Class Minutes for Tuesday May 31st

1. Prayer

2. Ms. Meakes spoke about missing assignments: it is much better (and easier) to boost your mark by turning in your missing work, than by doing really well on the exam.

3. Literary Device Quiz 2
(both classes scored an average of 58%)

4. Poplar Trees/Butterfly

Discussion of the questions on the poplar trees excerpt, explanation of the juxtaposition of the butterfly and the human skull.  Remarque's use of nature is symbolic and used to reveal theme. Nature reminds the reader of  the beauty of the world (outside of the war). It also reminds Paul of how distant all good things are from him.

5. The Lost Generation

Filled out chart and discussed first four rows as a class. To be continued.

6. Exam Outline
Handed out.

No homework. Study for your lit device quiz next class.

All Quiet Class Minutes: "Us/Them" and "The French Girls"

Us/Them  (Wednesday, May 25th)

1. Prayer
2. Listened to the introduction of "Them" (link on moodle).  Ms. Meakes shared some of the "them"s from her high school experience. We answered a question (who are the "them"s we know), and then shared with the class.  We talked about why we have "them". Some answers included because we want to belong, because it makes our world easier to understand, because we don't like things that are different. Ms. Meakes asked how "them" applies to a war situation.  Answers included: so that the soldiers don't have to encounter the enemy as human, because we can't easily kill people that we can identify with, and to protect them from the horrific act of destroying another human life.

3. Discussion Prep
4. Discussion

5. Listened to "Don't they Know it's Christmas After All?" from the "Them" broadcast.  We had to think about the differences mentioned, but also how they indicated a larger similarity.

6. Thomas Hardy's "The Man He Killed". We read the poem and wrote compare/contrast thesis statements.  (Block 1-3 did this in the start of the next class)

Homework: Read the "French Girls" excerpt. Pages listed on handout.

The French Girls (Friday May 27th)
1. Prayer
2. Study Time
3. Poetic Vocabulary Quiz out of 20.
Averages: 1-3: 57%,  1-5: 60%   (we will be writing again next class)

4. Discussion Prep
5. Discussion
6. Review answers

7. Read together: The Poplar Trees, and discussion of their symbolism and what they reveal about how war has changed Paul and his comrades (1-5 only)

Homework: Read "The Home Leave" excerpts. Page numbers found on handout.

English 11 in May

Since the last posting, we have written our motif paragraphs, reviewed how to write a five paragraph essay, written our five paragraph Macbeth essays (on dramatic irony), and started All Quiet on the Western Front.

All Quiet Class 1

1. "Paper Cuts" by Eve Stevens
"Paper Cuts" emphasizes the inexpressibility of a soldier's wartime experience.  It is difficult, if not impossible to fully express the reality of war to another person. As each generation passes, the experience of war becomes more abstract and removed from understanding.  This removal is symbolized through the patient's twofold recollections (first of the tomato stains, then of her husband's blood) and the juxtaposition of the speaker's recollection of paper cuts.

Followed by a class discussion of the ability to express the experience of war and the value of sharing the experience of war.

2. Historical Background (WWI)
Please see the notes and powerpoint posted on moodle.
We also discussed the savagery, brutality, and practicality of war. In particular, we read two excerpts: one about "boots" starting on page 15, and one about using shovels instead of bayonets on page 104.

3. All Quiet on the Western Front - Perspective and Reception
The novel was written by a man who had experience on the German front line in WWI. His perspective is authentic, but it was eshewed by the ensuing generations of Germans as Nazism grew and the country prepared for WW II.  See article on moodle.

4. Character List
To help with keeping the characters straight as we read the excerpts. See moodle.

5. Sign out books

6. Opening scene from the film.

7. Reading Homework:  pages 65-74 and 99-101

All Quiet Class 2

1. Mr. Street's Artifacts
Mr. Street visited the classroom to show some of the artifacts that he has from WWI.  He showed us a gas mask, a rifle, a grenade, bullets, water canteens, and a helmet.  It was shocking how heavy everything was.  He spoke to us about some of the students he has taught who have since gone to war.  Mr. Street brought to mind the moral dilemma that occurs when a soldier participates in active duty.

2. "Existentialism" discussion prep
Students individually prepare their responses for discussion.

