English 4 & 4H: 1/30,31/12

1. Explain: all grades are completed and posted for midterms. Work can be made up but will not be added in time to come out in midterms. Issues with long overdue make up work.



2. Students are given 45 minutes or more to complete the following: A. Make up work; B. Print ad assignments; C. "Rape of the Lock" (ROTL) questions; D. Gulliver's Travels questions; E. Vocabulary homework; F. Study for coming tests.



3. Gulliver's Travels questions are due today



4. ROTL questions are due next class (2/1,2/12)



5. Vocabulary test 3 is next class and homework will be due then



6. ROTL test is next class and questions are due



7. Students are to copy the 13 items that will be the basis of the writing assignment grade (rubric) and keep it in their project folder in the back of the room.



8. Students will do a joint brainstorm for persuasive writing topics.

Drama: 1/30/12

1. Students are broken into groups to practice and rehearse their parts.


2. By this time, students should have designed and have acquired their costume; should have designed their performance; should have researched their time and character for questions and answers; and have all their materials ready in class daily.


3. Students will be individually assessed today through one on one interviews

English 4 & 4H: 1/27/12

1. Advertising 4: Final piece of the analyze a print ad project. Students are to answer the questions. A picture of the overhead will be posted on this blog.
2. Handout: "Misusing Evidence and Logic." Assignment: read this handout by next class and have it with you in class every day.
3. Students have the rest of the period to complete the work began last class on "The Rape of the Lock" questions and the "Gulliver's Travels" questions.
4. Reminders: Vocabulary 3 test on Wednesday and Thursday (whereof to clarion) and homework due. "The Rape of the Lock" test on Wednesday and Thursday after the vocabulary test.
5. Due dates: Finish Gulliver's questions by next class, 1/30 or 31. Finish "The Rape of the Lock" questions by 2/1 or 2 (the day of the test).

Drama: 1/27/12

1. Reminders for notebook, costume, blocking, performance bag, and other timely deadlines and actor necessities.


2. Patty Morris leads and directs today.


3. Focus on the Imagination Game: closing your eyes and envisioning all the details of your costume, character, and presentation.


4. Doing it: Groups and individuals practiced in front of the class: A. Being in character; B. Q and A interactions; C. Drawing and including the audience in; D. Working with what you know and don't know

English 4 & 4H: 1/25,26/12

1. Reminder of all late make up work
2. Handout: "The Rape of the Lock" questions assignment. Students are to complete the questions and assignments on the sheet by 2/1,2/12.
3. Test coming on "The Rape of the Lock" on 2/1,2/12. This is the same day as the vocabulary test and homework.
4. Handout: "Gulliver's Travels" assignment questions. Introduction to video analysis. Students are to complete the questions on the handout and have completed by beginning of next week.

Drama: 1/25/12

1. Costume review and problem solve
2. From this point forward, students are to be in character and rehearsing their character every time they walk into the doors to class.
3. By this Friday, students should have their performance completely mapped out
4. There are three parts to the performance: A. Costume and props complete, accurate, and in good order; B. Acting part of performance - stories or whatever; C. Q and A readiness
5. I'm still waiting for blocking information.
6. Pat and Margie are here for work on costuming and other essentials

English 4 & 4H: 1/23,24/12

1. Hand out papers to current time.


2. Discussion -- why the zeros -- cause of grades -- damage poor performance has.


3. Groups 1-5 present their information in preparation for reading "The Rape of the Lock"


4. Read aloud "The Rape of the Lock" with pauses for help, explanation, and instruction.


5. Questions on the story will be forthcoming. Reread and study as needed.


6. Reminder: Vocab test 3 will be February 1 and 2. The words are "therof" to "clarion"

Drama: 1/23/12

• Remind that costume and blocking documents are past due


• Go over map and alignment of where everyone will be, how the skirmish will take place, and more details


• Work on notebook and all notes and information necessary for success


• Break into rehearsal groups. Each is to get into character, practice their lines, practice their interactions, find their weaknesses, find solutions -- rehearse.

