Good Luck on your Regents Exams!

Don't forget to review for your Math and Living Environment Exams. If you have any additional review questions, check out my other blog (ESL) where I have the RegentsPrep Links. If you have an urgent question and cannot get in touch with your science/math teacher, please, feel free to email me. I'll try to help you in any way I can.

It was a pleasure to teach this class. You guys are great! Brandon deserves a special praise for earning an Honors credit. Way to go, Brandon. You wrote an excellent paper. Please, post it on your blog, so others can read it, too.

Have a great summer, kids! Don't forget to read!

Sincerely yours, Sakhno

Questions for Act III

1. In what matter does Kate advise James?
2. Annie compares words to what?
3. Annie defines obedience without understanding as what?
4. How does Helen behave during her special "welcome home" dinner?
5. Which family members finally agree that the right thing is to allow Annie to take over?
6. What happens at the water pump?
7. What object does Helen offer to Annie?
8. What does Annie sigh and whisper to Helen that shows she can now move ahead in her own life?

The Miracle Worker pp.48-71

1. What does Annie feel is her greatest obstacle with Helen?
2. Why does Annie have Hele feel the different expressions on her face?
3. How does Kate respond when Annie questions her for rewarding Helen for stabbing her with the needle?
4. For what reason does Annie insist everyone leave the diding room during breakfast?
5. Explain why before exiting the dining room James says to Annie, "If it takes all summer, general"?
6. Tell Kate's response to the Captain's demand that tell Annie to change her tactics or leave.
7. What happens after Annie finally gets Helen to take a spoonful of food from her plate into her mouth?
8. What does Aunt Ev remind Kate of after Annie chases them all out of the dining room.

The Miracle Worker Questions for Pages 23-47

1. What gesture does Annie use to indicate her mother?
2. How many treats does Helen secretly receive before dinner? Given by whom?
3. How do we know Helen is aware something different is about to happen?
4. What three advantages does Annie tell Kate she has over another governess?
5. Tell Annie's response to Kate's question "What will you try to teach her first?"
6. Does Kate like Annie in their first meeting?
7. How does Helen first respond to Annie Sullivan?
8. What word does Annie sign to Helen first? Why?
9. Why has Captain Keller become upset before dinner the day of Annie's arrival?
10. For what reason does James fetch a ladder?
11. Describe Annie's reaction to Helen spitting the hidden key out of her mouth and hiding it in the well.

The Miracle Worker - Act I

Study Guide Questions:

1. How does Kate discover her baby is blind and deaf?
2. Tell the number of years that elapse between Helen's infancy and the paper doll scene with Percy and Martha?
3. What does Helen do that shows she knows Percy is talking?
4. When Martha removes Helen's hands from her biting mouth, how does she react?
5. To which family member does Helen seems closest?
6. Why is Helen troubled by Aunt Ev's towel doll? How does she remedy the situation?
7. How does the family compensate for Helen's affliction?
8. When does Captain Keller agree to contact the oculist in Baltimore?
9. Helen's half-brother, James, holds what opinion of her?
10. List three pieces of information we learn from Mr. Anagnos' farewell conversation with Annie Sullivan at the Perkins Institute?
11. Name the going away presents Annie receives from Anagnos and the blind girls at the Perkins Institute.
    

Poetry

"Oranges" by Gary Soto - students review the elements of poetry -
Literary Focus - metaphor, simile, symbolism, imagery.
Speaking focus - prosody/fluency.

"On Aging" by Maya Angelou - students listen to the poem and learn to annotate by listening to the verse rather than reading it.
Listening Strategies - note taking and attention to intonation.
Literary Focus - speaker/audience.

"O What Is That Sound" by W.H. Auden (Textbook p.141) - a ballad is a poem that tells a story. It is meant to be recited or sung.
Literary Focus - form, rhyme, and rhythm.
Reading Focus - making inferences (Q/A).
Music - "Are There Any More Real Cowbows?" by the incomparable balladist - Willie Nelson.

"Incident in a Rose Garden" by Donald Justice (Textbook p.147) - author's purposeful deceit by a title. Do Now: What might the story/poem with this title be about?
Literary Focus: Figurative Language - metaphor, simile, personification.
Reading Focus: Visualization of setting, character, and events.

