The Whole Vocabulary List

Here are the bonus words that super-challenge and extreme must know.

absolution    A forgiveness of someone for something
begrudgingly    Doing something even if you don't want to do it
gratify    To try and please someone
redress    To try to make things right for a person who was wronged
retribution    Revenge for something done wrong to you

Here are the ten words for this unit, which all levels (challenge, super-challenge, and extreme) must know.  You don't need to know the parts of speech this time, but there isn't a word bank.

stricken    To be suffering from something
torrent    A large amount of fast and furiously flowing water
rapt    To be amazed and have your attention captured
preoccupied    To be thinking about something so much that you don't notice other things
possess    To own something and control it
expanse    A wide, open area
retaliate    To get revenge for something that someone has done to you
ameliorate    To make a situation better or easier for someone
capitulate    To give up and surrender
furtive    Secretive and sneaky in order to hide what one is doing

Plus, everyone is responsible for remembering words from the last unit.  There will be a few "blasts from the past" on EVERYONE'S quiz.

Ascend    (v.) To move upward
Deteriorate    (v.) To have the condition of something get worse and worse
Deplete    (v.) To be completely used up
Innocuous    (adj.) Harmless
Banal    (adj.) Something or someone that is so common that it is boring
Demure    (adj.) Quiet and shy
Formidable    (adj.) Threatening because of size or strength
Immaculate    (adj.) Spotlessly clean
Arduous    (adj.) When something takes a lot of effort
Err    (v.) To make a mistake

Can Drive Update

Stowell was in the lead... What happened?

On the other hand, check out what six of Mr. Stowell's home room students can haul in in ONE DAY! Tomorrow is the last day folks!

Oh no!

Just ONE day, in ONE homeroom!

Can Drive is going on until Friday

To Bring in Cans!

Especially if you are from Mr. Stowell's homeroom!

We are not even close to our team-wide goal of a 1,000 cans!

Random Fun Stuff

Here's the floor plan for the stage in my upcoming production of 12Angry Men

Here's a mock-up for a the promotional poster...it will probably change.

Here's a link for "Exterminators"

Here's a shot of the Tran-Siberian Orchestra last weekend!

And here is your classmate, Nate, spotted at the "Krewe de Who" marchers at the Portsmouth Halloween Parade!

Here's a link to a NH Chronicle segment featuring Jarret's family's business

More Apostrophe Board Notes

There's more out there!

Here are the exceptions to the rules...of course!

Don't forget!  There are other possessive pronouns out there too!

Joint possession rules!

More Apostrophe Madness and Vocab Review

Hi Folks,

So, we will clean up any remaining apostrophe rules today.  Please see the shots of the board for reference.  You will also be given time to check-in with Mr. Stowell regarding your visual presentation.  Is there anything you need for the live presentation?  Some kids asked for a table, which is cool.  Some kids asked for the projector camera, which is cool as well!

You'll be filling out exit cards for today's class, asking you two things:

How well you understand the apostrophe business, and where are you at with your project.


Homework:  the same as yesterday.

What's Up with Apostrophes?

Hi Kids,

Today we did a little vocabulary review and then talked about apostrophes.  Those are tricky little things indeed.  Please refer to the notes in the previous post.

Also, I passed back your instructional essays.  If you didn't get the grade you wanted, you have until this Friday to rewrite.  Remember:  I'm stingy, so to get any credit for a rewrite, you must fix EVERYTHING - especially the instructions, if they aren't detailed enough.  You also MUST include your previous draft for me to even accept it.

Homework:  Continue studying for vocab quiz, continue working on your instructional presentation, AND apostrophe exercises 1, 2, 3, and 4 are due on Thursday.

Apostrophe Notes From the Board

Vocabulary Review and Checking Your Planning Boxes

Hi Folks,

So, I hope you enjoyed your lovely, long weekend.  Along with grading, I saw the holiday rock band, Trans-Siberian Orchestra!

Today in class, I checked that you had a final draft copy of at least 6 planning boxes, two for each of the three camera angles we talked about.  Many of you did a great job!  I wanted to collect them, but I figured you needed them for your final draft.

TWO DUE DATES YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO:

Vocabulary Quiz is this Friday (11/18).

Visual presentations are due the Monday you get back from Thanksgiving break (11/28).  

Now, before you go "ah, that's plenty of time...I don't have to worry about that for a while," recognize that that assumption is FALSE!  Filming this short thing usually takes students over 1 hour, and then another 2 hours to edit the video!  If you only do 30 minutes a night of English homework on school nights, that means that this project alone, would require 6 nights! .... AND you ONLY have 7 school nights to do this before it is due, and don't forget all the holiday hooplah that takes up so much of our time during this year!  SO GET CRACKING!

The rest of class was spent using a Charades/Pictionary-type game.  Many of you had difficulty with "ameliorate".

Homework:  Study vocab, work on visual presentation.

And now, a little something TSO to take the edge off - if you haven't seen this yet, it's awesome:

Camera Angles and Passing in Your Instructive Essays

Hi Folks,

Today you passed in your MLA-formatted final drafts of your instructional essays.  You also grabbed some planning sheets to start thinking like a director.  This will help you pay close attention to the visual presentation of your projects.

There are three different camera angles that we will be considering for our project.

Medium Shots (MS): This is a "medium" distance away, showing about the torso up of the presenter, along with all related materials and objects.

Cut-Ins (CI):  This is about a step closer, focusing on the object presented, and able to fit the hands of the presenter in the frame as well.

