Mr. Courcy's Blog

Week of November 28 2011

2011-11-23T10:06:00.004-05:00

English 10 students will take the To Kill a Mockingbird Unit Test this week. Final preparation for the test: Each student will be provided with a Unit Test review handout and participate in two rounds of TKAM "Jeopardy" that contains much of the information on the Unit Test.

To Kill a Mockingbird Unit Test (100 points)

Block 6 - Tuesday November 29
Blocks 1, 3, + 5 - Wednesday November 30

Honors English 10
Character Profile Essay (50 points)
DUE: Monday November 28

Honors English 10 students will watch the made-for-TV movie A Raisin in the Sun on Monday and Tuesday. Students will then be faced with the challenge of taking on the role of playwright and developing their own personal conclusion which brings closure to at least one aspect of the play that was left unresolved.

Week of November 14, 2011

2011-11-11T20:34:00.003-05:00

English 10 -

We will continue reading To Kill a Mockingbird this week and finish the story next week. We will discuss the title of the book in terms of symbolism as well as the metaphorical "mockingbirds" in the story.

Honors English 10

We will continue "performing" Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun in class with students reading parts in the play. We will discuss how Mama's plant is symbolic and begin to examine some of the major themes such as strength of family, dreams, and money vs. morals. We read Act 1 Scene 1 in class on Friday Nov. 11.

Monday November 14 -
A Raisin in the Sun - Act 1 Scene 1 Quiz (30 points)
Mama's Plant Moodle Response Due (10 points)

Week of November 7, 2011

2011-11-07T20:05:00.004-05:00

English 10 students will compose and revise an essay that focuses on the theme of perspective as it relates to the Tom Robinson trial in Harper Lee's classic, To Kill a Mockingbird. Students will have three day including two full class periods to complete the five paragraph essay. The most challenging aspect of the composition is writing in the "first person" in order to convey a specific character's personal perspective of the trial. In other words, instead of writing about certain characters, students must write from the character's perspective. This assignment is designed to assess each student's knowledge of specific characters as well as their ability to express the given character's point of view in regards to the trial at the center of the novel. Pre-writing activities included analyzing Johnny Cash's song "A Boy Named Sue," making personal and literary character connections to a poem titled "Children Learn What They Live," and making informed decisions about where specific To Kill a Mockingbird characters would "rank" in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. All of these lessons were aimed at solidifying each student's understanding of various characters' experiences and how those experiences shaped their perspective.

Perspective Essay Due Dates:
Blocks 3 + 6 - Thursday November 10 (at the end of class)

Blocks 1 + 5 - Friday November 11 (at the end of class)

Honors English 10 -

We will begin reading Lorraine Hansberry's Broadway play, A Raisin in the Sun on Friday. Students will write a short response focusing on symbolism after we read Act 1 Scene 1 in class and then will take a quiz on Act 1 Scene 1 next Tuesday November 15th.

Week of October 31, 2011

2011-10-31T05:46:00.002-04:00

We will finish our unit on Adjectives this week in English 10. Quiz dates are below. Later in the week, we will investigate the theme of "perspective" in To Kill a Mockingbird and begin a multi-faceted assignment that culminates with students writing about the Tom Robinson trial from four different characters' perspectives.

Adjectives Quiz - 50 points
Block 5 - Tuesday, Nov. 1
Blocks 3 + 6 - Wednesday Nov. 2
Block 1 - Thursday Nov. 3

Honors English 10

To Kill a Mockingbird Unit Test (100 points)
Monday - October 31

Week of October 24 2011

2011-10-23T14:39:00.003-04:00

English 10 students will read Chapters 19-23 (pages 190-227) in To Kill a Mockingbird before we take a break next week to complete a multi-faceted writing assignment that focuses on the theme of "perspective." Students will also examine the importance of adjectives and how to effectively incorporate adjectives in their writing.

We will also begin a "Word of the Day" exercise. I have compiled a list of the 100 most frequently used words in previous ACT Tests. From that list, I will choose and display one word per day and each student will be required to type the word, definition, part of speech, and synonyms then use the word properly in a sentence.

To Kill a Mockingbird Quiz - Chapter 19 (15 points)
Blocks 1, 3, + 5 Monday October 24
Block 6 Tuesday October 25

Honors English 10 -
To Kill a Mockingbird Final Essay (50 points)
Tuesday - Essay Assigned - Rough Draft (not graded) to be completed/printed/submitted in class...

