May 31 - June 3

It's the last week of school before finals already!  Be sure to turn in any missing/late work by June 3rd and bring textbooks back to the classroom or directly to the library.

Here's what we have for the week:

TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Read sample college essays that have worked and discuss each sample.  Go through Common App and UC prompts and match them with your completed brainstorm sheet.  Which questions allow you to present anecdotes that are highly personal and reflect your best attributes?  More brainstorming/narrowing down.  Last half of class: type up very rough draft in the computer lab.

For this assignment, the minimum requirement is one of the following:
1.  One of the Common App prompts
2.  Two of the four required UC prompts
3. A community college, art school, or vocational tech school prompt (please include the link and prompt at the top of your essay).
4. For those that are not planning on going to school, but straight to work, a detailed and very personalized one-page cover letter emphasizing your strengths and why they are a match for the job in cover letter format. 

Due: Completed brainstorming sheet from last week.  Think about which prompt(s) you may want to answer.

Homework: Complete a very rough draft of your essay for the Common App or 2 short answers from the UC prompts.  Don't worry about word count at this point.  Make sure you can access your drafts electronically so you can work on them in class on Thursday/Friday.

Make sure your journal will be ready to turn in at the end of the next class period. 

THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Journal warm-up.  Read more sample essays and discuss.  Go through the final checklist for drafts: push for details, remove cliches, fix any diction/syntax issues.  Work time on laptops.

Due:  Journals will be turned in at the end of the class period.

Full rough draft typed out and accessible online (Googledocs, latest version in e-mail, etc.)

Homework: Polish up your draft with the Final Checklist and make sure it is within the word count parameters.  Have others read it, set it aside, them come back and read and revise it again.

Your final version is due to Turnitin.com on Monday, June 6 at 10:00 p.m.

Please note, due to how far along we are in the semester and the fact that this is your final for the class, NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED. Thanks for understanding.

May 23 - 27

We will finish CAASPP this week, and then begin our last tiny unit for the year!  I can't believe there are only 3 weeks left, and none of them are full weeks.  I am in the middle of grading all of the research papers and will have them completed by the end of Memorial Day Weekend.

Please take the opportunity this week to check your grade on Aeries and to turn in any late/missing work.  June 3 is the last possible day I can accept late work: this is posted on the whiteboard in class and I'll announce it each period as well.

The last 2 assignments for class will be turning in the journal on June 2 or 3 and then the narrative/college essay on June 6.  Be sure it's ready to turn in as I can't accept late journals this time.

MONDAY: (5th, 6th) CAASPP Computer Adaptive English Test.  Please bring homework or a book to read in case you finish the CAASPP early.

TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY:  CAASPP Computer Adaptive Math Test. Please bring homework or a book to read in case you finish the CAASPP early.

THURSDAY: (1st, 2nd) Journal warm-up.  Announcements.  Brainstorming activity for the final narrative/college essay writing assignment.   NOTE: Today's classes will be shorter due to the class competition assembly held during 2nd period.

FRIDAY: (5th, 6th) Journal warm-up. Announcements.  Brainstorming activity for the final narrative/college essay writing assignment.  NOTE: Today's classes will be shorter due to the minimum day block schedule.

Homework: Finish the brainstorming questionnaire you began in class.

Read the UC prompts and the Common Application prompts.  Begin to narrow down your topic for the college essay/narrative we'll write next week. 

Bring any English textbooks to the classroom or back to the library asap!

Have a wonderful three-day Memorial Day weekend!

May 16 - 20

This week, CAASPP testing will take place in English class.  Please follow the link for additional information:

http://pvhigh.com/california-assessment-of-student-performance-and-progress-caaspp/

MONDAY/TUESDAY: CAASPP testing.

WEDNESDAY: (no late start) CAASPP testing.

THURSDAY/FRIDAY: CAASPP testing.

May 9-13

Welcome back!  This week we'll finish One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and take the book test.  I've really enjoyed experiencing the book with you so far.

MONDAY/TUESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Discuss Part IV, Chapters 1 and 2.  Begin reading Chapter 3 together as a class.  Reminder about the final draft of the research papers that's due to Turnitin.com.  Silent, sustained reading for last 20 minutes of class.

Due: Finish reading Cuckoo's Nest, Part IV, Chapters 1 and 2.

Final version of research paper due on Monday, May 9 by 11:00 p.m. to Turnitin.com.

Homework: Finish the novel (Part IV, Chapters 3 and 4) and be ready for the book test on  Thursday/Friday.

WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Revisit previous current events and discuss updates.  Introduce next current issue/event.  View "The Hunting Ground" about sexual assault on college campuses, followed by discussion/debate about California's controversial law that was signed last year to combat this problem.

Due: n/a

Homework: Finish the novel (Part IV, Chapters 3 and 4) and be ready for the book test on  Thursday/Friday.

THURSDAY/FRIDAY:  Journal warm up.  Discussion about the book's ending.  Cuckoo's Nest test.  First 30 minutes of CAASP - English performance task lesson given at end of class.

Due: Finish Cuckoo's Nest, Part IV, Chapters 3-4 (end of book).

Homework: n/a.  I would suggest making sure that journal entries are full and complete; they will be collected the week after CAASP testing.

May 2-6

Happy May!  We are already one month away from the end of the school year.  This month, we'll finish the research paper, take a One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest book test, and begin our final assignment for the semester, the narrative essay (which can be used as one of your college essays juniors typically write over the summer). 

