For the next few days you will be working in pairs on a Webquest. You will have to work as a team to complete the interactive activities and written tasks.
Follow the link below and have fun 🙂
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Web 2.0 Poetry Assignment
Okay you technological wizards, now is your time to shine! For this poetry task, you will be taking some of the poetry you have created in the classroom, and experiment with some Web 2.0 tools to showcase your amazing writing and tech abilities. You will be working in the computer labs for three 75-minutes periods to navigate around the Web and play around with some amazing new tools to present your poetry in digital format. You will be using images, music, movie makers, comic strips, avatars that “talk”, and virtual bulletin boards to present your creative poetic work.
Learning Goals:
- use a variety of graphic forms and stylistic elements to publish your revised writing
- create a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences
- work independently to review which web 2.0 tool works best for the assigned task
Which poems do I use?
- The “Homeless” metaphor poem
- “Colour” poem
- “Grade 9” poem
After following the writing process for all of the poems and “polishing” them, you will present them in any of the formats listed below. The idea here is to experiment with the Web 2.0 tools and see how creative you can get – you want to take your poems to the “next level”. Use images to convey meaning in a mini-movie, provide music in the background to establish an atmosphere or mood, experiment with shapes and font size, do an audio recording of your poem, create silly avatars or characters, or create some animated stories based on your poems.  Get creative and have fun!
The Task:
Present your “Homeless” metaphor poem, the “Colour” poem, and the “Grade 9” poem using any three of the different Web 2.0 tools listed below. You will have to sign up for most of the applications or tools with your school email and they are all free. Please use three different formats, and save your work as you go!
1. Screenr –Â Â http://www.screenr.com/
2. Go Animate – http://goanimate.com/
3. Padlet – http://padlet.com/
4. Voki – http://www.voki.com/
5. Tagxedo – http://www.tagxedo.com/
6. Moovly – http://www.moovly.com/
7. Zooburst – http://www.zooburst.com/
8. PowToon –Â http://www.powtoon.com/
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Please email me your final products at lbeckley@scdsb.on.ca.
ISU – 9 Applied
 This is the big, big project that is worth 20% of your final English mark. You will start the independent reading component (the book report) now and hand it in a couple of months. The writing folder component (part two) will be on-going all semester, and you will compile a writing folder at the end of the semester. We will work on the ISU’s every week, but you are encouraged to read and write on your own time as well.
Just in case you were absent, or lost the instructions:
Grade 9 Applied, English
Welcome to Grade 9 Applied English! This blog will be a great resource for information, writing tips, due dates, assignment expectations, or just a place to chat. Please use this site; I will update this category often and post copies of handouts and assignments, remind you of due dates, and provide links to resources and videos.
I am really excited to experiment with the BYOD (bring your own device) initiative that is sweeping the educational system! I will be mixing it up this semester – some lessons and activities will be taught using traditional methods, while others, like The Hunger Games will be accessed on your phones, ipads, or other personal devices. I am hoping you will create some fantastic presentations, do effective research, and send me your work using technology in the classroom. It will certainly be an adventure! Let’s get started…
Below is the course outline. Please have your parent/guardian read and sign the course outline below and return to me as soon as possible. Parents: The easiest way to communicate with me is through email (lbeckley@mail.scdsb.on.ca)
15% Final Project – Mockingbird
Due Date: Friday, June 14th at the end of class
Evaluation for Project – Mockingbird
You will have to plan the use of your time wisely. You will have four in-class work periods to plan, do rough work, edit and polish your report components and three computer labs to type up your written activities. You will need homework time as well; don’t forget about the weekend that is thrown in there too! I have mentioned several times that I am expecting greatness here. All of your written components should be error-free, full of detail and explanation, and provide an in-depth analysis into To Kill a Mockingbird and its characters and themes. Good Luck!
Just a reminder why, to this day, Atticus Finch is one of the most beloved characters of all time:
Also, after our class discussion about the Trayvon Martin case and the upcoming George Zimmerman trial, many of you expressed an interest in learning more about the tragedy. Below is a link to CNN – the home article is about the current jury selection but there are many articles outlining the historical context of the case.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/10/justice/florida-zimmerman-trial
To Kill A Mockingbird
Finally, we have started to read To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Instead of going on and on about how much this novel means to me and how my life has been influenced by its simple message…..I would just like you to read it. There are many people around the world who have been influenced by this tale, and I hope you will be one of them by the end of the unit. I have read the book at least 20 times, and watched the movie 10, and I still cry like a baby at the trial scene. In a couple of weeks you will probably see me crying again when the crowd in the balcony stand as Atticus goes by. I hope that’s not a spoiler. Below is a clip from the 50th anniversary celebration of the film at the White House in Washington, DC.
