TODAY IN CLASS
Three hand-outs:  Senior Personal Essay, "The Seafarer" in Old English (only the first 50 lines), and something called "Anglo-Saxon Poetry" that has several literary terms.

In 1st and 3rd, we spent most of the class period on the personal essay hand-out, going over the topics with some suggestions/warning about pitfalls, etc. from me.  That left very little time for the poetry.  In 5th, I reversed the order, especially since we had accomplished less in that class yesterday re: "The Wanderer" study questions.  So in 5th, we need to finish up the topics list.

But in all classes, we at least looked at the hand-out enough to see the visual evidence of "caesura" and make the connection to the first term on the hand-out.  (We'll look at it more closely later.) Be sure  to have the hand-out with you tomorrow, because we will also use it to look at alliteration, assonance, and perhaps even a kenning.  (We'll also use the book for both "The Seafarer" and "The Wanderer" to find examples of these terms.

What really varied was how much we did/said about the next poem, "The Wife's Lament."

HOMEWORK
For 1st period--all I asked you to do was to find the poem online (p. 112) and read it, probably twice.  So during the first 8 minutes or so of class, I'll ask you to write out a short summary (5-6 sentences) of what you think the poem is saying.  (This is more problematic than it sounds--the translation in the book is really strange-sounding.)

For 3rd and 5th period--You also need to find the poem online (112) and read it twice.  But I said in class that you needed to do the summary; we need to move on in the morning, and you won't have time in class to do this.  Some of you are well aware that there is a difference between a paraphrase and a summary. For this task, I really do mean just a "summary"--and a short one at that (5-6 sentences should cover the whole poem).  There might well be some points at which even careful readers might be uncertain of "what happens" and especially WHY it happens; just write down what you THINK based on the translation you see.

TODAY IN CLASS
Focus on "The Wanderer," with review of Monday's study questions.

TODAY IN CLASS
Football and the Anglo-Saxon values.  Football and life lessons.
Discussion/focus on the several page hand-out article on the Anglo-Saxons.  Remember, even if I didn't specifically touch on things in class, this material is part of this unit's expected knowledge base.

TOMORROW
Brief discussion of "The Wanderer," including reference to yesterday's study questions.
Introduction of several literary terms specific to this literature, and their application to the poems.

Monday (Plus Week-end Update)

CATCHING UP ON FRIDAY
1.  First Anglo-Saxon background quiz (pp. 23-27 plus hand-out summarizing lecture notes)
2. Actual printed copy of syllabus!  We went over some essentials; read thoroughly and ASK if you have questions.
3. New hand-out on further aspects of the Anglo-Saxon culture: introduction by David Adams Leeming

• Read in its entirety for Tuesday, Sept. 25
• This material will be on the second quiz (a major one early next week that will cover complete background material, the literary and cultural terms up to that point, and all three Anglo-Saxon short poems)

TODAY IN CLASS
Students read "The Wanderer" (108-111) and answered individual questions from a half-sheet hand-out.  Most people finished these in class; if you did NOT, however, finish them for tomorrow, and they will be collected first thing.

FOR TOMORROW
Yes, finish the poem questions if necessary.  Otherwise--everyone--be sure to have read the hand-out carefully.  Be prepared with questions if you have them, and for some recall/connection/application questions from me!  Feel free to underline, highlight, write notes/comments, etc. on the pages, but I will not be checking annotations on this assignment.

Remember--Historical Intro Quiz on Friday!

TODAY IN CLASS
Subject--Content of "The Seafarer" (104-107)
1.  Depending on your class period, we either went over or took some time to complete the chart indicating the concrete evidence (words/phrases from the poem's text) regarding both physical and emotional hardship.  Although there were plenty of examples of the misery caused by the elements and other physical aspects of life at sea, most students agreed that the emotional effects took the great toll on the speaker.

2.  And yet--despite all the hardship--the speaker keeps returning to the sea.  WHY?  So we read the rest of the poem (well, okay, I read the rest of the poem), with frequent stops to discuss meaning, particularly the big shifts in the speaker's train of thought.  (This is where your responsibility as a student comes in--do not rely on the blog to record every single thing that you should be noting as we move through our discussions).

