Read over every blog you have posted over the course of the 2010-2011 school year. Look back on your writing: what have you learned, what have you written, what is your blog is all about and how have you evolved as a writer?
Write a comprehensive conclusion to your blog - consider your English blog as a body of work and reflect on the meaning and significance of it all. This should be a creative, complex, and encompassing post: the more you write and the more you reflect on, the better your grade will be. Consider a minimum of 500 words as a guideline for length. However, quality trumps quantity.
Also, include a quotation that supports your message as to the meaning and conclusion of your blog. This quotation can be from anywhere - Great Expectations, Robert Frost, a lyric from a song...anything that reflects the meaning of the body of work that is your blog. Be sure to embed your quotation in a way that clarifies its relevance to your message.
This blog post is meant to give a clear, reflective conclusion to the year-long blog assignment. The more reflecting you do on your past blogs, the higher your grade will be. If you have fewer blogs than were required, go into more detail to compensate for your lack of assignments on which to reflect. Feel free to include photos, videos, or other enhancements to wrap up the blog with a bang!
This post is worth 50 points and will be assessed for quality and thoughtfulness. Due no later than Tuesday, June 21.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Reflecting on a Memorable Assignment
With all of the blogs, essays, projects, questions and annotations we've done this year, thinking back on it all can be mind-boggling. However, when you think back on all of the work you've done in English this year, there is sure to be one assignment that stands out to you as your favorite or most memorable.
Write about the assignment that stands out in your memory above all others. This should be something that you feel proud of - something that you worked hard on; something that showcased your talents for reading, writing, and thinking creatively.
Clearly describe the assignment and what you did to make it memorable. Write at least two paragraphs about your work on this assignment and why you are proud of your achievement.
Due Sunday, June 12.
Write about the assignment that stands out in your memory above all others. This should be something that you feel proud of - something that you worked hard on; something that showcased your talents for reading, writing, and thinking creatively.
Clearly describe the assignment and what you did to make it memorable. Write at least two paragraphs about your work on this assignment and why you are proud of your achievement.
Due Sunday, June 12.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
A Good Experience with Poetry
Most people have mixed emotions about poetry. Odds are, you've studied poetry in many different ways throughout your academic career. You also may have experience with poetry outside of school - from reading nursery rhymes with your parents to participating in or observing an open mic or poetry slam.
Consider your poetry background and write about one specific positive experience you've had with poetry. Write several paragraphs about the experience and why or how it made a positive impact on your life. Be sure to be specific in recalling the poetry or type of poetry involved - titles and poets names are important to recall.
After describing your good experience, write a little about your attitude toward poetry at this point in your life. This does not have to be a long paragraph, just a few sentences about your feelings or emotions when you hear the word "poetry" or what you think about when poetry is mentioned in class.
Due Saturday, June 4.
Consider your poetry background and write about one specific positive experience you've had with poetry. Write several paragraphs about the experience and why or how it made a positive impact on your life. Be sure to be specific in recalling the poetry or type of poetry involved - titles and poets names are important to recall.
After describing your good experience, write a little about your attitude toward poetry at this point in your life. This does not have to be a long paragraph, just a few sentences about your feelings or emotions when you hear the word "poetry" or what you think about when poetry is mentioned in class.
Due Saturday, June 4.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Conflict in Romeo and Juliet
Wow! This is the latest in the week the blog assignment has ever been posted. Instead of being due on Saturday, you have until Tuesday, May 17 to complete your post.
Throughout the year we have focused on different literary elements in each unit. Although conflict is present within every work we've studied, it is most prevalent and most crucial to the plot and characters in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Your essay for this unit will involve both Shakespeare's use of language and how conflict is created within the play.
Throughout the play, characters struggle with conflict on many different levels. The title teenagers face their own internal conflicts, are involved with conflicts with other characters, and are essentially in conflict with the society of which they live. Identify one specific conflict at work in Romeo and Juliet and describe its importance to the central themes of the play and how it extends to your life, our society, or to people important to you.
Write two complete, thoughtful paragraphs for this post. The first should identify a specific conflict in the play: accurately paraphrase or quote the play and describe the type of conflict. Then describe this conflict's importance and how it develops central themes of the play.
In the second paragraph, discuss how this type of conflict is present in your life or in the lives of people important to you or how it is present in our society. What is the significance of conflict? How does conflict link to meaning in your life? How do you or people in general deal with conflict? Be thoughtful and creative in addressing these questions.
