Homework for Thursday

Homework: Read Chapter 5. Then after completing Chapter 5 ,go to google or some other search engine and type in: Birmingham September 15. Write a response in which you state what you found out and explain why this is significant.

Essay topics:

Choose one of the following topics for your essay. We'll work on this in class. It will be due on Sunday night.  Minimum 2 pages typed, double-spaced, 12-point type, easily legible font.

Topic 1: Show how the novelist uses the characterization of Amir to develop the themes of remorse and regret in the novel.

Topic 2: Show how the theme of remorse is developed in relation to three different characters in the novel.

Topic 3: Develop a theme of the novel that is not "regret" or "remorse" (get teacher's approval for your theme) and write your essay showing how one or more characters are presented to develop the theme you chose.

Homework for Monday

Read Chapters 10 and 11. Add the following words to your vocabulary list. (Define and use in a sentence.)

affluent, tapestries, chandelier, vaulted, congenital, perpetually, skeptic, scoffed, virtuous, intricacies, exhilarating, liability, melee , jostled, vehemently, revving, nemesis, obstinacy, irony

Homework Questions for Wednesday Sept. 19

1. Why did Ali and Sanaubar make an 'odd couple'?

2. What kind of relationship do Hassan and Amir have? Give at least 3 details to prove your point.


3. Describe the relationship of Amir with his father. What problems are they likely to fact in their relationship?

4. What does Hassan's criticism of Amir's story (the one he wrote) tell us about Hassan?

5. What does Hassan do in Chapter 5 to help Amir? Based on Hassan's background, why is this particularly brave?

6. Who is Rahim Khan? What kind of man is he?

7. At the end of Chapter 7, how do the contrasting events that define Amir's life that day (his kite flying victory and the attack) relate to one another? What do they tell us about Amir's character?

Welcome to English 1

Welcome to English 1 and the beginning of your high school experience. We will be focusing in this class on helping you to become more adept and skillful readers and writers. In reading you will be introduced to a variety of classic and modern works of high literary merit. You will focus on developing your vocabulary and your ability to interpret and analyze literature. In writing, you will develop the ability to write a literary essay, sharpen your grammar skills and your understanding of how language and sentences work. You will become a skilled writer capable of expressing your thoughts concisely and creatively.

But beyond this, the goal of this class is help you begin to understand the role that literature plays in helping us to understand our lives, the truths we live by, and the nature of right and wrong in human society. In some ways, literature remains one of the best way people have invented to think about what it means to be a human being living in society. It addresses big ideas and deep questions, and this class has as one of its goals to help you begin to see how literature works to provide us with glimpses of truth that are often hidden from view or suppressed because they are difficult to face or make us uncomfortable.

How we'll work:

How we'll work: For each book or literary work we read, you’ll be expected to read about 25 pages a night. In addition you will sometimes have homework in which you'll be asked to write brief responses or answer questions about your reading or topics for class discussion. You can expect that for each book or literary work, you'll write one at-home essay and have one to two tests. Pop quizzes occur whenever the teacher (me) gets the sense that students are not reading the material!

Grades and Attendance Policy

Grades will be based on the following:

Tests/ at home writing and projects:    60 percent
Classwork, quizzes, and homework:   40 percent
                                                 Total: 100 percent

IMPORTANT: Grades are cumulative. That means the grades you make now count as much as the grades later in the semester. So it's important to work hard from the very beginning and not dig yourself into a hole in the first weeks of our class. We will use Engrade, an online grading system in this class. I’ll give you information shortly about how to register. You’ll have your own account, where I’ll post grades. Your parents or guardians should be given access to your account.

Responsibility: It is the student’s responsibility to make up work. If you’re absent, you must find out from a fellow student what work was done in class or for homework and get the work to me the following day. No late homework or classwork will be accepted! If you miss a test, it is your responsibility to let me know and arrange for a make-up.

Attendance: You’re expected to be in class every day. Absent notes are required if you are absent due to illness or family necessity.

Electronic devices:

Keep them in your pockets or bags. No use of electronic devices in the classroom.

Honor Policy—Cheating and Plagiarism:

If you do the work of this class on your own, you’ll develop skills that will serve you well for the rest of your life. If you cheat, you’ll get no such benefit and you’ll receive a 0 on the work in question, and your parents/guardian will be informed of your actions. You'll also violate my trust in you, and you’ll lose my respect, and since trust and respect are two things that I believe we all value very highly, I'll be deeply disappointed in you. When you take other people’s work and hold it out to be your own (whether another student’s work or something taken from the Internet), you are engaging in theft. Plagiarism won’t be tolerated. Plagiarism will result in a 0 on the work in question. In addition, Midwood will be announcing a school-wide plagiarism code in coming days that will include severe penalties for plagiarism.

Class Communications and Contacting Mr. Vilbig:

Class blog: The class will use a blog to communicate assignments and other important matters. It can be accessed at www.vilbigenglish1.blogspot.com. I highly suggest that you register for the blog and ‘follow’ it, since this will result in your receiving an email notification when new posts are made. Contact information: The best way to contact me is through the Engrade email system. You also can reach me by phone 718 724-8560. The best times to contact me are between 10:30 and 11 a.m., and 2 to 3 p.m.

Chapters 22 and 23 of Great Expectations

Here's some thoughts about Great Expectations from some crazy dude I found on YouTube. Please watch -- I think it will be helpful.

Victorian Era Reading

Here are several websites that treat of the Victorian Era -- the name given to the historic period that coincided with the reign of Queen Victoria of England. Familiarize yourself with these blogs or posts, then select one article or post from each. Read the entry and write a brief summary.

