E2H Update

Hello, all E2H-ers:

After receiving a few frantic emails and giving the whole thing some extra consideration, I have decided in my infinite benevolence to extend your speech deadline. I have a film we need to watch before the exam anyway, so I will flip the sequence and watch that first. It will require three days to view.

Therefore, our speeches will begin on Thursday instead of tomorrow.

Breathe a sigh of relief. And if you are actually memorized: good! Now you can spend some time perfecting it. :-)

--kt

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last weekend of may

In a normal year, that means the last weekend before exams. As we all know, however, this is not a normal year. But fear not: it's still almost over.

Countdown: 6

Next week, in all classes, it's performance time!!!

E3H: Choral chants commence on Monday!!!

E2H: Speeches--memorize and work on delivery this weekend. Check back here for further updates (including speech order) on Sunday evening.

Drama: We are PERFORMING on Tuesday! That means that whatever you do, it's got to be done NOW.

• Get your props together
• Get your costumes
• Bring both on Monday
• Finish memorizing
• Plan to stay late Monday if at all humanly possible
• Try to get together to work this weekend with as much of your group as you can!
• Tuesday we will practice straight through from 8th period until showtime at 5.

enjoy your weekend!

--kt

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the countdown continues

After today, there is only one Tuesday remaining before classes are over for the year. Magic number: 9

Portfolios are also shrinking fast. I have 5 juniors and 11 sophomores remaining. Next in line: Vincent and Megan.

E3H: We've completed our close reading journey through the funhouse. Thanks again for your indulgence. I feel good about the quality of discussion in both classes. My decision regarding the extra credit: I'm awarding it to all, with a caveat. If you were not an active participant in the "Funhouse" discussion, you will receive only half of the points.

The rest of the year looks like this: Kafka, monologues, chants, and a video. Because there is a field trip on Thursday, I am thinking that I will be showing the video then (and finishing it Friday). Tomorrow we'll discuss monologues a bit, spend a few minutes in chant groups, and introduce Kafka for discussions that, apparently, will not truly begin until the middle of next week.

E2H: Everyone should have a final or nearly final script. Memorize it!!! We'll work in class tomorrow. See Friday's message re: portfolios.

Drama: See Friday's message. Get off book if you are not already!

Ever wonder what adam lambert and susan boyle would sound like together?



j:unbelievable (those nu wildcats!)
music: unbelievable--craig david

--kt

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memorial day cometh

Usually there are only a handful of days remaining at this point, but the combination of an early Memorial Day and a late-ending school year leaves us with ten class days to go. Still...

The countdown is at 10.

:-)

E3H: Continue posting about "Funhouse": final weekend for that. Also, we will be discussing Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" in class next week (W-F), so read that as well. (I know, 2nd period; I said I didn't think I'd assign it, but I frankly think it a great story and also an interesting one, and you can handle it.) If you cannot finish it on time, do so ASAP. But finish it on time. :-)

E2H: Final drafts are due for speeches on Tuesday. Start your memorizing this weekend. Remember: ad infinitum, out loud!

Be ready for portfolio conferences starting Tuesday according to this schedule:

26th: 3rd-Nick; 4th-Jenny
27th: 3rd-Megan
28th: 6th-Johanna
29th: 4th-Azul
1st: 4th-Ashley; 6th Drew
2nd: 6th-Chris
3rd: 1st-Caroline
4th: After school-Julie
5th: 6th-Maddy
8th or earlier: 1st-Andrew; 4th-Trent

Prepare a portfolio addendum letter of 1-2 pages that discusses the following:

• What went well in writing workshop for you this year?
• What did you learn?
• What can you improve upon?
• What are at least two specific non-grammatical areas on which you can focus next year?
  

Drama: Off book by Tuesday! Bring in costumes and props on Tuesday. Ellie and Spencer, please work up some posters for the show. "LFHS Drama Class presents..." with the 5PM June 2 David Miller Theatre Free Admission info on them. Maybe include the names of your cast.

