Goodbye for now, Cambie!

Dear all,

I have now finished my student teaching at Cambie and want to take this opportunity to tell you all how much fun I had teaching you over these past few months. You've taught me so much about myself and how I can become a better teacher.

I still have marking to do on work, so I will be back to hand that in at some point. Work hard Crusaders - these last months will change your grades so much if you're willing to change them.

Take care, and stay in touch,
Ms. J

KAJohnson@sd38.bc.ca

Tuesday, May 08

It's my last week at Cambie, everyone, so work needs to start coming in. If you're missing any work, you need to come and see me ASAP!!

  9s:
Today, we wrote an 9 sentence paragraph. answering the question: How does O.R. Melling create the character of ________ in The Singing Stone?

We walked through the paragraph step by step, and then handed in a good copy at the end of class. Good work on this everybody - I have everyone's good copy.

I am still marking your film trailers, so I do not have everyone's grade yet. Although I am finished teaching you now, I will still be posting your marks over the next week or so.

11s:
In the build-up to your final project on Thursday, we spent the class working on an 11 sentence paragraph, describing how and why you wrote your poem and chose the method of presentation. We handed in our drafts and good copies to be marked, so if I don't have this, you NEED to come see me, as it makes up a significant percentage of your grade.

FINAL PROJECTS DUE THURSDAY -  NO LATES ACCEPTED (as I will be returning to UBC at the end of this week.

12s:
After planning out essay outline in the last class, we completed writing our essays in these classes. If I do not have an essay from you, I cannot give you a grade, so again, COME SEE ME ASAP.

Movies and Cupcakes next class - bring along a few snacks if you want :)

Enjoy the sunshine, and see you all soon,
Ms. Johnson.

Friday, May 04

Happy Friday everybody!!

9s:
We seemed to have a few issues with attitude and behavior today but I know this has now been fixed and I look forward to seeing you all on Tuesday.
Your trailers so far look amazing!!

Homework: send me a copy of your trailer that will play!! A final copy to be emailed to me by Sunday. My email is
KAJohnson@sd38.bc.ca


11s:
Poetry Test Day - thanks to all of you for showing up ready to sit the test. Reading through your answers so far has made me a happy teacher!
You should also have told me the theme and method of presentation for your final project by now. If I don't have this, or if you didn't sit your test, you need to see me or email me ASAP.


12s:
Essay Planning -
Now that we move onto our final essay, you were asked to prepare an essay plan. When you write the essay on Monday/Tuesday, you will only have this plan to help you so it was imperative (word of the day) that you wrote a plan. Come see me if you haven't. I should by now have everyone's book.

Have a great weekend everybody - I'm off I watch <<The Hunger Games>> with my dad for his birthday :)

Ms. Johnson.

Wednesday, May 02

It was nerd collaboration day today, Cambie!

9s:
Working on suspense paragraphs today was great fun! Those question prompts really helped us work on writing a suspense paragraph, and reading through what you've handed me, I'm impressed so far.

Homework: Finish your trailer to be ready to show the class. Make sure the format is available on all computers, and that you have more than on copy.

Those of you who won't be in class: I would like one paragraph telling me what you did in your group's video and why you chose that role?

11s:
Collaboration Block was busy with lots to do. We looked deeper into love poems, and how the older forms of poetry express this theme. Some of the themes covered were: sonnet, iambic pentameter and rhyming couple. We also revisited the idea of pathetic fallacy.

TEST THIS FRIDAY:
Part 1: Definitions:
6 questions on definitions, asking for examples of where they can be found. We will cover only the literary devices that we have spoken about in class, so use your Literary Devices worksheet to help you study.

Part 2: Compare & Contrast:
In this section, you will be asked for a multi-paragraph answer, comparing and contrasting two poems that we HAVE NOT covered in class.

12s:
Well done to all of you for completing your "The Taming of the Shrew" Test :) Everyone showed up and from what I've marked so far, everyone studied their texts hard.

We move on next class to planning our final essay.

See you all on RockStar Day :)
Ms. Johnson.

