Monday, 2/29

1. Commas practice--

*Add commas where necessary:

The cold impersonal atmosphere of the animal shelter was intensified by the hunchbacked janitor the awful smell and the cat's pupils that stared at me narrowing to small black shining slits.

*Take out all unnecessary commas:

On the television, was a commercial for hot, spicy foods such as, chili, kung pao chicken, and buffalo wings.

2. Today, work on finishing, editing, revising, and proofreading your essay!
*Remember to MLA format
*Cite all evidence/ideas that are not yours, lest you plagiarize
*Read it out loud to yourself to catch simple mistakes
*Don't be afraid to cut out things that are not working and revise them.

HW--*Submit essay to turnitin.com by class-time tomorrow, and turn in a physical copy (printed and stapled) at the beginning of class. Print at home--the ARC is not always reliable.
*Tomorrow, bring a picture or evidence of your Art project so I can see your progress; do not bring in your art project until the day you present (which means you can still polish/revise after tomorrow).
*See the order of presentations here, and put it on your calendar; you can find this at the top of the Romoe & Juliet project page.
*Have your Indie read book with you this week; you might find random times in class when you have time to read it.

Monday, 2/22

*Review Roots duc/duct - fix. There will be a quiz Wednesday. Try to use 2-3 words with these roots in them in your Journal for today--

1. Journal #23 - What does love between God and humans look like, OR define love - what is it? How do aspects of Romeo & Juliet relate to your response?

Before writing, choose one of the following things to read or review--

   a. The Apostle's Creed--the prologue to the Christian story

   b. 1 Corinthians 13--a portrait of Divine Love by St. Paul

   c. Who is the real St. Valentine? What is his day all about?

   d. Mr. Kirkendall's theological reflection:

*At its highest point, Christian love, or charity, is self-sacrificial, self-giving, self-donating. The God-Man's (Jesus') death on the Roman Empire's torture and death-device is the highest example of this in human history: God poured himself out, sacrificing his beloved Son, that we might all be united to him again in his death and resurrection. In addition, God himself is Triune, a three-but-one being that is, in Himself, an example of self-giving love to the other members of the Trinity. God himself is pure Love, Father, Spirit, and Son eternally giving of themselves to each other in complete unity and harmony. The Divine Life radiates love, and by the merits of Christ we humans, though rebellious and still steeped in our sins, are welcomed into this Divine Life through his blood. As St. Thomas Aquinas famously says, love is to completely will the good of the other as other, out of no self-interest of our own. God perfectly models this, and our lives in him are an unfolding invitation to participate in God's love more deeply. Among other things, we are called to sacrifice ourselves for God and for neighbor.

Do any characters in Romeo & Juliet live up to this high standard of love set by the Christian God who is TRIUNE and INCARNATE? Do any come close? Is Shakespeare trying to make some kind of comment on this sort of love?

2. Review all expectations for the Art, Analysis, and Reflection project.
*Presentation order TBA by the end of the week.
*Essay outline due on Block Day this week, which is Wednesday/Thursday.
*Examples of excellence in art: Dana Gioia's "Pity the Beautiful" and a musician's rendition.

3. Brainstorm for your essay. Review the prompt here.

HW--Art Project due March 1. See me in class or FLEX to discuss any issues or speed-bumps along the way.

Friday, 2/19

fin	end, ended, finished	final, finite, finish, confine, fine, refine, define, finale "For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver." (Psalm 66)
fix	fix	fix, fixation, fixture, affix, prefix, suffix "The old man is a permanent fixture of our community."

1. Review Quizzes & SAT Prep #1

*Take SAT Prep #2 in partners

2. When you finish, go to the Romeo & Juliet unit page, scroll to #4, and review all of the project expectations, especially the "Criteria/Rubric."
*Continue brainstorming for your art project by choosing a character and searching for a quote from the play that relates to that character and that you could creatively include in your Art Project.
*Due March 1. Next week we will write essays in class and the Art project will be homework.