3.  But one big "take-away" is that the speaker seems to blend pagan thought (belief in Fate, which in Old English was called wyrd) with belief in God, revealing at least some exposure to the creation account in Genesis (first book of the Bible) as well as concepts concerning Heaven.  At various points, the speaker provides principles of a good life drawn both from pagan warrior tradition and from Biblical teaching.  Expect to see this clash/conflict/overlay (whatever term best suits this mixture) in many of these early works.

A heads up:  Know that we will come back to this poem from time to time next week as we look at some of the specific literary terms and traditions associated with the Anglo-Saxon period.  So we're not "done" with it yet.

FOR TOMORROW
Short quiz covering pp. 23-27 in their entirety plus supplemental material provided in class.  The additional material is summarized as brief lecture notes, handed out in class on Wednesday but linked here .

Special note to anyone absent today:  we did nothing in class today concerning tomorrow's quiz.  If at all possible, you should try to take it as scheduled rather than arranging an after school make-up on Monday or Tuesday.

Counselor's Visit

The full class period was devoted to the counselor who laid out the college application process.  You can access all the details from the counseling office website--there's even a special spot for parents.  As was repeatedly stated in class, this is your responsibility.

We WILL be working on personal essays starting next week (which for many/most of you will be useful for one of your college applications), and it will be an important process essay for your English class grade.   Most of the work will be done out of class, of course, but we will go over some ground rules and "don't go there" advice in class before you get started,  there will be peer response session before your second draft and then feedback from me on your final draft.  For now, you should just get going on the planning and initial organizing discussed in today's session.

BACK TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAM--
There will be a short quiz over pp. 23-27 and supplemental notes on Friday, Sept. 21.  During the rest of this week (and about half of next week) we'll be working on Anglo-Saxon poetry.  Then on to Beowulf, which usually takes about three weeks.  Along the way expect some continued enrichment of the literary/historical/cultural context, and of course, some multi-tasking with the personal essay.

After the typical cluttered start, where course content loses out to all sorts of other school concerns, you're about to start earning your stripes as senior English students.

UNLESS you are still negligent in getting your Self-Definition in (paper to me/electronic to turnitin.com), you have one last night of no obligatory homework! :)

Don't Forget turnitin.com!

Some of you still need to upload your Self-Definition . . . the deadline is 11:59 p.m.

TODAY IN CLASS
Finished with the Roman "occupation" (vs. "invasion").  I amplified  just a bit regarding the Anglo-Saxon and Viking invasions.  For now, I'm going to let the material on the NormanInvasion stand as it is--any additional material regarding the Norman Conquest (its usual name) will be discussed at the end of this unit.

TOMORROW
A counselor will be in class to discuss the college application process.

Self-Definition Due Monday

FOR MONDAY
You must have the hard copy of your Self-Definition with you in class.  If you've lost the hand-out, here's the link:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BxigzimXmDnvM2txa2UtUXFGaG8
And you need to set up your turnitin.com account.  If you've forgotten the instructions, you can read them here:
 http://www.ihs.issaquah.wednet.edu/LanguageArts/Using%20TurnItIn.doc
Do your best to upload your paper over the week-end or at least before class on Monday so that you'll know you can.  If you have trouble, make sure you save your paper to something you can access at school so someone can help you.

Here are the course numbers and passwords of each section of British Lit:
1st-- 5541075     eagles1
3rd--5541085     eagles3
5th --5541096     eagles5

(Note that there is no space between the word eagles and the number which follows.)

EMERGENCY DRILL DAY

. . . and Curriculum Night.  Note to 1st period--don't worry if you got a bit lost today.  We will reboot and do better tomorrow.  And to 3rd and 5th--our situation was more the good questions and side topics we veered into . . .I can't promise we'll move faster tomorrow.  I like the energy and the discussion.

FOR TOMORROW
You should definitely get started on the Self-Definition (due Monday) so that you'll know if you have questions about content or procedure.  It's a small assignment, really, but I want you to do well and get the year off to a good start.

See you tomorrow.

