April 1

Happy April Fool's everybody!

Today we will discuss authorial intent as well as the ending of "The Yellow Wallpaper". We will also have a review for our quiz for tomorrow.

Aim: Why did Charlotte Perkins Gilman write "The Yellow Wallpaper?"
Do Now: Handout - available here:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfrxjvg8_4fr5nbsf6

Classwork: We will read Charlotte Perkins Gilmans' article "Why I wrote 'The Yellow Wallpaper' and discuss author's point of view and authorial intent. Please keep in mind question 3 from yesterday for this discussion.

Another handout that will be useful: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfrxjvg8_5htv329dd

Don't forget about our quiz on Thursday!

Tuesday, March 31

Today we will finish our reading of "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

EQ: What does it mean to be crazy?
Aim: What does the protagonist see within the wallpaper that makes her change so drastically?
Do Now: Yesterday, most of you noticed the names that John called his wife. What are some of those names? Why does John call her these names? Do you think this is appropriate?

Classwork - We will read (independently) from the top of 6 until the end (page 9). You will be looking for evidence of our protagonist's descent into madness and how she changes throughout the story.
Answer the following questions (this will be collected):
1) How does the protagonist change throughout the story?
2) What is in the wallpaper?
3) Why do you think the author wrote this story? What was she trying to say?

Vocabulary for the day's reading:
Flourishing - to grow, thrive, achieve success
Misconstrued - misinterpreted
Subdued - lacking in vitality, intensity, or strength
Arabesque - an ornament or style that employs flower, foliage, or fruit and sometimes animal and figural outlines to produce an intricate pattern of interlaced lines


Remember our quiz on Thursday!

Monday, March 30th

We will continue our reading of "The Yellow Wallpaper" today.

EQ: What does it mean to be crazy?
Aim: How can we relate to the stories that we read?
Do Now: Handout - can be found here: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfrxjvg8_3kvnq45ft

I am also going to have you do some independent reading today, underlining John's reactions to the protagonist. We will read up to the top of page 6.

You will also answer the following questions:
1) How would you react to the protagonist (if you were John)?
2) Do you think the narrator's account is reliable? Why or why not?
This will be collected.

We will hopefully finish this story by Wednesday and have a quiz (your benchmark) on Thursday.

Friday, March 27

Today we have really brief periods (only 27 minutes each) so we won't be covering anything new. I know that a lot of you won't be in class today so don't worry too much about the work. We will be doing a story writing activity (those of you that have had me before know how much fun it is) and you will receive extra credit for coming and doing the work today.

On Monday, we will continue with our reading of "The Yellow Wallpaper" and hopefully finish it by Tuesday. We will then begin reading some poetry and start writing our first essay (a task 3 Regents type essay) where you will compare "The Yellow Wallpaper" with the poem "Richard Cory" by Edwin Arlington Robinson.

Have a great weekend guys and gals.
See you Monday.

Thursday, March 26th

We will continue with our reading of "The Yellow Wallpaper" today. I will also hand out journals to you. If you have one from last cycle you can use the same one.

Essential Question: What does it mean to be crazy?
Aim/Understanding Goal: How does the protagonist change while in the room?
Do Now: Imagine that you are in solitary confinement. You have been stuck in a room for five days with nothing but a bed and a toilet to use. Food is brought to you through a small window, your only interaction with anything from the outside. Describe what you feel, what the room smells like, what you taste, what you hear, and what you see.

Also, I'm glad that a number of you have signed up for this site but there are still some of you that haven't. Please keep in mind that you will be getting your first homework grade just for signing up.

Wednesday. March 25

Hi guys, missed you today.

In case you were absent (I was out today) I am posting the work that was left with the sub. This counts as classwork so please make sure you complete it and get it to me by Friday.

The story can be found here:
http://www.classicshorts.com/stories/sniper.html

You must complete the two pages that go with story (comprehension questions, vocabulary, and story elements). These can be found here:

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=F.d90d8bcf-689e-47c3-a477-4d2f2d9c9191

See you tomorrow.

P.S. Don't forget about Parent-Teacher Conferences tomorrow night and Friday.

