Final marking deadline for all January work is Thurs. Feb. 5, 2015
Thurs. Feb. 5, 2015
- During the final class, we will finish our novel study by viewing the movie version of October Sky.
Tues. Feb. 3, 2015
- complete and hand in ch. 1 - 8 questions and other overdue work .
- finish viewing the BBC adaptation, Macbeth Retold. Draw on your knowledge of the play to make connections between Shakespeare's Macbeth and Macbeth Retold.
Mon. Feb. 2, 2015
- complete and hand in ch. 1 - 8 questions and other overdue work .
- When we explored the play Macbeth, we completed an assignment to adapt the story to a modern warrior version. Students developed a prototype modern day warrior Macbeth character and a brief synopsis for a reinvented version of the story. Today, we'll start to view the BBC adaptation, Macbeth Retold. Draw on your knowledge of the play to make connections between Shakespeare's Macbeth and Macbeth Retold.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Friday, January 23, 2015
Jan. 26 - 30: October Sky
ch. 1-8 questions DUE on Fri. Jan. 30 (88)
Final marking deadline for all January work is Thurs. Feb. 5, 2015
Fri. Jan. 30, 2015
- Continue reading and completion of ch. 1 - 8 questions.
- If you have finished the reading and questions, use the Chrome Books to complete Grammar Bytes activities (follow the instructions on the site).
- Review cover letter templates and tips to understand the purpose and content requirements.
- If you wish you could be an October Sky rocket boy/girl, try interactive rocketry:
(Use Google Chrome browser for best access)
Thurs. Jan. 29, 2015
- Today, the class will be participating in a Lego Literature Challenge Contest to construct scenes from any of the literature we've covered in class this year. Use your imagination and knowledge to construct a scene that could win in any of the contest categories: Best Overall; Most Realistic; Most Humorous; Most Symbolic; Most Creative. You can work alone or in a small team of no more than 3 people.
Wed. Jan. 28, 2015
- Continue reading and completion of ch. 1 - 8 questions.
- If you have finished the reading and questions, use the Chrome Books to complete the editing exercises 1, 2, and 3 (follow the instructions on the site).
- In preparation for Thursday's Lego Literature competition, check out some of the online samples of Lego Lit novel scenes.
- If you wish you could be an October Sky rocket boy/girl, try interactive rocketry:
(Use Google Chrome browser for best access)
- Group activity on female characters and archetypes
- Continue reading and completion of ch. 1 - 8 questions.
Mon. Jan. 26, 2015
- Group discussion questions on the documentary The Last Mountain.
1. What did the filmmaker want you to feel and think?
2. What were the objectives of this film?
3. From your viewer perspective, did the filmmaker achieve his objectives?
4. Was the bias within the content necessary or unnecessary to achieve the film's objectives?
5. Did the film provide sufficiently balanced points of view? Must a documentary be balanced?
6. Which aspects of the film were most effective in engaging you as a viewer?
7. Which aspects of the film were least effective?
8. Did you feel that any of the content in the documentary The Last Mountain was incomplete, unfair, untrue or misleading?
9. Did the film inform you?
10. Did the film influence your views?
- Continue reading and completion of ch. 1 - 8 questions.
Final marking deadline for all January work is Thurs. Feb. 5, 2015
Fri. Jan. 30, 2015
- Continue reading and completion of ch. 1 - 8 questions.
- If you have finished the reading and questions, use the Chrome Books to complete Grammar Bytes activities (follow the instructions on the site).
- Review cover letter templates and tips to understand the purpose and content requirements.
- If you wish you could be an October Sky rocket boy/girl, try interactive rocketry:
(Use Google Chrome browser for best access)
- NASA Rocket Science 101
- NASA Launch It
- NASA Bottle Rocket Simulator
- Rocket Simulator
- NASA Interactive Media
Thurs. Jan. 29, 2015
- Today, the class will be participating in a Lego Literature Challenge Contest to construct scenes from any of the literature we've covered in class this year. Use your imagination and knowledge to construct a scene that could win in any of the contest categories: Best Overall; Most Realistic; Most Humorous; Most Symbolic; Most Creative. You can work alone or in a small team of no more than 3 people.
Wed. Jan. 28, 2015
- Continue reading and completion of ch. 1 - 8 questions.
- If you have finished the reading and questions, use the Chrome Books to complete the editing exercises 1, 2, and 3 (follow the instructions on the site).
- In preparation for Thursday's Lego Literature competition, check out some of the online samples of Lego Lit novel scenes.
- If you wish you could be an October Sky rocket boy/girl, try interactive rocketry:
(Use Google Chrome browser for best access)
- NASA Rocket Science 101
- NASA Launch It
- NASA Bottle Rocket Simulator
- Rocket Simulator
- NASA Interactive Media
- Group activity on female characters and archetypes
- Continue reading and completion of ch. 1 - 8 questions.
Mon. Jan. 26, 2015
- Group discussion questions on the documentary The Last Mountain.
1. What did the filmmaker want you to feel and think?
2. What were the objectives of this film?
3. From your viewer perspective, did the filmmaker achieve his objectives?
4. Was the bias within the content necessary or unnecessary to achieve the film's objectives?
5. Did the film provide sufficiently balanced points of view? Must a documentary be balanced?
6. Which aspects of the film were most effective in engaging you as a viewer?
7. Which aspects of the film were least effective?
8. Did you feel that any of the content in the documentary The Last Mountain was incomplete, unfair, untrue or misleading?
9. Did the film inform you?
10. Did the film influence your views?
- Continue reading and completion of ch. 1 - 8 questions.
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Jan. 19 - 23: October Sky
ch. 1-8 questions DUE on Fri. Jan. 30 (88)
Wed. Jan. 21 - Fri. Jan. 23, 2015
- Documentary film is an effective storytelling medium that is increasingly focused on social, political, and environmental issues / activism.
