Gouge, Adze, Rasp, Hammer

Here are the pictures of the tools from today's poem.

These are gouges:

Next, an Adze:

Finally a rasp:

I presume you know what a hammer looks like.

Testing, Testing, One, Two, Three

Your exam over Bless Me Ultima is tomorrow, Wednesday, October 14.
We'll finish going over the vocabulary words Thursday. We will also begin going through Chapter 2 of our grammar book Thursday.

Howl

As I mentioned in class today, this is the anniversary of Allen Ginsberg's reading of his poem, "Howl". It caused quite a stir, and is still considered controversial by many. Read with caution!

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=179381

News Writing Tips

This is for my journalism students.
http://www.uil.utexas.edu/academics/journalism/pdf/PowerPoints/Newswriting%20PP.pdf

Made you look!

I figured some of you might come look at the blog if I mentioned it. Last year's class wasn't too intellectually curious, so I eventually stopped blogging for them. Mention this phrase to me tomorrow, so I'll know you visited: "Colorless green ideas sleep furiously". Or better yet, leave a comment!

Here's today's quote:
"The first half of our lives is ruined by our parents, and the second half by our children."--Clarence Darrow

And here's today's poem: http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/013.html

Happy Friday, everyone!

Here's a link to today's poem.
http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/083.html
Things have been busy, and I haven't posted as often as I should, but I hope to post more often.
To that end, here are this week's vocabulary words.

VOCABULARY—LIST 13

1. RUPT: “break,” “burst”
abrupt (adj)
corrupt (adj)
corrupt (v)
disrupt (v)
erupt (v)
incorruptible (adj)
interrupt (v)
rupture (n)

2. CIDE: “killing,” “killer”
fratricide (n)
genocide (n)
germicide (n)
herbicide (n)
homicide (n)
infanticide (n)
insecticide (n)
matricide (n)
patricide (n)
pesticide(n)
regicide (n)
sororicide (n)
suicide (n)
tyrannicide (n)

Have a great weekend!

Pride and Prejudice

The only opportunity for extra credit this 6 weeks is this weekend. See the THS Theatre production of "Pride and Prejudice" and you'll get daily grade extra grade extra credit. Write a 600-1200 word essay and you'll receive major grade extra credit. Here are the essay prompts:

1. Research the changes in the English social structure during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Show how attitudes in Pride and Prejudice toward the newly wealthy middle classes, who earned their money through trade and manufacturing, differed from those toward the landed gentry who inherited their generations-old wealth.

2. Research gender roles in the English social structure during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. how does Pride and Prejudice break conventions in its relationships between the sexes.

3. In a novel or play, a confidant (male) or confidante (female) is a character, often a friend or relative of the hero or heroine, whose role is to be present when the hero or heroine needs a sympathetic listener to confide in. Frequently the result is, as Henry James remarked, that the author sometimes uses this character for other purposes as well. Choose a confidant or confidante from Pride and Prejudice and write an essay in which you discuss the various ways the character functions in the play.

Remember, your well-developed essays are to be 600-1200 words (typed). Include quotes (may be from other works) and specific references to the play to support your thesis.

Below are some pictures taken during the publicity shoot for the THS production.

More information about the THS production of Pride and Prejudice is available here: http://www.thespiansr.us/

More on WW I

The picture above is of a child in Jefferson, Texas suffering from the flu in 1918 (photo courtesy Library of Congress). There's an interesting article in the Temple Daily Telegram today about how Bell County was hit hard by the 1918 flu epidemic. Read it here: http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2008/11/12/53632

The End of the War to End All Wars

Today is Veterans Day, originally called Armistice Day. Ninety years ago today, at the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month, World War I ended. At the time, it was referred to as "The Great War", or "The War to End All Wars". Little did people know that the terms of the treaty would build such resentment among the Germans that they would eventually allow Adolph Hitler to come to power.

Since we just finished reading "All Quiet on the Western Front", and have begun to watch the film of the same name, I thought you might enjoy some links to World War I information. Here's a story about two Bell County men who both claimed to be the first to carry an American flag into battle in WW I. http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2008/11/11/53599

Here's a story about how cigarettes became popular as a result of WW I: http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2008/11/10/53578

Remember kids, don't smoke.

One more story: the Bell County men who died for their country during WW I. http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2008/11/09/53563

Finally, let's hear it for Frank Buckles. He is the only known American WW I survivor. He was only 16 when he enlisted in 1917. During the war, Buckles drove ambulances and motorcyles for the 1st Fort Riley Casual Detachment section of the U.S Army. After the Armistice in 1918, Buckles escorted prisoners of war back to Germany. He went back into the Army during WW II. He was captured by the Japanese when they overran Manila, The Phillipines, and spent 3 years in a prisoner of war camp. Today, Mr. Buckles lives in Charles Town (not Charleston), West Virginia. He's 107 years old!

Here's a picture of Mr. Buckles from earlier this year, with Defense Secretary Bill Gates:

Time Flies!

