Test Day

Short Story Test

Begin Discussing Provincial Exam Strategies

Have you checked out the student samples available on the bc exam website?

Independent Short Story Project/Study

This project will prepare you for the short story test on Monday, Feb. 28th and give you a chance to make sure you know how to use the foundational literary terms of English 12.


Step One – Select a story that is longer than 7 pages long – the librarian will have a selection of books out for you to choose from.

Step Two – Photocopy the story.

Step Three – Read the story with a pen or pencil in your hand. Practise your annotation skills. Cover the story in marks as you read. (4 marks for annotation)

Step Four – Find someone else who has read the same story as you and discuss the plot, characters, conflict, setting, point of view and theme. If you must, work by yourself, making sure before you proceed to the next step, that you have figured out these basic elements of the short story. Use the attached graphic organizers to take further notes (10 marks for worksheets).

Step Five - Come up with a question/topic – related to one of the main elements of fiction. For example: How does the setting of the story, “The Liar” alter our understanding of the protagonist’s motivation? Write a 2 or 3 paragraph response to that question. Use supporting quotations. (12 marks) See the sample response at: http://eolit.hrw.com/hlla/writersmodel/makepdf.jsp?id=1050&WebLogicSession=TWH8VSb3dessTSN5hGIocmgFxqbMHEGkHXad0ob0d2oUwcXFpG61|8121286389490268350/-1062731312/6/6001/6001/7002/7002/6001/-1

Step Six – Create a visual representation of the theme of your story. Create an online or pen and paper creation/collage. Online you can try a Glogster poster, a Prezi presentation using related video links and text, or an Animoto slide show of images and text. Don’t know what these are? Google them! (12 marks)

All these pieces are due THURSDAY, Feb 24th.

Lazy Whiners? Responding to Non-Fiction...

1) Silent Reading

2) Mark "A Rose for Emily" Questions

3) Lazy Whiners Article - Read/View

4) Whole Class Discussion - Agree? Disagree?

5) How could you respond logically - in pairs or solo, make a list of valid points to raise.

6) Letter writing. Write her. Or write to me or to Mr. Friesen or to another teacher or to the school district... or...

A Rose for Emily - Discussion and Epitaph

1) Silent Reading

2)"A Rose For Emily" by William Faulkner

3) Discussion Questions:

Section I
1. In the first section of “A Rose for Emily,” Faulkner sets a particular tone. How would you describe that tone, and what are some of the techniques he uses to do it? How does his word choice, for instance, affect the tone? And how does the tone impact your reading of the story?

2. The date of Miss Emily’s death and the state or region in which the story is set are ever mentioned. However, Faulkner provides several hints in Section I for both the time and the setting of the story. Given what you have read so far, what is your best estimate of when this story takes place, and what region of the country is Jefferson located? Give reasons for your answers.

Section II
1. Two separate and unrelated issues of heredity/inheritance are raised in Section II. What are they, and what role do they play in the town’s perception of Miss Emily?

2. It becomes clear in Section II that Miss Emily may be suffering from some form of mental illness or psychological disorder. Do you think Miss Emily is mentally ill or psychologically disturbed? Why or why not?

Section III
1. Faulkner describes how boys would follow Homer Barron around town in order “to hear him cuss the niggers, and the niggers singing tin time to the rise and fall of picks.” Do you consider Faulkner’s use of the racial epithet “nigger,” as opposed to the terms “Negro” or “Black,” racist? Why does Faulkner use that term in this case? Why doesn’t he use that term when referring to Tobe, Emily’s manservant?

2. The older ladies in the town claim that “even grief could not cause a real lady to forget her noblesse oblige.…” What do they mean by this?

Section IV
1. Faulkner makes a point of explaining how Miss Emily refused to let the post office place numbers on the side of her house. What is the purpose of this information? What role does this information play in the story?

2. The town seems to abhor the prospect of Miss Emily’s relationship to Homer Barron. Some members think it is a disgrace and a bad example to the young, while others are happy at her prospects of marriage. Explain why there are such differing opinions in the town.

Section V
1. The first paragraph of Section V describes how Tobe greets the ladies who are calling on the house after Miss Emily’s death, and then immediately disappears forever. Why do you think Tobe disappears? What effect do you think Faulkner is trying to create by opening the section like this?

2. Faulkner spends a fair amount of time describing the “very old men” at the funeral. Why does Faulkner do this? Do you think he’s only describing the “very old men,” or are the “very old men” representative of a larger issue or theme that the story addresses?

4) Epitaph Assignment:

Have you ever wandered around a graveyard and read the inscriptions on the gravestones? Some have an epitaph on the gravestone. And epitaph is just a big word for a small poem or statement that commemorates a person who has died. And "A Rose for Emily" is all about death. The story begins with the whole town gathered for Miss Emily's funeral. For this assignment, we're going to pretend we're some of the characters who might be gathered at Miss Emily's funeral, and then you'll write an epitaph for her.

Step 1: With your group, brainstorm about which characters might be at Miss Emily's funeral and what they might think and say about her.

Step 2: Share your ideas for your characters' thoughts and feelings about Miss Emily as with the whole class. Be sure to take notes about each character.

Step 3: Choose a character from the story and write an epitaph for Miss Emily from that character's perspective. You will do this on your own, as homework.

Once your epitaph is turned in, you will have a chance to share yours with the class. I'll put them up on display too.

Stranger than Fiction

Check out today's assignment here.

How are Music Videos like Stories?

For more deets on today's inquiry question, go to:
DailyEnglish11

Netbook Day

1) Silent Reading



2) "Making a Difference" Compositions - Due



3) Finish Google Doc Collaboration response to "Girl" - let's create an editor's checklist.
<--- What does the Wordle reveal?



4) Introduce Blogger - after your paragraph is done, you can begin to set up your English 12 blog.


5) Tomorrow: The Elements of the Short Story and the mammoth textbook. Get ready for a workout.

Girl Continued...

1) Announcements - hand in your permission forms for the trip to the film festival. The bus leaves tomorrow at 11:40. Egypt update. Nobel flags powerpoint.

2) Silent Reading - remember I will give you credit for this time, and will occasionally ask for a silent reading report.

3) "Girl" questions - think, pair, share...

4) Opinion Essays - feedback

5) What does good writing do??

6) Time to work on your written response...

(I will also distribute an email sign up sheet - next week we will start our blogs...)

Just a Girl in Antigua

1) Opinion Response Due - will discuss results tomorrow

2) Silent Reading

3) It's your World Report - Egypt Update?? Flags Powerpoint. Now we are thinking globally.... (which reminds me - make sure you have your world film fest permission forms in by tomorrow).

4) "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid - the first story we will read...

5) Cultural Context - will attach document here soon.

6) Writing Topics - see doc

Have you got a journal yet??? I'll try to go buy some today.

1973 Sugar Cane Workers - Photo