Wednesday 10/26 - Final Draft Due at End of Class

Friday - TKAM Unit Test Review - Unit Test will be next Monday 10/31

Week of October 10, 2011

2011-10-10T05:25:00.002-04:00

English 10 students will continue reading To Kill a Mockingbird this week. They will also begin to examine adjectives and participate in a small group "competition" that focuses on adjectives and synonyms. No formal assessments this week, yet one assignment due that will be graded as a quiz(see below).

Chapter 16 Vocabulary (20 points) -
Students must identify five (5) unfamiliar words in Chapter 16 of To Kill a Mockingbird, look up the definition, and use the word correctly in a sentence. This assignment will count as a Quiz and will be graded as an "Assessment" in Infinite Campus.

Honors English 10
Pronouns Usage Quiz (38 points)
Tuesday - Oct. 11

Study Guide #2 Due Wednesday

To Kill a Mockingbird - Read Chapters 22-25 (pgs 212-241) over the long weekend

Week of September 26, 2011

2011-09-26T04:59:00.002-04:00

English 10 students will continue reading To Kill a Mockingbird, be assessed on Common Errors in the English Language, and begin a unit on Pronouns this week. Due dates for assignments and quizzes are listed below.

DUE DATES:
Common Errors Quiz - (44 points)
Blocks 1, 3, + 5 - Tuesday September 27
Block 6 - Wednesday September 28

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapters 8 + 9 Quiz (20 points)
Block 3 - Wednesday September 28
Blocks 1, 5, + 6 - Thursday September 29

To Kill a Mockingbird Study Questions #1 (35 points)
Blocks 1, 3, + 5 - Friday September 30
Block 6 - Monday October 3

Honors English 10 DUE DATES:

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapters 8 + 9 Quiz (20 points)
Monday September 26

To Kill a Mockingbird Study Questions #1 (35 points)
Wednesday September 28

Clauses/Sentence Types Quiz (50 points)
Thursday September 29

Week of September 12, 2011

2011-09-11T07:28:00.004-04:00

English 10 students will continue to read To Kill a Mockingbird this week. They will also begin to review parts of speech and the different types of nouns. Below are quizzes, assignments, and due dates.

Quiz Dates:
To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 1 Quiz (20 points)
Block 3 - Monday 9/12
Blocks 1, 5, 6 - Tuesday 9/13

Vocab Quiz #1 (20 points)
Block 3 - Thursday 9/15
Blocks 1, 5, 6 - Friday 9/16

Assignment Due Date:
Nouns Scavenger Hunt (10 points)
Block 3 - Thursday 9/15
Blocks 1, 5, 6 - Friday 9/16
--------------------------------------------------------
Honors English 10 -
Vocab Quiz #1 (20 points)
Tuesday 9/13

Utopia/Dystopia Response (10 points)
Tuesday 9/13

Scottsboro Quote Analysis (10 points)
Thursday 9/15

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 1 Quiz (20 points)
Friday 9/16

Welcome Back!!! Sept. 6, 2011

2011-09-04T12:22:00.004-04:00

Sophomores and Parents - I will always try to have a weekly preview for English 10 and Honors English 10 as well as Assignment Due Dates on my Blog. I usually update my Blog on Sunday so you can look to see what we will cover in the upcoming week. Hopefully, we can collaborate to Live, Laugh, and Learn together.

English 10 Due Dates:

Syllabus w/ Signatures
Blocks 1,5,6 - Thursday 9/8
Block 3 - Wednesday 9/7

"Respect" Writing Assignment (10 points)
Blocks 1,5,6 - Thursday 9/8
Block 3 - Wednesday 9/7

Scottsboro Quote Analysis (10 points)
Blocks 1,5,6 - Friday 9/9
Block 3 - Monday 9/12

Honors English 10 Due Dates:

"Respect" Writing Assignment (10 points)- Thursday 9/8

Week of May 23, 2011

2011-05-22T05:57:00.004-04:00

This week, English 10 students will finish reading Of Mice and Men along with completing the corresponding Study Guide (40 points).

