Monthly Archives: February 2014

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Writer’s Workshop

Objectives: Students will use the edit their essays after the grammar lesson. Students will also use the rubric to help them finalize the essay.

Aim: How do I vary sentence structure in my writing?

Resources:

Do Now:

Click the Workshop Link to review some grammar rules.

Mini Lesson:

1. Writing sentences with  various structure

Please click the link to see the workshop contents-

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/GRAMMAR/sentences.htm

2. Using transitions

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/GRAMMAR/composition/composition.htm

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/GRAMMAR/transitions.htm

Independent Practice

Focus for revision:

  1. subject verb agreement
  2. variety of sentence structure
  3. punctuation
  4. transitions

 

Select a specific area you feel you need support with, go to that page directly.

Homework:

  1. Read a story from the anthology by Karen Russell. Write five reading logs based on five different reading standards. ( click the link http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/337BF93A-95FF-4A48-9434-CE9EA0B70E06/0/p12common_core_learning_standards_ela_final.pdfand direly go to pages 52-53 ( 9-10 reading literature standards).
  2. Preparations for the Harlem Renaissance Project 

Resources: 

a. Read an article that provides detailed descriptions of the Harlem Renaissance movement. Read the article and  take notes to show your understanding of the movement. Organize your notes into sentences that explain what the movement was about and stood for. Cite one direct quotation that  highlights the spirit of the Harlem Renaissance.

b. Examine three works from the Harlem Renaissance period ( 2 poems by two different poets and one art). Write a paragraph based on each work discussing how each writer or artist  uses his/her artistic creation to chant in the movement.

c. Be sure to provide the citations( website url, author’s name, title, year of publication, etc) for all four sources ( an informational article about the Harlem Renaissance, two poems by different poets and a painting or collage).

 

 

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English Capstone Project

Capstone Project 2014-

For this project, students will read a Gothic novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelly and do research on the novel’s zeitgeist- historical, technological, maritime, industrial as well as autobiographical background to understand how the zeitgeist has played a great role in adding wings to Shelly’s imagination and her literary creation. Students will do research on these factors and use multi-media presentation to present their research. In addition to using visuals as part of the presentation, students will also use excerpts of the essay to explain, argue or support their assertion that they will derive based on research.  For each visual, students need to provide citations as well as captions. Through the project, students will gain deep understanding of the direct correlations between an imaginary work and it zeitgeist. Students will also come to understand that literary work is a representation of history, culture , ideology and language of a society; each reader renders his/her  judgment of the work according his/her  social, religious or cultural values.  Through literary works we see a microcosm of the society that exited more than a century ago. The work becomes a living “fossil” for us to study the world from which it was originated and in which it once thrived.

I. Before you read Shelly’s Frankenstein either for the first time or again, research and write about one of the four topics of your choice, below ( as a group, all topics must be covered). The essay should be no less than five paragraphs. MLA citation must be applied and a MLA style bibliography must be attached. To copy a line without citation is plagiarism. Keep that in mind when paraphrasing. Make sure you give credit every time credit is due in MLA Style.

  1. The French Revolution and the rise of Industrialization during the Industrial Revolution era.
  2. Science and technology of the Industrial Revolution era.
  3. Artic Exploration during the Industrial Revolution era.
  4. The Romantic era.

II. When reading a novel it is always important to have some understanding of the era during which the novel was written. Understanding the historical context of a text gives you, as a reader, a more holistic understanding of the thematic, social, and tonal elements woven within the text and between its lines by its author. Finally, as you read, keep a journal to illustrate how the facts behind your above essay topics were woven by this author into her work. You may comment about social implications and restraints, themes, or the author’s tone at a given time – as long as it is at least one paragraph per chapter.

III. Actively read Frankenstein, Mary Shelly, and complete your journal entries in a notebook. Try to enter as many comments as you can that relate to your above written essay topics because such notes are essential  for us to have a meaningful discussion to prepare for our final project.