Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Rock? Island? Ice?

1) Discuss: "I am a Rock" 

  • Who is the speaker? What is he like? What does he believe? What is he scared of? Who is he speaking to?
  • Where is he? How do you know?
  • What is the tone of the lyric? Where do you get this from
Theme? Big Idea? Is he right?

Meditation xvii --- Simon was talking to Donne. The island!


2) Terms Review - slideshow. 

3) Connotation vs. Denotation - "Fire and Ice" p.121 


Monday, December 10, 2012

Poetry Beginnings

I'm so sad that I cannot be at school today. I'm sick getting sicker at the moment.

Anyway, I'm a complete geek when it comes to poetry. I love the stuff. I've been writing it since I was a little kid. I still write poetry. Some of it's pretty good. Most of it is mindbarf. It feels good to get it out but I'd never make anyone look at it. So, today while I am away I am going to give you a number of tasks to complete and send the results to me. I will be waiting at home for the results! (Told you I am a geek!)

Task #1 - In a group of 1-4 people, draw a mindmap/brainstorm in answer to this question:
                                                     What is Poetry? 
You can google stuff, draw stuff, list stuff, quote stuff - then put your answers down on paper, or on the chalkboard, take out your smart phones (or borrow an ipod from the back) and take a photo of it and email it to tara.colborne@sd71.bc.ca. Seriously. And, your "answer" should be detailed. Today. Get this done.

Task #2 - Watch these videos and based on what you see decide what your teacher thinks poetry is. Be prepared to discuss this tomorrow.










Task #3 - Finish up your Freedom Writer's Poem write it up or type it up on a separate piece of paper. Don't worry about right or wrong. Worry about heart and truth and beauty and language.

Friday, November 23, 2012

Vocabulary Quiz


Pick TEN of the following words and write a well-developed, engaging and grammatically correct sentence.

2 marks each - 1 for correct use of the word. 1 for the quality of the sentence (if it sounds/looks like a grade five student wrote it, it will score a zero...)

  • predicament
  • emphatic 
  • apprehensively 
  • sophisticated 
  • admonitions
  • incredulous 
  • dissent  
  • malicious 
  • aggravated 
  • undignified 
  • unconscionable
  • remorse 
  • dissuade
  • impasse
  • disowned
  • dilemma 

Friday, November 16, 2012

Rubrics for Utopia Project

A map/drawing/series of images of your utopia is required - this must be made by students... not just an image of the internet. 20 marks https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B2_H3hKK6a0zMFF0eGZVaG1HUlk 
A 5 minute slideshow presentation - that presents the name, ideals and goals of your utopia. In class, we will focus in one certain questions everyday. Your answers to these questions must be directly or indirectly put forward in your slideshow. All members of the group must speak. (I will introduce you to slideshow platforms). 36 marks https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B2_H3hKK6a0zanE5TzRIS3k1aEE 
- A one page summary/manifesto. If you put this up beside your map, anyone to reading it will understand the mission of your utopia. 24 marks (6 point scale times 4) http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/exams/specs/grade10/en/07_rubric.pdf

Monday, November 5, 2012

Chapter 10 - Love, Marriage, Murder, Suicide

1) Quiz - your homework was to read Chapter 10 of The Chrysalids. Here is a wee closed book quiz to make sure you did.

  • The marriage of Anne to a "norm" is the central theme of this chapter. What arguments to the members of the group use to try and stop Anne from marrying Alan? Do you think they are valid? Why or why not?  (4 marks)
  • What does uncle Axel suggest as a solution to the problem of Anne and Alan? Why can't David go along with it?  (2 marks)
2) Discussion Questions - The Group - discuss in pairs and then share ideas in whole class discussion.

"The Group" is extremely important for its members and when one of them breaks away it is a traumatic 
event. 
•  What is the group and what does it do?  
•  How do the members take care of each other?  
•  What responsibilities do the members have?  
•  What makes this group special?  
•  Is there any rivalry?  
•  Where does David fit in?  

3) Read Aloud - Chapter 11

4) Vocabulary - this book is filled with crazy-making, vocabulary-expanding words. 

Find the most obvious and suitable definition for the following words. You can BYOD (bring your own device) and use your smart phone to use a dictionary app or an online dictionary, like dictionary.com. I also have the ipods (ask Mr. Kochanuk for them - they are currently locked in his cupboard).

Be prepared to discuss the words tomorrow.


germinate -  valiantly -  predicament - 
emphatic -  apprehensively -  conventions -  affirmation 
perturbed  tediously - unrelieved 
- virtue - credible - creditable - sophisticated -
timorously admonitions -  meticulousness - implacable
incredulous - placid - dissent - 
malicious -  aggravated -  undignified -  unconscionable
omnipotent - echelon ambitious -  to flounder -  gravitated -  
lugubriously -  to ponder - expiated -  remorse - abnegations - dissuade - impasse -  disowned -  dilemma -  emphatically 

5) If time, Utopia work, Chapter Questions...

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Good vs. Bad x 2 Classes!

1) Welcome to English 10 times two classes!

In order to get ready for our combined group visit with DW Wilson, we have decided to spend some time getting to know one another first. And, we need to get some questions ready to ask him - about the story we all read, about his experience growing up in small town BC, and about writing.

First Some Author Deets:


The Author - BIO
The Book - Once You Break a Knuckle





2) Mix-it-up Handshakes...

  • Slide, Slide, UH! and name and favourite movie
  • Fists, Twist, Rocket Ship and name and best book ever read
  • Slap, Slap, Ankle Tap and name and share something you are good at

3) Small Group Discussions - Once You Break a Knuckle is about "Good people doing bad things." So, let's talk about bad things and good things....

Question One - What are the signs that something you are about to do is bad?
(Okay, on your netbooks click on this link - please use a group name to post with...
http://wallwisher.com/wall/badchoice)

Question Two - What are the signs that something you are about to do is good?
http://wallwisher.com/wall/goodchoice

4) Whole Group Discussion - what do these questions have to do with the story, "Don't Touch the Ground"?  Quick Review -------->  Whole Group Discussion --------> Teacher "draw" your thoughts on the board.

5) Question Creation - Everybody must take all that we've discussed and think of at least two questions to ask DW Wilson on Monday - this does not mean you have to ask that question, it just means that you are ready.