Mr. B-G's Blogging With Students

Adding an Image to the Shared Google Doc

2012-01-27T09:19:00.001-05:00

How to Search and Save Images from Flickr

2012-01-25T12:52:00.001-05:00

How to copy and paste your short story to the shared Google Doc

2012-01-20T16:27:00.002-05:00

Speak Statement Response Comment Questions

2011-11-09T09:58:00.001-05:00

Please read and respond to two of your classmates' Speak responses. Answer all of the questions for each response.

I - Do you agree with this person's stance on this topic? Why or why not?

II - Which of the three examples was most persuasive? Why? What made it stand out above the others?

III - What is one thing this response does well? It could be its organization, word choice, writing style, examples, introduction, conclusion, etc. In addition to mentioning what the author does well, copy and paste an example of what you thought was particularly effective. Be sure to put the example in quotations.

For each question, write a full paragraph. In total, your responses will be three paragraphs.

I would like each of you to respond to two Speak statement responses.

Three comments = a "check plus"
Two comments = a "check"
One comment = a "check minus"
No comments = zero credit

For general information about posting blog comments, see this link.

2011-11-09T07:38:00.001-05:00

I would like your Siddhartha Comes to America short story comments to answer the following four questions:
I - Which part of the story - quiet ascetic or sensory indulgent - did you think was most well done? What, specifically, did you like? Summarize your thoughts in two to three sentences, then copy and paste a passage in quotations that you liked best. Explain your selection in one or two sentences.
II - Which part of the story - quiet ascetic or sensory indulgent - did you think the author could have done better? Pick at least two specific things you feel could be improved (description, use of dialogue, references to the text, greater explanation, proofreading for errors, etc). Offer two specific solutions to help the writer. Then, copy and paste a passage in quotations that you feel needs the most work. Offer the writer a specific idea on how to improve it.... or, rewrite it and paste it below in quotations.
III - Identify one of the four textual references to the book Siddhartha found in each section of the story. If it seems to fit naturally in the piece, write down what the writer did that made it "flow." If it seems out of place, offer a suggestion to help better integrate it into the work.
IV. - Take a look at the essay's introduction. Do the first few sentences grab your attention and make you want to keep reading? If so, mention specifically what you liked. If not, offer an idea or two about what the writer could do to make the beginning more captivating and engaging.
Comments should be four paragraphs (1 paragraph per question). Your comments should appear below the story you are responding to. When asked to choose an identity, use your Google/Blogger ID.
Comments not posted according to these instructions should be deleted.

I would like each of you to respond to two essays.

Three comments = a "check plus"
Two comments = a "check"
One comment = a "check minus"
No comments = zero credit

For general information about posting blog comments, see this link.

Summer Reading Essay Comment Instructions

2011-09-12T07:07:00.002-04:00

Writersneed readers. As a way to give your summer reading essay an audience beyondmyself, I would like you to read and respond to your classmates’summer reading essays.

Accelerated English 12 students should read and respond to three Accel 12 essays.

College English 9 students should read and respond to two College 9 essays.

All students should answer the following four questions for eachof the essays they read:

I - Describe your personal reaction to the story. How do you feel afterreading it? What do you remember? What images do you see? What concepts orideas are in your head? What did the story make you think about?

II. What aspect of the setting did you feel was best described?When did the writer use elements of strong description? Pick a line that youliked, copy and paste it into the comment box, put quotes around it, andexplain why you thought it was well done.

III- Did the conversation between thetwo characters seem authentic? What details, specifically, made the charactersseem real and natural? If the character's dialogue was not believable, what isone thing the author could have done to make it better?

IV - Find one thing about the essay that you found distracting orproblematic. This could be anything from improper use of dialogue, misusedwords (your vs. you're, it's vs. its, their vs. there), run-on sentences,sentence fragments, subject/verb agreement, simple word usage, boring verbs,etc. Then, offer the writer a piece of advice that he/she might consider forfuture writing assignments. This should be phrased constructively (try doing------- next time, consider --------) or inquisitively (what do you think wouldhappen if you -------------?)

Comments, in total, should be four paragraphs long (one paragraph for eachquestion). Your comments should appear below the story you are responding to onyour classmates’ blogs.

Commentsshould be posted by the start of class on Tuesday, Sept. 13th.

For general information aboutposting blog comments, please click here.

College English 9 Summer Reading Example Links

2011-09-08T19:22:00.000-04:00

Click on the following links to view summer reading essays written by some of Mr. B-G's former students.

http://austenrenglish9f.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html

http://sophiakenglish9e.blogspot.com/2009/09/unexpected-friend.html

http://jennapenglish.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html

http://jonathanmenglish9c.blogspot.com/2009/09/contender-ender.html

http://melanieyenlgish9c.blogspot.com/2009/09/visiting-shanas.html

These sample essays should give you a better idea of what the assignment entails. If you have further questions, be sure to ask Mr. B-G in class!

Summer Reading Essay Formatting Instructions

2011-09-07T08:17:00.002-04:00

Please adhere to the following:

1) Give your summer reading essay a creative title.

2) In parentheses above the text of your essay, include the names of the two books you used.

3) Before you post your essay to your blog, please label it "Summer Reading Essay." This will make it easy for me and your classmates to find it on your blog. The "label" function can be found to the right of the blog text area.

