This page describes and explains the work we did in class. If you miss a class, consult this page to find out what you missed and what you should do to catch up. If I am absent, I will post your work here.
   
In January...
We will complete the work on The Pearl. We will begin Romeo and Juliet. We will begin work on another article for your magazines. Of course we will continue journal writing and oral presentations. We will be very busy. It will be lots of fun.

January 3, 2012
Today we did a mini lesson on the misuse and proper use of the exclamation mark (should be reserved for dialogue and definitely avoided in academic writing) and we read chapter 4 of The Pearl together. Students worked in their dyads on the novel work while I conferenced with students about their magazine advertisement.

January 11, 2012
Students are still working on John Steinbeck's novella The Pearl. We will finish this work this month. They are also starting the preliminary work on their second research article for the magazine they are creating. On January 9th, we revisited  Don Aker's novel The First Stone. I read excerpts from a New Yorker article that described the case of a young offender in the state of Michigan who had been sentenced to life at the age of 14 with no chance of parole. I explained that there are many experts who believe that adolescence is a stage of development characterized by an inability to fully comprehend consequences and to control impulses. We discussed the rationale behind the Youth Criminel Justice Act in Canada and whether this is a system worth protecting.

January 16, 2012
92: First we discussed The Pearl and in particular the theme of oppression. Then students worked on a graphic representation of chapter 6 and found three quotes from the chapter to accompany this drawing. Then they returned to their earlier work to revise what they had already done; they were told to demonstrate a commitment to excellence by revising the unit on the novel. To do this, they polished various answers, reworked answers and/or graphic representations, improved answers, changed some answers completely, checked their grammar and spelling, etc.

January 16, 2012
91: We heard from Stephanie who presented on the topic of 'The Year that was/The Year that will Be'. Next, students wrote in their journals on the topic of winter and why we like it or dislike it. The next speaker will be Patrick who will present on Friday, January 20th. Next we started reading chapter 6 (the final chapter) in Steinbeck's novel The Pearl. We will finish chapter 6 tomorrow.

January 17, 2012
Students first wrote in their journals on the topic of winter and their feelings about it. The next speaker on this topic is Trysten and she will present on Friday. Next students continued revising their work on The Pearl. This work is done in small groups. They are encouraged to craft their work so that it reflects their best efforts.

91: Today we finished reading chapter 6 in The Pearl. Students then began revising their work with the goal of achieving a standard of excellence in this work on Steinbeck's novel. They must revise what they have already done, rejecting what they don`t feel meets standards and improving their work wherever they can. They will continue this work tomorrow.

92 second class: Students continued polishing their work on The Pearl. They have this class and half of Thursday`s class to complete this work. The remainder of Thursday`s class and most of Friday`s class will be devoted to reading in their independent novels. They are reminded to give me their very best efforts on the novel work and to try to read three independent novels before the end of the year.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012
91: Students demonstrated a commitment to excellence by revising and polishing their work on The Pearl. They have one more class to finish this work. Those who finish early can read in their independent novel. On Friday, Patrick will present on the topic of winter and students will have the rest of the time to read in their independent novel. They are reminded that the goal is to read three novels by the end of the year.

Thursday, January 19, 2012
Students completed their work on The Pearl; they were in the revision and polishing stages of this work. We then heard from Danisha who presented on the topic of 2011-2012. Once students were finished with their work on The Pearl, they read in their independent novels.

Class 91: Students continued working on The Pearl. Their goal is to polish this work so that it represents their best effort. Those who have finished this task are reading in their independent novels. Tomorrow we will hear a presentation from Patrick on the subject of winter and then students will finish The Pearl work and read in their independent novels.

January 20, 2012
We first heard Trysten's presentation on winter. Next, students who hadn't finished the work on The Pearl completed this assignment. Once they were done, they read in their independent novels. Students submitted their work on The Pearl for grading. Next week we will be moving on to work on the research article and start another piece of literature.

Class 91: After a presentation from Patrick on the topic of winter, students used this period to finish polishing their work on The Pearl. Once they finished, they read in their independent novels. Next week we will work on the 2nd research article and start a new piece of literature.

January 23, 2012
Class 91 and 92: We talked about what it means to be Canadian and whether we should have private health care in Canada. Ryan will present on this topic on Thursday. On Friday, both grade 9 classes will be with another teacher as I have grade 11 and 12 exams here on that day. Next, students began reading O. Henry's Gift of the Magi. There will be comprehension questions to answer on this story. This work is in preparation for the grade 9 literacy test.

January 24, 2012
Today students worked on the questions on the short story 'The Gift of the Magi'. They worked in groups of three chosen by their teacher. They have almost finished this work and during the next class we will correct it together once everybody has finished.

Class 92: Students finished the work on the O. Henry short story and we corrected the answers as a class. One student from each group was designated as the person who recorded the answers and the other two read the answers out loud to the class. When finished, students read in their independent novels.

January 25, 2012
Class 91: As a class we corrected the questions on the O. Henry short story. This work was done in preparation for the literacy test they will write in a few weeks. Next, we started Romeo and Juliet. I explained to the students how we will approach this play and began to give them background information on Shakespeare and on the play itself.

January 26, 2012
Today we heard a presentation from Ryan on what it means to him to be Canadian. Next students wrote in their journals on the book they are currently reading as their independent novel. The next presentation will be on Monday. Next I introduced the play Romeo and Juliet to the class. I gave them background information on Shakespeare and on the play and we looked at the characters in the play. I also explained to them how we will be doing the play and the graphic novel that we will create based on the play.

