...and the Nominees are:

Graceling by Alexa

I Am the Messenger by Charles

Ready Player One by Isaac B.

I Am the Messenger by Isaac S.

The Red Queen by Libby

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by Owen

VOTE HERE for your favorite

Romeo and Juliet Full Text

Original Text and Modern Translation

Shakespeare in the Classroom

...and the nominees are:

Deadline by Liliana



Eleanor & Park by Ryan



Eleanor & Park by Jacob



The Red Queen by Meredith



The Memory of Light by Daisy



The Monstrumologist by Jacob




Thank you for taking the time to view this year's English 9 Book Trailer Projects.  After viewing, please vote HERE to cast your ballot for this year's best book trailer. 

Book Trailer Project - Choice Novel

Task:  You are a publisher hoping to promote your book through social media and specifically a video on YouTube.  Using your Chromebook or other device, create a 1-2 minute trailer for your book that will persuade viewers to seek out your novel and read it.

Consider how much information viewers will need regarding plot, characters, and themes to get them excited about reading the book.

Also think about how music, images, voiceover, and video can make for an exciting and engaging product.

Each person individually in your group is responsible for making their own different and unique video.  Trailers will be judged by your classmates and we'll present a "Best Trailer Award" (almost as prestigious as an Oscar!) to the winners.

Use the videos below as a starting place, but be creative and use your own spin to make your product stand out.

 




You are free to utilize whatever technology you like to produce your video, but from past students we've noted that Adobe Spark videos and iMovie videos tend to turn out looking the most professional.

When using images and music that are copyrighted, keep in mind that you are responsible for fair use in education.  Cite your source for images and music that are copyright protected at the end of your video in the credits.  You are limited to 30 seconds of music if using a copyrighted song.

In addition, there are many sites that offer pictures, sound, and video for free usage that aren't copyright protected:

Images
Creative Commons
Wikimedia Commons
Pics4Learning

Music/Sound
7 Sources of Free Sounds for Multimedia Projects
Free Play Music
WavSource
Royalty Free Music


Due date:  Wednesday, February 5  

Lord of the Flies Final Exam Study Guide

Test Date: Thursday, December 19
Point Value 100

Things to Know:

Symbolism definition and application to specific objects including:

• Lord of the Flies
• Piggy's Glasses
• Conch
• Signal Fire
• Tippy Log
• Parachutist
• Beast
• Scar
• Sides of the island (Lagoon/Castle Rock)
• Painted Faces
• Trim Cruiser

Allegory definition, allegorical readings including:

• 1950's Familial Allegory
• Biblical Allegory
• Sigmund Freud's Parts of the Personality Allegory (Id, Ego, Superego)

Psychological Studies - Knowing how real psychology can explain the fictional world of the novel:

• Stanley Milgram's Shock Experiment
• Asch Conformity Test

Themes:  

• Leadership 
• Human Nature
• Conformity 

Irony:

• Situational Irony - How is this present in the novel?  Ending?
• Verbal Irony - Look at the words spoken at the end of the novel.  
• Dramatic Irony - Look at the true identity of the beast.  Simon's role in that moment.  

Study Guide Questions

• Chapters 1-12 are "fair game"

Who Said It?

• Be able to look at an important quotation from the novel and be able to explain who said it and why it is an important line from the story.

Resources for Writing Your Literary Analysis

Example Body Paragraph

General Notes including Blending Quotes

Writing Your Literary Analysis Introduction

The first paragraph of your paper is called the introduction and consists of three parts:

1.  Hook

2.  Bridge 

3.  Thesis

Let's take each one and determine its purpose.

The Hook

The hook is about drawing the reader in and getting them thinking about the kinds of ideas or issues that are at play in your analysis.  This is a great place to just raise questions or identify issues..  No one is expecting you to have answers to these questions or solutions to these problems; they are designed to get your reader to think.

Here are a few ways to begin your introduction:

With a question:  Is it easier to learn a language in childhood or adulthood?  

