Daily Bell Ringer Writing Schedule

Students are expected to spend the first 3-5 minutes of class completing the daily bell ringer.  A bell ringer is an activity or brief assignment for a student to complete as soon as he or she arrives to class and is seated.  All students are expected to be engaged in the daily bell ringer prompt by the time the bell rings signifying the start of class.

I will give students an opportunity to share their responses on occasion.  I will also circulate around the classroom to ensure that students are actively engaged in the bell ringer assignment.  Students may earn a weekly bell ringer grade for sharing a bell ringer response as well as completing all 5 bell ringer prompts for the week.

Students who talk while someone is sharing their written response, work on other assignments, interrupt or disrupt while others are sharing, or refuse to write quietly for the 3-5 minute period are subject to losing some or all bell ringer points for the week.

Below is the link to our weekly bell ringer schedule:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dFVNLomjjQw4nqqfHgG54DJ8A4XGb1AX8Ss9duZkcmo/edit?usp=sharing

Course Syllabus

You may access the English 2 syllabus through the following link:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pW2pjep5cG-kiQnXwFZSBT5ABrbGa2zeJsd4uy0CUYw/edit?usp=sharing

Text Message Reminders for Homework, Tests, and Quizzes

Students and Parents,

Please feel free to subscribe to my Remind text messages.  Remind is a safe one-way communication tool that allows teachers to send text message reminders for homework assignments, quizzes, and tests.  I will not have access to anyone's cell phone number.  For more information, check out the Remind app or visit the web site at www.remind.com.

Text @nrlions2 to 81010 to start receiving Remind text messages.

Thank you!

Class Supplies 2015-2016

Class Supplies

Students will need the following supplies for English class:

• blue or black pens 
• #2 pencils
• college ruled notebook paper
• a folder for keeping all handouts and assignments
• 1 writer's notebook (spiral notebook, composition notebook…whatever works for you!  One -subject spiral notebooks are usually less expensive)
• your school-issued student agenda
• textbook cover (Feel free to use a paper grocery bag)
• helpful, but not mandatory:  index cards, highlighters, post-it notes 

Note:  I will ask you to decorate your writer's notebook during class time the first full week of school. Be creative and have fun!  Feel free to use cut-outs from magazines (pictures, words, phrases), song lyrics, photos, stickers, postcards, duct tape, art work, recycled greeting and birthday cards, print-outs from the internet, etc.  This is your writer's notebook, and you will be using it often, so have fun decorating it!

Summer Reading 2015

Summer Reading 2015

Grade 10 summer reading:  you will read the book, Night, by Elie Wiesel.  The ISBN number for this book is:  13: 978-0-374-50001-6.  Books are available at school and can be obtained any time between 8:30am-3pm Monday-Friday.  Mrs. Griffin is at school every Wednesday from 9am-11am if you need extra help with the book or the assignment.   After reading the book, you are required to complete the assignment below.  Please call or email Mrs. Griffin at 513-535-5407 or griffin_s@nrschools.org if you have any questions about the assignment or the book.

Night Reading Response

Complete any two of the following on a separate sheet of paper.  This assignment will be counted as your first grade for first quarter.  Each of your responses should be about a page long.  You may type or hand-write your answers.  Additional items you complete will be counted as extra credit.

1.  Which of the following best describes how you felt when you finished reading 

Night.:  angry, awed, amazed, baffled (puzzled), disgusted, disturbed, dissatisfied, irritated,   joyous, uneasy, untouched, sad?   Explain why you feel this way.   

2.  Complete any five of the following statements with a minimum of three additional sentences   each, reacting to what you read.

        a.  If I were in this story, I would/wouldn’t have . . .

        b.  I admire the character of ______________________  because . . .

        c.  I realized . . .

        d.  I can’t understand . . .

        e.  I did/didn’t like the way . . .

        f.  The character of ____________________ reminds me of myself when . . .

        g.  I know the feeling of . . .

        h.  I began to think of . . .

3. The main thing that the character of ____________________ learned in this story was . .

4.      The most important lesson I, the reader, learned in this story was . . .

5.      Which of the following descriptive terms makes you think of one of the characters in Night:  lonely, angry, helpless, uncaring, helpful, wise, responsible, unselfish?  Describe the character and explain why you think this character feels or personifies this emotion.

While you’re reading Night, consider the following questions and be prepared to discuss them when we return to school.

a. How is night an appropriate symbol to convey Elie Wiesel's concentration camp experience?  How does it represent his suffering, man's inhumanity to man, and the effects of the Holocaust upon his faith?

b. Wiesel describes his total loss of faith in God for allowing the Jews, God's chosen people, to suffer so inhumanely.  How could a God who was all-knowing, all-powerful and all-loving allow this to occur?  Was he too weak to intervene?  Was he too apathetic to care?  Did he know this would one day occur?  How could God, in his perfect justice, allow children to be burned, tortured and hanged?  How could God stand by silently while six million Jews were starved, worked to death and gassed for no apparent reason?

c. In what ways did Elie Wiesel change as a result of his imprisonment?  Discuss emotional, physical and spiritual changes and the causes of these changes.

d.  At one point in the novel, the prisoners are told by a Kapo, "...let there be comradeship among you.  We are all brothers and we are all suffering.  Help one another.  It is the only way to survive."  Toward the end of the novel, Elie is given the opposite advice by a Blockalteste:  "Don't forget that you are in a concentration camp.  In this place, it is every man for himself and you cannot think of others.  Not even your father.  In this place, there is no such thing as father, brother, friend.  Each of us lives and dies alone."  Which advice is best for concentration camp prisoners, in your opinion?