Assignment Due Dates:

ACT Style Essay -Final Draft- (50 points)
Blocks 3, 5, + 7 - Monday May 23
Blocks 2 + 6 - Tuesday May 23

Of Mice and Men Study Guide #2 (40 points)
Blocks 3, 5, + 7 - Thursday May 26
Blocks 2 + 6 - Friday May 27

Week of May 16, 2011

2011-05-12T14:51:00.002-04:00

English 10 students will begin reading John Steinbeck's timeless classic, Of Mice and Men this week. This is the final piece of literature of the school year and, generally, a favorite among sophomores. There will be a 50-point Quiz on Chapters 1-3 and a 100-point essay about one of the major themes after the students finish reading the novella. Students will also learn how to write an effective thesis using parallel form. They will then apply this technique while revising their rough draft of an ACT-style essay and re-submit the final draft (50 points) by early next week.

Week of May 2, 2011

2011-05-01T18:41:00.002-04:00

English 10 students will complete a rough draft of an ACT-type writing assignment to begin the week. They will then learn about and practice writing different sentence types before taking a quiz on Clauses and Sentence Types early next week.

ACT Rough Draft Due Dates:
Blocks 3, 5, + 7 - Monday May 2 (end of class)
Blocks 2 + 6 - Tuesday May 3 (end of class)

Week of April 25, 2011

2011-04-27T03:38:00.001-04:00

Conjunctions Week!

50 point Quiz on Conjunctions
Blocks 3, 5, + 7 - Wednesday April 27th
Blocks 2 + 6 - Thursday April 28th

Week of March 21, 2011

2011-03-21T17:02:00.002-04:00

English 10 students will finish reading Arthur Miller's The Crucible this week. Students will take a 40-point quiz on Act 3, read Act 4 as an in-class drama, and complete the Study Questions for Act 4 before reviewing for the 75-point Unit Test next week. Each student's score on the Act 3 Quiz and Act 4 Study Questions will be applied to his or her 3rd quarter grade. However, the Unit Test results will be the first major grade of the 4th quarter marking period which begins next week. Due Dates for Quiz, Study Questions, and Unit Test are listed below.

Act 3 Quiz (40 points)
Blocks 2, 3, 6, + 7 - Monday March 21, 2011
Block 5 - Tuesday March 22, 2011

Act 4 Study Questions (42 points)
Blocks 2, 3, 6, + 7 - Thursday March 24, 2011
Block 5 - Friday March 25, 2011

The Crucible Unit Test (75 points)
Blocks 2, 3, 6, + 7 - Tuesday March 29, 2011
Block 5 - Wednesday March 30, 2011

Week of March 7, 2011

2011-03-09T05:53:00.005-05:00

English 10 students will begin reading Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible this week. The Crucible, which recounts the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, is an allegory to McCarthyism of the 1950s when Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy's communist suspicions fueled the Second Red Scare in the United States. Students will be required to complete Study Questions for each of the four Acts in the play. This week, students will read Act 1, complete the corresponding Study Questions and take a 20-point Quiz on Act 1.

Act 1 Study Questions (45 points)
DUE DATES:
Blocks 2, 5, + 6 - Thursday March 10
Blocks 3 + 7 - Friday March 11

Act 1 Quiz (20 points)
Blocks 2, 5, + 6 - Thursday March 10
Blocks 3 + 7 - Friday March 11

Week of February 21, 2011

2011-02-20T20:08:00.002-05:00

English 10 students will finish their 10th Grade EDP (Educational Development Plan) Unit this week. The project is worth 100 points - 40 points for their 10-year plan presented through PhotoStory and 60 points for a three-paragraph Journal describing the importance of the EDP and the challeneges it presented.

Due Dates for EDP:
Blocks 2, 5, + 6 - Wednesday Feb. 23 (end of class)
Blocks 3 + 7 - Thursday Feb. 24 (end of class)

Week of February 7, 2011

2011-02-04T06:50:00.002-05:00

English 10 students began (last week) working on developing and writing his or her personal "conclusion" to Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun." Students will have three full class periods and one weekend to complete this 100-point writing assignment which will have a serious impact on his or her grade for the 3rd quarter marking period. Due dates for the assignment are listed below.

Act 3 Scene 2 DUE DATES:

Blocks 3, 5, + 7 - Tuesday @ end of class.

