Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Note taking & Thesis statments

The last few classes we have been doing research in the PC room
for our essays. I explained to the students and have been talking
to them about note taking.

HOMEWORK
-prepare 3 extra pages of your research notes
with highlighting and hand written notes.

Please review some examples of both GOOD & BAD
thesis statements



Monday, January 14, 2008

Welcome Back!

This term we shall work hard and students will do extensive research in preparing to write their very own research paper.

What is a research paper?

A research paper is a piece of academic writing that requires a more abstract, critical, and thoughtful level of inquiry than you might be used to. But not to worry, you'll gradually pick up that mindset the more you envelop yourself in tutorial discussions and lectures at the college level, and of course, the more you write. Not just research papers but any paper, period.

Writing a research paper involves (1) first familiarizing yourself with the works of "experts"--for example, on the page, in cyberspace, or in the flesh through personal interviews--to build upon what you know about a subject and then (2) comparing their thoughts on the topic with your own.

You'll end up using relevant information--facts and/or opinions--from these expert sources, these "others," to support the topic you have been given or chosen to explore. Then, as our subsequent steps will outline, the final product will be a unique and appropriate integration of evidence you have located outside yourself and personal insights generated from your own internal think tank--your mind!


The final product will be a unique and appopriate integration of evidence you have located outside yourself and personal insights.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Power Point Slide show

Scarlet Ibis Vocabulary and Questions


Today we continued working on pages 7-8 of
the workbooks and we learned some new
vocabulary words.
HOMEWORK: -finish the Scarlet Ibis workbook
and have it ready to hand in for Thursday.

-Complete your 32 Qs worksheet for next class.


Tuesday, November 20, 2007

The Scarlet Ibis Workbook

After learning and symbols and setting
students worked on their workbooks.

HOMEWORK:
-finish pages 1-2 in your Scarlet Ibis workbook.

The Scarlet Ibis Slide Show

Monday, November 19, 2007

The Scarlet Ibis

The Scarlet Ibis is a short story written by novelist James Hurst It was first published in The Atlantic Monthly in July 1960 and has since appeared in multiple high-school literature textbook since the late 1960s.


Synopsis

The narrator's younger brother, Doodle, was born an invalid who could crawl and was taught to walk by the narrator. Time passes and Doodle becomes five. The narrator then decides to teach him how to walk out of embarrassment. After weeks of practicing, Doodle learns how to walk, and the family rejoices. After a while the narrator, feeling infallible, decides to teach Doodle to run, swim, climb trees and fight. His grueling work, shows little progress as the deadline he sets gets closer. Finally, after an encounter with a scarlet ibis dying, Doodle and the narrator set out to the swamp for one final attempt to yield results, which fail. As a storm approaches they start to make their way back. Angrily, the narrator begins to walk faster than Doodle. When Doodle falls behind, the narrator runs off leaving him. Soon he calms down and waits for Doodle, who doesn't show up. Walking back, he finds Doodle curled up next to a bush, dead and bleeding scarlet, which was exactly like the Scarlet Ibis.

Throughout the story the narrator is only referred to as brother.


HOMEWORK:
-read the Scarlet Ibis before next class

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Masters of Horror TV Series presents - The Black Cat (2007)


Today we watched the made for TV adaptation of the Black cat.

Starring:
Jeffrey Combs, Elyse Levesque Director: Stuart Gordon Rating UNRATED

Plot Synopsis: The Black Cat, directed by Stuart Gordon and written by Dennis Paoli & Stuart Gordon, set in 1840 Philadelphia, has the great writer Edgar Allan Poe (Jeffrey Combs), struggling with alcoholism, writers block, as well as being out of ideas, short on cash, and tormented by his wife Virginia's (Elyse Levesque) black cat that will either destroy his life or inspire him to write one of his most famous stories.

Please remember that your choice assignment is due next class.


FINAL EXAM THURSDAY

Monday, November 12, 2007

The mystery of black cats

Today I taught my class about the mystery surrounding
black cats all over the world.