4) You do NOT need to include a traditional MLA style heading on this essay, as we know you're the author because you're posting it to your blog, we know the date because Blogger records the date of each post, and we know the class you are in because I've arranged all of your blogs under the appropriate class heading.

If you have any questions, please let me know!

Accelerated English 12 Summer Reading Essay Examples

2011-09-07T07:09:00.003-04:00

The Mission to Change a Life

(On her Majesty's Secret Service & Bean Trees)

Another day, another mission, exceptthis one was slightly different from what I usually do. This was more of afavor than a true mission, but it still was for an important cause no less. Isat in the dingy restaurant that seemed to not have had a customer in years,and waited for a long lost friend's son. Baba had gotten me out of a slightproblem about fifteen years back, so this was my chance to now repay mydeceased friend by helping his son. An Englishman never backs out of hispromises. It was not easy getting into Taliban territory, as I am usually awhite, British male, but with Q's help, and Farid's transportation, I was ableto sneak in with a genuine disguise.

As I scan the area of any dangers, Ihear the door creak open and quickly but sneakily chance a glance. Right away Iknew this was Amir, from his slight resemblances to Baba and the obvious fakebeard on his chin. He glanced in my direction and I give him the signal to“come hither.” With swift, anxious strides he quickly sits in the chair acrossfrom me making the patron very happy by ordering a drink. What I wouldn't dofor a Vodka Martini, shaken not stirred of course, but I knew they wouldn'thave that here, so I sat and waited for him to start the conversation.

“Hello, I am Amir, and I was toldyou would be able to help me,” he said before quickly taking a sip of hisdrink.

“Bond, James Bond,” I replied,holding out my hand for him to take. “I heard you have a problem I might beinteresting in fixing.”

“Yes, yes, I have made many horriblemistakes in my life and now I want to ratify them. May I ask a question firstthough before I explain my story?” I nodded giving him the go ahead. “Why wouldyou help me? I can not pay you, yet here you sit ready to help in any way,” heasked totally confused. I pondered if he was okay with my mentioning hisfather, but in the end I thought it was alright.

“About fifteen years ago your fatherhelped me out of a tight situation. I always repay those who help me, butbecause he died my dept to him transfers to you,” I explain hoping that wouldsatisfy his questioning. It seems it did, for he just nodded his head andstarted to explain his problem.

“As a boy I was very selfish andjealous, only caring for two things, myself and Baba's approval. I grew up witha boy named Hassan. He was my servant, and he always took care of me, protectedme, and watched my back whenever it was needed. Then, the one time I couldrepay him for all the goodness he gave me, I became a coward and ran, and Ihave regretted that decision for the rest of my life.” He took a deep breathand I could tell he was having a hard time speaking about his past. “But now Ihave the chance to redeem myself, to do what I should have done all those yearsbefore.”

“So what is it that we will bedoing?” I asked with true curiosity.

“We need to sneak into a Talibanofficial's home and rescue Hassan's son Sohrab.” He said this with so muchconviction that I knew that whether I agreed or not, he would give his life tosave this child's and to gain his honor back.

I gave him a piercing look, lookingdeep into his eyes and gave him my response, “Let's go.” We moved quickly,jumping into Farid's car that he let us borrow. Traveling down the streets, Icouldn't help but stare at the destruction of what once was a glorious cityfilled with merchants and children, yet held nothing but weak and lost peopletrying to find their way through life. We pulled up across the street to afairly large house and I was in my element.

“Stay right behind me,” I ordered and with a nod of confirmation, I quicklyscaled the wall, helping him up as well. We were lucky when we ran into nobodyas we forced our way through the front door, by melting the lock, and thensneaked through the hallways, but I felt our luck was about to run out.

Peering into a room I got the sighta young boy dancing in front of a man. Turning around I let Amir peak in. “Isthat him?” I asked hoping it was.

“That is Sohrab, and the other man looks familiar, but I can't place him,” heresponded starring off into space.

“Alright, stay here. When I attackget the kid out of harms way.” I took a deep breath before quietly sneaking upbehind the man. With the moves of a killer, I quickly wrapped my arms aroundthe man's neck cutting off his air supply. It was a rough fight to try and keephim from moving from my grasp, but after awhile his struggling stop. Droppinghim to the floor I searched for Amir, finding him holding the boy but glaringat the official on the ground. There must have been a questioning look in myeyes for he suddenly said, “That is Assef the one I couldn't stand up to, theone who destroyed Hassan's life.” I didn't respond, only staying quiet so hecould have his moment, before grabbing the boy from him and heading out thedoor, and then soon out the building.

It was a quiet ride as we tried tofind a safe place to stop. Pulling over, I shut the engine off and got out ofthe car only to be greeted by Amir with his hand out. “How can I ever re-payyou?” he asked.

“You don't have to do anything buttake care car of the kid,” I responded while shaking his hand. I swiftly turnedand started walking away, hoping to get out of this hopeless country as soon aspossible. Before I went out of sight, I called over my shoulder to Amir,“Though, a beautiful woman would be nice,” and I kept walking, listening to thesounds of Amir laughing once again.

