9p - Response to Literature: Sample Intro

Y'all,

Here's how I want it done.  My sample introduction:

Sexy.  Foreign.  Exotic.  We all hope to be memorable, beautiful, and exciting, and in the chapter "Sally" from Sandra Cisneros's The House on Mango Street, we see how Esperanza, the narrator, feels the same way.  In this chapter, Esperanza relates how she wants to be like the unusual and mysterious Sally, and we see Esperanza's longing for something more than she has.  Cisneros uses simile and metaphor to show that Esperanza both envies and adores Sally.  This envy and adoration fuel Esperanza’s fire to escape the confines of her poverty.


What's with the colors?  The colors indicate the BASICS of an Intro paragraph for this Response to Literature essay:

Yellow - two literary devices
Green - the thesis, which states that "The Author uses _____ and ______ in order to ________"
Pink - a hook, or some language enticing me to read
Orange - the Author's full name and the title of the work, underlined or italicized

10hp - julius caesar final evaluation

So I decided against giving any more quizzes or essays on Julius Caesar.  I'd instead like to find a more creative way to assess what you've learned.

I you (alone or in a group) to design your own project that shows what you know of Julius Caesar.  The project will be worth 100 points towards your "Project/Presentation" grade.

I also want you to grade and evaluate each others' work.  This will be a 20 point follow-up assignment in the category of "Teamwork".

The project can take many forms:
-acting a scene
-writing a scene
-writing a paper
-creating a website or document
-making a presentation
-group or individual
-anything else you can think up

No matter what you choose, your project must include the following:
1. Ethos, Logos, and Pathos
2. Multiple references to Julius Caesar (amount unspecified--you need to show me that you know the play inside and out)
3. At least one Theme from the Shakespeare After All article on Julius Caesar

Also: no matter what you choose,  we will need to create a Rubric so that the class can assess what you know.  To do this, go to http://rubistar.4teachers.org/ and find a rubric for the type of project you wish to do.  Print this rubric out and bring it to me.

For homework: post a comment/response to this blog with any suggestions for:
1. Topics to cover
2. Types of projects


NOTE:
Julius Caesar dies Nov. 9th.  That means I won't be teaching any more lessons on Caesar after that time.  The next two weeks we'll focus on helping you write your "Exploring the Mind through Language" paper, which is due Nov. 23.  However, I expect that many of you will continue presenting past Nov. 9th.  I'm flexible on the due date for this project.

9p - House on Mango Street Unit

Hello my little Mangos,

Here's a unit outline.  Be sure to check the blog regularly: this schedule may change.

PAPER
due: Nov. 30th


assignment: in a 4-paragraph, typed paper, explain how Sandra Cisneros uses two rhetorical devices to convey the theme of her stories


works: you will choose 2 stories, using one different device per story




READING
Many students have expressed interest in reading ahead.  Others want to read the chapters in random order.  I'm fine with that.  However, you'll be responsible for the following readings on the selected dates:


tue 11/3    3-13
wed 11/4   14-20
thu 11/5   21-27
fri 11/6   28-34
mon 11/9   35-42
tue 11/10   43-52
wed 11/11   53-64 (even though there's no school)
thu 11/12   65-73
fri 11/13   74-83
mon 11/16   84-93
tue 11/17   94-100
wed 11/18   101-107
thu 11/19   108-110

10hp - Files and finishing Caesar

Hey folks:

I decided not to upload the file.  I'll have a printout ready for you when you come to class tomorrow.

In the meantime, here's our schedule:

• Today: Recap of Act I-IV - major events to know
• Tues: Shakespeare After All essay - found on blog: bring a printout to class
• Wed: quiz, Act IV-V
• Th: prep for the essay
• Fri: work on process paper on Antony’s Speech OR on another topic you choose from Shakespeare After All
• Mon: PAPER DUE - and we’re done with Caesar!

Notes - 10hp

Agenda-10hp

1. Quiz, Act III MONDAY
2. No In-class Essays on FRIDAY
3. Independent Reading Paper Due:  Nov. 23rd
4. Graded Work to be given back on MONDAY
5. Today: Team up to create a Quote Web 

Portmantean word ➔ theames

   "slithy" lithe + slimy

Our THEAMS:

1. Eye/Look/Looking
   
2. Omens/Signs/Portents
3. Name
4. Miscommunication or Mistranslation
5. "Will"
6. Depiction/ Descriptions of Populace (Masses)

Create a list of quotations/evidence from Julius Caesar on your "theme" with your "team".

This evidence will be used in our essays later on.

10HP - Reading Schedule for Julius Caesar

Hey Class,

I finalized the next two weeks' reading in Julius Caesar.

M - 10/12 - 1.3, Staging
Tu - 10/13 - 2.1, Public vs Private life
  QUIZ ON ACT I
W - 10/14 - 2.1, Characterization
Th - 10/15 - 2.2 Characterization - Essay Rubric
  QUIZ ON ACT II
F - 10/16 - ESSAY - open book, in class

M - 10/19 - 2.2 - Miscommunication; Omens and Portents, and their Interpretation
 Reading - Shakespeare After All excerpts
Tu - 10/20 - 3.1 - Climax of the Play
W - 10/21 - 3.2 - Ethos, Logos, and Pathos: Rhetoric and Effective Communication

9p - Calendar UPDATE and TEST

I decided that on Tuesday, Oct 13th we will have our LAST quiz.  This will give you more time to catch up for the in-class test this Friday.  I assigned this test at the beginning of the month.