Close-Up (CU):  This is another step closer, meant to show a detail of the object OR the expression on the presenter's face.


To see what other camera angles there are out there, check out this link.

Homework:  You need to have a final draft of six planning boxes (that means your drawings need to be in ink), two planning boxes for each of the three camera angles that we are using.

Rev It Up Unit 1 Pictures

Vocabulary Pictures Unit 2 All Levels

How to get Stowell's flashcards on your iPod

Hi Folks,

There are a number of free and paid apps out there that allow you to download flashcards from the website, Quizlet.com.  You can see which apps can do this by clicking here!  They all work about the same, but the more expensive ones seem to be the cooler ones.

I can't give you directions tailored for each app on how to download them, but once you pick your app, then within the app, look for something that says "search for flashcards on Quizlet.com" or something to that effect.

Secondly, search for cards created by "misterstowell" (that's me).  That usually brings up all the flashcard sets that I have created.  If that doesn't work, you can search for sets called "Rev It Up" and my cards will come up, along with ones created by other people.  See me if you are not having any luck!

Rough Draft of Instructional Essays

Today we'll start with a little vocabulary instruction, going over the new word list.  Quiz will be on Friday the 18th.

Secondly, we will peer-edit each other's rough drafts of the instructional essays.

Homework:  Final drafts of the instructional essays are due, TYPED and in MLA format by the beginning of class on Wednesday.

Five Bonus Words for Super and Extreme Challenge

Choose a Study ModeScatterLearnFlashcards

Study these flash cards

New Quizlet Flashcards for Unit 2

Choose a Study ModeScatterLearnFlashcards

Study these flash cards | Study english flash cards

Vocab Pretest and Instructional Writing Rough Draft

Hi Folks,

Today we read the short reading to see the vocabulary in context and then pretested our knowledge of them.  Some of you tested out, congrats for you!  You now have to start building your own vocabulary list, based off of independent reading.

Flashcards are coming soon on Quizlet.

For the second half of the class, we started working on the rough draft of the instructional essays.  Be sure to have your rough draft finished by Monday.  Be sure to include an introduction paragraph and a conclusion.

Homework:  RD of instructional essay is due Monday.

Block Day: Brainstorming your Instructional Essay Ideas

For the block days, we discussed what makes a good idea for this project according to what is outlined on the handout (a copy of the handout is in a prior post).  Then we brainstormed what we are planning to do (see the brainstorm lists for each class in other posts).

We ended this session with more examples of instructional videos and evaluated them.  Please feel free to suggest further ones to me if you come across any cool ones!

Homework (due Friday):  You must write a proposal to me, your boss.  If your proposal isn't a great one, I will reject it, and make you rewrite it, or choose a different project.  It must be a full 8-10 sentence paragraph that tells me why you are choosing your topic, what makes it a great thing to teach to eighth-graders, and how you plan to execute your tutorial.  I want to know exactly how you plan to go about teaching us this thing.

Period 8's Brainstorm List

How to do the freestyle stroke in swimming...
How to do a flip...
How to survive the first night in Minecraft...
How to do a skate board trick...
How to take/save a soccer penalty kick...
How to play "The Office Theme Song" on piano...
How to build the world record air plane...
How to do Jacob's Ladder from Cat's Cradle...
How to do a braided bun...
How to make a Samurai hat out of paper...
How to roof a back-handed hockey shot...
How to make a decorative cake...
How to make a glass bead...
How to do a rainbow...
How to do an ice skating trick (Waltz Jump)...
How to make a banana surprise...
How to successfully bird watch...
How to get to round 20 on Black Ops Zombies...
How to make chocolate chip cookies from scratch...
How to throw a spiral football and catch it...
How to do a 360 Y Y no scope silent shot in Modern Warfare 2...
How to shoot a lacrosse ball in multiple ways...
How to do soccer moves to get around a defender...

Seventh-Period's Brainstorm List

How to play the game "World of Warcraft," levels 1-5
How to do a form tackle
How to play "One" by Metallica on electric guitar
How to do a back-flip
How to take a wrist shot (hockey)
How to make cake pops
How to shoot a rubber band "like a boss"
How to do a "four move kill"in chess
How to make paper airplanes (must be boss-ish)
Guided tour of Exeter High School
How to do a BMX bike trick
How to make fancy cookies
How to make an origami crane
How to build a lean-to
How to make double-chocolate cookies
How to make apple pie from scratch
How to make fried rice
How to make chocolate-chip pancakes
How to bandage an injury
How to play "We're Not Gonna Take It" on electric guitar

How to Beat Someone in Chess in Four Easy Moves

Period 3 Brainstorm List

Here is the list that period three came up with...

How to play "Happy Birthday" on the clarinet...
How to make red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting...
How to do a guillotine wrestling move...
How to cut down a tree...
How to make home made play-dough...
How to fold an animal out of a towel...
A guided tour of the guillatine (in france, near the louvre)...
How to throw a "cut" fastball...
How to do soccer moves...
How to fold a dollar into a heart...
How to play "Jingle Bells" on the piano..
How to do two different patterns of tie-dye
How to run a "reverse" football play
How to make a duck tape wallet...
How to play "Good Life By: One Republic" on the acoustic guitar...
How to ski (need mountain and snow)...
How to "Juke" or avoid a tackle...
How to make a paper ninja star...
How to take care of a farm (more specific...one or two animals, crops)...
How to take proper care of a baby ball python...
How to do a pool trick called "Home Run" or a Billiards "Baseball Shot"...
How to make home made ice cream...
Mr. Stowell's Idea...
How to make home made bread...