***

A Rare Encounter

(Bean Trees and Friday Night Lights)

    The long stretch of asphalt began to blend into the brighthorizon. A sign passed saying “Welcome to Texas,” which actually kept me fromzoning out due to the dull scenery. I was surprised that my car had made itthat far from Tucson. I hoped that Mama would be surprised when I came to visither. I noticed the radiator gauge fluctuating at a continuous rate. I watchedit out of the corner of my eye just to be safe. The last thing my 1955Volkswagen bug needed was more issues. A strange sound was coming from underthe hood. A cloud of white smoke began to block my vision. I looked down andsaw that the needle was completely over the line towards hot. As I was puttingmy focus back on the road, the car began to swerve. I gained as much control asI could, but I ended up stopping on the side of the road.
    After shutting off the ignition I stepped out of the car tomake sure no damage occurred. I walked around the other side noticing a flattire. I didn’t understand how that could have happened. At that moment a smallbeam of light grabbed my attention and of course it was a chunk of glass wedgedinto the rubber. Sighing in frustration, I plopped on the ground contemplatingon my plan of action. My train of thought was interrupted with the sound ofanother car engine. I peaked from underneath my hair and saw a car approaching.The person began to slow down as they came near. I stood up and saw a guy stepout of the car.
    As he got closer he says, “Car troubles?” In the back of mymind I thought he looked familiar. “Yeah, you can say that again. My radiator over-heatedand I’ve got a flat tire,” I told him. I could have sworn that I knew him fromsomewhere, but I could not remember for the life of me. He asked me, “do youhave a spare?” I replied yes. Returning to his car, he rifled through his trunkand pulled out a jack. He told me that we were close to town and could get acontainer of water for the radiator there. As he unscrewed the bolts to removethe tire, it finally came to me. It was my cousin Mike and I didn’t evenremember him at first glance. “Mike? Mike Winchell? It’s me Taylor...I meanMissy Greer,” I said. He had the look of confusion, but then his memorybounced back. “Oh, I’m sorry I barely recognized you. How have you been?” Heasked with interest. As he began to place on the new tire, we brieflyreminisced about our childhood. When he finished, we got in his car and headedtowards the nearest store to get some water.
   “Sowhat have you been up to all this time,” I asked with curiosity. He told me heplayed football for his school. He was the quarterback and even made it to thesemi-finals in the state. He accomplished more in his senior year than I did. Ifound that impressive. “What have you been doing all this time?” Mike asked. Itold him the truth, “I ended up leaving home because I felt that was what wasbest for me. I did not want to become pregnant and trapped in that town. Ofcourse Mama wasn’t happy at first,” I said. He nodded understandingly. After hepulled into the convenience store parking lot, I went inside and purchased a gallonof water. As I returned to the car, he backed out of the lot and headed in theother direction.
    Onour way to the car, I asked him what his plans were now that football andschool were done. He began by saying, “Who knows. I wanted to play college ball,but that idea is gone out the window,” he sighed, “I’m not getting my hopes upabout it because the disappointment will hurt more if I’m counting on it.” Isat there thinking that he does not think on the bright side. Based on what Iheard nobody told him to shut up and to make his own future. We finally reachedthat old car. Mike grabbed the water and stepped out of the car. I followedright after and popped the hood for him. As he poured the water into theradiator, I decided to speak up.“You know if you want to be a college ballplayer, you can be. If you want to be great at something, then do it. Don’t bemoping around about it. I ended up adopting a three-year-old girl. She wasthrown into my life without any warning. That was a challenge all by itself. Imet some people along the way too. Now, if I can do well enough to raise athree-year-old, I think you can do football somewhere else. So just do it,” Itold him. He slammed the hood of the car and looked up in silence.
     Mikeput the water in the back seat of the car and walked back to his. Helooked at me and said, “I guess you have a point. It hasn’t been put that waybefore, especially the whole kid part of it. I'll think about what I’m going todo.” I told him he better think about it. We exchanged goodbyes as we got intoour cars. He drove up to my window smirking. He said, “No more accidents now.Drive more careful since you have a kid.” I turned my key in the ignition andswitched into drive. “Yeah, yeah, I hear you,” I said sarcastically. Mike droveoff into the distance as I did as well.

***

Another day at the coffee shop..

(Kite Runner & Bean Trees)

Itwas a dull and rainy day in Arizona and people were filing out of the smallcoffee shop as usual. The normal morning rush had emptied out and it wasthat time of day where there were barely any customers around.

Taylorwas starting to grow bored of the slow business and decided to take a break;she plopped herself onto one of the bar stools and glanced outside the windowhoping she remembered to close her car windows as the rain was starting todownpour. Her trail of thoughts quickly became interrupted as a customerrushed in. It was an Afghani man, probably in his mid thirties, and hewas shaking his head back and forth to dry off. He walked up to Taylor,flashed a cordial smile, and took a seat one away from hers on a barstool. The man seemed eager to take off his damp jacket and warm up inthe coffee shop and Taylor hopped off her seat to take his order.

“Hello. My name is Taylor. What can I get for you today?” sheasked.

“I’ll just have a small coffee. Dark,” the man said, flashing one of hisfriendly smiles again. Taylor smiled back and went to get hisorder. The other employees were dozing off in the kitchen, taking fulladvantage of the seemingly vacant coffee shop. She grabbed a mug and acoffee pot and walked back out to the man.

