Welcome back!

I’m getting excited for the school year. Are you?

My summer was filled with good friends, good food, exciting travel and or course, good books. Here are a few pictures that sum up my summer vacation:

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This year, I’m excited to be teaching four English classes – three 10H and one 10CP, plus a brand new first-year homeroom. Welcome, Class of 2019!

My 2015-2016 schedule will be posted soon on the website, so as always future students, you’ll know when to find me if you need extra support or have a question. I hope you find this website helpful. I’ll be updating it throughout the year on a regular basis. Have a suggestion for it? Let me know.

I’m excited to get back into 1223. I look forward to an exciting, positive and thought-provoking year!

Mr. G

Snow Day Challenge

On the Wakefield Public Schools Facebook Page, there is a Snow Day Challenge that is open to all Wakefield students. The winner receive some Wakefield gear from the Warrior store. Here it is, and let me know if you enter!

Snow Day Challenge for 2/9/2015:

For today’s Snow Day Challenge, students are encouraged to write a snow-themed poem. Feel free to submit a photograph or illustration to accompany your creative writing.

We will publish many of the entries throughout the day, and we will select a winner by the end of the week. The writer of the best poem will receive some Wakefield Warrior gear!

All entries must be submitted to facebook@wpsk12.org by 7:00 p.m. We are looking forward to reading your works!

Here is a poem about winter by Emily Dickinson:

Snowflakes (45)
by Emily Dickinson

I counted till they danced so
Their slippers leaped the town –
And then I took a pencil
To note the rebels down –
And then they grew so jolly
I did resign the prig –
And ten of my once stately toes
Are marshalled for a jig!

Literary Terms Podcast

Hello, classes!

To download and listen to the literary terms podcast, click here.

What more could you want to do on your weekend then listening to me talk to you for 13 minutes?? 🙂

If you are having trouble downloading the file, you can always go to our Google Classroom site and listen to it there!

Email me if you have any questions!

Mr. G

Complex characters!

Hello, all!

Over the next week, we will be continuing our discussions about complex characters (those with multiple or conflicting motivations). Big idea: which characters have we encountered this year that are complex? What makes them complex?

A couple of things to keep in mind:

1. Remember Spongebob and how he helped us discover the traits of characterization? Don’t forget about him! In fact, try to find that worksheet/character chart I handed out a while back when we started “The Crucible”. I have extra copies if you need it. These traits of characterization are like the ingredients for a thoughtful discussion about complex characters.

2. These “ingredients” contribute to the following traits of a complex character, and give us words and phrases to use when writing or discussing what makes a character complex…

A character is referred to as  COMPLEX (or DYNAMIC or ROUND) if s/he:

  1. Undergoes an important change as the plot unfolds;
  2. Experiences change (good or bad) as a result of his or her own actions/ experiences in the story;
  3. Possesses a variety of traits and different sides to his/her personality–some of which may even create conflict within the character;
  4. Displays strengths, weaknesses, and a full range of emotions;
  5. Experiences significant interactions with other characters; and/or
  6. Advances the plot or develops a major theme in the text.

We will continue to discuss these traits in class over the next week.

Mr. G

The great and powerful… reading survey!

I’m collaborating with another teacher (the wonderful Ms. Hughes!) on a year-long research project studying the love of reading.

We’ve developed this survey to get the ball rolling. I am asking for your honesty and patience with this task – it is greatly appreciated!

The survey can be found here:

http://goo.gl/forms/0ZHQfs8DFi

Thanks!

Mr. G

G Block – Article for In-Class Activity

Please read this article and respond in your Journal (Journal 4, at least eight sentences). Think about the following:

This can be a tough essay to read, so I encourage you to take it slow. If you don’t understand a word or reference in the piece, look it up. Don’t just breeze through it.

Consider the following:

What do you hear this writer saying? How does she inform the audience with her experience?

What connections to SFSB can you draw? Is Sarah mentally ill, even though she is faking it?

What is Liza Long asking us to do?

I’m leaving it rather open-ended for this one. If you aren’t comfortable responding to this piece, or even reading it, that is okay. Free write!

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