Mrs. T’s Information Page!

 

[This page was last updated at 4 PM February 29, 2008 .]

 

 

Are we having fun yet? J

 

 

The purpose of this page is to keep you updated on homework and to provide you convenient links to class resources and information.  I will try to keep it updated as regularly as I can, but, alas, I cannot promise that it will be changed daily.                                     

                                                                                                                  ----- the management 

 

Links

Homework and Class Summary

Aug  Sep  Oct  Nov  Dec  Jan  Feb  Mar  Apr  May

 

Journal Music

Topham’s AtticConference Schedule...
English Department Rubric
...
Reading and Writing Workshops... Portfolios...

Senior Electives

Return to KT's Home Page

Email Instructions

To send me comments, questions, or work in need of feedback, click on your class: E2H, E3H, E3CP, Film , Creative Writing ,Drama

Please send work to be graded or recorded to me at ktopham@d115.org .

 Place your class (E3H/E3CP/E2H/Film/CW/Drama/etc.) in the subject line.
Sometimes I can be located on AIM or iChat at
sunspark2.

         à

Don't forget: WS due at every regularly scheduled conference!

There's always homework! Don't forget WW and RW. :-)

See Topham’s Attic for important announcements.

 

Information

 

For details on homework, see tophamsattic.

 

Week One: August 27-31

 

 

Journal

E3H

E2H

CW

M

None

intro stuff; buy journal

intro stuff; buy journal

intro stuff; buy journal

T

Say hello;

Bubbly

Journals; intro to poetry (Collins)

Journals, intro to poetry (Collins)

HW: Ch 1 + be ready to discuss two of the poems in it

Journals, etc.

HW: compose a creative piece of about three paragraphs about your feelings about your name

W

Second Sight 

 

"On Reading Poems..." (344)

"Ars Poetica" (19) 

HW: Ch 5--read and prepare to discuss ("whack words") at least two of the poems in this chapter

"On Reading Poems..." (344)

Discussed the question of what a poem is.  Whacked it around a bit. 

HW: Poetry: I, Suicide's Note, Ballad of Birmingham: read and jot some notes for discussion 

Worked in pairs and fours on "name" pieces.   

HW: Revise name piece for presentation tomorrow

Th

 20 journal topics

 

discussed figurative language (ch 5)

HW: pay attention to figurative language today and tonight!

(3rd)--be ready to discuss Metaphors, Song of Powers, The Hound, and Dream Deferre

(7th)—be ready to discuss The Hound, Dream Deferred, To His Coy Mistress, and A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning

“Poetry: I” and “Suicide’s Note”

HW: read There’s Been a Death in the Opposite House (32); watch for stylistic elements; listen to the poem and look at it…

We heard from  Will, Alex and Katie; tomorrow we hear from the rest of you!

F

Pets I have known

Discussed poems from yesterday

HW: For Tuesday: describe a frozen moment from your summer, a mental photograph of a moment without time passing, using minimal adjectives but plenty of strong nouns and verbs.  2pps, double-sp.  Bring 2 copies.

Discussed Emily Dickinson poem

HW: Read the other Dickinson poems in the book.  Choose five of them and, on paper, note stylistic elements and comparisons to the one we read today.  See this link: emily.htm; it will give clear instructions.

Most everyone read their revised pieces; those who have not will do so on Tuesday.

HW: Write a short story containing at least two characters and a clear conflict.

 

Week Two: September 4-7

 

 

Journal

E3H

E2H

CW

M

No school

Labor Day

 

 

T

thumbing your nose at convention

WW: discussed logistics (binders, pink sheets, etc.) and WS before beginning to conference

HW: D1 of WS for tomorrow

Dickinson: began discussing things that seemed stylistically and thematically consistent throughout the poems this weekend

HW: Select ONE and prepare to discuss it

WW: discussed logistics (binders, pink sheets, etc.) and WS before beginning to conference

HW: D1 of WS for 1st conf; new strong draft for tomorrow

W

Wearing your on your sleeve

The booklady speaks…

Mrs. Flangel introduced ten books for potential RW selections

The booklady speaks…

Mrs. Flangel introduced ten books for potential RW selections

Finished (finally) the second readings of the names pieces.

HW: take a 20-minute walk alone sans technology, remaining in the here and now.When you return, reflect on what you felt in a poem.

Th

Multidimensional

Discussed reading workshop, registering for bbs, continued conferences

HW: register for bbs online

Discussed reading workshop, registering for bbs, conference slots

HW: register for bbs online; redo T HW as needed

Discussed reading workshop, registering for bbs, walk in here and now

HW: register for bbs online

F

TV or not TV

Missed P3; P7 discussed weekend assignments; see below; NB that jury duty may postpone conferences next week.

HW: see weekend.htm

Discussed next week’s schedule, noting that jury duty is going to upset it quite a bit.

HW: see weekend.htm

Read Walk poems, discussed bbs and next week’s funky schedule.