It is a little unusual to get a “cheat” sheet from the teacher, but I would like to recommend a website for those students struggling with the context and diction of the novel. It is called “The To Kill A Mockingbird Student Survival Guide” and has chapter summaries, character studies, and analysis of theme, symbol and the “big ideas”. Feel free to use this resource to guide you in your reading. The link is here:
http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/Belmont_HS/tkm/
I will post all of the worksheets, discussion topics, reading schedule, and others on this blog. Check back frequently and feel free to leave a message.
Monday, May 6: Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech, receive your novels and work booklets. I read Chapter 1 aloud. Notice the tone and pace of the narrative; it is told from seven year-old Scout’s point of view and represents the slow certainty and monotony of day to day life in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930’s.
Please read to the end of Chapter 5 by Thursday.
Tuesday, May 7: Information about Harper Lee and a background to the novel. I introduced you to double-entry journals. These will be due at the end of the TKAM unit; please have them polished and typed. Just in case you lose your copy:
Wednesday, May 8: Today we discussed the term “provincialism” and how it relates to Maycomb and its citizens. It is clear from the first chapter that the town doesn’t trust the Radley’s because they are different – they don’t go to church, Mrs. Radley doesn’t meet for tea with her neighbours, Arthur never leaves the house, Nathan doesn’t work, ec. Other themes relating to provincialism, like racial inequalites, pride in tradition and ancestry, and different levels of society will keep popping up as your read. Take a mental note of them.
You should be filling in your “active reading” chart in your booklets as you read – every time you meet a new major character jot down their description and characteristics.
Friday, May 10: Continue reading. You should be to the end of Chapter 8 for Monday. Also, don’t forget about the writing activities in your booklets; the definitions, the active reading chart on characters, and the “Responding” sections.
Monday, May 13: Lesson on VALUES. You defined “values” and then ranked from 1 to 12 what values are important to you. Some of the values included family, success, friendship, religion, and money. I am hoping you had an interesting class discussion on how your definition differed from your peers; it will be interesting to note and observe how your ranking changes as you get older and mature. Your extension activity was to pick a character from TKAM and pick their top three values. Why did you pick those? Use some examples/quotes from the text to support your answer. For homework, continue your reading. For Thursday, you should have read to the end of Chapter 15. There may or may not be a quiz on the first part of the novel.
I am so sorry that I am away this week. Trust me, I would much rather be there with you all, talking about this amazing book, than feeling like this:
Wednesday, May 15: Mrs. Newton will be covering for me for the rest of the week, and then I will hopefully see you again after the holiday weekend! Mrs. Newton is a retired MSS teacher and has read To Kill A Mockingbird even more times than I havef; she will lead you in some great discussions on plot lines and character developments. If you are having any issues or questions regarding the reading, please feel free to bring them up with her. Today, you will be talking about what has been going on in Part One of TKAM. You will also be defining the term FORESHADOWING (remember this term from “The Most Dangerous Game?) and completing the Chapters 1-9 foreshadowing worksheet in your booklets. To further aid in your understanding, complete the “Responding” section of your booklet on page 12-13.
Please read to the end of Chapter 12 for tomorrow, and to the end of Chapter 19 for Tuesday, May 21. Because there was no class yesterday, you should have been continuing your reading and keeping pace with the schedule.
Tuesday, May 21: This is a reminder that I am still waiting for many of you to return your Merchant of Venice final tests, signed by your parent or guardian. As you are aware, many of you were unprepared for the final test. You did not keep up with the reading or comprehension questions, take part in choral reading and class discussions or seek out the hundreds of resources available to students who may struggle reading their first Shakespeare play. Please return your signed Merchant tests a.s.a.p.
Today, Mrs. Newton led you in a class discussion on SOCIAL CLASS in To Kill A Mockingbird. As the novel is set during the Great Depression in 1930’s Alabama, there are definite themes of societal differences and prejudices as a result of class. I’m sure you talked about the Radley’s, the Finch’s, the Cunningham’s, the Ewell’s and the Robinson’s. Class structure plays a large role in the novel; in fact, the social classes and their effects play a large role in any town, city or society. By the end of the book, we will make some more modern connections.
Please read chapters 20-23 by Thursday, May 23.
Wednesday, May 22: Hello everyone! I hope to see you soon; I have been feeling a bit better and hope to return sometime next week. Today you will be doing some independent research on some of the topics that play a large role in understanding the plot and themes of To Kill A Mockingbird.
