Homework for Nov 29

10th grade, and ninth period: Write a well-crafted paragraph explaining how the theme of the first quatrain of Shakespeare's Sonnet 29 could be seen as descriptive of an outsider perspective. Remember Maya Angelou's take on the poem.

9th grade, except first and ninth periods: Write a quatrain from the perspective of an outsider.

First period: Keep preparing for the show!

Absences for Nov 29

First period absences:
Waymon Aaron
Shaquille Fanfair
Akeem Noble
Brian Eastman
Sabrina Ulysse

Second period absences:
Jarell Bowles
Najaah Reid
Kenisha White
Second period lateness:
Tyquan Sewell

Fifth period absences:
Sabrina Broushet
Jerry Charles
Timothy Grier

Seventh period absences:
Justin Brown
Marvin Demosthene

Eighth period absences:
Destiny Lamour
Beverly Voltaire

Ninth period absences:
Jewel Ann Lessie
Ninth period lateness:
Georgina Sealy

Shakespeare's sonnets online

This website has all of Shakespeare's sonnets, in numerical order. They are numbered with Roman numerals, so Sonnet 18 is XVIII, and Sonnet 29 is XXIX. Copy and paste the address into your browser in order to reach the site.

http://baldwinets.tripod.com/shakeson.html

Extra Credit project for those of you who are worried about your second marking period grades:
Choose one of Shakespeare's sonnets that we have not studied in class. Give a detailed analysis of how the sonnet works, using theme, imagery, metaphor, personification, and any other literary devices you note. If you turn this project in by Friday, November 30, I will consider it a part of this marking period's grade.

Attendance for rehearsal, Nov 28

First period students who attended today's rehearsal:
Tanae Campbell
Brittany Cooper
Courtney Dewar
Alex Edwards
La-Tia Edwards
Rocky Etienne
Yanick Francois
Tiffany Gonzalez
Sara Gray
Chanice Lake
Nadia Mack
Danielle Neverson
Akeem Noble
Ryan Omoruyi
Shani Pascal
Kyle Patrice
Michelle Rosado
Armani Springer
Sabrina Ulysse
Josephine Weah
Tiffany Woodbine

Tiffany Gonzalez and Kyle Patrice attended with permission over the phone from their mothers.

Tiffany Gonzalez, Michelle Rosado, Yanick Francois, and Rocky Etienne left at 4:30.

Danielle Neverson and Sabrina Ulysse arrived at 4:30.

The rehearsal was excellent! Students were focused and well-prepared, and our section of the show, while it still has a lot of work needed, looks like it's going to be wonderful when we perform it for an audience at 5pm on December 7 at Medgar Evers College Auditorium, 1650 Bedford Ave.

I was very impressed with the level of commitment and enthusiasm shown by all of the students who attended. Certain students took a real leadership role in their sections of the performance, such as Sara Gray, who developed a step routine for her colleagues, Courtney Dewar, who was the first student to have memorized all of his lines, Josephine Weah, who showed intense enthusiasm for her role, and Brittany Cooper, who agreed to work on a role she hadn't prepared in order to help out in a pinch. That being said, absolutely every student in attendance did a marvelous job today. I noticed everyone, and thought you were all amazing.

Homework for Nov 28

This is homework for all classes except first period. First period, practice for the show on Friday, December 7.

Read Shakespeare's Sonnet 18. Compare and contrast with Sonnet 29. Take the sonnet you wrote for today's homework, and add imagery, metaphor or similie, and personification to it.

Attendance for Nov 28

First period absences:
Waymon Aaron
Brittany Cooper
Brian Eastman
Sabrina Ulysse
First period latenesses:
Courtney Dewar
La-Tia Edwards
Yanick Francois
Tiffany Gonzalez
Shani Pascal
Michelle Rosado
Zenzili Thomas

Second period absences:
Jarell Bowles
Samuel Stewart
Stephen Williams
Second period latenesses:
Brenda Dickerson
Arianna Fearon
Najaah Reid

Fifth period absences:
Sabrina Broushet
Jerry Charles

Seventh period absences:
Jeffrey Coleman
Marvin Demosthene
Khalid Edwards
Seventh period latenesses:
Raven Holdip
Joseph Malarbe

Eighth period absences:
Kadian Browne
Davonte Elmore
Destiny Lamour

There is no ninth period class on Wednesday.