Blocks 2 + 6 - Wednesday @ end of class

Week of January 24, 2011

2011-01-25T06:54:00.004-05:00

This week, English 10 students will watch the movie, A Raisin in the Sun, based on the screenplay by Lorraine Hansberry which they finished reading during the Winter break. Students will develop a deeper understanding of the characters' attitudes, behaviors, and motivations which will help them write their own personal conclusion to the play next week. Before students undertake this major writing assignment, they will be required to "pitch" their idea for the "Act 3 Scene 2" assignment.

Raisin "Pitch" Due Dates (10 points)

Blocks 3 + 7 - Friday, January 28

Blocks 2,5, + 6 - Monday January 31

Week of November 29, 2010

2010-11-28T12:54:00.003-05:00

English 10 students will enjoy movies and popcorn this week! They will also compare and contrast the To Kill a Mockingbird movie with the novel they recently finished reading. Then, before we begin Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, students will watch Remember the Titans and complete an assignment which focuses on comparing themes and characters with To Kill a Mockingbird. Next week, we will begin reading A Raisin in the Sun which includes several writing assignments. We will also continue to study Grammar and Parts of Speech (Verbs are next) before Winter break. Hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving break!

Week of November 15, 2010

2010-11-12T16:19:00.002-05:00

Our nine week unit on To Kill a Mockingbird culminates with a 100-point Unit Test this week (Test Dates Below). Before we begin our two-day test review, students also have two additional TKAM assignments due earlier in the week (Due Dates Listed Below).

Study Guide #3 (27 points) + Vocab Words (20 points) Due Dates

Blocks 3,5,+7 - Monday November 15
Blocks 2 + 6 - Tuesday November 16

100-point TKAM UNIT TEST DATES

Blocks 3,5,+7 - Thursday November 18
Blocks 2 + 6 - Friday November 19

Week of November 8, 2010

2010-11-07T18:32:00.002-05:00

Perspective Essay (50 points) - DUE MONDAY November 8th

Students will read the final 7 chapters of To Kill a Mockingbird this week and begin to review major themes, characters, and events from the novel in preparation for next week's 100-point Unit test. There will be a 20-point "pop" Quiz sometime this week... so make sure you take your time and read closely!

Week of October 25 2010

2010-10-24T10:44:00.004-04:00

Students in English 10 will begin the week by taking a 50-point Adjectives Quiz (dates listed below). All students will also receive their second list of vocabulary words and complete a 20-point Vocabulary Quiz during the final class period of the week (dates listed below). We will also continue to read and discuss the Tom Robinson trial in To Kill a Mockingbird. Students will also participate in an open forum during class time in which they respond to a quote about racism/discrimination which is a major theme in the novel.

ADJECTIVES QUIZ (50 points)
Blocks 3 + 7 - Monday October 25th
Blocks 2, 4, + 6 - Tuesday October 26th

VOCABULARY QUIZ #2 (20 points)
Blocks 3, 5, + 7 - Thursday October 28th
Blocks 2 + 6 - Friday October 29th

MOODLE RESPONSE - "Invisible Backpack"(20 points)
Assignment Dates
Blocks 3-5-7 Thursday October 28th
Blocks 2 + 6 Friday October 29th
DUE DATE for ALL BLOCKS ---- Monday November 2nd @ 7 a.m.

Week of October 18th, 2010

2010-10-17T10:24:00.003-04:00

This week, English 10 students will continue to read and discuss To Kill a Mockingbird. By the beginning of next week, all students should have read through Chapter 19. We will continue to explore different types of adjectives and how they function in effective writing. Students will create their own personal "Mad Lib" with the sole emphasis being adjectives. We will have a practice quiz on adjectives later in the week and an Adjectives Quiz during the first class meeting next week.

Assignment Due Dates:

TKAM Study Guide#2 Questions 1-25 (25 points) Due Date
Blocks 3 + 7 - Monday October 18th
Blocks 2,5, + 6 - Tuesday October 19th

"Mad Lib" (10 point Writing Assignment) Due Date
Blocks 3,5 + 7 - Wednesday October 20th
Blocks 2 + 6 - Thursday October 21st

Week of October 11, 2010

2010-10-10T16:51:00.002-04:00

Three of my English 10 classes will wrap up their unit on Pronoun Usage by taking a 40-point Quiz on Monday (see schedule below). Later this week, sophomores will begin to learn why adjectives are a vital component of the writing process. We will also continue to read To Kill a Mockingbird and complete our chapter-by-chapter study guide questions. Students will also take a 25-point Quiz covering chapters 12-15 (see schedule below).