3. Finish reading Act 5

4. Art Project work/Indie Reading time

*I will come check in with each of you about where your project is at, what direction it is taking, and how your Independent Reading is going.

*Remember, Art Project is due on March 1. 

*Review the criteria and rubric for the project here.

HW--Art project due on Tuesday, March 1st (2 1/2 weeks). 
Roots Quiz #2 (duc/duct - fix) on Wedneday, 2/24

Wednesday, 2/17

fid, fide, feder(is)	faith, trust	confidante, fidelity, confident, infidelity, infidel, federal, confederacy, semper fi Monte Vista's motto is "Fide Defensor."
fila, fili	thread	filigree, filament, filter, filet, filibuster "He hung on by only a filament of life."

1. You have 20 minutes to finish your Short Analysis #2. See yesterday's blog post for instructions and reminders.

2. When you finish, turn into the black bin and check out Grammar Bytes--this is a great resource, especially for those of you who need review of some grammar basics like run-ons and comma splices. Click on "Exercises," and do the first "Interactive Exercise" for Comma Splices and Fused Sentences. If that is too basic, move on to something else you would like to work on.

3. Begin reading Act V--pay careful attention to how this Tragedy comes to its climax through Shakespeare's masterful use of language, and keep these questions in mind--

How does what we know about each character change or remain the same in light of the ending? 

What sort of judgments or comments on characters does the ending reveal? How would we understand the characters differently if the play had ended differently?

What themes does the entire play develop? Is Shakespeare trying to teach something, or is he simply trying to entertain?

Do Romeo & Juliet have to die?

HW--Come with at least a plan for your Art Project on Block Day; if you'd like or are able to bring materials, you may work on your project in class on Block Day. Also bring your Independent Reading book.

Tuesday, 2/16

fall, fals	deceive	fallacy, falsify, fallacious
fer	bear, carry	ferry, coniferous, fertile, defer, infer, refer, transfer

Sentence Types Review—Simple, Compound, Complex, and Compound-Complex

1.       Write a simple sentence using a “fall/fals” word.

2.       Write a complex sentence using a “fer” word.

3.       Write a compound sentence based on your simple sentence.

4.       Write a compound-complex sentence based on all your previous sentences.

*Prayer--The Apostle's Creed as the Prologue to the Christian Story

1. Finish watching Act IV (film)

2. Short Analysis #2 Practice

Be sure to reference the PDF for quotes (do not use examples from the film) and reference the "Rhetorical Devices" in our Key Terms notes.
Be sure to apply a body-paragraph structure to your writing, which you can find here:

 A. Topic sentence: Argument + One Evidence from Thesis

• Introduce your evidence

          B. Evidence (quote or idea), with citation: "Quote" (page number).

• Commentary (at least twice as long as the evidence) - Explain how and/or why the evidence proves your argument.  NO PLOT SUMMARY.

          C. Second evidence (as defined above)

• Commentary (as defined above)

          D. Concluding sentence – wrap up the paragraph and transition to the next body paragraph

Feedback on Short Analysis #1--
*Establish your own, unique argument!
*Base it in concrete evidence from the text (at least two quotes and two paraphrases)
*Properly cite all evidence (whether quotes or paraphrases) with parenthetical in-text citations
*Provide twice as much commentary as evidence in order to develop your own unique argument--don't merely repeat what happens in the evidence or what happens elsewhere in the play.

You may take this home, and will have the first 20 minutes of class tomorrow to finish before we dive into Act 5.

HW--Be prepared to finish Short Analysis #2 in class tomorrow; you will have 20 minutes.

Friday, 2/12

fac, fact, fic, fect

do, make

factory, fact, manufacture, amplification, confection

Sentence Types: Complex, Compound-Complex
Try to use a 'fac, fact, fic, fect' word in your responses.

a. I brush my teeth before going to bed. (What type of sentence is this? Why? Identify all independent and/or dependent clauses.)
b. All of my friends brush their beds before going to teeth, but I put my brushes to bed first. (What type of sentence is this? Why? Identify all independent and/or dependent clauses.