3. Discussion

4. Existentialism
See notes (on the back of the discussion sheet). We connected the "helpless" feeling of Paul and the element of chance during war to the ideas of existentialism.

5. Reading Homework
Excerpts on Kantorek, Himmlestoss, and the Kaiser's visit. See the back of the discussion questions.


All Quiet Class 3

1.  Character Sketch
In groups, using the text as a reference, we filled out a character organizer on Himmelstoss and Kantorek.

2. Discussion Question Prep
Students individually prepare their responses for discussion.  Half the class prepared question one, and the other half prepared question two.

3. Discussion
Students observing also took notes on the question being discussed (as they did not prepare to respond to that question).

4. Poetic Terms
Study list given. Quizzes (different every day until the average is 80%, your highest mark stands) will start on Friday of next week.

5. Reading Homework: Pages 216-229 and 189-196.

Class Minutes for Tues May 3rd and Thursday May 5th

Over the last two classes, we have

1. Prayed

2. Written an Act IV and V quiz

3. Worked on Compare and Contrast Thesis statements

-wrote two
-edited peer samples
-edited our examples
-handed them in with one starred to be marked

4. Started our review of essay structure (block 1-3 only)

Homework:  Fill out your motif paragraph prep (using the concordances link on moodle)

Congratulations Slam-ers!

Congratulations to the Carney poets who competed in the Coquitlam Public Library Poetry Slam! All the poets should be congratulated for their courageous presentation and high quality creations.  Thank you to all their supporters for being such an appreciative audience.

Kudos to the Carney poets who "owned the podium" and placed in all four top slots!

3rd Runner Up: Erin M
2nd Runner Up: Patricia B
1st Runner Up: Alex J
1st Place: Marjorie R

Class Minutes - Friday April 29th

1. Prayer
2. Act IV Questions

• Time to work
• Review with Ms. Meakes
• Answers posted on Moodle

3. Read Act V

• Started in class
• Finish for homework

Homework: Finish reading act V. Quiz next class on Act IV and the plot of act V

**Note: Monday is the last chance to write the Pathetic Fallacy Paragraph.

Class Minutes for Wed April 27th

1. Prayer
2. Act III Quiz
3. Act IV Scene i

• Dramatic Reading
• Text to Film Comparison
• Apparitions Chart

4. Act IV Notes (see Moodle)

Class Minutes for Thursday April 21st

1. Prayer

2. Review III. iv-vi
Some key points:

• Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's relationship is changing dramatically. Their roles have reversed. Thus, when Lady M attempts to control Macbeth's raving during their feast and insults his manhood, he ignores her.  She ends up throwing a "fit" and ending the party. 
• Scene iv contains many downfalls for Macbeth: he gets the news that Fleance has escaped; the ghost of Banquo usurps his throne; Macduff spurns his invitation to the dinner; he is perceived as crazy by his guests.
• Scene v is short and not very interesting. Basically, we are reminded that the witches are evil (they obey Hecate) and we learn that they are going to cause Macbeth's ultimate failure by making him feel invincible.
• Scene vi opens with Lennox giving a sarcastic speech about Macbeth's innocence. Lennox knows that Macbeth is guilty of the recent murders of Banquo and Duncan.  How can Lennox see through Macbeth so easily while Banquo was only slightly suspicious at the beginning of the act? What does that indicate about Banquo? 
• In scene vi, we also learn that Macduff and Malcolm are in England, raising an army against Macbeth. 

3. Act III Review: Questions and Key Quotes

-Time given to work on these; answers will be posted on moodle. Some answers reviewed in class. 

-Preparation for the quiz. 

-Quiz: On Act III, 25 marks: 10 matching characters with actions, 10 t/f, 5 short answer

Homework: Read IV.i-iii; study for the Act III quiz.

Class Minutes for Tuesday April 19th

1. Prayer

2. Sociogram: extension to Thursday

3. Act III Framing Questions

1. How has Macbeth's attitude towards murder changed (compare the murder of Duncan to the murder of Banquo).  For answers to this question, see the pdf posed on moodle.  Through Macbeth's progression towards evil from the murder of Duncan to the murder of Banquo, Shakespeare suggests that evil begets greater evil.
2. Who is the third murderer?  For the answer to this question, read the essay on page 136 in your text.

4. Review of Act III scenes i- iii
We took notes on the plot and the key ideas/quotes from these scenes. The PDF has been posted on moodle.

