Peruasive Essays due and class work

You can continue working on the essays from Echoes. I discussed the specific responses I'm looking for for question #2.

You handed in your persuasive essay. If you weren't in class, my rule of sending the essay by email the day it is due still applies. I need it by 4:30 today otherwise the standard late mark will be deducted.

I handed back your grammar tests as well. Monday we will have an organization day getting ready for the seminar schedule and I'll prep you for the next stage of your ISU. Reading Journals are due on Tuesday at the beginning of class.

Thursday - Supply Coverage

There is a questionnaire from UofG to fill out at the beginning of the period.
Grammar Lesson 29, 30, 31 from Book I – Verbs
We have been using “state of being” or “stative” instead of “linking” verbs. We went over this very quickly as part of a review of verbs, but now this time through everyone should actually be doing the lessons. I expect 50% of each lesson to be complete, and we’ll take it up on Friday.

Echoes – Persuasive Essays
There are three essays in total to read, and two days to read them. Full sentence responses…
To Err is Human, p. 306 Answer questions # 1 and # 3.
Science and Beauty, p. 311 Answer question 2 in chart form, #4 do a one sentence each, paragraph-by–paragraph summary and explain the transitions used between paragraphs.
Forget Prince Charming, p. 322 Questions 3 and 4.

Peer Editing

We finished discussing the persuasive strategies used in "America on $195 a Week", and I gave you the names and page numbers of three other persuasive essays you can refer to for ideas about structure, strategies, and organization.

We used the rest of the period for peer editing. If you missed it, get the sheet from yesterday's post and work on this on your own.

Here's the handout on Unity and Coherence (if you need a refresher).

From the blackboard:
Persuasive Essay Essentials
Content - Insight, ideas, reasons, examples, quotations, logic.
Organization - ideas in distinct sections, develop thesis so that everything else ties into it - sequence, periodic, circular
Coherence - sentences are clear and complete with effective transitions
Diction - interesting (but don't eat the thesaurus), appropriate word choices
Mechanics - CCVI format (Communication Guide) English is one of the Humanities, so use MLA format (endnotes)
edit for spelling and sentence structure

Tuesday's class

We had our grammar test today - written and marked - so I'll record the marks and return the tests to you tomorrow. Then we can start on learning the material actually planned for the Eng4U course.

We took up your responses to The Lady of Shalott, discussing different perspectives and what to do with your insights once you generate them. Make sure you are doing something with your observation - extending the insight into a connection you can make with the effect of the poem and various theses you could argue.

We were also able to discuss some of the persuasive strategies used by the writer of "America on $195 a Week". We didn't have time to go over the persuasive essays you can find in your Echoes text, but here they are now:

To Err is Human, p 306
Science and Beauty, p 311
Forget Prince Charming, p 322
We'll be looking at these essays in class, and I'll be assigning the reading for homework, so you may want to read these for SURF.

Peer Editing Review Sheet

We will be spending the period tomorrow working on the peer editing process. If you will be absent, you can work on the process on your own.

Monday, Feb., 23

Today's class was preempted by an assembly for a motivational speaker. I handed you out an example of a persuasive essay at the beginning of class, "America on $195 per week" which I want you to read. Please identify five different, specific strategies which the author uses to try to persuade you. Write in full sentences (you think more clearly that way) and then state the author's thesis. You should bring this with you to class tomorrow.

I rescheduled the grammar test for Tuesday, so there's still time for a little more studying, and I did post a review on Friday's blog.

I was also able to squeeze in another example of a persuasive essay which I speed-read to you at the end of the period. I'm sure much was lost in my haste, and I know it's hard to comprehend things when you are just listening, but I hope that you were able to see that a thesis can be presented effectively through an almost strictly narrative structure (with didactic elements embedded in the dialogue).

Your rough draft is due on Wednesday for peer review, and then the good copy will be due on Friday. If you don't have a rough draft on Wednesday, you will be working independently in C121 and will miss a valuable formative opportunity. If you will be away, get a copy of my peer review sheet on Tuesday and work on it with a partner or two outside of class.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Stephanie has told me one of the dates on the ISU is incorrect. The thesis is due on Tuesday March 24th, and not Tuesday March 25th.
We had an ISU Reading period today. You have a grammar test on Monday.