Summer Reading 2014

Should you have any problems accessing the following link for your summer reading assignment, please contact Ms. Senter at senter_m@nrschools.org.


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Cd5ZaHN6p7ZNH7QBROg4IKPf_Rnf7SX7A4uf3NlTm-Q/edit?usp=sharing

The Soloist

Steve Lopez, a Los Angeles journalist, befriends a homeless Juilliard-trained musician, Nathaniel Ayers, while looking for a new article for the paper.

The movie focuses on mental illness, homelessness, and the healing power of music.


Below is a link to the 2009 movie trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_Spu2nO0jw

Mr. Nathaniel Ayers and Mr. Steve Lopez:

http://www.musicmentalillness.com/nathaniel-ayers-page.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kjr82pzrVSY

Famous people who were once homeless:

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/slideshow/jim-cramer-celebrities-homeless-16581069

http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/12/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/celebs-homeless-gallery/

http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/07/11/stars-who-were-once-homeless/slide/jennifer-lopez/

Famous people who suffer from mental illness:

http://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/mental-disorders/15-celebrities-with-mental-health-disorders.htm

http://www.wcupa.edu/_admin/social.equity/documents/Mental%20Illness%20Facts.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9Xw1LCKACE&list=PL2ghkvBezmWg1BuGXLFcyo8uubZUrUwC0

Links to information about music therapy:

http://www.slideshare.net/adlittlefield/7-celebrities-who-get-music-therapy

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/medical/health/medical/treatments/story/2011-11-28/Music-therapy-can-help-retrain-an-injured-brain/51446362/1

Common Core

Not sure what the Common Core is all about?  The following link provides an explanation of the new Common Core standards and also provides links to the standards students and parents can expect to see being covered in class.

www.corestandards.org

26 Reasons to Read!

"I hate reading!"  "Reading is so boring!"  "Ugh, why do we have to read so much?" "There are too many other things I would rather do besides read a book!"

Sound familiar?  Then read on to find out why reading is such an important life-long skill and to learn about some startling statistics and facts about reading!

I've also included several links to popular books for teens/young adults!

http://www.brevardcounty.us/docs/Files/26reasontoread.pdf

http://schools.natlib.govt.nz/creating-readers/creating-reading-culture/engaging-teens-reading

http://www.scholastic.com/readeveryday/facts.htm

http://raisingbookworms.com/resources/reading-and-literacy-statistics/

http://www.rif.org/us/literacy-resources/articles/teenagers-and-reading.htm

http://www.npr.org/2012/08/07/157795366/your-favorites-100-best-ever-teen-novels

http://www.goodreads.com/list/tag/teen

Vocabulary

The vocabulary text for the class is Vocabulary for Success (Sadlier).  There are 7 units of study in the book, and each unit contains 3 lessons.  Students are encouraged to take advantage of the online resources at www.vocabularyforsuccess.com.  In order to access the site, students should enter the following Student Access Code:  VFS13SGDVXTF.

www.vocabularyforsuccess.com

Helpful Resources

Writing

I will often reference the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL).  This is a fantastic resource that offers 200+ free resources.  You can find help for research, writing, grammar, style guides, and professional writing.  Excellent examples are also provided.

https://owl.english.purdue.edu


Oral Presentations

There will be several instances throughout the school year in which students will be expected to give presentations, both informal and formal.  I often hear students say, "I don't 'do' presentations!"  Here's my response:  Do you walk into math class and say, "I don't 'do' fractions!"  Do you walk into science class and say, "I don't 'do' lab experiments!"  Do you walk into foreign language class and say, "I don't 'do' verb conjugations!"?  Of course, you don't!  Instead of thinking and saying, "I don't 'do' presentations!" how about saying, "I CAN do this presentation!"?

I can empathize with students and their fear of public speaking.  I, too, used to become anxious when knowing I had to speak in front of an audience, but by making the effort to at least try, you are already taking your first step in decreasing your fear of public speaking.  It does get better each time you do it.

Practicing in front of family and friends is one way to feel better prepared for your presentation.  I am always available to work with students one-on-one before or after school or during my lunch time in order to help a student overcome their anxiety.

Knowing how to speak effectively is not just an "English class" thing; it is a life-long skill you will need in order to be successful in your college and career goals!

I have included some links that students may find helpful when preparing for a presentation and/or wanting to reduce their anxiety of public speaking:

http://www.lehigh.edu/~incso/PDFs/publicspeakinganxietypamphlet.pdf

http://www.extension.harvard.edu/hub/blog/extension-blog/3-tips-overcoming-fear-public-speaking

http://www.stanford.edu/dept/CTL/Oralcomm/Microsoft%20Word%20-%20OvercomingSpeechAnxiety.pdf

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fear-of-public-speaking/AN01979


Literature

The following link will take you to a glossary of literary elements and their definitions.

http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/allam/general/glossary.htm

Lesson Plans

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bMKODxE0ydxyeFqvconVWAzbukjQYQXifX271HL5OVI/edit?usp=sharing