Period 1 Brainstorm List

Here is the list that period 1 came up with. 

Folding napkin animals...make sure there are enough steps
Field Hockey moves
Football plays and moves
Video Game Code modifications
How to properly feed a snake...do not bring it in to school
Folding unique paper airplanes
How to properly fasten an Irish dance step wig
How to do a drum progression
How to make a paper crane
Figure skating move - difficult to teach, you need ice
How to prepare for hiking - get more specific...prepare for a certain hike, or a particular mountain, or how to pack a backpack
How to make a spiral keychain from string
How to fold notes in a square
How to fix a boat motor
How to cover a book with a paper bag
Teach us a TAYLOR SWIFT song on guitar
How to make a backyard ice rink ... make sure you have your parents' permission
How to properly throw a football
How to make a family recipe of Italian ravioli ... you will need to cite your mother
How to do nail decals ... be specific and make sure you have enough interest
Rainbow cupcakes ... plan out how you can do this live in class.

How to Play "Seven Nation Army" on Guitar

This is one of my favorite songs.

I haven't found many great tutorials on it... but this one is the best. Some criticisms: No closeups. The terms "fret" and "power chord" are not defined. Plus, we never see his face.

How to Ollie a Skateboard

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-ollie-on-a-skateboard

Below is one in which the directions are plainly set out.


Here is one by Tony Hawk, considered by many to be the "grandfather" of skateboarding.

Period 4's Brainstorm list

Here is the list of brainstorm topics we developed for fourth period.

~how to make a cootie catcher--too many people already know
~how to make an origami lotus
~how to draw something -- not specific enough
~how to surf--break it down & be specific:  You must be able to teach someone who doesn't know anything about it, and doesn't have a natural "gift" for it.
~how to do a french manicure -- is there enough interest?
~how to play a board game that not many people are familiar with
~how to make cake decorations ex: fondant rose
~How to be a good first baseman
~how to run a specific football play
~how to prepare for golf -- needs to be more teachable & specific
~how to do specific basketball shots or plays
~how to play "Hot Cross Buns" on the saxophone
~how to tape a hockey stick -- not enough steps, teach us other hockey moves?
~how to make snow globe
~how to throw different kinds of pitches
~how/why people make paper cranes
~how to make the family marinara sauce -- make sure 10 steps
~how to filet a fish
~how to put shooting strings on a lacrosse stick
~how to build and launch a compressed air water bottle rocket
~how to make whoopee pies
~how to get an "A" in class--needs to focus this..an"A" in specific skill like vocabulary quiz, or essay
~how to ride a unicycle

A really cool site for how-to's

Instructables.com is a website devoted to how-to projects...check it out!

How-to Rubric and Explanation

Hi Kids,

Here is an electronic copy of the unit instructions and rubric.

Tomorrow we'll be brainstorming a list of what are some good topics.

Tonight's Homework:  Brainstorm a list of 5 possible things you can do for your "guided tour" or "how-to" instructional writing project.  Make sure you write at least one sentence each explaining what it is.  Secondly, pick your favorite, and write an additional three sentences minimum explaining why that is the best choice.

How-To Videos - Examples

Hi class, I hope you all enjoyed your snow day!  I think we should take off every Monday!  Anyways, here we are again, at the beginning of a new quarter....and a new unit!  We are beginning the Instructional Writing unit!!

Today we gave an overview of the unit, and watched some YouTube "how-to" videos.  Find the links below:

• How to fold a shirt in under two seconds
• How to make an origami boomerang (poorly done)
• How to make an origami boomerang (well done) .... look below!

Halloween parade

Because you asked about my costume ... it's below with some other Dr. Who characters in the Halloween parade!

Literary Terms Flashcards

Choose a Study ModeScatterLearnFlashcards

Study these flash cards | Study english flash cards

Period 4

Here is where period 4 left off with the game!

Block Days: Review for the Test on Friday

Hi kids,

So today we continue reviewing for the test on Friday.  Through a "board game" we reviewed all the terms you are responsible for for the eight stories that we covered.

The format of the test as follows:  Match-ups of themes to stories, multiple choice for identifying the primary conflict of the stories, and finally, fillins for the other literary terms within stories.

The game involved identifying every term possible for each of the eight stories.

If you need your notes bolstered, please see Mrs. Trojan, who copied down the notes from the board.

Mini-Quiz on "The Case of Four and Twenty Blackbirds"

Today we had a quiz on this quirky, dark comedy.  From what I saw, many of you had difficulty in identifying the CENTRAL CONFLICT of the story (Detective Jack Horner vs. The Queen of Hearts).

This is the beginning of our reviewing for a cumulative test on short stories and short story terms.

Homework:  Short Story test on FRIDAY!  This is a big one, kiddos.

"The Case of Four and Twenty Blackbirds"

Here are some links to short stories that you should know to get the most out of this weekend's story!  Click on the picture to find out even more information about the nursery rhymes!

Here is the story itself:  "The Case of Four and Twenty Blackbirds"

Here is a nursery rhyme link to "Who Killed Cock Robin" ... that gives away the killer!

Here is the one that the story is based on and explains what happened to the queen (Four and Twenty Blackbirds)  

And of course, here is (Humpty Dumpty)

Now, for further investigation, here is the link for "film noir" a genre of film, and stories, were there is usually mystery and murder, and it is always rainy and dark out.

Short Stories and Finishing the Storybirds!

Okay, enough with the NECAP's.  Let's finish off the storybirds!

