Field English B

Homework Due Thursday, April 24

2008-04-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

In your composition book, in a paragraph or more:

Describe everything in "Big Two-Hearted River" that could be there, or should be there, or was there before, or might've been there.

Homework Due Wednesday, April 23

2008-04-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

Read "Big Two-Hearted River" part II and answer questions in your composition book

Homework Due Tuesday, April 22

2008-04-21T07:47:00.000-07:00

Read Part I of "Big Two-Hearted River" and answer questions in composition book.

Homework Due Wednesday, April 16

2008-04-15T13:37:00.001-07:00

Answer questions for "The Hit Man" in composition book.

Homework Due Wednesday, March 26

2008-03-25T07:54:00.000-07:00

Come up with three possible essay exam topics using tales and songs from the list of everything we've read during this unit.

Homework for the week of March 17-21

2008-03-18T07:23:00.000-07:00

Students should be working on their Folk Tale Final Drafts. We will be addressing common errors in class this week. Final drafts are due Monday, March 24. Final drafts should be neat and reasonably error-free. They may be typed, but it is not required. Please do not type your son's final draft for him--it is a bad habit to get into; he must learn to do his own writing/typing. He has plenty of time. He should be chipping away at it this week, as there is no other English Homework. Skip lines (write on every other line) or use double-spacing on final drafts.

Homework for the week of March 17-22

2008-03-18T06:48:00.000-07:00

Students should be working on their Folk Tale final drafts, which are due Monday, March 24.

Homework Due Thursday, March 12

2008-03-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Read "The Wicked Stepmother" and answer questions in your composition book. Also answer this question: What are the main differences between this story and "The Juniper Tree"?

Homework Due Wednesday, March 12

2008-03-11T07:36:00.001-07:00

Read "Tam Lin" and answer questions in your composition book.

Weekend Homework? Maybe... March 8-9

2008-03-07T07:43:00.000-08:00

Work on writing your Folk Tale; rough drafts are due at the end of class monday, and we will have about 45 minutes to work on it during that class period.

Homework Due Wednesday, March 5

2008-03-05T05:27:00.001-08:00

Read "Mr. Fox" and answer stock questions in your composition book, plus this: what is the "it was only a dream" in "Mr. Fox"?

Homework Due Wednesday, March 5

2008-03-04T07:41:00.001-08:00

Answer the following question in your composition book:

Do you think the young soldier in "The Plains of Waterloo" is Willie Smith (or Reilly), or is impersonating him; why do you think so (based on the lyrics)?

Homework Due Tuesday, March 4

2008-03-03T13:05:00.001-08:00

Read "The Three Little Gnomes in the Forest" and answer stock questions in composition books.

Homework Due Monday, March 3

2008-02-29T06:30:00.000-08:00

Read "The True Bride" and, in your composition books, answer stock questions plus these: How do the screen and text versions of the story differ? Which did you prefer, and why?

Homework Due Thursday, February 28

2008-02-27T05:49:00.001-08:00

Read "The Robber Bridegroom" and answer stock questions in composition books.

Homework Due Wednesday, February 27

2008-02-26T15:16:00.000-08:00

Answer the stock questions about the song "The Outlandish Knight"

Homework Due Tuesday, February 26

2008-02-25T07:47:00.000-08:00

Read "The Frog King" and answer questions in your composition book.

Homework Due Thursday, February 7

2008-02-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

Complete 2nd letter final draft. Stamp and address envelope. We'll mail them out tomorrow.

Homework Due Tuesday, Feb. 5

2008-02-04T08:28:00.000-08:00

Write 2nd letter rough draft--at least 3 paragraphs.
BRING STAMPS, ENVELOPES AND ADDRESSES!

Homework Due Thursday, January 31

2008-01-30T07:10:00.001-08:00

Complete first draft of first letter--at least three paragraphs. The content is most important; we will work on the format later. Write the drafts in your journals or on notebook paper. Do not waste a piece of stationary on a first draft!

Homework Due Wednesday, January 30

2008-01-29T09:17:00.000-08:00

Get "Letter" letter signed by parents. Work on personal letterhead.

Homework Due Monday, January 14

2008-01-18T06:58:00.000-08:00

Read Lightning Thief through chapter 10.

