End of Semester Survey

Please answer the survey in the link below honestly. The form is anonymous.

Click here to take Mrs. Perkins' End of Semester Survey.

If you want to make a comment about the class, you may also comment publicly by replying to this post. 

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER! 



Only four more days until your break :-) 

Best of luck on finals and EOCs/MSLs. 

Love, 
Mrs. Perkins

Classic Poems

In one comment, I want you to reflect on our class reading of the two classic poems, "Invictus" and "O Captain, My Captain."  Each reflection should be at least one paragraph. 

Thought Questions: What is the central theme or controlling idea in each poem? Who could benefit from reading these kinds of poems? What facts did you learn from our discussion? How do the poems make you feel? Would you recommend these poems to a friend? Why or why not? 

Invictus, by William Ernest Henley

O Captain, My Captain, by Walt Whitman

"Dead Poets Society" - CARPE DIEM

Honors English II. The Chosen - Dedication Page Explication

There is a quote on the dedication page of The Chosen by Karl A. Menninger. Reread this quote and explain, in a comment reply, its significance. 

Here is the quote: 

"When a trout rising to a fly gets hooked on a line and finds himself unable to swim about freely, he begins with a fight which results in struggles and splashes and sometimes an escape. Often, of course, the situation is too tough for him. In the same way the human being struggles with his environment and with the hooks that catch him. Sometimes he masters his difficulties; sometimes they are too much for him. His struggles are all that the world sees and it naturally misunderstands them. It is hard for a free fish to understand what is happening to a hooked one." 

Some hints to explicating this quote: 

• What might being "hooked" symbolize?
• What does the quote suggest about perseverance? 
• Why are struggles often misunderstood? 
• Why would it be difficult for a free "fish" to understand what happens to a hooked one? (i.e. Who are the symbolic "fish?")

2nd Block Only. Fictional Narrative Review

Only Second Block students comment on this post! 

To review for your quiz on Friday, use your notes to answer the following for your favorite book, movie, or one episode of your favorite TV show. Be sure your choice has all of these components: 

Title?

1. protagonist
2. antagonist
3. conflict: which kind? 
• external - man v. man or man v. nature or
• internal - man v. self or man v. society
4. epiphany / reversal                                       Numbers 5 - 10 are all PLOT.
5. exposition
6. narrative hook / inciting event
7. rising action
8. climax
9. falling action 
10. resolution

3rd Block Only. Review - Fictional Narrative

Only Third Block students comment on this post! 

To review for your quiz on Friday, use your notes to answer the following for your favorite book, movie, or one episode of your favorite TV show. Be sure your choice has all of these components: 

Title?

1. protagonist
2. antagonist
3. conflict: which kind? 
• external - man v. man or man v. nature or
• internal - man v. self or man v. society
4. epiphany / reversal                                 Numbers 5 - 10 are all PLOT.
5. exposition
6. narrative hook / inciting event
7. rising action
8. climax
9. falling action 
10. resolution

Honors English II. Magical Realism

Before we delve into the magically real world of Like Water for Chocolate, I want you to do some research on three aspects of the unit: 

1. The genre of magical realism
2. The author Laura Esquivel
3. The book turned film Like Water for Chocolate

Post a comment with 10 facts about the 3 topics above (10 facts total, not 30). Do not copy directly from the person above you. They must be your own words.

3rd Block. AVID Fairy Tale Parodies

Comment with your choice for the fairy tale parody assignment. Everyone must choose a different story unless approved by me!

Check Edmodo to see the expectations for the assignment. 

Remember, this is not just a remake of the original. It is a PARODY, so it should be SATIRICAL! And funny :)

2nd Block. Adv.Comp. Fairy Tale Parodies

Comment with your choice for the fairy tale parody assignment. Everyone must choose a different story unless approved by me!

Check Edmodo to see the expectations for the assignment. 

Remember, this is not just a remake of the original. It is a PARODY, so it should be SATIRICAL! And funny :)

Honors English II. Symbolism Project

Symbolism is used in all genres of literature. We discussed obvious symbols in culture such as various flags, the heart, the cross, etc. You must choose one symbol used in our everyday lives. Symbolism is everywhere: brand marketing, food products, restaurants, car names, clothing, TV, film, music, etc. (Our example was Dove soap and chocolate – the symbolism being it promotes a peaceful feeling.) Your topic must be approved by Thursday, 2/21. On Monday, 2/25, you will present your everyday symbol to the class. You are required to submit one page in writing (typed or neatly written in pen) along with some sort of visual aid. Your visual aid could be the product itself or just a picture; a collage or Glogster would work.

To be fair, whoever replies with a comment first containing their symbol idea will win that topic for their project. If someone submits your idea before you do, then you will have to decide on a different symbol. 

On Monday, we will hear about 29 different everyday symbols. 