Monday, April 30th

Happy Pajama Day Cambie :)

I hope you all enjoyed a day back in school in your PJ's.

9s:
Looking closer at suspense stories and what techniques the author used, we read Edgar Allen Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart. After reading through this story, we highlighted the actions, speech and emotion of the story.
The video clip can be found here:

Homework:Right now, you should be working on your film trailer project. The final cuts are due FRIDAY MAY 4th.

11s:

Today, you received your Macbeth essays. The marks are out of 36, and there should be a percentage on your essays too. Look over them closely, paying special attention to the following weak areas:

• plays = present tense. The characters are always alive on stage, so we discuss them and their actions in present tense
• word choice = know what words you're using and for what purpose
• think before you write = many of you write AS you think. Plan your work first, before you put pen to paper.

International Poetry:

• Shane Koyczan's We Are More :  http://www.houseofparlance.com/mp3s/We%20are%20more%20-%20Shane%20Koyczan.mp3
• Seamus Heaney Midterm Break: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npMoXXUGSMs

Today, we looked at a way of analyzing poetry using the TPCASTT method. 

Homework: Finish a TPCASTT on Heaney's Midterm Break

12s:

TAMING OF THE SHREW TEST NEXT CLASS:

1-4: Wednesday May 2nd

2-1: Tuesday, May 1st

The test will follow this format:

• 10 matching questions - asking you to match character descriptions to names
• 15 multiple choice - these questions are mostly concerned with plot
• 10 identify the speaker questions
• 10 short answer questions - there should be answered in full sentences. 

If you re-read your play, paying attention to the side notes, along with the handouts we have gone through in class, this test will be no problem.

See you all soon,

Ms. Johnson

Thursday, April 26th

Hi everybody,

9s:
Today, we had a pop quiz on Chapters 1 - 10, using this as a chance to brush up on the plot and action of the novel so far. Some of you seemed a little unsure of your answers, and I received a few blank answer sheets. Maybe this weekend is your chance to catch up on your reading.
We also tried to graph out the plot so far. You all had very interesting and different ways of showing how a plot could be representing through some form of graph, chart or storyboard. Good job!
The film trailer project has now been given an extension of sorts. I am asking you to bring a rough cut of footage for Monday. I need to see something, so even if it's not finished, let's see how far you've come.

Homework:

• Finish your rough cut of your film trailer project for Monday. (The finished version should be ready to show the whole class on Friday)
• Read Chapters 11 - 13, and catch up if you're missing out on other reading!

11s:
*MARKS HAVE BEEN POSTED* (you should all have received your blue scene presentation assessment back today)
Today, we looked at how poetry can be represented through rap, lyrics or def poetry. I want you to see how poetry can come from so many different sources and can touch subjects close to everyone.
You also received your Final Project Description - if you don't have one, you need to see me, so we can talk about this.

Homework:

• Find a poem from your home culture (translated into English), and bring this to class on Monday, as we are going to look at international poetry, and the themes that bind us together. 
• Choose a theme/topic for your Final Project - think of something that touches you that you would want to write about. I will be asking you to come and tell me what this is.

12s:

Working still on the Ideas on Love and Marriage, we are now looking to revise over the play, and the attitudes contained within it. It is important that you have your homework finished for class. Your marks have been posted, and some of you will need to do a little more work get the higher marks. 

There will be a test next week for both classes, involving some quotation analysis as well as short answers to questions. I know that you can all do this test, and exceed expectations, but for this class, you will need to work hard to revise. That way, you will know what to expect. 

Have a great weekend everybody.

Ms. J

Tuesday, April 24th

Happy Tuesday everyone!

9s:
Today we worked on your trailer projects some more, and I wanted you to delve more into character, and how the author creates the character through the use of actions, words and descriptive passage. It was good to see everyone working hard, and I was so happy to be able to collect your scripts to mark them.


Homework: Make sure you finish reading up until Chapter 10, because I can sense a pop quiz somewhere in the future.

