English 9 HW, September 30 and October 1

Continue Independent Reading  --  Next independent reading log October 9
you may not "read" a book you read in class previously.

Start your 21 days to a new habit activity.  We'll reflect in writing on that at the end of October.

For Thursday/Friday, rewrite the ending of "Most Dangerous Game" in 1 page from the 1st person perspective.  Choose which character whose perspective you'd like to narrate.

If you want to re-read "The Most Dangerous Game" click here.

Habits

For the month of October, you are assigned to take on a new habit to improve some aspect of your life.

Many studies have shown that it takes 21 days to acquire a habit.  Use this assignment to take on at least one self-improvement habit.

Your habit can be related to school, health and fitness, or community service.

If you feel like your life is already filled to the brim with school, sports and activities, then use your marginal, in-between time.

For instance, you can take on the habit of studying your foreign language words an extra 15 minutes by working through your flashcards at breakfast or before you go to bed or on the bus to school.

As an English teacher, I always recommend taking on a reading habit (unless you already have one), by reading after you brush your teeth before you go to bed.  That's an easy way to get another 15 minutes which will also prepare you for the regular independent reading logs.

Personally, I'm taking on a fitness habit and a community service habit.  My plan is to play 15 minutes of hackey sack a day, and work for at least 1/2 hour each day for Homeless not Hopeless.

On October 24 and 25 we will write about our positive habit forming.

Homework September 26 and 27 Howell English 9

Find a short story about hunting
Read it.
Write a 20 word summary of it in one sentence.

Continue independent reading

Here are some examples of hunting stories:
"Hiking During Hunting Season:  How to Stay Safe"

"Hunting Expedition Gone Bad, Real Bad!" 

"Ten Animals Hunted to Extinction"

"Hunters in the Snow"

anatomy of a solid 5/6 conclusion

"Why does the doctor act so aggressively toward the girl? This doctor’s behavior crosses a line because he is thinking weird thoughts about a young girl and this is not normal. His abnormal acts stem from his surprise at the girl’s attempt to attack him.  His fight or flight instincts, like every other animal on earth, take over.  More animal than doctor, he feels like hurting the girl, so he ends up hurting the girl to save her because of her own fearful stubbornness."

Here's a breakdown explaining why this is a good, but not top-notch or perfect essay.

Why does the doctor act so aggressively toward the girl? 
The student author reconfigures the prompt with her own question related to the story.
 
This doctor’s behavior crosses a line because he is thinking weird thoughts about a young girl and this is not normal. His abnormal acts stem from his surprise at the girl’s attempt to attack him.  His fight or flight instincts, like every other animal on earth, take over.  
She remaps the story to lead in to an explanation of a universal message:  flight or flight instincts can overcome reason.  Note that this is 5 level writing not 6 with only a few advanced vocabulary words.
 
More animal than doctor, he feels like hurting the girl, so he ends up hurting the girl to save her because of her own fearful stubbornness.
The student author's good closing line--especially the fearful stubbornness-- wraps up the story, explains why the doctor changed so much, and explains a universal aspect of human behavior.

homework September 23 and 24 Howell English 9

retell the story, "The Sniper"  in 1st person from the brother's perspective
1 page downdraft
label it "Sniper Role Reversal"

If you want to re-read the story, find it at this link:  "The Sniper"

Keep reading your independent reading book because we will write about it on 9/26 or 9/27

anatomy of a solid 5/6 introduction

"When a little girl has a fatal disease and is afraid to die, she could do anything to keep the deadly secret to herself.  In “The Use of Force” by William Carlos Williams, a doctor tells the story of his encounter with a girl suffering from such a deadly curse. The girl is very quiet and their parents like to speak for her.   The child’s struggle against death brings out the worst in the doctor, whose emotions change from nice and responsible to aggressive, disrespectful and violent."

OPENING IS GENERAL STATEMENT THAT INTEGRATES KEY DETAILS FROM STORY 

When a little girl has a fatal disease and is afraid to die, she could do anything to keep the deadly secret to herself.

ATPP STATEMENT SERVES AS SPECIFIC STATEMENT ABOUT THE STORY INCLUDING ESSENTIAL TEXTUAL INFORMATION

  In “The Use of Force” by William Carlos Williams, a doctor tells the story of his encounter with a girl suffering from such a deadly curse.

MAP ATTEMPTS TO GET JUST ENOUGH CONTEXT OF THE STORY TO MAKE THESIS UNDERSTANDABLE

 The girl is very quiet and their parents like to speak for her.   

THESIS IS ON TASK FOR THE PROMPT, ADDRESSED WHY THE CHARACTER CHANGES AND GIVES DESCRIPTIVE DIMENSIONS FOR THE CHANGE

The child’s struggle against death brings out the worst in the doctor, whose emotions change from nice and responsible to aggressive, disrespectful and violent.

music speech graphic organizer 9/19 and 9/20

The Meaningful Song

Prepare for your short speech about a meaningful song using the graphic organizer below.

Personal connection
Song hook (opening measures)
Chorus
Melody
Verses
Universal message
Why this is the MOST meaningful song

In preparing for your speech, do the following steps:

1. read through your graphic organizer several times.
2. practice telling your ideas about your song to a mirror
3. rehearse as many times as necessary until you only look in the mirror

Downdraft vs. Updraft

Downdraft = get your ideas down, edit once

Updraft = plan, draft, revise, peer edit, conference, revise, print/share

HW September 19 and 20 Howell English 9

1-2 page down draft:
using all the graphic organizer elements, write a short essay explaining what makes your song meaningful?



Downdraft = Get your ideas down in paragraph form.  Edit once.