Honors English II. Child Manipulation

Sierra Leone, Africa (the setting for A Long Way Gone) is not the only place children have been manipulated by adults.  Your job is to research other places in the world where this kind of atrocity has occurred.   In short, child manipulation is a global problem. Moreover, it is an American problem.  It may not be on the same scale as boy soldiers, but one could argue that gang warfare is a quintessential example of the atrocity called child manipulation.


Please post a well-developed paragraph explaining the example you found of child manipulation in the world and a link to any site that gives more information on your example. 

Here are some leads for you:    

Uganda's Invisible Children      
 Children of the Night

Honors Adv. Composition. Feature Article Hunt

The cover of this magazine is advertising a feature article entitled "What makes us human?"  A catchy headline is the key to a good lead and what makes good feature writing. Aren't you intrigued? 

Now that we have introduced the characteristics of a feature article, your job is to find one example and paste a link to it in a comment. Include a brief summary of your article, its headline, and which category of feature article in which yours falls:

Categories of Feature Articles 

• human interest
• personality profile (which will look different than a biography)
• "the best" article
• trend story
• "how to" feature
• past events
• in-depth informational story

Remember, feature articles should also include some catchy text features like captions, polls, pictures, etc. 

Refer to your packet if you are confused. Happy hunting! 

Example: The title/headline of my article is "Are You Stupid?" It is an in-depth informational story about learning disabilities. Here is the link - http://www.amalnet.k12.il/meida/english/showcase/engi0177.htm

AVID. Feature Article Hunt

Sample Feature Article Written by a High Schooler

Now that we have introduced the characteristics of a feature article, your job is to find one example and paste a link to it in a comment. Include a brief summary of your article, its headline, and which category of feature article in which yours falls:

Categories of Feature Articles 

• human interest
• personality profile (which will look different than a biography)
• "the best" article
• trend story
• "how to" feature
• past events
• in-depth informational story

Remember, feature articles should also include some catchy text features like captions, polls, pictures, etc. 

Refer to your packet if you are confused. Happy hunting! 

Example: The title/headline of my article is "Are You Stupid?" It is an in-depth informational story about learning disabilities. Here is the link - http://www.amalnet.k12.il/meida/english/showcase/engi0177.htm

Honors English II. Ancient Myths

Write a comment where you tell your opinion about the myths we have been exploring in class. Here are some questions to get you started. Also, check out this link about the two stories. 

Do you believe the epic of Gilgamesh really took place? Do you believe in the events in Genesis? 

What have you learned that is new since the beginning of the semester? 

Where do we need to review? 

This reflection will count as a completion grade; opinions are welcome as long as they are politely defended. 

Honors Adv. Comp. 2nd Block: Editorials

For nonfiction narrative, I want you to find one editorial that has been written about a current event in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, or the Raleigh News & Observer online.  If you find another credible source, please let me approve it before you continue. 

In your comment, you need to paste a link to your article as well as a brief summary in your own words. 

Then, after you have read and understand your article, you need to write a two page, typed reflection on the editorial you chose.

The paper is due on Wednesday. The blog post is due by Tuesday. 

AVID. Current Event

For nonfiction narrative, similar to This I Believe, I want you to find one editorial that has been written about a current event in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, or the Raleigh News & Observer online.

In your comment, you need to paste a link to your article as well as a brief summary in your own words. 

Then, after you have read and understand your article, you need to write a two page, typed reflection on the editorial you chose.

The paper is due at the end of class on Friday. The blog post is due by the end of class today, Thursday. 

ALL. End of Semester Survey

Please complete this survey honestly. Take your time with the answers please. I will use your feedback to improve the courses and my teaching. 

Thank you for being great kids :)

Mrs. Perkins' Survey

You will fill this out anonymously.  You may also leave a comment on this post about the class if you would like. 

AVID. Career Ideas

Post your top three career choices and the reason you are interested in pursuing these jobs.  Make sure you are realistic. Also, paste a link to a real example of someone who is great at one of your possible careers. 

This will launch you into your career projects due next week. 

1. EOC Practice

In preparation for the NC EOC for English II, please use Internet Explorer and visit this demo site. 

http://go.ncsu.edu/nctdemo

We will watch the tutorial video together, but you are responsible for familiarizing yourself with the testing site before the big day. 

Also, during class time, everyone will spend at least 30 minutes a day on one of the following practice sites: 

http://www.toonuniversity.com/flash.asp?err=191

http://www.quia.com/jg/1243852.html

http://www.newton.k12.ks.us/tech/fling3.html

http://www.quia.com/pop/35971.html

http://www.myteacherpages.com/webpages/rspriggs/files/11%20essential%20rules%20of%20grammar1.pdf

http://www.studyisland.com/demoStart1.cfm?lcfid=1&CFID=530986613&CFTOKEN=12329295&cid=11112&randKey=813111&passState=NC

http://ewhs.wcpss.net/programs/academic-resources/139-eoc-test-review-sites.html