Pronouns Usage Quiz (40 points)
Blocks 2, 5, + 6 - Monday October 11

TKAM Quiz Chapters 12-15 (25 points)
Blocks 3 + 7 - Wednesday October 13
Blocks 2, 5, + 6 - Thursday October 14

Week of October 4, 2010

2010-10-03T16:29:00.003-04:00

This week, students in English 10 will finish reading Part 1 of To Kill a Mockingbird and receive their second Study Guide which covers chapters 11-22. Students will also receive their vocabulary words during the first class meeting of the week and take a 20-point Vocab Quiz during the last class meeting of the week. We will also continue our pronoun usage unit and students will take a Pronouns Usage Quiz either late this week or early next week depending on what block they have English 10.

Vocab Quiz #1 (20 points)
Blocks 3,5,+7 - Thursday October 7
Blocks 2+6 - Friday October 8

Pronouns Usage Quiz (40 points)
Blocks 3+7 - Friday October 8
Blocks 2,5, +6 - Monday October 11

Week of Sept 27, 2010

2010-09-29T18:24:00.002-04:00

English 10 students will continue to read To Kill a Mockingbird and should be through Chapter 9 by the end of the week. Students will also take a 20-point quiz on Chapters 8+9. We will also continue to examine common errors in English grammar with a focus on pronoun usage.

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 8+9 Quiz Dates:

Blocks 3 + 7 - Thursday September 30

Blocks 2, 5, + 6 - Friday October 1

Week of Sept. 20, 2010

2010-09-19T11:00:00.002-04:00

We will continue reading To Kill a Mockingbird this week and complete a written response (on Moodle)to a follow up question from the Study Guide. Also - we will focus on Pronouns and Common Errors in English Grammar such as the use of ("there," "their," and "they're")... ("your" and "you're")... ("where," "we're," and "were")...("to" and "too")... and ("then" vs. "than").

The first 11 questions from the To Kill a Mockingbird Study guide are due the first class we meet...
Blocks 3,5,+7 - Monday Sept. 20
Blocks 2+6 Tuesday Sept. 21

Moodle Response Due Dates:
Blocks 3,5,+7 - Monday Sept. 20 by MIDNIGHT
Blocks 2 + 6 - Tuesday Sept. 21 by MIDNIGHT

Common Errors Quiz:
Blocks 3,5,7 - Thursday Sept. 23
Blocks 2+6 - Monday Sept. 27

Welcome Back!!! Week of Sept. 13, 2010

2010-09-12T11:15:00.004-04:00

This week in English 10, students will be reading the early chapters of Harper Lee's classic To Kill a Mockingbird. We will also review nouns (concrete vs. abstract - collective vs. plural etc.) and students will be required to find an online article of their choice, choose one paragraph from that article, and identify different nouns within the paragraph. Later in the week, students will take a 25 point Nouns Quiz.

Blocks 2+6 -
Monday - Read Chap 1 from TKAM + 20 point Quiz on Chap. 1
Tuesday - Nouns Review + Article Assignment (10 pts.) + Read Chap 2 TKAM
Thursday - Nouns Article Due- Practice Quiz - Read Chap 3 TKAM - Study Questions 1-11 Due Fri.
Friday - Study Questions 1-11 due - Discuss Chaps. 1-3 TKAM - Nouns Quiz (25 pts.)

Blocks 3+7
Monday - Nouns Review + Article Assignment (10 pts.) + Read Chap 2 TKAM
Wednesday -Nouns Article Due- Practice Quiz - Read Chap 3 TKAM - Study Questions 1-11 Due Thurs.
Thursday - Study Questions 1-11 due - Discuss Chaps. 1-3 TKAM - Nouns Quiz (25 pts.)

Block 5 -

Tuesday - Nouns Review + Article Assignment (10 pts.) + Read Chap 2 TKAM
Wednesday -Nouns Article Due- Practice Quiz - Read Chap 3 TKAM - Study Questions 1-11 Due Thurs.
Friday - Study Questions 1-11 due - Discuss Chaps. 1-3 TKAM - Nouns Quiz (25 pts.)