Of course we will go over last night's homework - which you guys obviously need work on!

Also, today we will pass out the writing folders, and many papers will get passed back.  Any writing assignments will get put in there!

Homework:  Read the second-to-last short story that we'll read this year: "The Case of Four and Twenty Blackbirds."  There is a mini-quiz on Monday identifying the narrator, central conflict, an example of irony, and tone of the narrator.

NECAP days 7 and 8: The five-paragraph essay!

These are the last two days of the NECAP writing test - the hardest of the three tests!  The final part of the test expects you to fill THREE whole NECAP pages with writing - and get this - they expect you to know it should be in a 5-paragraph essay format!

So, in class, we are reviewing the 5-paragraph format, which I'm surprised how little you remember, being that it was drilled into your head for at least two years!

We will talk about how the 5P essay is different from "real-world" essays, and why it is still important to know how to do it, and what the elements of it are.

Homework:  Do the 5P essay outline for the question "What would an ancient Roman find similar and different from writing today?"


Special:  Tom needs a new alarm clock!  Click here to donate to the "Bacon Clock for Tom" foundation.

NECAP, DAY 6, Writing Test Strategies

Hi Folks,

Today is the last math NECAP test day.  All week we are on a block schedule until Friday, when the NECAP's are all done and we return to a regular schedule!

We reviewed and shared the NECAP dialog writing prompt, and you were given two more writing prompts from last year's NECAP writing test (released items).

First one (narrative):  Write a paragraph from an adventure story, that introduces your main character (protagonist) and gives them LOTS of characterization.

Second one (persuasive):  Write a paragraph that takes a postion on whether or not we should have a class in school that teaches kids how to save and manage money.  Give one good reason and elaborate upon it.


Homework:  The above two prompts.  Remember: fill the box!

NECAP: DAY 5, The Rules of Dialog(ue)

Well, good morning folks!

For class today, in preparation for NECAP writing tests, we will be going over the basic rules of dialog.  We went over some basic rules for quotation marks, and how they are used with dialog, but if you want an extensive list of rules, check this site out.

Homework:  Do the NECAP writing exercise (the dialog with the girl talking on the phone).

Win a Free Laptop for Writing Haikus

Okay, okay...they are not REAL haikus, because REAL haikus traditionally involve a meditation on nature and the seasons....but what the heck...free computer, right?

Remember: haikus have 5 syllables the first line, 7 the second line, and 5 the third line.

Example:  

Winter is coming:

Time to gather fire wood,

and stories to last.

Submit your own on the link below...or just for fun, you can comment on this page.

www.scholastic.com/dellhaiku

NECAP: Day 4 and Block day

Okay Friends,

Today is another block day with NECAPs.  Since everyone finished the reading portion of the test, the classes today will be having different homework than the classes that met yesterday.  The classes that meet today are discussing the rules of dialog(ue).

 Homework:  NECAP review homework #2 due Monday.

NECAP: DAY 3 and Block Day

Okay True Believers,

Today is a bit of a tricky one:  Block day, and shortened periods due to NECAP's.

In class today:

Part 1:  Reviewing the reading test prep. homework

Part 2:  Assessing/Sharing your Storybirds, continued.

Homework:  More NECAP test-prep. practice - due Monday!

NECAP: DAY TWO

We'll take a quick break from assessing the Storybirds for today to focus specifically on how to nail the NECAP reading test.

Best way to attack the reading test:

1. Read the questions first...especially the long-response questions!
2. Highlight/underline/circle information from the passage that can answer the questions...and quotes you can use for your long-response!
3. Set up your paragraph
• topic sentences
• body that has specific information and PQE
• concluding sentence
4. Reread the long-response question while you write to make sure you don't ramble.

Fill the BOX!

Homework:  Finish the Necap test prep "Town Animal Pounds"

Oh, and don't forget to vote for us on the GLEE website!  You can vote once a day!

VOTE FOR OUR SCHOOL on GLEE!

Go here and vote for your favorite school, narrated by your favorite English teacher!!

Glee Give a Note Contest

NECAP: DAY ONE

Hi folks -

Today is our first day of NECAP testing.  For 90 minutes each day, for 8 days, we will be testing.  Two tests of reading, then three math tests, and then the hardest: THREE days of writing.

A couple things to keep in mind:

• RULE #1:  fill then entire box of text when you encounter a prompt!
• On-team classes are only 30 minutes long.  There will be a flex period - but it'll be short.  No priority groups during these days.
• Bring a book - if you finish your test, and have checked it twice, read.

In class today, we will be watching and assessing our Storybirds.  No homework.

FILL THE BOX!!

And now...your moment of Zen

Sharing Storybirds

Today we are sharing our Storybirds!  Don't forget to have your rubric ready, and that it is properly filled out!

In the meantime, please feel free to check out your classmates' stories...you can read them!


Homework:  Be prepared to continue sharing Storybirds Tuesday.

Parents:  Your child's Storybird is up, please read it, and yes, you can have them published!

Storybirds Days 3 & 4

Benchmark for day 3: 7 words included, and be sure that your protagonist is both round and dynamic.

Day 4:  This is your last in-class day to work on your Storybirds - if you don't publish in class, you need to do so at home.



Homework:  Umm.  Guess.

Storybird: Day 2

By the beginning of class today, you need to have firmly decided upon which "menu choices" you will write your story upon and what collection of art you are going with.  Also, if you are doing the storybird alternate assignment, you need to have firmly decided upon that as well...remember:  if you are going to choose the alternate, you are STUCK with it, and do not get extra time.

