10/29/15

• POW: Italian sonnet:  "Sonnet 12" by Francesco Petrarch. Write a brief response (i.e. not a full essay) that explains how the speaker's perspective shifts in the poem. 

• College Admissions Essays: Writing conferences have concluded and final drafting stage is underway. Your final paper must be turned in by Wed. 11/4/15. 

• Short Fiction: For Mon. 11/2/15, read "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Here is a vocabulary list to help you prepare.

10/27/15

• POW: Italian sonnet:  "Sonnet 12" by Francesco Petrarch. Focus on shift and speaker's situation, but complete the usual full analysis.

• College Admissions Essays: Most writing conferences have been concluded (check schedule here) and final drafting stage is underway. Your final paper must be turned in by Wed. 11/4/15.

• Short Fiction: "We Show What We Have Learned" by Clare Beams
• The elements of fiction presentations took place today. You are responsible for the terminology, so get notes on the definitions / examples you might have missed. 

10/23/15

• POW: "The World is Too Much With Us" by William Wordsworth- In-class assignment: Write an explanation of the shift in the poem. This was turned in along with the annotated poem.

• College Admissions Essays: First drafts are currently under review. You should have a conference date (check schedule here) to discuss your paper with me.

• Short Fiction: "We Show What We Have Learned" by Clare Beams
• Groups collaborated for elements of fiction presentations which will begin on Tuesday.

10/21/15

• POW: HW due Fri. 10/23/15- "The World is Too Much With Us" by William Wordsworth-Analysis of Italian sonnet. Focus on shift, but complete the usual analysis.

• College Admissions Essays: First drafts are currently under review. You should have a conference date (check schedule here) to discuss your paper with me.

• Short Fiction: "We Show What We Have Learned" by Clare Beams
• Groups collaborated for elements of fiction presentations.

10/19/15

• POW: HW due Fri. 10/23/15- "The World is Too Much With Us" by William Wordsworth-Analysis of Italian sonnet. Focus on shift, but complete the usual analysis.

• College Admissions Essays: First drafts are currently under review. You should have a conference date (check schedule here) to discuss your paper with me.

• Short Fiction: "We Show What We Have Learned" by Clare Beams
• Discussion
• Clarification questions assignment
• Groups for elements of fiction presentations
• HW due Wed 10/21/15: Begin making notes / researching your assigned section of the elements of fiction list. 

Twitter Tweets!

I have made a closed Twitter account for students in English 4 AP only. It is an experiment to see if we can all use it to post items related to class. Every student who wants to participate can have the password to post, but the account is closed to the public. The idea is to share the AP Lit experience and keep it as a kind of record of our time together-- funny things, images from class, things we run into that refer to our class material.
You can follow the account from your own Twitter.
Next year, when a new group of new seniors joins, you will be the originators of the project and will be able to view, post and comment.
If you want to participate, the account is @WEHS_AP_Eng_Lit 
For the password, get the book we just finished. Go to the page that is the same as my room number. Look at the last two words on that page. The password is:
room number word 1 word 2 (all together)
###wordword

I know you get it, but for the record:
Please do not include others who are not in AP English Lit.
Please do not engage in cruel activity.
Let's have fun with it.

10/15/15

• POW
• Discussion / review of English sonnet essay test
• Discussion / notes on "How Do I Love Thee?" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Italian sonnet. We will work with the Italian sonnet for the next few weeks.

• College Admissions Essays: First drafts are currently under review. You should have a conference date (check schedule here) to discuss your paper with me.

• New Unit: Short Fiction
• Notes: List of  elements of fiction
• In-class reading: "We Show What We Have Learned" by Clare Beams
• Homework due Mon. 10/19/15: 
• Complete a second reading of the story, noting the following:

• unfamiliar vocab
• elements of fiction you happen to notice (plot, setting, conflict, character, point of view, theme, mood, tone)
• literary devices and their effect(s)
• 
  
• Write at least 3 clarifying questions. These are questions to which you might not know the answer but realize that the answer could clarify meaning in the story.

10/13/15

• Beowulf Exam

• College Admissions Essays: First drafts are currently under review. You should have a conference date (check schedule here) to discuss your paper with me.

• HW due Thurs. 10/15/15: POW- "How Do I Love Thee?" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Research Italian sonnet form and apply it to the poem. Also, annotate for vocab, shift, structure, devices, and topic / poetic idea.

10/8/15

View the Essay Conference Schedule HERE

• Beowulf
• In-class assignment: Genres in Beowulf (turned in today)
• TEST will be Tuesday 10/13/15
• Get the Study Guide here
• Here is the answer key for the character test
• Here is the pronunciation list for the characters and here is a video where I pronounce them for you. (The test will not ask you pronunciation, but this might help you review.)

• College Admissions Essay 
• First draft was turned in today. I should have received a hard copy of your essay (handwritten or typed) by class time whether you were present in class or not.
• Conference sign-up: Make sure you have scheduled a time to conference with me about your essay. There is a sign-up sheet in 143. Conferences will take place from Thurs. 10/8/15 - Wed. 10/28/15. You can view the schedule here.

IMPORTANT DATES:

• Tues. 10/13/15: Information night for UT and TAMU @ WISD Boardroom, 6 pm

ALERT for Job Shadowers

10/6/15

• Beowulf
• TEST will be Tues. 10/13/15
• Get the Study Guide here.
• Here is the answer key for the character test
• Discussion / detailed notes for "The Struggle Between Order and Chaos in Beowulf" by John Halverson. Use this guide sheet to make sure your notes are complete.

• College Admissions Essay
• Q&A 
• Resources:
• ApplyTexas University Search (application requirements by school)
• 8 Tips for Crafting Your Best College Essay (BigFuture)
• Common Application Essay Topics (Apply Texas and Common App)
• CommonApp.org school search
• Sample Essay booklet (passed out in class)
• HW due Thurs. 10/8/15: Turn in a hard copy (no email or Google docs) first draft of college admissions essay by today. It can by typewritten (use this format) or handwritten. Papers turned in after the class period on 10/7 will be read and given feedback, but will receive a grade of 0.

IMPORTANT DATES:

• Tues. 10/13/15: Information night for UT and TAMU @ WISD Boardroom, 6 pm

10/2/15

• 
  POW: Sonnet analysis test

• Beowulf
• HW turned in (Heroic Ideal)
• HW for Tues. 10/6/15: Read "The Struggle Between Order and Chaos in Beowulf" by John Halverson. Focus on vocabulary and find as many oppositional ideas in the article as possible. (Examples of opposite ideas = order / chaos, inside / outside)

• College Admissions Essay
• Q&A 
• Resources:
• ApplyTexas University Search (application requirements by school)
• 8 Tips for Crafting Your Best College Essay (BigFuture)
• Common Application Essay Topics (Apply Texas and Common App)
• CommonApp.org school search
• Sample Essay booklet (passed out in class)
• HW due Thurs. 10/8/15: Turn in a hard copy (no email or Google docs) first draft of college admissions essay by today. It can by typewritten or handwritten. Papers turned in after the class period on 10/7 will be read and given feedback, but will receive a grade of 0.

IMPORTANT DATES:

• Tues. 10/13/15: Information night for UT and TAMU @ WISD Boardroom, 6 pm