Week of June 1, 2010

2010-06-02T19:53:00.003-04:00

During our final week prior to final exams, students will draft, compose, edit, and revise an essay (worth 100 points) which examines one of the major themes from John Steinbeck's classic, Of Mice and Men. Students received the assignment before the Memorial Day weekend to begin brainstorming ideas and will have two full class periods in the computer lab - plus this coming weekend - to complete the assignment. Due dates for the Of Mice and Men essay are listed below.

Blocks 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6/7
DUE DATE
2:30 p.m. - Monday, June 7

Week of May 24, 2010

2010-05-21T21:15:00.008-04:00

Students in English 10 will finish reading John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men this week. They will then watch the 1992 film adaptation of Steinbeck's novel starring John Malkovich and Gary Sinise. Students will examine the themes of Friendship/Loyalty, Loneliness and Isolation, The American Dream, Discrimination, Power/Powerlessness, and Euthanasia (mercy killing). During the week prior to final exams, students will draft and compose an essay which focuses on one of the novel's major themes. In lieu of a standard Unit Test, this essay will be worth 100 points and will have a major impact on your student's 4th quarter grade. Furthermore, much of the information students are compiling in their Of Mice and Men study guide will make up a significant portion of their final exam.

Week of May 3, 2010

2010-05-03T18:08:00.002-04:00

English 10 students begin the "Writing Process" this week. We will cover Brainstorming - Introductions - Thesis Statements - Sentence Fluency - and Paragraph Construction over the next 6-8 class periods. Most of the work will be done in class although there will be a couple of graded writing assignments which will require students to complete some work at home.

Week of April 26, 2010

2010-04-25T18:54:00.003-04:00

We will continue to work on independent and subordinate clauses, punctuation, and sentence types this week. Students have a Sentence Types worksheet/writing assignment and a Clauses/Sentence Types quiz later in the week. Due Dates are listed below.

Sentence Types Worksheet/Writing Assignment Due Dates:
Blocks 1 + 5 - Monday April 26
Blocks 2 + 3 - Tuesday April 27

Clauses/Sentence Types Quiz (50 points) dates
Blocks 1 + 5 - Thursday April 29
Blocks 2 + 3 - Friday April 30

English 10B - 6/7 Block
Into the Wild Quiz (35 points)- Monday April 26

***NOTE 4th Quarter progress grades will be posted on Infinite Campus on Thursday April 29.

Week of April 12

2010-04-14T09:11:00.002-04:00

We will be working on Conjunctions and Interjections in English 10 this week. Students will learn how conjunctions function within simple, compound and complex sentences. We will also discuss independent and subordinate clauses which we will delve into further next week. Students will complete a worksheet on Conjunctions this week and will have a 35-point QUIZ on Conjunctions early next week. Due Dates are below.

Conjunctions Worksheet (10 POINTS) Due Dates

Blocks 1 + 5 - Friday April 16
Blocks 2 + 3 - Monday April 19

CONJUNCTIONS QUIZ (35 POINTS)

Blocks 1,2, + 5 Tuesday, April 20
Block 3 Wednesday, April 21

Week of March 29

2010-03-28T19:56:00.002-04:00

We will finish reading The Crucible this week and students will take the Unit Test before Spring Break.

Act 4 Study Guide (42 points)
DUE DATES:
Block 1,2,+ 5 - Tuesday March 30
Block 3 - Wednesday March 31

Crucible Unit Test (65 points)
Blocks 1 + 5 - Wednesday March 31
Blocks 2 + 3 - Thursday, April 1

Week of March 22, 2010

2010-03-23T05:20:00.002-04:00

English 10 -

Students have two more opportunities to improve their grade for the 3rd Quarter marking period which ends on Friday March 26.

Act 3 Study Questions (53 points)
Due Dates:
Blocks 1, 3, + 5 - Tuesday March 23
Block 2 - Wednesday March 24

Act 3 Quiz (40 points)
Blocks 1, 2, + 5 - Thursday March 25
Block 3 - Friday March 26

Week of March 15, 2010

2010-03-14T09:53:00.002-04:00

Sophomores in my English 10 classes will be working exclusively on The Crucible this week. Assignments and due dates are as follows:

Act 1 Quiz - 20 points
Blocks 1 + 5 - Monday 3/15
Block 3 - Tuesday 3/16
Block 2 - Wednesday 3/17

Act 2 Study Guide Due Dates
Blocks 1 + 5 - Wednesday 3/17
Block 2 - Friday 3/19
Block 3 - Thursday 3/18

Week of March 8, 2010

2010-03-07T08:08:00.004-05:00

Sophomores in my English 10 classes have begun reading Arthur Miller's The Crucible. They are required to read Act I and complete the study guide questions which are due on the following dates:

Act I Study Guide Due Dates:
Blocks 1+5 - Wednesday March 10
Block 3 - Thursday March 11
Block 2 - Friday March 12

We will review and discuss the answers to these questions the following class and students will take a 20-point quiz on Act I early next week.