11s:
Today's subject was "Gender in Poetry". How do poets write about men and women? Through our study of Marge Piercy's "Barbie Doll", and John Updike's "Youth in Progress", I hope you were able to note our new poetic terms: enjambment, and allusion. Remember to highlight these on your Literary Devices worksheet now that we're done.
To look at poetry in more depth, we are using the "Graffiti Method", which allows us to dig deeper into the poets intentions, as well as look at our own reactions.

Homework:  Finish graffiti-ing John Updike's "Youth in Progress", and finish the compare/contrast worksheet, showing the similarities and differences between the two poems.

12s:
Working on Ideas on Love and Marriage, was a great way to see how other poets and writers have interpreted this topics. We were then also treated to some of 10 Things I Hate About You, and were lucky enough to reach Heath Ledger singing :)

Homework: Make sure you finish the Love and Marriage worksheet questions 1 - 5 for next class.

See you all soon!
Ms. Johnson.

Friday, April 20th

Hi everybody,

9s:
Today was our day for script-writing, and moving on to the next stage of our film project. We had great fun, reading aloud a chapter and acting it out. Now it's time for you to put your talents behind the camera, and see what you can do.
Trailer Project Due: Monday, April 30th

11s:
Today, we had a fun start to our poetry unit with Sarah Kay's innovative TED talk, which can be found here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0snNB1yS3IE&feature=related

We started making lists of: things I would tell my children, things I know to be true and things I should have learnt by know. I love reading your lists - they are full of great ideas.

We also began looking at literary devices in poetry, and their definitions. I look forward to delving further into poetry with you all.

12s:
We finished presenting and discussed the importance of Katherine's speech in Act V, scene ii. We are nearing the end of this unit, and it is important for you to look back on all we've studied and see how far we've come, and how much the characters have changed.

Have a great weekend!
Ms. J

Storyboards, Essays and Presentations:

Hey everyone!

9s:
Today we started working on our Film Trailer Project. This project requires you to create a film trailer for our novel The Singing Stone by O.R. Melling. Your trailer should be 60 - 90 seconds long, but we will have time in class to work on each part.
In this class, we worked o our storyboard. You were asked in your groups of 4 to create a 6 frame storyboard, showing how your trailer will play out. Remember, we want to keep the audience in suspense, and leave some cliff-hangers.
Homework: You and your group should hand in a completed storyboard, with sound effects and descriptions. We will then move on to the next part of our trailer project.

11s:
Today was the big essay day. If you were absent, you need to come see me. Otherwise, good job everybody on the essay writing. We are now finished with Macbeth, and onto our new unit!!

12s:
Presentations: Some of you have no completed your presentations, which we will cover in later classes. For those of you who were not in class for your group's presentation, there may be issues with marking. Good job on Acts IV & V :)

See you all soon,
Ms. Johnson

Letters, Planning & Debates:

Hi everybody.

9s:
We worked today on our letters and how to properly write a friendly letter, using the correct format. Those of you who did your homework would have found this a little easier, than those who came to class unprepared. It was also interesting to see some Irish names floating around.
Homework: EVERYONE should have an Irish name on Wednesday. Even if you can't find a direct translation, you should look for one that you like.

11s:
Today was busy for us, working on our planning for the Final Macbeth Essay. We finished a complete essay plan in class, and this will be ALL you can use for your essay writing.
People who missed class, you have A LOT to catch up on, so I need to see you, or you need to e-mail me. Otherwise, you risk failing on a major piece of writing.


12s:
Debates! You all presented great arguments, and seemed passionate when arguing about whether or not we should teach Shakespeare in schools. Look forward to more debates in the future, when we may discuss Taming of the Shrew, or other motions that you would like to talk about.

See you soon!
Ms. Johnson.

Stones, Reviews and Scenes...

Happy Thursday everyone!

9s:
Today, we worked a lot on the Tuath De Danaan, and the idea of quest. It's good to see most of you doing the homework reading, but some of you definitely have catching up to do. This weekend is a great chance to do just that.


Homework:

• Find out your name in Irish! Maybe there aren't direct translations for everyone, but the Internet is awash with all the names. You need to find your name along with it's spelling, pronunciation and spelling :)
• Write a letter from Kay to Alan, detailing what has happened so far. We've read up to Chapter 5 together, so here's your chance to show off what you know. This letter needs to be one page, handwritten and double spaced. 