MONDAY/TUESDAY: Journal warm-up.  One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest group project presentations.  Research paper: peer edit/review rounds. 

Due: Hard (paper) copy of research paper! Your portion of the One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest chapter project.

Homework:Review the summaries written by students covering Parts II and III (to be posted Monday night) here.  Know what happens in the book for Thursday/Friday.

Using your notes from class, finalize the research paper and upload to Turnitin.com by Monday, May 9 at 11:00 p.m.


WEDNESDAY: (1st and 2nd only) Journal warm-up.  Any remaining presentations. Current event article, video, discussion/debate, and vote.

Due: n/a

Homework: Review the summaries written by students covering Parts II and III (to be posted Monday night) here.  Know what happens in the book for Thursday/Friday.

Using your notes from class, finalize the research paper and upload to Turnitin.com by Monday, May 9 at 11:00 p.m.

THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Journal warm-up.  Vocab/grammar/reading quiz (last one of the year)!  Read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Part IV. 

Due: Review the summaries written by students covering Parts II and III (to be posted Monday night) here.  Know what happens in the book for Thursday/Friday.

Homework: Finish reading Cuckoo's Nest, Part IV, Chapters 1 and 2.

Final version of research paper due on:Monday, May 9 at 11:00 p.m. to Turnitin.com

April 25 - 29

I've really enjoyed reading your research paper rough drafts with information about the job title you chose.  I am lucky to have so many interesting and talented students with such a wide variety of goals.

This week, we'll work on drafts and also work on a group project for Cuckoo's Nest.  Students will work in groups, but will each have an individual task to complete for a grade. 

MONDAY/TUESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Review Chapters 9 and 11 of Cuckoo's Nest.  Assign chapters to groups from Parts II and III of the book.   Students will have until Thursday/Friday to read their chapter, and then they will have time to work with their partners, presenting the chapters the following week.  We will also go over the drafts of the research paper, and work on paragraphing and transitions as a class.  Students will have time to work on their drafts on laptops in the class.

Here's a link that's helpful to look at when you're searching for a transition.

Here are some basic rules about paragraphing.

Due: Please read Chapter 9 and Chapter 11 of Cuckoo's Nest and make sure the working draft of your research paper is electronically accessible.

Homework:  Read your assigned chapter of Cuckoo and be ready to work with your partner on Thursday/Friday.

Be sure to save the work on your research paper draft and make sure it's accessible online.

WEDNESDAY: (5th and 6th periods only.) Journal warm-up.  Current issue: how some governors in the Northeast are battling the heroin epidemic, pros and cons of various solutions being proposed.  Read articles with opposing viewpoints, discuss and debate.

THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Journal warm-up.  Vocab/reading quiz covering Chapter 9, 11, and the reading of 15 in class.  Receive vocabulary sheet for next week (last one)! Research paper: in-text citations.  Work time on laptops.  Meeting time for group chapter presentations for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Due:  Read the assigned chapter for your group.  By the end of the period: group roles for Cuckoo Part II and III presentations on a piece of paper.

Homework: Finish work for Cuckoo presentation.

Bring a paper copy (a printout) of the research paper draft for a peer review next class.

April 18-22

We've begun our final novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and will continue reading that and working on the final drafts of the research paper this week.


MONDAY/TUESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Group activity: how does Kesey characterize McMurphy and Nurse Ratched?  What techniques does he use?  Begin reading Chapter 5 in class. Vocab story rounds activity.

Due: Read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest through the end of Chapter 4.
Read the first 4 chapters of Cuckoo's Nest.  (There are no chapter numbers in many paperbacks and online.  Chapter 4 ends on approximately page 41: the final words of the chapter are, "And, like I explain, the Big Nurse gets real put out if anything keeps her outfit from running smooth" (41).

These chapters will be on a quiz next week and also a big part of our in-class discussions.  Pay close attention to how Kesey introduces Randle McMurphy.

Homework: Finish Chapter 5 for Thursday/Friday.  What is the bet that the patients make with McMurphy?

Please bring interview notes for research paper for Thursday/Friday.  Be sure you can access your draft electronically.

WEDNESDAY: (1st and 2nd period only.)  Journal warm-up.  Current event/issue reading, annotation, discussion.

Due: n/a

Homework: Study for quiz on Friday, finish Chapter 5 of Cuckoo's Nest. 


THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Journal warm-up.  Vocab/reading quiz.  Discuss Chapter 5 of Cuckoo's Nest and go through 6, 7.  Read and act out scene from Chapter 8 in class.  Begin research paper final draft: work in interview and outside reading book into the body of the research paper draft.  Cite interview in MLA format:

List the interview by the name of the interviewee (last name, first name). Include the descriptor (either personal, e-mail, telephone, Skype, Facetime, etc.) and the date of the interview:

Smith, Jane. Personal interview. 19 March 2016.

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/09/

Due: Cuckoo's Nest, Chapter 5 read.  Interview notes for research paper.

Homework: Please read Chapter 9 and Chapter 11 of Cuckoo's Nest and make sure the working draft of your research paper is electronically accessible.  We will be working with the research paper next week, with the final draft due on May 3.

 NOTE: If you are reading an electronic version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, here are the first sentences of the two chapters:

Chapter 9: All through breakfast McMurphy's talking and laughing a mile a minute.

Chapter 11:  There's long spells - three days, years - when you can't see a thing, know where you are only by the speaker sounding overhead like a bell buoy clanging in the fog.