“Here you go...” Taylor said enthusiastically.

“Thank you. My name’s Amir, by the way,” the man replied.

“What are you doing out here Amir? If you don’t mind me asking...” shesaid.

“Not at all... I’m actually on my way home to California. I cameout here to visit a friend,” Amir told her and he continued, “As nice asit is here I’m very much looking forward to getting home and seeing my wife andson.”

“I have a daughter, Turtle,” she said excitedly, “she’s a little overone. What’s your son’s name?”

“My son’s name is Sohrab. My wife and I actually adopted him,” Amir said.

“I adopted my daughter too. I mean it’s a long story actually...” Taylorstated.

“Mine is a long story too.. But I have time. Want to share?” Amirasked.

“Sure,” Taylor replied, “I guess I’ll go first. So basically a randomwoman just handed Turtle over to me through my car window one night after I wasleaving a bar. I didn’t even know anything about Turtle but she was inbad shape. She had been abused... I could tell that much. SoI knew I wanted to try my best to give her a better life.. Although, atfirst, taking care of a baby was the complete opposite of what I wanted to doin life, I don’t have a single regret and I’m grateful I have her in my lifetoday.”

“Wow. That must’ve been a lot to take on by yourself..” Amir saidgenuinely, “Like I said before I too adopted. My son, Sohrab, was actually myfriend Hassan’s son. I went all the way back to Afghanistan and foughtfor him. I actually almost died if it weren’t for him... Anyways myfriend and his wife were shot right in front of Sohrab’s eyes and he was takenaway by the man I fought, Assef. I could tell that, like Turtle, Sohrabhad been abused as well, and I knew that I too wanted to give him a betterlife. So I adopted him and took him to America to have a safe life whereI knew I could provide for him and also be a way of fulfilling Hassan’s dyingwish.”

Taylor blinked back at him as she struggled for words. “That must’ve beenso hard to go through... It says a lot about you that you went throughall that for your friend,” she said quietly.

“It was actually more of a way I redeemed our friendship but yeah, it was hardto go through...” Amir said. After saying this, a silence fell over bothof them as they were thinking about what they had both been through. Butyet again a customer rushed in and interrupted Taylor’s thoughts.

“I should go take her order...” Taylor said as she climbed off the barstool,“It was nice meeting you Amir. I really enjoyed this talk.”

“It was really nice meeting you too,” Amir told her and he added, “Good luckwith Turtle.”

“Thanks,” she replied, “And good luck with Sohrab. Feel free to come backto Arizona and visit anytime.” And with that, more customers startedfiling in and Taylor had to get back to work. She quickly waved goodbyeto her new friend Amir and started to take orders. Just another day atthe coffee shop…

***

Her Majesty’s Secret Kite Runner

(On her Majesty's Secret Service & Kite Runner)

    Dusk approached as Bond took a deep drag from the cigarette he held in hishand. He had been telling himself for quite a while that he would kickthe habit, but that would have to wait for a less stressful point in his life. At this point everything was all but okay; Blofeld had narrowly escapedonce again, Bond wasn’t sure whether or not he wanted to quit the service afterall that had happened and on top of it all he had no idea where the love of hislife, Tracy, was. Bond kicked the butt of his cigarette and almostinstantly his phone rang. Knowing instinctively who it was, he answeredin his usual monotone voice.
    “Hello?” Bond asked even though he knew perfectly who itwas.
    “Good evening 007,” replied the familiar voice Bond knew washis secretary, “We just received a great deal of intel on Blofeld’swhereabouts.”
    Surprised that HQ had tracked Blofeld this quickly, Bondpaused then replied, “Where am I headed to this time?”
    “Kabul, Afghanistan,” stated Bond’s secretary.
    “Okay,” Bond said, not even saying goodbye in his haste toapprehend Blofeld. He had not the slightest idea what Blofeld would bedoing in a war stricken, middle eastern country, but there was no time tothink, he had to act fast in order to catch Blofeld.

* * *

   Bond touched down in a remote area in Kabul with his private jet. Thisplace was a nightmare; military personnel were all over the place whom heassumed to be none other than the ruthless Taliban. Orders were beingshouted in an Afghani tongue that Bond didn’t understand as the informantsrushed about furiously constructing barriers, road blocks and setting numerousbuildings ablaze. In all of the commotion it wasn’t hard for Bond to sliparound unnoticed. After carefully making his way past numerous guardposts, Bond swiftly slipped down a dank alleyway where he noticed a boy indistress, surrounded by three others slightly older than him. One drew aswitchblade and instinctively, Bond rushed to the boy’s defense. In oneswift motion he disarmed the attacker, knocking him out all at once. Theother two fled in utter fear.
    “Are you alright?” Bond asked the young boy.
    “Yes thank you for saving me sir.”
    “It’s all in a day’s work,” Bond replied almost snidely,“What’s your name?”
    “My name is Amir.”
    “Well Amir, my name is Bond, James Bond. Now that thislittle incident is over, would you happen to know anything about what’s goingon here?”
    “All I know is that these soldiers call themselves theTaliban and they rule this place now with an iron fist. And a lot ofpeople keep talking about some guy by the name of Blofeld, but I don’t knowwhat he has to do with any of this,” explained Amir.
    So Blofeld was here after all Bond thought to himself thenasked, “Do you know anything about his whereabouts?”
    “I would guess your best bet is the palace in the center ofthe city, you can’t miss it it’s the biggest building stillstanding.”
    “Thank you very much Amir, now take care I must go,” Bondsaid in a professional tone.
    “No thank you Mr. Bond for saving me.”
    After a quick nod of recognition from Bond, Amir ran offwith what Bond now realized was a mangled kite in his hand.

