Imp of the Perverse

People often end up doing exactly what they told themselves not to do. The intention to suppress a response has the perverse effect of strengthening the response. Edgar Allan Poe described this phenomenon in, “The Telltale Heart,” and labeled it: the Imp of the Perverse

Farewell Poe

Fare thee well Edgar! Take thy beak from out my heart and take thy form from off my door!

Test Review--Poe Unit 1

1. _____________________________is the series of conflicts and crisis in the story that lead to the climax.

2. ____________________________is the conclusion, the tying together of all of the threads.

3. ______________________________is the turning point, the most intense moment—either mentally or in action.

4. ______________________ is the start of the story, the situation before the action starts.

5. ____________________________is the dramatic struggle between two forces in a story.

6. ___________________________________is the side of an issue someone favors.

7. ________________________________is the organized pattern or sequence of events that make up a story. This is made up of a series of incidents that are related to one another.

8. A ___________________ is personal writing that focuses on a brief period of one’s life instead of a whole life.

9. A ____________________ is when someone writes about his or her entire life.

10. _________________________ is the relationship between two things when one thing makes something else happen.

11. Explain cause and effect and give a real life example.

12. What is an internal conflict?

13. What is an external conflict? Give the three types.

14. Can a plot occur without conflict?

15. What is a flashback? How is it used? Why does it occur?

16. Where did Poe grow up?

17. Where did he die?

18. Where did he attend college?

19. Who did he marry?

20. Was he successful?

21. What writing did he create? Influence?

22. Describe Poe’s death.

23. In The Tell Tale Heart, describe the 5 parts of a plot.

24. In The Tell Tale Heart, why does he kill the old man?

25. What sound does the narrator hear? What else might it be?

26. How does Poe use suspense and foreshadowing in The Tell Tale Heart and The Raven?

27. What word does the Raven repeat?

28. Give 2 characteristics of Gothic Literature.

29. Compare and Contrast The Tell Tale Heart and The Raven.

30. What is sequence?

31. Define ominous

32. Define melancholy

33. Label the 5 parts of a plot on the pyramid diagram.

Venn Diagram

Study this Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting Poe's The Raven and "The Tell Tale Heart." Thanks 2nd period for doing a great one!!

Honor Society Meeting

Honor Society meeting during 6th period in Ms. Anderson's room...bring $1 for dues.

We will discuss activities for the upcoming year!

Example of the Gothic from Tim Burton

The Tell-Tale Heart

Edgar Allan Poe Biography - Biography.com

Edgar Allan Poe Biography - Biography.com

Edgar Allan Poe unit

We are beginning a unit on Edgar Allan Poe and will be reading The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, and the Pit and the Pendulum. We will be doing an in-depth study on Poe's biography and how it influenced his writing.

Parent/Teacher/Guardian Communication

Keeping in touch with teachers is important for parents/guardians. It can be a proactive way of ensuring that children are on the right track to good behavior and academic success. When a parent/guardian shows interest in what their children are doing at school, it makes children feel loved and important. Positive attention makes students want to work harder and achieve more. Daily doses of encouragement to a child are meaningful and don’t take excessive amounts of time or finances.

How I want to help . . .

· I will send periodic notes home regarding student behavior. This could be because your student needs help with a certain topic covered in class, or it could be because your student is doing particularly well in my class. Parents/guardians should sign these notes and return them to me.

· Blog: A “blog” is a web-based log of what goes on in my class. There are assignments, rubrics, pictures and fun facts posted that are all relative to what my classes are studying and accomplishing. My classroom blog can be found at the following URL: http://msandersonsenglish.blogspot.com/. This is an efficient way to communicate and build a classroom community. Please feel free to post questions and responses. This is a good way to get a conversation started and ideas flowing.

· Email: If you provide me with your email address, then I will send monthly newsletters home explaining what is happening at school and what is happening socially and academically in my class.

· Visits: My classroom is always open to any parents who want to visit. I am open to conferencing should you have an issue of concern. I also like to just talk with parents and get to know you better. Please know that I am always available to help you.