By the end of class, you needed to have incorporated 3 of the 10 vocab words into your story.  Remember:  The meaning of the word needs to be clear from the context of the rest of the sentence - someone who didn't know the meaning of the word would be able to figure it out from the rest of the sentence!  Be sure the sentence is long enough!


Homework:  Continue to work on your storybird at home.  You should have at least 5 of the ten words in your story by tonight...aka you need to be half done.

DUE DATE IS THIS FRIDAY MORNING!

Storybird: Day 1

Hi Folks,

 You were given a rubric and project description for the storybird project last Friday.  Today through Thursday we are working on it in class.  There is no homework all week, except to continue working on your project.  It is absolutely necessary to be prepared to work in class these four days, because they are due the beginning of class on Friday, when we present them to the class.

Again, we only have four days on in-class time to work on these...so you MUST NOT PROCRASTINATE!!

Homework:  continue working on your storybird!  If you didn't choose your artist in class, you must do so at home and be ready with it by the beginning of class tomorrow!

PARENTS:  Hey, your kid will have the option to publish these projects after they are done.  From past experience, these stories look quite beautiful.  However, if you wish to have your child's story printed, it does cost money.  See the storybird website for details.

Literary Analysis Paragraph

Today we are going to share our literary analysis paragraphs, sharing what is good, and what needs to be reviewed.

At the same time we will begin reviewing the stories and the terms in preparation for a test in one week and two days!

Next week we will be creating storybirds ... so get ready...it will be unlike any storybird you may have done before!

Homework: none

What is Dr. Who?

Okay, some of you asked. The season finale is on this Saturday...and I'm really excited!

Looking Ahead: Storybird

Next week we are going to apply what we know and write a really awesome story, using a really awesome website, www.storybird.com  check it out!

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Literary Paragraph

This is a block day, don't forget!

Today we discussed how humans use the story frame as a way to store information in memory and the strange impact that has on the information (see NPR article posted below).

Afterwards, we took notes on how to write a literary analysis paragraph...not too hard, and they are great frames to store important information about a story...how convenient!  You will get to choose any story that we have read together ("All Summer In a Day," "After I Was Thrown Into the River, and Before I Drowned,""The Cask of Amontillado," "Harrison Bergeron," "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," and the one below) AND pick one term (characterization, irony, conflict) to talk about!

Homework:  Read the story, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" and write your literary paragraph.  Due Friday.


Okay, so there is a 12-part Youtube version of it...again, it is not exactly the same as the story, so read the story, but if you want to have some fun...check it out...I put the first installment below...but you have to find the rest if you want to watch the whole thing!

Reviewing the types of conflict: "Harrison Bergeron"

Today we reviewed yesterday's literary terms on satire and conflict.  We also talked about the short story, "Harrison Bergeron" and answered the question of what the author was trying to satirize.

Homework:  Read the psychologically thrilling story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" (due tomorrow)

READ the full story here.

(Check out the video link below)

How our minds work...interesting link...

Great little radio story...listen to this!

"How Psychology Solved A WWII Shipwreck Mystery"

"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" Videos

Soooo...Alfred Hitchcock is a TOTALLY awesome director...and he tackled this famous story...in three parts.  He does change the plot...a little...so make sure you read the story, not JUST watch the videos.

Harrison Bergeron Video

It's a little corny...but kinda cool as a review.  Check it out!

Harrison Bergeron, conflict and satire

Today you will copy down some terms, and then read the satirical story, Harrison Bergeron.

Terms:

Satire - a work that ridicules the foolishness of individuals, a society, or humanity.


person vs. person conflict -  the antagonist is preventing the protagonist from reaching their goal
person vs. nature/technology conflict - some natural or man-made obstacle is preventing the protagonist from reaching their goal
person vs. group/society conflict - a group of people or society's laws/rules/expectations are preventing the protagonist from reaching their goal
person vs. self conflict - when a character is struggling over a difficult decision, a personality flaw, or a physical or mental limitation which prevents them from achieving their goal


Harrison Bergeron is a futuristic sci-fi story that supposes that everyone is given "handicaps" to make everyone in society completely equal.  Nobody is allowed to be smarter, cuter, or stronger than anyone else.  Kurt Vonnegut (the author) wrote this satirical story to poke fun of some aspect about our society...what is it?




Homework:  finish reading "Harrison Bergeron."  Be prepared to answer questions about the story on Tuesday. 

Review Terms and Discussion

We will review the terms learned so far, will discuss the story, and will have an in-class free-write:

Two options:

1) summarize the story using as many terms you know as possible (minimum of three)

or

2) modernize the story into a present-day revenge story...creepy!

Homework due Monday:
1)  finish the in-class free-write, if you have not already.  One full, hand-written page minimum.  It must be legible because it will be going into your writing folder!

"The Cask of Amontillado," and more lit. terms ... isn't that ironic?

Today we read a story about revenge.  We will also learn some more literary terms: irony, verbal irony, dramatic irony, and situational irony, AND symbolism.  The definitions will be given in class, BUT they are already on flashcards in an earlier post (look below!)

You can read the story online here, if you prefer.

For a huge list of symbols in literature, and what they often refer to, click here.



Homework:

Finish reading "The Cask of Amontillao"

check out these videos....

Here is what the Parisian catacombs look like:

Literary Terms Scavenger Hunt...and REVENGE!

Now it is time to apply what we have learned!  You will be in teams of 3-5 members.  Each team gets a bingo sheet.  Only one book per person at a time.  The first team to get a three-in-a-row wins!  We will be highlighting passages from books for proof that we found the term, so be prepared.

