Google Meet - Tuesday, April 7th - 10:30 am - 11:15 - First Day Back

Google Meet at 10:30 am Link

OVERVIEW:  Welcome back to school!  I hope this blog post finds you and your family well.  I miss seeing you, and I hope to make our time together as meaningful and stress free as possible.

In this space, I want to prepare you for our first day back.  You should have received a letter from the district about our return to learning.  Below, you will see a grid with the weekly schedule.  We will meet twice a week for class.  I plan to use Google Meet and our class blog.  I will also be available during H-block and Wednesdays on Google Meet for office hours.

Below, I provided a list of "options" for your continued learning.  Our first class will involve checking-in and making decisions about how to proceed.  I want you to be part of this process.  

If you are friendly with anyone in the class, please let them know that there is an expectation that they will be engaging in work, again. 

HOMEWORK DUE TUESDAY:  When you finish reading this post, please post a quick comment below to let me know: 1)  You are alive and well, 2) Will I see you in our first Google Meet, and 3) What would you be interested in doing with our time (again, see list below).  Note:  All class sessions will be recorded and posted on my blog, so you can still enjoy class even if you do not make it for the live session.

See you on Google Meet!

AHS School Schedule

Curriculum Possibilities

1.  Late Work:  The first order of business.  If you have not done so, please complete any work assigned before March 13th.  This work will be graded and will count for graduation.  Send all completed late work to my email for evaluation.  Final district due date is Friday, April 17th.

2. Wit by Margaret Edson:  As we were almost finished reading the Margaret Edson's Wit, I think that would be the best place to resume classes. When you finish reading the last two sections of the play, you can compose your response in the appropriate blog space when you can. I have provided quick links, below:

Blog post for Wit by Margaret Edson, Pages 39-51
Blog post for "Wit" by Margaret Edson, Pages 51-67(End)

3.  Marjorie Prime by Jordan Harrison:  I have a pdf of the play.  We could read it together during our class sessions.  The film is available on Amazon Prime.  See film trailer, below.

4.  Mr. Pellerin Daily Lessons:  I could always just share poems, favorite pieces of literature, review past material, walk through my Teaching Global Classroom Blog, and we can have a discussion on Google Meet during our class time.  The assignments can come organically from these sessions.

5.  College Prep: Is there anything you would like me to help you with on your way to college?  More grammar work?  Writing instruction?  Writing literary research papers?  Life lessons?  Use me as a resource.

6.  Creative Writing:  Poetry, short fiction, novels, personal essay writing?  I can help guide you.  FYI: Watch the video of Poetry Night at Cafe Azteca!

7.  Any other suggestions?  I am open.

Gatsby says, "Welcome Back, Daisy!"

Poem of the Day and Check-in

Poem of the Day by Ian Curtis of Joy Division

I wish I were a Warhol silk screen
hanging on the wall.
Or little Joe or maybe Lou.
I'd love to be them all.
All New York's broken hearts
and secrets would be mine.
I'd put you on a movie reel,
and that would be just fine.

1.  Watch Poetry Night at Cafe Azteca!

2.  IMPORTANT:  Please go to the previous blog post for full details on this week's work. Due dates are up in the air, again.  We are waiting for the district to make a decision.  Contact me in this blog space or through email if you need me.  I hope you are all safe and well.

P

Important Update - Classes Resume on Blog!

Poem of the Day:  "Aria Above Seattle" by Sharon Olds

Important Update:  We are resuming learning this week! 


1.  Late Work:  If you have not done so, please complete any work assigned before March 13th.  This work will be graded and will count for graduation.  Send all completed late work to my email for evaluation.

2.  Wit by Margaret Edson - As we were almost finished reading the Margaret Edson's Wit, I think that would be the best place to resume classes.  Please finish reading the last two sections of the play and compose your response in the appropriate blog space when you can.  I have provided quick links, below:

Blog post for Wit by Margaret Edson, Pages 39-51

Blog post for "Wit" by Margaret Edson, Pages 51-67(End)

NOTE:  If you are friendly with anyone in the class, please let them know that there is an expectation that they will be engaging in the work, again. 

"...I come back to the place you are..."

"Wit" by Margaret Edson, Pages 51-67(End)

Poem of the Day: "Aria to Our Miscarried One, Age 50 Now" by Sharon Olds

This week's lessons can be found on this blog post:
For A Block - ELA Lessons for 3/23 - 3/30
For F Block -  ELA Lessons for 3/23 - 3/30

Today's Lesson:  Read Wit by Margaret Edson, Pages 51-67(End)

Assignment:  If you would like to comment on the text, you may use the questions, below.  I posted the film if you would like to see it performed.  Anyone is welcome.

Reading Questions

1.  Compare and contrast young Vivian’s misreading of “Death Be Not Proud” with E.M. Ashford with the final discussion between Susie and Jason about “Salvation Anxiety.” Given the final scene in the play, what meaning could be derived here?


2.  According to Dr. Vivian Bearing, what is the metaphysical conceit (or essence) of Holy Sonnet IX (If poisonous minerals)?


3.  How does E.M. Ashford’s reading of The Runaway Bunny tie into Holy Sonnet IX and, ultimately, explain the essence of the play?