Updraft = Plan, Draft, Revise, Peer Edit, Conference, Revise, Print/Share

Howell English 9 Wednesday 9/18 homework

Fill in your graphic organizer for the music assignment.

Rehearse talking to the class about your song.

Howell English 9 Independent Reading

Independent Reading takes place on your own time.  I encourage every student to read for 30 to 45 minutes a day.

1)  Choose your own book.  It should be fun but challenging.
2)  It can be fiction or non-fiction.  YA or adult.  Any genre you like that is school appropriate.
2)  Twice a month IN CLASS we will write about what we have read.

3)  If you don't find and read your own book, you must read articles that I suggest or post here on this blog, which will all come from the New York Times.  If you don't select your own book, you may choose from the light list of articles or the serious list of articles below.

Light:
"Not Flying Rats to Him"

"Coach Carlos Holds Court"

"Guard Dogs Guardian"

"A Giant Among Pygmies"

"Rich Ritchie is the Softball Umpire with an Iron Fist"

Serious:

Plan B on Syria?

"Trading Priviledge for Privation"

Minecraft as an educational tool

"How To Make School Better for Boys"

Howell English 9 homework Monday and Tuesday 9/16 and 9/17

1.  If you didn't finish your "Use of Force" essay in class, finish it ASAP and share it with Mr. Howell via googledocs at howellj@dy-regional.k12.ma.us

2.  Select what you think is the most meaningful song.  Bring in an iPod or iPhone or mP3 player and earbuds to listen to it because we will be writing about those songs on Wednesday and Thursday/Friday

3.   Select and begin independent reading book.  First Independent reading log will be September 26 and 27

improving your thesis statement

FIRST TRY:

The doctor is very interesting and suspicious person.  He was being inappropriate, but polite, then he was rude and frustrated.  In the "Use of Force", the doctor struggles with a poor family to diagnose their daughter who suffers a fatal ailment which might be diphtheria



SECOND TRY:
Improve by editing and combining:

While both interesting and suspicious, the doctor changes from a polite man struggling to help a poor family as he attempts to see if she has a fatal disease into a frustrated, then rude, then dangerously violent man.

sample graphic organizer for "Use of Force" essay

“The Use of Force”

Long Composition:  Graphic Organizer

Prompt:  “The Use of Force” gets inside the mind of the doctor who narrates the story in first person as he tries to help a little girl who may or may not have a fatal disease.  As a result, his character changes dramatically throughout the story.  In a well-developed composition explain how the doctor’s character changes throughout the story.

Using specific and relevant evidence from the text, prove your point in a five paragraph essay.

Using the graphic organizer below, identify the main elements of your essay before you write your first draft.

The graphic organizer will be worth 25 pts, the first draft--25 pts and the final--100 pts.

Introduction General Statement    During the early 20th century, children could die of contagious diseases such as diphtheria. Specific Statement In “The Use of Force” by WC Williams, a doctor struggles with a poor family to diagnose their daughter who suffers from a mysterious ailment, which might be the deadly diphtheria. ATPP (aka:  the Map) ATPP= Author, Title, Protagonist, Problem. Thesis  The doctor changes dramatically, transforming from a helpful physician into an aggressive, pedophilic creep.

1st body paragraph Topic       The doctor started out as a normal guy. Evidence w/quote Explanation

2nd body paragraph Topic    Evidence w/quote  He starts to change when he makes such statements as “ Don’t call me a nice man to her.”   The author indicates that the doctor even knows that he is not nice or even a bit twisted. Explanation

3rd body paragraph---  By the end of the story, the way he thinks about the girl and forces her to open her mouth makes him seem like a creep. Topic Evidence w/quote  Even from the start, the doctor described the girl as an “unusually attractive thing”.   Explanation While many may say it is natural to notice if someone is pretty or not, when a doctor expresses himself that way it is very inappropriate.

Conclusion:   Universal Message

quote integration sample

a good start:
 
In the story, the author describes the mother as "very clean and apologetic."  This helps support . . .

an improvement:

Even in describing the mother, the author uses relatively contradictory terms. She is called both "clean and apologetic", which may seem normal at first, but reveals the doctor's condescending view of the family. After all, the fact that she is clean would be expected of an average upper class mother.  But here, he brings it up as a point of interest.

Howell English 9 hw for September 12 and 13

Complete and improve your "Use of Force" draft

Monday and Tuesday of next week we will be in the computer lab (after first checking in to class) to type and revise our final drafts.

If you word process your draft before Monday, please do it on a software program that you can access in school such as googledocs.

Howell English 9 homework September 9 and 10

 fill in evidence from the story, "The Use of Force" to graphic organizer for long composition on character change

"Use of Force"

Here's the short story we're reading this week (9/9 to 9/13):
"The Use of Force" by William Carlos Williams

Homework rubric

10 pts = complete and edited

8 pts = complete not edited

5 pts = 1/2 complete

1 pt = name/date/heading but nothing else

Howell English 9 HW September 5 and 6

Narrative Writing

1 page personal account of a natural setting near your home, drawing upon your five senses.

Natural settings include things like the beach, the woods, a local pond.

Requirements:
1.  Date top right
2.  Label across the top "Narrative Writing".
3.   Indent your paragraphs.
4.   Revise for spelling and grammar DOWNDRAFT (e.g. get it down, fix it on the page and get it in tomorrow)

 

English 9 homework for September 4, 2013

Write a two paragraph letter (1 page total) to your future self explaining how you made a terrific success of this upcoming school year.

Requirements:
1.  Date top right
2.  Label across the top "Letter to my future".
3.  Start with the opening salutation:  "Dear ____________,"
4.   Indent your paragraphs.
5.   Revise for spelling and grammar DOWNDRAFT (e.g. get it down, fix it on the page and get it in tomorrow)
6.   Use proper closing.