Here are the websites:

1) A blog that covers many topics involving the Victorian Era can be found here.

2) A second website here, give you "Ten Creepy Aspects" about the Victorian Era.

3) For information on fashion, food, and aspects of Victorian 'elegance,' read this.

4) And finally, look here for an overview of many aspects of Victorian life.

Parameters for Essay

Formatting:
1) Minimum three pages.
2) 12 point or smaller type
2) Times New Roman or similar font
3) Black ink
4) One-inch margins

Structure:
1) Introductory paragraph  that at minimum roughly follows the format discussed in class (thesis statement and background/explanation in whatever order you choose).
2) Body paragraphs (at least two) that develop your primary arguments in each paragraph. Each paragraph should have a topic sentence (first sentence) that essentially states your point, followed by a development of that argument, examples, and if appropriate a quote. The last sentence of each body paragraph should wrap up the argument made within.
3) It's perfectly alright to have other body paragraphs (for example, ones that talk about how to solve the problem you're discussing, or that further develop arguments in other body paragraphs). But there must be at least two body paragraphs that directly develop the arguments in favor of your thesis.
4) A conclusion that summarizes the essay's conclusions.

Writing:
Try to make your writing concise, logical, striking, and grammatical.

I hope you're enjoying your break! See you in a week!

Example of Body Paragraph

[Topic:]Currently pilots are only tested for psychological problems at the time of hire. [Explanation]That's a big problem, because it's well known that people's psychological condition can change with time. In addition, flying planes can be a very stressful job. It doesn't make sense to put pilots under such stress without recognizing the need to give them psychological tests periodically. In many other high stress professions, people are required to undergo regular testing. [Example:] For example, members of the U.S. military and people who work in high risk jobs in combat zones are given regular tests and have access to counseling. [Quote:] "We would be in a lot of trouble," said Mark Saunders, head of the American Testing Association, "if we didn't do testing of people like CIA officers." [Wrap-up sentence:] If these other professions require regular testing, then so should pilots.
(material in this paragraph are for demonstration purposes only and do not necessarily bear any resemblance to persons living or dead.)

Age of Discovery

Read here about the Age of Discovery.

A Mysterious Disease

Read the article here, and write a brief response in which you identify: a) the article's main point or thesis; b) the main arguments or points the article develops.

Short essay response due Saturday night

Many readers of the novel's final scene find it to be tricky and ambiguous. In your short essay response, I'd like you to explain: 1) your view of what happens at the novel's conclusion (and remember: please use direct evidence from the text to prove your point; 2) what do you believe is the meaning of the final scene (what does the river symbolize; how does the final scene connect to theme in the novel)?

This response should be a minimum of 300 words. It should be double spaced, 11-12 point type in a readable font (Times New Roman is the standard). You will upload the response to turnitin by Saturday night at 11:59 and 59 seconds.

Homework over the break

Read Chapters 27-31 and study vocabulary words. Have fun! See you on the 27th!

Farming of Bones vocabulary

translucence, lavishly, spacious, acertain, rambling, reprove, evading, larceny, prelude, ferocity, conciliatory, obstinacy, slacken, embellishment, prerogative, dissertation, gesticulate, saturate, stupor, serenity, condolence, eccentric, corroborate, lamentation, imposter, paroxysm

Contact information

By far the most convenient and effective way that I can be reached is through the email account provided by Engrade. However, you can also contact me at (718) 724-8500. Leave a message, and I will return the call as soon as possible. Or you can email at my Dept. of Education email: pvilbig@schools.nyc.gov.

Grading policy/class information

Grades will be based on the following:
Tests and at home literary essays and projects: 40 percent
Classwork, quizzes, and homework: 60 percent
Total: 100 percent

How we'll work: For each book or literary work we read, you’ll be expected to read about 25 pages a night. In addition you will sometimes have homework in which you'll be asked to write brief responses or answer questions about your reading or topics for class discussion. You can expect that for each book or literary work, you'll write one at-home essay and have one to two tests. Pop quizzes occur whenever the teacher (me) gets the sense that students are not reading the material!

IMPORTANT: Grades are cumulative. That means the grades you make now count as much as the grades later in the semester. So it's important to work hard from the very beginning and not dig yourself into a hole in the first weeks of our class.

We will use Engrade, an online grading system in this class. I’ll give you information shortly about how to register. You’ll have your own account, where I’ll post grades. Your parents or guardians should be given access to your account.

All's Well That Ends Well Test

DUE WEDNESDAY at 11:59:59

Write one-paragraph responses to each of the following questions:

1.       The trick that Helena employs to consummate her marriage with Bertram raises questions about ethics and morality and has led to controversy over many centuries. Some regard her actions as wrong. These critics would say that the end doesn’t justify the means. (That to do something wrong in order to obtain a good result is nonetheless wrong.) Others say her love for Bertram justifies what she did, especially in light of his being under the bad influence of Parolles. What is your view? Is Helena right or wrong and why?

2.       Character traits often have a huge influence on how characters react to situations in a drama (just as they have a huge influence on how people act in real life). What are the character traits that Helena and Bertram possess, and what influence do they have in shaping the way they act toward one another?

3.       Why is the subplot in which Parolles is shown to be a coward important to the play’s main plot? Explain.

Your responses should include a strong first sentence (topic sentence) that makes your point and then use evidence from the play to back your view. Each response should be several sentences in length (roughly 250 or more words each).

All's Well Homework for Tuesday

Homework: Finish reading Scene 1. In the scene Helena and Paroles have an argument over the advisability of maintaining virginity. Write two paragraphs in which you state the main points each speaker makes for and against virginity. Identify specific details from their arguments and use at least one quote from each speaker to back up your point.