With a definition or fact:  According to a Gallup poll in 2001, "Twenty-six percent of adult Americans speak a language other than English well enough to hold a conversation.  

With a striking statement:  Having a shared language is one of the most significant features that binds a culture together, and when people speak multiple languages, there are benefits that allow them to cross between and among multiple cultures.

With a story or anecdote:  When I first traveled to Japan in eighth grade, I had only spoken Japanese in a classroom with mostly other English-speaking students.  I knew that I would have difficulty communicating with the Japanese family that was hosting me, but I was not fully prepared for the problems I faced in trying to make myself understood.  It was frustrating and frightening. 

The Bridge (Connection to piece you're writing about - in your case, Lord of the Flies)

Once we have a hook, it's time to show our readers how the ideas we've brought up apply to the literature we are about to analyze.  This transition doesn't have to be fancy.  It's usually a simple connecting statement that includes a bit of summary of the narrative and includes the author and title.  

The Thesis

The thesis is the GPS map for the rest of your paper.  In terms of importance, there is no more important sentence in your entire paper.  

It should meet the following criteria:

1. It is arguable 

2. It is one sentence long

3. It is the last sentence of introduction

4. It suggests organization 

5. It uses the word "because" 

Example Introductory Paragraph:

       According to a Gallup poll in 2001, "Twenty-six percent of adult Americans speak a language other than English well enough to hold a conversation." Julie Alvarez certainly would have been one of those who could do this, but it is not without difficulty for her as she examines in the novel La Gringuita.  Alvarez shows throughout the story that being bilingual is highly valuable because it gives a closer connection to community, an increased ability to adapt to a changing world, and a higher probability of employment.   

Color Key:  Hook        Bridge       Thesis

Post Source:  Foundations of Language and Literature, Shea, et al, Bedford/St. Martens, 2018

Lord of the Flies Literary Analysis

What causes some leaders to be successful and others to fail?  It's a question that has caused debate among politicians and historians alike for centuries.  Leadership is easy to see, but harder to explain.  Considering what you know about leadership, we'll apply your thinking to Lord of the Flies.

In a five paragraph essay, evaluate and analyze how the novel helps us to answer your chosen key question.  Using text as support, explain how the novel sheds light on lessons related to power and leadership.  DO NOT summarize the story.  Instead, work to analyze what is happening in the story and how it helps us to see the answers to the question in a new way.

Your essay must be in MLA Format:  See this guide from Purdue University regarding setting up your paper in MLA Format.  

Your outline of the paper should look something like this:

Introduction

• Hook
• Context
• Thesis

Body Paragraph 1

• Main idea/Topic Sentence
• Example(s)
• Analysis

Body Paragraph 2

• Transition > Main idea/Topic Sentence
• Example(s)
• Analysis

Body Paragraph 3

• Transition > Main idea/Topic Sentence
• Example(s)
• Analysis

Conclusion

• Restate Thesis
• Summarize Main Points
• Clincher

Point Value:  100

Lord of the Flies Chapter 4 Audio

Do you prefer to listen to a book on occasion rather than reading silently? Research shows that readers of all ability levels benefit from hearing fluent readings of a text.  If you're looking for a change, try listening below:

Lord of the Flies

Click here to access digital text

Short Story Vocabulary Deck

"Two Kinds" Journal Entry and Story Link

Do parents always know what is best for their children? When was the last time your parents forced you to do something you didn't want to?  Did you rebel?  How did it go?  What was your parents' reasoning for making you do it?  In the end, are you still mad they made you do it, or did it end up being better than you thought?  Why might parents make us do things we don't want to?

Write a one page response on the sheet provided describing your experience.  

For tomorrow, read the full text of "Two Kinds" here.

