Portfolio and Final Exam Information

Final Journal Check is tomorrow, Tuesday, June 5.

Here's what you need to do for your Portfolio and Final Exam

You can print this information out 

if you scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Please bring your questions about these two assignments to class tomorrow.

English 8A

Portfolio Information         Portfolio due: Friday, June 8

For full credit on your portfolio, include:

• at least 10 items from various classes
• all three PBL's

• FD table of contents.
• FD Parent Questionnaire with completed responses to your questions AND a parent signature and date.
• at least 8 questions on the Parent Portfolio questionnaire
• a question or two about your PBL's on your questionnaire

Parent Portfolio Questionnaire

• Ask at least eight questions. 
• Make them open-ended, not "yes/no/maybe" questions.

Example:

Don't write:

            Do you like my writing?

Instead, write:

            Which piece of writing is your favorite, and specifically, why is it your favorite?

Examples for questions:

• What is your favorite item in the portfolio? Why, specifically                                   
• Based on my writing, what are my strengths/weaknesses in writing, do you think?
• How did you feel about reading and writing when you were my age?
• Which words, phrases, or images stand out for you in my portfolio pieces? Why?
• What changes do you see in my work when you compare my  7th and 8th grade work?
• Did you learn anything new about me from reviewing my portfolio? If so, what?
• On my PBL's I've recorded the books I've read this year.  What do you notice about my reading choices this year?

Final Exam: English 8A                       Name _____________________

Your final will be an in-class essay.

• You can bring one index card with NOTES on it to help you write your essay.
• I expect you to give your best effort and be as thorough as you can.
• Those who write with minimum effort will see this reflected in their report card grade.
• Pace yourself. You have one hour to write.
• Review your old journals to see all that we’ve read!
• Keep in mind what we’ve learned about essay writing this year as you plan your essay.

In English 8A, we have read a wide variety of literature and discussed them in different ways. Which three pieces of literature have affected you the most, and why? Make connections between the literature and your life.

Be sure tie together:

• themes 
• characters
• events

from the works of literature you choose and convey how these have affected you personally.  You can also write about poetry we’ve read or you’ve written.

If applicable, you can also discuss the manner in which we approached the work (e.g., Socratic Seminars, Lit Circles, etc.) .

Major works we’ve read this year:

           

• “Lady or the Tiger”
• “The Raven”
• “Monkey’s Paw”
• “The Necklace”
• “The Story of an  Hour”
• “Tell-Tale Heart”
• “The Veldt”     
• “There Will Come Soft Rains”
• “Most Dangerous Game”
• Flowers for Algernon
• Of Mice and Men
• Fahrenheit 451
• Midsummer Night’s Dream    (sort of)              

Feel free to include anything else we’ve read as a class that’s not listed here. Before you turn your lit book in for good, check the table of contents for items we've read but aren't listed here that you might want to write about.

Community Interviews!

Congratulations! You all did a great job today.

  

Jacob and Vinnie's Project!

Just a Few Notes...

Thanks for checking the blog!


I don't have any specific HW for you. I just want you to think about how you'll put your poems together (Folder due 5/24!).


I have a few blank books for sale ($1.00 each) if you're interested in using one for your poems instead of a folder.


Need more free choice ideaas?  These are from Charles Bernstein's "66 Examples" website.

http://languageisavirus.com/articles/articles.php?subaction=showcomments&id=1099111175&archive=&start_from=&ucat

7. Write a poem and cut it somewhere in the middle, then recombine with the beginning part following the ending part.

10. Substitution (1): "Mad libs." Take a poem (or other source text) and put blanks in place of three or four words in each line, noting the part of speech under each blank. Fill in the blanks being sure not to recall the original context. Make sure to give credit to the origianal poet.

14. Alphabet poems: make up a poem of 26 words so that each word begins with the next letter of the alphabet. Write another alphabet poem but scramble the letter order.

22. Write a poem made up entirely of neologisms or nonsense words or fragments of words. (Cf.: Lewis Carroll's"Jabberwocky")

29. Write a poem without mentioning any objects.

31. Write an autobiographical poem without using any pronouns.

32. Attention: Write down everything you hear for one hour.

Rhyme Wheel

Make a rhyme wheel by printing out the template and instructions below.

