Making it Write

WOW….I am so proud of all of my students…we had so much fun playing tributes in our tribute training day on March 23rd! What a way to kick off Spring Break.

Now we are back from Spring Break and it is time to get ready for testing. And ready we will be.

Honors we are reviewing Catching Fire and testing over it WEDNESDAY. Your project is due Friday.

English 7, we are beginning Mythology and studying the fabulous world of myths. Yea!

Spring on and remain calm.

HS

Really..it isn’t.

Neither is survival.

Neither is forcing children into being child soldiers.

Okay..what am I talking about?

First we read Hunger Games. Then my honors classes tackled Catching Fire.

And my regular classes are conquering propaganda.

And then…bam…out onto the internet…what do I see?

KONY2012.

EVERYWHERE.

Ok, GREAT is say.

Then my students come in excited and write KONY2012 all over my boards. Even better I think.

Why?

Who is Joseph Kony? Well he is one pretty bad guy.

Now we know.

But, why am I excited that MY students know…and even care?

Because they are reading about what it is to be a child soldier (Katniss, Peeta) to be controlled by an outside force (the Capitol) and to have to fight for survival. They have read about it. AND now they KNOW this is a real world issue.

Will capturing Joseph Kony end the problem of child soldiers? More than likely not. But what Invisible Children did…and by using social networking (and the power of propaganda to the highest degree) they brought attention to a tragedy and injustice. Now maybe the world will know about child soldiers and realize the there are real life Katnisses and Peetas out there..hungry and fighting for survival.

Is hunger a game?

No it is not.

Let’s try to help those who are less fortunate than we are..one person at a time. That is all we can do.

Honors: It is that time again…reading the sequel to our favorite book! Yes, it is time for Catching Fire. Think…it only takes a spark to start a fire, and Katniss, the girl who was on fire..started that spark. Now..if reading The Hunger Games started a spark in everyone’s interest in reading great book…now we will enjoy reading and finding wonderful stories. Bring in your copy of Catching Fire every day!

Regular students: Let’s correct our poetry tests to see what we missed and correct our mistakes. Don’t just write down the correct answer, but know why you missed it and understand what is correct. This is something we need to learn.

And finally…this week the 7th grade classes will be reviewing the ARMT+. It is slightly different from the ARMT, so we need to look at it and be prepared..we all  need to master the ARMT+ skills!

Have a fabulous week!

HS

Seize the day and make our lives extraordinary… poetry has been such a blessing in my life, and as we wind down our unit on it I hope you all found a new way to appreciate poetry.

I am excited to see my students finished music videos using their own poems. I am hoping to see some fabulous creativity being shown off.

This week in Honors we will begin the Catching Fire unit. So please bring your copy of Catching Fire to school starting Wednesday. If you have it on your e-reader, bring that.

Poetry test for English 7: Thursday.

Happy Monday!

HS:)

What is poetry? What exactly makes something a poem? Is it just because it rhymes or because it has meaning…or both?

One of my favorite poems about poetry is the following:

Ars Poetica
A poem should be palpable and mute
As a globed fruit

Dumb
As old medallions to the thumb

Silent as the sleeve-worn stone
Of casement ledges where the moss has grown -

A poem should be wordless
As the flight of birds

A poem should be motionless in time
As the moon climbs

Leaving, as the moon releases
Twig by twig the night-entangled trees,

Leaving, as the moon behind the winter leaves,
Memory by memory the mind -

A poem should be motionless in time
As the moon climbs

A poem should be equal to:
Not true

For all the history of grief
An empty doorway and a maple leaf

For love
The leaning grasses and two lights above the sea -

A poem should not mean
But be

~Archibald MacLeish

 

What does he mean by “A poem should not mean….but be.”

If you can answer that, you have an idea of what makes poetry.

Carpe Diem.

HS

It is 2012…Are you as excited as I am for a whole new year? It is time to look back at the past..remember it all, the good, the bad, and the ugly…and jump into 2012. I am ready for all new surprises to encounter me on every turn.

I hope everyone had a fantastic break. I did. I spent time with my family and made some fabulous new friends. I hope you all did too. I even received some beautiful gifts from my children. (and Chloe got a bow for her collar and Bear got a bow tie…how absolutely adorable)

I will see everyone soon…ready to jump into a new year…ready to learn. Let’s have fun…and learn while we do it.

Cheers to 2012!
HS

I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving!
My honors classes finished their study of the fantastic novel
The Hunger Games and will be reading the Tales of King Arthur this week.

The English 7 classes are still reading The Hunger Games. Look for some great projects associated with this! May the odds be ever in your favor!!!

Have a great week!
HS

I am so proud of my Honors classes because of the incredible projects they completed. I have hovercrafts..arenas…mutts…and dolls dressed like Katniss in my classroom. I feel like I am in the Capitol!

MineCraft Arena

Mutt!

Actual working Hovercraft. It flew!

Cinna's Creations

Okay so I love love love teaching The Hunger Games. Really. I do.
Why?
Because, the students love it.

Question of the day? Would you rather be living in the Capitol, fed, clothed, but totally ignorant of all the wrongdoings that the Capitol and the government of Panem does to the district…..
Or live in one of the districts? Fighting for food, life, etc, but knowing what is wrong?

HONORS STUDENTS: You all should have finished the novel by now. Projects due Monday, November 14th. Please do not build anything that could upset Ms. Stafford. I am going ahead and saying that Ms. Stafford is thanking you in advance.
Extra credit on test day: Wear a t-shirt decorated with Hunger Games and with your favorite Hunger Games quote.

Happy Hunger Games.
May the odds be ever in your favor.

Hey everyone! I have been down without internet…so finally I am updating!
ALL of my classes are delving into THE HUNGER GAMES. This is probably the most fascinating book I have ever read…with so many layers to read!

I have noticed that many of my 1st, 2nd, and 6th period students still have not brought in a copy of the book….they need to have one to read. NOW!

HAPPY HUNGER GAMES!