"Young" by Anne Sexton ( p.344) vs. "Hanging Fire" by Audre Lorde (p.345)
Literary Focus - finding a unifying theme in two poems through speaker/character analysis.
Reading Focus - Navigating through the syntax of Free Verse. Students learn to break up stanzas into smalfler sentences to better understand the poems.

Class Project - "The Seven Ages of Man" by what's-his-name who, we all agree, wrote fairly well.
This Dramatic Monologue from "As You Like It" will be annotated and performed as a class.

"Two Kinds" by Amy Tan - Independent Reading

Before You Read: Think about the expectations your parent/guardian has for you. What do they think of your talents? How are you living up to the expectations? Do you have your own plans? Record your thoughts as a journal entry in a separate post.

While You Read - answer the following questions:

• What is a prodigy and why does the mother want the main character to become one?
• How does the mother prepare her daughter for fame?
• What talents does the girl have?
• Why does she start the piano lessons and how is the mother going to pay for them?
• Describe the piano teacher
• What do Auntie Lindo and Jing-Mei's mother have in common?
• In your own words, relate the events of the recital.
• What does the author mean when she says, "I didn't have to do what my mother said anymore... This wasn't China"? page 97
• What words does the author use to describe her mother's disappointment in her?
• Why does Jing-mei come back to play the piano after her mother's death?
  

After Your Read - research online about the topics below. Find an article and a picture. Next to the picture provide a caption (5-6 sentences) that summarizes each article.

• Shirley Temple
• The Ed Sullivan show
• Beethoven
• Schumann
  
• Extra Credit - the Japanese invasion of China.
  

"Marigolds" by Eugenia Collier

Day 1 Aim: What do we know about the Great Depression?
Pre-Reading Activity: Video about the Great Depression in the US and world-wide economic recession. Students learn about the reasons for, the response of the government, and the affect on the lives of ordinary people of the Great Depression which followed the stock market crush of 1929.

Day 2 - Aim: What can we learn about the times from the description of the setting?
Quickwrite: What sight, sound, smell or feeling stands out from your childhood memory?
Literary Focus: Description of a setting.
Listening Strategy: comprehension skills of a difficult text.

Day 3 - Aim: How do I construct meaning by questioning the text?
Do Now: Vocabulary - poignantly, to trudge, futile, uproariously, inexplicable.
Literary Focus: the descriptive language of the childhood reminiscence (flashback).
Reading Strategy: Questioning the text. When a reader asks questions about the characters, setting, the use of language, and the events that take place, it makes the story more relatable and enjoyable.

Day 4 - Aim: What is a symbol?
Do Now: Draw three symbols. What do they mean?
Literary element: symbolism. What do the marigolds symbolize to the children/Ms. Lottie/the reader?
Reading Strategy: Cross-curricular bridge - the facts we learned about the plant (Biology) are directly related to its symbolic meaning in literature.

Study for Quiz: poignantly, to trudge, futile, uproariously, inexplicable, decay, sophisticated, retribution, monotonous, ostensibly.

Day 5: Aim: Can a story have two plots?
Do Now Vocabulary: unstifled, to sulk, malicious, to sob, particularly.
Literary Element: Parallel Plots.
Reading Focus: Organize information graphically to construct meaning.

Day 6: Can parallel plots converge?
Do Now Vocabulary: degradation, grotesque, caricature, redundancy, bewilderment.
Literary Element: establishing a unifying theme through parallel.
Reading Focus: connecting the dots of the plot/setting/characterization.

Day 7: Short Answers Review and the Critical Lens Essay.
Questions:

• Why does Lizabeth destroy Miss Lottie's flowers?
• How does the climax of the story begin a rite of passage from childhood to the beginning of womanhood?
• Why does Miss Lottie never plant marigolds again, despite Lizebeth's remorse?

Essay: Interpret the quote and use two examples (one from the story and one from your life/politics/movies, etc.) to support your quote.

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion." Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhist Monk in exile.

