September 28- October 2

This week, we'll complete our final drafts of "How You Came to be in California" drafts and continue on our journey with the Joads in The Grapes of Wrath.

MONDAY/TUESDAY: Journal warm-up, share.  Notes: hyperbole.  Read Grapes Chapter 11 in class.  Begin chapter 13.  Using laptops in groups, write a sentence for a vocabulary word that shows you understand the meaning of the word, write on board.  Type draft of narrative on laptops, using rubric as a guide.  Upload to turnitin.com by end of class.

Due: Grapes Chapter 10 due.

Homework: Finish reading Grapes Chapter 13 for Thursday/Friday.  Study for vocab quiz on Thursday/Friday. Upload draft of "How You Came to Be in California" narrative to Turnitin.com

WEDNESDAY: Current event/issue day. Read and annotate articles, SOAPS analysis, discuss/debate, vote.  Short written opinion. This week's topic: Should College Athletes Be Paid?

Homework: (See Monday/Tuesday for Thursday/Friday above.)


THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Journal warm-up, share.  Vocab/Grammar quiz.    Grapes of Wrath reading overview.  Grapes of Wrath nominations for actors - exercise.  Go over rubric for final draft of narrative and examples. Narrative peer review, self-review on laptops, work time. 

Due:  Grapes, Chapter 13.

Homework: Finish and upload final draft of narrative to turnitin.com by:
Period 1 and 2: Monday night, October 5th at 11:00 p.m.
Period 5 and 6: Sunday night, October 4th at 11:00 p.m.

September 21-25

It's "Back to School Night" this week, so please mark your family calendar and ask parents and guardians to come to your classes this Thursday night, September 24.  We'll have a minimum day on Friday afterwards.  It should be a great week; students will get to see each others' Grapes of Wrath "Setting the Stage" projects hung in the classroom.

MONDAY/TUESDAY:  Journal warm-up, share.  Go over quiz results, talk about chapter 8.  We will be revising "How You Came to be in California" narrative passages, adding precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters (per 11th Grade California State Writing Standards).  Notes: figurative language and imagery.  Three more presentations. Read chapter 9 in class, class activity: what would you carry with you in an emergency?

Due: Grapes of Wrath through Chapter 8 read.  (5th and 6th - "Setting the Stage" assignment as well.)

Homework: Come to class on Thursday/Friday with 3 original passages containing figurative language or imagery about your narrative on a separate piece of paper. Study for vocab/grammar/reading quiz on Thursday/Friday, (there will be one reading question).

WEDNESDAY (5th and 6th only): Journal warm-up, share.  SOAPS analysis, read and annotate articles, class "stakeholder" debate, rebuttal, voting about surveillance cameras at high school.

Due: n/a
Homework: Continue homework from Monday:
Come to class on Friday with 3 original passages containing figurative language or imagery that will fit into your narrative. Study for vocab/grammar/reading quiz on Friday, (there will be one reading question).

THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Journal warm-up, share. Vocab/grammar/reading quiz. Work on "How you Came to be in California" narratives.  Receive Vocab/Grammar for next week.

Due: 3 original passages containing figurative language or imagery about your narrative on a separate piece of paper. 

Homework: Please read The Grapes of Wrath Chapter 10 and be ready to discuss it. 

September 13-17

Welcome to our third week already!  I'm looking forward to slightly cooler temperatures and continuing our introduction to the world of The Grapes of Wrath.  We'll look more closely at how the book was received and John Steinbeck's purpose, revise and refine the "How you Came to Be in California" narratives (real or imagined) adding precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters (per 11th grade writing standards), continue with the "Setting the Stage" projects and work on vocabulary/grammar for this week's quiz.  (All this in a toga, nonetheless - it's Homecoming Week!) 

MONDAY/TUESDAY: Journal warm-up, share.  Feedback for vocabulary quiz, Chapter 1 questions assignment, and journals.  Discuss Grapes of Wrath Chapters 4 and 5, work with vocab words for quiz Thursday/Friday.  Check-in about "Setting the Stage" project.  Discuss how a work of fiction can make an impact on society, and Steinbeck's Nobel Prize speech.  Discussion: are some books dangerous, and should they be banned?  Share 3 more "How you Came to Be in CA" stories.   Note: there will be two questions on the quiz from your Grapes of Wrath reading. 

Due: Grapes Chapters 4 and 5 read.
Homework: Read Grapes chapter 6, finish "Setting the Stage" project for Friday - A Day/Monday - B Day.      