Day Three - Tuesday March 24th 2009

Today we will continue our reading of "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

EQ – What does it mean to be crazy?
Aim: How can loneliness make someone descend into madness?
Do now – What do you think it means to be crazy?

Here is a link to today's classwork.
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfrxjvg8_2f48zr8xx

I will be absent on Wednesday but I will be leaving work for you.This counts as a classwork grade and will be collected. Please do it.

Day Two - 3/23/09

We will begin classes tomorrow by going over some basic rules again(for classwork) among other academic expectations. I would also like to get a list of email addresses from all students and have you sign up for this site. Also, I will give out folders and journals.

After all of that clerical stuff is taken care of, we will begin our first class text. It's called "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Those that are absent can access the story here http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/yellowwallpaper.pdf . I will hand out copies in class. It's a great story about descending into madness which will lead us right into our book.

Day One - Friday March 20th

If you were absent on Friday (shame on you) you didn't miss too much. We went over some basic classroom guidelines and expectations for the class. Here is a handout given out in class with an outline of these rules.

To all English 5 students:

Welcome to your third cycle of English at North Queens Community High School. I would like to use this letter as an opportunity to explain to you some of the expectations and procedures that you can expect in our classroom. By following these guidelines you can ensure that you will be successful and that you will maintain a positive classroom environment for yourselves and every student in our community.

Classroom Rules:

1. Be On Time

Please do your best to get to class on time. I understand that the halls may be crowded but it is more than possible to get to class before the late bell rings. Every class will begin with a Do Now assignment that will count toward your final grade so it is crucial that have ample time to complete the task.

2. Be Prepared

This means having your paper, pens, books and homework ready. You are responsible for bringing the correct materials to class. You must have a working pen or pencil every day! Do not expect that another student or teacher will have one for you to borrow. Be advised that I will perform random notebook checks, which means that your notebook must be with you and in order every day.

3. Be On Task

Class work is important. From the second you walk in to the room until the second that you leave, everything that you do counts. When you walk in, you are to copy down the Essential Question/Aim. Understanding Goal, and the Do Now. If I give you a worksheet to do in class you are expected to do it.

4. Be Respectful

Of Self:

· You are responsible for yourself. In my classroom, you need to act in an appropriate, mature and respectful manner.

· Attendance is mandatory. In order to pass my class, you need to show up. Attending class only two or three times a week or only when you feel like it is not acceptable. Think of school as a job, if you don’t show up – you get fired. If you don’t come to class – you fail.

· Turn in your assignments on time. Late assignments may result in a grade deduction.

· Cheating on an assignment, project or test or plagiarism on a writing assignment shows a lack of respect for yourself and your peers. Cheating is a serious offense with serious consequences and will not be tolerated in my classroom.

Of Peers:

· Be considerate of other students.

· Do not interrupt someone when they are speaking

Of Your Teacher:

· Raise your hand to be recognized.

· Do not interrupt a teacher when he/she is speaking

5. Homework

Homework is not assigned on a voluntary basis. Every assignment counts and must be completed. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out what the homework is from another student. If you are absent on the day that homework is due then it is you duty to show me the homework on the day that you come back. For larger assignments (essays, drafts, etc.) you may email your work to me (SilversteinEmily@gmail.com) if necessary, however, unless you get a confirmation response from me do not assume that I have received your email. You may also use this email address is you have any questions about assignments that you have. I check my email daily so you can expect a quick response. I would also suggest exchanging emails or phone numbers with at least two other students so that you can get an assignment if you are absent.

6. Writing

The writing that you do in this class is important. Writing assignments make up a large percentage of your grade. It is important for you to realize that writing is a process and that I may require you to do multiple drafts of an essay even though you may not want to do so. This is a requirement. You may also be required to write your essay in pieces using outlines and scaffolding tools. This is meant to help you learn how to write a proper essay and prepare you for your future writing assignments.

7. Grading Policy

The following list is how your grades will be broken down.

Do Now 10%

Classwork 25%

Student Engagement 20%

Homework 15%

Benchmark Assessment 30%

I asked students to sign it and return it to me. I can get that from missing students on Monday.