23 May

We are continuing to work on our Junior Thesis.

Today we reviewed outlines, and students were supposed to turn completed outlines in.

Attached are notes on outlining.

Monday, 16 May

Today we discussed the kinds of questions to investigate for the Junior Thesis.

Homework: Due Tuesday: What topic will your thesis b on.

Homework: Due Wednesday: A clear thesis statement that answers a question about your topic, and addresses a controversial aspect of the topic.

Wednesday, 11 May

Today in class we reviewed the website http://guest.portaportal.com/dixiechickspps and students received a packet of research material for their thesis.

We practiced reading and analyzing Emma Goldman's speech "What is Patriotism?".

Homework: Read at least one article for Friday.

Tuesday-Wednesday 10-11 May

We went over expectations for the Junior Thesis. These include

Topic: Patriotism and / or Free Speech (including issues raised in Shut Up and Sing).

Thesis Must include research.
Mr. Zartler will provide "links" at the website http://guest.portaportal.com/dixiechickspps as well as handouts that you will have to study on your own.

But to earn an "A" you must do additional research on your own.

Evidence of research is a works cited page in MLA format, direct quotes, and attributed paraphrase evidence.

6-8 pages typed and double spaced.

Your thesis should include some aspect of controversy (e.g. it's not a "report" like one you did in fourth grade on animals).

Friday, 6 May - Monday 9 May

We wrote an in class essay.

The assignment is:

 In an essay of approximately one and half hand written pages explain your point of view on the following question: The Dixie Chicks deserved what happened to them because they acted unpatriotically.

First, analyze the question with them:

You can agree with the premise or not.

You can agree with parts of it such as: “they deserved it” but think it is for a different reason then stated.

You can disagree that they deserved it by agree about patriotism, etc.

Use AT LEAST  two examples from the film, and three is better.

12 April, 2011

Today in class we continued our exploration of Patriotism as a concept.

We considered issues relating to the Civil War (which started one hundred and fifty years ago today) and patriotism.

Students received a note taking worksheet to help ensure accurate note taking for the Junior Thesis.

Monday, 11 April

Today is the beginning of the 4th Quarter!

Today we began the Junior Thesis with some work about Patriotism.

Students also turned in their Crucible papers.

Students turned in two analogies describing their Crucible paper.

Tuesday, 29 March

We began studying Good Night and Good Luck. This film is set in 1953 in New York City. The protagonist is Edward R. Murrow who was a pioneering journalist; many regard him as one of the great journalists of all time; he was known for honesty and integrity; he investigated Senator Joseph McCathy and the McCarthy hearings.

The film looks at the conflict between Murrow and McCarthy.

As we watch the film students should be thinking about the question that will be the topic of their next essay:

What does all this (the information we have looked at during The Crucible unit) mean for me as an American?

Monday, 28 March

In class today, we finished reading the packet of information on Senator Margaret Chase Smith and Arthur Miller.  We discussed what we learned.

Monday, 14 March

Today in class we prepped for the Act I-IV test that will be on Wednesday.

Students received an assignment due tomorrow. Each student was assigned a character (not  a hero). Each student is to write a "letter to history" explaining whey they did what they did in Salem in 1692. This assignment is due Tuesday in class.

Friday 11 March

Test on Tuesday! There will be a test on Acts I-IV on Tuesday.

Today in class we read this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/11/us/politics/11king.html?hpw and we considered how it relates to our study of The Crucible. Below are notes from the board.

Tuesday, 8 March

Today we reviewed the answers students had to yesterday's questions.

There are two homework assignments:

1) Make a chart that shows the things one might consider when faced with the choice of whether or not to lie (as did Elizabeth Proctor). Make a chart of "Pros" e.g. personal benefit and "Cons" e.g. I might get caught and in trouble. Place at least ten things in your chart.

2) On page 125 in the Crucible we learn that Reverend Hale has come back to Salem to attempt to get Goody Nurse to confess to witchcraft (lie) in order to save her soul. Write what you think he says to her. For extra credit, write it in the form of play dialogue.

Monday, 8 March

In class we discussed the movie version of the Crucible. We discussed what seemed to be motivating the characters. We developed a list of questions to help guide us through the reading of Act IV:

Why wouldn't Giles give a name?

Why did people believe the accusers?

Why wouldn't Proctor sign?

Why wouldn't (some) people lie to save their lives?

Was Elizabeth right or wrong to lie about the affair?

Was Giles simply stubborn?

Each student wrote about at least one of these questions.

Tuesday, 1 March

The class reviewed their Vocabulary Tests and Chapter Tests. Scores were mostly excellent. Students who studied in class and / or out of class reported getting good marks!

