Author: Mr. Kertes

Week 1 – Jan 29 to Feb 2

• Started preparing for the expository essay
• Started preparing for the in-class writing test
• Started preparing for the learning story test
• Started preparing for the mid term key concepts test
• Started preparing for the textual analysis essay (by reading “The Outsiders”)
• Started preparing for the short story report
• Watched “Romeo and Juliet” to prepare for the expository essay and in-class writing test
• Learned about the Five Fs (to use for the essay and writing test) (will be on the mid term exam)
• Learned about the Levels of Analysis (to use for the essay and writing test) (will be on the mid term exam)
• Learned how writing is a system to make thinking visible
• Learned what a system is and learned the elements of a system
• Introduced to writing as a process (the six stages of writing)
• Read the poem “Doesn’t every poet write a poem about unrequited love” and did initial textual analysis (alliteration and sensory imagery)
• Read the poem “Stop All the Clocks” and connected it to the movie “Four Weddings and Funeral”
• Connected the texts to “reading between the lines”
• Learned about the course theme of “The Power of Love”

Week 2 – Feb 5 to Feb 9

• Watched the film “All Is True” to prepare for the expository essay and in-class writing test
• Discussed how to develop a focusing question for an expository essay and textual analysis essay
• Wrote reflections on why Shakespeare wrote plays and why we still view his plays to this day
• Discussed the LOAs of connection and reflection – especially in terms of the film “All Is True”
• Discussed these themes in relation to the film:
  • Reading between the lines
  • Reading as time travel
  • Reading as mind-melding
  • Love (romantic, friendship, family)
  • Power
  • Relationships
• Read the story “One Good Man” in preparation for the expository essay
• Learned that the definition of “theory” is “explains how or why using rigorous and systematic thinking” and learned why theory is useful (it helps you understand and explain reality)
• Learned that essays in English class must focus on a thesis and that the thesis (point of the paper) must be theory-based (must explain how or why, must reflect rigour, and must reflect systematic thinking)
• Reviewed the Levels of Analysis, Five Fs, Systems-Thinking, and Six Stages of Writing (connecting these subsystems as part of the larger system of writing as a process for making thinking visible)
• Reviewed the format requirements for homework, speed writes, and quizzes

Week 3 – Feb 12 to 14

• Caught up on work during work periods
• Students were provided with examples for all work
• Students were provided with 3 days of class to catch up on all homework, speed writes, notes, quizzes
• Students met with the teacher for conferences to review the key concepts, go over missing assignments, and get help catching up
• Time was provided for students to read “One Good Man,” “The Laundry Basket,” “The Promise,” “Haida Gwaii,” “Million Porcupines…,” “My Conversations with Canadians,” “Doesn’t every poet write a poem about unrequited love,” and “Funeral Blues.”
• We reviewed the expository essay assignment – more detail of what is required was provided to help as students completed the readings and other exercises to prepare for this essay assignment

Week 4 – Feb 20 to Feb 23

• Read “He Likes to Dance” and “Like a Prayer” and read an article on “Like a Prayer” to prepare for this reading (this will be part of a later lesson after Spring Break on textual analysis)
• Completed the Wondering Stage of the expository essay assignment and moved to the Preparing Stage and Planning Stage
• The due date for the Short Story Report was moved to one week later (is now due March 8th)
• The due date for the Poetry Reflection Report was to after Spring Break
• The poetry packet assignments were moved to after Spring Break
• We read “The Giving Tree” as an example for the Preparing Stage
• We learned how to make a Focus Funnel and we applied this to “The Giving Tree”
• We watched “Shakespeare in Love” to prepare for the expository essay and in-class writing test

Week 5 – Feb 26 to Mar 1

• This was a work week
• We learned about metacognition as connected to learning theory and were introduced to Vygotsky’s theory of the Zone of Proximal Development – to prepare for the learning story test during the Mid Term exam
• We went over the study guide for the Mid Term exam
• We had several days to write the expository essay and time was provided for one on one conferences as students worked on the essay
• The main learning target for the week was knowing how to write a thesis (theory-based, one that explains how or why using rigorous and systematic thinking)

What is next – Week 6 – Mar 4 to Mar 8

• The expository essay is due Mar 4 and the Short Story Report is due Mar 8
• Time is provided during Catch Up Afternoons (early release days on Tues and Thurs from 12:30-3:00 to finish the expository essay)
• Progress report will be emailed home if your expository essay is not completed by the due date
• We will complete the following homework and quizzes in-class (this is the last time we will have time to do this – after spring break you must do this work during the work days or as homework):
  • The Importance of Theory
  • Homework #5
  • Homework #6
  • Quiz #4 – Elements of a System
• On Fri Mar 8… we will start the Mid Term Exam with time to prepare notes, preview readings, and do other activities to help you get the test done in the time provided next week
• We will also review for the Mid Term Exam throughout the week

What is next – Week 7 – Mar 11 to Mar 15 – Mid Term Exam Week

If you have not yet at least partially completed the expository essay exam, you will do this before you can start the exam. Time is provided to do this during class.

If you have missed any of the three films, you will view the films during the exam periods first. Only once you have viewed the films can you take the exam – as the films are required to be able to complete the exams.

The test is based on the following readings and other texts covered so far this term:

• To Chapter 3 of “The Outsiders”
• The first 20 pages of your YA Romance Novel
• The film “Romeo and Juliet”
• The film “All Is True”
• The film “Shakespeare in Love”
• The book “The Giving Tree”
• The Promise (Van Camp) PDF – password protected
• Haida Gwaii (King) PDF – password protected
• Doesn’t Every Poet Write about Unrequited Love (Oliver) PDF – password protected
• One Good Man (Alexie) PDF – password protected
• Funeral Blues (or Stop all the clocks) (Auden) PDF – password protected
• The Laundry Basket (Maracle) PDF – password protected
• Poetry Packet 1 and 2 (Maracle and Angelou) PDF – password protected 

You should read (in advance of the Mid Term Exam) the following:

• My Conversations with Canadians (Maracle) PDF – password protected
• A Million Porcupines in the Dark (King) PDF – password protected
• Narrative Construction of Reality (Bruner) PDF – password protected

• Monday – Learning Story Test
  • Using all five Levels of Analysis, write a 5-paragraph learning story of the lesson on “The Giving Tree”.
• Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday – In-Class Writing Test
  • Write a 5-paragraph expository essay that relates to a theme (or connected topic of subtopic) common to the films Romeo and Juliet, All Is True, and Shakespeare in Love.
• Friday – Key Concepts Test (closed note)
  • Demonstrate: Draw a Focus Funnel (complete, in the correct order)
  • Define: Expository Essay, System, Theory, Thesis, Theme, Topic, Subtopic, Outline, Feature of Text, Paragraph, Section, Topic Sentence, Key Idea, Process
  • Describe and Explain: Five Fs of Writing (list all, define all, list related tools for each, explain how and why to use); Levels of Analysis (list all, define all, list related questions for each, explain how and why to use); Six Stages of Writing (list all, define all, explain how and why to use); System (list elements, define each element, explain how and why to use)
  • Connect: Explain how you used the Five Fs so far this term; Explain how you used the Levels of Analysis so far this term; Explain how you used the Six Stages of Writing so far this term; Explain how writing is a system for making thinking visible; Connect to the four subsystems of
    this system covered so far this term.
  • Reflect: Explain the value of making writing visible; Explain the value of theory; Explain the value of systems-thinking, especially in terms of the writing process.

If you miss portions of the exam, you may schedule Homework Help on most Mondays after school to make up any missed portions of the Mid Term Exam.