Attendance for Nov 27

First period absences:
Waymon Aaron
Daniel Paul Jolly
Nadia Mack
Akeem Noble
Brian Eastman
Zenzili Thomas
Sabrina Ulysse
First period latenesses:
Camille Edwards
Shaquille Fanfair
Rollet Hurry
Danielle Neverson
Khadijah Okoh
Jonathan Omeus
Kyle Patrice
Teafhia Smith
Josephine Weah

Second period absences:
Jarell Bowles
Brenda Dickerson
Arianna Fearon
Charles Slater
Samir Taylor

Fifth period absences:
Sabrina Broushet
Jerry Charles
Jessica Torchon

Seventh period absences:
Azael Bermudez
Shanea Brathwaite
Jahlia Cherry
Anna-Kaye Daley
Marvin Demosthene
Shaquille Garraway
Raven Holdip
Seventh period lateness:
Crystal David

Eighth period absence:
Destiny Lamour
Eight period lateness:
Nikkisha Maragh

Ninth period absence:
Cassandra Prince

Homework for Nov 27

Tonight's homework for all classes, except for first period, is to write a sonnet. A sonnet is a 14 line poem. We have learned the form of a Shakespearean sonnet, with the rhyme scheme
abab cdcd efef gg: three quatrains and one couplet. Students should write a sonnet on any subject they choose. You do not have to use iambic pentameter, but you should follow the traditional rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet.

First period students do not need to write a sonnet, but they should be reviewing their lines, reviewing The Cotillion, and preparing for the show on December 7. Our first after-school rehearsal is tomorrow; students should return their permission slips to attend rehearsal, and they should plan on meeting me in the cafeteria at 3:25 to go over to the college together.

Vocabulary Homework Nov 26

Elate
Exhilarate
Invigorate

Read Shakespeare's Sonnet 29, except for first period. First period, memorize your lines for the show, it's less than 2 weeks away!

Absences/Lateness for Nov 26

First period absences:
Waymon Aaron
Daniel-Paul Jolly
Brian Eastman
First period latenesses:
Tanae Campbell
Camille Edwards
Shaquille Fanfair
Rollet Hurry
Danielle Neverson
Khadijah Okoh
Shani Pascal
Kyle Patrice
Teafhia Smith
Zenzili Thomas
Josephine Weah
Nadia Mack is not permitted to return to class until her parent or guardian meets with Ms. Assent.

Second period absences:
Jarell Bowles
Mykael Turner
Second period lateness:
Brenda Dickerson

Fifth period absence:
Jerry Charles
Fifth period lateness:
Timothy Grier

Seventh period absences:
Shanea Brathwaite
Justin Brown
Jeffrey Coleman
Alex Mills
Seventh period lateness:
Antoinette Burrows

Eighth period absences:
Destiny Lamour
Beverly Voltaire

Ninth period absences:
Brandon Armenta
Tiana Gondola
Elaica Zayas

First period performance

First period English will be involved in the CUNY Arts/College Now Dramatic Literature Performance on December 7, at 5pm, at Medgar Evers College. The rehearsal schedule for our class is as follows:

Weds, Nov 28 3:30-6pm
Thurs, Nov 29 3:45-5:45pm
Tues, Dec 4 3:30-6pm
Weds, Dec 5 3:30-5:30pm
Thurs, Dec 6 3:30-5pm
Fri, Dec 7 5-7pm SHOW

Students will be graded on their participation in this performance. By Monday, you should have memorized all of your lines in the script. If you need a copy, email me at msbirzin@gmail.com and I will email you one back.

Absences for November 21

First Period Absences:
Waymon Aaron
Tiffany Gonzalez
Sabrina Ulysse
First Period Lateness:
Brittany Cooper
Camille Edwards
La-Tia Edwards
Yanick Francois
Rollet Hurry
Danielle Neverson
Kyle Patrice
Brian Eastman
Teafhia Smith
Armani Springer

Second Period Absences:
Jarell Bowles
Brenda Dickerson
Samuel Stewart

Fifth Period Absences:
Jerry Charles
Devon Nazaire
Tyleek Rhem

Seventh Period Absences:
Azael Bermudez
Regina Pope

Eight Period Absences:
Taleesha Bowrin
Davonte Elmore
Paul Miller

No ninth period class on Wednesdays. I hope you all enjoy the break! I will see you, on time and in class, on Monday.

