English 12

Thursday SLOMO -  https://vimeo.com/59749737 1. Poetry QUIZ. 2. Time to write SLOMO response. This is the second to last response of this kind that you will do for now.   During viewing: come up with a symbol to represent SLOMO and take notes about the 3 levels of reading.  After viewing:  “The people who are cheering for SLOMO are cheering for the one person who got away… who escaped and got to real freedom.”   Analyze  the film’s depiction of  freedom  in your response - discuss the techniques used (level 2 reading) and how they make the BIG IDEA (level 3 reading) of the film apparent.  Make a plan before you begin to write! Techniques (level 2 reading) of filmmaking: narrative  - the story cinematography  - how the camera shapes our perspective: framing, lighting, colour, pans, tilts, angles, tracking sound -  dialogue, sound effects, music mise-en-scene -  sets, locations, actors, props, costumes,...

Thursday Reading banned books Complete Assignment Log for the Nerd Alert response. Paste the Nerd Alert response into “your locker.” Then show me please. Katheren Vermette - Métis writer. CONTENT WARNING reminder - look at an interview (on class blog)   with Vermette. After reading - look at the handout for a “Close Reading” of a poem. Pick one of Vermette’s poems (blue jay, family, or northendluvsong) and do a close reading by annotating the poem copy you received. Remember the 3 levels of reading - 1. basic comprehension of the words on the page  - 2. How does the poet say what she says - structure, diction, figurative language - 3. Evaluate, interpret the BIG IDEAS in the poem - what is the message about life, the universe and everything? Write a stand alone response to one of Vermette's poems. Discuss one of the poems and the following quote from Vermette: “ I wanted to show the beauty of broken things.” Don’t forget the requirements for a quality stand al...

Thursday Library to get term novel The Dumka - look at responses that got a 6, 2, 1 Yes, No, But video -   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O-YbCBblhk   start at :15sec    food for thought before you launch into your stand alone text response about "Nerd Alert” The response is due Friday, September 16. Don’t forget to hand in or you will have to come see me the following Friday! Wednesday Blending quotes "Nerd Alert: Reading is Good for Your Health” - review what makes a quality “close reading” and annotation. Why are we doing this??? Look at the blog for some tips on close reading. RE-read the text and add more depth and detail to your annotation. "Reading a good book can help you connect with your fellow human beings.” Make an assertion about the text / this idea. Collect three quotes that support your assertion.  You are going to write a response to “Nerd Alert” - but before you do that: what are the criteria for a quality stand alone...

Thursday 1. Look over the stand alone response written in class yesterday about "Ordinary Life." The class' responses showed strengths in the following areas: sophisticated vocabulary, strong understanding of irony, good focus on the question, strong sentence structure. What we need to work towards is the ability to think deeply about a text and analyze/interpret it in a short time span - not just for the exam - but as a lifelong ability. Today we will discuss irony in the poem and "thinking deeply." 3 types of reading: on-the lines, between the lines, beyond the lines. 2. Go over the multiple choice questions about the poem "Ordinary Day." Mark your own. Discuss how to tackle multiple choice questions. 3. Look at how to embed quotes and practiced the poem response write again with a partner using blended/embedded quotes. Wednesday Attendance Course outline (see below) & Course blog & Folders Look at the structure of the ...

Tuesday Typical markers' report Original Composition   It is important that students recognize the original composition as the "showpiece" of their exam.   This is their chance to impress their readers with their maturity, imagination, depth of thinking, and writing skills. Compositions that are overly general, predictable, or shallow neither impress nor engage the reader.   Similarly, attempting to shock the reader by focusing on inappropriate or offensive subject material is rarely successful.   This topic begs for a single, well-developed example or anecdote, the "certain experience" stated in the prompt.   The use of specific, effective detail, coupled with an insightful examination of the changes brought about by the experience will lead to a more engaging, impressive response. Students would be far more successful spe...