Homework Due Friday, January 17

2008-01-16T06:52:00.000-08:00

Read Lightning Thief through chapter 8

Homework Due Monday, January 14

2008-01-11T06:33:00.000-08:00

Read Lightning Thief chapters 5 and 6.

Homework Due Friday January 11

2008-01-10T07:33:00.001-08:00

Read Lightning Thief Chapter 4

Homework Due Wednesday, January 9

2008-01-08T08:31:00.000-08:00

Read Lightning Thief chapter 3

Homework Due Monday, January 7, 2008

2008-01-04T07:47:00.000-08:00

Read Lightning Thief chapters 1-2.

We're reading the Lightning Thief

2008-01-04T06:51:00.000-08:00

During this unit--January and February 2008--we're reading The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. Reading schedule will be determined presently and posted here. In the meantime, please have a look at the book yourselves, parents, and encourage your sons to read.

Independent Reading Component 2

2007-12-03T07:31:00.000-08:00

Students have been reminded of their independent reading requirement for this unit. The report is due no later than Friday, December 21. Please review the guidelines given in the October 24 posting. Also, please note that we will not be using index cards--the October 24th posting has been edited to reflect this change.

Creation Myth Project Guidlines

2007-11-27T06:18:00.000-08:00

The project has three parts; the first two can be done in any order.

One part is written: in at least 500 words, write a creation myth of your own design; may be typed.

The second part is visual: using any medium (drawing, painting, collage, live action or animated video, sculpture, etc.), create a piece of art that represents your myth.

A third part is oral: present your myth to the class by reading the written part aloud and explaining the visual part. Be prepared to answer all questions.

Schedule (Note: there will be several short writing assignments in class and as homework—assigned daily):

November 26-30: In-class reading, discussion and writing. At least one in-depth in-class reading of selected text.

December 3-7: In-class reading, discussion and writing. At least one in-depth in-class reading of selected text. Brainstorm ideas for projects.

December 10-14: Turn in rough drafts of written part on Tuesday, December 11. Mr. Oldham will return these with spelling and grammar corrections and revision suggestions on Friday. We will continue with in-class reading, discussion and writing.

December 17-21: Present projects to class—sign up on schedule with Mr. Oldham. Each student is a participant in each presentation by being a thoughtful reader with constructive questions and criticism.

Due Dates for Hatchet Short Essay

2007-11-09T10:19:00.000-08:00

Monday, November 12: We will work on outlines in class
Tuesday, November 13: Rough Draft due
Thursday, November 15: Final Draft due

The essay should be at least one page long. I will give feedback during class on Monday while we are working up outlines, and on Tuesday I will respond to the rough drafts in writing before the school day is over. Students will then have two nights (plus in-class writing time on Wednesday) to make revisions. Students may type the essay.

The key thing, and the most difficult thing for students to grasp, is that I am interested in their insights. This is not a book report or summary; it is also not "what might've happened" or "what should've happened." It is an opportunity for the students to begin learning how to analyze the way the story works through focusing on a specific idea (Brian's complementary relationship to fire, Brian's symbolic death and rebirth [s], the symbol of the Hatchet, or even the symbolic nature of barfing in Hatchet--to name a few but not all--that we have discussed at length in class over the last few weeks).

I know this may sound somewhat advanced, but I would like to see what the students bring to this. I have emphasized that an essay is like a conversation with yourself. I have also emphasized that students need to use specific, quoted examples from the book itself. Many of the students are off to a promising start already. Some have explored multiple interesting topics in the short in-class and homework writing assignments this week.

The key is a focused topic and scope.

Homework Due Friday November 9

2007-11-08T07:47:00.000-08:00

Develop/Choose Essay Idea. Find 10+ quotable passages in Hatchet related to your idea.

Homework Due Thursday November 8

2007-11-07T10:51:00.000-08:00

Finish Reading Hatchet
Write for 10 minutes

Homework Due Wednesday, November 7

2007-11-06T11:23:00.000-08:00

Read Hatchet Chapters 15-17
Write for 10 minutes. Remember Andrew's Fire example from class!

Homework Due Tuesday, November 6

2007-11-05T06:29:00.000-08:00

Read Hatchet Chapters 13 and 14
Write for 10 minutes

We will be writing a lot in the next two weeks. We have discussed many approaches to thinking about Hatchet--parallel stories, symbolism, symmetry, narrative voice, and others. Each day, students will choose from a few different writing prompts. We will write in class, and I will also ask that they write for homework. The idea of these short informal writing assignments is to get the students thinking in terms of having a conversation with themselves, having them ask open-ended questions that they can seek answers for in the text and in their minds.