"The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint Exupery

Click Here for a Text and Pictures
Tuesday 3.4 - Aim: Why do people reminisce about the childhood?
Author study - students make text-to-text connections about how the experience of war makes people reminisce about the childhood.
Art - students look for symbolism in the illustrations.

Wednesday 3.5 - Aim: What is a Point of View?
Grammar: Personal pronouns
Literary focus - Point of View - Who is telling the story?
Reading Focus: finding the answers and deeper meaning in a children's book:

1. Who is telling the story?
2. Is it reminiscence? Why?
3. Why doesn't he trust the adults?
4. What does the narrator mean when he says that he would bring himself down to their level?

Thurday/Friday: How do I make a written response to literature?
Students learn to reflect and respond to the passages/chapters they read. This includes:

• making connections to themselves, other texts, and the world around them;
• thinking about the narrator and his/her reasons to provide the reader with certain information;
• looking for main idea and key concepts, as well as themes;
• enjoying the reading and reflecting upon favorite passages.

Teachers read aloud chapters IV and V and model their written responses.
Pre-reading activity: The Little Prince said, "Straight ahead of him, nobody can go very far." What does he mean?

Tuesday 3.11 - Aim: What are the elements of a fairy tale?
Students read on to recognize the elements of fairy tale vs. real life THEMES.

Wednesday 3.12 - Aim: How does Guided Reading Aid my Comprehension?
Copy the questions for chapters 6, 7, and 8, and answer them as you read. Be sure to look over the questions for each chapter before you start reading.
Literary Focus: symbolism, finding universal themes, paraphrasing, and interpretation within the context.
Reading Strategies Focus: question-guided reading, making inference, making connections (all previously taught)
Writing Strategies: personal response, restating the question, use of quotes, making general statements and/or specific textual references.

Chapter VI

1. How does the Little Prince manage to see so many sunsets?
2. Why is the narrator saying that the Little Prince's life is sad?

Chapter VII

1. Before You Read: Why do flowers have thorns?
2. While You Read: What types of things do adults consider "matter of consequence"?
3. Why does the Little Prince become so angry with the narrator?
4. How does the narrator try to calm the child down?

Chapter VIII

1. Explain the phrase "miraculous apparition".
2. Why is the flower called she, not it?
3. How does the flower "torment [the Little Prince] with vanity"?
4. What does this flower symbolize?

Thursday 3.13 - Aim: How do I question the text?
Students come up with at least four questions for each chapter (9, 10, 11).
Reading Focus: Questioning the text extends the meaning.
Literary Elements: questioning the use of elements makes the student review them.

Friday 3.14 - Aim: What do the adults of the Little Prince have in common?
Students will come up with various themes as a lead in to Tuesday's lesson.

Tuesday 3.18 - Aim: How can we understand THEME by looking at the characters of the Little Prince?

Chapter 15 questions:

• What is theme?
• What does the book say about life or human nature?
• What was the theme of some of the things we have read?
• Is there more than one theme?
• What is the author's view of society?

Summary: create a character inspired by the Little Prince that exhibits a certain trait. Either draw hikm or her or write an entry on your blog describing the character and the planet he or she lives on.

Wednesday/Thursday - Students review theme, main idea. Independent reading chapters 17 - end. Writing: choose to do a book report or a personal narrative based on the theme from the second part of the book.

Week #3 2.25-2.29

Monday/Tuesday: Writers' Workshop - Students create blogs, write personal responses and begin Essay #2 "Reminiscence of a group"
Task: As a member of a specific group (family, team, club, etc.) think of a memorable episode. Try to capture the details of a place and the people by providing interesting details. Develop your essay based on the guidelines on page 12 in your Sourcebook.
Homework for week #3 - pp.13-17 of your Sourcebook. In your blog create a new post called "Homework Week #3" and list specific descriptive details that authors use in their essays. When editing your own essay remember about how other authors use desciptive language.

Wednesday - Aim - Do you have Nerves of Steel?
Reading Strategies focus: Making connections.
Literary Strategies Focus: Characterization through thoughts.
Text: Tim O'Brien's short story "Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy?"
Pre-Reading/Do Now: read about Vietnam War (p.62). Quickwrite: write about a relative or a friend who has been in the war. What experience did they have? How would you feel?

