"The Prioress's Tale"

Attention: English IV Honors Students - Periods 1 and 5

Here is the link to "The Prioress's Tale" text.

"The Prioress's Tale"

Over vacation, close-read the tale as follows: 

1) Number each stanza 
2) Paraphrase each stanza and define all new/unfamiliar words and terms
3) Summarize each stanza so that you are clear that you know what is going on; underline or jot down significant quotes and explain them.
4) Comment, clarify, question the characters' actions and the story's events. Make inferences about events or about the Prioress's telling of the tale.
You may complete this assignment in one of two ways. You may read the tale online and complete Dialectical Journal/Cornell style notes or you may print out the tale and annotate it right in the margins of the paper. You must follow the close-reading steps regardless of which method you chose to take notes.


Have this assignment finished by Monday, January 4, as there will be a subsequent essay assignment you will begin to focus on.

Documentation - Citing Sources and the Work Cited Page in Critical/Research Essays using MLA Guidelines (2015)

It is important, when writing critical/research essays about literature, that the essay writer always gives credit for the ideas and words he/she "borrows" or "adopts" from someone else or from some other source. Not to do so, or "to use and pass off the ideas or writings of another as one's own" is called plagiarism, which is a very serious offense in academic circles, especially in college. The process of giving credit within the text of the essay and listing the sources from which the ideas/words come is called Documentation or Documentation of Sources.

As you know, in an English class, the essay writer must follows the MLA (Modern Language Association) guidelines for essay formatting and structure. These guidelines also provide the procedure for documenting sources. 

• When one copies, word for word, a word, phrase, sentence, or passage from another source into one's essay, one must enclose the copied text in quotation marks and follow it by the source author's name and page number of the source in parentheses.
• When one paraphrases a word, phrase, sentence, or passage from another source into one's essay, one will not use quotation marks, but will still follow the paraphrased text with  parentheses containing the source author's name and the page number upon which the original text was found.
• Even if one "borrows" an idea from another source, one must include the source author's name and page number in parentheses right after the idea is expressed in the essay.
• These references to the source are called in-text citations or parenthetical citations. The in-text citation comes immediately after the end quotation mark and before the punctuation that follows. There are many different kinds of texts an essay writer might use for sources, and the MLA guidelines provide the required citation methods for all of them.
• At the end of the essay, one must include a separate sheet called the Works Cited page. The purpose of this page is to list, in alphabetical order, the full publication information for all the sources one uses, or cites, in the essay. 

There are many online resources to help you understand the correct citation method to use and the proper way to format your Works Cited page. Some resources are listed below. (Also note that my blog post of June 18, 2015 lists some of these links as well.)

Also note that documents on plagiarism, which you are expected to read, have been shared with you via email.

Purdue OWL: Purdue Online Writing Lab, or Purdue OWL

    This very comprehensive online resource is a premier source for explanations and examples for all     MLA Documentation rules.

Easy Writer: Easy Writer - Companion to Reference Book
     This is the online reference companion to the Easy Writer book we will use 
     occasionally in class.

EasyBib: EasyBib.com

    This is a citation and works cited entry generator and that is easy to use.

Bibme: bibme.org

    Another free cite for works cited entries

Medieval PowerPoint Presentation Assignment

Hello English IV Honors students:

We are finishing up our study of the Anglo-Saxon period and moving on to the Medieval Period.

Here is a Medieval Period PowerPoint Presentation I would like you to read and annotate in preparation for our reading of The Canterbury Tales.


Essential Question: The Norman Conquest ushered in the advent of the Medieval period in England. What social, political, and religious changes occurred through the fusion of Norman and Anglo-Saxon culture and behavior? What systems, behaviors, or traditions were created in the Medieval period that still exist in some form in our modern day world?



Please do the following:

1) Read each slide carefully, and take notes, in the Cornell style, of all the important information you find.
2) Your notes must be organized and clear, and must use some system of highlighting to emphasize important terms, people, or events.
3) After you have finished taking notes, review them and at appropriate intervals in the left column of your notes, write several quality questions that address historical events or concepts. (These questions should not be the "Who was William the Conqueror" variety--or questions which can be answered by a single fact. Instead you might ask, "What impact did the invasion of the Normans have on Anglo-Saxon government?"

You will have until Wednesday, November 18 to complete this assignment.

Seniors! It's College Essay Time!!!

     You will soon be working on your college essays in English class, which will be your first process writing assignment. I will guide you through the process, from getting tips on writing the essay, to brainstorming ideas, to writing multiple drafts, editing and revising, to conferencing, to the final draft. For the purpose of this assignment, you will choose one of the essay prompts from the Common App. 