The idea here is to SKIM for information and make point-form jot notes on the questions asked of you. Mrs. Newton told you which topics to focus on. You should gather enough information on a particular topic to be able to make connections between it and the novel in a class discussion or on a quiz or test. Good luck! The link is below:
Friday, May 31: Everyone should be finished the novel!! The lesson today is on theme and symbol in TKAM.
Important due dates:
News Report (polished, good copy) and Final Test: Monday, June 3
Final TKAM Project (worth 15% of your English mark): I will introduce this project to you on Tuesday, June 4th. You will have 3 classes to plan and work, 3 computer days to type and a weekend to work on this important culminating task.
Due date for Final Project: Friday, June 14th.
The Merchant of Venice
Finally, our Shakespeare unit! We will be studying The Merchant of Venice and doing lots of reading aloud, acting out parts, analyzing character and theme, watching videos of theater performances, and really just trying to figure out what is going on! Reading TMOV in 2013 is a controversial one; one of the biggest questions we will answer by the end of the play is whether or not Shakespeare intended the play to be anti-semitic or not. We will discuss the history of anti-semitism and have in-depth discussions as to how you feel about Shylock. Below are two very different visual representations.
Below is a clip from the movie “Shakespeare in Love”. This is a scene from the chorus of Romeo and Juliet to get you in the Elizabethan mood:
If you find yourself struggling through this Shakespeare unit, please seek out some of the literally thousands of resources available to help. On-line there are tons of sites dedicated to the play that contain scene by scene commentaries and modern translations, videos of important scenes from the play or film adaptations, quizzes, etc. You can purchase The Merchant of Venice graphic novels, modern translations, or student study guides to use as you read the play in class. It is a good idea to re-read the scenes for homework; this second reading is also a good time to look at the definitions in the left-hand side margin of the text for further understanding. In case you forget your question booklet at school, here you go:
Thursday, April 18: We watched the A&E Biography on William Shakespeare. Fill-in-the-blank worksheet.
Friday, April 19th:Â Sign out the texts and receive study package. Begin the play! Act I, Scenes i and ii. Please do comprehension questions for homework – don’t forget to use at least one piece of textual evidence to support your opinion/answer. See the question worksheet on how to properly cite the quote.
Monday, April 22: Act I, Scenes ii and iii. Very important scenes! We are introduced to Portia and the lottery plot, AND Shylock and his deal with Antonio.
Tuesday, April 23: Act II, Scenes i-iv. Questions for homework.
Wednesday, April 24: Read through note on important Shakespeare terms. Act II, Scenes v-ix, and do questions. There may or may not be a quiz on Acts I and II tomorrow. ps. you’re welcome.
Thursday, April 25: Quiz on Acts I and II. Read Act III, Scenes i and ii. Do comprehension questions for homework.
Act III, Scene i contains the famous “I am a Jew” speech by Shylock. Below is Al Pacino’s adaptation of this very crucial scene; do you sympathize with his Shylock? This film adaptation is Rated R – there is nudity in this scene, which, in my opinion, takes away from the seriousness of Shylock’s situation. In the film scene just before this, Bassanio’s buddies (Salerio and Salanio) were drinking and cavorting with some ladies who were half-dressed. I guess their lavish and care-free lives contrasts sharply with Shylock’s; he lives in the Jewish ghetto, cannot leave his area of the city after a certain time or is punished, has to wear a red hat so everyone can identify his race, and is verbally and physically abused by the Venetian Christians for his business practices. Don’t forget that the Shylock in this scene is a distressed and defeated man; his daughter ran away with a Christian and stole his money, jewels, and late wife’s ring, and his servant quit to go work for Bassanio. He is very much alone.
Friday, April 26th: Act III, Scenes 3-5. Do comprehension questions, ten definitions in your booklet, and begin the fill-in-the-blank activity at the back. Be prepared for a quiz on Act III on Monday. There may or may not be one. 🙂
Monday, April 29: Act IV, Scenes i and ii. This is it; the “big” scene! The trial of Shylock vs Antonio is the climax of this Shakespeare comedy. We listened to the scene on audio and talked about the details; what Shylock was offered, Portia (or should I say Balthazar’s) pleas for mercy, the loophole, the crushing defeat of Shylock and Antonio’s freedom. In Scene ii we were introduced to the comedic “ring plot” – this is in stark contrast to the serious and suspenseful trial scene before it. We discussed the fascinating role of Portia – her intellect and cunning saved the day!
