Mrs. Kenyon's Blog

AP Language

Week of November 28th

Students were given a "catch up day" on Monday to work on vocabulary, their "This I Believe" card, and reading for book club.  On Tuesday we will go over vocabulary words together and students will get their ELIC tasks back.  On Wednesday we will have our final vocabulary quiz on unit 12 words.  On Thursday students will write a synthesis essay.  Finally, on Friday students will meet for book club.  It is important to remember that your club grade will be based on the notes you provide during your meetings.  Students with absences that have not done the make-up work in time for their group to discuss it (ever!) will not get as much credit as the rest of their group.

Honors American Literature

Week of November 28th

We are finally in the midst of reviewing The Crucible in preparation for a section on the final exam over this play.  Students have been given some guided note pages to complete as we read through the play and discuss it.  At the end of the week we will be going to the computer lab.  This will be an opportunity to participate in one of two extra credit opportunities.  One will involve revising the debate paper students wrote at the beginning of the semester.  The other will be a project which will involve research on McCarthyism and creation of a project which will make connections between this time period and the Salem Witch Trials.

We will have a vocabulary quiz over unit 6 on Wednesday of this week.

AP Language Book Club

Absent on Book Club Day?  Any absence from Book Club Day will lower your grade; however, if you have an EXCUSED absence, then here's how you regain your points.  Submit a piece of literary criticism or intellectual writing about your memoir and/or author.  Write your NAME and DATE OF ABSENCE on the printed article.  Also, you must write an accurate MLA citation for the article.  Place your article in the group's folder so they may discuss it in your absence or upon your return.  If you know you will be absent, you should make every effort to place the article in the folder prior to your absence.  (Go to the Lassiter Media Center page for links to literary criticism)

Honors American Literature

Important note:  Honors American Literature students need to make sure that the written arguments for their debates have been submitted to turnitin.com.  Several are missing from the site.  You will get a zero for an unsubmitted paper.  Feel free to email me if you need the i.d. and password again.  I gave this information to most of you again today.  I will check my email periodically while we are on break.

AP Language

Important Upcoming Dates:  Vocabulary quiz on Tuesday (unit 11); "This I Believe" essay due on Wednesday;  book club meeting on Friday.

Monday 11/14  Today we will be sharing samples of the "This I Believe" essay that you explored on the website.  We will also be going over the vocabulary words for unit 11.

Tuesday 11/15  Vocabulary unit 11 quiz.  Work on "This I Believe" essays

Wednesday 11/16 "This I Believe" essays are due.  We will be sharing these in class.

Thursday 11/17  Reading comprehension practice.

Friday 11/18  Book Club!  Make sure you have read enough of your books to be able to have a meaningful discussion for the class period.  All groups should plan to read over Thanksgiving break.

Honors American Literature

Important Upcoming Dates:  Poe "Fright Fest" project is due on Wednesday.  This is a major grade.  Make sure you have contact information from all of your group members.  Make multiple copies of script, vocabulary, and answers to guiding questions.  Backdrop should be brought to the room ahead of time.  Saying that a missing group member has all of your work is evidence of poor planning and will not be excused.

Monday 11/14  We will work on vocabulary unit 6 notecards and exercises today.

Tuesday 11/15  We will go over the vocabulary exercises and begin our review of The Crucible.

Wednesday 11/16  Presentations for Poe's "Fright Fest."

Thursday 11/17 and Friday 11/18  We will continue reviewing The Crucible.

AP Language - Book Club and "This I Believe" Activities

Students are choosing a memoir to read for their last parallel reading of the semester.  The choices have been posted on the left side of my blog in addition to the "book club" activity that corresponds with it.  It will ultimately culminate in group presentations that are due on December 9th.  Anyone who is out will not be able to earn the presentation part of the grade.  Any special exceptions need to be addressed now, including field trips, sports events, etc.

Students also will be writing a "This I Believe" paper based on the National Public Radio's (NPR) public statements of belief which began in the early 1950's.  Students should research the website, http://thisibelieve.org, over the weekend and find two examples that they find particularly well written, true, or entertaining.  Please print and bring at least one to class on Monday to share.  Their own belief statements will be due on November 16th (typewritten and following the parameters of the assignment).

AP Language

Important Upcoming Dates:  Finish Socratic seminar on TGC Monday; Vocab Quiz for unit 10 on Wednesday; revised paper for "The Meteorites" is due on 11/10 PRINTED AND READY.

A note about printing your papers:  Some of you have been coming into class at the beginning of class to ask me if you can print your paper.  The beginning of class on the due date is NOT the time to print your paper.  Can you imagine going to a college professor and asking him/her if you could please print your paper?  The worst case scenario would be to come in BEFORE SCHOOL to see if I can let you into the lab.  If the lab's printer is out of ink, then you will have a late paper.  Why do that to yourself?  It is a minimum expectation that you bring in typewritten papers on the day they are due.   Certainly if your printer doesn't work, email me a copy (to arrive before class) so that I will know you completed it on time.  Remember that one question on college applications may be if a student was prepared for class.  What would you expect a teacher to say when you come in the day a major paper is due and start asking me to print your paper?

Monday 11/7:  We will continue our Socratic seminar on "The Glass Castle."  Remember this is part of a major grade and your grade will be determined by your participation in the discussion and your typed (and answered) seminar questions.  If you are not present for either discussion (last Friday's and today's), you give me very little to work with.  We will also go over the vocabulary words of unit 10.

Tuesday 11/8:  No school for you!

Wednesday 11/9:  We will take our vocabulary quiz over unit 10 words and finish up the annotation exercise on "The Glass Castle."

Thursday 11/10:  Paper on "The Meteorites" is due at the beginning of class.  We will discuss the memoir project.  You will be given a choice of books to read for the project.  We will also divide into reading groups based on your selections.

Friday 11/11:  We will begin looking at American Romanticism and Transcendentalism. 

Honors American Literature

Important Upcoming Dates:  Monday's test over ITW, romanticism, transcendentalism; vocab quiz on Friday over unit 5 words; Poe project will be due on 11/16.

Monday 11/7: Test over Into the Wild, and romantic and transcendentalist thought.

Tuesday 11/8: No school for you!

Wednesday 11/9: Bring you vocabulary cards, as we will be reviewing vocabulary.  Time will also be given for work on Poe's "Fright Fest."

Thursday 11/10:  Each Poe group will be given reading questions to consider, with some emphasis placed on his use of symbols, and your interpretation of the theme.

Friday 11/11:  Vocab Quiz over lesson 5.  Group work on Poe project.  I will come around and check reading answers, and see how far you have come with your planning and your script.