"Great Gatsby" vocabulary worksheets and quiz

For "The Great Gatsby," you will need to complete vocabulary worksheets that go along with the various chapters, as well as a vocabulary quiz on words from the book.  All of these assignments are due by 11:59 PM on Friday, February 22.

Right now the worksheets and the quiz are accessible via the 12th Eng LA II course page on Schoology.  In order to access it, you need to go to clintondale.schoology.com and log in by choosing your school email from the list.  Once there, you can enter your class's page and the worksheets and quiz are there for you to complete.

If you are not able to access the class Schoology page, you need to let me know as soon as possible so alternative access can be arranged.  If you do not contact me about access issues, I will assume that you can get into the page to complete the assignment and you will be graded accordingly.

Starting "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Our final novel this year is "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  This is a short one, only nine chapters, but it's a great story.  And yes, we will watch the movie adaptation after we finish.  I would not recommend watching it beforehand, though - it's a good adaptation, but not close enough to help you on any of the assignments we'll be doing in conjunction with the reading.

We will primarily be reading in class, but you should use the information from the list of links on the right to help you if you miss or need to catch up.  This should be your first stop with any questions.

As we read, you will be working on two long-term assignments: one deals with F. Scott Fitzgerald's extensive use of symbolism in the novel, and one deals with the advanced vocabulary that appears in the novel.  We will discuss both in class, but information about these two can be found in the "Gatsby Handouts and Worksheets" folder at right.  Be aware that due to the snow days, you will have very limited class time to work on these, so manage your time wisely.

Also available is an ebook of the novel, a set of links to the audiobook version, and a pair of videos that walk you through the story, the setting, and the themes of the novel ("LCC: Gatsby Part 1" and "LCC: Gatsby Part 2").   We will talk about most of this in class, but you may want to watch these videos for yourself, especially if you are confused by anything we read in the novel.

Lastly, be aware that we will be wrapping up "The Great Gatsby" differently.  For the other novels we read, you wrote an essay or completed a project about what we read, but for this one, you will be taking a quiz based on the reading.  Be prepared - the quiz is scheduled for February 15.

"Brave New World" Final Project

Even though we haven't quite finished the novel, now is a good time to start thinking about which of the ten project options you would like to work on.  The complete list of options, as well as the rubrics I will be using for grading, are in the "BNW Handouts and Assignments" folder on the right side of the page.  

You will need to make a decision and report your project choice to me by the end of class on Thursday, January 10.  There will be limited class time available for working on this project, but you may need to do some out-of-class work in order to finish on time.

Your completed project and accompanying Works Cited page are due by 2:45 on Friday, January 18, regardless of whether you have chosen to do a written (and printed) essay or digital project.  Late work will not be accepted after 2:45 on Tuesday, January 22.

Requirements by project type:
Essay (# 1, 3, 4, 9) - 3 to 5 pages plus Works Cited
Digital Presentation (# 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10) - 10 slides plus Works Cited
Annotated List (# 2, 6) - 10 items plus Works Cited
Video (# 7) - 2-3 minute video plus Works Cited

Good luck!

Senior Sweats Update

Senior Sweats for Class of 2019 are available for ordering online, here: CHS Class 2019 Senior Sweats.

Orders must be placed by January 18, and shipping is free (you will pick up your orders from Mr. Ferzo or Mrs. Kasom.)   

"Brave New World" - Important Notes and Information

After Thanksgiving break, we are starting to read the novel "Brave New World," by Aldous Huxley.  We will discuss background, setting, and genre in class before we start reading on Friday, November 30.

Reading assignments are listed on the calendar.  We will do the majority of the reading in class, but you will be required to catch up on any missed reading caused by absence, field trip, etc.  For your convenience, there is a link to the ebook in the sidebar, as well as a set of links to an audio recording read by the author.  I strongly recommend using the links to access specific chapters (the full recording is about nine hours long).


For each chapter read, you are to answer three Guided Reading questions.  The question packet will be provided to you in class, and there is also a link to the questions in the sidebar so you can print a new copy if necessary (I will not be printing/copying additional packets). 

Three important things to remember when answering the Guided Reading Questions, in order to receive full credit:

1. You must somehow indicate which questions you are answering, e.g.: Ch 1, Q 2 or 1:2.  No points will be given for an answer if I can't tell immediately what question it belongs with.
2. Answers must include evidence with page numbers from the book.  These are not "traditional" CEC questions but should be treated like that.
3. With the exception of the last few chapters, completed questions are due on Monday of the week after the chapters were assigned reading.  See the assignment calendar for specific due dates.
4. Answers must be your own work.  No credit will be given for answers that are obviously copied from the internet.

Completed questions are worth ten points apiece (30 points per chapter).


You will wrap up the novel with a research project chosen from a provided list.  If you would like to think ahead, the project options are in the "BNW Handouts and Assignments" folder on the right.

FYI: Calculating your grades

Your marking period grades for this class are each worth 40% of your semester grade.  Your exam grade is worth 20% of your semester grade.  This is true for both semesters.

Use this link to calculate what grades you need to get in order to receive the semester grade you want, based on your marking period grade(s).  

(Please note: a passing grade is 60% or better.)

Leadership vs. Inspiration Annotated Bibliography

Here are a few helpful links to assist you as you work on your research and complete your Annotated Bibliography:

Leadership Annotated Bibliography Materials 18-19
EasyBib - citation generator 
Google Scholar - academic resource search engine
Template (if you want to use it, make a copy first!)

There are other useful links on the right side of the page under the heading of "Writing and Research Help."  You may also want to look at the links under the heading of "Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism."

Remember:
Your shared document is due by Wednesday, November 14 (25 points)
Document Title = "Last name Hour Leadership Bibliography"


Your rough draft is due by Friday, November 16 (50 points)


Your printed Annotated Bibliography AND printed copies of your sources are all due by Monday, November 26 (100 points)