Finals Week (12/18-21) ~ And so it begins...

Good luck First Period students!

The rest of us will study and make a few Christmas ornaments.

The rest of the week will look like this:
Tuesday - Finals in periods 2 & 3
Wednesday - Finals in periods 4 & 5
Thursday - Finals in periods 6 & 7
__________________________
First final 8:10-9:40
Break
Second final 10:15-11:45
Buses leave at 11:55

It's time for Advent!

Did you know that Advent has been going on since the 4th century and it celebrates the "waiting" for four weeks before Christmas. This week is all about HOPE!

A couple of key scriptures for Advent:
Isaiah 11:1-2 This is the Jesse tree scripture, the promise of a savior from a nation that has been "cut down."
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
   from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him -
  the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
  the Spirit of counsel and of power,
  the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord
(and it goes on to talk about the righteousness of the savior, that he will be a just judge and will bring peace and unity to people.)
Isaiah 61-1-3 The scripture Jesus reads in the temple when he claims he is the messiah. He is claiming HOPE! Advent is a time for us to claim hope too. May you be a great oak planted for God's glory and beautiful work!

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
  for the Lord has anointed me
  to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
  and to proclaim that captives will be released
  and prisoners will be freed.
He has sent me to tell those who mourn
  that the time of the Lord's favor has come,
  and with it, the day of God's anger against their enemies.
To all who mourn in Israel,
  he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
  a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
  festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
  that the Lord has planted for his own glory.


It's time for Advent!

Did you know that Advent has been going on since the 4th century and it celebrates the "waiting" for four weeks before Christmas. This week is all about HOPE!



A couple of key scriptures for Advent:
Isaiah 11:1-2 This is the Jesse tree scripture, the promise of a savior from a nation that has been "cut down."
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
   from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him -
  the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
  the Spirit of counsel and of power,
  the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord
(and it goes on to talk about the righteousness of the savior, that he will be a just judge and will bring peace and unity to people.)

Isaiah 61-1-3 The scripture Jesus reads in the temple when he claims he is the messiah. He is claiming HOPE! Advent is a time for us to claim hope too. May you be a great oak planted for God's glory and beautiful work!

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
  for the Lord has anointed me
  to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
  and to proclaim that captives will be released

  and prisoners will be freed.
He has sent me to tell those who mourn
  that the time of the Lord's favor has come,
  and with it, the day of God's anger against their enemies.
To all who mourn in Israel,
  he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
  a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
  festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
  that the Lord has planted for his own glory.

Want a free Advent Devotional? Check out The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp or one of these free ones. John Piper or one of these.

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Block Day, December 14 & 15 ~ Review Day

Today we play Kahoot, review using the "Finals Study Guide" tab and share any goodies you bring to class.

Don't forget to review TIED and TIE structures!

Wednesday, December 13 ~ Almost there!

Stories Due!!!

Housekeeping

• Papers back
• Teacher Survey
• Make-up quizzes

Write FIVE multiple choice questions using the review tab.

Please upload your story to turnitin.com before tomorrow morning.

Monday, December 11 ~ Peer Editing

Today's Bell Schedule

CHRISTMAS BLESSING

• You must have at least three editors! (15 pts. Due with Final Draft on Wednesday)
• 15 pts. for completing the story rough draft (2-5 pages).
• Peer Editing ~ Check for....
• Here is the original assignment.
• Use the hard copy sheet. 

HW: Study all Word Parts from this quarter. Quiz tomorrow!

Block Day, December 7&8 ~ Dialogue and Children's Stories

Dangling Modifiers Quiz (When you finish, consider the questions below.)

First...a few check points for your story. Let's review the rubric.

1. What point of view are you using to tell your story? (first or third person)
2. What time tense are you using? (Most stories sound pretty well when told in past tense... Whatever time tense you chose, stick to it!)
3. Have you covered each of the plot steps in your story?
4. Is there a clear message in your story? 

SHORT STORY NOTES: DIALOGUE


      "Hi Tony," said Katy.

      "Hey," Tony answered.

      "What's wrong?" Katy asked.

      "Nothing," Tony said.

      "Really? You don't act like nothing's wrong."

     
Pretty tiresome dialogue, right?

Instead of writing a dialogue like the one above, a writer could condense the scene:

       "Hi Tony."

Tony looked down at his shoe, dug in his toe, and pushed around a pile of dust.

       "Hey," he replied.

Katy could tell something was wrong.

Formatting Tips
Rule 1. The first thing to remember is that punctuation goes inside quotations.
    "I can't believe you just did that!"
Rule 2.  Dialogue tags (the he/she said of the quotation) SHOULD BE USED SPARINGLY. The dialogue and narration should be used to show the emotion or action stated in the tag. One of the most important rules of writing fiction is: show, don't tell.

DON'T DO TOO MUCH OF THIS:
"But I don't want to go to sleep yet," he whined.

TRY THIS INSTEAD:
He stood in the doorway with his hands balled into little fists at his sides. His red, tear-rimmed eyes glared up at his mother. "But I don't want to go to sleep yet."
*A good writer will describe the scene in a way that conjures the image of a whining little boy.

Rule 3.  Paragraphs are very important to the flow and comprehension of the dialogue. Remember to start a new paragraph each time the speaker changes within the dialogue. This helps the reader know when someone new is speaking (and who it is).

SHORT STORIES FINAL EXERCISE: Children's Books Review

• Read at least three kids' books and answer the questions below.

