We are already into week four of semester two! Most students are doing well, though a few are already starting to fall behind due to absences. It is vitally important that you meet with me or email me if you’re experiencing difficulty in class. I’m here to help!

I recently attended Reading For the Love Of It, a conference for language teachers that provides strategies, ideas, and resources to make learning more authentic, collaborative, and engaging. The problem with these conferences is the huge amount of information I bring back. It takes days to sort it all! Many of the sessions focused on inquiry learning, which basically means the students questions and observations become the heart of the lesson. This works well in English as we study novels this week. We have been focusing on critical literacy – the analysis of a text:

This week, we will continue focusing on these seven points to analyze novels. We will use an inquiry approach to help students get to the heart of the texts. This is way more rewarding than basic question-and-answer worksheets. Trust me.

ENG3U Grade 11 University English students are passing the exposition stage of Frankenstein and moving into the rising action as the plot and conflict between Victor and his creature develops. We will analyze character and conflict this week. If you’re a fan of Kenneth Oppel, check out his Frankenstein prequel series: http://www.amazon.ca/This-Dark-Endeavor-Kenneth-Oppel/dp/1442403160

ENG4C Grade 12 College English continues their examination of Crow Lake. We will be discussing character traits over the next few days as we move towards the middle of the novel. Students will also practice using quotes to support ideas and referencing in both MLA and APA style. Note that following Chapter 12, there will be a quiz. This is likely going to happen on Thursday.

ENG4U Grade 12 University English students will work on critical literacy questions for The Great Gatsby, examining Nick’s role as the narrator. We will also talk about symbolism and setting, (such as the green light, West Egg vs. East Egg, the Valley of Ashes, giant billboards) and how they contribute to the novel’s themes.

Have a wonderful week!

It will be an extremely busy week in each English class as we begin very thorough studies of the novels mentioned in the post below. It is extremely important that students do the reading, attend regularly to participate in class discussions and lesson material, and complete assignments. Falling behind by a few days can be difficult to make up.

The majority of lessons and assignments are posted in the pages for each class so if students are away, this will at least help with catching up.

ENG3U Grade 11 University English: You will be working on a Romantic Poetry Research Project for the next 2-3 days. If you end up going to Lakehead University on Friday, awesome. If not, that will keep you busy. Remember that your “Important Issues Essay” is due this week.

ENG4C Grade 12 College English: Many of you have not submitted rough copies of your essay to me. These must be completed by Tuesday, February 16 if you would like detailed feedback. It is important that you read Crow Lake regularly as this unit is fast-paced. You will be spending time studying the first seven chapters this week and then creating a writing assignment as a culminating task. Please see the ENG4C – Lessons and ENG4C – Assignments pages for copies if you need them.

ENG4U Grade 12 University English: Note the due dates for your essay and the requirements to submit to TurnItIn.com. You will be spending the week studying the first third of The Great Gatsby. The workload will be heavy, but hopefully conversations about the novel’s themes and characters are interesting. Refer to the ENG4U – Lessons and ENG4U – Assignments pages for copies of work you may require. On Friday, you will create a “digital collage” assignment. Here are the links that are referred to on the assignment:

https://wordsandeggs.wordpress.com/2009/09/16/throwback-thursday-1920s-illustrations-of-john-held-jr/

https://archive.org/details/worksjoh00held

http://ana-lee.livejournal.com/178989.html

Remember that if you need help with any assignments or course information, I’m only an email away. Best of luck this week. It will be challenging, but that is what we are here for, right?

We are two weeks into the second semester already! As promised, the second semester always flies by faster than anyone can anticipate. With all senior classes this semester, I think it’s fair to say that my students certainly did not anticipate how much of a blur things would be this month.

I need to take some time to thank my students. This week was a bit strenuous as Mrs. Wilson and I dealt with a baby-related health scare. Anyway, each class was awesome in my absence, very understanding, and very patient as I get things back on track.

Each class is at the tail-end of their first unit, (all classes have been focusing on essay writing) and completing culminating tasks. These include unit tests and longer argumentative essays on an important topic of their choice. Students will wrap these up after the long weekend as we begin the second unit in each class:

ENG3U Grade 11 English will begin studying Frankenstein, the Gothic horror novel that investigates themes of life’s purpose, blind ambition, and consequences of our actions. Many students have already read most of the novel, and I’m excited about the discussions we will have in class.

ENG4C Grade 12 College English students will explore Mary Lawson’s Crow Lake, a novel about tragedy and the strength of families. It’s a great story set in a small Canadian town and follows four children who come-of-age after dealing with a horrific event.

ENG4U Grade 12 University English will jitterbug their way into the lavish world of The Great Gatsby, where the American Dream becomes the focus amid a bit of a love triangle. It’s a great story, (and the Leonardo DiCaprio/Tobey Maguire film version is pretty sweet, too).

It’s almost long weekend time, so enjoy a few days of relaxation, essay writing, and reading. Remember to email me if you have questions or need assistance!