The second half of the class will be spent beginning with reading the story, the "The Cask of Amontillado"...  a great story about revenge!  Yes, this one is a little dark!

Homework:  read the first half of the story, "The Cask of Amontillado"

Terms Review

Hey Folks -

Today we will review the terms about narration we learned on Monday.  Mr. Stowell selected a few stories that he really likes and read narration from them while the class went about discussing and debating what type of narrator they had.  Please note that in novels, the decision of what type of narrator isn't always %100 one type, but a mixture of two, although there usually is a dominate type.  In short stories, it's easier to tell (because they are shorter).

Here is what we determined:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - 3rd pers. limited.  We see inside Harry's head primarily, although there are times when we do see a little into some of the minor characters, such as the Dursleys...making it a little omniscient.

Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring - 3rd pers. limited.  We see inside Bilbo Baggins' head frequently, although a lot of the narration is descriptive, as if seen by a "fly on the wall," making it a little objective.

Angels and Demons - 3rd pers. limited.  We see inside Langdon's head the most, who is the primary character, but to a lesser degree, we do see inside the head of his partner, Vittoria.  So, there is more than one, so you could argue that it is a little omniscient.

A Series of Unfortunate Events - The Slippery Slope - 3rd pers. omniscient.  We see inside the heads of several characters, most notably the Baudelaire children...but you could argue that the three of them almost act as a single unit, and we don't see into the heads of anyone but them, so you could argue that it could be a little limited.

The Hunger Games - 1st person.  Boom.  Easy.  This book is narrated by the protagonist, Katniss, referring to herself as "I" and we definitely see inside her head.

"The Things They Carried" - 3rd person omniscient.  This one is easy too, if you read for long enough. We see into the heads of all of the soldiers as they are on their march.  (This is one of my favorite short stories of all time, by the way, but it's about Vietnam and can be kind of graphic, so you may want to wait to high school to really read it and like it).

Tomorrow, we will go on a scavenger hunt and you will find each type of narrator!

Homework:  None.

New Literary Terms and a Great Story!

Hi Kids,

Today in class we are reading the great short story "After I Was Thrown In the River and Before I Drowned" by Dave Eggers, one of the most promising contemporary fiction writers my age.  He wrote some really cool, really famous books like The What is The What and one of my all-time favorites, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.  This story has an interesting narrator, which I'm sure you discovered.

Also today, we covered five new literary terms:

1. First-Person Point-of-View (p.o.v.):
A character in the story is the narrator.  Readers see only what that character sees.
2. Third-Person Omniscient p.o.v.: The narrator is "all-knowing" and tells the readers what any character thinks or feels.
3. Third-Person Limited p.o.v.: The story is told through the eyes of only ONE character.  The reader only knows how that one character feels and thinks.
4. Third-Person Objective p.o.v.:  The story is told as if by a "fly on the wall" without the reader being able to know the thoughts and feelings of any character.
5. Tone:  The narrator's attitude toward the story, the characters, themselves, and even the world (i.e. pessimistic  apathetic, optimistic, happy, angry, ashamed, prideful, excited, frustrated, dark...etc.).

Two questions to ask yourself:  What kind of narrator do we have in this story?  What is the tone of that narrator?

Homework:  Finish reading the story.  Summarize it in as few sentences possible while still including the essential plot and character information AND including three literary terms (you can use the old terms as well as the ones you learned today).  Due tomorrow!

All the literary terms flashcards

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Study these flash cards | Study english flash cards

The flash cards once again.

Reminder: You can go onto www.quizlet.com and search for my cards (search "Stowell").  You can also download these to any iPod Touch flashcard app that can download cards from Quizlet.

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Study these flash cards

How to Coin Walk

This is related to the prompt I wrote on characterization...but it's also a brief preview of the type of project we will work on at the end of quarter 1 / beginning of quarter 2!

Vocab post-test today

Hello Folks!

Today in class is the vocabulary post-assessment that for the words that we have been studying these last two weeks.  Based off of preliminary results from first period, things are looking pretty great!

As for Parent Night last night, it was awesome!  A special thanks to all the parents who made it out!  I did ask how many of them knew you were taking a quiz today, however, and only a few hands went up in each class...let's change that; let your parents help to quiz you as you are washing the dishes after dinner!

As for the writing response you did to yesterday's short story, All Summer In a Day, I'll be collecting that on Monday, so DON'T LOSE IT in your binder (I'm looking at you, Joe)!

Homework:  None...have fun.

Looking ahead:  More literary terms and short stories next week!  Although we have ropes course, we will still be having classes.  The next story we will read has a dog as the narrator...it's hilarious, and sad, and awesome!

Parent Night!

Tonight is "Parent Night" or "Open-House" here at C.M.S.  Hopefully, I'll get to meet a lot of your parents!  Below is a quick slide-show regarding some of the things I'd like to tell them, but mostly it will be a time for me to shake hands and say hello in my typically nerdy, over-excited way.

Our First Short Story..."All Summer In a Day"

WELCOME TO BLOCK-DAYS (Wednesday and Thursday)

Today, we'll start with a little vocab-baseball to get the ball rolling.
Second, we'll check and share your paragraphs on "what makes a character great."
Thirdly, we'll start our first short story, "All Summer In a Day," a cool little science-fiction that takes place on an alien planet where summer only lasts for one day out of several years.  We are going to focus on the characterization in this story.