February 1st, 2012
Jordan presented his independent novel this morning. He did an excellent job showing enthusiasm and confidence and really bringing the book alive for us. Next, we began the graphic novel of Romeo and Juliet. We found an image of servants brawling in the street which is what happens in the opening scene. Next, we began acting out the scene again. We stopped at the point where Romeo was talking to his cousin Benvolio about his unrequitted love.

February 2nd, 2012
92: Students acted out the first part of Act I scene i from Romeo and Juliet. Then we started the graphic version of the play. We will pick it up from where the Prince finishes his speech tomorrow. Stéphane will tell us about his novel on Monday, February 6th.

February 3rd, 2012
Class 92: We finished Act I scene i. We read scene ii quickly and then went over scene iii. We also did the graphic novel for what we acted out this morning.

February 7th:
Both classes went to the computer lab to continue researching their second article for the magazine they are creating. They were asked to keep a list of sites they consulted and the main ideas in those sites. Tomorrow we will return to Shakespeare.

February 8th
Today students summarized in their own words and in writing scenes 3, 4 and 5 of Act I. To do this, they worked in the groups where they are seated, they used the information from the front of the book, the sidebar that accompanies every page as well as the computer, consulting sites such as No Fear Shakespeare. Next, they shared their summaries with the class and they gave their opinions about how they thought various characters looked and sounded. They pretended they were the director of a production of the play to imagine how they would cast the characters. Once this work is finished, students will act out the scenes. They will also decide who to cast in the roles of the characters and they will instruct the actors about how they should deliver their lines.

February 9, 2012
Today students finished summarzing scenes iii, iv and v. Next three directors were appointed to assign roles to some students. Students who were assigned a speaking part practiced reading their lines. Class 91 performed scene iv today and did an admirable job. Class 92 are still in the practicing stage.

February 10
Class 92: They performed scene iii and then we watched the movie version of this scene. They were informed that I am marking them on their performance. I am looking to see how they work in their groups, how well they lead, listen to their leaders, perform and read their lines. The lines should be read in such a way that they convey the meaning.

Class 91: They performed scene v and then we began watching the movie from the beginning. We are at scene iv at the end of Benvolio`s speech about Queen Mab. They were also marked on their work according to the same criteria as described above.

Class 92: (Class 91 wrote their test de litératie today during English class). Class 92 went to the computer room and continued working on their research articles. Today they were given the task to write out their thesis statement and to list their supporting arguments.

Class 92: Because students arrived late from writing their literacy tests and because there was a surplus of energy and of unruly behaviour, what was supposed to be a period to work on Romeo and Juliet became a period of reading in independent novels. This exercise calmed students and allowed them to get ahead in their reading.

Monday, February 20
Today students went to the computer lab to continue work on their second research article. Before leaving for the computer lab, we reviewed the essential components of an essay: introduction with a hook and a thesis statement; one supporting idea per paragraph in the body and a conclusion that restates in a new way the thesis statement and gives the essay a sense of completion. Once in the lab, they wrote the first paragraph of the body of their article.

Tuesday, February 21
Today students worked on a practice reading test in preparation for the literacy tests that they will write next week. We also heard from a presenter in class 91 who read and explained her short story that she wrote by combining four elements from lists given in class.

Wednesday, February 22: Students in both classes will read in their independent novels today. These are found at the back of the room. They must read three by the end of the year, so they should make good use of this time.

Friday, February 24: Class 91 wrote in their journals. They continued the short story they started a couple of weeks ago. On Monday we will choose another person to present their short story. Next students did another practice test in preparation for the literacy tests next week.

Monday, March 19: Class 91 worked on creative writing again. They developed their main character by imagining how she would respond in three different situations. Next they listed adjectives to describe the character, and then went back to working on the short story itself. We heard an oral presentation from a student who read a bit of their creative writing. For the last few minutes of the class, we watched the Romeo and Juliet DVD.

Friday, March 23
Today students continued working on their research articles using the online tool found at the following address:
http://www.ozline.com/electraguide/thesis.php
If you missed the classes when we worked on this, you should do this work as homework and submit it when you return to class.

Monday, April 2
I want you to do two things today: work on your creative writing and read in your independent novel. For the first half of the class, everyone must be writing in their journal. Extend on the story you have started. Maybe you want to use one of the other 'first lines' you wrote. It`s your choice, but be aware that you will be expected to eventually submit a finished short story (marking rubric to follow).  During the second half of the class, read. We will hear from the students who were to present when I return.

Thursday, April 11
Today students in class 91 made a list of problems that occurred in their first research article. They must submit this list with their second research article and make every effort to avoid repeating these mistakes in the second article. You must submit this list on Monday for me to check. I will give it back to you so that you may include it with your second article.

Friday, April 20

Independent reading class. Read in your novels. Fill out a reading log if you finish a book. Update your card if you take a new book. Remember: you should finish three books by the end of the year.

Wednesday, May 23
The due date for the 2nd formatted research article in June 4th. You must format your article in columns and include appropriate, appealing and relevant images. You must make the title of your article stand out and include your by-line. Do not leave big empty spaces at the end of your article; fill this space with images. You must include a pull-quote. To do this create a text box and copy a piece of your article into it. It should be an interesting piece of text that will make people want to read your article. Do not cut the quote from the text of your article, but simply copy it into the text box. Use a larger and more interesing font for the pullquote than what you use in the rest of the article.