English Students: Literary Devices

Missed today's presentation? Not any more.



You need to come up with one example for each literary device for your PowerPoint homework (more details to come).

Freshmen, you do not have to do: Adage/Aphorism/Axiom, Flashback, Foreshadowing, Dramatic Irony, Verbal Irony, or Paradox.

All Students: Half Price Books' Labor Day Sale

Half Price Books stores are selling everything for an extra 20% off this weekend. It's a great opportunity to get your texts at a low price -- while they last.

Sale runs from the August 28th through September 4th (Monday).

Here's a list of stores in the Metroplex.

ACT Prep: Syllabus

Please print a copy of this syllabus, have a parent sign it, and bring it to class

Mr. Mikesell - Rm. 138
cmikesell@dallasisd.org
http://mikesell128.blogspot.com
Tutorial hours: Mon. & Thurs. 4:30–5:30p
Mornings by appointment

ACT Prep SYLLABUS

“Life is short. Learn hard.”

Course Outline
Through this course students will develop skills necessary to excel at the ACT exam. This course is based on materials developed by The Princeton Review; while other techniques may also lead to success, students are expected to conform to the methodologies of Princeton Review.

Class Norms

• Be Prepared
• Be Positive
• Be Polite
• Be Participators

(Campus/district policies will be observed also)

Homework
Homework will be assigned regularly. Much of it will be outside reading; otherwise it will usually be due before the tardy bell rings two days after the assignment. Homework will not be accepted the same period that it is assigned. Classwork not finished in class will be treated as homework, with the same deadlines/penalties.

Late Work
Students who have not turned in homework within the first 5 minutes of class the day it is due will be assigned to the after-school Patriot Academy. Work turned in within two days of the due date will be accepted with a 15% grade reduction. Each week an assignment is late will result in an extra 15% reduction in grade.

Consequences
1st Offense: warning
2nd Offense: hallway “conference”
3rd Offense: call to parent
4th Offense: administrative referral
(Fighting, drug- and gang-related activity will result in immediate administrative/security involvement)

Classroom Entry Procedure
To make entry into the classroom as smooth as possible, please make sure you’re observing dress code policies. Do not block the door tucking in your shirt, adjusting your ID badge, etc. Once you’ve entered the room, please get your journal. Find your desk and begin the bellringer exercise. Pencils should be sharpened before the tardy bell rings.

Spelling / Vocabulary / Grammar / Punctuation
All are important, and students are expected to turn in assignments with proper care taken in each of these areas.

Notes and Keeper Sheets
Take notes (we will review the Cornell system in the first semester). You will also be provided with “Keeper” sheets reviewing the basics of key areas we’ll be studying. Keep them all handy. Use them for studying.

Classroom Supplies
Bring these to class every day:

• A 3-ring binder, at least an inch thick
• A 70-page spiral notebook or loose-leaf paper
• Blue or black pens, pencils, highlighters
• A great attitude

Dishonesty
Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. At a minimum, zeroes will be recorded in the grade book for either offense, for all parties involved in the cheating or copying. Additional consequences may apply.

Grading Scale (district standard)
40% Classwork/Homework
25% Tests
20% Projects
15% Six-weeks Exam

Essays
While the essay is an optional part of the ACT, all students will practice essay-writing techniques.

Leaving the Classroom
Permission to leave the classroom once the tardy bell has rung will be granted in emergency situations. Please monitor your liquid intake: only one restroom pass per student will be granted each month.

Test Make-Up
Students who fail a test will be assigned to the next Patriot Academy opportunity. Students MUST attend the Post-Test Tutorial before they may retest or submit test corrections.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

My child has shown and discussed with me the syllabus for his/her ACT Prep class.

I will do my best to provide the support he/she needs to be successful in class.