The Old Man and the Sea Essay Comment Instructions

2010-03-08T13:01:00.002-05:00

I would like your Old Man and the Sea essay comments to answer the following four questions. Write three to four sentences for each question.

I - What is this essay's thesis? Is it clear and concise? Is it focused? Does it engage you? Why or why not?

II - Of all the examples and quotations contained in this essay, which is the strongest? Why? What made it stand out above the others?

III - What is one thing this essay does well? It could be its organization, word choice, writing style, choice of quotations, introduction, conclusion, etc. In addition to mentioning what the author does well, copy and paste an example of what you thought was particularly effective. Be sure to put the example in quotations.

IV - What is the weakest aspect of this essay? What is one editing or revision suggestion the author might consider making before Mr. B-G reads and grades the essay? Be as specific as possible so the writer knows what to change or revise. Don't worry about hurting the writer's feelings. Saying "I liked it. It was really good." won't help your classmate improve his/her weaknesses. Be honest - but gentle - in your criticism.

Your comments should appear below the story you are responding to. When asked to choose an identity, use your Google/Blogger ID. Comments not posted according to these instructions should be deleted.

I would like you to respond to a minimum of two essays per class (6 total). Please have your comments ready to show me at the start of class on Thursday, March 10th, as I will check them then. Your classmates and I thank you for your valuable feedback.

Six comments = a "check"

Nine comments = a "check plus"

Treasure Island Essay Comment Instructions

2010-02-26T07:54:00.002-05:00

I would like your Treasure Island essay comments to answer the following four questions. Write three to four sentences for each question.

I - What is this essay's thesis or main idea? Restate it in your own words, then think about it. Is it clear and concise? Is it focused? Does it engage you? Why or why not?

II - Of all the examples and quotations contained in this essay, which one seems to best support the essay's thesis? Why? What made it stand out above the others?

III - What is one thing this essay does well? It could be its organization, word choice, writing style, choice of quotations, introduction, conclusion, etc. In addition to mentioning what the author does well, copy and paste an example of what you thought was particularly effective. Be sure to put the example in quotations.

IV - What is one piece of advice that the author might consider when making his/her final revisions? Your suggestion could be about integrating vocabulary, citing quotes, polishing the thesis and introduction, ending with a strong conclusion, etc.

Your comments should appear below the story you are responding to. When asked to choose an identity, use your Google/Blogger ID. Comments not posted according to these instructions should be deleted.

* You can either print your comments or consolidate them into a Microsoft Word document, which you may show me on screen in class on Monday, as I will check them then. Your classmates and I thank you for your valuable feedback.

Two comments = a "check"

Three comments = a "check plus"

Prior Years Short Story Evaluation Activity

2010-01-11T10:31:00.005-05:00

Instructions:

I. Read three short stories from prior students of English 9

II. For each story, answer the following in one to two sentences. Consult the Short Story Elements guide for assistance if necessary:
1) Who is the main character(s)?
2) What is the conflict? Include the type and kind.
3) What was the climax?
4) What did you think of the resolution? Was it effective?
5) Did the story seem believable and “work” within the world its author created?
6) What is this story’s greatest strength. Be as specific as you can.
7) Which Short Story Element seems lacking? What advice would you give to the author to make it a stronger, more enjoyable tale?

III. Write your responses in your homework notebook or type them and bring in a printed copy.

Responding To Classmates’ ORB Reviews Activity

2010-01-06T16:25:00.011-05:00

I. Read four of your classmates’ book reviews. You should read one review from C block, one from E, one from F, and a final one of your choice.

II. For each review that you read, please answer the following questions below the review you are responding to. When asked to choose an identity, use your Google Account ID. Comments not posted according to these instructions will not be eligible for credit:

1) What was the reviewer’s overall impression of the book?
2) What did the reviewer notice about the book’s writing style?

3) Did the reviewer pick an interesting passage from the book to explain? Why or why not?
4) How does this person's book review compare to the others you've read?

5) Would you consider reading this book? Why or why not?

Respond in one to two sentences for each of the five questions. Remember to read and respond to four reviews total.

III. Copy and paste your comments into a text or e-mail document, then PRINT your responses so we can easily share them in class. If you do not have access to a printer at home, you may come to class early and print your response on one of Mr. B-G's printers.

Summer Reading Essay Blog Comment Criteria

2009-09-09T21:10:00.005-04:00

I would like your summer reading essay comments to answer the following five questions:

I - Describe your personal reaction to the story. How do you feel after reading it? What do you remember? What images do you see? What concepts or ideas are in your head? What did the story make you think about?

II - Did the conversation between the two characters seem authentic? What details, specifically, made the characters seem real and natural? If the character's dialogue was not believable, what is one thing the author could have done to make it better?

