Oryx and Crake: English 12: BLOCKS A &C:

Both classes will read the novel online at home, and the books will be shared in class for discussion and other work by both blocks.

**ALWAYS LOOK UP WORDS YOU DON"T KNOW! and be prepared to share your work.

English 12: Blocks  A and C - Dialectical Journals: 

Starting Wednesday, you will be reading the novel using the online book at home, and the Novel in class.  You do not take the Novel home, but go on the link below, when you are at home. 

Nov. 1: You are to read the first 3 Chapters tonight: Do not go further in the reading - but start developing your first "Dialectical Entry." 

Look at the Handout I gave for Dialectical Journal Entries for setup, style, and development. 

http://docs.ivymindacademy.com/EBooks/oryx_crake.pdf

Ultimately you will be sharing and discussing with the class; therefore your expression, ideas etc. should be clear. 

English 11 Homework for Tuesday to Monday, November the 6th:

1. You are to work with your group, reading and analyzing the poems, and ultimately creating a synthesis of these poems. 

2. Your group will be presenting your poems of synthesis on Monday, November 6.   

So, you need to know your poems, the areas of synthesis, and be able to present with understanding and clarity.  

Take the time do read them well. Be on task at all times.

3. After a thorough understanding of each of the poems you will ultimately write a Synthesis Essay that shows your understanding of the Chinese experience, from the early 20th century and beyond. 

You must integrate some of the lines of poetry into your essay to show their experience.

English 12 Homework for Tuesday, October 31:

1. Look at the many covers of Margaret Atwood's novel Oryx and Crake: look for this novel online. Get a sense of the story and ideas from the covers. 

What is a crake? and what is an oryx? 

Reread Swift's and Woolf's paragraphs that Atwood included in the setup.  Look carefully and play a bit with them, combining all of this, and have some interesting synthesis of ideas to share with the class, tomorrow.

English 12 Homework: for this Weekend:

Read carefully the following instructions:

1. Read the paragraph by Jonathan Swift, who wrote Gulliver's Travels.

2. Read the paragraph by Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse.

3. For each writer do the following: 

* write a decent paragraph about who each author is

*when they lived

*what they cared about in their lives and in the world - and therefore what they wrote about.

*give examples and excerpts of their ideas and writings*

*why are these writers important.  

*Bring some interesting things to learn and   share with others. 

English 11 Homework - Wednesday to Monday.

1. In your groups, write a engaging biography of Wayson Choy.

2. "The Sun": Do the questions on the "Immigration Cartoon" tomorrow in class.

3. The Chinese Community over time: Do the questions on the handout : "Chinese Community Diverse and Spreading," in order to understand the reasons the Chinese came to Canada, particularly in the 20th Century.  In your groups, answer the questions 1 to 16. Go online, and use a variety of appropriate resources. This should be finished by


4. Please have your Sentence by Sentence Revision of "The Pedestrian" and "The Destructors" by tomorrow.

English 11 Homework:  

1. Sentence by Sentence Revision of "The Pedestrian", "The Smile" and "The Destructors."

This is due on Friday.

English 12 Homework for Monday onward, is to do a sentence by sentence revision of your Synthesis Essay. Number each sentence on the original, and then revise each sentence on your computer. 

We will start it on Monday and finish by Thursday. Those of you who have the text make sure to bring it to school on Monday.

Finish "Two Fish, One Morning," due Thursday. 

English 11 Homework for the Weekend and into next week:

1. Any outstanding work that you have not finished that was due Friday, must come in on Monday.

2. Synthesis Essay: you are working on your Synthesis Essay: "The Destructors" and "The Pedestrian."

You are to be working on the bullets of Synthesis you will use to write your Essay.

Follow the handout, "Creating an Essay Outline" that I gave you, to build your Outline.  

You will have Monday to finalize this Outline, and then you will write Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

English 12 Homework for Tuesday/Wednesday, Thursday, October 12th: and beyond........

You will be creating your Outline for your Synthesis that you will begin Tuesday and finish on Thursday at the end of class.

1. Read carefully and more than once, "The Lesson" by Toni Cade Bambara and "Repent, Harlequin" Said the Ticktockman.":  Look up words, places, etc. that you don't know.

2. Do the Questions 1-5 on the back page.

3. Start working on the Elements of Literature in this story: Character, Antagonist, Atmosphere, Conflict (internal and external), Contrast, Description, the Foil, Foreshadowing, Irony, Mood, and any others that you can add. You are not using all of these elements, but you need to know what ones you will be developing by Monday.

You are developing your understanding of the elements in this story, in all aspects, then deciding on the essential elements for your essay.

4. These become your Bullets of Synthesis, the most important ideas in each story: both differences and similarities.  

I will give you time to do this. You will have from the 13th to the 19th. The essay will be taken in on Thursday at the end of the block. 

You may work together until Monday, then be working on your own on this Synthesis Essay.

You have an Outline format: you will be integrating some quotes into your paragraphs, ones that are worthy of helping develop important ideas and understanding. You will use transitions between paragraphs and build a Concluding Paragraph. 

Your Concluding Paragraph will be approximately 5 sentences in total, and will make an inspired conclusion about these stories that are true about life. 

English 12 Homework for Tuesday, 10th:

1. "Repent, Harlequin": You are to complete the Questions on the board. Develop you answers in full sentences, and as many sentences as you need.

2. You are to read the Short Story, more than once,  and look up words you don't know. Start a document in your notes for these words, so that you learn them, and can use them.

3. Questions: Do all of the Questions on the board -  and, all the questions on the Handout of questions for the "Ticktockman" that I gave you. Develop your answers, and integrate quotes from the text where it enhances understanding.

This is all due on Tuesday.

English 12 Homework for A and C Blocks: for Friday, 6th:

1. Be prepared to present your bullets of Synthesis.

Done: C Block: Assess which character, the speaker in "The Water Diviner," or Joe Wolfchild in "Dream Wheels," displays a greater degree of self-confidence, and why.

Done: A Block: Assess which passage, "In Search of Eeels" or "In November," best illustrates the theme of change over time. 

You will be writing an Essay on Monday. Over the Weekend, get your 

English 11 Homework for Friday to Wednesday, Oct. 11:

1. Synthesis Essay Revision of "The Pedestrian" and "The Smile."

Integration: You are to revise every sentence that you have an error in. This includes fixing your integration of quotes. You are to highlight each revision with a highlighter.

Use the "Integration of Quotes" document I gave for the proper style of integration.

2.You are also to revise every sentence that has any other errors. Underline each revised sentence.

3. Presentations for Synthesis of "The Pedestrian", "The Smile", and "The Destructors." Due Wednesday and Thursday.

4. You will be presenting on Wednesday and Thursday in your groups, using bullets of synthesis.

5 .Then you will be writing the Synthesis Essay.
This will begin Friday...then into next week.

English 12 Homework for Tuesday/Wednesday, October 10:

1. "The Lesson" by Toni Cade Bambara:  Read this short story at least once, preferably twice. Look up words, places, etc. that you don't know.

2. Do the Questions 1-5 on the back page.

3. Start working on Elements of Literature in this story: Character, Antagonist, Atmosphere, Conflict (internal and external), Contrast, Description, the Foil, Foreshadowing, Irony, Mood, and any others that you can add.

You should be developing your understanding of the elements in this story. 

4. You will be working on Bullets of Synthesis of the two stories: "Repent, Harlequin," Said the Ticktockman" and "The Lesson."  

I will give you time to do this: two more days! Use the Handout on the Elements of Literature to help you, and work with your Group. 

It will culminate in a Synthesis Essay.