____________________________________
Student Name

____________________________________
Parent Signature

____________________________________
Phone number

Pre-AP English II: Syllabus

Please print a copy of this syllabus, have a parent sign it, and bring it to class

Mr. Mikesell - Rm. 138
cmikesell@dallasisd.org
http://mikesell128.blogspot.com
Tutorial hours: Mon. & Thurs. 4:30–5:30p
Mornings by appointment

Pre-AP English II SYLLABUS

“Life is short. Learn hard.”

Course Outline
Through this course students will continue to develop higher-order thinking skills through the analysis, evaluation, and critique of literature. This course is also designed to lay and/or build upon the foundation for students as they take advanced levels of English. Students will learn from set objectives established for them to be successful in exams, in other classes, and in life.

Class Norms

• Be Prepared
• Be Positive
• Be Polite
• Be Participators

(Campus/district policies will be observed also)

Homework
Homework will be assigned regularly. Much of it will be outside reading; otherwise it will usually be due before the tardy bell rings two days after the assignment. Homework will not be accepted the same period that it is assigned. Classwork not finished in class will be treated as homework, with the same deadlines/penalties.

Late Work
Students who have not turned in homework within the first 5 minutes of class the day it is due will be assigned to the after-school Patriot Academy. Work turned in within two days of the due date will be accepted with a 15% grade reduction. Each week an assignment is late will result in an extra 15% reduction in grade.

Consequences
1st Offense: warning
2nd Offense: hallway “conference”
3rd Offense: call to parent
4th Offense: administrative referral
(Fighting, drug- and gang-related activity will result in immediate administrative/security involvement)

Classroom Entry Procedure
To make entry into the classroom as smooth as possible, please make sure you’re observing dress code policies. Do not block the door tucking in your shirt, adjusting your ID badge, etc. Once you’ve entered the room, please get your journal. Find your desk and begin the bellringer exercise. Pencils should be sharpened before the tardy bell rings.

Spelling / Vocabulary / Grammar / Punctuation
All are important, and students are expected to turn in assignments with proper care taken in each of these areas.

Notes and Keeper Sheets
Take notes (we will review the Cornell system in the first semester). You will also be provided with “Keeper” sheets reviewing the basics of key areas we’ll be studying. Keep them all handy. Use them for studying.

Classroom Supplies
Bring these to class every day:

• A 3-ring binder, at least an inch thick
• 5 dividers for the binder (see "English Binder," below)
• A 70-page spiral notebook
• 2 2-pocket portfolios (see "IWA Portfolios," below)
• Filler paper (loose-leaf notebook paper)
• Blue or black pens, pencils, highlighters
• A great attitude

Dishonesty
Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. At a minimum, zeroes will be recorded in the grade book for either offense, for all parties involved in the cheating or copying. Additional consequences may apply.

Grading Scale (district standard)
40% Classwork/Homework
25% Tests
20% Projects
15% Six-weeks Exam

Major Texts (Pre-AP English I)
How to Read Literature Like a Professor* by Thomas C. Foster
Mythology* by Edith Hamilton
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (6W2)
The Pearl by John Steinbeck (6W3)
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (6W3)
Anthem by Ayn Rand (6W4)
(The past 2 years we've been able to get free copies of Anthem. Feel free to hold off on buying this book until I find out if we can get it again this year or not)
Othello by William Shakespeare (6W5)
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare (6W5)
Lord of the Flies by William Golding (6W6)
*Strongly recommended

Essays
Writing is an integral part of this course. We will spend time reviewing and learning good grammar usage, style, and voice in class, but for many students class time is not enough. If this is the case for you, attending tutoring will help. The essay can “make or break” your EOC score as well as your 6-weeks grade.

Leaving the Classroom
Permission to leave the classroom once the tardy bell has rung will be granted in emergency situations. Please monitor your liquid intake: only one restroom pass per student will be granted each month.

Test Make-Up
Students who fail a test will be assigned to the next Patriot Academy opportunity. Students MUST attend the Post-Test Tutorial before they may retest or submit test corrections.