Students wrote to the prompt: How do you now when someone is lying? Is it what they do? What they don't do? Is it what they say or what they don't say? Are there tricks to lying? are there tricks to detecting lying? We discussed the answers.

We began reading Act III aloud. As we read we looked for places in the play where what happens in the court should have "given people pause" (made them stop and think and question what was happening.

28 February, 2011

Today was the test on Acts I and II of The Crucible.

22-25 February, 2011

This week the class focused on Acts I & II of The Crucible. We also watched a video version to help understand the story.

We have focused on understanding the characters.

Students took a vocabulary test on Act I voccab. This should be made up by March 9th.

We brainstormed items that could be on a test of the first two acts.

14-15 February, 2011

We have been reading The Crucible. On Monday students took a pop-quiz. Then they worked on "Step 4" of the "Friends and Character" worksheet. Students wrote a paragraph describing the point of view and values of the Narrator of The Crucible.

We have read through page 36 of the play so far.

Tuesday, 8 February

Students received a packet of information (get a copy from Mr. Zartler if you were absent.). Reviews of the play The Crucible from 1953, 1990, and 2002. Background on Senator Joseph McCarthy and on the House Un-American Activities Committee; An Obituary for Arthur Miller (that includes a picture of him with his then wife Marilyn Monroe), and a Timeline of the 1950s.

We examined the time line of the 1950s and noted a predominance of fear and tension because of the Cold War, and the threat of nuclear weapons.

HOMEWORK: In the section on Joseph McCarthy and the HUAC please underline passages that reflect fear and tension that was present at the time.

Monday, 7 February

In class today vocabulary homework was checked.

We spent most of the class consider personal values: We rated how important the values of : Truthfulness
Religion; Honor; Fun; Family; Wealth; Power; Work; Relationships; Education/ Learning; School; Self-Motivation; and Loyalty were to each of us on a 0-100 point scale.

We then considered how much we valued each of the following pairs: Honesty v. Safety; Love v. Sex; Honor v. Wealth; Relationships v. Honesty; Fun v. Truthfulness; Family v. Relationships; Fun v. School; Power v. Wealth; Truthfulness v. Wealth

After considering how we as individuals valued these values, we lined up on a scale to see how our values compared to those of others.

Students then wrote an analysis of their observations.

Tuesday-Friday February 1-5.

Students began studying The Crucible. We worked in class on this activity; we completed steps 1-3

Next we learned the vocabulary on this sheet; all students were required to write sentences using 14 of the 16 vocabulary words. 

Monday-Tuesday, 24-25 January

We finished our study of Into the Wild. We worked on developing thesis statements, and identifying texts to support these thesis statements. Essays addressing one of the essential questions from the Into the Wild unit are due on Friday.

The final exam will be to work in class on the essay, incorporating passages from Into the Wild and two other texts.

Tuesday, 18 January, 2011

Students turned in their Literary Postcards.

We discussed themes and identified essential questions that seemed most significant to the class based on the postcards. We looked at: Success; Rebelion; and Community.

Students are to read Chapter eight and nine for Wednesday.

Monday-Tuesday, 10-11 January

We studied Emerson's "Nature" an famous essay in American literary and intelectual history. We practiced paraphrasing topic sentences as a way to get familiar with the essay overall.

Homework Tuesday night: write a comparison and contrast of how Emerson's ideas about nature as religion are similar to and different from you own ideas.

Friday, 7 January

In class we reviewed Essential Question Journal entries for the epigrams.

We wrote about and discussed the questions: "To what extent is nature "good"? To what extent is humankind "good"? On what observations and experiences do you base your conclusions.

We considered with what we know about Chris McCandless from the first four chapters how he would answer these questions.

We learned a little biographical information about Ralph Waldo Emerson, a very important American writer about nature who McCandless admired.

Wednesday, 5 January

We studied the epigrams that begin each chapter of Into the Wild.

Then students wrote a "essential question" journal entry for the epigrams beginning at least two of the first three chapters.

Homework:
Read chapters 3 and chapter 4.

Tuesday, 4 January

Today we finished studying the "Author's Note" for Into the Wild. We practiced identifying context clues to help with unfamiliar vocabulary, and we used "google" to look up words, and see pictures of unfamiliar terrain.

We read "Chapter 1" of Into the Wild. Reading "Chapter 2" is homework for Wednesday.

Students got an handout of vocabulary words (with definitions) for the entire book.

Monday, 3 January

In class today we studied the "Author's Note" for Into the Wild. We practiced paraphrase, and asking questions about passages that confuse us.

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