January 27

Today we did some "power notes" on the Industrial Revolution. If you missed today's class you'll have to get the notes from one of your classmates. I also gave you some class time to type up some of the poems that you may not have finished previously. You should have handed in the following poems (up to this point in time): Introduction to Poetry, Transformation Poem, "Emotion" Poem (this was an activity that you did with Ms. Holland), and the "Crazy Title" Poem (this is due on Wednesday, please see the January 20th posting).

Please don't forget that you have your Chapter 2 Test on Tuesday, February 1st. Also, you don't have school on Friday and you don't have school on Monday, January 31st (it's a teacher organizational day), so please don't forget to study!!

January 26

Today we continued with our look at the Industrial Revolution. You copied down some notes on the Industrial Revolution, and then we finally got into the textbook to look at how industrialization occurred in Great Britain, and eventually we'll look at American Industrialization too. You had some questions to do in class related to the notes and the textbook reading. These questions are due tomorrow.
Also we looked at some very poetic songs today in class, including "Don't Like Mondays", "What's the Matter Here?", and "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town." We analyzed and talked about the meaning of these songs as a class.

Here are some upcoming important dates:

• Chapter 3 Questions due tomorrow
• "Emotion Poem" (Good Copy) due tomorrow for Ms. Holland
• Chapter 2 Quiz (American History) is on Tuesday, February 1st
• "Crazy Title" Poem (see January 20th posting) is due Wednesday, February 2nd (all students must hand this poem in, if you missed this class please check the earlier post!!)

January 25

If you missed class today, you'll have to get the some notes from one of your classmates, specifically on "The Enclosure Acts." Here is the hyperlink to the Social Studies Web that deals with the Enclosure Acts:

For the second period Ms. Holland picked up where she left off last week, by allowing you to write a theme poem based on an emotion of your choice. The good copy of this poem is due this Thursday. Ms. Holland will be at the school on Friday to collect your poems.

January 24

For the first period today we did test corrections on your USA Geography Test (which you got back today). For the second period, Ms. Holland took you through a small group activity analyzing two poems, "The Masks of Love" and "To Christine". In the small group activity, there were nine different groups and each group were given one of the following "jobs":

1. Image Catcher
2. Language Lover
3. Professor Line Breaks
4. The Music Maestro
5. Illustrator
6. Code Breaker
7. Interpreter
8. Inner Conversationalist
9. Performing Troupe

Depending on which group you were in you analyzed the poems differently, based on specific things that you were looking for when you were analyzing the poems.

January 21

If you missed today's class you didn't get the USA History Quiz Study Guide. This quiz will be on Tuesday, February 1st. You also missed getting your Term 2 Interim Report Card.

January 20

If you missed today's class you need to get the Chapter 2 Power Notes from one of your classmates. We also did a little poetry today as well. I read to the class an excerpt from Octavio Paz's poem "Blanco". Here is the excerpt that I read to the class:



Desert burning from yellow to flesh color:
the land is a charred language.
There are invisible spines, there are thorns in the eyes.
Three satiated vultures on a pink wall.
It has no body no face no soul,
it is everywhere,
crushing all of us: this sun is unjust.
Rage is mineral.
Colors are relentless.
Unrelenting horizon.
Drumbeats drumbeats drumbeats.
The sky blackens like this page.
Scattering of crows.
Impending violet violences.
The sand whirls up,
thunderheads, herds of ash.
The chained trees howl.
Drumbeats drumbeats drumbeats.
I pound you sky, land I pound you.
Open sky, closed land,
flute and drum, lightning and thunder,
I open you, I pound you.
You open, land,
your mouth filled with water, your body gushes sky,
you crack, land, and burst, your seeds explode,
the word grows green.


I then asked students to write a poem using one of the following titles as inspiration:

• Slashed Skies
• Red Screams
• Violent Music
• A Nightmare's ___________
• Liquid Lies
• Plastic Words
• Hushed Wisdom
• Silent ___________
• Purple Pain
• Secret ___________
• Broken __________
• _______ Dreams
• _______ Whispers
• Charred _______

Students then did a rough draft of a poem using one of the above titles. (If you see a blank in the titles above, then you can fill it in with a word of your choice). I did not set a due date for the good copy of this "Crazy Title" poem.

