English 2

Today students spend half of the period constructing their board games about the story "It Can't Be Helped" which we read last class. After the games were finished, the groups traded their games and quizzed themselves on their knowledge of the short story and of the Japanese-American internment during World War II.

Homework

NONE

English 1

Today in class, students took an open-note test over all five acts of Romeo and Juliet. After finishing the quiz, students met in their scene performance groups to practice their paraphrased lines and plan blocking, costumes, and props for their performances next class.

Homework

• Bring costumes and props to next class
• Practice, practice, practice your lines
• Talk to your group members before or after school to practice more.
• Scene performances will take place next class (you will have the first 20 minutes to meet with groups)

English 2

Today in class, students turned in their research papers! Next, we began our short story unit with an excerpt from the novel Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston. The short story, called "It Can't Be Helped" details Jeanne's family's trek from their comfortable home and lifestyle in Ocean Park, California to the Japanese internment camp Manzanar. After reading, taking a quiz, and discussing the story, students got into groups in order to make board games that depict the settings described and information transmitted in the story. Next class, students will get to play other groups' games.

Homework

• Bring game pieces for your board game
• Work on game if you took it home for the weekend

English 1

Today in class, we finally made it to the end of Romeo and Juliet. Unfortunately for the play's namesake, Act 5 signalled the end of the newlyweds as well. Students did a great job reading Act 5 to themselves and filling in the notesheet, then discussing their reading afterward...I was pretty impressed! To end class, students spent a little time with their scene performance groups, practicing the lines they paraphrased for class today and finalizing their modern settings.

Homework

• Test over the play next class (don't worry, it's open note -- you can use all your Act notesheets)
• Practice your lines for scene performance
• Bring props and costumes you plan to use to next class

English 2

Today in class, students had their last day of working on the research paper before the due date on Friday. First we circled-up and each told the 5 most important/interesting things we learned about our research topics. Classmates had a chance to ask their peers questions that could help them fill in holes in their research and improve the content of their papers. Next, students completed a ratiocination, which is a systematic editing exercise that helps whip writing into shape. To end class several students read their butterfly child biographies.

Homework

• Papers due next class

English 1

Today in class, students finished watching Act 3 of Romeo and Juliet and then moved on to Act 4. Students broke into 5 groups, each tackling a scene. They all did a great job reading, interpreting summarized, and answering questions on the notesheet. To end class they split into their scene performance groups to finish assigning parts, deciding on settings, and begin paraphrasing lines.

Homework

• Finish paraphrasing your lines for your scene performance. Remember that links to the full text of the play can be found on the class website: http://sites.google.com/site/mrskrysl/Home/resources

English 2

Today in class, students received training for the 6 traits writing program that we will use throughout the school year. They looked at 3 different writing rubrics/scoring guides that help show them was is expected of them for each of the 6 traits in order to write an "A" paper, a "B" paper, a "C" paper, and so on. They even read examples papers that fit each of these categories. After training, students scored each other's research paper rough drafts as a means of planning for needed revisions to their papers. These revisions will be made for next class when we will do the last bit of editing on the research papers and get ready to turn them in.

Homework

• Make revisions to your research paper based on the scoring guides/feedback from your peers.