Important Dates

8^th Grade: Important Dates

Tuesday	5/15/12	6th Grade Visit to MJH – Min Day
Tuesday	5/15/12	Poetry Terms Test
Thursday	5/17/12	6th grade Parent Night/Spring Celebration
Thursday	5/17/12	Tutorial Enrichment: 8th grade Promo Assembl; 7th grade tutorial
Friday	5/18/12	Min Day
Tuesday	5/22/12	Honor Society Fieldtrip
Thursday	5/24/12	Poetry Folder due
Friday/Mon	5/25-5/28	Non work day & Memorial Day
Tuesday	5/29/12	Community Interview work due
Thurs/Friday	5/31-6/1	Community  Interviews – 8th graders only
Monday	6/4/12	PBL’s due
Friday	6/8/12	Portfolios due
Thursday  Friday	6/7 6/8	Book Turn In during Science Classes for 8th Book Turn In during Science Classes for 7th
Tuesday	6/12	Finals Schedule 1-3 – Dismissal at 1:18
Tuesday	6/12	After finals: 8th Grade Promo Practice & 7th Grade Assembly
Wednesday	6/13	Finals Schedule 4-6 ;  Dismissal at 11:45
Thursday	6/14	Last Day of School – Dismissal at 11:45
Thursday	6/14	Promotion 2 PM

Poetry Examples

Examples:
1. Blitz (Good free choice option.)
2. Sonnet
3. Villanelle

The Blitz Poem is a poetry form created by Robert Keim.

1.       This form of poetry is a stream of short phrases and images with repetition and rapid flow.

2.       Begin with one short phrase.

3.       Begin the next line with another phrase that begins with the same first word as line 1.

4.       The first 48 lines should be short, but at least two words.

5.       The third and fourth lines are phrases that begin with the last word of the 2nd phrase.

6.       The 5th and 6th lines begin with the last word of the 4th line, and so on, continuing, with  each subsequent pair beginning with the last word of the line above them, which establishes   a pattern of repetition.

7.       Continue for 48 total lines with this pattern.

8.       The last two lines repeat the last word of line 48, and then the last word of line 47.

9.       The title must be only three words, with some sort of preposition orconjunction joining the first word from the third line to the first word from the 47th line, in that order.

10.   There should be no punctuation.

11.   When reading a BLITZ, it is read very quickly, pausing only to breathe.

Bucket of Poetry
by Robert Keim

Kick the can

Kick the bucket

Bucket of chum

Bucket of worms

Worms in dirt

Worms in my brain

Brains in my head

Brains in my book

Book of lies

Book of secrets

Secrets in the chambers of the human heart

Secrets in the diary of my teenage sister

Sister of mercy

Sister in a habit

Habit of swearing

Habit of smoking

Smoking gun

Smoking outside

Outside of the box

Outside of what is normal

Normal people

Normal days

Days and nights

Days upon days

Days of storms

Days of no power

Power to the people

Power over people

People who need people

People on the streets

Streets of Philadelphia

Street sweeping

Sweeping under the rug

Sweeping her off her feet

Feet grinding your face

Feet sweating in old shoes

Shoes for the homeless

Shoes for rich women

Women who want

Women who need

Need a change of scenery

Need to stop

Stop needing

Stop reading

Reading poetry

Reading poetry

Poetry takes

Poetry gives

Gives…

Takes…

Learning to Write a Sonnet

The sonnet form is old and full of dust

And yet I want to learn to write one well.

To learn new forms and grow is quite a must,

But I will learn it quickly, I can tell.

And so I sit, today, with pen in hand,

Composing three new quatrains with a rhyme.

The rhythm flows like wind at my command.

The A-B-A-B form consumes my time.

But I’m not done until there’s fourteen lines.

One ending couplet, after three quatrains.

I’ve tried to write this new form several times.

The effort’s huge; I have to rack my brain.

But I persist, my fourteen lines now done.