I posted a grammar review test here, but I've taken it down now since the test is over.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Your ISU Reading Journals are due March 3rd. That's less than 2 weeks away. You should be almost finished reading your novel by now. If you aren't, you are behind. I'm not giving you much homework right now because I expect you to be reading for about 1/2 an hour every night. You should also have about half of the rough work done for your journals. You need to be taking notes as you read along. What do you find interesting? Signficant?

Today, we did Mortal Syntax and Grammar Review pg 52. Your test is on Monday and I'll post some extra review work on Friday.
I handed out your Persuasive Essay Assignment. It is due Friday, February 27 - one week from tomorrow.!!!
In class, you also reassembled into your expert groups to review what you learned yesterday, and worked on applying some of you new ideas to a fresh interpretation of "The Lady of Shalott". You needed to develop a thesis on your own and to provide appropriate evidence to support your interpretation.

Tomorrow will be an Independent Novel Study reading period.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Note: I've moved the grammar quiz to Monday. We still need to do the review before the test.
Today, we had our morning Mortal Syntax lesson on the lack of a singular, gender neutral, 3rd person pronoun (fitting because we are also reviewing pronouns in general. The grammar review was lesson 39 and 40 - pronouns and pronoun antecedents. Review reflexive pronouns so that you don't over-correct and use "myself" when you just mean "me".
Kara brought us up to speed on the professional qualifications of a certain doctor, and then we launched into our academic conference, which I think went quite well. Bring you Echoes text to class tomorrow. YOU WILL NEED IT.
Levy reminded me that I promised a grammar review before the test, so I'll have that for you on Friday.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

You handed in your assessment pieces on "What Matters Most to Me", then Kyle presented his mini grammar lesson on rifle/riffle, an interesting example of the changeable nature of the English language and descriptive/prescriptive usage manuals.
We reviewed subject/verb agreement and the difficulties English presents us with its lack of a gender neutral, 3rd person singular pronoun. I've scheduled your grade 11 grammar review test for Thursday of this week.
You had the remainder of the period to work on your expert groups for your schools of literary criticism. Tomorrow you will be presenting in the form of a rotating colloquium. Each person in the group will have a chance to be the expert for his/her school while the other group members rotate around to learn about the other ways of interpreting literature.

Friday February 13, 2008

Here's what I wrote on the board:

Mortal Syntax - you were assigned lessons to master and share with the rest of the class
Grammar Review - p. 35, 36
Take up Echoes essay "How wise is it to separate our emotions"
"Seminars" on different schools of literary criticism:
Formalism/structuralism
Mythopoeic criticism
Reader Response
(Neo-) Marxist Criticism
Feminist Criticism
Deconstructive/Post-structuralist Criticism

You worked in expert groups to master your "school" - you will continue on Tuesday - then on Wednesday we will have a seminar/colloquium to share your new knowledge. Thursday we will apply this knowledge to "The Lady of Shalott".

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Here's the outline which I wrote on the board in class today:

Mortal Syntax - between you and I;
Grammar Review: 30, 31, 33;
Take up Closing of the (North) American Mind;
assign "How Wise is it...?" (p 406) answer question 2 in complete sentences and use direct evidence to support your answer.
assign "essay";

Assessment "Essay"/Piece "What Matters Most to Me"
looking for: focus and clarity re: priorities
effective us of examples
clear and convincing conclusion
proper paragraph structure
mechanics

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

I moved on to the next Mortal Syntax "lesson" - I feel good. Then I handed out the verb chart with tense and aspect and together we conjugated the verb swim in simple present and present perfect.
We reviewed the sheet on argumentation together, then Heather and Mariah took up the questions from Echoes. I assigned question #4 from Closing of the (North American Mind) and Amman will be our expert tomorrow.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Still reviewing grammar - pages 21-24. I have the answers to these questions if you want/need the feedback. Remember, I'm just reviewing the lessons, not actually teaching them, so you'll need to do most of the actual work on your own.
I gave you a handout on Reader Response and on Argument. I reviewed the reader response page with you, and I'll go over argumentation tomorrow.
I showed you two exemplars of reading journals on the overhead. Remember, your notes should be a minimum of 5-6 pages and hand-written (but legible). If you are a plot reader, be prepared to read your book twice.
Finally, I assigned "Of Revenge" by Francis Bacon from your Echoes text (p 344). Answer questions 1, 2, and 4.
I'll take Revenge and Brave New World questions up tomorrow.

