Friday, September 26, 2008

PROJECT HELP

If you have any questions or concerns about your project, please add a comment to this blog post. I will receive email notice and respond ON this blog, under your comment (thus adding another comment). By this, everyone can benefit from the question and clarification.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

SCHEDULE CHANGE!

Today in class we discussed Act IV (after a pop quiz!). Much of what we discussed included change in characters, relationships, and the town since Act I (and what that change reveals), as well as Proctor as a tragic hero. To do this, I spoke on how "The Crucible" fit Miller's definition of a tragedy, which we used in the beginning of the unit.

SCHEDULE change is required and is now as follows:

Act IV mini quiz - Thursday
Act III/IV short answer quiz-Friday
Assessment Test-Monday
Projects-Tuesday
Test-Thursday

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Another start to another week: "The Crucible"

This week provides students with many opportunities. Monday was Act III station work, in a packet; Tuesday is the Act III 'mini'-quiz, followed by reading to finish the play. The entire study guide packet will have to be completed, each page, before I collect it later. Thursday is the Act III and IV short answer quiz; Monday the 29th the projects are due; and Wednesday the test will wrap up the unit. For most of us, the play, with all of its injustice and fear-based stupidity, makes us mad. It was has been a part of our country's history a few times. Grrr
Also throughout the week, I will take questions and help on the major, 100 point, in-depth project.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Thursday!

Today was a quiet day in the classroom! Well, once they all settled after the bell it was. Today was the grade-boosting, hopefully, quiz on Act II - - the "mini" quiz. Once students turned them in, they were to read through page 100 and answer questions 1-4 on the Act III study guide sheet in their packets. Tomorrow is the final quiz of the week (the long, last of quizzes).

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

9.17.08

In the shortened period, students took the 24 word vocabulary matching quiz. Some did well; others, clearly, need to put more time into preparation for class quizzes. Scores are available on-line. As we move from Act II to Act III and IV, the driving force in the play shifts from fear to incredulous injustice. How could 19 people, without discrimination to age, gender, economic status, or social standing, hang for lies based in fear? Watching history repeat itself evokes only more fear that such injustice continues despite our "knowing better."

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

9.16.08

Tuesday, we managed much work. After checking homework and discussing Hale's search for truth and Proctor's search for reason, I intimated how fear stops some people from doing what is right. Next we stopped by the Book Fair before returning to the classroom to read the remainder of Act II aloud. Students are to complete two worksheets from today, as directed, as well as the corresponding study guide questions. One of our closing thoughts was doing what's right limitations , or, "it depends" situations.
WhistleTomorrow is the vocab quiz
Thursday is the mini Act I quiz
Friday is the short answer Act I and II quiz

9.15.08

Monday was a working day with reading more of Act II, and completing the accompanying study guide materials. I also asked students to list 5 'things' that have changed since Act I.

Friday, September 12, 2008

9.12.08

Finally ending the week, we discussed the opening scene of Act II between Elizabeth and John Proctor. This all followed yesterday's connections of 1600s witchtrials to 1960s McCarthyism to terrorism today: how do we balance our fears with our sense of right?
Next week , more discussion, more reading, more work, and a vocabulary quiz on Wednesday.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

9.10.08

Today was a work day. With tomorrow's quiz on Act I fast approaching, students finished reading Act I in class and completed the study guide sheet on the Act and the two worksheets I distributed today. I took questions before and after the work period.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

9.9.08

Today we read through page 36 in the play. The study guide, page 2, questions 1-4 , and question 1 on the first page , are to be completed for tomorrow.

Quiz Dates:

Thursday (11th) - Act I only quiz
Wednesday (17th) - vocab list quiz Blowing Bubble
OPEN HOUSE is the 17th , as well, after a shortened school day.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Week of 9.08.08

Today, we will start reading "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller. The study guide and vocab. list go out today, and should be maintained through the assigned reading, automatically and in addition to any other homework assignments with the play. This week we will have a quiz on the portion of the play we've read.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Respond to the following by September 4th at 10:30pm

What is a personal tragedy for you? Please post your comment as anonymous.