Vocabulary for Nov 21

Fractious
Devious
Culpable

Absentees for Nov 20

First period absentees:
Waymon Aaron
Shaquille Fanfair
Sabrina Ulysse

Second period absentees:
Jarell Bowles
Mykael Turner

Fifth period absentees:
Denzel Andrews
Sabrina Broushet
Jerry Charles
Saykeya Williamson

Seventh period absentees:
Azael Bermudez
Marvin Demosthene
Khalid Edwards
Rossian Russell
Raheem Thomas

Eighth period absentees:
Taleesha Bowrin
Destiny Lamour

Ninth period absentees:
Brandon Armenta
Cassandra Prince

Attendance for November 19, final exam date

First period absentees:
Brittany Cooper
Yanick Francois
Brian Eastman
All of these students have made up their final exam during other class periods.

Second period absentees:
Jarell Bowles
Mykael Turner

Fifth period absentees:
Jerry Charles
Timothy Grier

Seventh period absentees:
Azael Bermudez
Dominique Byrd
Marvin Demosthene
Dinneka Deonarine
Andre Lewis
Shanice Payne
Dinneka made up her final during 10th period on 11/20

Eighth period absentees:
Youlann Dawkins
Destiny Lamour
Charles Williams

Ninth period absentee;
Brandon Armenta

Students who missed their finals must make them up as soon as possible, in order to get a grade for the second marking period.

Vocabulary Homework November 20

jejune
puerile
banal

In -class final exam today

Today was our in-class final exam. It was a critical lens essay, meaning that students were provided with a quotation, and asked to write an essay showing how two works of literature proved or disproved their thoughts on the quote. Students who missed the exam must make it up during 3rd, 4th, or 6th period, or after school. Avery Millington is scheduled to make up his first exam tomorrow, during 6th period, so don't forget to bring lunch, Avery!

Student absences will be logged tomorrow, and there was no homework assigned tonight, since we had a test.

Don't forget your books on Tuesday!

For all classes except first period English, I will be collecting "A Raisin in the Sun" and/or Their Eyes Were Watching God on Tuesday, November 20th, so don't forget to bring in your books.

Commas

Check out this site for the comma information that I handed out ion class last Thursday. I don't think links are working, so you'll need to copy and paste the entire address into your browser.

http://iws.ccccd.edu/jmiller/A%20Brief_%20No-Nonsense%20Guide%20to%20Comma%20Usage.htm

A Raisin in the Sun final essay topics

This was due on November 14.

Submit a well-crafted, two page essay on either of the following two topics. The essay should be typed.

1. "Walter Lee can be seen to be representative of many
African-American men, struggling to assert his masculinity in a
woman-centered home." Rebecca DeLa Rosa
Do you agree or disagree? Use examples from the text and your life
experiences, including any other reading you care to include, to prove
your point.

2. In Act II, scene two, George gets angry and leaves after telling
Beneatha, "I don't go out with you to discuss the nature of 'quiet
desperation'...." How is "A Raisin in the Sun" about quiet
desperation? Use the characters of Big Walter, Ruth, and Mama to
prove your point.

By request: book info

Gary Paulsen's entire library of published work can be found here:

http://www.randomhouse.com/features/garypaulsen/library/

A Child Called "It" was written by Dave Pelzer.
Tuck Everlasting was written by Natalie Babbit.

If you have any more book questions before our in-class critical lens essay test tomorrow, feel free to email me. You are also welcome to post ideas for your classmates.

The week in review

This week we focused on essay-writing techniques, techniques for revising one's writing, and common punctuation mishaps. Essay tests from last week were returned; Raheem Thomas was especially thrilled to have recieved high marks for his in-class essay. The student who have not taken the in-class essay test are: Rollet Hurry, Brian Punch Eastman, Armani Springer, Jarell Bowles, Brenda Dickerson, Samuel Stewart, Samir Taylor, Jerry Charles, Timothy Grier, Madina Middleton, Avery Millington, Azael Bermudez, Jeffrey Coleman, Marvin Demosthene, Khalid Edwards, and Destiny Lamour. Students who have not made up the exam, either after school or during 3rd, 4th, or 6th period in room 320, will fail English for this marking period.

Absences for November 16, 2007

Absent from class today:

First Period: Kyle Patrice
Sabrina Ulysse
Saphire Yancey

Second Period: Jarell Bowles
Brandon Scarborough
Kenisha White
Stephen Williams

Fifth Period: Jerry Charles
Timothy Grier

Seventh Period: Azael Bermudez
Marvin Demosthene
Khalid Edwards

Eight Period: Rochelle Johnson
Destiny Lamour
Beverly Votaire (Ms. Voltaire spent her lunch taking an essay test with me in the English office, but she was not in class.)