English 4 & 4H: 1/19,20/12

1. Students were to get their folders from the back and do step 3 on the advertisement project. All steps in the process are being posted on the back wall for student make up.
2. Picture of the step 3 requirements is included in this post.
3. Process for reading and interpreting "The Rape of the Lock". Students were broken into groups of 3 or 4. Each group had a preparation assignment: One looked up unfamiliar words; one looked up unfamiliar references; one examined the Sparknotes summary for Canto 3; one examined Sparknotes summary for Canto 1; and one examined Sparknotes summary for Canto 2.
4. Each group will present to the class in an effort to pave the way to reading the poem and interpreting it. Students will face a battery of analytical questions following the reading. The goal is for the students to grasp the power and importance of the piece in persuading and cultural politics.

Drama: 1/20/12

• Displayed map and layout of the tent and related areas for the performance at Olustee
• Covered all planning and necessities up to this point, including refreshments
• Read "Clothes Makes the Man" and spoke of getting in and staying in character, and the importance of public manners
• Read excerpts from "Letters from a Civil War Surgeon" to demonstrate the horrors of war, the appropriateness of the hearse in the parade, and the demeanor of the reenactors.
• Long discussion and explanation related to the culture and mores of the time of the civil war. We focused on the importance of being living history and being in the character of the times.

English 4 & 4H: 1/17,18/12

1. Study, review, and take vocabulary 2 test


2. Turn in vocabulary homework


3. Take up make up work for lost points due to being late


4. Students do step 2 work on the print ad. All this work is in the folders at the back of the room.


5. Step one and Step two assignments are posted on the back wall.

Drama 1/18/12

1. Share photos of tent site and all that is being done for us.


2. Handout related to Morriss notes and instructions. Went over handout in detail.


3. Shared examples from various materials: what was life like in 1910


4. Today is the last formal research day. Morriss' will be back on Friday. From Friday on, students need to consider them in rehearsal mode. From that time on they need to expect to be called on any time to be in character and act in character.

English 4 & 4H: 1/13/12

1. Continue to take up make up work. Work will be for late, lost points after today.


2. Assignment-- literature book: Read and take notes over pages 596-599. Turn in notes.


3. Discuss reading, Alexander Pope and satire.


4. Assignment: print ad: do step one -- Identify and label the following elements in your ad: A. Text: number in order - 1 for primary (biggest and most dynamic) to weakest (the larger the number, the weaker); B. Logo if there is one; C. Slogon if there is one; D. Graphic elements: number in order from 1, most dynamic to ____ for the weakest.


5. Turn in completed print ad work in the folder, and turn the folder in

Drama: 1/13/12

• Today was a special training day with our guest experts, Patty and Jonathon Morriss. They spoke to the class about the styles and movements and all related to street theatre. They will be working with students as a whole, in groups, and as individuals on Fridays in preparation for the Olustee Performance.

English 4 & 4H: 1/11,12/12

1. Make up work all due on or before Friday. Points will be taken off after Friday. A. Bell ringer on morality; B. Bell ringer based on fixing society, lit book page 548; C. Fact/Opinion list; D. "If it were me" informal essay.
2. We have also taken the first vocabulary test and turned in the related homework. This can be made up any time.
3. Passed out class folders. Inserted contents page with first label. Filed assigned print ad for later work. Took up.
4. Complete history review based on Unit 2, beginning on page 287 and Unit 3, beginning page 550. Focal points were the changes in the people and the ruling authority; the culture and communications climate of the times, and the source of the literature we are to read based on the life of the people. Relate with parallels to students' lives and times

Drama: 1/11/12

1. Covered notebook expectations and requirements
2. Covered daily journal required for class each day. The journal has to list what was accomplished during class and has to be initialed by me for credit.
3. Spent most of period working with Ms. Pat and Ms. Margie from the museum. Focus was the importance of details, going over the handout, identifying and clarifying all issues related to costuming.
4. Handout: talking points regarding Columbia County during the Civil War
5. Go over all reminders and deadlines, especially for this Friday
6. Good news: visiting speakers on Friday to talk about street theatre

