I am in Covington helping with the newborn twins and reading your poetry explications, and your reading responses to Part 1 of OFOTCN, and your analytical papers. I am most worried about the poetry responses. Several of you did not pay attention to the prompt, or to my corrections of your first draft. Many of these will have to be revised for a third time. Those of you who did not turn in a second draft will have to take a zero on the assignment. Ditto for reading logs for Part 1 of OFOTCN. 

You have two assignments for Thursday and Friday, Feb. 14-15. One is reading logs for Part 2 of OFOTCN, and the other is your poetry explication for your Shakespearean sonnet. It really is time for you all to buckle down and write an AP quality explication. You have been given a rubric. Follow it. Do not paraphrase the poem for me in your explication. Do not write a summary. The main idea of the poem should be swiftly addressed in your first paragraph. You are dealing with analysis. Don't skip any poetic devices. Quote frequently and sequentially. Address the theme and the volta. Email me if you have any questions.

Mrs. Ancelet

In preparation for reading and discussing One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, each of you will research a mental disorder and tell the class about it. You will have two minutes (!) to describe this illness, and you have absolute freedom of expression. You may make a poster, a powerpoint, show us a youtube clip of someone who has the disease, or even act it out yourself (Andre). This is due Friday, Feb. 8.

I am only seeing 14 comments, which doesn't bode well for grades. However. I did notice that Jayda posted her comment to the Section Three blog, so someone go there and read it, and respond int he section four. Jayda, if you want to resend it in section four, I'll apporve it. Anyone else who did that, let me know. 

Let's uncomplicate the blogposts and responses by starting a new thread with each section. Put your comments to Section Three here.

Section three--pages 131-201: due Thursday, November 1, with a response due by Friday, November 2 at midnight. Powerlines and vocabulary due Thursday.

We will read Cormac McCarthy's The Road in four sections. Each blogpost is due by midnight of the due date. Responses must be posted by midnight the following night. Be prepared for a quiz on each section. Your blogs must address style, mood, and certain questions I will ask. You must keep handwritten notes on vocabulary words (10 per section), and typed explanations of powerlines (5 per section).

Section one--pages 3-79: due Monday, October 22: When you respond to this section, refer to the clues which indicate that a terrible event has occurred, that make this a post-apocalyptic novel. Where are they going? Why? Discuss the literary style of the book. How does this style reflect the atmosphere and themes of the book? Be prepared to take a test on this section of the book on Monday, October 22.

Section two--pages 80-130: due Friday, October 26, with response to a classmate due by Sunday at midnight. Powerlines and vocabulary due Monday, October 29. All blog entries must be 300 words+. Discuss the conversations between the man and the boy. Why is it important that they keep talking? Does the boy believe that they will live? How do you know? Ask yourself deep questions about what is happening in this section, and then answer them. When you respond to your fellow classmates, don't just agree. Use that opportunity to deepend the discussion.

Section three--pages 131-201: due Thursday, November 1, with a response due by Friday, November 2 at midnight. Powerlines and vocabulary due Thursday.

Section four--pages 205-287: due Monday, November 5 with powerlines and vocabulary. Response to a classmate's blog by Tuesday, November 6, at midnight.

Yes, you read that right. You have the weekend as a grace period to get all your summer reading in to me. This will not happen often, but I'm getting twin granddaughters on the 10th, so you can thank Lissandre and Isolde for the breather. Be ready on Monday!

I read all your comments as they came in, but held them instead of posting them. Payton wins. I won't do that this time. For the final blog post for this book, I will be diligent about posting your comments to a classmate's blog. My bad, or whatever it is I'm supposed to say these days.

Mrs. Ancelet