We're English 10 Nerds and Loving It: March 31

Focus: What are the components of the society in Fahrenheit 451?

1. Warming up: Creating a recipe for the society of Fahrenheit 451; click HERE for directions.

2. Cleverly unraveling the poem you're about to meet in F451: "Dover Beach"

a. Tell me the story of each stanza. In other words, put each stanza into your own words.

b. Tell me everything you know about the poem's speaker.

c. Find an important metaphor and explain it to me carefully (what is being compared to what and why?).

d. Find three images, each appealing to a different sense, and explain what they contribute to the poem.

e. Describe what you think is the poem's tone. Defend your response with two details from the poem.

f. Identify what you see as an important shift in the poem, and explain the nature of the shift.

g. Find one important allusion in the poem. Look up that allusion, and explain why the poem might make this particular allusion. In other words, what does it contribute to the poem.

h. Explain one of the poem's motifs, supporting your response with two details from the poem.

i. Explore two sound devices in this poem and explain what larger idea they help reveal (ex: alliteration, assonance, rhyme, euphony, cacophony, etc.).

j. What do you think its the poem's theme? In other words, what lesson is it trying to teach us?

k. Of all the poems in the entire world, why might Bradbury include this one in F451? (You will be coming across it in tonight's reading). In other words, how does this theme of this poem overlap with the ideas in F451?

l. Ask one good level 3 question that pertains to this poem.

(P.S. This is a contest.  The best poetry explication gets a prize.)

3. If time allows, reading Fahrenheit 451

HW:
1. Prepare for tomorrow's fishbowl discussion by reading pages 80-102; fill out one side of your new observation chart.

2. Work on your book talk.

We're English 10 Nerds and Loving It: March 21, 2014

Focus: How can we improve our understanding of F451 through vocabulary and other reading strategies?

Assembly: Shortened class today

1. Warming up with a little independent vocabulary review

2. Acing the Fahrenheit 451 vocabulary quiz over words 1-15

3. Reading either Fahrenheit 451 (and I have new yellow charts for you) or your banned/dystopian book

4. Listening to book talks

HW:
1. Have a good spring break.  You've earned it.

2. On Tuesday, we will have a fishbowl discussion over pages 80-102; please read these pages for Tuesday and fill out one side on a new yellow chart.

3. Some of you are giving book talks on the Wednesday and Friday after spring break.

We're English 10 Nerds and Loving It: March 20, 2014

Focus: What is happiness, and why is it lacking in Fahrenheit 451?

1. Warming up with a professional speech about happiness:

• What is the speaker's attention grabber (how does he open his speech)?

• What is his claim?  In other words, what point is he trying to make?

• How was his speech organized?  In other words, what were his topics?

• How did he use the slides projected to the audience?

• Which details in his speech (images, phrases, word choices, etc.) appeal to ethos, logos, and pathos?

2. Fahrenheit 451 Fishbowl #4: Pages 63-80

3. Wrapping up: Responding to our focus question

HW:
1. Bring either F451 or a bannned/dystopian independent reading book to class tomorrow (remember that I need a parent signature).

2. Study for tomorrow's vocabulary quiz over words 1-15.

3. Work on your book talk.

We're English 10 Nerds and Loving It: March 19, 2014

Focus: What does our future look like, according to Bradbury, and what new words do we need to learn to understand Fahrenheit 451?

1. Warming up: Watching the "Best Vacation Ever" and reading "Texting Your Teens to Dinner"

• As you watch and read, try to make at least one specific connection to the characters and society of F451.

• In your opinion, can technology be a good way to bring your family together?  Or does it create distance?

2. Introducing the first 15 F451 words and entering them in quizlet.com; then pelting each other with vocabulary snowballs for words 1-15 in F451

(Winner, winner, chicken dinner--you get an extra point on Friday's vocabulary quiz)

3. Taking some good old fashioned quality time to read F451 aloud together and ask questions

HW:
1. For tomorrow, please prepare for fishbowl discussion by finishing pages 63-80 in Fahrenheit 451 and completing the other side of your yellow observation chart/reading journal.

2. Remember that this Friday will be your quiz over words 1-15; start studying tonight.

3. Start thinking about which option you're going to take for Friday reading time; if you want to start reading your banned/dystopian novel on Friday, go ahead and bring it along with your signed proposal.

We're English 10 Nerds and Loving It: March 18, 2014

Focus: What does our future look like, according to Bradbury?

1. Warming up: Considering what you'd like to read on Fridays...

Option 1: Catch up/get ahead in Fahrenheit 451

Option 2: Select a banned book to read; click HERE for the letter to your parents and a list of popular banned books.

Option 3: Select a dystopian novel to read; click HERE for the letter to your parents, but click HERE for a list of popular dystopian novels (you'll need to scroll down just a little).


2. Enjoying Fahrenheit 451 Fishbowl #3: Pages 40-63

3. Wrapping up

HW:
1. For Thursday, please prepare for fishbowl discussion by reading pages 63-80 in Fahrenheit 451 and completing the other side of your yellow observation chart/reading journal.

2. Please bring your yellow F451 vocabulary packet to class tomorrow for a little vocab. review (remember that this Friday will be your quiz over words 1-15).

3. Start thinking about which option you're going to take for Friday reading time; if you want to start reading your banned/dystopian novel on Friday, go ahead and bring it along with your signed proposal.

We're English 10 Nerds and Loving It: March 17, 2014

Focus: What are the qualities of an effective speech?

Please make sure you get signed up for a book talk.

1. Warming up: Exploring a few definitions of logos, ethos, and pathos

2. Exploring the detailed overview of your book talks (if you don't have your green packet, please click HERE), particularly the part in which you address logos, ethos, and pathos

3. Watching a professional speech and discussing how the speaker uses the three appeals

• What is his attention grabber (how does he open his speech)?

• What is his claim?  In other words, what point is he trying to make?

• How was his speech organized?  In other words, what were his topics?

• How did he use the slides projected to the audience?

• Which details in his speech (images, phrases, word choices, etc.) appeal to ethos, logos, and pathos?

4. If time allows, starting to work on your own book talk

5. Distributing vocabulary packets (they're yellow this week because they are from F451)

HW:

1. Please read pages 41-63 in F451 and complete one side of your yellow observation chart/reading journal by tomorrow (Tuesday).

2. Work on your book talk and be ready to go on your presentation date.

3. This Friday we will have a vocabulary quiz over F451 words 1 through 15 ("abstracted" through "fold").

We're English 10 Nerds and Loving It: March 14, 2014

Focus: How are we going to improve our presentations skills through book talks?

Congrats on finishing TCAP!

1. Taking a little time to review SAT Lists 11-15 on your own

2. Acing the SAT 11-15 quiz (if you did not do so last week)

3. Explaining and working on your book talk (please see green packet given out two weeks ago; it's also linked right HERE)

4. Signing up for presentations (Connor, Michael S, Hobey, Collin, Bryan, Luke, Paul, Danny, Carter, Alex, and Eli may sign up first because of their consistent punctuality)

First hour: Imposing the new tardy policy

HW:
1. By Tuesday, please read through page 63 and complete one side of your new yellow observation chart/reading journal (now linked to the class website in case you'd rather type).

2. Continue working on your book talk and be prepared to present on your assigned date.