Scribe Notes 9/10/08

Agenda:
1- Keats: Poem vs. paraphrase
2-"Style": Write-up
3- Poetry: Register

HW:
1- Vocab ex 4
2- Work on memoir project

First we went over the homework. We each read the Keats poem that we chose yesterday and the paraphrase. Then mentioned the differences we saw between the poem and the paraphrase. After that, we did a write-up to see if we could recognize the different writing styles we all have. We were all given a secret topic. Then we spread out and wrote a short paragraph on the topic. We turned them in to Sister Salma, who read them out loud. We guessed the writer when she was done. Each time we guessed the author correctly, which shows that we know each other's writing style very well.
After we finished the Write-up activity, we took some notes on Register. Because class was short, we only took some of the notes. The rest we will take tomorrow.

Register:
Register is the degree of formality in language suitable for the situation (writing)
1- Intimate: the language of people who love each other. ex: parents to kids, kids to pets, etc. Nearly always accompanied by touch, consists of broken fragments of words.
Ex: "Mmmm" "Thats a good boy."

2-Casual: the language of friends and family; no planning beforehand, sentences not always grammatical; in-jokes; sometimes accompanied by touch.
Ex: "and like, she had no idea!" "I was wondering-yeah exactly!"

For homework, we should do vocab example 4 and continue working on our memoir project which is due Friday.

Agenda; 9/9/08

Tuesday:
1. connotation vs. denotation
2. Poetry style
HW: Vocab #3
Comment org. poem.
Memoir project (due Friday)

First we started out the class by writing our sentences on the bored that was for homework the night before. We had to make the sentences either with a positive connotation or a negative denotation.
Sen 1: Maryam had black hair, brown eyes and was 5'2.
Sen 2: the sun rose at 6:30 Am and i opened the curtains.
After we finished sharing our sentences and how they were positive or negative, sis. Salma wrote a sentence for a poem that we had to simplify, like what the passage is about. we used dictionaries and wrote down what we thought it meant. Then Sis Salma let us choose from a couple of poems so we can simplify one for Homework.
Then...the bell rang......
Sis. Salma kicked us out and we were on our way.
the end.
=)

SCRIBE NOTES: Monday 9/8/08

MONDAY

1) Spelling pretest 

           We took our weekly spelling test on lesson 4, followed by exercise one in our vocabulary books. (D0 exercise 2 for homework) 

2) Poetry: Connotation VS Denotation

           Today we discussed the difference between connotation and denotation.

                 Denotation is the dictionary definition of a word.

                 Connotation is the associated meaning of the word, depening on context, emotion etc

           After discussing the meanings we did an exercise in which Sis Salma said a word, and we had   to write three or four words we associated with the word sis salma said. The words she said were "Milk","Red", and "Money", we then had to write the first few words that came to mind, which would be our connotations of the word.

          The next thing we did was that Sis Salma wrote a few sentences on the board, and we had to say what connotations certain words in the sentences held. For example:

               1) He was a lion in battle.   

               This makes the subject of the sentence seem brave and courageous.

               2) He was a cat in battle.

               This makes the subject seem wimpy, powerless, and defensive

                

HOMEWORK

Vocab exercise 2

Connotation Sentences:

         For this homework, we have to work with two sentences:

1) Maryam had black hair, brown eyes, and was 5'2" in height.

2) The sun rose at 6:30 am, and i opened the curtains.    

For each sentence, a we're supposed to write two adaptations, to make one version of the sentence have a positive connotation and the other one should hae a negative connotation.

Friday, September 8th, 2008

Agenda

1- Spelling Test #3

2- Wilfred Owen's "Futility"
HW: Work on Memoir Project (Due: next Friday, September 12th)

We started off, as usual, with taking our spelling test for the week.
After doing that, we took out our "Futility" poem, by Wilfred Owen and started to analyze it. Each person took a part of the analyzing: Content, Imagery, Diction and Syntax, etc.
We, then, shared our notes and were dismissed.

Thursday, September 4th

Agenda:

1. Reading Poetry: notes
2. Wilfred Owens "Futility"

HW: 1. fini vocab packet and spelling test tomorrow.

----------------

After writing the agenda, Sister Salma gave our poems back (as well as other corrected papers) and we stood up in the front of class to share. We would comment on the poem afterwards.
Then sister salma put up notes on Poetry that we had to copy down. Look below:

Poetry:
-Importance to get a well-rounded feel of the poem
-what the poem is about
-what the poet is trying to achieve
-Layers of meaning
-surface: whats on the outside
-deeper: what its really about
-Consider the poet
-intention
-motivation
-context
-time
-place
-situation
-Consider ideas of poem
-feelings
-moods
-tone of voice
-Structure of poem
-method/techniques
-"form"; style

STYLE: The way a writer chooses suitable and effective language for a particular purpose and audience. --Way words LOOK, SOUND, or MEAN. --how they add to the overall effect or meaning.

Form:
"Form" is a technical word used to describe what something looks or sounds like.
In poetry, the form of a word doesnt change the meaning, it ADDS to the meaning or visual impact.
-Look for patterns of shape and sound
-Different lenghths of line stanzas
-Ending a line in the middle of the sentence
-Patterns of sound:
-rhythm (repeating stresses)
-rhyme (repeating final sounds)
-alliteration
-onomotapeia

Context:
The "context" of a word is the meaning it contains, both obvious and subtle.
In poetry, words are chosen very precisley to increase their effect and meaning to suit their purpose best. Words and phrases can have multipule meanings.
-Denotation: basic definition
-Connotaton: associated meanings
--> figurative language: metaphot, personification
--> irony
Connotation is the "lifeblood" of poetry. It creates strong images or feelings or both. It paints pictures in the mind of the reader.


After writing down these notes and Sister Salma explained them, she passed out a poem called "Futility" by Wilfred Owen. After reading it out loud, we figured out what it meant and what the tone of voice of the poet was.

Scribe Notes 9/3/08

Agenda:
1- Journal and Poetry share
2- Poetry Analysis: form and content
--> Wilfred Owen's "Futility"
HW:
1- work on vocab packet due Friday
2- work on last ten memoir assignments (due Friday 9/12)


We started class with a journal entry about last night's homework, a poem.
What were we trying to achieve in our poem? How well did we succeed?
After we finished our journal entries, we swapped poems and answered the questions from the "How To Read Poetry" worksheet Sister Salma gave us yesterday. We turned in our journals with both the poem and analysis, as well. Because of the Ramadan schedule, classes are short, so we weren't able to do the poetry analysis.
For homework, we need to finish the vocab packet, and work on the last ten memoir assignments which are due next Friday.

9/2/08 agenda tuesday.

*Vocabulary test #1
-start lesson 3
*how to read a poem
HW: Vocab exercise 1 (all due Friday)
write your won poem.


we wrote the agenda, then we shortly discussed our memoir project.
then we started our vocabulary test. After we finished it, we did page 19
in our vocab book about dictionary definitions.
Then we talked about writing poems and we were assigned to write our own 10 line
poem for homework.