"Two Kinds" Vocabulary

"Two Kinds"

abundance - n.- extremely plentiful
conspire - v. - to agree together, especially secretly
discordant - adj.- disagreeing, chaotic, incongruous
indignant - adj.- strong feeling, strong displeasure toward something
lament - v. - to feel or express sorrow, to mourn
listless - adj. having or showing little or no interest in something, indifferent
mesmerize -v.- to hypnotize
reverie - n. - a daydream
prodigy - n. - person, especially a child, with extraordinary ability or talent
reproach - v.- to find fault with, blame

"The Scarlet Ibis"

Read the story for tomorrow.  Be prepared to answer questions to show your understanding of what you have read.  When finished, complete a plot arch for the story in your notebook.  It doesn't have to be ultra-detailed, but be sure to have key moments in the story including what you believe is the climax.

The Scarlet Ibis Vocabulary

burden (n.) a duty or responsibility; a heavy load
imminent (adj.) about to happen
precarious (adj.) not safe, strong, or steady
sullen (adj.) used to describe an angry or unhappy person
iridescent (adj.) shining with many different colors when seen from different angles
vortex (n.) a powerful circular current of water
serene (adj.) calm and peaceful
blight (n.) a disease; something that causes harm or damage
heresy (n.) a belief or opinion that does not agree with the official belief or a particular religion
mar (v.) to disfigure, ruin, or spoil the appearance of something

"The Most Dangerous Game"

"Most Dangerous Game" Short Story  (Read and finish the story for Wednesday.)

Quiz over the story and vocabulary words for the week will be on Friday this week.

Vocabulary for Sept. 9-13

Vocabulary Words - Students are responsible for spelling, definition, and part of speech

1. amenity - noun - something that conduces to comfort, convenience, or enjoyment
2. naive - adj. - having or showing a lack of experience or knowledge
3. palpable - adj. - able to be touched or felt
4. scruple (scrupulous adj.) - noun - an ethical consideration or principle that inhibits action
5. tangible - adj. - easy to be seen or recognized
6. futile - adj. - pointless or useless
7. affable adj. friendly and easy to talk to
8. debacle - noun - a great disaster or failure
9. zealous - adj. - feeling or showing strong support; excited
10. condone - verb - to forgive or approve

Quiz over vocabulary + this week's story will be Friday, September 13

Personal Narrative Brainstorming

Here's a list of personal narrative writing prompts to get you thinking about a time to write about.

Describe a time you had to do something you really didn’t want to do. 

Write about a before and after.  What was life like before?  What was life like after?

Write about a time when you had to experience pain in order to get a huge reward.

Write about a memorable encounter you had with someone you didn’t really know.

What makes your family unique? 

Write about a time you felt like an outsider and how you dealt with it.

What makes/made your upbringing unique?

Write about a loss and how it has affected you.

Write about a time when you had to make a hard decision.  Were you happy with the outcome?

Write about a crazy experience or adventure you’ve had.

What are you afraid of?  What strategies do you have to cope with your fears?

What is your favorite place and why?

Write about a time a friend helped you, or you helped a friend.

Write about an object or family relic that is especially important to you.

Write about a time you helped make the world a better place.

What is the strangest/worst job or chore you’ve ever had?

Cask of Amontillado

Read Edgar Allen Poe's classic short story.

Vocabulary for Week of September 3-6 (Quiz on Monday, September 9)

preclude - verb - to make something impossible
impunity - noun - freedom from punishment, harm, or loss
accost - verb - to approach and speak to someone, often angrily
explicit - adj. - stated clearly and in detail
implore - verb - beg someone earnestly or desperately to do something
virtuoso - noun - person who does something in a very skillful way
abscond - verb - to leave hurriedly or secretly
aperture - noun - a hole or small opening
obstinate - adj. - refusing to change your behavior
fetter - noun - chain or shackles for the feet

Begin the process of learning words, parts of speech, and definitions by getting the words into your notebooks.  Write a sentence using the word that makes the meaning clear.  We'll clarify definitions for study purposes in class tomorrow.  We'll also discuss the story and clarify any points of the story you may have missed.