September 15, 2015

Today we began our class with our warm-up journals, writing down as many verbs and adjectives we could think of in English.

We then wrote many on the board,  looked for multiple synonyms for each of the words, and wrote phrases using the verbs and adjectives we examined.

Next, we took our quiz on chapters 1-3 of Holes. I collected the quizzes, and we used the remaining time to work on our “I Am From” poems before handing them in at the end of the period.

 

This Thursday: hand-in your summer work

This Friday: reread chapters 4-9 of Holes

Next Tuesday: Hand in your “Forgotten Promise” story.

September 15, 2015

Today we began class by writing in our warm-up journals for 10 minutes responding to these questions:

Do you need your parents’ approval or disapproval? Have you ever been far away from your parents? What was this experience like?

We then had a discussion about our responses and how the questions were linked with the themes of the book.

Next, we took the quiz on chapters 1-3 of The Namesake and corrected the quizzes together.

With the time that remained, we began to discuss the opening of the book and the style and point of view of the book.

 

This Thursday: In-class binder check the 17th of September

Next Tuesday, the 22nd of September: quiz on chapters 4 and 5 of The Namesake

 

September 15, 2015

Today in Terminale we came into class and began responding in our warm-up journals to the following question:

Don’t judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes

What does this expression suggest? What is “empathy” and why is it important or unimportant? When you face a difficult situation, do you often ask for the perspectives of others around you? Does talking to others help you to better identify your own feelings?

Finally, is it necessary to see life from somebody else’s point of view? Why or why not?

We then had a discussion about this topic, and made links with the 3rd person limited omniscient point of view in the book The Namesake. This type of narration allows us to see the perspectives of many different characters, and to create complex psychological profiles of each character.

September 11, 2015

The last two classes, we have gone over the beginning of Holes together. We analyzed the plot, setting, characters, and the writer’s techniques.

We also talked about the concept of “genre” and brainstormed the words in English that we associate with each genre.

 

Today, we worked on our “I am From” poems.

For next Tuesday, the 15th of September, you must:

x finish a “first draft” of your “I am From Poem

x study for a quiz on chapters 1-3 of Holes. Also review our analysis worksheet of the first two chapters of Holes

September 11, 2015

Today in Terminale, the class divided in two. Each half of the class read one article about hindu traditions depicted in the book. The groups then made a visual representation of the article on their whiteboards, and each group will present the traditions to the other group next class.

IMG_20150911_114842 IMG_20150911_115013

 

Remember, for next Monday, the 14th of September:

x Quiz on Chapters 1-3 of The Namesake

For Monday, the 21st of September:

x Creative writing piece on your own personal “namesake”

September 11, 2015

Today we took our quiz on the class syllabus. We then exchanged papers and corrected each others quizzes.

 

For next Friday, the 15th of September:

Review Chapters 1-3 of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for a quiz

hand-in summer work

September 9, 2015

Today in class we finished listening to the NPR interview with Jhumpa Lahiri. Then the class divided into two groups. One group read an article about “Hindu Wedding Traditions” and the other about the Hindu “Naming Ceremony and First Rice Ceremony.”

Each group had to read, understand, and then make a presentation to the other half of the class, organizing the information visually on their whiteboards.

IMG_20150909_090145 IMG_20150909_090138 IMG_20150909_091729 IMG_20150909_093722

 

 

Upcoming due dates:

For next Tuesday, the 15th of September:

x Hand-in your “namesake” creative writing piece

x Quiz on chapters 1-3 of The Namesake

September 8, 2015

Today in class we took a quiz on the syllabus and we corrected each other’s quizzes.

Then we began to listen to a NPR interview with the author of The Namesake, Jhumpa Lahiri. We discussed different methods to take notes.

 

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1420143

 

For next Tuesday, the 15th of September:

HAND IN SUMMER WRITTEN WORK TOMORROW!

–hand in your creative writing piece on your “Namesake”

–Quiz on chapters 1-3 of The Namesake

September 4, 2015

Today we finished our “name game” activity. I now hopefully know your names by heart!

Then we read the poem “I Am From.” We went over the vocabulary verse by verse until we understood it together.

After reading the poem, we began to write our own versions of the poem.

Where I’m From Original Poem & Template_0

Remember:

For Tuesday: bring your materials, sign-up for remind, you will have a test on the syllabus