11s:
We've started our planning for our Final Essay, a five paragraph look at some deeper questions. We will continue planning on Monday, as I know you are eager to get this essay finished.

Homework: Over the weekend, I would like you to look for six quotes that you could use to back up your answer. Remember to reference properly.

12s:
I have now handed over the reins of teaching to you, and you broke into groups of 3 - 4, to start presenting a scene to the class. You have the handout with you, asking you to answer some questions about your given scene. Remember you also need to prepare a handout for the class to take away with them.
We will work more on this next class.

Have a great Friday, Cambie,
Ms. Johnson.

An interesting day...

Welcome back after the long weekend, everyone!

9s:

We covered some myths in class; it was great to hear about the different cultures, and the meanings of the myths. How does our culture influence our identity?

We started looking at characterization, and provided a detailed idea of Kay Warrick.

Homework: Read chapters 4 & 5

11s:

Your posters and movie interpreations were really varied, and you put in a lot of work! Good job!

Again, with the presentations, you showed a great grasp on the play, and I was so happy to see the different ways you approached your scenes. Anyone who created a video, please send me the links.

12s:

It's time to step up to the plate with work - it needs to be handed in on the day due, and completed. The atmosphere is headed for a change, now that we're in Term 3.

We've been working on the deeper ideas of "taming the hawk", and how we can tame people in modern life. 

Homework: Finish Act IV (4)

See you all soon,

Ms. Johnson.

a LOT of work...

Hi everybody,

A lot has happened since we've been back from Spring Break:

9s:


We started our new novel The Singing Stone by O.R. Melling, and for homework, you were asked to find a myth from your culture to bring to class.
I cannot wait to study this novel with you all, and it was nice having such a great first class.


11s:


On Monday, we had our big test. If you missed it, you need to make it up sometime, or face missing a mark in your book.

Wednesday was spent working on a new project, that has two parts:

• Presentation: You and your group have been given a scene to work on and present to the class. You must cover the plot, quotes to note and significant ties to major themes.
• Poster: Imagining that you could set Macbeth in any time and place, I asked you to create a poster, using magazine cutouts to illustrate your choices.

I will give you rubrics for both on Tuesday, so that you know what I am looking for when you present.
BOTH YOUR POSTER AND YOUR PRESENTATION ARE ON TUESDAY - WE WILL HAVE TIME TO WORK IN CLASS TO REFINE BOTH!

12s:

We have been working on foils, and the significance of Shakespeare's ideas on Elizabethan women. 

There has been a significant change in the classroom atmosphere, and I hope now that you know how prepared you need to be for each class.

Happy Easter everybody!

Ms. Johnson

Catching Up and Plotting

Hi everybody,

Here's what we've been up to:

11s:
Today was our chance to revise Acts I - III of Macbeth for the Act I - III test on Monday, April 02.
The test will take the following format:

Part 1:
5 quote questions (6 pts each) which will have three parts:

<< Quotation>>

(a) who is the speaker? to whom are they speaking? (2 pts)
(b) what happens after the quotation? (1pt)
(c) what is the significance of this quote to the larger themes of the play?(3 pts)

Part 2:
A statement, for example: (12 pts)


"There are circumstances which justify murder. Discuss this statement in relation to Macbeth."


We revised all of the quotes in class, now it's your turn. Use those yellow sheets wisely, and look over everything we've done so far. Good luck and I'll see you on Monday!


12s:


Working through plot graphs helped us to understand the idea of plot and subplot and how it relates to The Taming of the Shrew.

All of your Act Review questions should be with me by the end of the day, or there will be more marks awarded.

Have a great weekend everybody!
Ms. Johnson

Back from the Break:

Hi everybody!

Welcome back to school. Hope you all had a fantastic, and relaxing break. I know several of you went of amazing vacations, and I hope you enjoyed them!

11s:
Today we had the presentation from the Richmond Public Library, which was both informative and entertaining.  I hope you all saw some new books for reading.