English Binder
You must bring an English Binder to class daily. This is a 3-ring binder at least 1-inch thick (if you are sharing the binder with another subject, it must be larger). There should be 5 tab dividers in the binder labeled as follows

1. Classwork/Homework
2. Essays
3. Tests
4. Personal Dictionary
5. Extra Paper

When this syllabus is returned to you, it should go in front of the first tab divider.

Up to two binder grades will be taken every 6-weeks, which will count as project grades.

You CANNOT leave your binder in this classroom. Not only is it a tool to help you study, but in the past, theft/vandalism has been a problem.

IWA Portfolios (Pre-AP English II)
Pre-AP students must provide two two-pocket portfolios for the submission and retention of their Independent Writing Assignments. One folder must be a plain, solid color with the student’s name written on the inside of the portfolio. The IWAs will be turned in using this folder. The second folder (any color/any style) will be used to keep the final drafts of the IWAs and will be passed to your AP III teacher.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

My child has shown and discussed with me the syllabus for his/her English class.

I will do my best to provide the support he/she needs to be successful in class.

____________________________________
Student Name

____________________________________
Parent Signature

____________________________________
Phone number

English I (Pre-AP): Syllabus

Please print a copy of this syllabus, have a parent sign it, and bring it to class

Mr. Mikesell - Rm. 138
cmikesell@dallasisd.org
http://mikesell128.blogspot.com
Tutorial hours: Mon. & Thurs. 4:30–5:30p
Mornings by appointment

English I (Pre-AP) SYLLABUS

“Life is short. Learn hard.”

Course Outline
Through this course students will continue to develop higher-order thinking skills through the analysis, evaluation, and critique of literature. This course is also designed to lay and/or build upon the foundation for students as they take advanced levels of English. Students will learn from set objectives established for them to be successful in exams, in other classes, and in life.

Class Norms

• Be Prepared
• Be Positive
• Be Polite
• Be Participators

(Campus/district policies will be observed also)

Homework
Homework will be assigned regularly. Much of it will be outside reading; otherwise it will usually be due before the tardy bell rings two days after the assignment. Homework will not be accepted the same period that it is assigned. Classwork not finished in class will be treated as homework, with the same deadlines/penalties.

Late Work
Students who have not turned in homework within the first 5 minutes of class the day it is due will be assigned to the after-school Patriot Academy. Work turned in within two days of the due date will be accepted with a 15% grade reduction. Each week an assignment is late will result in an extra 15% reduction in grade.

Consequences
1st Offense: warning
2nd Offense: hallway “conference”
3rd Offense: call to parent
4th Offense: administrative referral
(Fighting, drug- and gang-related activity will result in immediate administrative/security involvement)

Classroom Entry Procedure
To make entry into the classroom as smooth as possible, please make sure you’re observing dress code policies. Do not block the door tucking in your shirt, adjusting your ID badge, etc. Once you’ve entered the room, please get your journal. Find your desk and begin the bellringer exercise. Pencils should be sharpened before the tardy bell rings.

Spelling / Vocabulary / Grammar / Punctuation
All are important, and students are expected to turn in assignments with proper care taken in each of these areas.

Notes and Keeper Sheets
Take notes (we will review the Cornell system in the first semester). You will also be provided with “Keeper” sheets reviewing the basics of key areas we’ll be studying. Keep them all handy. Use them for studying.

Classroom Supplies
Bring these to class every day:

• A 3-ring binder, at least an inch thick
• 5 dividers for the binder (see "English Binder," below)
• A 70-page spiral notebook
• Filler paper (loose-leaf notebook paper)
• Blue or black pens, pencils, highlighters
• A great attitude

Dishonesty
Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. At a minimum, zeroes will be recorded in the grade book for either offense, for all parties involved in the cheating or copying. Additional consequences may apply.