1. Discuss--what is love in the context of marriage and romantic relationships?

The real St. Valentine--the Christian marriage bandit

2. Finish Act 3 Reading in groups--discuss major plot points.


How is _________ (a character) characterized or developed in each scene? What picture of his or her personality is Shakespeare painting?

3. Watch some of Act 4

4. Review the Art & Analysis Project, and use the rest of class to either brainstorm for your Art project, or read your Independent Reading book. Make sure to have me sign the form if you choose a book not on the list, and have a parent sign the form no matter what the book is.

Art project and analysis essay are due March 1; presentations will follow that week (3rd-8th).

Independent Reading and Form due Wednesday, May 18th

HW--Brainstorm for your Art project, stay on pace with your independent reading book.

Wednesday, 2/10

equi                                                 equal                                equinox, equilibrium, equipoise 

erg                                                   work                                energy, ergonom, allergy, ergometer,                                                                                                     ergograph, ergophobia

1. Quiz

2. Act 3 Scene ii-iii in groups--take hand-written notes on a separate sheet of paper to share with your group after reading each scene.


1. Plotsmith (plots)
2. Wordsmith (unknown vocabulary/modern translation)
3. Analyze-smith (literary devices)
4. Character-smith (are they changing or staying the same?)
[5. Block-smith (character blocking--the arrangement of characters on stage, motions, etc.)]

Focus your discussions on this question--how is _________ (a character) characterized in this scene? What picture of his or her personality is Shakespeare painting?


HW--Bring Independent Reading Book to read on Block Day

Tuesday, 2/9

dynam	power	dynamo, dynamic, dynamite, hydrodynamics
endo	within	endorse, endocardial, endoskeletal, endoskeleton, endosperm

Sentence Types: Simple & Compound
If the sentence is simple, make it compound; if it is compound, make them simple; use a dynam or endo word in each.

a. I like fireworks.
b. I have had years of chiropractic adjustment, and I will be having back surgery soon.

1. Quick review for tomorrow's quiz--review notes and where you can find them on the blog.

2. Act 3 reading groups--how do dramatic devices and rhetorical (language devices) reveal character? Pay careful attention to Romeo's meltdown...

Elect...

1. Plotsmith (plots)
2. Wordsmith (unknown vocabulary/modern translation)
3. Analyze-smith (literary devices)
4. Character-smith (are they changing or staying the same?)

HW--quiz on Romeo & Juliet Key Terms and Introduction notes tomorrow. Study.

Monday, 2/8

Act 1 SAT practice

1. Roots - Grammar - copy roots into notes or Quizlet, and complete the grammar warm-up on a document in notability or in your notebook.

duc, duct	lead	induce, seduce (lead aside), produce, reduce
dura	hard, lasting	durable, duration, endure

Sentence Types: Simple & Compound

a. Write a simple sentence using these words: Production (noun), endure (verb)

b. Write a compound sentence using these words: reduce (verb), endurance (noun), wax (verb), car (noun)

2. Journal #19

3. Begin Act 3 - what will their world post-marriage be like? Who has shown the best example of love so far?

HW--Key Terms/Intro Notes Quiz on Wednesday, 2/10

Reminder: Bring Independent Reading Book to Class

Dear Students,

Please bring a copy of your selected Independent Reading book to class on Friday, 2/5.  I will give you some time to begin reading.

Peace,

Mr. Kirkendall

Friday 2/5

1. Finish Watching/reading Act 2 (52:21 - 1:11 (intermission))

2. Short Analysis #1--please write on a separate piece of paper with name and date.

Romeo & Juliet Acts 1-2 Analysis #1

In Acts 1 and 2 of Romeo & Juliet, how does Shakespeare use elements of drama to reveal and/or develop character? Choose one character or two or more closely related characters (e.g., Romeo and Juliet, or the Nurse), and be sure to choose Literary Terms that are “Elements of Drama” to analyze. Use proper grammar and syntax, and include at least two quotes with proper page citation and signal phrases.

