Friday, May 18, 2012

ACT Prep Tests

Next week (May 21 - 25), we will be taking more English Department ACT Prep Tests.  Again, these don't count towards your grade, but they ARE examined to monitor your progress as an English student, looking at your abilities to examine texts for content, meaning, and writing errors (sentence and paragraph structure, punctuation, etc.).  It is highly recommended you go online and take some of the ACT Prep Tests for practice.  These practice tests are great because, when you select a wrong answer, it will tell you what the correct answer is and WHY.  (In other words, it will explain the English rules that are to be followed.)  
In English, you take two different types of tests: the "English" test (grammar, punctuation, structure) and the "Reading" test (understanding the content and meaning of what you've read).

The links to the two sites (Reading and English) are:

http://www.actstudent.org/sampletest/english/eng_01.html

http://www.actstudent.org/sampletest/reading/read_01.html

If the links do not work, you may go to:  http://www.actstudent.org/sampletest/index.html

Then click on "Reading" and "English" to take each sample test. 
PLEASE practice these exams.  They don't take a lot of time and they will definitely help prepare you for the ACT and other standardized tests that will be important in your high school career!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Homework ... if you are absent

If you are going to be absent during the NATO days (Friday and Monday), you should make sure you keep up with your reading of TWELFTH NIGHT, as we will be moving forward.  You should FINISH ACT 2 and ACT 3 over the weekend -- and be ready for quizzes and tests on those acts early next week.  THOUGH THE ABSENCES WILL BE EXCUSED, YOU WILL NOT BE GIVEN EXTRA TIME FOR ASSIGNMENTS THAT WILL BE GIVEN NEXT WEEK, OR BEFORE TAKING QUIZZES AND TESTS!!!!

Remember to ANALYZE the text while you're reading, as we have been doing together as a class.  It is not just enough to know the "plot," but you should also be able to discuss and apply your "Shakespeare Terms" as you go along.  Break down each speech and make sure you know what it means.  Pay particular attention to things that were listed on the sheets you received at the beginning of the unit, and other items we've discussed such as:
1.)  Plot devices
2.)  Theatrical conventions
3.)  Character development  (How do they grow?  Change?)
4.)  Theme of "(animal/base) nature vs. polite society"
5.)  Theme of fate/destiny ("the stars") vs. choice ("free will")
6.)  The uses of low humor and high humor.
7.)  The uses of poetry and prose ... why and when are each used?

Make sure you are reading to UNDERSTAND the material, not just get a basic plot structure.  Use all of the tools on the "Sparks Notes" and "No Fear Shakespeare" web pages to help you along.