Useful links for literary discussion and analysis

I've put several pages online. They are a mixture of old handouts that we don't use anymore (but are just too great to throw out), information I never got around to making a handout for in the first place, and possibly the duplicate of a handout you received in an earlier grade. Use them if you find them useful, but do read through them to see if there is anything helpful in there for this course.

Critical Reading
Writing a Literary Critical Analysis
Unity, Cohesion, Emphasis
Integrating Quotations Seamlessly
Strategies for Finding and Stating Significance
Argumentation and Persuasion
Writing an Effective Quotation Analysis

That's it so far. I'll post more things here as I type them up, think of them, or unearth them from the many files of paper I seem to have collected.

Week 2 Overview

Today, the plan is to review Grade 11 grammar lessons 17, 18, & 19, plus read a little from Mortal Syntax.
We will take up questions from "Perils of Indifference" and "Thinking through the Essay".
What I hope to accomplish this week is a review of essay writing - both the different types of essays plus Rhetorical Devices and Strategies employed within the essay.
You will have a short assessment piece before you submit a persuasive essay for evaluation.
We will be reading several pieces from Echoes:
Brave New World excerpt p. 331; "The Closing of the (North) American Mind" p. 325; The Role of the Teacher" p. 337; "Of Revenge" p. 344; "How Wise is it to Separate Our Emotions from the Rest of our Being?" p. 406. I'll assign questions from the text for each of these readings in tomorrow's blog.
Remember to incorporate direct quotations from the text into your answers.

Friday!!!!

Nice, easy class discussion based on the Ideas question sheet. We also worked a little on civilized discussion styles and the importance of sharing your voice (your opinion) and not being a sponge and not brutalizing people with your opinions (that's something I still need to work on!) Some of your are still finalizing your ISU novel. Mrs. Skrinda has let us know that there is a link to quality secondary sources on the library page now:

On the library website, there is a bar called "seconday sources" (on the left hand side of the page) that leads to websites that have quality reviews of books (New York Times Book Review for example) It might give them a start, at least. You can thank Mr. Rowe for this resource.

Great library and librarians! Make sure you thank them for their great work before you graduate.
So, if are struggling a little with the secondary source part of the assignment, look here first for some ideas.

We start grammar for seriously on Monday (yes, I _know_ that's not proper grammar - I'm being funny), so bring your money, your grammar book, or your photocopied pages of the grade 11 grammar expectations to class on Monday, as well as your Echoes text.

Third Day of Class

I handed out two different pieces of writing at the beginning of class. One is called Ideas, the other "Thinking through the Essay" You read Ideas today, answered the questions on a separate handout, and then got together to discuss you response to the article. We finished the class with a bit of a class discussion about our personal response to the article.
I assigned the questions for the Frye article for the students leaving for the DECA trip:
#1, 2, and 4. You can't do either 3 or 5, and I'd like to to answer in complete sentences.

Second Day

You picked up your textbooks from the library, we went over the grammar lesson numbers you should have done in grade 11 and will do in grade 12, and I showed you a copy of the grammar review test from grade 11. For the remainder of the period, you read "The Perils of Indifference" and answered, in full sentences, questions 1 a,c, 2, and 3. We'll take those up tomorrow, continue narrowing down novel choices for your ISU, and read an interview with Northrop Frye "Thinking through the Essay". The fun never ends.

Incase you missed it, the lessons which you should have covered in grade 11 are:
17, 18, 19, 21-24, 30, 31, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 52.

First day + ISU Assignment

Today was mostly just an overview - I went over the course outline, handed out the ISU assignment, and gave you a sheet of the Top Ten grammatical errors which you need to be aware of in your writing. I'll be posting a few lists of award-winning American authors in the classroom for you to refer to when you select your ISU novel, which you need to do ASAP.