Spot on

ELA 11

Yesterday we finished up our time in the computer lab, and I've already started to grade and enter Lord of the Flies projects; they are a ton of fun to read! Most students captured the boys' voices in a way only kids could do--and their user names are spot on. Grades for those projects will be in by the weekend.

Today we start Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and we cover it like Shakespeare intended: we are the audience, not the readers. I will give background information today, lay out the story, and preview each day what we watch, but our main intent as ELA 11 teachers is for students to enjoy Shakespeare--which is really not all that hard to do, especially since Twelfth Night is a comedy. The story revolves around mistaken identity, a lost twin, and unrequited love ... and what can be better than that?!

AP Language
 Students have this week in class to prepare for their exam, which is to teach one of the essays we haven't yet read from our anthology. Kids are working in groups of three and must plan for 30 minutes of instruction. They should clearly demonstrate they understand the essay and its rhetoric, along with the writer and occasion. Quite frankly, this should be second nature to them by now! They must also read and annotate the essays that will be taught, so they are prepared to participate as their classmates teach.