- We will be viewing The Last Mountain, which tells the story of controversial mountaintop removal mining practices used in West Virginia (the setting of the novel October Sky).
- Start work on the documentary reflection chart and paragraph responses. Consult the discussion guide if you've missed this documentary. This CDC graphic shows the prevalence of cancer in proximity to MTR coal mines. Physicians for Social Responsibility have produced the Coal's Assault on Human Health document.
Tues. Jan. 20, 2015
- The setting of the story October Sky is the small town of Coalwood in the mountains of West Virginia. This rugged landscape is an important element in the storytelling about the town, its economy and the activities of the inhabitants. In British Columbia, mountains are also an important part of our landscape which shapes our culture and stories.
- We will reflect on our mountain connections and develop a list of adjectives while viewing the short documentary Mountains in Motion.
- Complete the October Sky Connections sheet on the theme of mountains. Review the characteristics of creative nonfiction on the back of the sheet and write a narrative creative nonfiction paragraph according to the instructions.
Mon. Jan. 19, 2015
- Lab 1 is booked for today. Use your lab time to research the ch. 4 topics and the Invictus poem in the ch. 8 questions. Complete the paragraph and question assignments for ch. 1 - 8.
**The link for the final question should be revised as follows:
Ch. 8 Question 7 - Use the following links to discuss the meaning of the poem Invictus:
---English Professor...(CNN)
---McVeigh and Invictus (Chicago Tribune)
Wed. Jan. 21 - Fri. Jan. 23, 2015
- Documentary film is an effective storytelling medium that is increasingly focused on social, political, and environmental issues / activism.
- We will be viewing The Last Mountain, which tells the story of controversial mountaintop removal mining practices used in West Virginia (the setting of the novel October Sky).
- Start work on the documentary reflection chart and paragraph responses. Consult the discussion guide if you've missed this documentary. This CDC graphic shows the prevalence of cancer in proximity to MTR coal mines. Physicians for Social Responsibility have produced the Coal's Assault on Human Health document.
Tues. Jan. 20, 2015
- The setting of the story October Sky is the small town of Coalwood in the mountains of West Virginia. This rugged landscape is an important element in the storytelling about the town, its economy and the activities of the inhabitants. In British Columbia, mountains are also an important part of our landscape which shapes our culture and stories.
- We will reflect on our mountain connections and develop a list of adjectives while viewing the short documentary Mountains in Motion.
- Complete the October Sky Connections sheet on the theme of mountains. Review the characteristics of creative nonfiction on the back of the sheet and write a narrative creative nonfiction paragraph according to the instructions.
Mon. Jan. 19, 2015
- Lab 1 is booked for today. Use your lab time to research the ch. 4 topics and the Invictus poem in the ch. 8 questions. Complete the paragraph and question assignments for ch. 1 - 8.
**The link for the final question should be revised as follows:
Ch. 8 Question 7 - Use the following links to discuss the meaning of the poem Invictus:
---English Professor...(CNN)
---McVeigh and Invictus (Chicago Tribune)
Friday, January 9, 2015
Jan. 12 - 16: October Sky
FINAL MARKING DEADLINE for all Nov. and Dec. work - Fri. Jan. 16
Fri. Jan. 16, 2015
- Rocket Boys (October Sky) has been adapted as a musical with ambitions to make a run on Broadway. This spring, the Rocket Boys musical will run for close to a month in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Continue reading and completion of ch. 1-8 questions.
- Watch the Homer Hickam interview (part 3)
Thurs. Jan. 15, 2015
- Consider the question as to whether it is worth it for a government to fund a space program. In the book October Sky, Sonny is inspired by the space race. Should our governments today continue to fund space programs?
- View Our Generation's Space Race. Does this presentation influence your opinion?
- Continue reading and completion of ch. 1-8 questions.
Wed. Jan. 14, 2015
- The lab is booked for this class so that students can research the ch. 4 paragraph topics.
- Continue reading and completion of ch. 1-8 questions.
- Watch Part 2 of the Homer Hickam interview:
Tues. Jan. 13, 2015
- Continue reading and completion of ch. 1-8 questions.
- To better understand the historical and political setting of the novel, view "Cold War Politics in the Space Race."
Mon. Jan. 12, 2015
- First, complete any incomplete November / December course work.
- Continue reading October Sky and responding to the chapter questions.
- Try to finish reading ch. 1 - 5.
- Watch Part 1 of the Homer Hickam interview:
Fri. Jan. 16, 2015
- Rocket Boys (October Sky) has been adapted as a musical with ambitions to make a run on Broadway. This spring, the Rocket Boys musical will run for close to a month in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Continue reading and completion of ch. 1-8 questions.
- Watch the Homer Hickam interview (part 3)
Thurs. Jan. 15, 2015
- Consider the question as to whether it is worth it for a government to fund a space program. In the book October Sky, Sonny is inspired by the space race. Should our governments today continue to fund space programs?
- View Our Generation's Space Race. Does this presentation influence your opinion?
- Continue reading and completion of ch. 1-8 questions.
Wed. Jan. 14, 2015
- The lab is booked for this class so that students can research the ch. 4 paragraph topics.
- Continue reading and completion of ch. 1-8 questions.
- Watch Part 2 of the Homer Hickam interview:
Tues. Jan. 13, 2015
- Continue reading and completion of ch. 1-8 questions.
- To better understand the historical and political setting of the novel, view "Cold War Politics in the Space Race."
Mon. Jan. 12, 2015
- First, complete any incomplete November / December course work.
- Continue reading October Sky and responding to the chapter questions.
- Try to finish reading ch. 1 - 5.
- Watch Part 1 of the Homer Hickam interview:
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