Q & A

ELA 11
Since most kids have read at least the first 24 pages of the novel, I started the hour by taking questions. Bradbury has a unique writing style, one which uses figurative language extensively to mirror a character's inner world. Sometimes students are a little shy about asking a question in class, so I always am prepared to start off with analyzing some passages that in the past have proven to be problematic. Tomorrow students are to bring more questions and will work with them a bit in their small groups. We also looked at various parts of the book for more background information we can gain as readers before we even begin reading the novel: the cover, title page, epigraph.

I also gave about 25 minutes for sustained silent reading--students are to complete their first double entry response tonight for homework. In addition, they are to look up the mythical significance of the salamander as it is a prominent symbol in Fahrenheit 451.

AP Language
 Today we finished scenes two and three in Act IV. Tomorrow we will finish viewing the play, although our analysis in class will continue as we read important passages together. Students should now be working on a class essay due next week, their motif notes, and, new today, a passage from Henry's St. Crispin's Day speech to memorize. Busy times!

Yearbook
The 2011 yearbook, Mobile Memories, is over halfway completed at the end of next week! What an accomplishment--while we've had our ups and downs, for the most part staffers have worked hard to make this book come alive. Today we "flowed" the panels of two grades and students are working on getting sidebar interviews and photographs ready for the page layout.