Homework:  Write at least one paragraph (10 sentences minimum) making one of the flat antagonists more round.  Rewrite part of the story from that antagonist's point of view, turning them into the protagonist.  If you don't finish it in class, finish it at home!  Due FRIDAY!

DON'T Forget that your first Vocab post-assessment is FRIDAY as well!

Mr. Stowell's example of the homework!

I've been getting a few questions about the homework...so I did it myself and put up an example!

      Doc Holiday from the movie, Tombstone, is one of the greatest characters ever!  Although he is not exactly the protagonist (that role belongs to Wyatt Earp) he is given so much indirect characterization, that he almost steals the show.  Throughout the movie, Doc Holiday loves to poke fun at the bad-guys, always provoking them into a fight, which he always wins.  He is obviously the best gunslinger in Arizona.  Although he is suffering from tuberculosis, which he knows will eventually kill him, he doesn't let that stop him from having too much fun and causing too much trouble.  His character also has some really great direct characterization in the way he looks in the movie.  He is deathly skinny and pale (from his sickness) but always impeccably dressed and playing with a lucky coin that he's constantly rolling between his knuckles (when he's not shooting people).  If he were to be categorized as a dynamic/round, or static/flat character, he'd actually be a combination of the terms.  He's definitely static, because his personality never really changes; he's the loyal-to-the-end friend of Earp, and a selfish jerk to everyone else from the beginning to the end of the movie.  However, he's not exactly flat, because there is so much description of him...although we never fully know what makes him tick.  Because of these qualities, he is a very memorable and awesome character!

Okay, so I'm an over-achiever...I did 11 sentences, and included 5 terms, but there you have it!

Tech Setup.

Hi Folks,

First things first:  we got to get our computer accounts set up!  Ms. Maciolek and Mr. Descoteaux will be there to help us - do whatever they tell you to do!


So, technically, there is no English class today.  I'll be in the room, but the class will only be on setting up your computer accounts.

Homework:  Same as last night...I'll be checking homework tomorrow!

Vocab baseball and Characterization Terms

Hello folks, happy Monday!

So, to get things started, I thought we'd have a little vocab baseball.  Two teams, two innings.  The pitch will be the pictures.  Single if you can correctly guess the word, double if you also guess the correct part of speech, triple if you can correctly use the word in a sentence, home run if you can do all that AND correctly spell the word.   This is my first time trying the game, so cross your fingers.

The second half of the class will be concerned with a discussion of characterization.  We will talk about what makes a good character great and memorable.

You will also learn some new literary terms:

• Direct characterization - When the author states a character's traits, mostly physical
• Indirect characterization - When a character's personality is shown by their words and actions
• Flat/Static character - a character that who's "soul" is somewhat a mystery and remains largely unchanged.
• Round/Dynamic character - a character who's soul and personality is well-described, and who goes through some kind of change throughout the story.
• Protagonist - the main character, sometimes the "hero" who must overcome the main obstacles and resolve the primary conflict.
• Antagonist - a character or force in conflict with a main character or protagonist

There will be an in-class writing about what makes a good character.  Use some of the terms and examples we have learned and talked about in class.

Homework:  Study your vocab - it won't learn itself!  Finish the in-class writing.

What's coming up:  We will read a cool short story and apply what we know about characterization tomorrow!

What makes a good character (cont.)

Today we will continue the "Who the Heck Is That?" game, in guessing our classmates' favorite characters, based off of their detailed descriptions.  Afterwards, we will have a class discussion on what really makes a great (not just good, but GREAT) character.

For Monday in-class writing:  One fat paragraph (10 sentences minimum) answering the question "what makes a good character?"  Be sure to include what you learned from today's discussion.  This may be typed or neatly in ink.  Be prepared to share.

Homework:  Study your vocab flashcards (look below for the earlier post).  Post-test is on next Friday.

For the kids who tested out:  Your vocab list of ten words is due (the whole sheet needs to be completed) by Tuesday.

It's Friday

Firstly, let me welcome you to Friday! Secondly, I want to definitively tell you that the horrible song with terrible lyrics, "Friday" by Rebecca Black, was not written by Boby Dylan, despite the fact that there is a Dylan impersonator singing a cover of it on Youtube. Sorry, Nick - I did the research. Read here, watch here.

Please see what we did in class in the next post.

What makes a good character?

Today we will start by checking and sharing your vocab stories that you wrote in class yesterday.  Then we will briefly do some vocabulary review while the "T.O.'s" (kids who tested out) will begin setting up their vocabulary lists.

Midway through class, we will reconvene to do the "Who the Heck Is That?" character game, based off of your last night's homework.  Prizes will be given to those with the best character description, and to those who guessed the most characters correctly.  Afterwards will follow a brainstorm on what makes a good character.

Homework:  Check out the flash cards.  Begin studying vocabulary.  

Pretest

Good Day fellow students!

Today is the pretest.  If you pass with an 90% or better (this time) you have "tested-out" of the list and will do self-guided vocab, based off of a novel of your choosing.  If so, you need to keep a book at school during the first week of the unit to create your list of 14 words.  If you do not have a book, you will be promptly sent to the library to acquire one, and will lose time to generate your list, or you may lose your "tested-out" status.

We will correct the pretests in class, and you will know your status today in class.

• Challenge Level:  The post-test will consist of half of the words are multiple-choice, half fill-in the blank for sentences.
• Super-Challenge Level:  This post-test will look very similar to the pretest without the word bank, and will consist of 14 words.
• Extreme-Challenge Level:  This post-test will provide you with a word bank, and you must write a story that correctly uses the words in context.  In addition, you must provide the correct part of speech for each word as it is used.