     I have listed some links below which you may refer to for help as you are writing. You will find many more articles by googling "Writing the college essay."

8 Tips for Crafting Your Best College Essay ( we will look at this one in class)

Tips for Writing an Effective Application Essay

Top Ten Tips for Writing a College Essay

9 Essay Writing Tips to "Wow" College Admissions Officers

English IV: The Anglo-Saxon PowerPoint Presentation

     Here is the link to the Anglo-Saxon Period PowerPoint presentation. We will be using this presentation to practice our Cornell note-taking skills and to gain a historical context for our reading and study of the Anglo-Saxon epic poem, Beowulf.


Powerpoint Presentation: Anglo-Saxon Period

Beginning of the Year: Lessons and Procedures

Hello Students!

     At the beginning of the school year there are always lessons and procedures that I must teach or demonstrate for you, so for the next few weeks we will be practicing and doing several things at once. This post outlines those lessons so that you will know what is coming up.

1. Lesson Activator: Caught Ya
     I call the activity done in the first five minutes of class a "Lesson Activator." Other teachers might call it a "Do-Now" or a "Bell-Ringer" but I've chosen my label because it sounds less elementary to me. It's just my preference, but all the labels mean the same thing.

   The activity I choose for you to do is known as "Caught Ya," which some of you may remember if you had me as a teacher before. I've been doing this activity with my English classes for many years. We will work at this activity for a few minutes at the beginning of almost every class, and the activity will last for most of the school year.  I like this activity because it combines practice in many different reading and writing skills, like spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, vocabulary, and sentence structure, but it also allows you to sharpen your skills in listening, following directions, doing things consistently, participating, and acting responsibly to always have your work with you.

     Look for me to present the procedure for Caught Ya this week.

2. Dialectical Journaling and The Cornell Way
     Most of you probably know something about creating a dialectical journal, also called a 2-column (or 3-column) note taking system. It is also very similar to the Cornell Way note taking system we use here at BHS. In my class, students will use a dialectical journal format often when taking notes, analyzing literature, and close-reading texts. We will go over the required procedure for Dialectical Journals this week also.

4.  Taking Notes from a Power-Point Presentation
     As we proceed this year, you will notice that the important writings and texts we study are deeply connected to the historical and social themes of each time period. Therefore, at the beginning of each unit, you will learn something about each time period and how the important people, events, and customs of each period influenced the writers of that period. For each unit, I will post a Power-Point presentation which you will be required to read, study, and take notes from. If you like, you may also print it out in handout form (6 slides to a page). The first one you will be required to study covers the Anglo-Saxon Period. Your notes will have to take the form of  Cornell notes. We will practice a bit in class to get you started.

5. College Essay
     Your first process writing assignment will be your college essay. Everyone will write one, and it will take several drafts before it is finished. I will give you many tips on writing the essay, and will conference with each of you as needed to improve your essay. If you have already begun the process in an AVID class or on your own, bring in whatever you have written.

6. Discussion Forums Using Blogger
     In the near future I will begin using my blog to initiate discussion forums on a variety of topics. These will be counted as a homework assignments. For example, I will present a topic and post a prompt and ask you to respond to it and to other contributors. There will be more on this soon.

MLA Format - 2015: Refer to these guidelines for all essay writing for me.

MLA FORMAT - 2015

1. 1-inch margins all around; font size 12; Times New Roman
2. Entire document is double-spaced (including heading and title; no extra spaces between heading and title or title and first sentence).
3. Essay heading in top left:

Name

Mrs. Henrion

Course Title-Period __

__ Month 2015

4. Use header tab to create page numbers in top right corner of each page, including the first page. Each page number should be Last Name # (i.e. Shmoe 1, Shmoe 2, Shmoe 3 and so forth 

5. Title of essay is centered. Capitalize first letters of first word and important words. a) Novel and play titles are italicized. Size 12, Times New Roman. No underlines, no bold type, no quotation marks. b) Poem, short story, or song titles are quoted, with no underlines or bold type.

6. Indent the first word of each paragraph. No extra spaces between paragraphs.

7. Use quotation marks around quoted passages. Keep quotes short by choosing only the part that best supports the idea you are trying to convey in your discussion and integrate the quote into your sentence. Do not use the ellipsis (…). Use in-text citations (also called parenthetical citations) for quotations as follows : 

a.     The MLA recommends using the author’s name in a signal phrase to introduce the quotation and citing only the page number(s) in parentheses. (example:  Crystal, a noted linguist, explains that Monty Python’s humor often relied on “bizarre linguistic interactions” (108). When you do not mention the author’s name in a signal phrase, do the following:

b.     From novels/short stories: write (Author last name page #) after the quote for the first in-text citation in an essay paragraph. Subsequent quotes in the same essay paragraph from that same text only need (#). If a quote from another text is used within that same paragraph it must be followed by that author’s name and page # and so forth.  Start over with (Author last name page #) in next paragraph for the first quote.