III. What was your favorite part of the story? Pick a line that you liked, copy and paste it into the comment box, put quotes around it, and explain what it was about it that stood out to you.

IV - Find one thing about the essay that you found distracting or problematic. This could be anything from improper use of dialogue, misused words (your vs. you're, it's vs. its, their vs. there), run-on sentences, sentence fragments, subject/verb agreement, simple word usage, boring verbs, etc.

Everyone's essay can be improved in some way. Help each other become stronger writers by identifying something that could be done better.

V - What is one piece of advice that the author might consider for future writing assignments? This should be phrased constructively (try doing ------- next time, consider --------) or inquisitively (what do you think would happen if you -------------?)

Comments should be five paragraphs (about 25 informative, well-written sentences). Your comments should appear below the story you are responding to. When asked to choose an identity, use your Google Account ID. Comments not posted according to these instructions will not be eligible for credit, and will be deleted.

I would like you to respond to three essays.

Comments should be posted by the start of school on Tuesday, Sept. 15th.

* Please have a text document or e-mail message containing a copy of your comments ready to open at the start of class on Wednesday, Sept. 16th, as I will check them then. Your classmates and I thank you for your valuable feedback.

Three comments = a "check"

Two comments = a "check minus"
One or no comments = zero credit

For general information about posting blog comments, please click here.

* If you plan to make any revisions to your summer reading essay, your revisions should be posted to your blog by the start of school on Wednesday, Sept. 16th. *

The Old Man and the Sea Essay Assignment

2009-03-23T16:00:00.007-04:00

Click here for a PDF copy of The Old Man and the Sea essay instructions.

Each class will have four days to work on the essay. It is expected you will need to work on it outside of class in order to create a product you can feel proud of.

Due dates are as follows:

TH, 3/26 - D & F write draft

FRI 3/27 - B write draft, D & F finish draft

MON 3/30 - B finish draft, F post to blog @ start of class, make comments

TUES 3/31 - B & D post to blog @ start of class, make comments; F make final edits

TH 4/2 - B & D make final edits

By Friday 4/3, you should have posted the final version of your essay to your blog, along with a picture or image and a creative title.

Macbeth Essay Comment Instructions

2009-03-23T07:18:00.003-04:00

I would like your Macbeth essay comments to answer the following four questions. Write three to four sentences for each question.

I - What is this essay's thesis? Is it clear and concise? Is it focused? Does it engage you? Why or why not?

II - Of all the examples and quotations contained in this essay, which is the strongest? Why? What made it stand out above the others?

III - What is one thing this essay does well? It could be its organization, word choice, writing style, choice of quotations, introduction, conclusion, etc. In addition to mentioning what the author does well, copy and paste an example of what you thought was particularly effective. Be sure to put the example in quotations.

IV - What is one piece of advice that the author might consider when making his/her final revisions? Your suggestion could be about integrating vocabulary, citing quotes, polishing the thesis and introduction, ending with a strong conclusion, etc.

Your comments should appear below the story you are responding to. When asked to choose an identity, use your Google/Blogger ID. Comments not posted according to these instructions should be deleted.

* You can either print your comments or consolidate them into a Microsoft Word document, which you may show me on screen in class tomorrow, as I will check them then. Your classmates and I thank you for your valuable feedback.

Two comments = a "check"

Three comments = a "check plus"

Macbeth Essay Assignment

2009-03-09T15:26:00.005-04:00

Choose one of the following topic choices and explore it in a 600-800 word essay. Set up your essay with an introduction that contains a focusing idea (thesis statement) that speaks to the theme choice you are responding to. Include at least three specific examples, points, or arguments that you explain in detail and support with cited evidence from Macbeth in the body paragraphs of your essay. You will want to finish with a thoughtful conclusion that ties your essay together.

You will have two days to write a draft, one day to make revisions, one day to upload the essays to your class blogs and begin comments, one day to make changes based on the comments, and one last day for any final edits you need to make to ensure your essays are as good as they can be before I begin reading and grading them.

Macbeth themed topic choices – Pick one:

I. Things aren’t always what they seem
II. Blind ambition leads to one’s downfall
III. Power corrupts
IV. Superstition affects human behavior

These themes are found in Macbeth, but perhaps more importantly (and interestingly, depending on your perspective), they can be found in present-day society and our lives. One might consider them truisms, as these maxims seem to have stood the test of time.

Essay formatting: 1) 600-800 words, 2) single-spaced, with one space between paragraphs, 3) Georgia size 12 font, 4) organized into paragraphs of roughly four to eight sentences.

Essay criteria checklist:

______ Your essay’s introduction contains a focusing idea (thesis statement) that takes a stance on the theme you are responding to, and the conclusion is thoughtful and ties your essay together.

______ There are at least three correctly cited and clearly explained examples from Macbeth that serve as evidence and analysis for your chosen theme: Introduce the line you’re going to cite with a sentence or two. “Put the lines of verse in quotes like this. In parentheses, put the act, scene, and line numbers, in that order, followed by a period” (5.3.21-22). Then, be sure you’ve explained the significance of the passage in two or three sentences.

______ Your writing is enticing, engaging, and uses specific, appropriate language to get your points across.

______ Your paper is free of grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.

Your essay will be graded according to the SHHS School Writing Rubric.