CURRICULUM NIGHT

Welcome to Curriculum Night, Open House, Parent Night, Meet the Teacher . . . . whatever you call it, I'm glad you're here to find out more about what your child's last year of high school looks like.  If you've had older children, you know that this year brings its own set of challenges, anticipation, excitement, and sometimes worry as you and your child prepare for the next step in your family's life.  If you're here tonight because your OLDEST child is a senior, well, hang on and take a few deep breaths!

By getting you to this point--my class blog for British and Western Literature--I have taken you through what I expect your students to do every day.  Although I will not have time to cover everything about this class in just a few minutes, I'll be using the following document as a "talking points" guide (with expansions on some points and skipping over others altogether).  You are encouraged to read the entire document. 

Curriculum Night 2012:  https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BxigzimXmDnvSnd3WV9ldnNZb3c

Also, your students are receiving a complete syllabus, which is also available for you to read:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BxigzimXmDnvempVWnZXWGtDVHc

A Quick Note

A super-quick post today: it's faculty meeting time now.  Just be assured that today is NOT the day you have special instructions to follow on the blog.  If you missed classs today, you will need to make up the reading when you get the online book access, and remember that you have the assignment due on Monday.  But no homework tonight.

Parent Night on Thursday--6:30 p.m.

TODAY IN CLASS
1.  Resume copies checked--work in progress, not necessary to have finished/polished.  See all previous posts on the subject.

2.   We went through the College and Career Center site to find the places that provide the necessary guidelines and patterns for which kind of resume you need to do, since many of you need to revise the very minimal one you did for Bridges.  Most of you will need the "High School" (Education/Academic) version for college applications.  The Employment version is best ONLY if you do not plan to go to college next year.

3.  We used the resume in front of you to start working out what could go on the "Self-Definition"--5th period students, you need to do this for tomorrow.  (Not to hand in--just write on the back of your resume so you'll know if you understand what the distinction is.)

4.  Students received the hand-out for "Self-Definition" with some further explanation provided.  DUE MONDAY, Sept. 17.

FOR TOMORROW
Be sure that you have read the hand-out closely so you'll know if you have questions.

We really will start with the textbook tomorrow!

Monday, Monday . . .

TODAY IN CLASS
1.  Mr. Wood came in to discuss the Student Handbook.  If you want to check dates, etc.. for breaks (or just review the contents!) be sure to use the link that says 2012-2013, NOT the link at the very top of the page.
2.  Students got their year-long book number, and we went through a bit of preliminary material in the British Lit books.

FOR TOMORROW
Bring your resume with you!!  Look back over Friday's information that essentiallly says this does not have to be a final, perfectly formatted copy. A "work in progress" is okay.  Tomorrow's version will not be collected, but you will receive a zero if you do not have it with you in class.

If you don't have a version from earlier in high school, download the graphic organizer from the College and Career Center: 
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B57_IJB75bs3YTkxOTVhY2MtMzhlMi00ZTYwLWE4YzYtYzJiMzBjZjE2ZWY4/edit?hl=en_US

For future reference, the link to the entire Resume Handbook ("IHS Resume Building Guide") can be found by clicking on "Opportunities" from the list across the top of the College and Career Center web page.

It will NOT be okay to turn in the organizer as your product for the Culminating Project, but as a "getting started" step, it's fine if you just fill that in for tomorrow!

First Friday!

TODAY IN CLASS
We wrapped up the "hero" discussion--though in very different ways.  Some classes went into great depth on a few; others offered lengthy lists and we looked for significant generalizations and connections.  Bottom line:  as we begin the Anglo-Saxon unit and ultimately compare it with the Medieval unit, we will be sensitive to the way in which the values of a society intersect with our expectations for a "hero."  Some traits will be equally valued in both eras, but there will be some prominent differences in what we regard as important and/or praise-worthy.

FOR MONDAY
You'll actually get the book in your hands, and we'll have a visit from an administrator to distribute the planners and discuss the student handbook.