Week of March 1, 2010

2010-02-28T08:07:00.002-05:00

Sophomore English students will complete and submit their 100-point EDP assignment this week.
Blocks 1,2,+5 will spend one more day (Monday) in the computer lab. Double block students (English 10B Blocks 6/7) will have two more days. 3rd block has already had three full days in computer lab.
DUE DATES for EDP:
Blocks 1,3, +5 - Due Tuesday, March 2
Blocks 2, 6/7 - Due Wed. March 3

On Wed./Thurs we will begin discussing The Crucible which we will begin reading next week. Before we begin reading, students will be given a List of Characters and will take a 20-point quiz on the characters.
Crucible Characters Quiz:
Blocks 1,3, +5 - Friday, March 5
Block 2 - Monday, March 8

English 10B students will continue to read Tuesdays with Morrie and complete in-class Journal responses.

Week of February 22

2010-02-21T13:02:00.002-05:00

Sophomore English students will be taking a bit of a hiatus from the standard English 10 curriculum this week. Students will be focused solely on completing their Educational Development Plan (EDP). Much of the assignment can be (and will be) completed in the computer lab throughout the week. However, the creative aspect of the project (creating a 10-year "lifeline") is something students must work on at home. There are many different options as to how students will present their lifeline and many examples were shown in class.

This assignment is worth 100 points and will have a huge impact on a student's 3rd quarter grade.

The "lifeline" portion of the assignment is worth 40 points and will be entered in my gradebook under "Assignments."

The three-paragraph Journal/Refelction Essay is worth 60 points and will be entered in my gradebook under "Writing."
NOTE: Students were given a rubric with specific requirements for each part of the assignment.

We (Mrs. Arteaga and I) encourage all parents to discuss this assignment with your son/daughter. The EDP is designed to help your child develop the skills to research colleges and a potential career they may be interested in pursuing, as well as developing a strategic plan that will prepare them to achieve their academic and career-oriented goals.

Week of February 15, 2010

2010-02-17T20:00:00.005-05:00

This week, all sophomore English students will view the movie Good Night and Good Luck which recounts the story of legendary journalist Edward R. Murrow's unrelenting quest to expose U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950's. McCarthy's false accusations of communists infiltrating the U.S. government caused widespread paranoia among the American people. Murrow delivered a series of TV reports revealing McCarthy's bogus claims and Mccarthy was eventually censured. Students will complete a study guide that accompanies the movie in preparation for reading Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, which we will begin reading in two weeks. Miller wrote The Crucible to tell the story of "McCarthyism" and the communist "witch hunt" known as the Second Red Scare. The Crucible is an allegory which uses the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 as a basis to tell the story of Mccarthyism in the 1950's.

On Friday, sophomores begin a 10-day Educational Development Plan led by school counselor, Mrs. Arteaga. This project requires students to explore potential career opportunities, colleges, requirements for admission, occupational fields they are interested in, and more. This is a 100-point assignment that will be part of their English 10 grade for the 3rd quarter marking period.

Week of February 8, 2010

2010-02-07T16:35:00.002-05:00

Sophomores in my English 10 classes have three assignments to focus on this week. First we will finish learning how to indentify and use prepositions and prepositional phrases and then students will take a 25 point quiz.