What can parents/guardians do at home?

The National Education Association suggests:

1. Make sure your child gets plenty of sleep.
2. Don't let your child skip school for fun activities outside of school.
3. Don't say statements such as, "You'll never use Algebra after high school."
4. Keep an assignment calendar
5. Limit time watching television, Internet, and video games
6. Take an interest
7. Encourage your child to get involved in sports and clubs
8. Talk to your child's teachers

Individual Incentives

Positive reinforcement is necessary for teachers to use in the classroom. Every person, especially middle school students, likes to be recognized for the good things they do. When a student is praised for good behavior, it makes him or her want to behave in that manner daily. Praise also validates to a student and class that certain behaviors are appreciated and exemplary.

Hard work must also not go unrecognized or unrewarded. If a student’s efforts are unrecognized, especially in middle grades, he or she may give up or think hard work is not worth the time and effort. When good behavior and grades are appropriately rewarded, students are taught how doing the right thing and how being exceptional reaps benefits.

· Behavior—If a student has never been on the discipline log by the end of a 9 week grading period, some incentives and rewards may include:

*Extra Afternoon Recess during 7^th period

*Admission to a good conduct spring dance during 6^th/7^th periods

· Grades—If a student has an A in English for the first three 9 week grading period, their name may be entered in a drawing for itunes giftcards or a similar reward.

*Students with a 90 or higher GPA are also eligible for the National Junior Honor Society. The Honor Society takes extra field trips possibly including one to an Atlanta Braves game in the spring.

· AR points—Mrs. Locke, the school librarian, rewards exceptional AR readers with the highest number of points in their class with a movie during the spring semester. She provides popcorn, candy, and cokes.

Animal Shelter Supply Drive

Last week, along with the members of WBMS's Honor Society, I took over $100 worth of cleaning supplies as a donation/service project to the Bibb County Animal Shelter. Over 50 homeless dogs will be helped thanks to the students' efforts. We look forward to raising more money and awareness to help the shelter next year!

Fond Farewell!

All the best to the 8th grade class of 2010! Last day of school for students was today, 5/27. I will miss you and loved teaching you!

Year-End Dance

A year-end dance will be held in the school gym on Friday night, May 21.

Induction Ceremony

The NJHS enjoyed pizza and sundaes on May 13. New officers were inducted.

Honor Society Year End Banquet

The NJHS will have pizza and dessert in the school cafeteria at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 13. New officer inductions will be held at this time. Cost of pizza is $5.

Drafts

Please bring drafts of reports to class next week, May 13 and 14.

Unit 8 Test Study Guide

1. A __________________________ is a group of related sentences that work together to develop a single idea.

2. A ______________________________ states the main idea of the paragraph and usually appears as the first sentence.

3. ____________________________________ describes a person, place, thing, or experience.

4. ______________________________________ tells a story.

5. _______________________________________ explains or informs by providing facts.

6. ________________________________________ presents an opinion and tries to get their reader to agree with that opinion.

7. A ___________________ is what a piece of writing is about.

8. The __________________________ is a sentence telling the main idea and what a piece of writing is about.

9. _______________________________ are details that appeal to one or more of the five senses.

10. ______________________________ is not giving credit to sources and passing another’s work off as your own.

11. A __________________________________ is a listing of sources that a student used to write a report.

12. A ___________________________________ is the identification of a specific idea or quote taken from a source.

13. A ________________________ quote is where you use the exact words from a specific source.

14. A _________________________quote is where you put someone else’s words into your own words. You must still cite this kind of quote.

15. A ________________________________is the name that MLA gives a bibliography.

16. A ___________________________ is a type of graphic organizer that helps you brainstorm.

17. A ______________________________ is a type of graphic organizer that helps you write a persuasive essay.

18. _________________________________ tells events in the order they naturally happen.