HW: see weekend.htm

 

Top of page

 

Week Three: September 10-14  

(A)

 

 

Journal

E3H

E2H

CW

M

Monsoon afternoon

RW

RW

RW

T

On a sunny Tuesday morning

WW

WW

Counselor Seminars

W

Parabolas in training

Discussed working online; expectations for bbs

HW: continue online discussions

Discussed working online; expectations for bbs; discussed “Faith is a fine invention”

HW: continue online discussions—tomorrow there will be small gps “whacking” selected poems

Discussed working online and the importance of participating in bbs; began confs on conflict stories

Th

nostalgia

Small gp discussions of chapter 5 poems; large gp disc of “To His Coy Mistress”

HW: Begin essay due sat night via email; see hw.htm

Small gp discussions about selected Dickinson poems

HW: begin preparing short essay (400 words + quotes) on a main idea expressed in one of the Dickinson poems.

Continued conflict story discussions; set five points for revision

HW: For Fri night, post online a revised and highlighted version of your piece.  For Sun night: visit your groupmates’ pieces and leave feedback.

F

Real love?

Discussed how to write and organize an analytical essay

Discussed how to write and organize an analytical essay

Aldamia’s Heart Ch 1

 

 

Week Four: September 17-21 

(B)

 

 

Journal

E3H

E2H

CW

M

In the spaces between

RW

RW

Conflict story conferences

HW: bring in a work of art

T

Baboon ballet

WW

HW: bring in a piece of art that moves you in some way

WW

HW: If you bought Our Town, bring it with you.

Discussed art that was brought in and the notion of “after art” pieces

HW: create an “after art” poem

W

Marshmallow wars

Discussed artworks brought in: what is art?  Working def: art is a person’s interpretation or expression of a thought or emotion or outside stimulus, rendered in some chosen medium, and received by an observer

HW: start on boards (Poetry/Art; see “The Assignment”)

Discussed the structure and concept of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town; began watching film

“after art” confs

HW: boards—post your after art poem

Th

Penguins in pajamas

Discussed Shakespeare’s “Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments

HW: cont. boards: specifically discuss MacLeish’s response to Shakespeare’s poem

Continued Our Town.  Watched/discussed through scene with two moms discussing the antique salesman. 

HW: boards now open; see assignment online

Discussed writing college apps

HW: continued work on pieces in progress

F

weightless

Discussed several metapoems incl “The Juggler”

Hw: art quotes (What Is a Work of Art?” link on E3H page); discuss on bbs

Continued watching/discussing Our Town: why are the details presented by the professor and Mr. Webb important?

HW: continue bbs on the play; in journal: keep a list of things you notice intentionally this weekend: stop and smell the roses

The booklady cometh!

 

HW: so does a letter; watch for it!

 

Top of page

 

Week Five: September 24-28

(A)

 

 

Journal

E3H

E2H

CW

M

Is pizza the perfect food?

RW

RW

Individual work

T

“Where’s the key?”

WW

HW: bring The Theban Plays; art quote boards

WW

Focus on character

W

Anemone dreams

Art quote discussions: talked about some of the “what is art?” quotes that were being discussed online…

HW: continue boards

Our Town continued

Focus on character

HW: finish the piece based on observing me

Th

Peripheral vision

Art quote discussions: talked about some of the “what is art?” quotes that were being discussed online…

HW: continue boards; focus on “Poems about Poetry” page

Our Town continued

 

HW: cont. boards

Read character pieces

F

#6 from your left

Discussion of random online metapoems

HW: continue boards online; write a metapoem of your own (see E3H page) and post on new board (under “Writing Workshop”)

Our Town continued

HW: cont. boards: when did you have this kind of awkward conversation that revealed something important about your friends and relationships?

Finished reading character pieces; workshopped for period.

 

HW: bring all drafts on Monday

 

 

Week Six: October 1-5

(B)

 

 

Journal

E3H

E2H

CW

M

Oct 1: school year almost over

RW

RW

RW

T

#16 + #1

Counselor Seminars

RW

Discussed dialogue and dialogue tagging;

HW: listen to real people talk; write two brief dialogue-based pieces with 2 characters: one contains a benign dialogue, one a dialogue revealing a conflict

W

Rushing the Season

WW

Our Town continued: the wedding and the start of Emily’s funeral

HW: speculate about where this is going

workshop

Th

pandemonium

Discussed metapoems from online

HW: revise metapoems and post

Finished Our Town

HW: post on final scene AND on possible essay topics for OT

Discussed portfolio requirements

F

The adventures of willy the whirlwind

Poem unit culmination: the fantasia project!

HW: begin working on fantasia (see E3H page under “poetry project”); due 10/17.  Metapoem Slam 10/11!!!

Discussed OT essay topics

Begin drafting OT essay—your choice of thesis.  See quotes link on E2H page.  Draft 1 due 10/12.

Reviewed portfolio requirements on Homework Page link (above)

HW: Bring in all drafts on Tuesday.  Be sure to include all class assignments.

 

Top of page

 

Week Seven: October 8-12

 

 

Journal

E3H

E2H

CW

M

 

 

 

 

T

Requiem for summer

RW

RW

Conferences

Bring all drafts!!!

W

Living in Tundra Town

WW

WW

Conferences

Bring all drafts!!

Th

Prancing peonies