Thought for the day:

Don't you hate pop-up ads on TV shows? Don't you wish someone would make a pop-up blocker for your television???



j: swirling memory
music: remembering sunday--all time low
silly 70's: don't say you don't remember--beverly bremers

--kt

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i'm lovin' it (the weather, that is)

And what's not to love? I hear kids were heading to the beach between periods! :-) I guess it will be chillier tomorrow, but for today...









As to my classes:

E3H: More online "Funhouse" stuff.

E2H: a rare night sans hw if your second draft is in

Drama: OFF BOOK TUESDAY!!!!


enjoy:



j: pandemonium
music: viva la vida--coldplay

--kt

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this is the message

Another lovely day and I just desire to go home and sit on my deck. Maybe sip a Diet Coke and tackle another portfolio...

E3H: until we finish with it, your assignment is to post on "Funhouse."

E2H: re-working your speech; new draft tomorrow at class's end.

Drama: ALL players off-book by Tuesday!!!!!!

This is simply cool:



j: i am the messenger
music: message from your heart--kina grannis

--kt

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sleepwalking

I know I am; I suspect many of you have been all day as well. :-)

Here is what's what:

E3H: Tonight you need to do the monologue essay; it is due tomorrow. We'll likely be working on chants tomorrow.

E2H: Draft 2 will be due Thursday instead of Wednesday; we'll be in the lab tomorrow.

Drama: It's all about memorization!!!



j:sleepwalking
music: asleep--the smiths

(friday's j topic was "dancing machine"; the music was a quadruple play: "everybody was dancing"--catie curtis, "dancing queen"--abba, "dancing in the moonlight"--king harvest, and "dancing machine"--jackson 5)

--kt

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dancing machine

You know what needs to be done.

Have a safe and happy prom!

--kt

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fuzzy slippers

I like fuzzy slippers. I do. Really. :-)

E3H: Online tonight: posting about "Funhouse" Next deadline: Friday--draft 1 ESC.

E2H: Tonight: Find two examples of interesting intros to persuasive articles. Bring them in or--even better--email them to me. :-) Draft 1 of Speech! Due Friday!

Drama: Memorize memorize memorize!!!




j:fuzzy slippers
music: slippery people--jason spooner

--kt

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are we having fun yet?

Is this the real thing? Or is it fantasy Pepsi?

:-)

If you people don't know by now what is the what, then I don't know what!

From the white board:

W 5/13 Speech outline due
F 5/15 ESC d1 due
F 5/15 Speech d1 due
T 5/19 Monologue analysis essay due
W 5/20 Speech d2 due
T 5/26 Speech final revisions due
M-F 6/1-5 Performances
M-F 6/1-5 Speeches
F 6/5 ESC papers absolutely due

Any other questions???



j: are we having fun yet?
music: good ride cowboy--garth brooks

kt

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five weekends to go...

(hey, that's just another way of looking at it...)

E3H: We have a lot of work to do if we are going to get chants done next week... In fact, I have come to the conclusion that we have too much work to get it all done well. Therefore...

Hear ye, Hear ye:

A Proclamation From Her Royal Majesty Queen Karen of Topham

In the matter of Class Organization for End of Year Pedagogy

Be it hereby known that Her Most Benevolent Majesty, having carefully examined the calendars and found them wanting, has deemed it prudent to re-arrange the sequence of events previously outlined for this Fourth Quarter.

In order that the Choral Chants honoring the Most Noble Bard of Avon might be undertaken with the best possible result, the deadline for said presentations will be re-established, as will that of the presentation of monologues by Mr. Shakespeare. Both will now be presented in the final week of the year, the first week of the month of June.

Students are instructed forthwith to renounce the prior agreed upon deadlines in favor of these new ones, though the deadline for monologue essays will remain May 18.

In place of these presentations in the next weeks, Her Majesty would like to announce that the class will proceed directly into the Reading Workshop project discussed briefly on Tuesday. To that end, all students should come prepared to discuss John Barth's "Lost In the Funhouse" on Monday, having written about it online over the weekend.

Questions? Email me!

E2H: Work on your research. On Monday, bring in a one-page bullet point list of major pros and cons you have found for your topic. Color-key them to your sources.

Drama: We continue to work on the plays. Focus on getting off book!!!