The test this Friday will be OPEN BOOK, meaning you can use your book (but not your notes) to answer the questions.

There will be 20 multiple choice questions and two Short Answer questions.  The test is worth 100pts.

MC questions = 60 points

Short Answer = 40 points, graded on a scale of A = 40, B = 30, C = 20, D = 10, F = 0

To prepare for the multiple choice, you will need to focus on the following:

-Descriptions of each Character in the story

-How George takes care of Lennie

-Why George takes care of Lennie

-The plot points of each night's reading

 (study your journals!)

-The hardships that Ranch Workers face

-Questions from your study guide

To prepare for the Short Answer questions, you'll need to understand:

-Pecking order

-Euthanasia and Moral Dilemmas

9p - reading calendar - of mice and men

The following pages are DUE on these dates.  This means that you must read AHEAD of this schedule to keep up with the daily quizzes in class.

Fri    10/2/09 - pp.1-10

Mon 10/5/09- pp. 10-17
Tues 10/6/09- PP. 17-24
Wed 10/7/09- pp. 25-37
Thu  10/8/09- pp.38-47
Fri    10/9/09- pp.47-65

Mon 10/12/09-pp.66-83
Tues 10/13/09-pp.84-91
Wed 10/14/09- pp. 92-98
Thu  10/15/09-pp.99-107
Fri    10/16/09 TEST

Daily Journal
As mentioned before, we will have a short quiz to begin each class.  You will have time to look over your notes in your journal.

Your journal, every day must fit the following format.

Reading Journal - Date

PLOT: 1. Fact #1

            2. Fact #1

            3. etc

            4.

            5.

            6.

            7.

            8.

            9.

          10.

QUICKWRITE: What kinds of things fascinate Lennie?

This format is to be used for ALL of your reading.

Back to School Night

Hello all,

Thanks to everyone who came in this Back to School Night.  I felt really good about the turnout; it feels great to have such support from the parents at SAMOHI.

As promised, here are the links to the presentations I delivered.  I have saved them as Adobe PDF files.  They were originally created on Keynote (Mac), which, when converted to Powerpoint (Windows), tends to produce formatting errors.

Bear in mind that the presentations can be viewed through the Scribd viewer, as well as downloaded.

PDF
English 9p
English 10hp
Shakespeare Lit


I also feel it's important to recap certain ideas that we discussed tonight.  Feel free to post a response to this blog if any of this reaches you.

Leadership / Teamwork
My work in leadership and teamwork is based on one concept:

Do What's Needed for the Whole

The "Whole" what?  That question has a lot of answers.  If I gave this question on a multiple choice test, one could imagine these answer choices:

A) The Whole Class

B) The Whole Brain or Mind
C) The Whole Community
D) The Whole Human Race

E) All living things on this earth

While we can debate the merits of all of these answer choices--A and C are pragmatic, D and E lofty, and B intriguing--in my classes, the correct answer is not listed: all of the above.

It's sometimes difficult to distinguish "what's needed" from "what I want".  Without experience and guidance, it is very difficult for students to learn this skill.  For this reason, I will be giving my students continual practice with this piece.

As a teacher, I remind my students that I teach based on whatever is needed in class at that moment--it's not a matter of my or someone else's personal preference.  I often don't get what I want in class; I wish we had more time for debates, more time for reading, more time for timed writing.  However, my job as a leader is to do whatever is needed for the whole at any given moment.

As a leader in class, I'm not better or worse than anyone: I simply have the skill to see what's needed.  The same is true of all leaders: if they do their jobs correctly, there is no ego involved.  It's simply a role. People tend to lead in their areas of strength, and follow in their areas of weakness.

I know from experience that these skills are necessary for us to participate successfully in a global community--a reality we rapidly advance towards with each passing day.

Student Teaching
If I'm doing my job correctly, my students will learn everything that I know.  It is my goal that by the end of the year, my students should be able to replace me as teacher.  I will no longer be needed, and can step aside, proud that my work has taught the next generation to carry the torch.

Whether or not we reach my goal remains to be seen.  But you can bet I'll be working hard towards this goal, and in the process giving students more and more of the reins as they prove themselves ready to lead.  However, I cannot hand over the reins until I see that my students--all of my students--are ready to do what is needed to make our classroom work.

Feedback - From Parents and Students
I'm open to your feedback, good and bad.  I want feedback because it helps me know what is connecting and what is not.  In addition, feedback helps me know what's out there.  You may know of a great movie that links up with our learning in class.  Or, you may know that tickets are on sale for a certain Shakespeare play.  There are lots of exciting things worth exposing students to that I am not aware of.   So hit me up.  I'm very flexible in the way that I teach, and tailor my approach based on the feedback I receive.

So thanks again, and please be in touch.

Best,
Mr. Surrago

12 Shake - Syllabus re-post

Same deal with the Shakespeare syllabus.  I had to delete the old post and update it here:
shakespeare lit - syllabus.

Thanks to all parents who came in during back to school night!

Syllabus - 10hp

Hey Folks,

Thanks for coming in for back to school night.  I realized that the old Syllabus I had linked had a few changes that needed to be made.  So I deleted the old post, and am linking the new syllabus here:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/20406718/Syllabus-10hp

In case you're not familiar with it, www.Scribd.com is where I store all of my important documents for teaching.  You can either go straight to Scribd.com or link to them from here.

Best,
Surrago

9p - The first announcement

Welcome!

Click here if you want access to my syllabus.