1. Shakespeare's Julius Ceasar

Before we begin reading this play, do a web quest searching for information on Shakespeare and/or Julius Ceasar (the play or the man).

Post a comment with 5 facts. 

Thou common-kissing, base-court, applejohns ;)

1. Library Agenda - English II

Today, you must do your research for your Holocaust paper and start writing!

The journal is a free write. 

Click on this link for the SAT Question of the Day. 

Happy researching :)  Please do not talk and be on your best behavior.  

AP. Shakespeare's Othello

Post a comment with your first impressions of the play, Shakespeare, etc. Also post information (in your own words) about the Bard or Othello. This is due Tuesday. I am expecting a good paragraph at minimum. 

Link to full text of William  Shakespeare's Othello. 

AVID. Vocab 14 for Speak

Post a comment with a real life example and the definition of one of your words this week. 

My example: Cubist - adj. a descriptive term for art that is modeled after Picasso or a style of painting and sculpture developed in the early 20th century in Paris, France, characterized chiefly by an emphasis on formal structure, the reduction of natural forms to their geometrical equivalents, and the organization of the planes of a represented object independently of representational requirements.

This is Picasso's "Woman in Blue."  How does it relate to Melinda in the novel?

1. Vocab 14 for Holocaust

Post a comment with a real life example and the definition of one of your words this week. 

My example: preamble - n. an introductory statement. The Constitution has a preamble...

All. Why do we celebrate ________?

Today, I want you to post a comment explaining a reason why we celebrate a certain something during the holidays. 

To me, Christmas especially has become so commercialized, we often forget the real reason for the season...it is so much more than presents. It is about gratitude and celebrating some of life's greatest gifts money cannot buy: the birth of Jesus and all the blessings we have. 

I wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Remember, it is never too late to be what you might have been. 

Enjoy this video...there is more nice than naughty in the world...I still believe. 

AVID. Vocabulary

Choose ONE of your vocabulary terms for this week and look up where it has been used in a famous book, movie, play, poem, or by a famous person. Explain where your word has been used in the real world. You may also paste links to examples. Be sure to include your word's definition.

Example: post traumatic stress disorder - noun. a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma. This arises after events such as rape, hostage situations, exposure to war, natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes, etc. In this clip, Jaycee Dugard discusses how she survived being held hostage and abused for years. She is a survivor of A Stolen Life. 

AVID. Emily Dickinson's "I'm Nobody"

Now that we understand the premise of the novel Speak and have discussed it in detail, I want us to explore a poem that connects to one of Anderson's themes she conveys. 

We will read and analyze Emily Dickinson's poem "I'm Nobody" today. At the end of class, your exit ticket is to write a thoughtful paragraph where you outline the thematic connection between the poem and the novel. Be sure to thoroughly explain the theme. 

"I'm Nobody"

by Emily Dickinson

I'm Nobody! Who are you?

Are you Nobody – too?

Then there's a pair of us!

Don't tell! They'd advertise – you know!

How dreary – to be – Somebody!

How public – like a Frog –  

To tell one's name – the livelong June –  

To an admiring Bog!

AP. Southerners Faulkner & Flannery

A huge part of American Literature is the rise of Southern writers at the turn of the 20th century. Moreover, the portrayal of women in literature is cause for great concern and in-depth analysis. This week, as we wrap up the AA Lit unit, we are transitioning into Women's literature.  As you read William Faulkner and Flannery O'Connor, take note of the contrasts between the portrayal of Southern white women compared to Janie Crawford in Their Eyes Were Watching God. 

William Faulkner, a white man, writes a white female protagonist in "A Rose for Emily."  

Flannery O'Connor, a white woman, also writes about females in "The Life You Save May Be Your Own."

Before we delve into these two stories, research these two American titans from the canon and post a paragraph on each.  Take into consideration personal as well as professional information about their life's work. Be sure to write in your own words...do not copy and paste. Also, look at the biographical sketches in your book that precede each story. 

What do Faulkner and Flannery have in common with their rhetorical style as Southerners? 


This blog post is due by the end of class today, Tuesday, 12.4.12. 

1. Vocabulary 13 - English 2

You know the drill...same as last week. Post a comment that is a virtual vocabulary presentation based on words for Devil's Arithmetic. 

This post is due by Friday, December 7th. 

This picture is of a girl suffering from post traumatic stress disorder after the Holocaust. They asked her to draw "home."  This is an example of the intensity (noun - exceptionally great concentration, power, or force) of the atrocities that took place during that time.