January 5/6, 2009

Welcome back from break everybody!  I hope you are all as excited about this new semester as I am!  If you are not excited about once again having to get up at the crack of dawn every morning, you can always bear in mind that now the school year is half over, and summer is getting closer with every passing day.  Until then....here's what's going on in class:

English 1 -- Today in class, students wrote journal entries about their most prized possessions (many wrote about items they received over the holiday) in preparation for the short story we read, called "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry.  After reading this story about the love and generosity that should go into gift giving, students completed a "picture write" based on a painting that is featured in their textbook.  This creative writing activity is the first of many that students will be working on during this short fiction unit that will eventually lead to students writing short stories of their own.

English 1 Homework 

Finish your picture writing if you have not turned it in already

English 2 -- Today in class, students began a unit on Greek Drama.  After taking notes over important elements of Greek drama, students learned about the myth of Oedipus, which provided them with background knowledge for the play we will be reading.  While reading Antigone by Spohocles, students will make Greek masks for the characters, perform scenes in groups, and lead the class in a discussion of the the scenes.  Next class, students will finish reading a summary of Antigone and begin working in their groups on their scene performances.

English 2 Homework

Bring your text books to class