Sept 25, 2026

 Hello! Here's what we're up to today:

• Checking in
• Reviewing the last few days
• Eng 9
• Returning to yesterday's discussion: is technology moving too fast?
• Discussion: predict the world 5 years out, 50 years out, and 500 years out
• Introducing "The Veldt"
• Listening to the audio
• Initial reaction
• Analysing for
• Tone
• Symbols
• Foreshadowing
• Characterization
• Thematic statement
• Freewrite
• Connect this text to "Freedom"
• Eng 12
• Literary terms
• Nonfiction
• Parable
• Didactic
• Irony
• Intro of a parable
• "This is Water"
• Initial reaction
• Connect to other texts
• Freewrite: in what way are you one of the two young fish?

Sept 24, 2026

 Hello! Here's what we're up to today:

• Checking in
• Update: I'll likely be pushing back the due dates coming up
• Eng 9
• Freedom
• Live performance
• Time to analyse lyrics
• Discussion
• Leave notes for yourself for A3
• Literary terms
• Characterization
• Tone
• Theme/Thematic Statement
• Foreshadowing
• Freewrite: Technology is moving too fast. Agree or disagree?
• Background on Ray Bradbury and "The Veldt"
• Eng 12
• Update: your Monday FIT is an assembly
• The Lottery (page 227)
• Initial thoughts and discussion
• Analyse for literary terms
• Symbols
• Tone
• Characterization
• Foreshadowing
• Thematic statement
• Analyse for critical lenses
• How does this connect to "APE****"?
• Consider:
• Feminist lens
• Marxist lens
• Historical lens
• Thematic statement
• Symbols
• Freewrite: When society runs into troubles, is it better to look to the past for lessons, or to imagine a better future?
• Background on David Foster Wallace and "This is Water"
• FIT is a lesson on Truth and Reconciliation Day

Sept 23, 2026

 Hello! Here's what we're up to today:

• Checking in
• Recapping yesterday
• Eng 9
• Background on "Freedom" - note Kendrick Lamar
• Listening to "Freedom"
• First impressions
• Second listen
• Analysis
• Third listen
• Live version
• Brainstorm
• How might this work in your assignment 3?
• Distributing "The Veldt"
• Eng 12
• So many elections! A primer.
• Return to "APE****"
• Worksheet discussion
• Analysis - how might you use this in your assignment?
• Literary terms
• Characterization
• Tone
• Theme/Thematic Statement
• Foreshadowing
• Introducing "The Lottery"
• Shirley Jackson
• Listening to the story
• First response - what did you think?
• Second response - analysis for literary devices and critical lenses
• Third response - how might this connect to "APE****"?

Sept 22, 2026

 Hello! Here's what we're up to:

• Checking in
• Recapping last week
• Eng 9
• In the news: MORE SHARKS
• Introducing Assignment 3
• Literary terms!
• Scanning for previous knowledge
• Terms
• Denotation
• Connotation
• Metaphor
• Simile
• Symbolism
• Allusion
• Activity
• PM: Fire drill!
• Eng 12
• Recapping A3 and A4 and literary terms
• Literary term:
• Allusion
• Introducing the critical lens
• Think of them like wearing different tinted sunglasses
• They allow us to interpret connotation through well-researched fields
• Each topic has entire disciplines of researchers who have careers dedicated to them
• These will be helpful for A1, A4, and the literature presentation
• Examining each one
• Philosophy time: we study literature to create a second space where we can freely discuss ideas, to prepare us for the ambiguity of the world
• "APE****"
• Background
• The Carters
• The Louvre
• Optional worksheet to practice analysis
• The video
• Reaction
• First thoughts?
• What did you notice?
• What critical lenses popped out to you?
• Second viewing - find literary devices
• Class discussion
• Time to fill out the form - complete as much as you can before tomorrow's lesson

September 18, 2026

 Hello! Here's what we're up to today:

• Review of A2 details and rubric
• Rules:
• Unless I've given permission, no devices allowed (no headphones or smart watches)
• You have access to dictionaries and thesauruses (thesauri?)
• Be sure to take a beat before finishing, and reread carefully
• If in doubt, choose the simpler word
• Once complete, you may do what you'd like - you're encouraged to read

September 17, 2026

 Hello! Here's what we're up to today:

• Checking in
• English 9
• In the news: sharks!
• Review of A2 instructions and rubric, as well as advice on persuasive and narrative writing
• Writing lesson!
• Periods and commas
• Practice for tomorrow's in-class paragraph
• The best thing you can do is show me some of your writing
• English 12
• Assignment 2
• Review of A2 instructions and rubric, as well as advice on persuasive and narrative writing
• Circling back to grammar: structure
• Take some time to plan, and show me any work. Once people are feeling ready, we're going to get started on the next two assignments
• Short texts
• Taking a look at the schedule
• Introducing A3 and A4
• Literary devices
• Denotation
• Connotation
• Metaphor
• Symbolism
• Onomatopoeia
• Introducing critical lenses
• These will come in handy in your Assignment 1, Assignment 4, and in your literature presentations (later in the course)
• Example: The film Pocahontas 
• "APESHIT"
• Background
• Beyonce and Jay Z
• The Louvre
• Heads up on language
• Video
• Initial reaction
• Distributing optional worksheet, due for Monday
• Reminder: tomorrow is the in-class paragraph

September 16, 2026

 Hello! Here's what we're up to today:

• Checking in
• Recapping assignment 2 instructions
• English 9 
• AM: Finishing cognitive biases
• Logical fallacies bracket in small groups
• Class discussion: which is the most powerful?
• Brainstorm:
• Which cognitive bias or logical fallacy are you most interested in?
• Would you prefer to write a narrative or persuasive response?
• Begin to plan
• English 12 PM
• Writing!
• Spelling:
• There's no trick, it's just a long-term game. If it's important to you:
• Remove autocorrect
• When there's a squiggly line beneath a word, try to figure it out first
• Read as much as you can
• Punctuation:
• Comma
• Period
• Semi-colon
• Colon
• Em-Dash
• Structure
• Paragraph
• Parallelism
• Freewrite
• Introducing: Literary devices page
• Denotation
• Connotation
• Remaining - which are you not sure about?