Considering these ideas will serve as prewriting material for your final essay for 9th grade Honors English.
Due Tuesday, May 17.
Throughout the year we have focused on different literary elements in each unit. Although conflict is present within every work we've studied, it is most prevalent and most crucial to the plot and characters in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Your essay for this unit will involve both Shakespeare's use of language and how conflict is created within the play.
Throughout the play, characters struggle with conflict on many different levels. The title teenagers face their own internal conflicts, are involved with conflicts with other characters, and are essentially in conflict with the society of which they live. Identify one specific conflict at work in Romeo and Juliet and describe its importance to the central themes of the play and how it extends to your life, our society, or to people important to you.
Write two complete, thoughtful paragraphs for this post. The first should identify a specific conflict in the play: accurately paraphrase or quote the play and describe the type of conflict. Then describe this conflict's importance and how it develops central themes of the play.
In the second paragraph, discuss how this type of conflict is present in your life or in the lives of people important to you or how it is present in our society. What is the significance of conflict? How does conflict link to meaning in your life? How do you or people in general deal with conflict? Be thoughtful and creative in addressing these questions.
Considering these ideas will serve as prewriting material for your final essay for 9th grade Honors English.
Due Tuesday, May 17.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Romeo and Juliet: It's Everywhere!
As you immerse yourself in Romeo and Juliet you should be becoming aware of the pervasiveness of the story's impact on modern culture. Some references to the story are obvious, like Gnomeo and Juliet or Letters to Juliet, but others are more subtle - think The Hunger Games or Twilight.
Find something that references the timelessness of Romeo and Juliet. You could find a picture, post a link to an article, embed a video, copy song lyrics or just blog about a specific instance where you noticed the play being referenced in modern culture. Try to think of something no one else will think of!
Make sure the reference is clear and your reaction to it is clearly and cleverly conveyed...creativity counts here!
Post and comment by Saturday, May 7.
Find something that references the timelessness of Romeo and Juliet. You could find a picture, post a link to an article, embed a video, copy song lyrics or just blog about a specific instance where you noticed the play being referenced in modern culture. Try to think of something no one else will think of!
Make sure the reference is clear and your reaction to it is clearly and cleverly conveyed...creativity counts here!
Post and comment by Saturday, May 7.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Connecting with Romeo and Juliet
As you read at home and we cover the material in class, how are you personally connecting with the characters and relationships in the play? Also, how much are you getting out of the reading?
1. Some of the concepts we are discussing in class this week include Romeo's personality, Juliet's personality, relationships between the two title characters and their parents, the escalation of the feud between the families, advice given to Romeo by his friends, and decisions the characters make. What are you thinking about these ideas as you read on your own or as we read in class? Write a thoughtful paragraph about something in the first few scenes in the play that you can personally connect with. Clearly explain the specific character or idea from the play and how you connect with it.
2. Also, remark on the effectiveness of reading at home and then covering the material in class. How are you doing with the reading on your own? How much are you able to decipher without help? Is it getting easier? Are you using other resources to help you read at home? If so, what are they and are they helping? The goal of reading aloud in class is to help you be able to get a deeper and more complete understanding of the text with the help of the teacher and your classmates. Do you feel that goal is being met for you? Write a paragraph about the effectiveness of both reading at home and in class.
Due Saturday, April 30.
1. Some of the concepts we are discussing in class this week include Romeo's personality, Juliet's personality, relationships between the two title characters and their parents, the escalation of the feud between the families, advice given to Romeo by his friends, and decisions the characters make. What are you thinking about these ideas as you read on your own or as we read in class? Write a thoughtful paragraph about something in the first few scenes in the play that you can personally connect with. Clearly explain the specific character or idea from the play and how you connect with it.
2. Also, remark on the effectiveness of reading at home and then covering the material in class. How are you doing with the reading on your own? How much are you able to decipher without help? Is it getting easier? Are you using other resources to help you read at home? If so, what are they and are they helping? The goal of reading aloud in class is to help you be able to get a deeper and more complete understanding of the text with the help of the teacher and your classmates. Do you feel that goal is being met for you? Write a paragraph about the effectiveness of both reading at home and in class.
Due Saturday, April 30.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Missing Dickens
 |
| Are you missing reading Dickens? Are your friends reading A Tale of Two Cities and you're wondering if it's any better than Great Expectations? Read A Tale of Two Cities on your own by the first week of June and discuss it with me for extra credit! |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)