DUE DATES:

The BIG Ideas:
In a learning environment, students should express themselves and ask questions without fear.  To have our ideas valued and respected, we need to value, respect, and consider others' ideas as well. To enhance our understanding, we may need to reconsider our ideas and try to "see" things from others' perspectives.  Humans create meaning, and it comes from at least three sources: the reader, the context, and the author (the text); meaning does not exist solely within the confines of the text itself.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:  How and why must we show both self-respect and respect for others to create a positive learning environment?  How and why do we become “a part of” each other by sharing our writing and our ideas during our class time?  Do we become “a part of” and learn from each other whether we want to or not?  How?  Why?  Why is it both a student’s right and responsibility to interpret “texts” in their uniquely individual way while providing evidence and reasoning (support) for their interpretation?  What in life, both inside and outside the classroom, is open to interpretation?  Where does meaning come from?

ENGLISH 12 LOG (B1 and B3) - 1st Quarter

1 - 08/21 - Writing Prompt 1 - Expectations. Discussion of expectations for this class. QW1: Why take notes?  Discussion: Note-taking procedures and rationale. External vs. internal expectations.  Questions.

2 - 08/25 - Question time, Writing Prompt 2 - Learning, Respect, and Literature,  Discussion and notes on the BIG IDEAS and creating a positive learning environment. Storytelling: "The Ballad of the Lute Player."

Homework: (1) Organize a portfolio (binder) for English 12. (2) Read the Disclosure Document, fill out the form, sign it and return the signed form to class.
 
3 - 08/27 - Writing Prompt 3 - Telling our Stories, discussion, reading samples, criteria of quality, drafting six-word stories..

Homework: (1) Prepare for Portfolio Check-Up 1
 
4 - 08/31 - Portfolio Check-up 1, composing six-word stories or expressions and sharing them with the class. Initial reading of "Did I Miss Anything"

5 - 09/02 - Peer-review and self-evaluation of the six-word stories or expressions. Rereading "Did I Miss Anything," discussion, binary opposition and binary thinking, Writing Prompt 4 - Facts, Truth, Fiction, and Non-Fiction.

Homework: (1) If not completed in class, finish composing and self-evaluating ten, six-word stories or expressions. (2) EXTRA CREDIT: For 10 points extra credit, choose the best from among your six-word expressions or stories and put it on a piece of cardstock for posting.  You may handwrite it, but it should be clean, neatly written, and easily read from a distance. I will neither give credit for nor post work that looks poor. Each student may submit one or  two (for a total of 20 pts extra credit) for posting.

6 - 09/04 - Review binary oppositions and binary thinking QW: How does binary thinking either benefit or harm our own patterns of thought and influence our society? Why (support your response)?  Absolutes (absolute terms), qualifiers, and seeing the infinite spectrum.  Critical Reading: choose three areas to improve. Reread writing prompt #4, discussion.  Initial reading: "How to Tell a True War Story." QW Reader response and three questions.

7 - 09/09 - NOTES: Academic Voice and Paragraph Structure (TS-CD-CM-CM-CS), the "Thought Exercise" and answering the "Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? So What?" questions. Reread "How to Tell a True War Story" and identify important quotations.  In-class assignment (50 points): (1) Create a list of 10-20 unfamiliar vocabulary words. (2) Compose 5-10 questions about the reading. (3) Choose and copy down five quotations that you could respond to, that you think you understand. (4) Choose one of your five and integrate it into a "Thought Exercise."

8 - 09/11 - First 15 - 20 minutes: finish the In-class assignment (50 points): (1) Create a list of 10-20 unfamiliar vocabulary words. (2) Compose 5-10 questions about the reading. (3) Choose and copy down five quotations that you could respond to, that you think you understand. (4) Choose one of your five and integrate it into a "Thought Exercise." Writing Prompt 5 - Small Group Work

Homework: (1) If not completed in class, finish the in-class assignment. Due at the beginning of next class!

9 - 09/15 - Writing Prompt 6 - "Lemon Tree," modeling a free-write/writing prompt response, discussion: what are the themes of "Lemon Tree" and how does it relate to O'Brien's "How to Tell a True War Story"?  Student questions: factual and interpretive. Formal written responses to a selection of questions (80 points). Write neatly and in complete sentences.  Answer the questions thoroughly.

10 - 09/17 - First 10-15 minutes: finish the formal written responses to a selection of questions on "How to Tell a True War Story." Critical Reading before, during, and after and The Elements of Understanding. Applications of lessons learned through our study of "How to Tell a True War Story."  
11 - 09/21 - Read and listen to President Obama's speech awarding the Medal of Honor to Sergeant First Class Jared C. Monti. Discussion: From the perspecive presented by Tim O'Brien's "How to Tell a True War Story," is this "war story" "true" or not regardless of its being factual? Read "It is the Soldier" by Charles Michael Province. Reactions and discussion.  

12 - 09/23 - Writing Prompt 7 - Patriotism, Nationalism, Jingoism Discussion. Binary analysis and discussion of "It is the Soldier." Read Mark Twain's "The War Prayer." Initial response and self-analysis. Read the excerpt about its publication and explain why, in a country that claims to uphold freedom of speech, Twain asserts, "only dead men can tell the truth...." 

13 - 09/25 - Building Sentences #1 - Compound Sentences. Reread "The War Prayer" Identify unfamiliar vocabulary and guess at their meanings using context clues, select five important quotations, and draft a thought exercise using the worksheet provided or linked here.

Homework: (1) If not completed in class, finish the in-class assignment. Due at the beginning of next class!

14 - 09/29 - Turn in Drafting Worksheets and Thought Exercises. Read the articles (linked here), "U.S. General Calls for More Troops in Afghanistan," "Is there a Plan B for U.S Efforts in Afghanistan?," "Civilian Deaths in Afghanistan War Surge," and "Backlash from Afghan Civilian Deaths." Identify the main ideas, important quotations, in the articles. Ask relevant questions (e.g., How large a force do we actually need in Afghanistan to hunt and kill Al-Quaeda terrorists and Osama bin Laden?) and make inferences (e.g. If we make more enemies while trying to capture or kill our current enemies, we cannot win over the long term).  In-class assignment: identify the unfamiliar vocabulary and important quotations in the article, "Backlash..." and use one important quotation to compose a thought exercise using the five sentence paragraph format.

Homework: (1) If not completed in class, finish the in-class assignment - A Thought Exercise on the article "Backlash...." Due at the beginning of next class!

15 - 10/01 - Turn in Thought Exercise #2 on the article "Backlash..." Review Independent Clause, coordinate conjunction.  New: Subordinate Conjunction and Dependent Clause  Building Sentences #2 - Complex Sentences - guided practice. Silent Discussion, Thought Exercise Review, Feedback.

16 - 10/06 -  QW: What is "the media"?  Long form vs. "Headline" journalism:  Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? Cause and Effect.  Listening to the story of Sam and Yusef from This American Life - notes - discussion. QWs: In the story of Sam and Yusef, what are the sources of prejudice? How do they control and overcome their prejudices? Why is it so rare that people do that?  How can we increase increase that rate or encourage ourselves and others to do so?  Discussion - notes.

17 - 10/08 - Building Sentences #3 - Phrases.  Formatting in MLA style. Writing Lab time to work on Building Sentences #3 and the first quarter writing assignment.

18 - 10/12 - Writing Lab time to work on first quarter final writing assignment.

19 - 10/14 - Writing Lab time to work on first quarter final writing assignment.

20 - 10/20 - Writing Lab time to work on first quarter final writing assignment.