--kt

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hello, gorgeous! (weather, that is)

We all want to get out into the nice day, so I'm not going to linger long here either...

E3H:

• We need a draft of the chant by tomorrow! See the E3H page for details.
• Monologue info is available on the E3H page as well.
• Chants will be presented on the 13-15th; monologues on the 18-19th.

E2H:

• Once you know your topic, put it in writing and send it to me at groupwise.
• We're back in the library tomorrow. Meet in 305 first, though.

Drama:

• Endangered: next four scenes tonight; we'll block them tomorrow. Good job today on preliminary blocking of scenes 1-4. Start right away with those scenes tomorrow and then move on.
• Shebang: nice work today; you guys get a lot done when you're all here and focused! I love the professors! And Kyle makes a great God! Work on figuring out the visual aids; this one requires quite a few of them. Continue to work on memorization. Off book scene one???

j: odd day
music: number six driver--eddie from ohio

--kt

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ignite lighter away from face

(Warning on a Bic lighter)

E3H: see yesterday...but go to E3H page for chant rubric!

E2H: see yesterday

Drama: see yesterday, but a couple of things:

1. We had three absences today. That is a problem going forth and you should make every effort to attend all sessions. If you know you won't be here, let's make pre-arranged absence charts for each group so rehearsals can go on uninhibited. And be sure you are keeping up whether you are here or not!
2. Memorization: Scene one of Shebang*. Scenes 1-4 of Endangered**. Let's see how much of each you can get down for tomorrow's class. Challenge yourselves!!!

* scene one goes through 131
** 1-4 ends on p14 at the start of the movie

Comic films lost a genius yesterday with the death of Dom Deluise. If you can't place him, here's a sample:



--kt

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cinco de mayo

¡Hola!

It's the fifth of May and that means partying! (Or studying...if you have AP exams... ) Don't stay up all night now. And if you do need to pull an all-nighter, don't drink too much margarita flavored coffee.

E3H: I'll try to get the Shakespeare stuff online tonight if possible. Basics:

• Choral chant involves 3-4 people and a snippet of the Bard you make your own. We will have in-class work time for this tomorrow and the rest of the week.
• ESC papers: let's get those first drafts in!
• Monologue project: one brief monologue/soliloquy for presentation and analysis.

E2H: Persuasive speech topics! Start working on them, and remember that they must be actionable by a high school sophomore.

• Catcher essay topic:

  Holden wants to be “the catcher in the rye and all” and stop the children from falling over “some crazy cliff,” though by the end he does come to realize the impossibility of that task. Without simply rehashing what we said in class, discuss why Holden is afraid to grow up.

• Remember that it is your choice of approach for this essay that will make yours stand out.
• Essay is due on Thursday.

Drama:

• Moebius scenes are in progress. I need to know where/when by the end of the week.
• Project play scripts are in your possession: start working on memorizing and character development issues.
• Julia, with assistance from Jenny, will be Student Directing the AIDS play.
  
• AIDS play cast: don't forget to change the names!

Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film As 'Fun, Watchable'

j: cinco de mayo
music: andes de bolivia--hector mireles

--kt

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will the victory party have three overtimes?

Looking again at last night's scores, I think it might have been a nice gesture if the Bulls had given one of their OT sessions to the Hawks. I mean, really: three overtimes? Way to hog all the extra time, Bulls...

This weekend (in addition to watching the playoffs)...

E3H:

• POST!!! If there is anything else to say about the tragedies, now is the time to say it before we close the boards (and the grades) for this unit.
• Email me your topic for the ESC paper.
• Finish up your RW group project.

E2H:

• POST!!! If there is anything else to say about the tragedies, now is the time to say it before we close the boards (and the grades) for this unit.
• CiR journals are due on Monday.

Drama:

We seem to have decided upon Endangered Species and The Whole Shebang. I will edit the former over the weekend and decide how I am going to cast these plays. We'll begin work next week.

Now, if you've ever thought that Twitter was just silly...

Watch Real Life Twitter on CollegeHumor

j: running with the bulls
music: more than this--lucy kaplansky
silly 70's: basketball jones--cheech and chong

--kt

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