FOR TUESDAY
Bring a copy of your resume to class.  It will NOT be handed in, but I WILL record points if you have it and a zero if you don't.  The purpose is to make an upcoming assignment (the "Self-Definition") more clear; having something concrete to refer to will really help you understand the task.  Later on, the resume will need to be complete, polished, and professionally formatted to be handed in as part of your Culminating Project.  But for Tuesday, you will receive the same points for any of the following:

• a complete, attractively formatted resume [a few people have already done their Culminating Project; others have submitted well-done resumes on prior applications]
• a hard copy of an older resume with some additions/changes written in by hand
• a print-out of the graphic organizer on the Career site, filled in by hand or typed in before printing 

Obviously, if you want to work ahead on preparing a final product for the Culminating Project, that's great.  But for Tuesday, you just need to get started with a draft.  The main thing is to HAVE IT WITH YOU IN CLASS, whatever its state of completion.  No draft copy on your desk = no points.

TODAY IN CLASS
Picture Day.  Between legitimate delay and a certain amount of straggling, our actual teaching time varied today by section.  Here's the condensed overview. I showed the class the four "big questions" (essential questions) for the unit we're about to begin.  We focused on the first one:  "What makes a true hero?"  The process was for students to list out (own notebooks/for prep and discussion, but not to hand in) people who could be considered heroes in their own time.  The three time spans were pre-20th century (pretty broad, I admit!), 20th century, and Contemporary ("Now"). I asked for a mix of real historical people and legendary/fictional heroes.  After making their own lists, small groups shared, looked for names in common, gave reasons for their choices, and in general began the process of noting the varied qualities or reasons that someone is known as a hero.

We barely began the debriefing process--we'll continue tomorrow. 

BUT . . continue reading

FOR TOMORROW
You'll be in a different seat, very likely not with the same people you worked with today.  And today's groups probably made different progress.  So for tomorrow, just make sure to add some notes of your own.  For at least two--and better yet, three-- of the individuals in each time period, be sure to jot down some reasons they could be called heroic.

In class, we'll talk about a few more, and try to draw some useful generalizations from what we've done that will lay the foundation for really getting started next week.

TODAY IN CLASS
Students wrote two well-developed paragraphs that explained and developed the reasons for two choices:   which movie/TV show they would most like to "live in," and what book they would choose to live in.  Students were given 12 minutes total to explain and defend their choices.  We also reinforced classroom routines (phones on desks, loose leaf paper (properly headed), pens, etc.)  In first period, we devoted some time to the actual curriculum for the course, but that seemed to diminish as the day went on. 

I DID say, however, that the study of British literature is entwined with some of the outer history and culture of England, and this is an area that is generally skipped (especially the pre-Renaissance era) in American school curriculums.  As a result, we do spend some time on the unit intros to these earlier periods.

In that light, note today's Yahoo news article about finding the church in which Richard III is supposedly buried:  http://news.yahoo.com/lost-medieval-church-discovered-beneath-parking-lot-150230522.html.  His death in 1485 (more importantly the fact that his death at Bosworth Field effectively ended the Wars of the Roses) markes the line of demarcation between the Medieval and the Renaissance periods.  There--I've just given you a quiz answer you'll need in a few months! 

It's an interesting article--you should read it. :)

FOR TOMORROW
No homework (this will end soon). Be prepared for Picture Day--be sure you've either already turned in the requested materials (see the Registration info on the school website) or else bring them with you tomorrow.

A Quick Start . . . and a Great Assembly

It was great to meet you all today. I'm inspired by all your energy; please try to remember that feeling on some gloomy winter morning when we've had 40 days (and nights) of rain and drizzle instead of weeks of glorious sunshine.

Special note to 5th period:  I think I've got it locked in now. I need 105 copies of hand-outs for British and Western, not the 70 I'd run off for today.  (Wish I could promise that that was my mistake for the year . . .)
At any rate, here is the link for what I gave out two 1st and 3rd today; I'll have hard copies tomorrow, so you don't need to print it out.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dz3vWPaXNDkXa7z1ivS_kAnrlLPUL31-Ri-DlK3dQK4/edit

Obviously no homework on Day 1. See you tomorrow.

Welcome to English Class!

I am posting this before most seniors have even arrived at school; I've already met some of you who have stopped by just to say "Hey, I'll be in your class!" or "Sorry, I won't be in class today because I'm practicing for the assembly." 

So there's not much content here until I see how much we actually accomplish today.  Yes, I will call roll. But whether I actually hand out the hand-out I have remains to be seen.  Stay tuned.