Grade 8: Literature Circle Reflection (Due before class Tuesday, February 15th)

Answer the following:

1. What is the most important conflict in your literature circle book? Why?

2. Is the protagonist in your literature circle book static or dynamic? Explain how!

Grade 8: Poetry Practice (Due before class Friday, February 11th)

Read the following poem. In a properly written, complete paragraph, present an explanation of the poem's meaning. In your explanation, be sure to consider who the speaker is, what is going on, and what is unusual. Pay careful attention to any sound elements, any important repetition, and any metaphors or personification.

Grade 10: Imagery (Due before class Wednesday, February 9th)

Read the following poem and respond in one paragraph. In your response, identify who the speaker is, what is going on, and what is unusual. In noting what is unusual, consider specifically any sound elements, similes or metaphors, and imagery (sensory language!).

Grade 12 IB: Interactive Oral Research

Remember, our interactive oral will be a debate held on Thursday, February 10th. Prepare yourself by reading the following articles/watching the videos! Our debate will be about changing family structures. All of the videos listed are short and so are almost all of the articles (many are about a page long). While I do not expect you to have any of this memorized, I expect you to have enough background knowledge to have an opinion!

Same Sex Marriage
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73oZ_pe1MZ8&feature=related

VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7addd1-SY8&feature=related

http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_marr.htm

http://couriernews.suntimes.com/news/3656077-418/marriage-elgin-sex-already-gay.html

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-02-06/news/bs-md-senate-gay-marriage-20110206_1_civil-unions-equality-maryland-klausmeier

International Adoption
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdBuDdloLQA

http://news.adoption.com/uni/frame.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prnewswire.com%2Fnews-releases%2Fnations-leading-adoption-agency-develops-hivaids-toolkit-to-educate-parents-115004504.html&name=Nation%27s+Leading+Adoption+Agency+Develops+HIV%2FAIDS+Toolkit+to+Educate+Parents+--+GRAND+RAPIDS%2C+Mich.%2C+Feb.+1%2C+2011+%2FPRNewswire%2F+--

http://news.adoption.com/uni/frame.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nwemail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Ftherapists-set-up-service-for-children-1.804688%3FreferrerPath%3Dhome&name=North+West+Evening+Mail+%7C+News+%7C+Therapists+set+up+service+for+children

http://www.internationaladoptionstories.com/guatemala-adoption-news.htm

Grandparents Raising Grandkids
VIDEO:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VpBcY2pWCE

VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0FztEZzp30&feature=related

http://news.adoption.com/uni/frame.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americanchronicle.com%2Farticles%2Fview%2F215355&name=American+Chronicle+%7C+Grandparent+is+set+to+change+the+laws+governing+the+legal+rights+for+grandparents+within+adoption

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/16876875/ns/today-money/

http://www.grandparentingblog.com/

Same Sex Adoption
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGhnDOQrq20

VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QygPIIQ-eh4&feature=related

http://gaylife.about.com/od/gayparentingadoption/a/gaycoupleadopt.htm

http://articles.cnn.com/2007-06-25/us/gay.adoption_1_gay-adoption-straight-parents-williams-institute?_s=PM:US

http://articles.cnn.com/2010-06-21/us/samesex.parenting_1_gender-identity-jay-james-father?_s=PM:IREPORT

Divorce Rates
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Nwm6_QzGhY

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/how-does-divorce-affect-the-family.html

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2000/06/the-effects-of-divorce-on-america

http://www.mdrc.org/publications/386/testimony.html

Grade 8: The Raven (due before class Monday, February 7th)

Make sure that you have completed your vocabulary homework! Be prepared for our quiz!

Read the poem "The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe. Please write two paragraphs about the poem. When you write your paragraphs, consider how we have practiced constructing paragraphs (opening sentence with thesis, details and explanation, closing sentence). In your first paragraph, explain the meaning or message (its SENSE) of the poem. In the second paragraph, explain what sound elements you notice in the poem and what effect you think they have.

Grade 10: The Drum (due before class Wednesday, February 2nd)

Read Nikki Giovanni's poem "The Drum." Please explain the meaning of the metaphor present in the poem. Write a proper paragraph like we have been practicing, using quotations from the poem in your explanation. Then, comment on someone else's explanation. Your comment should provide your classmate with several good things about the response and several things to improve.

Grade 8: The Drum (due before class Wednesday, February 2nd)

Read the poem "The Drum" by Nikki Giovanni. Explain how the speaker uses an extended metaphor to communicate the message. Please make sure you write a complete, well-written paragraph like we have been practicing!

After your paragraph, explain whether or not there is a character in your literature circle who reminds you of the speaker in "The Drum." If so, explain why!

Grade 10 and Grade 8: Poetry (Due before Monday, January 31st)

Choose one of the two poems posted here. Explain how the comparison (simile, metaphor, personification, etc.) present in the poem helps express its meaning. Remember that your opening sentence should be like your thesis: it should state your opinion or idea and include the title of the poem and its author.

Then, compose your own poem using similes, metaphors, and/or personification. The topic of the poem is up to you, but the figurative language must be both present and purposeful!

Grade 10: Poetry Response (Due before class Thursday, January 27)

Please go back to our last blog assignment. Remember? Everyone chose a poem and identified the speaker, explained what was going on, and pointed out something unusual or interesting about the poem. The assignment ended with a question posed by the student who posted. Please now go back and respond to at least two different posts. For this response, you may answer someone's question, comment on his or her explanation, or present your own analysis of the poem. Post your response on that blog post, not this one!

Let me know if you have any questions!

Grade 8: Poetry homework (Due before Monday, January 17th)

Browse some poetry sites online. Find a poem that you find interesting. Copy and paste that poem onto the blog (don't forget to include the title and poet's name!). Them, write a brief paragraph explaining who the speaker is, what's going on in the poem, and what you find unusual about the poem. Finally, pose a question to the rest of the class about the poem you found.

Not sure where to start looking? Check out these websites!
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/
http://www.poetry-online.org/
http://www.poetry.org/
http://www.poetrysoup.com/