After the pretest, you will have an in-class writing assignment:

• Choice 1:  Write a paragraph that uses all ten vocabulary words correctly in a scenario that describe a time where you or a loved one had "a close call."  Remember Mr. Stowell's appendectomy story?

• Choice 2:  Write a paragraph that summarizes the Jon Krakauer story excerpt from Into Thin Air, which correctly uses all ten vocabulary words.

Homework: 

• (Due tomorrow)  Finish your in-class writing.  Be sure to use all 10 words.
• (Due tomorrow)  Write one paragraph describing (in as much detail as possible) your favorite character from a book or a movie.  DO NOT REVEAL THE NAME - we are going to try to guess it in class!  (Pen or pencil - as long as it's legible)
• (For people who tested-out) Bring a book tomorrow that you can use for your vocabulary list.  If you do not bring a book, you will default to Extreme Challenge.

                                 

Rev It Up!

Vocab List for Unit one:

1. Ascend    (v.) To move upward
2. Deteriorate    (v.) To have the condition of something get worse and worse
3. Deplete    (v.) To be completely used up
4. Innocuous    (adj.) Harmless
5. Banal    (adj.) Something or someone that is so common that it is boring
6. Demure    (adj.) Quiet and shy
7. Formidable    (adj.) Threatening because of size or strength
8. Immaculate    (adj.) Spotlessly clean
9. Arduous    (adj.) When something takes a lot of effort
10. Err    (v.) To make a mistake
11. * subordinate    * (adj.) To be lower or less than something else
12. * pinnacle    * (n.) a high peak or point
13. * notorious    * (adj.) well-known for having a bad reputation
14. * benign    * (adj.) not causing harm

Starred words 11-14 are for super and extreme-challenge!

Pretest - you may test out of each list! If you do, you must bring a book to English class every day during that unit!

Today students passed in their first assignment!!  I must say, I was overwhelmingly positively impressed with the turnout...out of those present, only three students out of the entire pod were unable to pass in the assignment on time!

Also today we finished the Jon Krakauer excerpt from Into Thin Air which highlighted our upcoming vocabulary unit.  Please refer to the flashcards in the previous post.  Tomorrow there will be a pre-test on the words.  If you "test-out" of the list (you smarty-pants, you) you will be able to skip the unit and build your own vocabulary list from a book that you are currently reading.  More on this as we do it!

Homework: none, pretest tomorrow!

Letters and Revving it up!

Today we're continuing to talk about the format for a business letter, as explained in the last post! You have a little in-class time to continue working on it. You will get an "A" grade if you wrote 15 sentences in rough draft.

The second half of class is story-time! There is an excellent selection in the Rev It Up text, which is an excerpt of one of my favorite books (which, coincidentally, is one of the literature group titles for later this year)! So, yes, that means we will be starting the first Rev It Up vocabulary list when you get back on Tuesday. However, if you have an iPod touch and want to download flashcards for the unit to get a jump on things, the link is right here!

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Study these flash cards

Homework: Final draft of business letter to Mr. Stowell due Tuesday at the beginning of class.

Getting Down to Business: The Business Letter

Today in class we continued/reviewed the name-game in order to build our class community. Afterwards, we reviewed the business letter format for your first assignment: Write Mr. Stowell a letter about yourself!

A helpful link with the format of a business letter can be found here.
Look at the first example of a letter here.

The letter will be started in class and will be finished for homework. The minimum length is 15 complete sentences....there is no maximum. It may be printed at home, or neatly written in ink. This should be in final draft form, so yes, it should be edited and most of you will have to do a second draft. Remember, I'm like your boss, you are a new hire, and this is your first impression.

Here are some possible things you might want to include in a letter:

• Who your favorite English teacher was, and what was it about their teaching style that you found worked really well with you.
• Do you love to read and write, or is it really laborious and tedious for you.
• What kind of books do you like to read, and what kind of writing do you like to do?
• What do you hope to get out of this year in English class?
• What does an English teacher need to know about you?
• What are your educational and/or life goals?
• How far do you want to go in your education?
• What are some of your good/bad student habits?
• Are there any personal factors that affect your life as a student (positively or negatively) that you think a teacher would find helpful to know about you?
• Do you like school? Why or why not?
• What are some of your questions or concerns about class or school that have been on your mind?
  

Homework: Rough draft (15 sentences minimum) due Thursday. Final draft of business letter due the following Tuesday, at the beginning of class (typed or neatly in ink).

Day ONE: Done!

Today in class, Mr. Stowell told you a little about his nerdy self, and a little about the class expectations. If time permitted, we did the name-game. If not, we'll settle that tomorrow!

Class Information:
Grades/Homework assignments: Homework accounts for 10% of your grade and is considered practice. Small assignments will not be accepted late. The bulk of your grade is determined by quizzes and writing assignments. Quizzes can be retaken for the better grade after school on Mondays and Thursdays. For every day a writing assignment is late, it goes down a letter grade.

What to Bring:
Pen, paper, agenda book, binder, and any other relevant classroom materials/assignments.
suggested: thumb drive and a Google Gmail account (check with your parents first).
MOST IMPORTANT: a positive attitude!

Today's Homework: none

A New Year!

Welcome Class of 2016! I'm very excited to meet you, and even more excited that you have found the blog! Do you have any questions or comments for the first couple of days? Comment below! If you would like to see what happened in class last year, go ahead and scroll through it!