Thank you to the TTOC who came in to cover my classes for me today. 🙂

English 12: 

Work block to finish name poem (from before the break and we ran out of time to finish it) for portfolio and to read/prep lesson materials for Lit Circle #5 which is on Fri (Apr 5). 

Name poem criteria:

Do you like your name? Do you ever wonder about the meaning of your name? Are there interesting stories behind your name? Have you ever asked your parents how they chose your name? How important was it to them and is it to you? Do you believe your name brings you a certain fate?

Write a 10-12 line free verse poem addressing the questions above. Your poem must have one simile, one metaphor, at least one use of alliteration and one use of personification. Underline these devices in your poem. Give your poem a creative title.

English 8:

Concrete poetry assignment:

Create a concrete (shaped) poem on the theme of spring. Use a sheet of white paper (given out in class). You should use as much of the paper as possible; creativity and colour are encouraged for this assignment.

DUE: Fri Apr 5/24

Remaining class time to read/prep for LC #6 on Fri, Apr 5.

English 11FP: 

  • read “Every Little Hurricane” by Sherman Alexie; discuss for understanding.
  • begin working on brainstorming for literary essay using the following criteria (we will continue with brainstorming and/or drafting in class on Fri):

“Every Little Hurricane” by Sherman Alexie

Literary Analysis Essay

Step ONE: Brainstorming

Your brainstorm will be collected as part of this assignment so please ensure it is completed with effort and detail.

– Include quotes with page numbers in your brainstorming for ease of writing the final composition

You are to complete a thorough brainstorm for each of the FIVE points below:

PARAGRAPH #1: Provide an overview of the short story including main characters and plot line. The key with this step is to be concise and ensure you are focusing on the MAIN points to demonstrate your understanding.

 

PARAGRAPH #2: Discuss Alexie’s use of extended metaphor in this short story. Provide examples with properly quoted citations to demonstrate your understanding of this device and how the author uses it in his writing.

 

PARAGRAPH# 3: referring to the 21 themes and topics for the First Peoples’ course, choose TWO themes/topics you feel are present/important in Alexie’s story. Cite proof from the story to support your beliefs.

 

PARAGRAPH #4: What message do you believe Sherman Alexie is trying to convey about Indigenous culture in “Every Little Hurricane”? Provide evidence from the story to support your assertions.

 

PARAGRAPH #5: Write a literary review of this short story. Did you like it? Why or why not? What did you like or dislike about it? Compared to other short stories we’ve read so far this year by Indigenous authors, how do you feel this one compares?

Step TWO: Rough drafting

Using your point form notes from your brainstorm, create a rough draft for each of the five paragraphs that will make up your essay.

  • Paragraphs must be 8-12 sentences EACH in length

Quotes must be smoothly integrated into your writing and have proper page number citations; stand-alone quotes are not acceptable for this essay.

 Your rough drafting must be submitted for grading as part of this assignment.

This work stays in your portfolio and is NOT homework. Marks for this essay rely on the work you complete in class for this project. Emphasis is on brainstorming, drafting/editing and trying to demonstrate growth in your composition skills. The final, printed good copy weighs very little in comparison to the important development/progress components.

We will be working on this essay for a number of classes so please ensure work is always left in your portfolio so it doesn’t go missing.