I wrote my poem; my sonnet work is won.

by Denise Rodgers

Villanelle:

Runaway

Why do they runaway?
My soul so beautiful, so bright
But for some reason I keep them at bay

Sometimes I wish they would stay
They give up on me without a fight
Why do they runaway?

Some think I am pretty, I say I’m okay
Though this doesn’t feel right
But for some reason I keep them at bay

What can I do, what can I say?
What causes their flight?
Why do they runaway?

Just when I think I’ve won their heart, they stray
I feel like the farthest planet in the night
But for some reason I keep them at bay

What have I done to chase them away?
My soul beckons to them like a beacon of light
Why do they runaway?
But for some reason I keep them at bay

"Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird"

Click this link to see the slide show for "Thirteen Ways..." that we watched in class.

http://www.thelarkascending.org/TLA2_BoB/BoB_Assets/BoBmovieFrame.html

Poetic Terms Flash Cards

Choose a Study ModeScatterLearnFlashcards

Study these flash cards

Censorship Links

Look in the left hand margin ("Visit ...") for new links about censorship.

Conclusions

So What?


Your conclusion should answer this question for the reader: So what?
It should make clear that what you've written is valuable and you mean what you say. You've thought about it,
and this is your position on the topic.


Conclusions don't have to be long. In fact, the more concise you are, the better.


1. Refer back to the hook  in some way.
2. Restate the thesis statement IN A NEW AND DIFFERENT WAY.
3. Add one, final, strong point. This is your last chance to make an impression on your reader.
    DO NOT ask a question.
    DO write a provocative thought, a relevant quote, or a vivid image.

Embedded Quotations

 Embedded Quotations

I don’t have my copy of F451 with me at home, so I’m making up the quotes.

As part of the sentence...

One of the most important quotes is when Clarisse says to Guy, “Are you happy?” (pg. 94).

With a colon...

Guy shows his frustration with the talking advertisement for Denham’s Dentrifice: “I really want to memorize this line from Ecclesiastes, but I can’t concentrate”  (pg. 483).

When there’s dialogue within a quotation from the story...

The rift in the relationship between Mildred and Guy is clearly illustrated when the two are at home talking. “As Guy walked into the room, Mildred’s vacant stare frightened him. ‘All I care about now is my family. You mean nothing to me‘ “ (p. 73).

Hooks

HOOKS:


Some of the examples (click on the blue) may not exactly fit the type of writing we're doing, but maybe
you can tailor them to your needs.

Anecdote: a brief incident that relates to the theme of the essay

Startling fact or opinion: a piece of information that will get your reader's attention

Quotation: someone else's words that relate to the topic

Description: a brief description of a scene, person, or object that appeals to the reader's senses


Another possibility:


The  "String of Pearls" : Use three powerful words:


         Quixotic. Revolutionary. Hypocritical. Each of these adjectives describe a powerful character...

Help for HIstorical Influences

A few of the important influences include:

• "Atomic Age"
• Censorship
• McCarthyism
• Television

See the blog entry for March 12.

Link to a document on historical influences:

http://www.box.com/s/3356d5506752be3fb971

Link to an interview w/Ray Bradbury.

http://www.wiredforbooks.org/raybradbury/

F451 Essay Topics

You can click on the link or print out the F451 essay topics here if you were absent.


http://www.box.com/s/a6f0f592c53a3b31f27c

Here are the Soc. Sem. Questions for Tuesday's seminar. We'll be working on them in class tomorrow, but feel free to get a head start. Please be ready with your responses when you walk in the door to class on Tuesday.

I'm going to wait to post the ICE questions.

F451 Project Ideas

Below, I've listed some possible F451 project ideas. I haven't finished going through your ideas on your index cards from Friday, but this list is a start. If you start your project over vacation, please email me before you begin so I can give you some guidelines.

1. Compare F451 to Hunger Games (Video? Power point?).

2. Write and perform a rap or a song.

3. Make a "mocumentary" about the (imaginary) filming of the story.

4. Create a scrapbook which includes personal artifacts of the characters from the book. You can print the handout below.