Prepositions Quiz -
Blocks 1,3,+5 - Wednesday, Feb. 10
Block 2 - Thursday, Feb. 11

Students will also begin to do some preliminary work for the next piece of literature we will be reading - Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, which is an allegory focusing on the Salem Witch Trials of the 1690's as they parallel the Second Red Scare and McCarthyism of the 1950's. Students will perform research to discover background information and complete a 20-point worksheet in the computer lab.
Blocks 1,3,+5 - Wednesday Feb. 10
Block 2 - Thursday Feb. 11

Then - they will finish the week by completing another 30-point worksheet that accompanies a 30-minute documentary about the Salem Witch Trials. This worksheet MUST be completed WHILE students watch the video in class. It will be due at the end of class on the day they watch the video.
Block 3- Thursday Feb. 11
Blocks 1,2,+5- Friday Feb. 12

Local Weather

2010-01-26T06:34:00.002-05:00

The Famous Final Scene

2010-01-24T13:11:00.006-05:00

Thanks for visiting!!! This week, all sophomores in my English 10 classes will begin the second semester by preparing to write their own personal dramatic conclusion to A Raisin in the Sun. Students have already read the play and this week they will watch the movie to develop a deeper understanding for characters' attitudes, personalities, characteristics etc.

The goal of this assignment - "Act 3 Scene 2" - is for students to take on the role of a playwright and express themselves creatively and imaginatively while demonstrating their understanding of particular characters and themes from A Raisin in the Sun.
The assignment will be worth 100 points and assessed on three separate aspects:

How realistic and believable it is considering the original story. (50 pts.) This includes keeping characters "in character," considering societal ills such as racial tension, and understanding the possibilities (or lack thereof) for a poor African American family like the Youngers.
Level of creativity and imagination. (30 pts.) This is where students are challenged to amaze me with their ability to create a unique final scene, often with a twist, yet avoid a Hollywood, "happily ever after" ending - which simply did not happen for African Americans in the early 1950's.
Dramatic Conclusion (20 pts.) This is the most difficult aspect of the assignment. Students must provide closure/finality to one particular issue/theme from the play.

In preparation for this assignment, students will first "pitch" their scene to me - (10 pts.) - and I will either "approve" the pitch or offer suggestions/feedback/advice as to which direction they should go with their ideas. Students will then spend an entire class period brainstorming, pre-writing, and compiling rough drafts. Then, next week they will spend two full class periods in the Media Center typing their final drafts. Talk to your kids about this and get them excited. It is amazing what kids can do when you hand them the ball and tell them they can run anywhere they want with it. This kind of freedom resulted in several students producing some absolutely amazing work last year and I expect much of the same this year.

DUE DATE for The "Pitch" (10 pts.)

Blocks 1,3,5, 6/7 - Thursday Jan. 28

Block 2 - Friday Jan 29

2009-11-16T17:12:00.005-05:00

Week of November 16, 2009

All English 10 students will be working on creating a "Perspective" pyramid project this week. Students will also be required to compose, edit and revise four paragraphs which state different characters' perspectives of the Tom Robinson trial in To Kill a Mockingbird.

This project is worth 50 points and will be entered under the "Writing" heading of my gradebook.

Remember - "Writing" assignments are worth 30% of your student's overall grade, so please encourage them to make a sincere effort to submit quality work they will be rewarded for.

This project is due on:
Friday Nov. 20 for 3rd and 7th block students-
Monday Nov. 23 for 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 6th block students

Weekly Assignments

2009-10-15T16:54:00.002-04:00

Assignments for the Week of Oct. 19:

Mon. 10/19 (Blocks 2+6) "Courage" Essay Due

(Blocks 3+7) Indefinite Pronouns worksheet

Read Chap. 17 from To Kill a Mockingbird+ Study Guide Questions

Tues. 10/20 (Blocks 1,2,5+6) Indefinite Pronouns worksheet Due

Read Chapter 17 from To Kill a Mockingbird + Study Guide Questions

Wed. 10/21 (Blocks 1,3,5+7) To Kill a Mockingbird Quiz - Chapters 16+17

Thurs. 10/22 (Blocks 3+7) Vocabulary Quiz #6

Fri. 10/23 (Blocks 1,2,5+6) Vocabulary Quiz #6

Welcome

2009-09-16T19:49:00.000-04:00

Thanks for visiting my blog. My name is Steve Courcy and I teach English 10 at Coopersville high school. I have developed this blog as a way to keep parents informed about what their students are studying and learning in sophomore English. My hope is that you will assist me in reminding your child what is expected and required in my class. Try to encourage your child to take ownership of his/her education and put forth a sincere effort to produce quality work they will be proud of. Thanks again for visiting and please offer any suggestions you may have regarding the effectiveness of this blog.

Sincerely,

Mr. Courcy
CHS English Dept.