Please do your comprehension questions for homework. Below are some film and stage representations:
                                    
Tuesday, April 30: This lesson is on how to write a news report. You will have to write a properly formatted news report on the Grade 10 Literacy test next year. I showed you the eqao website (the link to the OSSLT preparation guide is below), some exemplars of how to write the report with the 5W’s, instructed you to write in short paragraphs and in the past tense, said how to fill in the middle of the report with details, and how to insert a quote at the end. Your assignment is to write a news report on the trial scene in The Merchant of Venice. Please have a rough draft ready to be edited for Thursday’s class.
OSSLT_PlanningPreparationGuide_2013.pdf
News Report (polished, good copy): due Friday, May 3
**Final TMOV test is on Friday, May 3 as well **
Wednesday, May 1: I was away today. In groups you were to take a closer look at a character from TMOV. You were to pick names out of a hat and create a character sketch poster for that character. I asked you to include eight direct quotes from the play (with citation) that showed characteristics or traits of that character. The artists were to draw a visual representation of the character; what do they look like in your mind? The poster could also contain images pertaining to Venice or the plot, and words or phrases that describe the character.
** Merchant booklets due Monday, May 6. In the evaluation I will be focusing on how effectively you answered the comprehension questions. Do you state a clear opinion/answer, provide a direct quote and cite the Act, Scene and line that supports your opinion, and then provide further explanation?**
Thursday, May 2: Today I gave you some time to finish your character posters, work on your news reports (due tomorrow), and we finished the play by reading the final scene in Act V. What a difference one Act can make! This scene was full of joy, music, declarations of love, good news (Antonio’s ships are safe!) and a resolution to the ring plot. At the end, all of the newly married couples are happy, Antonio is free and welcome at Belmont, and Gratiano has the last word. Of course, there is no mention of Shylock. His defeat and humilation are complete; the last words we hear from him in Act IV are how sick he is and how he wants to leave the courtroom. So, you are done reading your first Shakespeare play. You should be proud of yourself!!
Reminder of due dates:
- Friday, May 3 – News report (typed) and TMOV final test.
- Monday, May 6 – TMOV booklets are due, and then we start To Kill A Mockingbird. “No rest for the wicked” they say. 🙂
Drop it To Me – for Poetry
Because we will be doing lots of on-line activities and you will be writing a ton of poetry, I have set up a “Drop it To Me” account that is attached to my dropbox, a really cool sharing application that you can send your work to.
Please send your work to:
http://www.dropitto.me/lbeckley
Upload password: english
Thanks!
Two Snow Days? Inconceivable!
Wednesday, February 20
Well, well, well. You lucky kids, you. I trust you are enjoying your five-day long weekend?
9 Academics: I hope you have already done the homework. You were to find an on-line copy of Richard Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game” and hilight or take notes on the setting. I recommend you read the short story twice; once to look for details and hints about setting, and a second time to really “get” the story. There may or may not be a reading comprehension quiz on your return. Below is a look at one filmmaker’s interpretation of the characters:
Enjoy your snow days!! But please do your homework. 🙂
9P, Unit #1: Narrative
The first unit of this Grade 9 English class is narrative. We will be reading short stories and watching short films to analyze how an author or film-maker employs the use of plot elements to tell a story. Hopefully by understanding how a story is structured, you will be better able to comprehend and analyze a narrative for meaning. You will be learning about setting, plot, conflict, point of view, mood, characterization and themes.
First up – the plot elements and chart. Here is the note:
February 22: Setting. Read the short story, “Thank You, Ma’am” (pg 72 of Crossroads).
February 25: Point of View. Define the term and identify the three major points of view. Rewrite a fairy-tale from a different perspective. Give your new tale a new title, type up the story, and include an illustration.
Monday, March 4
Today we listened to Roald Dahl’s short story, “Lamb to the Slaughter”. Below is a link to the text, the comprehension questions, character notes and charts, and the film version that we will watch tomorrow. We spent quite a bit of time discussing the character of Mary Maloney – she is a totally different character by the end of the narrative. She is the protagonist of “Lamb to the Slaughter”, and certainly a “round” character. As yo watch the Alfred Hitchcock adaptation, jot down some notes on the differeces between the short story and the film.
Don’t forget – for the comprehension questions you must provide one piece of textual evidence (a quote) from the short story to support your answer or opinion. Follow the format below:
#1. Mary Maloney is pregnant. It says, “Her skin – for this was her sixth month with child – had acquired a wonderful translucent quality…” (176).
Don’t leave the quote “naked” – always introduce it, and don’t forget to cite the page number in brackets. Any dialogue or narrative that you include in quotation marks must be exactly how they are in the story.
Link to the text:
http://www.sanjuan.edu/webpages/rhaak/files/Lamb%20to%20the%20Slaughter%20Text1.pdf
Questions:
msbeckleysblog 