Late essays will not be accepted without penalty (10 points per day). After three days, your essay will not be accepted for credit. You’re responsible for saving and keeping track of all your work, including notes, drafts, and electronic files. Save your work often and in multiple locations, as you will only be submitting an electronic copy via your blog. I am available to help while you’re writing your essay. Please let me know how I may best assist you.

Essay schedule:
FRI, 3/13 – Begin draft
TUES, 3/17 – Finish draft by end of class
WED, 3/18 – Bring completed draft to class, make revisions with peer editing sheet
TH, 3/19 – Post to blog, begin making comments
MON, 3/23 – Three comments due at start of class, read comments, make changes
TUES, 3/24 – Make last edits, final essay posted to blog by end of period

Short Story Comment Criteria

2009-02-03T07:15:00.015-05:00

I would like your short story comments to answer the following six questions:

I - What was the conflict of story? Was it internal or external? How was it resolved? How invested were you in the resolution of the conflict? What could have made the story more dramatic?

II - Good stories have main characters who change over time. How does the protagonist or antagonist change over the course of the story? What is his or her great insight, epiphany, or development? How is this change important to the story? How would the story be different if the character didn't change?

III. What was your favorite part of the story? Did it occur in the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, or resolution? Pick a line that you liked, copy and paste it into the comment box, put quotes around it, and explain what it was about it that stood out to you.

IV - Overall, what is this tale's best quality? It could be its characters, the conflict, the resolution, the description of the setting, the story arc, use of dialogue, etc. Use specific details and references to the story to fully explain yourself.

V - What is the story's theme? What seeds does the author plant that allow the theme to grow and bloom by the end of the story?

VI - What is the main thing the author needs to revise before Mr. B-G grades this story? Take a look at the assignment sheet and the grading criteria to pick something specific that should help your classmate make a meaningful improvement.

In total, each story comment should be about three to four paragraphs (12 to 16 well-written, informative sentences). Your comments should appear below the story you are responding to. When asked to choose an identity, use your Google/Blogger ID. Comments not posted according to these instructions should be deleted.

I would like you to respond to a minimum of one short story per class (3 total).

* Please have a printed copy of your comments ready for me to check at the start of class on Tuesday, Jan. 26th. Your classmates and I thank you for your valuable feedback.

One or no comments = zero credit
Two comments = a "check minus"

Three comments = a "check"
Five comments = a "check plus"

Click here for a copy of the short story assignment sheet. The school-wide writing rubric which I will be using to grade your story can be accessed by clicking on this link. For general information about posting blog comments, please click here.

Siddhartha Comes to America Short Story Comment Questions

2009-01-21T14:35:00.009-05:00

I would like your Siddhartha Comes to America short story comments to answer the following four questions:

I - Which part of the story - quiet ascetic or sensory indulgent - did you think was most well done? What, specifically, did you like? Summarize your thoughts in two to three sentences, then copy and paste a passage in quotations that you liked best. Explain your selection in one or two sentences.

II - Which part of the story - quiet ascetic or sensory indulgent - did you think the author could have done better? Pick at least two specific things you feel could be improved (description, use of dialogue, references to the text, greater explanation, proofreading for errors, etc). Offer two specific solutions to help the writer. Then, copy and paste a passage in quotations that you feel needs the most work. Offer the writer a specific idea on how to improve it.... or, rewrite it and paste it below in quotations.

III - Identify one of the two textual references to the book Siddhartha found in each section of the story. If it seems to fit naturally in the piece, write down what the writer did that made it "flow." If it seems out of place, offer a suggestion to help better integrate it into the work.

IV. - Take a look at the essay's introduction. Do the first few sentences grab your attention and make you want to keep reading? If so, mention specifically what you liked. If not, offer an idea or two about what the writer could do to make the beginning more captivating and engaging.

Comments should be four paragraphs (about 4 to 6 well-written sentences per question). Your comments should appear below the story you are responding to. When asked to choose an identity, use your Google/Blogger ID.

Comments not posted according to these instructions should be deleted.

I would like each of you to respond to three essays.

* Please copy and paste your comments into a Word document that I can check on your computer at the start of class on Friday, Jan. 23rd. Your classmates and I thank you for your valuable feedback.

Three comments = a "check plus"
Two comments = a "check"
One comment = a "check minus"
No comments = zero credit

For general information about posting blog comments, see this link. As a reminder, I will be using the SHHS writing rubric to evaluate your essay. Click here to view the rubric.

College Essay Comment Instructions

2008-10-31T07:06:00.004-04:00

I would like your college essay comments to answer the following five questions:

I - Describe your personal reaction to the story. How do you feel after reading it? What do you remember? What images do you see? What concepts or ideas are in your head? What did you learn about the author?

II - Was the title creative and unique? Did the lead grab your attention? Did the ending successfully "wrap up" the essay's ideas and leave you with something thoughtful to think about?

III. What was your favorite part of the story? Pick a line that you liked, copy and paste it into the comment box, put quotes around it, and explain what it was about it that stood out to you.

IV - Find one thing about the essay that you found distracting or problematic. This could be anything from improper use of dialogue, misused words (your vs. you're, it's vs. its, their vs. there), run-on sentences, sentence fragments, subject/verb agreement, simple word usage, boring verbs, etc.