5. Themes in Macbeth
Fill in the blank notes. We filled them out and then reviewed them as a class. See moodle for the document.

6. Act III scene iv
1-3: set up the scene
1-4: set up and listened to the scene

Homework: 1. Finish the sociogram (if you haven't).  2. Read III. iv-vi

Class Minutes for Friday April 15th 2011

1. Prayer

2. Act I and II Quiz

3. Review of key concepts:

• The Great Chain of Being
• Pathetic Fallacy
• Microcosm
• Hubris

** We took board notes on this, so if you missed class, you should try to copy the notes from someone.

4. Review of Text-to-Text Comparison between Lord of the Flies and Macbeth
5. Sample Sociogram (see Moodle) based on Lord of the Flies.

Homework: Read III.i-iii

Class Minutes for Wednesday April 13th

1. Prayer

2. Act 1 & 2 Notes
Students were asked to complete the quote identification, text-framing (fill in the blank), and motif sections of the notes to the best of their ability. We reviewed the answers as a class.

3. Literary Devices
Ms. Meakes reviewed the answers to the homework on paradox and dramatic irony.

4. Text -to - Text Comparison
Compare Macbeth to Lord of the Flies on the topics of Pathetic Fallacy, Hubris, and Microcosm using the text to text organizer. Ms Meakes gave out literary terms notes to help with this assignment. (She only has them in hard copy, so if you missed the class, pick up the notes from room 110) This should be finished for homework. 

5. Sociogram Sample
Ms Meakes started a sample sociogram about Lord of the Flies to help explain the sociogram assignment, which is due on Tuesday.  Please note that you should only include events/relationships up to the end of Act II.  There is a list of characters for you to include on the assignment sheet. Both the sample and the assignment sheet are on moodle.

Homework: Complete Text-to-Text comparison and study for the Act 1 and 2 quiz which is on Friday.

Class Minutes: Monday April 11th

1. Prayer

2. Review of Act I:  We summarized what has happened so far in Macbeth. Different students contributed facts about each scene.

3. Language Tools in Act I: Ms. Meakes gave out some notes on language tools. We are supposed to fill out the back for homework.

4. Lady Macbeth's Persuasion: We filled out a chart looking for Lady Macbeth's persuasion techniques from Act I scene vi. We reviewed the answers as a class and they are posted on moodle.

5. "We Wear the Mask" by Paul Laurence Dunbar. We talked about the meaning of the poem, the reason for wearing a mask conveyed by the speaker (protection, to hide from the world) and compared it to Macbeth's use of deception/two-faced behaviour.  We discussed the idea of appearance (mask) vs. reality (real emotions).

6. Read II i-iv (finish for homework)

7. Sociogram Assignment - see handout. Due Tuesday April 19th.

Class Minutes - Tuesday April 5th

1. Prayer
2. Literary Devices Reading Check: students filled out worksheets on literary devices in Act I scenes i-iv. We checked answers together as a class. (Both worksheet and answers are posted on moodle)
3. Reactions to the witches prophesies:

Macbeth

• Prophesies: He will be Thane of Cawdor and King
• Reaction: likes the idea of becoming king. He is especially happy when he becomes Thane of Cawdor because it means the other part of the prediction could come true.

Banquo

• Prophesies: He will  not be king, but his son (and descendants) will be
• Reaction: He is wary because he thinks the wyrd sisters may be witches and therefore evil. He doesn't want to think about the prophesies.

4. Character Foil: Banquo is a character foil for Macbeth. See worksheet and posted answers to the t-chart. Watch the video clip (link posted on moodle)
5. Read scenes v, vi, vii

Homework: finish reading Act 1.  (mp3 file for scene vii is posted on moodle in two parts)

Helpful Macbeth Links

Are you trying to catch up in your reading? Are you a little lost when it comes to Shakespearean language? Or are you interested in all things Macbeth?  Here are some websites you might find interesting or helpful.

Spark Notes for Macbeth  (summaries, thematic ideas)
No Fear Shakespeare (original text side-by-side with modern language translation)
Online Text
Crime and Punishment in Elizabethan England
Gross/Gory Moments in Macbeth (written by a pathologist)

English 11 Lately...

I apologize for the lack of updates on the  blog. It seems that our class note-takers aren't being as diligent as they should be. In addition, I have not been very diligent at assigning note-takers!

