Canada Votes!

Canada votes! Where do you stand??

Before we even start our new unit on Canadian Government, we are going to explore YOUR POLITICS! What do you value? What are your beliefs? Are you Liberal? Conservative? NDP? Green Party? Blog Quebecois?? Find out with votecompass!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/votecompass/

Take the test and record your results in your binder.

Rick Mercer - Political Satire of Political Party Leaders



Debate Highlights
http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/News/1221258968/ID=1880490059

Literature Circle - End of Novel Project and Test

DIALOGUE POEM ASSIGNMENT....






MORE NOVEL TESTS AND PROJECTS....


You are going to write a novel test which will explore the key elements for your novel..
please create an outline for your essay. You will only WRITE ONE ESSAY on one of the topics below. Essay length 3-5 paragraphs... Be sure to have an introduction, body paragraphs (1-3) and a conclusion.


Novel Test Essays ideas:

Partner Poems for Two Voices and the theme... Dystopia... "Finding Freedom and Revolution" in the novels: 

The Hunger Games

Among the Hidden

The Giver

Uglies

Brainstorming:

1. Close your eyes and imagine being part of the society from your novel. Imagine life in a society where you have little freedom. Choices are made for you... the way you live is controlled by the government of your society. How would you feel about your life? What would life be like in this society? What would your goals be for the future? How would you be able to stand life in this society? Could you just speak out and revolt? What could happen to you... or your family???

2. Share your brainstorm with your Literature Circle group...

3. On a T- chart labeled, Novel Protagonist:.....  and Novel Antagonist - or YOU

List characteristics for both societies and what life is like. Be sure to compare and contrast life in the two societies. Really show the difference between the two societies. Explore both the similarities and the differences.

Drafting the Poem for Two Voices:

Now start drafting a poem that shows two very different points of view. One point of view is life as the protagonist from your novel and other maybe the antagonist OR you a person living in Canada. 

The poem maybe written individually or in partners. 

Some other ideas that you may develop might be living in the society, rights, freedoms, family life, jobs, daily life, school or what's it's like being a particular age.

LENGTH: your poem should be of at least 12 lines (individual) or 20 lines (partners)

Here is an example. Examine the language and the form in the following lines.

*Notice that phrases on the same line are read together. Notice that colour is used to separate what is read separately. Lines in both colours are read together.

Living in my community...

I have many choices. I choose my job.

Families in my community 

Living in my community. . . I have very few choices I am given an Assignment.

Families in my community 

But we always can depend on our family... (said together in unison)

Display: Create a small poster for your poem (1/2 size of bristle board), that includes your poem typed attractively and 10 visuals that reflect the differences and the similarities of the two points-of-view.

Presentation: Present your poem to the class. Try to develop the mood and the tone of the poem by adding costumes or props. But be sure to practice the tone and parts that are in unison.

 Decorate with pencil crayon and other mediums that would be eye catching and would offer "texture" to your display (suggestions: glitter, string, yarn - reflects Ember, tinfoil... be creative with your ideas on how to represent your poem).

Are always small.

Can be two, three, four, or more people.

Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is for you to examine life in our country (or that of an ideal society) and to compare/contrast it with life in the dystopian society from your novel. You are going to express your understanding of the contrast of the two societies by writing a poem for two voices. (To further understand the format for a poem with two voices, see below).

Test Outline:

Matching - Elements of Literature booklet (types of character, protagonist, antagonist, foil, stock, dynamic, static, round flat; types of conflict, internal or self vs. self, external person vs. person, person vs. nature, person vs. society; types of point of view...) Study the handouts given in class.

Plot Pyramid - Create a plot pyramid for your novel, including terms such as setting, initial incident, rising action (key points), climax, falling action and resolution.* This will be similar to what you did in class. Feel free to reference the one you created earlier.

Short answer: specific novel questions on type of character, why you think so (ie: dynamic, static, round, flat; type of conflicts evident in the novel; type of point of view; author's message...)

Essay question - ONE essay

1. It’s hard, but try to see things from the Government's perspective. Why would the leaders seek to control of the people so strictly? Write a speech in from the president's/ leader's voice, addressing the people (districts, city, dystopian country etc.).
2. Your novel is an example of dystopian literature. What other dystopian titles have you read? Or what dystopian movies have you watched? What are the similarities and differences? Do they have a common theme? ** Think of the handout on Dystopian Literature and Societies that you got earlier.
3. If you look at lists of dystopian literature, you can see a clear pattern — it has increased dramatically in the last few decades. Why is this? Why would teens be motivated to read books with this theme?
4. Allegory: a narrative having a second meaning beneath the surface one – a story with two meanings, a literal meaning and asymbolic meaning. That said, how is your novel an allegory? What is the symbolic meaning?
5. How is your protagonist from your novel, a classic "Dystopian Character"? Explain, referencing your handouts and your novel, write in essay form. Be sure to check the handout on Dystopian Literature.

 

** Students are allowed the "chart handout" - "Elements of Literature Novel Analysis" and ONE SIDE  of looseleaf with the essay outline and any other notes (ie mini plot pyramid).

Math AFL Assessment - Grade 8

It's that time of year... not spring and thoughts of Easter holidays, but AFL Assessments for Math 8!
Click on the following link to see past assessments...
http://www.education.gov.sk.ca/2011math-preassess-resource

This link will help to familiarize yourself with the format of the test.  It also contains practice questions for you to do for fun!! Or just to get ready for the assessment...

Stewie