Thursday, 31 October 2024

Welcome to the 305th day of the year!

 Drama 8:  Which of the Aesop's Fables lessons do you need to learn?  Explain why.

Senior Drama:  Hey!  Lots of you "forgot" to do last week's journal!!

This weeks?  What did you contribute to "The Cursed Carnival of Chaos"?  (Actors -- what role did you play?  Directors/Scriptwriters -- what did you contribute to the script?  what ideas did you have about staging? costumes? sound?  light?  what else?  Theatre production -- did you build something?  did you do lighting or sound?  did you think of costumes or how the set would look? what did you do while the show was running?)

How did the show go?  (Provide details.)

English 9:  Look on Teams to see the instructions for the literary essay about "The Father".  It is due on Friday, November 8.  

Thursday, 17 October 2024

Journal for Friday, October 18

 Drama 8:  What effect will using the lighting that you have chosen have on your presentation of "The Creation of the World"?  Who do you think is leading your group?  Explain why.  Is anyone holding the group back?  Explain your answer.

Senior Drama:

Theatre Production:  Create a poster that will advertise the "Cursed Carnival of Chaos".

Actors:  Write a short scene featuring you and at least one other actor that you could perform in the hallways to create interest in the "Cursed Carnival of Chaos".

Director/Scriptwriters:  Figure out a rehearsal schedule for the next two weeks that will prepare us for the show.  (You can do this collectively.)

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English 9:  Why is it important to vote?  Do you think they should lower the voting age?  Explain your answer.

Read the following and answer the questions.  Due on Tuesday, October 22.



Wednesday, 16 October 2024

Updates for October 16

English 9:

 Great poetry presentations, everyone!  Lots of fun.  Please return your poetry books if you have not already.

We will start with Short Stories next.  No reading log today because of the presentations.

Drama 8:  Learn your lines for The Creation of the World.

Senior Drama:  Learn your lines for the "Cursed Carnival of Chaos".  Theatre production folks -- think of what a poster to advertise the show might look like.


Friday, 11 October 2024

Fewer/less -- English 9

 Use "fewer" if you can count the items.   Use "less" when it is an amount of something.

The Narrative Paragraph tells a story.  The first sentence tells the reader what event you will relate.  The three middle sentences tell what happened.  The final sentence can tell us why it is worth telling the story, or why it matters to you, or how the event ended.

Journal for October 11

 English 9:  Prepare your oral presentation of your poetry project for next week.  Your presentation should be no longer than 10 minutes.

Start reading your second book for the future written book report.

Drama 8:

How do you think the world was created?  Could you make a play about it?  Explain how, or explain why not.

Draw a picture of a face that is happy.  Now draw a face that is scared, now sad, now angry.

Senior Drama:

What are your thoughts on the script for the "Cursed Carnival of Chaos"? Try to be specific.  (Learn from September! Do your journals as we go.)

Tuesday, 8 October 2024

Do you know these poetic terms?

 English 9:

Be able to define: Sonnet, Haiku, Ballad, Ode, Free verse IN YOUR OWNS WORDS.

Be able to give an example of: alliteration, assonance, onomatopeia, metaphor, personification.

Monday, 7 October 2024

English update

 Congrats on a lot of really good oral book reports!  I was very impressed by everyone's efforts and learned about a wide variety of books that are worth dipping into.

I hope you will finish the book you are reading and move on to a second book which will be the subject of your next book report, which will be written.

Written Book Report

Give your book review a catchy title.  (Example -- Take a Trip with Alice to Wonderland!)

Your first paragraph should introduce the reader to the book, including the title and the name of the author.  Tell something interesting about the author.  It could be why they wrote the book.  Maybe tell us how the book was received by the public or by critics.  It could tell us something that made you want to read the book.  It should be something that "hooks" the reader.

Your second paragraph should be about the book itself.  Is the plot rivetting?  Do you identify with the protagonist?  Does the setting seem attractive or exciting?  (If I was writing this about the book I am currently reading, I would talk about how it explores the ancient Greek story of the marriage of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon through Clytemnestra's eyes.)

Your conclusion should explore whether you enjoyed the book and whether you think your reader would enjoy it.  What works in the story?  What doesn't work?

There is no rush to start this report, as it won't be due for a long time!  Just a heads up for what's coming.

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Tomorrow we will review the poetic terms that we went over before.  I will give you another chance to show your knowledge this week.

Most of the week, I'll give you to work on your poetry project.  You will present your projects to the class the following week.  We'll talk about possible presentation ideas tomorrow.


Friday, 4 October 2024

Homework updates

 Senior Drama:  Catch up with journals.  Interim report cards are coming.

Concepts for Hallowe'en performance desperately needed!

Drama 8:  Fairy tale mimes on Monday.  Final performance.  Know your part!  Have music!

English 9:

Poetry project due on October 11.  Familiarize yourself with the poetic terms!

Oral book reports finished on October 7.  


Thursday, 3 October 2024

Too Late! Journals for October 4

 Drama 8:

Write a brief (half a page) scene in which you show how your group is working on your fairy tale mime.

Here's an example:

Angela:  Hey, everyone!  Let's practice.

Dawn:  Oh, just calm down, Angela.  Don't be such a nag.

Angela:  It's fun.  Let's do the scene where the mom tells the dad to ditch Hansel and Gretel.

Sara:  Okay!  I'm Gretel.  I can cry.

Angela:  Great.  Eric, can you cry too?

Eric:  I'm not crying.  I never cry.

Angela:  Can you pretend?

Eric:  I'll look sad, but I won't cry.

Donald:  I think the dad is terrible.  He shouldn't ditch his kids.

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Theatre Production:

Make a sketch of how the theatre could look for Hallowe'en.  Use colour!

Directors/Scriptwriters:

You can hand this in as a group, if you like.  Submit at LEAST your first scene for the Hallowe'en play.

Actors:

Which "voice" are you?  What is your character's back story?