Students chose topics to explore today; tonight they should continue writing on the same topic, using examples from the text. Though it should be in full sentences, this writing is informal.

Homework Due Wednesday October 31

2007-10-30T07:19:00.000-07:00

Read Hatchet Chapters 12 and 13

Homework Due Tuesday 10/30/07

2007-10-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

Read Hatchet Chapters 10 and 11

No weekend homework!

2007-10-26T06:48:00.000-07:00

Except to think about your independent reading book, and read it if you've already gotten approved.

Homework Due Friday, 10/26/07

2007-10-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

Read Hatchet Chapter 9
Study for spelling quiz (words listed on Homework Due October 23 posting)

Independent Reading Component

2007-10-24T11:04:00.001-07:00

In class today (Wednesday) we introduced an independent reading component. During every academic unit, each student will be required to read one book in addition to the assigned reading, and to write a short report and bibliographic entry on that book. Students can receive extra credit for reading and reporting on other books. We will keep a file of book reports for the future benefit of students trolling for something fun to read. Books must be approved by Mr. Oldham.

The report must be at least 150 words in length, and include a plot summary, and a short description of the narrative style and point of view. Students may type the reports.

At the top of the report, students will write the book's bibliographic information using MLA style:

Paulsen, Gary. Hatchet. New York: Aladdin, 2006.

(in handwritten bibliographies, underline book title.)

The first report is due no later than Friday, November 16, and I will remind the students weekly of this date, and post reminders here one and two weeks before the deadline.

Homework Due Thursday, 10/25/07

2007-10-23T07:33:00.001-07:00

Read Hatchet Chapters 7 and 8

Homework Due Wednesday, October 24 2007

2007-10-22T11:22:00.000-07:00

Read Hatchet Chapter 6

and write sentences for (or a paragraph or paragraphs containing) each vocabulary word in the list in the Tuesday October 23 posting.

Homework Due Tuesday October 23

2007-10-21T15:26:00.000-07:00

Read Hatchet Chapter 5
Begin working on writing sentences for each word, due Wednesday, October 4

Immediately
Happening
Extensive
Amphibious
Absolutely
Commercials
Gradually
Diminish
Glacier
Pulverized
Saliva
Wednesday
Interlaced

Homework Due Monday, October 22

2007-10-19T06:56:00.000-07:00

Creative Writing:

Create a scenario (character[s], setting, situation] that parallels some mythological, cultural, or even scientific story or belief.

In class we discussed the way in which we could think about Brian Robeson, the main character in Hatchet, as sharing characteristics with the men of the Golden Age of Greece, Christianity's Adam, and even the Phoenix.

We also discussed some commonly known stories that might be effective in this assignment: werewolves, vampires, Adam and Eve, the Titanic, the Big Bang, Noah and the Flood, Evolution of Species. We discussed the idea that what we are creating is "Another Version" of some story that we already know well.

Homework Due Friday, 10/19/07

2007-10-17T11:13:00.000-07:00

Read Hatchet Chapter 4
Believable
Keening
Moderately
Remnants
Viciously
Write one sentence for each word; be prepared for spelling quiz for these words.

Homework Due Thursday, 10/18/07

2007-10-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

Read Hatchet Chapters 2-3
Altimeter
Dramatically
Microphone
Slewed
Spasm
Write one sentence for each word; be prepared for spelling quiz for these words.

Unit 2 Overview

2007-10-16T10:55:00.000-07:00

We will be reading Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. While both Field School English classes will be reading the book, the focus of each will be different. Class B will be attempting to read the book as not only a bracing survival adventure story, but on a symbolic level. We will also consider narrative parallels, notably with regards to Greek mythology. Our writing will be more extensive and will include both summary and analysis.

On a daily basis, we will practice writing on the word and sentence level with vocabulary from the book. Each day I will post a short list of words which students must use in sentences. Additionally, they should be prepared for a spelling quiz on each day's list of words.

I will post additional homework on this blog.

Homework Due Wednesday, 10/17/07

2007-10-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

Read Hatchet Chapter 1
Write down any mythological parallels that come to mind.