Grading Scale (district standard)
40% Classwork/Homework
25% Tests
20% Projects
15% Six-weeks Exam

Major Texts (Pre-AP English I)
How to Read Literature Like a Professor* by Thomas C. Foster
Mythology* by Edith Hamilton
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (6W2)
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (6W3)
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (6W4)
(Lightning Thief will be accompanied by excerpts from The Odyssey by Homer and other classic literature)
Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare (6W5)
(Please get the No Fear Shakespeare edition)
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (6W6)
*Strongly recommended

Essays
Writing is an integral part of this course. We will spend time reviewing and learning good grammar usage, style, and voice in class, but for many students class time is not enough. If this is the case for you, attending tutoring will help. The essay can “make or break” your EOC score as well as your 6-weeks grade.

Leaving the Classroom
Permission to leave the classroom once the tardy bell has rung will be granted in emergency situations. Please monitor your liquid intake: only one restroom pass per student will be granted each month.

Test Make-Up
Students who fail a test will be assigned to the next Patriot Academy opportunity. Students MUST attend the Post-Test Tutorial before they may retest or submit test corrections.

English Binder
You must bring an English Binder to class daily. This is a 3-ring binder at least 1-inch thick (if you are sharing the binder with another subject, it must be larger). There should be 5 tab dividers in the binder labeled as follows

1. Classwork/Homework
2. Essays
3. Tests
4. Personal Dictionary
5. Extra Paper

When this syllabus is returned to you, it should go in front of the first tab divider.

Up to two binder grades will be taken every 6-weeks, which will count as project grades.

You CANNOT leave your binder in this classroom. Not only is it a tool to help you study, but in the past, theft/vandalism has been a problem.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

My child has shown and discussed with me the syllabus for his/her English class.

I will do my best to provide the support he/she needs to be successful in class.

____________________________________
Student Name

____________________________________
Parent Signature

____________________________________
Phone number

All Students: Analyze Class Expectations

Below are the expectations I have for my students every day:

• Be Prepared


• Be Positive


• Be Polite


• Be Participational <-- that's not a word!


• Be Participators

On a separate sheet of paper, list three things for each expectation that describes what a student who meets that expectation looks like and/or does.

Brainstorm why I included the fourth bullet point even though it was wrong, and add it to your analysis of the expectations.

At the bottom of your page of analysis include your expectation(s) of the class you're enrolled in as well as your expectation(s) of me as your teacher. Write these in complete sentences.

All Students: Pablo Neruda's "Poetry"

After reading the poem, below, find a word or phrase that describes how you feel now, at the beginning of this school year. Copy down that word or phrase and then write why it applies to your life.

Poetry
by Pablo Neruda

And it was at that age… Poetry arrived
in search of me. I don't know, I don't know where
it came from, from winter or a river.
I don't know how or when,
no they were not voices, they were not
words, nor silence,
but from a street I was summoned,
from the branches of night,
abruptly from the others,
among violent fires
or returning alone,
there I was without a face
and it touched me.

I did not know what to say, my mouth
had no way
with names,
my eyes were blind,
and something started in my soul,
fever or forgotten wings,
and I made my own way,
deciphering
that fire,
and I wrote the first faint line,
faint, without substance, pure
nonsense,
pure wisdom
of someone who knows nothing,
and suddenly I saw
the heavens
unfastened
and open,
planets,
palpitating plantations,
shadow perforated,
riddled
with arrows, fire and flowers,
the winding night, the universe.

And I, infinitesimal being,
drunk with the great starry
void,
likeness, image of
mystery,
felt myself a pure part
of the abyss,
I wheeled with the stars,
my heart broke loose on the wind.

(From: 'Memorial de Isla Negra')

You must write in complete sentences. Do not just write down the word/phrase and then write a statement beginning with Because. Those aren't sentences and won't be accepted.

If you missed this assignment on the first day of class: Grades of 85% will be given for written-only responses. Grades of 100% will be given for presenting orally, in front of the class.