WEDNESDAY (periods 1 and 2 - A Day):  Current Event Day: read and annotate articles with opposing viewpoints on a given topic. Small discussion groups.  Debate and discuss as a class.  Vote.  Short in-class writing assignment using articles and discussion as evidence to support your conclusion about the topic.

Due: n/a
Homework: Study for vocab quiz, finish reading Grapes Chapter 6, and finish Setting the Stage project for Friday (A Day only).

THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Journal warm-up, share.  Go over vocabulary and grammar.  Vocab/Grammar/Grapes of Wrath quiz.  Discuss Chapter 6.  Three more "How you Came to be in California" brief presentations.  Debate prep for 5th and 6th, finishing debate for 1st and 2nd period. 

Due: Grapes Chapter 6 read.  "Setting the Stage" project due - for A Day only. 5th and 6th period B Day, Setting the Stage projects are due on Monday.
 
Homework:  Read Grapes Chapters 7-8.  (5th and 6th - finish "Setting the Stage".)

September 8 - 11

I hope everyone enjoyed the three-day weekend!  This week, we'll meet the Joad family in The Grapes of Wrath, take our first vocabulary quiz, and write about how we/our families/guardians came to California.

MONDAY: Labor Day, no school.

TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up with vocabulary words.  Collect homework.  Discuss answers to Chapter One questions.  Four corner debate based on evidence from homework question.  Read Grapes Chapter 2 in class and ask volunteers to act it out. Discuss chapter.

Watch short video about Syrian refugee crisis and (if time) read and annotate articles with differing opinions about what the USA should do about it, if anything.  Class will compare similarities and differences between current refugee crisis and Grapes of Wrath migrant workers, and undocumented immigrants working the fields today.

Note: Journals will be collected at the end of class Thursday for a journal check.  One page per class session, except the first day of school. 

Due: Chapter 1, Grapes of Wrath and Chapter One questions answered for class.


Homework: Read Grapes of Wrath Chapter 3 and write a paragraph in full sentences describing how you/your family/your ancestors came to California, per the worksheet.  Be ready to present it.  Study for vocab quiz.


THURSDAY/FRIDAY:  Journal warm-up using vocabulary words. First vocabulary/grammar quiz. Students will take out their paragraphs about their family coming to California and review them for spelling and grammar.  Three volunteers will present.  Collect all paragraphs for credit.

Introduce Setting the Stage Grapes of Wrath project - student will be able to choose a project from a list that helps them envision the world in the novel.  This project will be due the following week.  Students may begin work on their projects in class while they listen to the audio version of Chapter 4.

Introduce SOAPS - method of analyzing text, use this on the articles/video we saw on Tuesday and other examples.  Students will receive the vocab/grammar list for the following week's quiz.  Students will leave their journals in class for a journal check.  One page per class session, except for the first day of school.

Due: Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 3 read, paragraph about how you came to be in California.

Homework:
Read Grapes Chapters 5 and 6 for homework, work on "Setting the Stage" Grapes of Wrath project.

First Week! August 31 - September 4

Welcome to the first week of school!  This week, we'll get to know each other, talk about your expectations of me as your teacher, my expectations of students, and what our goals are for the year.  We'll also get familiar with routines and procedures in the class, and warm up for an engaging, productive year ahead.

MONDAY:  (minimum day - all classes, 35 minutes per class) Find seats, welcome and introduction, journals passed out and started, share.  Receive syllabus, begin work on Interest Inventory Worksheet.  DUE: First journal entry, completed in class.  HW (Homework): Completed Interest Inventory Worksheet for next class.  Read syllabus and ask parents/guardians to read it, sign it and return it by Friday.

TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY: Journal, share.  Interest Inventory Worksheet activity.  Teacher/Student Contract exercise.  Overview of SAT changes.  Discuss syllabus, including upcoming units, procedures and routines.  Write one-page letter to yourself as a freshman.  DUE: Interest Inventory Worksheet.  HW: Finish letter for next class, bring signed syllabus to class. Work on gathering supplies (binder with tabs, per syllabus) for next week.

THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Journal, share.  Review procedures and routines.  Turn in letter.  Receive Vocab/Grammar for next week.  Gallery Walk.  Grapes of Wrath introduction including anticipation guide, video of Dust Bowl, Depression PPT.  Pick up a copy of The Grapes of Wrath for next week.   DUE: letter, signed syllabus.  HW:

• Get supplies for class (notebook with tabs per syllabus - will be checked next week), 
• read Chapter One of The Grapes of Wrath and answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper: 1. Why does Steinbeck spend so much time talking about the wind? What impression are we supposed to have of the conditions the people lived in? 2. Do men and women still handle setbacks differently?  Explain your answer with an example (from history, current events, science, a personal example - something specific and concrete). 
• Look over vocab words for next week's quiz on Thursday/Friday.  
• Ask your parents/guardians about how your family came to California.  We'll talk about this in greater depth next week. 

Welcome to English 3!

I'm Ms. Mogilefsky (also known as Ms. M).  I'm excited to work with you this year as we explore a variety of well-known books, short stories, nonfiction articles and essays that are an important part of the conversation about the nature of American life, past and present. 

In this highly interactive class, we will read American literature, as well as a wide range of nonfiction pieces – essays, memoirs, letters, speeches, articles about current events, literary criticism, and even scientific passages.   You'll also read books and articles of your choice as you work on research-based pieces, independent reading, current events assignments, debates, and other activities.  Themes from classic texts will be read and discussed alongside related current events, and you'll have a lot of opportunities to express yourselves verbally and in writing.  

I know junior year can be stressful: SATs, ACTs, extracurriculars, and SBAC testing at the end of the year.  All of the activities we'll work on will help you succeed and I look forward to a productive and enjoyable year with you. 

What to Bring to Class
Please bring the following to class with you every day: 

• 3-ring binder with the following section tabs: "Hot" tab, Vocab/Grammar, Writing, Current Unit, Reference Sheets

• Plenty of paper

• Pens or pencils to write with

• Current novel

I don't mind eating or drinking in class as long as you clean up after yourself and it's not disruptive to other students or the class (please, no sharing food during class time).   

Cell phones: I have a cell phone charging station in the front of the classroom where students may, at their own risk, charge phones during class time while they are set on silent mode.  Otherwise, cell phones must be completely turned off and put away in backpacks or purses or they'll be collected. Even adults (just about everyone I know!) struggle to keep from the distraction of a phone, and if it's out of reach and turned off it'll be easier for everyone.  This will help you to develop good habits for college and/or your work life and will help us maximize productivity during class time.

Procedures/Routines
I believe that English is the most important subject at school (every teacher thinks that about their subject, and I am no exception)!  In English 3, we'll work on reading, writing, speaking and listening skills that will help you achieve your goals in every other class at PV High, at university and/or on the job, and even in your personal life.  Because there is such a wide variety of skills we'll practice, I like to set up routines so that all of the aspects of English are covered and students know what to expect from class.  Here is the basic framework: 

Monday/Tuesday, 113 minutes: 
10 minutes journal time
5 minutes random sharing of journal answers 
15 minutes practice this week's vocabulary and grammar
80 minutes: work on current novel -  current writing assignment, debates, skits, presentations, etc. 
3 minutes go over any homework, file papers away in notebook, answer questions

(every other)Wednesday, 85 minutes:
10 minutes journal time
5 minutes random sharing of journal answers
65 minutes Current Events - (read and annotate both sides of a current issue, discuss/debate, vote, various writing assignments short and long supporting your position)
5 minutes summarize which skills we practiced,  go over any homework, file papers away in notebook, answer questions
 
Thursday/Friday, 113 minutes: 
10 minutes journal time
5 minutes random sharing of journal answers 
15 minutes quiz covering this week's vocabulary and grammar
80 minutes: work on current novel -  current writing assignment, debates, skits, presentations, etc.  3 minutes: go over any homework, file papers away in notebook, answer questions


Additional Info

Novels
The novels we'll explore together this year are:
The Grapes of Wrath
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Great Gatsby
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Their Eyes Were Watching God

We'll also work on a brief science and nature unit where we'll read and discuss a variety of ideas about the topic.

Journals
Composition books for journals will be provided.  Each day, questions will be posted in the front of the room and students will write a one page response in the journal.  Journals will be kept in the classroom and will be counted as an assignment for credit and checked at random intervals.  The reasons we write in the journals include:

• The questions connect what we're learning to your life outside of school.   
• This is one space where you can freely express yourself in writing.   
• It's a good way to settle down and focus on the material we'll cover.  
• Some of the questions will ask you to evaluate your own learning, and the value you're receiving by taking the class.  Taking ownership of your own learning and providing feedback to me will help me to address minor issues before they become larger problems.