AGENDA 5/24

Computer lab today--work on biography by completing Part II of the research handout

HW: Bring your four poems and citations to class EVERY DAY!

AGENDA 5/23

Review TPS-FAST analysis using the James Wright poem "Lying in a Hammock at William Duffy's Farm in Pine Island, Minnesota"

Class Assignment: Complete TPS-FAST analysis for one of your four poems

HW: Make sure you have emailed your four poems and MLA Format citations to jpust@smmusd.org and that you have printed out a hard copy for class tomorrow! Phone calls/emails to parents and advisors for anyone who is slipping behind!

AGENDA 5/20

Congratulations on finishing CSTs!

Due Monday - FOUR poems by your approved poet (see list of recommended poets for ideas) and MLA format citations for each.

MLA Format:

Poet Last Name, Poet First Name. "Title of Poem." Name of Website. Date copyrighted or updated. Web. Date you visited the website.

So, as a sample:
Frost, Robert. "The Road Not Taken." Academy of American Poets. 2011. Web. 21 May 2011.

Or, for a book entry:

Poet Last Name, Poet First Name. "Title of Poem." Title of Book. Editor name, ed. City of Publication: Publishing Company, Copyright Date, page number. Print.

Sample:
Frost, Robert. "The Road Not Taken." The Second Book of Modern Verse. Jessie B. Rittenhouse, ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1920, 240. Print.

NOTE: If your book does not have a separate editor listed, omit that and move on to the next part of the citation. If you are using the entire book, omit page numbers (but use page numbers if you are only referring to one or a few pages).

Email me at jpust@smmusd.org if you have questions, and remember to please email your poems and citations no later than Monday evening in order to gain admission to the computer lab on Tuesday (and avoid unpleasant phone calls/emails to your folks and advisors!).

AGENDA 5/9

Begin Poetry Unit
Read and analyze "The Boy Died in My Alley" using the TPS-FAST method

HW: Bring in a favorite poem to display on the bulletin board by Thursday. It should be typed or neatly written and suitable for display. Make sure to include the poem's title and the poet's name.

AGENDA 3/31

happy birthday to me! ☺
Presentation by College Counselors: Mr. Frank Gatell, Ms. Rosa Mejia, and Ms. Julie Honda
Link to PowerPoint by College Counselors
Additional Notes:
Think about college application process as another class: it has deadlines, testing, essays due, etc. Keep that in mind when scheduling senior classes.
It's a good idea to take SAT and ACT in the spring of junior year
Start thinking about where you'd like to study and what you'd like to study.
Think about potential "safety," "target," and "reach" schools
Target schools - 60/40 (there's a 60% chance you'd get in)

• UCLA received 61,000 applications for freshmen (it only has 8000 spots available)

Consider whether you want semesters or quarters (semesters - 15 week classes, quarters - 10 week classes)

• UC Berkeley and UC Merced are on semesters; rest of UCs are on quarter system
  

Recommend applying to 9-12 schools

• Stanford Early Decision receives 30,000 applications for approximately 1700 spots
• Can only apply early decision to ONE school (it's binding)

THIS SUMMER:

• Visit colleges! Contact Freshmen Admission Office or Campus Tours to set up a tour of the campus and find out about overnight stay programs (often you can stay overnight in a dorm room and really get to see the campus more fully by talking to those who go there!)
• Begin work on your college essays! (Shameless self-promotion: Consider taking the Personal Statement workshop I teach at UCLA: Click here for more information
• Study for the SAT, ACT, or SAT Subject Tests!
  
• Do meaningful internships, community service, camps--anything that will give you something to write about and enjoy!

Q & A:

• How many times to take the SAT or ACT? Three. No more.
• For the subject tests, what do we take? Whatever you are currently preparing for in APs, but make sure you prepare and get materials to know what to expect, because some of them differ (like the SAT Subject Test for English - it corresponds more closely with the AP English Literature course that seniors take. See me for details!)
• How does the application process differ for art programs or music conservatories? There are two application processes in most cases--you'll need to do the regular application plus submit a portfolio, audition, etc. and the deadlines are often BEFORE the regular application deadlines. Each school differs, so talk with your college counselor as soon as possible!
• Can house principals or Ms. Baxter write the letter of recommendation "from a counselor"? Yes! Most private schools that request two letters of recommendation want one from a teacher in a core subject area (English, mathematics, social studies, or science) and will want one from a counselor or principal.
• Can the College Center help with applications for international schools? Yes!

HW: Read The Bluest Eye to page 121 and complete the Polly Character Notes except for the last six boxes. Study for Tuesday's grammar quiz over pronouns. Extra help for pronoun ambiguity (also called "faulty pronoun reference"). Extra help for pronoun case. Extra help for pronoun-antecedent agreement (this also includes pronoun consistency help). We'll do one more pronoun review on Monday and pick up with our satire/humor unit then. Please bring The Bluest Eye tomorrow.

AGENDA 3/18

Grammar practice: Pronoun Ambiguity #2
Sample interview: use Interview Form to ask questions of Mrs. Pust and record answers, giving yourself a sample for this weekend
Write a reflection 0f 6-10 sentences, using formal academic English and referring to the person being interviewed as Mr. ________ or Ms. _________. Include a direct quotation from the person you interviewed, and include your reactions or thoughts--what did you agree with? disagree with? what were you surprised by? Include, at the top of your reflection, a citation in MLA format:

Last, First. Personal interview. Day Mon. Year.
Sample:
Pust, Jennifer. Personal interview. 18 Mar. 2011.

NOTE: If you are conducting the email via the telephone, it should read Telephone interview. If you are using a video chat it should say Video conference. The other information remains the same.

HW: Conduct this interview again with an adult in your life (someone 25 or older). Complete the interview questions, quoting the interviewee as accurately as possible, and complete a reflection of 6-10 sentences as directed above, with citation.

AGENDA 3/17

EAP Essay Test