Happy Valentine's Day with up so floating many bells down

 [anyone lived in a pretty how town] 

BY E. E. CUMMINGS

anyone lived in a pretty how town

(with up so floating many bells down)

spring summer autumn winter

he sang his didn’t he danced his did.

Women and men(both little and small)

cared for anyone not at all

they sowed their isn’t they reaped their same

sun moon stars rain

children guessed(but only a few

and down they forgot as up they grew

autumn winter spring summer)

that noone loved him more by more

when by now and tree by leaf

she laughed his joy she cried his grief

bird by snow and stir by still

anyone’s any was all to her

someones married their everyones

laughed their cryings and did their dance

(sleep wake hope and then)they

said their nevers they slept their dream

stars rain sun moon

(and only the snow can begin to explain

how children are apt to forget to remember

with up so floating many bells down)

one day anyone died i guess

(and noone stooped to kiss his face)

busy folk buried them side by side

little by little and was by was

all by all and deep by deep

and more by more they dream their sleep

noone and anyone earth by april

wish by spirit and if by yes.

Women and men(both dong and ding)

summer autumn winter spring

reaped their sowing and went their came

sun moon stars 

Island of the Blue Dolphins

PDF Island of the Blue Dolphins

http://playpen.meraka.csir.co.za/~acdc/education/Dr_Anvind_Gupa/Learners_Library_7_March_2007/Resources/books/bluedolphins.pdf

PDF Questions and Activities Scholastic

https://www.scholastic.com/content/dam/teachers/activities/migrated-files-in-body/island-of-the-blue-dolphins-bookfiles.pdf

Beware the Puns of March

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare: The Life and Times Of (FULL DOCUMENTARY)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qafnuBH8KPs 

"The Open Boat," Stephen Crane

The Open Boat
https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/the-open-boat.pdf

The Story of a Boy Who Went Forth to Learn Fear, Brothers Grimm

The Story of a Boy

Who Went Forth to Learn Fear

https://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm004.html

MY FURTHEST–BACK PERSON—’THE AFRICAN’ Alex Haley

MY FURTHEST–BACK PERSON—’THE AFRICAN’

http://alexhaley.com/2018/08/14/my-furthest-back-person-the-african/

Persuasive Essay Single-Point Rubric: Topic-the environment

Persuasive Essay Single-Point Rubric

English 12 P. 5 Taylor

2/8/19 In-Class Final Draft

Topic concerning the Environment

Concerns                                Criteria                              Advanced

Clear thesis statement

Data from sources cited in-text

supporting main points;

Works cited page

MLA or APA

Usage, sentence structure,

punctuation without error

_____________________________________________________________________________

Single-Point Rubric Literary Analysis-writing about a novel

Literary Analysis Single-Point Rubric

English 11 P. 1 Taylor

2/8/19 In-Class Final Draft

The Red Badge of Courage

Literary Analysis Single-Point Rubric

English 10 P. 2 Taylor

2/8/19 In-Class Final Draft

Out of the Silent Planet

Literary Analysis Single-Point Rubric

English 9 P. 4 Taylor

2/8/19 In-Class Final Draft

The Old Man and the Sea

Concerns                                Criteria                              Advanced

Clear thesis statement

Quotes from work cited in-text (MLA)

Supporting main points

Usage, sentence structure,

punctuation without error

_____________________________________________________________________________

Literary Analysis Essay-let's check that rough draft

Rubric for Self-Assessment

Literary Analysis Essay

Grade 9 P. 4  English 9 Taylor

The Old Man and the Sea

Rubric for Self-Assessment

Literary Analysis Essay

Grade 11 P. 1 English 11 Taylor

The Red Badge of Courage

Rubric for Self-Assessment

Literary Analysis Essay

Grade 10 P. 2 English 10 Taylor

Out of the Silent Planet

                                                                                           Rating Scale

Criteria                                                   Not very                                  Very

How clearly is your thesis  stated?          1              2                3           4             5      

How effective and well-organized

is your support for your position?            1             2             3            4                  5

How well are your points

explained?                                                        1              2             3            4                  5

How well do your quotes fit your

points?                                                              1               2            3             4                  5

How accurate is your usage and

citation?                                                            1               2            3              4                  5

Writing a Persuasive Essay--let's take a look at how you're doing

Rubric for Self-Assessment

Persuasive Essay

Grade 12 P. 5 English 12 Taylor

                                                                                           Rating Scale

Criteria                                                   Not very                             Very

How clearly is your position stated?        1              2           3         4          5 

How effective and well-organized

is your support for your position?            1             2            3          4         5

How well are your

arguments reasoned?                                    1              2            3        4        5

How appropriately do your

arguments and examples fit your

audience?                                                           1               2            3       4       5

How strong and fair are the language

And argument you have used?                     1               2            3        4      5

Cheesy Jokes and Serious Thoughts for Valentine's Day

Garfield is one of my closest friends. The alarm goes off around 4:30 am, I reach for the laptop and see what Garfield is up to. As a substitute teacher, I would bribe the class with his jokes. I'd draw his picture on the board, put the questions to the riddle up and tell the kids I wouldn't give them the punchline unless...the whole class could be complete 15 minutes of work, or be good until recess, or clean up the class. Whatever needed to be done. The rascaliest students really wanted the joke, so everyone would cooperate. I told them I wasn't sure if it was even legal to keep a punchline from them, it seemed like cruel and unusual punishment (but I never had to withhold a punchline ever.) Humor is a great break in the authoritarian regimen; and puns do teach language arts in their multiple meaning words. Oh, the punchline: let me call you Tweetheart. Maybe to be current I should change the riddle to, 

''What did the boy bird text to the girl bird?'

Let me call you Tweetheart.

''What did the boy bird text to the girl bird?'

“Humor is a very important component of emotional health, maintaining relationships, developing cognitive function and perhaps even medical health,” said Allan Reiss, MD, who directs the Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research at Stanford. http://med.stanford.edu/ism/2012/january/reiss.html  

Most of us know the ancient proverb, 'A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.' 
Leave it to Stanford to use an MRI to prove it! They hooked up kids and showed them funny and nonfunny material. I wonder how these jokes would do.

If you don't like cheese, don't read these!

Here is some more silly:

Did you hear about the romance in the tropical fish tank?
It was a case of guppy love.

What did one piece of string say to the other piece of string?
Please be my valentwine!




What did the French chef give his wife for Valentine's Day?
A hug and a quiche.


What did the farmer give his wife for Valentine's Day?
Hogs and kisses. 
What did Frankenstein ask his girlfriend?
Won't you be my Valenstein? 

What is serious about this holiday is that some of our students are in difficult circumstances due to stressors in their families. They can't write a valentine to mom or dad or other relatives. They may be in the middle of a family break up, in foster care, or suffered a great loss. Our job is to be aware of this, first of all, and maybe have an additional activity to take the edge off the intensity of the student's actual life. Maybe valentines to mail to troops overseas, or to a local nursing home or hospital. Maybe a writing project to write an anecdote of  a time someone showed kindness and love to the student. This could be emotional, but also cathartic. Life is tough, and the facade of the perfect family life is very difficult at times for many kids. Recalling a time of warmth and stability can be a positive moment on a dark day. I've had unique class situations where we could share such a writing project in discussion, and the other students were very supportive.

                                             Thanks, Garfield and other silly souls for 
                                                             keeping it real. Real silly.

What did the boy bird say to the girl bird?