English 4 and 4H: 1/9,10/12

1. Review for test and turn in vocabulary homework


2. Take vocabulary 1 test


3. Next vocabulary test is 1/18,19/12 over the words "critique" to "inconsiderate"


4. Take up and deal with any issues related to Fact/Opinion list. Late after this Friday


5. Take up and deal with any issues related to "If it were me" essay. Late after this Friday.


6. Discuss inference and the impact of "If it were me" imagining on reading and comprehension


7. Assign: find an interesting print advertisement and have it with you next class


8. Mary Lewis writing: It's all in the details. Show the class the value of examples and illustrations. Class discussion with many examples. Call examples out of class and have them evaluate the increase of understanding gained by the examples.


9. Handout movie permission form for them to return, signed.

Drama: 1/9/12

1. Go over complete details related to what we know about the plans for Olustee at this point


2. Make sure all students have signed up for their presentation at Olustee or classroom


3. Sign up students for service projects as ambassadors, tent techs, or museum


4. Announce the coming speakers on Friday and what they have to offer


5. Discuss expectations for performance, and due dates: Costume due this Friday, blocking due this Friday


6. Give students time to work in decade groups to create talking points and rehearse

English 4 & 4H: 1/5,6/12

1. Bell Ringer: page 548, "What can fix society's problems?"
2. Discussion of bell ringer, the introduction of journalism in English history, the change for middle class voice, the importance of voice
3. Reminder, reassign the Fact/Opinion assignment. Take up the ones complete, and reassign for those who have yet to do it with Q & A to make sure all understand
4. Read "Journal of the Plague Year" from page 580 to 586
5. Assign informal short essay based on reading, "What if it were me?" Students are to put themselves of the place of the narrator and learn to infer details/understanding from the use of their imagination
6. Vocabulary reminder: test Monday and Tuesday. Any written vocabulary assignment will be accepted if it proves they studied for the test.

Drama: 1/5-6/12

1. Pass out past work
2. Go over grades that are posted and answer questions
3. Sign up for Olustee, service, or class room project
4. Go over, explain, and assign costume by next week. Students are to begin gathering costuming. They are to know exactly what they need, what they have, and what they will have to get by next Friday.
5. Students are required to have blocking form turned in by next Friday. The form includes a list of props, set pieces, and a sketch of stage requirements as modeled on the board in class.
6. Students were broken into groups by historical decade and given time to work on talking points cheat sheets.
7. Students were introduced to writersdreamtools.com as a place to find much information for cheat sheets.

English 4 and 4H: 1/3,4/12

1. Bell Ringer: What is morality? What does it mean? Who does it help or hurt and why? Give clear examples (Mary Lewis: point, support, example/illustration)


2. Discuss 1 above in class with the question as to "Why this topic?" Deal with the issue that 7 students lost important scores due to plagiarism.


3. Discussion/explanation related to employability skills applied to general class trends, especially zeros to failed grading periods


4. Pass out papers from last semester.


5. Explain my grades; round ups, extra credit, and more. Reminder to all students to ask and about my availability to help.


6. Handout: Unit 3 vocabulary. First test is over "coronation" to "aesthetics" on 1/9,10/12.


7. Discuss persuasion. Do most people rely on facts or on emotion/opinion?


8. Assign: choose a commercial or topic or experience; briefly explain; make list of provable/fact and not provable/opinion. Due next class.

Drama: 1/4/12

1. Welcome back


2. Deal with issue of plagiarism and values on cheating


3. Meet with Ms. Wilks and shared classes to discuss all current information related to Olustee Festival; do and clarify sign up; distinguish between service, performance, and class projects; go over details of history with many examples; outline expectations and requirements; and examine benefits of the process and program.