19. What are the 3 parts of a 5 paragraph essay?

20. What is the role of the introduction?

21. What are some examples of reliable sources to cite?

22. What is research?

23. What is the role of an outline?

24. Why do we need to cite sources?

25. A Works Cited page is in __________________ order and is located at the _______________ of a report.

26. Where are page numbers placed in MLA style writing?

Research Report Checklist

Research Report Checklist

1. Should have at least five paragraphs: an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
2. A paragraph is three-five complete sentences.
3. Should be 1 ½- 2 pages in length.
4. Should be written in the third-person. (He, she, her, him)
5. Should have correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
6. Use MLA format as discussed in class. Format your heading, page numbers, and works cited page correctly. You may write or type your report. Only use the front of your paper. If you type, double space your lines and use only a black, 12-point, Times New Roman font. Yes, if your font is big, colored, or anything other than Times New Roman, you will lose points.
7. Should have 2 sources, either a book with one author or a website.
Book with one author:
Last name, First name. Title. City of publication: Publisher, Copyright
year.
Jameson, George. Ellis Island. New York: Icon Press, 2006.
**You find this information in the copyright page at the front of a book.
Website:
Title of website. Organization that sponsors site. Date accessed.
Website URL.
Edgar Allan Poe. Wikipedia. 23 April 2010.
< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Allan_Poe>.
8. Must have one in-text citation either a direct quote or an indirect quote.
Direct quote: Poe was “the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career” (Edgar 1).
Indirect quote: Edgar Allan Poe invented detective and science fiction stories (Edgar 1).

9. For extra credit, you will have the opportunity to read and present your report to the class. For full credit, you must also have a visual such as a picture or poster to accompany your oral reading.

Plagiarism Etymology

English Plagiarism (1615–25), earlier plagiary (1590–1600), derives from Latin plagiārius, "kidnapper", equivalent to plagium, "kidnapping", which contains Latin plaga ("snare", "net"), based on the Indo-European root *-plak, "to weave" (seen for instance in Greek plekein, Latinplectere, both meaning "to weave").

Cited From Wikipedia. :)

Book Fair

April 26-30, there will be a Scholastic book fair at our school. This will be a year-end closeout and some books will be buy one get one free. Stock up now for summer reading!

Honor Society Meeting

Wednesday April 28, 2010

Agenda:

Honor Society Banquet

Thursday May 13, 2010

2010-11 Officer Elections

MLA Heading

MLA for Middle School

This PDF will cover all you need to know for your test and for documenting and formatting.

MLA Style Guide Online

Please find a link here to explain MLA documentation. We will discuss formatting your research reports using MLA style.

Thank you students

Thanks to all the students who went on the field trip yesterday. It was a beautiful spring day! I want to give a congratulations to our students on their outstanding behavior. Everyone dressed well and behaved appropriately! Thank you for representing our school!

Hamlet 4/20/10

8th grade field trip to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival

Tuesday April 20

Be at WBMS at 7 AM SHARP!

NO JEANS

Boys wear pants and a collared shirt.

Girls wear dresses, skirts, or pants.

Thank you!!

Alabama Penman Creative Writing Contest

Congratulations to Meghan Harrison and Chelsea Brewer for representing WBMS in the Alabama Penman Creative Writing Contest. Meghan's essay, The study of symbols in To Kill a Mockingbird, and Chelsea's poem, "Poetry: A Haiku," will be judged from other winners county-wide in grades 7-9!

Rubric for Persuasive Essay

20 points--Paragraphs; Are there 4-5 with topic sentences and transitions?

15 points--Were you persuasive and did you take one stance alone?

5 points--Did you include a pro/con T-chart?

10 points--Was your grammar and spelling perfunctory?

TOTAL: 50 points

Rubric for Research Report

Please find a rubric for your research report in your folder.

Here is the rubric:

20 percent--organization, paragraph development, thesis statement, topic sentences, introductory hook

20 percent--must include all drafts, a graphic organizer, and an outline

20 percent--works cited page and MLA documentation

20 percent--writing style, grammar, spelling

20 percent--thoughtfulness, originality, neatness

_____________

TOTAL: 100 percent

What do you want to be?