During the last class before the break and the first class after the break, we watched Freedom Writers, which is a movie that deals with the power of language to transform people. It served as a good finish to our poetry unit, which was about expression.

Since then, (on Wednesday and Friday) we have had two classes of Macbeth. Here's what we've done.

1. Returned PC's and Tom Phillips found poetry assignments and filled out our writing logs.
(note: Your PC,  found poem, poetry slam, and poetry explication paragraph will all be on your April interim report card. Please make sure that you've completed all of those assignments by Tuesday April 5th)

2. Anticipation Guide for Macbeth. In class, we coupled the paper anticipation guide with an agree/disagree line to discuss some of the ideas from the play.

3. Predicted the content of the play and watched a 96 second summary (the link to the video is on Moodle).

4. Explored the concept of witches, sorcery, and superstition.  Please see the notes on fate/fortune, the video clip on the curse of Macbeth, the video clip on the fates, and the prezi.

5. Read Act I scene i. How does this scene set up the mood/tone of the play? Watch for the two paradoxes that set up the "appearances vs reality" motif.

6. Explored the concepts of  the great chain of being, hubris, the tragic hero, and crime/violence. See the prezi and "If the Crime Fits" pre-reading worksheet.

7. Read Act I scene ii and looked for descriptions of Macbeth. See the word document notes.

8. Read Act I scene iii.  Think about the following questions: What have the witches been doing since scene i. What do they do at the beginning of the scene?  What are the witches prophesies for Macbeth and Banquo? How do Macbeth and Banquo respond differently to the witches' prophesies?

Note: an aside is a theatrical technique in which a character speaks his or her thoughts to the audience. The other characters cannot hear these thoughts (even though the actors clearly are able to hear the words). This is almost like a "voice over" in a movie. It differs from a soliloquy because during a soliloquy, characters are typically alone on the stage.

9. Homework - finish reading Act I scene iii and be ready to answer the following question: how do Macbeth and Banquo respond differently to the witches' prophesies?  Read Act I scene iv.

For those of you who have been away, please note that you are expected to be caught up when you return to class. We are moving rapidly through Macbeth. If you miss class, please check moodle and the blog before you return and come to tutorials (Tuesday April 5th and subsequent Mondays) if you need clarification.  This goes for the San Diego trip, Bio trip, and all other absences.

Class Minutes for Monday March 7th

1)  Prayer 

2) Tom Phillips Assignment

    - took a passage and chose certain words from it to form a poem, then painted over the unused words

     to create a picture or abstract piece

 

3) Bring rough draft of slam on Wednesday. Due: Friday

 

Thanks Ashley

Youth Poetry Slam in Vancouver

Have you been practicing your slam? Are you proud of your work? Do you think it could use a wider audience? Or do you just want to check out other young slammers?

Vancouver has it's own youth poetry slam on the 4th Monday of every month.  Check it out here.

Class Minutes for Thursday March 3rd

1. Prayer

 

2. Predictions

We predicted the meaning of a concrete poem based on its shape/picture.

 

3. Gallery Walk

We went around the classroom to different concrete poems and tried to interpret them and answer questions about them. Then we compared our interpretations to the actual meanings.

 

4. Found Poem

We read a children's book, "The World Is For You", and everyone individually wrote down words or phrases that stood out to us. The goal was to create a found poem from the book's text as a class. Since we didn't have enough time, we're continuing it next class.

 

5. Tom Phillips Assignment

We were told that next class we're doing and assignment that involves us creating poems out of articles, painting over the words we choose to not use in our poems, while creating a beautiful picure. :)

 

6. Dance Party.

Thanks Maegan


Don't forget your slams are due on March 9th. 

Class Minutes for Tuesday March 1st

Nicole

Class Minutes for Friday Feb 25th

 

1. Prayer
2. We put line breaks into the text of “We Real Cool” by G. Brooks before listening to the real performance of the poem. We compared the line breaks we predicted to the real version, and we discussed how line breaks added emphasis to the poem.
3. We went to the language lab to do our favourite poem assignment. Using Audacity, we recorded why we liked the poem, explained why it appealed to us, if it connected to our life, words or lines that stood out, and where we found the poem. We then read the poem, with attention to our spoken expression.

Thanks Alysha