12s:
It was great to use the time in class to catch up on work that's missing, and to learn more about Commedia dell'Arte. Make sure I have all your work in by the end of the week, so it can go in my mark book.


See you around,
Ms. Johnson.

Spring Break :)

Hey everybody,

First of all, hello from Ireland! So far I haven't seen much, but who knows who I'll bump into??

11s:
Over the weekend, I would like you to re-read Acts I to III, and be ready for a test that may or may not come up after the Break.

12s:
You have Act III questions to do, and some of you still need to hand me in your Act II questions.

Have a great break. Rest up and behave!
Ms. J.

Characters and Newspapers

Hey everybody,

11s:
Today, we revised over Act II by creating the front page of a newspaper.
You need to finish this in good copy for homework: include a catchy title, a main story along with two smaller stories, and 4-6 quotes to back up your writing.

12s:
We worked hard on characterization for the characters of Taming that we've met so far.
Homework: worksheet "The Name Changes to Protect the Innocent"

See you all around,
Ms. Johnson.

Finishing Act II & Movies:

Hi everyone,

11s:


By now, everyone should have handed me in their completed mandalas. If not, it's going to affect your marks in a negative way.

I handed back the soliloquys and was really pleased with the work everyone put in.
We then sped through the rest of Act II, scenes iii & iv. We will be doing some revision work on this later, don't worry.

Homework: TWO worksheets on Act III, scene i along with a close reading worksheet on Act II, scene iii if you didn't finish it in class.


12s (1-4):
We watched the Zeferelli-Burton 1967 film version of Taming of the Shrew and did a little work on character. Glad to see most of you working hard on this work, as it will help you a lot in the future.

Have a great weekend,
Ms. J.

No Fear Shakespeare and Close Reading

Hi everybody,


11s:


Some of you have no yet finished your mandalas. They need to be completed by end of school FRIDAY, FEB 24th. They are available in my office, and you can work on them at lunch or after school. Come and see me in D206 and I can give it to you.

You should also have handed in your Macbeth/Banquo comparison charts, which were homework from the last class. I will be marking these over the weekend.

We started discussing No Fear Shakespeare or Shakespeare on the Double today, and you were able to translate a soliloquy from Act II, scene i. I am marking these out of 10, and so far, I can see great work. Good job!

Homework: Read Act II, scene ii and fill in a close reading worksheet with 3 quotes.


12s:


Really great to see you using your voices today to bring Taming of the Shrew to life. We also began work on Close Reading, and you all provided excellent examples of quotes to note.

Homework:  you are to read Act I, scene ii and be ready to come to class discussing.

See you all next time,
Ms. J.

Mandalas and Shrews:

Hey there everyone.

11s:


Today, we finished good copies of the mandala. You should have handed in your draft, good copy and rubric all stapled together. You had class time, lunchtime and after school. Some of you are still not finished, but I know this will be remedied by the end of the week.
Homework:   comparison chart of Macbeth & Banquo based on Act II, scene i - look for quotes for evidence.


12s:


We started studying Taming of the Shrew, and it's connotations. We looked at the elements of romantic comedy, farce and what makes up a shrew. It was interesting to hear some of your views on horoscopes and zodiacs.

Homework: You all have a copy of the homework worksheet, based on Act I, scene i of Taming of the Shrew.

Til next time.
Ms. J.

Mandalas and New Faces:

Howdy all,

11s:


We had our entrance slip on soliloquies, pathetic fallacies, and the summary of Act I, scene vi.

We then started our mandala on Act I of Macbeth, with it's various rings. What you handed in is your first draft, and we'll be continuing on with our good copy on Monday. Don't worry if your draft isn't perfect - that's why it's a draft!!

If I were you all, I would bring some nice drawing/sketching/coloring stationary for Monday to make your good copy as beautiful as possible :)

12s:


Nice to meet you all! We did some work re-introducing you to Shakespeare, and starting work on The Taming of the Shrew. Thanks for your participation in class.

FACT OF THE WEEK:  I like that our interesting fact on Shakespeare inventing the word "swagger", made it to Fact of the Week in the announcements. The more you know, the more you grow..

