Run, Lola, Run!

Found watching giant dump truck videos with Charlie. Enjoy.  Don't forget to read the last paper post below...

This I Believe...is your last paper!

Your this I Believe essay is due on Friday June 11th. It should be uploaded to your blog and you will be reading it aloud in class as well. Here are the requirements adapted from the This I Believe submission page (I encourage you to submit them to This I Believe if you wish).

Keep the following in mind when you write your essay:

1. Limit your essay to 350-500 words.
2. Describe an event that shaped your beliefs or a person who inspired them.
3. Avoid sermons and editorials—no soapbox declamations, please!
4. Read more of the This I Believe essay-writing tips.

You can peruse multiple examples at http://thisibelieve.org.

If you look at the Calendar, you'll see that with the movie et al, we are running right up to the end with Gatsby. So, I advise working on this in the background. If we have time one day, we will look at some examples on the website, though I recommend looking some examples on your own. Often the ones put on the radio are a bit better, but not necessarily so.

Andrea Kang's This I Believe essay. They reposted it from its original posting so all of the comments are gone, but her essay is there.

Discussion Ideas

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Here's the Literary Conflicts sheet we used in class today. It's also linked on the Class Info & Docs page.

Remember as you're planning your discussions, you can have whole class on the board, giant circle, or small to large group. there are many other ideas and feel free to experiment. Just have a plan for what you want us to discover and see in your chapter. Don't forget to connect it to the novel as a whole. Tuesday is a work day for these discussions.

Weekend...and the future!

Just read through Chapter 4. We will discuss on Monday.

Just so you know, you will be getting the opportunity (don't read into that too much, it's required) to lead the class discussion on a chapter.  You'll go in groups of 3 or 4 starting with chapter 5. We'll have a sign-up sheet on Monday.

It will look shockingly like this:

1. Chapter 5: May26th (whoever signs up for this date will of course get extra consideration for being first and brave and awesome)


2. Chapter 6: May 27th


3. Chapter 7: May 28th


4. Chapter 8: June 2nd


5. Chapter 9: June 3rd


6. American Dream Gatsby Summative Discussion Extraordinaire: June 4th

Tuesday will be a prep/work day in your groups. I will be largely silent during these discussions, or at least I will need to raise my hand and wait to be called on. YOU will be responsible for the discussion.

I will grade these on the following criteria:

• preparation


• how well the discussion goes


• if discussion stalls, how well the group kick starts or redirects the discussion


• Insights not garnered from Spark Notes or its competitors (Maybe I'll just print out the chapter write-up and have them with me during the discussion in case I forget something).

This is a very rich book with plenty to work through. We will take two timed writes on this book as well and you'll be able to pick your favorite to be graded in lieu of a big paper.

Book Blogs

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It seems the book blog assignment was unclear.

We are doing one blog post per chapter.

Unless otherwise instructed for a particular chapter, focus your observations on the following:

• The American Dream


• Character Development


• Literary Devices (metaphor, sensory details ie. color, foreshadowing, etc)

Make at least one observation per chapter from each category.  I apologize for any confusion.

I finally take my National Boards test tomorrow. I promise that when I'm done and after I relax a bit this weekend (we're going to the Paramount to see the Mark Morris Dance group), I will do things normal teachers do like grade papers again. :)

Reserving judgments is a matter of infinite hope.

This weekend, read chapter 1 of The Great Gatsby. Write a "book blog." You may have heard of a book log before in which one writes their thoughts and observations about a book in general or focused around a particular theme or motif. Well, we will be doing just that, with the entries on our blogs.

Focus your observations on the following:

• The American Dream


• Character Development


• Literary Devices (metaphor, sensory details ie. color, foreshadowing, etc)

Make at least one observation per chapter from each category. At times, there may be other particular foci for the book blog. A reading schedule is forthcoming.

Don't forget to come out to Annie this weekend!

Period 2 Party

Post what you’re bringing to celebrate our brilliance and being done with the AP exam!!!!

If you are buying your Gatsby book, the ISBN is 978-074327356-5.
If they don't have that version, Brittany, try this one: 0-02-0198817. The pagination is different, but it's the version I have. We might be the only two on the "right page".

Period 1 Party

Post what you're bringing to celebrate our brilliance and being done with the AP exam!!!!

AP Test!!!!!!

Remember your Magic AP Pencil!

Remember a Blue or Black pen!

Remember to bring it!!!!!!

You're going to do great! 4's and 5's all around!!!

Mind what you have learned. Save you it can. -Yoda

AP Practice Test

The district office resolved their scheduling conflict. We are fine.

Show up at the district office at 7:40 just like it was regular 1st period.

Bring:

• a #2 pencil


• a blue or black pen


• notebook paper


• it