Write at least one paragraph. You may refer to your Key Terms Notes and the PDFs of the play, but do not go on the internet.

Each paragraph should follow this structure--

  A. Topic sentence: Argument 

• Introduce your evidence

          B. Evidence (quote or idea), with citation: "Quote" (page number).
"For example, Juliet says, "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" (100).

• Commentary (at least twice as long as the evidence) - Explain how and/or why the evidence proves your argument.  NO PLOT SUMMARY.

          C. Second evidence (as defined above)

• Commentary (as defined above)

          D. Concluding sentence – wrap up the paragraph and transition to the next body paragraph


4. During the remaining time, read your Independent Reading book, or study for next week's quiz.

HW--Key Terms/Intro Notes Quiz on Wednesday, 2/10

Tuesday, 2/2

This Sunday, February 7 at 11:00am in the Sanctuary of Redeemer Anglican Church (2402 Cabrillo College Drive, Soquel (my church!), the Monte Vista Choir is guest leading the music! This Sunday will be so fun as we hear music which these days is usually only heard in the concert hall, and see how it fits in its originally intended environment – the Worship of God in the liturgy!

Find more details here, and let Mr. K know if you need help arranging transportation. I am so excited to worship with you through some classic choral music in its intended setting!

1. Review Roots 1-15 (crit - drome); quiz tomorrow. Grammar--

Sentence Purposes: Interrogative, Declarative, Imperative, Exclamatory

Indicate the Purpose of each sentence

•   Come here. I have a sentence to show you.
•  Look. This is not a sentence.

2. When asking good questions about love, characters, or events in the play, it is important to ask how Shakespeare is developing certain things. To do this well, we need to have some definitions in our tool-belt to recognize literary devices. Some of these are review, and you can find these by going to the "Romeo & Juliet" page under "Units of Study."

*Key Terms Notes - take notes on the corresponding document in notability that I had you download from the Drive folder. 

3. Act 1 Review Questions (page 86) #2, 3, 6, & 8. Discuss.

*Read Prologue and II.i in groups of 4.

*Balcony scene--outside or film?

HW--Study Q3 Roots 1-15 (crea - drome), quiz tomorrow

Monday, 2/1

This Sunday, February 7 at 11:00am in the Sanctuary of Redeemer Anglican Church (2402 Cabrillo College Drive, Soquel (my church!), the Monte Vista Choir is guest leading the music! This Sunday will be so fun as we hear music which these days is usually only heard in the concert hall, and see how it fits in its originally intended environment – the Worship of God in the liturgy!

Find more details here, and let Mr. K know if you need help arranging transportation. I am so excited to worship with you through some classic choral music in its intended setting!

1. Review Roots 1-15 (crit - drome)

Sentence Purposes: Interrogative, Declarative, Imperative, Exclamatory

Indicate the Purpose of each sentence

1.       What is the purpose of this sentence?

2.       Gazads! Does the sentence I just wrote have any purpose?

2. Journal #18

3. Finish Act I - Scene iv reading, Scene v watching

*Queen Mab Speech

*Do Romeo & Juliet truly experience love at first sight? How do we know? How might each of the various characters react to this?

• Benvolio - the loyal peace-maker (literally, "well-wisher")
• Mercutio - the line-crossing jester (Mercury = Hermes, messenger god, subject to quick changes)
• Tybalt - the blood-thirsty avenger (literally, "Brave-people")
• Paris - the affluent/awkward courter (the cowardly wife-thief in The Illiad)
• Juliet - aloof and self-controlled, but strong-willed and independent (literally "youthful")
• Romeo - passionate dreamer (literally "pilgrim")
• The Nurse - the affectionate, chatty nurturer

HW--Review Act 1, Cast list, and Speaking Shakespearean