January 19

We did a little bit of work today related to the text, specifically reading a little bit about American history. You're responsible for the questions assigned during class time. I also told you that your USA Dictionary key terms (rough draft) is due on Friday. This should be an easy 10 marks, which goes towards your overall mark for this project.
Here are some upcoming important dates:

• USA Dictionary key terms (rough draft) is due Friday, January 21st
• Transformation Poem (good copy, typed) is due on Friday, January 21st

January 18

Today you wrote your USA Geography Test during the first period. During the second period, Ms. Holland taught a lesson on writing a collaborative poem.

January 17

Today we did a little USA Geography review by pitting the boys against the girls in the class. In both classes the girls defeated the boys' team, and now the boys from 9A and 9B will have to do some small tasks around the class. You also handed in your Friendly Letter assignment today.

January 13

I gave you a considerable amount of time to work on the USA Dictionary Project in class today. Most of you are starting to finish off your rough draft of the key terms. I still have to set a due date for the rough draft of the key terms. We looked at a poem in class today, which you were required to copy out, as well as the questions that accompanied the poem. The poem and the questions appear later in this post, you are responsible for copying the poem out into your Writer's Workshop duotang, and answering the first three questions for tomorrow's class.

Here is the poem that we discussed:

"At the Bus Stop, One Autumn Morning"

by: M.W. Field

It began at the back of my neck.

I was thinking about relaxing

stony muscles there

when prehistoric points began emerging.

They flared

up the back of my head, down

my vertebrae, off in a triangle

studded tail, My spine lost

its S-curve, so I tucked my thickening

hind legs underneath and sat down.

Flicked my powerful green tail twice

and wrapped it round my feet.

Arms had lengthened

my jaw relaxed and expanded: gone

were the grinding molars. I yawned.

By the bus shelter:

a stegosaurus observing

the smells and colours of the opening

sky, shifting

my weight on my forefeet.

No buses came.

Here are the questions that you are responsible for:

1. What animal would you choose to transform into, if you had the opportunity? Write a response, explaining why you chose that animal and what it represents to you.
2. Write a profile of the character in the poem, based on clues in the text itself. Do you imagine he or she is young or old? Happy or depressed? Satisfied or dissatisfied with life?
3. People have long associated certain emotions or qualities with particular animals. For example, dogs are considered loyal. Brainstorm a list of qualities associated with dinosaurs. Which of these qualities do you think are relevant to the poem?
4. Write a "transformation poem" based on your experience as an adolescent. Choose an appropriate setting for your transformation, and decide what animal or form your hero will change into (or from).

Please don't forget to bring a duotang! The following are some important dates:

• S.M.A.R.T. Plan Friendly Letter is due Monday, January 17th
• USA Geography Test is on Tuesday, January 18th (have you studied yet?)
• "Introduction to Poetry" poem (good copy) is due on January 18th

January 12

Brrrrrrrrr! It's too cold to blog!!!!

January 11

Today you were given some class time to work on your USA Dictionary Project. You should have finished alphabetizing the list of key terms, and should be writing the definitions as they appear in the textbook's glossary. Additionally, you were given some class time to work on writing your own version of the poem "Introduction to Poetry". Please don't forget to bring a duotang for Writer's Workshop starting tomorrow.

January 10

Welcome back! I hope that you all enjoyed your 3 week break from school. Today, I gave you a due date for the S.M.A.R.T. plan friendly letter assignment (see below). Additionally, we started our poetry unit by looking at a poem called "Introduction to Poetry". You will be starting your own version of a poem entitled "Introduction to Poetry" tomorrow in class. I would like you to have a duotang ready for class by Wednesday (this will be your Writer's Workshop duotang for the rest of the year). I also gave you your USA Dictionary Project assignment today. There have been some changes made to this assignment, so please make sure that you purchase your own index cards for this assignment. I will be supplying the binder ring to hold the index cards together. The due date for the rough draft of the key terms and the project itself is T.B.A.

Here are some key dates:

• bring a new duotang for Writer's Workshop by Wednesday, January 12th
• S.M.A.R.T. plan friendly letter is due Monday, January 17th
• USA Geography Test is on Tuesday, January 18th