                      (example: A noted linguist explains that Monty Python’s humor often relied on “bizarre linguistic                                   interactions” (Crystal 108).

c.     From poems/songs: write (line(s) #) after the in-text citation for the first quote in an essay paragraph.  Subsequent quotes in the same essay paragraph should have (#) as the in-text citation.

(example: Whitman speculates that “All goes onward and outward, nothing collapses” (line 129).

d.     From plays: give the act, scene, and line number(s) separated by periods.

(example: As Macbeth begins, the witches greet Banquo as “Lesser than Macbeth, and greater” (1.3.65).

e.     For all quotes, punctuation comes after the in-text citation, not before it. If the quote itself is a question, place a question mark within the quotation mark and a period after the in-text citation.

Mrs. Henrion's Room Management Plan

ROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN                                                  MRS. HENRION

Room C21                                                                                        henrionl@worc.k12.ma.us

                                                                                                          henrionsblog.blogspot.com

Class begins ON TIME: Please be in your seat when the bell rings for class to begin.

Classroom     YOU WILL EARN RESPECT BY BEING RESPECTFUL.

Behavior:        * Please do not talk excessively while the teacher or another student is talking or when announcements are being made.

                         * Please put your cell phone away and do not use it before, during, or after class.

                         * Please raise your hand if you have something to say.

                         * Please remain in your seat unless you are given permission to get up.

                         * Please do not deface the property of the school, the teacher, or other students.

                         * Please do not bring or consume any food or drinks (except water) in the classroom, especially

                            during Period1 and after lunch.

Organization:  Come to class every day with all the necessary and required items so that you can be fully engaged in the learning process. This includes your binder, notes, planner, supplies, homework, and anything else required for class. Be as organized as you can be.

Homework:     I expect homework assignments to be completed and/or handed in ON TIME (at beginning of class).

                                    ?Late assignments (not handed in at beginning of class) will only receive half the credit or less.

                                    ?Late assignments must be handed in by Friday of that week in order to receive any credit.

                                    ?If absent for an assignment, please write absent on top and hand it in the day you return to class or the day after the                                                                       absence. It will be graded as if on time.

                                    ?Homework will be checked whenever assigned and marked for achievement purposes.

                                    ?Class cuts constitute a 0 for the day. Cutting a test will mean a 0 for the test.       

                 When “On Project,” you are still responsible for completing all work ON TIME. Come  in the morning or after school to ask about                                      that day’s classwork and to obtain assignments or assistance. Any work due that day must be turned in that morning before you go on                                project.

Tests:  Make-up tests must be taken after school on Tuesdays or Thursdays or during a study.  Tests must be made up within one week of the test date.

Grading:                English IV                                                                

              * HW/projects-40% of grade                                                        

              * Tests/Quizzes/Essays-30% of grade                                          

              * In-Class work/Binder/Collab./Partic./Attendance-30% of gr                                      
                    AP English Literature and Composition                                                                                                
              * HW/Projects/Dialectical Journals/Acronymic analyses/Vocab.-40% of grade
              * Process essays (all components)-30% of grade
              * In-Class work/ Practice tests/Timed writing/Collab./Discuss. & Partic./Attendance-30% of grade

(First quarter only: Summer Reading 10% and Homework 30%)

                       

Passes:  Use the clipboard sign-out sheet as your pass to go to the bathroom or another destination. Always have a signed pass or tardy slip when you enter                           the classroom late.

REMEMBER, PLEASE…

KEEP ALL CELL PHONES OUT OF SIGHT UNLESS OTHERWISE INSTRUCTED.

NO EATING OR DRINKING IN THE CLASSROOM, OTHER THAN WATER.

DO NOT BRING BREAKFAST, LUNCH, OR SNACK FOODS INTO THE ROOM.

Shakespeare Lives On!

     Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love William Shakespeare's work. I enjoy reading his plays and poems--yes, I read them for "fun" as well as for teaching--especially because I think they are very timely, even 400+ years after they were written. Most of you have heard this before, I bet, but words and phrases said to have been coined by Shakespeare are still used today in our daily language. I think that's pretty cool!