Have a great long weekend
Ms. Johnson.

Meeting Lady Macbeth & Soliloquies...

Howdy all,

Today we finished Act I, scene iii and have seen the last of the witches for a while.

We also developed our knowledge of the soliloquy and looked a little at pathetic fallacy on the way.
If you weren't in class today, you would do well to look at a friend's annotated copy of the soliloquy.

HOMEWORK:
Read Act I, scene vii for next class, and bring all your yellow close reading worksheets for an activity next class.

Til then - happy Singles Awareness Day tomorrow!
Ms. J.

Witches and other women...

Hi Grade Elevens,

Sorry for the delay with posting, let's get down to business.

After seeing how the close reading was going, we decided to slow things down and read together as a class.

We studied Act I, scene iii where the witches meet Macbeth and Banquo and tell them their fates. Ross and Angus then enter and confirm Macbeth has been made Thane of Cawdor.

1-1:  We also covered Lady Macbeth's soliloquy in Act I, scene v. We'll be working more on that Monday so make sure you bring your copy of the soliloquy.
Homework: Finish the worksheet Meeting the Witches


1-3:  We had a great discussion on the merits and possible problems of knowing your future. It was great to see you all actively participating, and I can't wait for more discussions like it.

HOMEWORK FOR ALL:
Pre-read Act I, scene vi as we'll be discussing it next class.

Have a great weekend all,
Ms. J

Witches, witches everywhere...

Hi Grade Elevens,


Today we looked further into witches, and their influence on Macbeth. 


Below are the links for the clips we watched:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHGP_YImpq4 
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clG8ha2D26g
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC9G_CZVAL8

Have a look to catch up and revise what we watched. We can see how a Jacobean audience would have been terrified by this spectacle, as we can see in the quote we noted:

James I wrote (1616): “The devil [can] thicken and obscure so the aire, that is next to them [witches] by contracting it strait together, that the beames of any other mans eyes cannot pearce through the same, to see them.”

We have now gone through Act I, scenes i & ii, making a close reading of both. A little work on Roman numerals brought us up to speed on how to quote the play.

Til next time,

Ms. Johnson.

Starting Macbeth

Dear Grade Elevens,

Today we started getting into the text of Shakespeare's Macbeth.
We listened to the rap (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyytzE13iV4), and filled in our Know, Predict, Learnt worksheets.

Then we started to learn more about the cultural context of Macbeth, and how to be an entertaining reader, using the AT&T Natural Voices Tool (http://www2.research.att.com/~ttsweb/tts/demo.php).

Looking into the play, we discussed Act I, scene i and how to read  a text closely, paying attention to words we didn't understand and lines which may hold crucial evidence. The Close Reading Worksheets will help us over the coming weeks to develop our understanding of the play, as well as keep on top of noteworthy acts, scenes & lines.

With 1-3, we were able to look a little at Roman Numerals, and your homework was to finish the worksheet.

For 1-1, we started looking at Act I, scene ii - don't worry, we'll go deeper next week.Thanks for welcoming Ms. Garvin from UBC into our class.

For those who were absent, you need to pick up a textbook from me, as well as the worksheets we went through.

Have a great weekend, and I'll see you all on Tuesday!
Ms. J

First Day's Lesson

Hey there everyone,

It was great meeting you today! Here's a re-cap:

• Introduction to Ms. Johnson

• Course Outline (handout)

• Getting to Know Shakespeare  (handout)

HOMEWORK: Read your independent novel - speaking to you during reader's workshop, it seemed you needed to work more on your reading. Here's your chance!

If you are missing handouts, you need to see me.

For 1-1, in our block on Friday, I will be being observed by Ms. Garvin, a Faculty Adviser from UBC. I will introduce her at the start of the class.

Until next time, I'll be in room D206.

Ms. Johnson.

Opening Remarks.

Hi everyone!

Welcome to the blog. Here's where I will be posting daily on classwork and homework.

If you have missed class, it is your responsibility to check here, and see what you have missed. Feel free to then come and talk to me.

Looking forward to working with all of you,
Kathy Johnson