Journal 34

Story 1: (Name story here)

1. Describe the theme/lesson
2. What kind of narrator is being used?
3. What other features are present in this story? (allegory, allusion, anagnorisis, atmosphere, archetype character, dialogue, flashback, foreshadow, indirect/direct characterization, irony, motif, symbolism, open/closed ending, unreliable narrator)

Story 2: ....repeat for three stories....


HW: Rough Draft Bring a digital copy of your story on Monday for peer editing. Credit will be given only for completed rough drafts (2-5 pages, double spaced).

All stories due as hard copy final drafts and on turnitin.com on Wednesday, December 13.

Wednesday, December 5 ~ Short Story #7: A Piece of Chalk

For starters...Near the end of the story, John says, “Perhaps in the old days, they ate knowledge too fast.” What do you think he means? Are we “eating knowledge too fast” today? 

Discuss "By the Waters of Babylon" and J32. 

SHORT STORY VOCAB:

• Atmosphere - tells us the way a story makes the reader feel
• Tone - tells us the attitude the narrator has toward his subject and us.
• Theme - a central idea or statement that unifies and controls an entire literary work. For our purposes, a theme should be a lesson or insight.
• Motif - a recurring element, such as an image, reference, or even phrase which reveals the theme of the story.
• Foreshadow - a hint within the text about what will happen later. 
• Flashback - a method of narration in which present action is temporarily interrupted so that the reader can witness past events - usually in the form of a character's memories, dreams, narration, or even authorial commentary. 
• Practice: What motifs, theme, and foreshadowing did we see in By the Waters of Babylon. 

Short Story #7: "A Piece of Chalk" by G.K. Chesterton

• G. K. Chesterton (1874--1936) is staying at a house (perhaps a friend's?) in the country and decides to go out on the downs (rolling grass hills) to draw. While drawing he shares some deep thoughts about life. 

Journal 33

• Atmosphere: What feelings communicate to you?  Is this a scary environment?  A safe environment?  A jovial environment?  Is this a dull world of walking and chalk?  A wonderful world of walking and chalk? A deadly world or walking and chalk?

• Tone: How does it seem Chesterton feels about what he is writing on?
• What is Chesterton's attitude toward brown paper?  Nature?  The color white?  White chalk?  England, generally?
• How does Chesterton seem to view the reader?  Does he seem to be an intellectually superior Brit?  Does he seem timid?  Does he seem frank?  Do you picture him smiling or scowling or laughing or sneering or blankly staring? 

HW: Complete J33 and study for your Dangling Modifiers Quiz here. And here is yet another practice quiz.  

Tuesday, December 5 ~ Short Story #6: By the Waters of Babylon

Warm-up: Review your notes on Dangling Modifiers and then take this quiz. 


Short Story #6: "By The Waters of Babylon" by Stephen Vincent Benét




Journal 32: In pairs, discuss and note answers to the following questions.

1. To understand what is really happening in this story, you have to draw conclusions based on the writer’s clues and your own experience and knowledge. What do you think John is really seeing (and how are you able to tell) when he describes each of the items below? (You might want to work with a group to solve these puzzles.) 

• the Great Burning
• Ou-dis-sun
• the statue of a man named ASHING
• the temple in mid-city with a roof painted like the sky at night
• the caves and tunnels where John thinks the gods kept their slaves

2. Find a place in the story where John achieves a breakthrough, and explain what he discovers. How does the first-person point of view help you appreciate his breakthrough? 

3. Explain how the words of Psalm 137, verses 1-6, connect with Benét’s story. 

• "Longing for Zion in a Foreign Land"
  1 By the rivers of Babylon,
  There we sat down, yea, we wept
  When we remembered Zion.
  ² We hung our harps
  Upon the willows in the midst of it.
  ³ For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song,
  And those who plundered us requested mirth,
  Saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
  ⁴ How shall we sing the Lord’s song
  In a foreign land?
  ⁵ If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
  Let my right hand forget its skill!
  ⁶ If I do not remember you,
  Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth—
  If I do not exalt Jerusalem
  Above my chief joy.

4. Benét wrote this story in 1937, before the first atom bomb was invented. World War II and the Cold War are over now. Do Benét’s warnings about the complete destruction of a civilization still have relevance today? Why? 

5. Do you think Benét made the secret of the Place of the Gods too easy to guess, or too hard, or were the clues just difficult enough? Explain. 

6. What is the narrative perspective of this story?  How does this perspective play a role in the reader's experience and theme of the work?

HW: Complete J32 and work on your Christmas Blessing assignment.

Monday, December 4 ~ Short Story #5 Lamb to the Slaughter

Roots

• vac - empty 
• vert, vers - turn
• viv, vita, vivi - alive, life
• vor - eat greedily

This concludes your list of roots! 
QUIZ next week.
Roots will be a major part of your final, so keep your list handy for review!

Short Story #5 - Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl


Journal 31

•  Ten bullet points about the author, Roald Dahl. Click here 
•  Define irony. What are the 3 types of irony? Record these in your journal.

 J31 continued

1. What type of irony is evident in "Lamb to the Slaughter"? Explain your answer. (HINT: All three are in the story.)

2.  What influence does Mary's pregnancy have on the story?

3.  Why is Patrick's profession important?

4.  What is the origin and meaning of the title "Lamb to the Slaughter"?

5.  Why does Mary insist the police eat the leg of lamb?

HW: Complete J31 and continue working on your short story. Dangling Modifiers Quiz on Block (we'll review tomorrow).