Thursday - Aim - What do you do when you read independently?
Reading Strategies Focus: Independent vs. focused reading. Students read a passage pp.66-67. 1st time - by themselves and record their reflections. 2nd time - re-read the passage keeping the following question in mind. What does Private First Class Paul Berlin do to forget where he is? Divide the page in half for both sets of notes and compare in groups.
Literary Focus: Tim O'Brian uses patterns of repetition to highlight Berlin's state of fear.
Summary - Explain the quote: "War is not an adventure. It is a disease. It is like typhus." ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery How does it relate to the main character?

Friday - Aim - Why is Paul Berlin giggiling?
Reading Strategies Focus: making personal connections and readers' sympathy.
Literary Focus: Finding the patterns of Repetition.

Week #2 - "The Most Dangerous Game"

2.12 - Aim: How does Visualization help comprehension?
2.13 - Aim: What is Characterization?
2.14 - Aim: Does General Zaroff validate his actions?
2.15 - Quiz The Most Dangerous Game Text

Week #1 February 4-8

Monday: Aim - Writers' Workshop

• Students are introduced to the process of reading the task, brainstorming, and note-taking.
  
• Topic: personal narrative.
• Teacher models brainstorming, organizing ideas graphically, and taking notes.
• Students begin writing the first draft.
  

Tuesday: Aim - What does "status" mean today?

• Do Now: Write about things that people have to show their status in the society.
• Class discussion: why do people have the need to show their wealth? On the other hand, why do they try to hide their lack of money? Do those who show off have low self-esteem?
• Read-Aloud: Text "The Necklace" Guy de Maupassant
• Students make a T-chart that contrasts the protagonist's dream lifestyle and her real situation.

Wednesday: Aim - What information goes into Exposition?

• Do now: What is a story? Why do people tell/write stories? How many parts should the story have?
• Literary Elements Focus: Exposition is the introduction of the story. It is the part of the story where the main character appears, the setting is described, the tone is set, and the initial event takes place.
• Reading Strategies Focus: finding textual support for clarification and specific details. Why is the woman so unhappy?
  
• If Time Allows: Amirezza's podcast presentation on status symbols throughout history.

Thursday: Aim - What lies between happiness and misery?

• Do Now: What lies between hot and cold? Anger and love? Dead and alive?
• Literary Elements focus: Climax is the turning point of the story, the suspense reaches its peak, main character changes.
• Reading Strategies Focus: making connections to the text.

Friday: Aim - Does everyone learn from their mistakes?

• Do Now: Choose a topic for quick write

1. Can money buy happiness? or
2. Describe a selfless individual.

• Literary Analysis Focus: What a punchline! Why doesn't the author choose to explain what happened to the characters afterwards? - Discuss the emotional power of abrupt resolution.
• Reading Strategies Focus: Inference - What, do you think, will happen next to the protagonist? Her husband?
  
• Summary: answer the question posed in the aim based on your inferences.
  

Poetry Unit - January 10-14

The last part of this class is dedicated to poetry.

• Students are introduced to rhyme, rhythm, imagery, personification, metaphor, and theme.
• Text: poems by Hughes, Hugo, Garcia, and others
• Assessment: students listen and write down song lyrics of their favorite songs (classroom appropriate and in English) and identify rhyme, rhythm, imagery, personification, metaphor, and theme.

Black History Unit

January 7 - 9 Looking for Main Idea.

• Targeted Reading Skills:

  · Condense or summarize ideas from one text.

  · Distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information.

  · Compare/contrast information from one or more texts.

  
  

• Independent Reading: students read about famous African-American inventors.
  
• Writing: Students take notes in GoogleDocs - one sentence per paragraph that relates the main idea of each paragraph.
• Writing: students use their notes to write a report on African-American contributions to the world of inventions.
  

Athletes' Stories - January 2-4, 2008

Think of the athlete you most admire. What problems did he or she overcome? What helped them succeed? Search the Internet for stories about this person and respond in a paragraph by posting a comment to this post. Don't forget the following:

• Name of the athlete
• Sport
• Description of the problem
• Brief description of how this athlete overcame this adversity
• Do NOT use the same athlete from your biography project
• Use Standard English