     Also, I think it's pretty amazing how often Shakespeare's works have been reimagined in books, films, and musicals and how many works have "borrowed" plot ideas and themes from the "Bard." I recently came across this article, written in 2014 to celebrate the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth. In it, the writer looks at the several films and musicals based on some of Shakespeare's plays. Here is another article about films based on the Bard's plays, some of which you might be familiar with, like 10 Things I Hate About You and She's the Man.  This article examines 10 novels that are based on Shakespeare's plays. Really, he's everywhere!

    In my life before teaching, I was a dancer and singer, and was heavily involved in musical theater. Growing up, I performed in many musicals in the area and have always loved musical comedy. One musical that comes to mind whenever I think of Shakespeare is the 1953 musical Kiss Me, Kate, which is based on The Taming of the Shrew. I like this musical first because it's based on a Shakespearean play and second because the music and lyrics were created by Cole Porter, a famous composer and songwriter who was known for his witty and engaging lyrics. It's a classic musical comedy, and I just love it!

     One song, in particular, is especially fun because it specifically references Shakespeare's works. It's called "Brush Up Your Shakespeare," sung by two gangsters who are trying to teach a third man how to "get a girl." Here's a video of the film version of the scene.

So, be on the lookout--you never know when Shakespeare's words and ideas will pop up!

English Pronunciation: "The Chaos"

If you've been by my classroom lately, you might have seen or (Yikes!) endeavored to read the poem about English Pronunciation I have hanging on my classroom door. I had read it years ago, but it was recently emailed to me by one of my students. Knowing how much of a kick I get out of the English language, he knew I would like it.

I didn't know that it actually had the title, "The Chaos," which is apt. Care to try reading it?????

"The Chaos"

Dearest creature in creation,
Study English pronunciation.
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.
I will keep you, Suzy, busy,
Make your head with heat grow dizzy.
Tear in eye, your dress will tear.
So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.

Just compare heart, beard, and heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word,
Sword and sward, retain and Britain.
(Mind the latter, how it’s written.)
Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as plaque and ague.
But be careful how you speak:
Say break and steak, but bleak and streak;
Cloven, oven, how and low,
Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe.

Hear me say, devoid of trickery,
Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore,
Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles,
Exiles, similes, and reviles;
Scholar, vicar, and cigar,
Solar, mica, war and far;
One, anemone, Balmoral,
Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel;
Gertrude, German, wind and mind,
Scene, Melpomene, mankind.

Billet does not rhyme with ballet,
Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.
Blood and flood are not like food,
Nor is mould like should and would.
Viscous, viscount, load and broad,
Toward, to forward, to reward.
And your pronunciation’s OK
When you correctly say croquet,
Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,
Friend and fiend, alive and live.

Ivy, privy, famous; clamour
And enamour rhyme with hammer.
River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb,
Doll and roll and some and home.
Stranger does not rhyme with anger,
Neither does devour with clangour.
Souls but foul, haunt but aunt,
Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant,
Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger,
And then singer, ginger, linger,
Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge,
Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age.

Query does not rhyme with very,
Nor does fury sound like bury.
Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth.
Job, nob, bosom, transom, oath.
Though the differences seem little,
We say actual but victual.
Refer does not rhyme with deafer.
Fe0ffer does, and zephyr, heifer.
Mint, pint, senate and sedate;
Dull, bull, and George ate late.
Scenic, Arabic, Pacific,
Science, conscience, scientific.

Liberty, library, heave and heaven,
Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven.
We say hallowed, but allowed,
People, leopard, towed, but vowed.
Mark the differences, moreover,
Between mover, cover, clover;
Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,
Chalice, but police and lice;
Camel, constable, unstable,
Principle, disciple, label.

Petal, panel, and canal,
Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal.
Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair,
Senator, spectator, mayor.
Tour, but our and succour, four.
Gas, alas, and Arkansas.
Sea, idea, Korea, area,
Psalm, Maria, but malaria.
Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean.
Doctrine, turpentine, marine.

Compare alien with Italian,
Dandelion and battalion.
Sally with ally, yea, ye,
Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key.
Say aver, but ever, fever,
Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver.
Heron, granary, canary.
Crevice and device and aerie.

Face, but preface, not efface.
Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass.
Large, but target, gin, give, verging,
Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging.
Ear, but earn and wear and tear
Do not rhyme with here but ere.
Seven is right, but so is even,
Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen,
Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk,
Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work.

Pronunciation (think of Psyche!)
Is a paling stout and spikey?
Won’t it make you lose your wits,
Writing groats and saying grits?
It’s a dark abyss or tunnel:
Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale,
Islington and Isle of Wight,
Housewife, verdict and indict.

Finally, which rhymes with enough,
Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough?
Hiccough has the sound of cup.
My advice is to give up!!!

English Pronunciation by G. Nolst Trenité

(from www.i18nguy.com/chaos.html)