HOMEWORK:
-complete your 10 Qs using evidence from the book
line #, page #, paragraph #, and quotes if any.
-keep in mind that the choice assignment is due Thursday.


The Black Cat Final Exam Will Be On Thursday!


Thursday, November 8, 2007

Tales of Terror:The Black cat


We watched The Black Cat movie today.

HOMEWORK:
-Find 3 things that are similar from the movie to compare
with
the story, and 3 things that are different between them.

DUE FOR MONDAY

The Black Cat

Firstly, we are introduced to the main character called Montresor Herringbone (Peter Lorre). Drunk and rambling he meanders his way home and forces his long-suffering wife, Annabel Herringbone, to gives him more money for drink. He hates his wife’s black cat which on appearance only stimulates his drunken rage further. Out on another night out he gets barred from the local pub and so on his wandering he comes across a wine tasting event and cannot believe his luck. In his intoxicated state he challenges the worlds foremost wine taster, Fortunato Luchresi (Vincent Price), to a wine tasting contest.

Fortunato Luchresi ends up having to carry a now very drunk Peter Lorre home where he meets Annabel and together they put him to bed. The story then cuts forward as Montresor in the pub describes how his wife now encourages him to go out and never withholds money from him anymore. The landlord reminds him that it is only since he brought Luchresi home that she does this. Montresor, livid, waits outside his house and, proving his suspicions, Lucressi emerges and kisses Annabel goodbye. Montresor enters the house acting normal and the does not see what happens in the house that night. However, the next day Luchresi arrives to take tea with the couple but Montresor is the only one present. Montresor drugs then Luchresi with wine. When Luchresi awakens he is chained in the cellar alongside his love, Annabel, as Montresor builds up a walls so as to inter them prematurely.

After completing the wall, Montresor continues his life but is soon interrupted by two policemen who wish to conduct a search of the house. He agrees and all seems to be going well as they do not notice anything suspicious in the cellar but they are alarmed by Montresor's reaction to hallucinations of his dead wife and friend. Just as the police are about to leave an almighty screeching begins to come from behind the wall. The policemen knock down the wall and behind it they find the two dead people and the black cat, hated by Montresor, screeching from within. Montresor had accidentally sealed in the pet as well and ironically the cat he had once hated unknowingly proves him to be guilty of murder.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

The Black Cat Intro Slideshow

In the first class we worked on some vocabulary and
students did a crossword puzzle.

In the second class we watched a powerpoint slide
show on the Black cat.

HOMEWORK:
-finish your Black Cat Qs



Monday, November 5, 2007

Knowing Poe Quiz

The quiz today was meant to be easy....but it seemed
that most of you didn't do so well on it.

After the quiz we watched a video about Poe's life.

HERE IS A SHORT 3 MIN. VIDEO ON POE'S
HOME AS IT REMAINS IN PHILADELPHIA.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Knowing Poe


We had a PC room interactive lesson today.

Please remember that next Monday will be your
quiz on Poe.

Use the information about his life that you read
in class to today to help you prepare for the test.




BE SURE YOU KNOW POE!

Monday, October 29, 2007

Horror Stories


Though Poe's stories told of madness, Poe is now recognized as a genius who reinvented the Gothic tale of mystery and horror for his age.

Today we had an introduction horror stories. Students were asked to work in small groups and they answered these questions:

1. What are some famous Japanese horror movies?

2. Is it important that the writer be 'mad' in order to write good horror stories?

3. Are black cats 'evil' in Japanese society?

4. Name a few Japanese superstitions?

5. What is an Omen?


We will be in the PC room Tuesday, October, 30th


CLICK HERE FOR TUESDAY'S CLASS the black cat picture this http://knowingpoe.thinkport.org/writer/picturethis.asp

Interactive timeline http://knowingpoe.thinkport.org/person/timeline.asp

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Working on the script today


Today we started working on the rough draft of the scripts for the short movie project. Most groups worked very hard in class. I mentioned that the movie scenes will be about 3-4 mins. Please don't write too much as cast members need to memorize their lines. If you want to make up a conversation based on a certain scene, you may do so.


Let's continue next Tuesday-double period since Monday is a holiday!