dresses and exchanged smiles of goodwill and gestures of kindness. Those were the days when a handshake still sealed a deal and men honoured their word. All that had changed now. Smiles were tightlipped mockeries of the original thing. People hid behind deceptions, insinuations, lies, and half-truths, shaking hands as a leftover formality from bygone years.

Zachariah felt like the lamppost. He did not fit in with the bustle and hustle of the modern world. He did not understand computer games and car racing games. Instead, he learned to whittle wood. Sometimes he thought he had inherited more than just his great grandfather’s name. Sometimes he thought his great grandfather was in him, a part of him, guiding his hands as he cut and carved until the soul of the wood was set free in beautiful ornate carvings.

It was late evening. The harsh light of day had been replaced by the soft glow of the city lamps. Zachariah sat with his back pressed against the lamppost eyeing his last carving. It was a bear. The proportions looked all right, although it was hard to tell for sure. He used pictures to guide his carving. Somewhere behind him, he heard the sound of footsteps cracking on the old, cobblestone courtyard. Time to go, he supposed, tucking his whittle knife in his pocket.

“Where do you think he got to?” a harsh, guttural voice whispered. Zachariah froze.

“He’ll be here,” a second voice said.

“But he’s late.”

“Shhh,” the second voice hissed. “People will hear you.”

“There’s no one here,” the first voice complained.

“Shhh,” the second voice hissed again. “Your impatience will be your downfall. Remember, you are here to observe only.”

‘I know, I know,” the first voice whined, “I stay hidden in the shadows. I don’t say a word. You do all the transactions.”

“Good. Now get back. I hear someone coming.”

There was a shuffling of feet as the hoarse-voiced man shifted back a few paces. Just as Zachariah was contemplating whether to run or stay, the thick crunching steps of a third person came out of the shadows.

“Have you got the item?” a sinister voice asked. There was a rustling sound of an object exchanging hands. “The scroll?” the voice asked.

“Yes.”

“Good. You know what to do next?”

“Yes.” The scuffling feet moved off back down the alley.

“What do we do next?” the rough young voice asked, staring after the departing shadow.

“We kill the king,” the older voice said with a sigh.

“What? That wasn’t part of the deal. You never said anything about killing anyone.”

“Do you want to save your sister?”

“Of course but –”

“Then you must accept the consequences of the deal.”

“But . . .”

“Either you are a man and you will go through with this or you are still a sniffling boy from the back alleys of Tyr. Which is it? Decide now.” There was a harsh edge in the second voice, an edge that showed neither weakness nor sympathy. Zachariah found himself drawn to the voice. Bit by bit, he eased his body around until his chest was pressed against the lamppost. He poked his head out just far enough to see two burly shapes dressed in black.

“Ho, who are you? Who’s that?” the smaller figure said, pointing.

Activity

This story is very mysterious. Many details are left out, and the situation is unclear. You are to choose one of the two following creative writing activities:

1. Rewrite this story from the perspective of the two mysterious figures. Take the information from the story and make up a situation that would have caused them to come to this meeting under the lamppost.

2. Write an ending to this story that explains the situation from Zachariah’s perspective.

Your story should be 1 to 1 ½ pages, double spaced, typed if you have a computer available to you, or neatly written if not. Remember the elements of short stories (plot diagram) and make sure that your story follows this structure.

Due Dates

Just a reminder to students:

-Your "Lamb to the Slaughter" news article is due TODAY.
-Your "Bald is Beautiful" news article is due THURSDAY.
-"Encounter Under the Lamppost" creative writing activity is due MONDAY.
-You have a short story unit test on THURSDAY.

Next Week:
-Your original short story will be due THURSDAY.

As always, see me if you need more time for any of your activities, but be prepared to give me a good reason for your lateness!