Everyone's essay can be improved in some way. Help each other become stronger writers by identifying something that could be done better.

V - What is one piece of advice that the author might use to make his or her final revisions by Thursday, Nov. 6? This should be phrased constructively (try doing ------- , consider --------) or inquisitively (what do you think would happen if you -------------?)

Comments should be five paragraphs (3 to 5 well-written sentences per question). Your comments should appear below the story you are responding to. When asked to choose an identity, use your Google/Blogger ID.

Comments not posted according to these instructions should be deleted.

I would like each of you to respond to three essays.

* Please copy and paste your comments into a Word document that I can check on on your computer on Monday, Nov. 3rd. Your classmates and I thank you for your valuable feedback.

Three comments = a "check"
Two comments = a "check minus"
One or no comments = zero credit

For general information about posting blog comments, please click here.

College Essay Prompts for World Literature

2008-10-29T13:36:00.007-04:00

The personal essay helps colleges become acquainted with you as a person and student, apart from courses, grades, test scores, and other objective data. It will also demonstrate your ability to organize your thoughts and express yourself.

I. Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.

II. Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.

III. Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.

IV. Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.

V. A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.

VI. Topic of your choice.

Suggested length is 400-700 words.

Checklist for success:

_______ Catchy, unique title; intriguing, engaging lead; ending that wraps up the essay and leaves the writer something to think about

_______ Information and details, including specific, lively, & engaging language

_______ Tight focus on one idea, topic, or concept

_______ Personal meaning and relevance

_______ Sentence fluency, variety, and voice.

I will be using the SHHS writing rubric to evaluate your essay. Click here to view the rubric.

Value Essay Component Checklist

2008-10-10T14:01:00.013-04:00

As a reminder, make sure your essay meets the following criteria checklist:

_____ Unique and creative title that relates to the objects and/or what you value

_____ Introduction that makes a statement or raises the question about the concept of values, what is valuable, or how value is determined

_____ Rich description utilizing present tense action that shows the first object/priceless moment

_____ Rich description utilizing present tense action that shows the second object/priceless moment

_____ A section where the author compares, contrasts, and explains how the objects are similar and different and how and why they are valuable to the author

_____ A concluding section where the author thoughtfully considers and states how he or she defines value and what he or she finds truly valuable

_____ Overall length of 700-900 words

To view an electronic copy of the rubric I will be using, click here.

The "Finding and Fixing Common Writing Errors" handout I mentioned in class today can be downloaded by clicking this link.

Value Essay Comment Instructions

2008-10-07T07:41:00.012-04:00

I would like your Value Essay comments to answer the following four questions:

I - What does the author seem to be saying about what is valuable, and what he or she most strongly values?

II - Which of the two objects/priceless moments described in this essay did you find were most vividly and clearly described? Reference one specific part, anecdote, scene, or description that you thought was well done. You may even cite a particularly well-written sentence by throwing quotes around it and cutting and pasting it into your comment.

III - In general, what is one of this essay's overall strengths? It could be its organization, word choice, writing style, introduction, conclusion, etc. Cite specific examples to be as helpful to the writer as possible.

IV - What is one piece of advice or suggestion for revision that the author might consider making before Mr. B-G reads and grades this essay? This should be phrased constructively (try doing ------- , consider --------) or inquisitively (what do you think would happen if you -------------?)

Comments should be about four paragraphs (4 to 6 well-written, informative sentences for each question) per comment. Your comments should appear below the story you are responding to. Use your Google/Blogger identity to sign your comment. Comments not posted according to these instructions should be deleted.

I would like you to respond to one essay per class (3 total). Those of you looking to boost your homework average may respond to two essays per class for additional credit (6 total).

* Please also copy and paste your comments into an e-mail or Microsoft Word document that I can check on Friday, Oct. 15th at the start of class. Your classmates and I thank you for your valuable feedback.

Three comments = a "check"
Six comments = a "check plus"

For general information about posting blog comments, please click here.

First blogging steps

2008-09-29T07:27:00.004-04:00

The following is intended as a guide for teachers looking to blog with students.

I - Go to Blogger.com and have each student sign up for a blog. They should use their e-mail address as the username. They'll then create a password. Have students write this info down on a notecard.

II - The blog URL should have some uniformity. For example, my students URLs will contain their first name and the class section (NateEnglish9B). The blog title should have the students' first names followed by something creative (Mr. B-G's Bodacious English Blog).

III - Have students e-mail the URLs to you (bgvocab at yahoo dot com).

IV - Create a link list with all students' blogs

V - Have students create similar link lists on their blogs

VI - The next step is personalizing the blog. Students can fill out their profiles (without any identifying info), change their templates, and add gadgets.

VII - As students begin posting writing, you need to make sure they have identical blog post categories. The first piece of writing students will be posting is a compare/contrast assignment I call the Value Essay. They will label the post that contains their Value Essay "Value Essay." That way, when I go to view their blog to read their essay, I can go to the categories section and easily find it.

VIII - The next label students will use is "Book Reviews." As they finish their quarterly reading books, they will write reviews and post them to their blogs. The book review requirements can be found here.

How to create a blog

2008-09-25T21:21:00.001-04:00

This video provides quick and easy steps for setting up a Blogger blog.