Wit (2001)

Reminder: Look at last Vlog for important info. See brief excerpt, below:

The State of Massachusetts has set guidelines about our learning experiences. At the time of this posting, there will be:

• No directed curriculum
• No deadlines
• No graded assignments

"Wit" by Margaret Edson, Pages 39-51

Poem of the Day: “State Evidence” by Sharon Olds

This week's lessons can be found on this blog post:
For A Block - ELA Lessons for 3/23 - 3/30
For F Block -  ELA Lessons for 3/23 - 3/30

Today's Lesson:  Read Wit by Margaret Edson, Pages 39-51

Assignment:  If you would like to comment on the text, you may use the questions, below.  I posted the film if you would like to see it performed.  Anyone is welcome.

Reading Questions

1.  How could Vivian’s cancer treatment be considered a paradox?

2.  What paradox is unearthed in John Donne’s sonnet “If poisonous minerals”?

3.  In terms of characterization, what parallel is made between Vivian and Jason? How could the comparison be described as ironic?

4.  How dis Vivian treat her students?  How was it similar to E.M. Ashford?  How was it, ultimately, completely different?

Wit (2001)

Reminder: Look at last Vlog for important info. See brief excerpt, below:

The State of Massachusetts has set guidelines about our learning experiences. At the time of this posting, there will be:

• No directed curriculum
• No deadlines
• No graded assignments

ELA Lessons for 3/23 - 3/30

Poem of the Day:  "Poems Which Talk Back to Me" by Sharon Olds

Overview and Directions:  As discussed, here are five ELA assignments from the English Department to help enrich your time away from school.  If you would like to engage with these together, please let me know in the comments section.  Some of you mentioned books you would like to read as a group.  I can connect students from my five classes for a reading group if you wish.  Just shoot me a quick comment so I know you're out there.

I am currently reading:  The Waves by Virginia Woolf and Arias by Sharon Olds.

I will add a post on Wednesday and Friday to offer a "Poem of the Day" as well as share some of the reading and work I am doing during this time.  Again, if you read a post, please just shoot me a quick comment so I know I am talking to someone.

Attention AP Students:  Here is an important update from the A.P. Board regarding the test:  Click here.  Your class links to the A.P. College Board Classes are below.  Most of you joined already.  Let me know if you have a problem finding the site. Once you login, you will see that I unlocked all the practice quizzes for you.  You should be able to quiz yourself and get results.  I did not set time limits, etc., so you can practice as you wish.  In the testing situation, you will have roughly 20 minutes for a multiple choice selection and 40 minutes for each essay.  I will continue to make posts with helpful A.P. materials for you.  Again, leave me comments to let me know how you would like to engage.  Zoom, blog, etc.

A.P. College Board (C Block)

View Video: My AP Student Experience
Join Class: Your AP Class Section
Join Code: 432NYK

A.P. College Board (B Block)

View Video: My AP Student Experience
Join Class: Your AP Class Section
Join Code: KP43JX

ELA Lessons for 3/23 - 3/30

Learning Activity 34:  Write a book review about a book you like by describing the book in such a way to make others want to read it. Record this book talk and share it if you would like with a friend or relative.

Learning Activity 61: Interview any adult about a big, national, “event” from their adolescence. Have them recall a memory of a time when life changed and the whole country/world was impacted. What happened? How did their routines change? How did they get through it? When did they return to “normal”?


Learning Activity 6: Humans are social beings and need contact or perceived contact with others. What are you doing right now to maintain a sense of community due to our distance? What are you doing to maintain a sense of normalcy and routine. Write for ten minutes about this experience and your thinking?

Learning Activity 29: Ideas.Ted.Com with Guy Winch https://ideas.ted.com/author/guy-winch/ peruse and select an article, read and respond with your thoughts and connections. ( I enjoyed, “Dear Guy: I’m incredibly anxious about coronavirus, what can I do?” and also the great video at the end of the article, “We all need to practice emotional first aid.”)


Learning Activity 16: Do a virtual museum tour of the one of the 12 museums highlighted in this article. Choose a piece of art perform a visual analysis using the 4-question protocol:

• What do you see?
• Where is your attention drawn?
• What is there to get (i.e. - what is the meaning of the work)?
• What more is there to ask?

Then, write a one-page reflection connecting the piece either to something you’ve read in class (a novel, poem, play, article, etc.) or to one of the essential questions for your grade [insert your grade’s EQs here]. How do these pieces speak to one another? What is the connection between the two, for you?

Lesson 4: Important Update - No Due Dates - No Grades - Just Learning Experiences

Poem of the Day: “Meeting a Stranger” by Sharon Olds

Today's Lesson:  Update from the State of Massachusetts on Learning during this crisis.

Hello my friends,

The State of Massachusetts has set guidelines about our learning experiences. At the time of this posting, there will be:

• No directed curriculum

• No deadlines

• No graded assignments

• Please disregard all due dates and work from Friday, March 13th.  Do not stress out about your grades, etc.  If you would like to complete work, I will accept it, but no one should feel obligated in any way to do work while we are out.

• Having said that, I will provide resources that have been developed by myself and other members of the English Department on a weekly basis for you to choose from and do if you wish to keep learning and active.

• For my part, I still want to stay connected with all of you and will continue to post my videos with a "Poem of the Day," sharing some kind of literary experience with all of you.  Again, this is voluntary.

• We are allowed to finish Wit, as we discussed, so we can have closure. If you want to read another play together, for example, that can be an option, but no one should feel it is expected or that we will do it when we get back, it will be graded, etc.  Again, this is voluntary. We can still have experiences, but they will be more individually based.

I am here for all of you, and if you wish to speak to me through email or the blog you are always welcome.

Best always,

Mr. P.