Ninth period: Brandon Armenta
Jessica Kelley
Shakele Seaton

Homework Nov 16, 2007

Intrinsic (most classes did not receive this word yesterday)
Acrimonious
Circumspect
Facetious

First Period English

Don't forget to finish the novel, The Cotillion, for Monday, November 19!

Final Essay topics, 7th and 8th period

Final Essay Assignment for Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston

DUE DATE: NOVEMBER 19, 2007

Choose one essay topic, and write a well-crafted two to three page essay. Make sure to use examples of literary devices, such as characterization, metaphor, symbolism, imagery, tone and audience, in the body of your essay. Make sure your essay has a full introduction and conclusion. Make sure you triple-check your spelling, grammar and punctuation. The passive voice should be avoided (Avoid the passive voice!).

1. In 1937, Richard Wright reviewed Their Eyes Were Watching God and wrote: “The sensory sweep of her novel carries no theme, no message, no thought. In the main, her novel is not addressed to the Negro, but to a white audience whose chauvinistic tastes she knows how to satisfy.” In particular, Wright objected to the novel’s discussion of race and use of black dialect. Why might Wright have objected to Their Eyes Were Watching God? Do you agree or disagree with Wright’s interpretation of the novel?

2. Compare and contrast Janie’s three marriages. Use characterization and theme to explain what initially pulls her to each of the three men. How do they differ from one another? What does she learn from each experience?

3. Their Eyes Were Watching God is concerned with issues of speech, and how speech is both a mechanism of control, and a vehicle of liberation. Yet Janie remains silent during key moments in her life. Discuss the role of silence in the book and how that role changes throughout the novel.

Absences for November 15th

This morning, for first period, Brian Punch Eastman was absent. During second period, Jarell Bowles was absent; I still have yet to meet Mr. Bowles. Fifth period had Timothy Grier and Walberto Perez absent. Azael Bermudez, Lynchie Bowlay, Anna Kaye Daley, Dominique Byrd, Marvin Demosthene, and Khalid Edwards were absent during seventh period. During eighth period, Destiny Lamour was absent; I have not met Ms. Lamour. Brandon Armenta and Cassandra Prince were absent from ninth period English today.

Edwige Danticat at Brooklyn College

Mrs. Lotus, the 11th and 12th grade English teacher, and I attended a remarkable event this evening. Nine of her students came out to join us, and I felt sorry that I hadn't invited my students to do the same. (I felt a little odd asking 9th and 10th graders to get home on their own at 8pm.) Edwige Danticat read from her new memoir, Brother, I'm Dying, and answered questions from the audience. Over two hundred people attended, and Malcolm, a senior at MECPS, asked an interesting question about Danticat's themes. I look forward to inviting my students, including natural fiction writers like Nikkisha Maragh and Youlann Dawkins, and aspiring writers such as Dinneka Deonarine, to attend these kinds of events in the future!

Homework Nov 15, 2007

Intrinsic
Scant
Aghast

Homework up until today, November 14, 2007

All classes receive the same vocabulary words as homework.

Nov 7, 2007
Incoherent
Comprehend
Feasible

Nov 8, 2007
Oblique
Assert
Aspire

Nov 8, 2007
No homework assigned. In-class essay test for all students (topic available from another post).

Nov 9, 2007
Finish Their Eyes Were Watching God, 10th grade
Read The Cotillion up to Chapter 10, 1st period English
Write a two-page on "A Raisin in the Sun," 9th grade (topics will be available from another post).

Nov 13, 2007
Explicit
Inherent
Pulchritude

Nov 14, 2007
Assure
Ensure
Insure

Taking over Ms. Alexander's classes

I am taking over in the middle of the term, at Medgar Evers Preparatory School, for Ms. Alexander's 9th and 10th grade English classes. The students have exhibited anxiety, frustration, and despair at the thought of changing teachers mid-marking period, but we are all doing our best to adjust to each other.

I assign vocabulary homework every night. Students should look up the definition and the parts of speech for each word assigned. Students who do not complete their homework will be quizzed on the words they missed the next day.

There will be three major essay/test grades for this marking period. One essay has already been completed by the majority of the students. Students who were absent for this in-class essay test need to take the test in school. I am in the English office, room 320, during the 3rd, 4th, and 6th periods of the school day. I also am providing after-school tutoring for any interested students from 3:10 until 4:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and from 2:20 until 3:10 on Wednesdays.

I will be sending home a letter with this blog information to all parents of my students tomorrow, November 15, 2007.