Incoming English II Students: Alternate Project for "The Bet"

If you read "The Bet" by Anton Chekhov this week, here's a project that will replace the message board for the final set of stories.

Step One: Read the story. You've already done this at least once. Do it again at least once more.

Step Two: Watch this episode of TV's Twilight Zone. As you watch, note the similarities and differences between Rod Serling's script and Anton Chekhov's short story. It may take a minute or so before the video begins. Be patient.

Step Three: Complete a Venn Diagram citing the differences and similarities between the two. Either make two overlapping circles or three columns. Label the far-left section/column: Chekhov/"The Bet", the far-right section/column: "Twilight Zone/"The Silence", and the center section/column: Both.

Shallow differences like "Anton Chekhov" = written and "Twilight Zone" = TV are not acceptable.

Meaningless similarities like both titles begin with The or printing and video are both black and white are also not acceptable.

Incoming Pre-AP English II: Discussion Boards for "The Bet" and "The Yellow Pill"

9/26 Update: At this point all responses need to be made on paper. Please submit your COMPLETE (not partial) responses when all 12 questions have been answered.

This is the final set of discussion questions, but if there are any questions from previous weeks you haven't yet completed, please take care of them this week. I look forward to meeting you a week from Monday.

The Bet by Anton Chekhov (listen here)

• Character: Discuss how Chekhov uses the words, actions, and appearances of the banker and the lawyer to give his readers clues about his characters' states of mind? Identify specific examples from the story.


• Conflict:
  1. Identify the original argument from the beginning of the story.
  
  
  2. How does the conflict change throughout the story?
  
  
  3. What is the conflict at the end of the story?
  
  
  4. Is there a resolution to this conflict? If so, what is it? If not, why not?
  
  Discuss.


• Irony: Irony is defined as the gap between what is expected and what actually occurs. Discuss the irony in this story.


• Theme: What does the lawyer learn from his experience being locked up for so long? What are we supposed to learn from this story? Discuss.


• Resolution: Who won the bet? Is it possible for both to lose the bet? Is it possible for both to win? Discuss.

Alternate Project: Substitute this assignment for "The Bet" for answering the above (or below) questions.


The Yellow Pill by Rog Phillips

• Personification: At one point in the story Jerry tells Gar/Cedric "'You know as well as I do, Gar, how space madness causes you to personify everything.'" Discuss what he means by this and how it differs from what we usually think of personification. Use examples.


• Simile: At another point in the story Jerry tells Gar/Cedric that "'one of us has to be nuttier than a fruitcake." What does that expression literally mean? What connotations and/or secondary definitions do the words "nuttier" and "fruitcake" carry? Why is this appropriate? Discuss.


• Allusion: Discuss the significance that Helena's allusion to Napoleon ("'Napoleon was obviously insane because he thought he was Napoleon.'") carries in the overall scheme of the story?


• Alliteration: Just like James Joyce's story "Araby," Phillips ends this story with significant alliteration. What alliteration exists in the final paragraph? What connotations do those words carry? (Don't just explain what they literally mean.) What, if anything, does the repetition of sound suggest or reinforce about Gar's character? Discuss.


• Irony: In the middle of the story "Dr. Elton" says "'"I remember [telling Helena that she couldn't date him]…. A nice pat rationalization in any man's reality to make the rejection be my own before you could have time to reject me yourself. Preserving the ego is the first principle of madness.'" Discuss the way(s) this is ironic. What other ironies exist in the story?

Incoming Pre-AP English II Students: Week 9 Reading Assignment

This week's topic is Irony. Again. (It's the predominant tone of contemporary writing, so get used to it.)

Welcome to the final week of your summer vacation reading (one more week of discussion boards after this). This week's stories were chosen by Mr. Barbee, who many of you will have for AP English III during your junior year.

"The Bet" by Anton Chekhov (audio file)

"The Yellow Pill" by Rog Phillips (sorry, no audio file for this one).