5. Perform a monologue for several characters in the book.

 6. ABC Power Point,  Poem Book, or ???

Demonstrate your knowledge of F451 by using every letter of the alphabet to explain an aspect of the book. Include character names, events, character traits,  places, objects, allusions, themes,  etc.

G is for Guy, who transforms from a book-burning rule follower into a man who wants to preserve books for the good of civilization. (You would also include creative artwork or graphics, depending on if your work is by hand or on the computer.) 

7. Newspaper or Magazine

Create a newspaper or magazine for Montag's society. The newspaper may exist in the mainstream society of F451, or may be an "underground" publication (a publication in opposition to the government. 

 The final product should be at least four pages, not just a front page. A magazine would be longer.

The image below is one way to set up a front page, but it's just an example.

Click here for a handout that explains specific parts of a front page.
http://www.box.com/s/0d1861fc3f0815a48ec9

Make sure to include:

• news articles
• feature articles (human interest)
• photos
• ads  (classified and product ads)
• editorials
• comics
• other???

What's Due When?

Due Tuesday, 3/27	LC Work
Due Wed., 3/28	Q’s 31-53 due
Thurs., 3/29	Journal Grading; discuss Projects
Friday. 3/30	F451 Test (make sure you know allusions, too)
4/2-4/6	Vacation: Soc Sem Q’s and Essay Q’s will be posted on blog if you want toget a head start…
Tuesday, 4/10	Socratic Seminar: Be prepared!
Thursday, 4/12	ICE
Mon., 4/16	F451 Projects due

Notes on Allusions

F451 Test:

• 30-40 multiple choice Q's
• Reread pg. 123 for figurative language.
• Pay special attention to allusions w/asterisks.

Guy***	from Guy Fawkes (British Rebel); Montag = name of a paper company
Clarisse***	from Latin "clarus" -- clarity
Phoenix***	bird (G.M.)—burns itself up every 500 yrs. and is reborn; --p. 163...Granger**; bird vs. man
Tower of Babel***	Bible—people wanted to build a tower to heaven; when people were trying to build it, God they wmade it so they all spoke different languages to make their task impossible; in =. Beatty says it to old lady to suggest that she's been living w/a Tower of Babel in her house because of all the books that disagree with each other…no common philosophy is dangerous, in his mind.
Sieve and the Sand:	memory of Guy's day at the beach w/cousin; also, in the subway--words get lost/his mind is like a sieve--he can't hold onto a thought
Faber	reference to pencil company (Faber Castell)/pencils & erasers/writing/erasing
***Consider the lilies of the field…	Guy w/Bible on train; in Bible means lilies are so beautiful, and they don't have to toil (work at it). They don’t have to worry about technology, etc. Montag is overwhelmed by blaring advertisements on train so he can't memorize lilies quote which is very meaning ful to him.
Herc & Antaeus:	from Gk. Mythology: Antaeus defeated by Hercules; Ant. lost his strength when not connected to Earth. Herc. lifted him up into the air during the fight and Ant. lost his strength. Faber says that's how this society is--disconnected from the earth—not rooted
***Dover Beach:	poem by Matthew Arnold. Love is important. Most people don't feel love; Mrs. Phelps realizes she still does, and it upsets her. Her friends can't deal w/poetry, love, emotion and call Montag "nasty."
***A little learning...":	A. Pope--17th C.; Ties to book because if people have any learning, it'll stir things up too much and they might be able to take over government; so government wants to oppress citizens and keep them from getting knowledge
"Knowledge is power"	Same idea as above
Burning Bright"	Wm Blake's poem: Tyger, Tyger, Burning Bright...***
Old Montag wanted to fly near the sun …	Icarus & Daedulus (GM)—Daedalus made wings of wax for his son, Icarus. Dad said, “Don’t fly too close to sun.” Icarus did anyway because he thought nothing bac would happen, and his wings melted and he died. Beatty compares Montag to Icarus & suggests that Montag is too big for his britches (hubris)
And on either side of the river was the tree of life..:	from the Bible—Book of Revelations; ties in because it represents hope; after this world ends, a better one will emerge