Has it really been more than 2 weeks since I last posted to this blog?
Sorry about that, guys, but things have been hectic.
It's a good opportunity to note the passage of time.
We are wrapping up the second 6 weeks.
Folks, it's time to wake up and smell the coffee.
Many of you have a C or D average in my class, which is unacceptable in a Pre-AP/IB course.
It's not too late to decide to turn things around.
I do not exaggerate when I tell you that I have seniors every year who tell me that they miss the Top 10 percent because of a low grade they made when they were freshmen or sophomores.
This isn't middle school--it counts. Every day you decide not to read, or you decide not to study, is another nail in your coffin. You are narrowing your choices, and you will regret it later. Imagine if you can't get into a good school, or if you can't get scholarships, because of your low GPA! By doing poorly in school now, you are literally costing your future self money that you will have to repay in the form of student loans. This is money that you won't be able to spend on things you want to buy.
Choices will be narrowed later because of choices you're making now.
Is what you're doing instead of studying really worth that much?
Or...what if you're not able to get into college at all because of a lack of academic performance?
The College Board says the median high school graduate age 25 and older earns $26,300, while the median college graduate age 25 and older earns $42,200. That college graduate earns an extra $15,500, or 59 percent per year.
Which salary would you prefer?

Gouge, Rasp, Adze, Hammer

Here are the pictures of the tools from today's poems.

here is a gouge:

Now, here is a rasp:

Next, we have an adze:

It's not illegal if you get away with it!

After searching far and wide for the answer, I finally have learned why roughing the kicker was not called on the Cardinals on the last play of the game vs. the Cowboys Sunday. If the punt is actually blocked, it's OK for the person who blocks it to make contact with the kicker. Otherwise, it's a penalty.
Do I feel better?
No I do not.

Roughing the Kicker?

Normally, I don't blog about sports, but I have to vent this somewhere.

If you watched the Cowboys debacle Sunday, you may have been scratching your head at the last play. A Cardinals player very clearly ran into the Cowboys kicker as his leg was in the act of kicking. I have seen roughing calls for far less contact than that. That should have been a 15 yard penalty against the Cardinals and an automatic first down for the Cowboys.

Speaking of football, last week marked the 92nd anniversary of the most lopsided beating ever administered in college football. Georgia Tech beat Cumberland College 222-0 on October 7, 1916. You can read about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1916_Cumberland_vs._Georgia_Tech_football_game

Cumberland has apparently gotten over it. They have a web page devoted to what they call, "The Game of the Century". From that page, here is the only known picture taken during the game.

This gives us an excellent opportunity to discuss Wikipedia. Some educators absolutely hate it, but I take a more moderate approach. DO NOT USE WIKIPEDIA AS A PRIMARY SOURCE FOR ANY PAPER YOU ARE TURNING IN FOR CREDIT. Was that clear enough? I use Wikipedia as a starting place. I use it to get facts about something I already know but need to confirm, or as a source for RELIABLE sources through the references section at the bottom of each page. I know that you have grown up with the 'net, but not all web pages are created equally. The THS librarians have an excellent list of databases to which the school subscribes that are available to you at no cost. See your librarian for more details. They'll help you read more about it.

Happy Columbus Day!

I hope you're all enjoying your 3-day weekend.
Here's a look ahead to this week.
Tuesday - discussion over Chapters 20-21.
Wednesday - Reading diagnostic test in computer lab.
Thursday - EXAM over Bless Me Ultima
Friday - Short stories.
See you Tuesday!

2nd 6 Weeks Begins

I took a week off from blogging to see if you missed it. So far, no comments. If any of you are actually reading this, please let me know.
Here's a link to today's poem: http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/029.html
Here's today's quote:
"The most successful people are those who are good at plan B." - James Yorke
READ!

Happy Banned Book Week!

This is Banned Book Week, sponsored by the American Library Association. It's an occasion to reflect on the freedoms we have in this country. It's also a reminder of how we must be viligant to retain those freedoms. More information on Banned Book Week is available here:
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek.cfm
Head to the school library and check out a banned book ASAP!

Ultima is no Picnic

Here's the prompt for the "Picnic" bonus essay. Performances are Saturday night at 8:00 PM and Sunday afternoon at 2:00 PM. I've already been twice, so you won't see me there (with seating limited, I hate to take up a space that someone else could use). Be sure and get your program signed by either Mrs. Tolleson or Miss Aker.

Picnic Bonus Essay
Research the economic future of small town America in the period immediately after World War II. Consider the importance of agriculture, as well as job opportunities for young men and women. Why do so many of the young people in Picnic seek to escape?
Write a well-researched, thoughtful essay of at least 1 page )double-spaced, Times New Roman 12), but no more than 2 pages.

I considered posting the vocabulary and study questions for the first three chapters of Bless Me Ultima, but decided against it because if you weren't there Friday, you don't have the book anyway. I'll pass it out to those who were absent Monday.

Grammar Week Continues

Here's a link to today's poem: http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/020.html

Here's today's quote: "When people are bored, it is primarily with their own selves that they are bored." - Eric Hoffer

We will finish up studying grammar in Chapters 1 & 2 Wednesday. Your grammar exam over the materials studied will be on Thursday. The vocabulary quiz has been moved to Friday this week.

Week 5 Begins

Here's a link to today's poem: http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/019.html

Here's today's quote: "A room without books is like a body without a soul." - Cicero

Homework tonight: Exercise 3, Page 16 in your grammar textbook.

Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Here are the vocabulary words for this week:

1. A (AN): “not,” “without”
amoral (adj)
amorphous (adj)
anemia (n)
anesthesia (n)
anhydrous (adj)
anomaly (n)
anonymous (adj)
anoxia (n)
aseptic (adj)
atheism (n)
atrophy (n)
antonym- hypertrophy (n)
atypical (adj)


2. ARCHY: “rule”
anarchy (n)
autarchy (n)
hierarchy (n)
matriarchy (n)
monarchy (n)
oligarchy (n)
patriarchy (n)'

Your home work is Exercise 2A on page 8. Do 1-10.

Remember I offered you extra credit for seeing "Picnic". More information on the play is available here: http://www.thespiansr.us/

Have a great weekend!