To download the audiofile for "The Bet" to listen to on your MP3 device, please right-click the link and choose "save." The audiofile should supplement your reading, not replace it; you are still required to read "The Bet" if that's the story you choose (reading both would be nice, but that's not required).

Incoming Pre-AP English II: Discussion Boards for "Old Man with Enormous Wings" and "Monkey's Paw"

9/26 Update: At this point all responses need to be made on paper. Please submit your COMPLETE (not partial) responses when all 12 questions have been answered.

Respond on the discussion boards to a set of questions for one of the following stories:

A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (listen here)

• Genre: The author says this about the genre of magic realism: "Magical realism expands the categorizes of the real so as to encompass myth, magic and other extraordinary phenomena in Nature or experience which European realism excluded." Discuss the ways this story exhibit traits of this genre, where the line between reality and magic are made blurry.


• Character: Think about the reactions the different characters have toward the fallen angel: the neighbor woman wanted Pelayo and Elisenda to club him to death, Father Gonzaga thinks he is an imposter after learning that he could not speak Latin, Pelayo and Elisenda began to charge money to see him, etc.
  
  1. Is there any irony in how they are treating the angel?
  
  
  2. What do their responses to the angel suggest about human nature and society?
  
  Discuss.


• Humor: The author uses irony and humor to blur the lines between fantasy and reality.
  
  1. What are some parts that you think are funny?
  
  
  2. Do these parts help make the situation seem more or less real? How so?
  
  Discuss.


• Symbol: Think about the angel's wings. They are enormous-- so big that it seems they are impeding flight. In the beginning they are soaked with mud, making them heavy and burdensome. Then they are infested with parasites. Near the end, he barely has any feathers left. At the end he begins to sprout new, strong feathers, and in time he is able to take full flight.
  
  1. How do his wings relate to what he is going through?
  
  
  2. How do they reflect the people in the town?
  
  Discuss.

The Monkey’s Paw by W.W. Jacobs (listen here)

• Suspense: What parts of the story are suspenseful? Discuss how these moments of suspense add to the overall mood of the story. (Be sure to actually identify what the mood is; "suspenseful" is NOT a mood.)


• Foreshadowing: "I don't know what the first two were, but the third was for death," spoken by the sergeant-major, is an example of foreshadowing because it hints to the reader that something could happen that would make him prefer death rather than live with the results of his three wishes. Identify and explain at least 3 other pieces of foreshadowing in the story. They do not have to be dialogue. Discuss.


• Analysis:
  1. What is fate?
  
  
  2. Do you believe in fate? Explain.
  
  
  3. How were the Whites playing with fate in the story?
  
  
  4. Bonus: What role did fate play in Romeo and Juliet?
  
  Discuss.


• Analysis: Think about all of the elements of the Other (things, places, customs that seem strange to us) in the story. (Sergeant-Major Morris spent many years in India, he obtained a monkey's paw from a fakir who put a spell on it, Mr. White talks about wanting to see the old temples and jugglers in India. When Mr. White made his first wish, it twisted in his hand like a snake. Herbert saw simian faces in the fire.)
  1. What is the difference between how Morris treats these elements and how the Whites treat them?
  
  
  2. How do these elements add to the suspense of the story?
  
  Discuss.


• Mood: The author toys with our emotions as we read, making us feel at ease in some parts, frightened in others, melancholy in others, etc. Choose two passages (only one or two sentences) and explain how it is supposed to make us feel.

  Example: "Father and son were at chess...the white haired old lady knit[ted] placidly by the fire," is supposed to make us feel relaxed because we can picture a family quietly having fun and being warm by the fire.

  Discuss.


• Adaptation: View this short movie based on the story: LEGO Monkey's Paw.
  1. What is sacrificed in converting the story to a 6-minute retelling.
  
  
  2. How does what is lost reduce the effectiveness of Jacobs' story?
  
  Discuss.