The singer and songwriter Bob Dylan once wrote, “A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do.” Do you agree with this definition of success? Why or why not? Think about what you enjoy doing and what you want to be when you are creating your 4-year plan this week!

Why Word Choice Matters

"The difference between the right word and almost the right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug."

~Mark Twain

Academic Advising

Four-year plans will be done in Ms. Anderson's class on April 14. You will be meeting with high school counselors and myself to determine the best course of study for your expectant career/college experience.

The Washington Post's Peeps Diorama Contest 2010

Look at the Peeps here! Happy Easter!!!

Words to Think About...

"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none."

~Shakespeare, All's Well That Ends Well

William Faulkner Quote

"But what is important is Hamlet and A Midsummer Night's Dream, not who wrote them, but that somebody did. The artist is of no importance. Only what he creates is important, since there is nothing new to be said. Shakespeare, Balzac,Homer have all written about the same things, and if they had lived one thousand or two thousand years longer, the publishers wouldn’t have needed anyone since."

From The Paris Review

Writing Portfolio

1. For Descriptive writing, you will write a page describing three items you would put in a time capsule for the year 2010. Use details and imagery.

2. For Persuasive writing, you will write an editorial for The Birmingham News. You will argue for or against one persuasive topic discussed in class.

3. For Narrative writing, you will write a story. It must have all of the plot elements we learned and at least two characters. You may write in 1^st or 3^rd person point of view. You must include quotes and dialogue.

4. For Expository writing, you will write a five-paragraph essay on your favorite celebrity. You will be required to complete the essay in MLA format with at least two researched sources.

5. For Letter writing, you will write a business letter between two characters in To Kill A Mockingbird. It must have all elements of a business letter including heading, greeting, body, closing, and signature.

This project will be done in class or at home. You may write or type the project. If you type, it must be in 12 point Times New Roman font. NO EXCEPTIONS! The due date for this project will be in May. I will let you know about a final date. You will turn in a folder including all final writing, research, brainstorming, and drafts.

You will also be asked to read one piece of writing aloud for the class. This will count as a presentation grade.

Field Trip

Field trip to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival to see Hamlet April 20.

There will be an extension to let others bring permission slips and $23.00 cash or check made out to WBMS. Please bring both of these by March 23.

To Kill a Mockingbird film

On Thursday we will begin watching To Kill a Mockingbird in it's film version.

The wikipedia site has a list of the key differences between the novel and the film.

Protagonist of To Kill a Mockingbird

Today, students debated over the novel's protagonist.

Choices for the protagonist were: Atticus, Scout and Boo.

Unit 7 Test

Unit 7 Test will be this Friday, March 12

Review:

Unit 7 Test Review

To Kill a Mockingbird:

1. What is the theme of To Kill a Mockingbird?

2. Where is imagery used?

3. Where is foreshadowing used?

4. Describe Atticus Finch

5. Describe Scout

6. Describe Dill

7. Describe Boo Radley

8. Where is the setting of To Kill A Mockingbird?

9. Who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird?

10. What year was it published?

11. What award did the book win?

12. Atticus says, you never really understand a person until ___________________.

13. Who is Miss Caroline and what makes her cry in chapter 3?

14. Why doesn’t Scout like school?

15. Why does Scout fight with Walter Cunningham?

16. How does Mr. Cunningham repay Atticus?

17. How did Scout and Jem’s mother pass away?

18. What is Atticus’s job?

19. What does Jem want Atticus to do, but he never will?

20. What does Atticus do to Tim Johnson?

21. Who or what is Tim Johnson and what is wrong with him?

22. Who is Burris Ewell? Who are the Ewells?

23. Who is Francis Hancock?

24. What does Aunt Alexandra serve for Christmas Dinner?

25. Why does Aunt Alexandra disapprove of Scout?

26. What do Scout and Jem do when it snows?

27. What happens to Miss Maudie’s house?

28. Why does Jem have to read to Mrs. Dubose?

29. What was wrong with Mrs. Dubose?

30. What does the symbol of a mockingbird mean? What does Atticus and Miss Maudie tell the children about mockingbirds?

31. What happens to Jem’s pants when he sneaks to the Radley house?

32. What does Dill dare Jem to do?

33. When the children get in trouble at the pond, what do they say they were doing?

34. What things do the children find in the tree knot-hole?

35. Why does Uncle Jack spank Scout?

36. Why is Atticus nervous about defending Tom Robinson?

37. Does Atticus want to defend Tom Robinson? Why does he do it?

38. ESSAY: Why is To Kill a Mockingbird a historical novel?

39. What is a historical document? Example?

Grammar Review

Gerunds—end with ING and function as SUBJECTS or DIRECT OBJECTS or OBJECTS OF THE PREPOSITION.

1. People like visiting art galleries.

2. Martin started painting this year.

3. Studying taught us about history.

Participles—are PRESENT PARTICIPLES ending in ING, or PAST PARTICIPLES ending in ED.

1. The old flag, battered by wind and weather, was replaced.

2. The crowed, cheering loudly, welcomed home the team.

3. The desk, collecting dust in the corner, is an antique.

4. The exhausted students finally graduated.

Infinitives—are verb phrases with the word TO.

1. I like to dance.

2. When I get in college, I want to play football for Alabama.

3. After a week at the beach it is time to go home.

Independent and Dependent Clauses—a sentence is another word for independent clause. A dependent clause isn’t long enough to be a sentence.

1. Although the competition was rough.

2. Even though we lost the race.

3. I enjoyed watching the Olympics.

4. Shaun White is a talented gold medalist in snowboarding.

Simple and Compound sentences—a simple sentence is plain. It does not have a semicolon or a comma and coordinating conjunction like compound sentences. Remember FANBOYS.

1. It was pouring rain; getting a cab was impossible.

2. People Magazine is entertaining and informational.

3. The plane came early, but we got there in time anyway.

Run-ons and Fragments. A run-on is a sentence that is too long. It needs to be made into two sentences or needs to be changed. A fragment is an incomplete sentence.

1. Going down the street.

2. Can jump really high.

3. Sometimes athletes train for hours a day, they also have to eat a high calorie diet.

4. Scout and Jem get in lots of trouble children like that should have more discipline and fewer privileges.

Harper Lee's Biography

Click here to read about Harper Lee's biography, especially about how To Kill a Mockingbird was written and how it almost wasn't published at all.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken.

William Shakespeare

Birmingham Pledge

Here is the website to read about and understand the Birmingham Pledge. We will also be looking at the section of the website devoted to Harper Lee and lessons learned from To Kill a Mockingbird.

Katrina Article

Here is an article I wrote for Portico Magazine in Birmingham about a family's experience during Hurricane Katrina. We will be reading and discussing this contemporary article as it relates to the civil rights movements and our own questions of justice and injustice.

Important Dates

For February and March:

Spring Pictures 2/18

Health Fair 2/25

WBMS Cheer Tryouts 2/26

Spring Break 3/13-3/21

Pageant Rescheduled

Miss WBMS pageant will be rescheduled for Monday, Feb. 15 due to snow.

Hoops for Heart

Ms. Anderson will in fact participate (as a bench-warmer, but that's still participation, right?) in the annual Hoops for Heart basketball game.

Apart from my own 7th grade P.E. class, this will be my first time to play the game EVER.

Coach Preston assures me I will get at least (or no more than) 2 minutes of playtime. :)

Poetry Test Review

Test review in-class, Wed., February 3.

Test will be Thurs., February 4.

Think about it!

"Attitude is a choice. We create our own world by the way we choose to see it. For the next five years your mind can focus on fear, worry, problems, negativity or despair. Or it can focus on confidence, opportunity, solutions, optimism and success. You decide."

J. D. Salinger Dies

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/29/books/29salinger.html

Recap 2009

The Diary of Anne Frank

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Edgar Allan Poe: The Tell-Tale Heart and The Raven

Here's a sampling of what we accomplished last semester...