Quizlet!

BIG thanks to Sophia C. for making our vocab into a Quizlet set!

You can play vocab games with our words here.

Do it!

Keep Track of Macbeth

There are quite a few on-going assignments right now, and I wanted to clarify when each is due.

First, the Macbeth study guide is due on Monday, Jan. 25. Our scantron test on Macbeth will also be on Monday the 25th.

The other two assignments - the vocabulary paraphrases and the PIEs - will be due on the day you take your final exam. The 4th hour exam will be on Wednesday the 27th, the 5th hour exam will be on Thursday the 28th, and the 6th hour exam will be on Friday the 29th.

In addition, I will be doing a notebook check while you take your final exam.

Hang in there! You're only 10 days away from the end of your first semester in high school!

New Podcast?!

This week, we're beginning research on our new podcast. The topic of the podcast will be "literacy." It's a broad topic, and it could include many subtopics: book clubs, book reviews, illiteracy, standardized testing, loving to read, hating to read, literacy around the world, learning a second language.... these are a few that just came to me.

The Indiana 3rd graders are reading Mr. George Baker as a jumping-off point for their podcast. We'll be reading this, too.

To get us started today, I want you to explore issues related to literacy. You have to do two things:

1) Click through the links on literacy at my Diigo page. You can get there by clicking here. While you're browsing, think of what aspect you'd like to focus on during your segment of the podcast.

2) Find one database source on the literacy topic of your choice. Use the EHS online databases. Print your article, bring it home, read it, and then type up the following: A short synopsis of the article and the correct MLA citation. This is due Tuesday.

More Lit Terms!

Here are a couple of more lit terms from Fairchild's chapter. These will be useful for you in today's lesson on the character of Macbeth. Here's Fairchild's description of "paradox," a literary device we've seen a few times in Act I:

"A paradox is a contradiction in terms, a truth that contains contradictory elements. For example, in your relationship with a family member or friend, you may experience the emotions of both love and hatred - two sentiments that are in deep opposition. The truth is, however, that you and this person are forever conneted in this relationship, for better or for worse" (93).

And here's a bonus - Fairchild's definition of "oxymoron":

"Also known as 'compressed conflicts,' oxymorons are opposites that attract to achieve a certain chaotic balance, or a peaceable war. Ambiguity is the name of the game in Shakespeare's world when it comes to human nature: Our motivations and dilemmas all take on varying shades of gray" (93).

Fairchild notes, and so should you, that sometimes a phrase can be both a paradox and and oxymoron, like maybe "fated coincidence."

Beginning Macbeth

We're starting to read Macbeth today after spending a class period and a half on concept development. We discussed themes of Macbeth, predicted plot elements, and experimented with performance through your Macbeth anticipatory skits.

4th and 5th hours also had a chance to complete a Frayer Model on the concept of "Ambition." After we identified essential and nonessential characteristics of ambition and thought of some examples and non-examples of ambitions people, groups wrote the following definitions of ambition:

Ambition is:

• actively pursuing passion.
• a drive to achieve goals with passion, motivation, and integrity.
• a willingness to do what it takes.
• the will to succeed despite obstacles.
• the extreme desire to succeed at something.
• the determination and focus to achieve no matter the odds.
• the personal desire to achieve goals.
• "the fire" (like in The Road.)

We'll come back to these definitions as we analyze characters in Macbeth.

Happy New Year!

It's been great seeing everyone back at school this week. I am one of the lucky people who actually likes her job, and one big reason for that is YOU. I have great students - thank you!

I'm doing a little research today for our next unit on Macbeth, and I found some succinct definitions of common literary terms I'd like to share. These are from a chapter of Carol Ann Tomlinson and Caroline Cunningham Eidson's book Differentiation in Practice. The chapter is written by Lyn Fairchild.

Here's how she defines "motif," a word we've been using a lot in our talk about McCarthy: "A motif is a physical element (such as blood) or some other image or idea that, in itself, does not have any particular meaning or represent any higher truth; it just is. However, when an author uses this element repeatedly in various places within a literary work, a reader can begin to draw conclusions about a higher truth or meaning."

Many of you are drawing fascinating conclusions about the motifs in ATPH and The Road.

As we begin Macbeth, I'll post Fairchild's definitions of paradox and oxymoron. It'll be something to look forward to!