“Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us
stretch and grow and reach new heights.” – Pauline R. Kezer
Meet Ms. Plackowski
Names
Where are we going and where have we been?
Routines
Policies
Curriculum
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the
greatest accomplishment.” --Ralph Waldo Emerson
 DOL
#10
 Journal: What’s
your favorite reality TV show? (If you
don’t watch reality TV, why not?)
 Go
over questions, comments, and concerns.
 Let’s
go back to The Hunger Games film and do some
scene analysis!
 Homework: Read
Catching Fire for over break
Before he listed the three references on his
application to the University of Maryland, Brendan
obtained permission from those individuals.
The Hamilton snow thrower ,which Mom bought at
the Gifford Nature Center, is small enough to fit in
our subcompact car.
HONORS DYSTOPIAN LITERATURE: C BLOCK
12/19/13
“Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.” --Eleanor
Roosevelt
DOL #11
• Gathering: What are your plans for over break?
• Journal: Of all the issues that Suzanne Collins critiques in The Hunger Games series,
which do you think are the most interesting or the most important?
• Continue film analysis
• Homework: Finish Catching Fire for over break
My brother, without consulting us three, bought
tickets to last night’s concert and later asked us to
go with him.
Several methods can be used to win the game, but
Xavier doesn’t know any.
“It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be
when you can’t help it.”—Oscar Wilde

DOL #12

Gathering: a highlight of your break

Journal: If you could create a perfect world, what would it include?

Catching Fire reading quiz

“Traits of a dystopia” Power Point
“Cherokee artists create beautiful paintings,” Mr.
Hernandez exclaimed, “and many of the paintings
are hung in galleries.”
When Mom bought this van, she didn’t know how
expensive it is to operate and maintain.
“Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don’t recognize
them.” --Ann Landers
 DOL
#13
 Journal: What will the world be like 25 years from now? 100
years from now?
 Go over reading quiz
 Discuss midterm
 Practice SPA paragraphs in groups:
• Is Panem a dystopia? Explain why or why not.
• Is Katniss a dystopian hero? Explain why or why not.
 Critique
paragraphs as a class
while walking her greyhound its leash was broken
and the woman lost control of it and the dog bolted.
“How can it be,” Ms. O’Malley asked, “that since
buying an easy-to-use software program, I’vehad
nothing but trouble?”
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant.”
–Robert Frost
 DOL
#14
 Journal: Why do people act morally or obey the law? Do
they do it for fear of being caught, or is there more to it?
 Finish SPA paragraphs from yesterday
 Critique paragraphs on document camera
 Introduce book clubs (see next slide)
Some visitors from another school, we suspect, stole
our school mascot’s costume, probably to use it at
their own school’s next home game.
My sister-in-law, who lives in Akron, Ohio, called to
tell us that it’s official: she is now a senior partner in
her law firm.
 Book
clubs will be every Day 4.
 You must choose a dystopian book
for this book club.
 Choose book clubs and book by the
end of the block today.
 You must have your book in hand by
Monday, January 7th
 You must have read to your first
benchmark (determined with your
group) and have prepared your first
role by January 17th.
Book Club Dates:
January 17th
February 5th
February 14th
March 4th
“You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.”
–Ray Bradbury
(not necessarily in this order):
 No DOL
 Exam prompt & index card
 Website: www.msplackowski.weebly.com
 Mr. Wallingford
“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” --Milton Berle
 DOL
#15
 Reflect on Mr. Wallingford’s talk the other
day. What did you learn? What did you think
was most interesting?
 Watch TED talk and discuss:
http://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_haidt_o
n_the_moral_mind.html
 Finish
and critique SPA paragraphs
Important dates
Friday: first book club
meeting
Tomorrow after
school: extra-help
session for midterm
exam
Tuesday after exams:
Extra-help session for
midterm exam
Next Wednesday:
midterm exam
Today I will find the clothes I have outgrown,
wash them, and put them in a bag; tomorrow
I’ll bring the clothes to a charity in Seattle,
Washington.
“My goodness!” Aunt Betty exclaimed. “When
was the last time we sat here and talked?”
 DOL
#16
 No journal
 Two worksheets: Intro to politics and concept circles
 Book club in F101
 Homework: Complete
January 30th.
2 worksheets by Thursday,
Carl drove across the Charles River to
Walden Park and skated there, regardless
of warnings about thin ice.
“Your wallet and watch were behind the
Victorian vase on the table when I left for
Yolanda’s office,” Mom said.
“Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the promise of progress, in every
society, in every family.”—Kofi Annan
 DOL
#18
 Journal: Reflect on your senior year so far. What have you
learned, and what goals do you want to accomplish before the
end of the year (in English or in general)?
 Review and discuss midterm
• Common writing issues
• Images and texts
 Hand back papers
 Homework: Read “The Triumph of the Trivial” for next class
To the students seeing Verdis opera Aida for the first
time, the performance at the Sarasota Opera House
was both spectacular and stunning to hear.
The Daily News reported that the Omaha City Council
will vote on new basketball courts at Tuesday’s
meeting .
What is the illustrator’s argument?
What does each element evoke or represent?
What texts relate to this image and how?
What is the illustrator’s argument?
What does each element evoke or represent?
What texts relate to this image and how?
“You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts.” –Khalil Gibran
 DOL #19
 Journal: Write
your thoughts and reactions to the article you read
for homework.
 New semester: new seating arrangement, new grading system,
letter to parents
 How to take Cornell notes
 Practice taking Cornell notes in groups with “The Triumph of the
Trivial.”
 How to write a precis
 Remember to sign up for Remind 101 and Turnitin. Test
reminders will go out this week. You must use your real name.
 Homework: Mechanisms of Control and Rebellion Worksheet for
Monday
While living in Burlington, Vermont, Jennifer had jobs
at two supermarkets, Grand Union and Price
Chopper, in order to save money to attend
Georgetown University.
Dad and Uncle Reggie decided not to go fishing last
Saturday; instead, they took us kids to Elkhorn State
Park in Helena, Montana.
Term Grades
 Homework and quizzes = 30%
 Papers, tests, projects, and other assessments = 40%
 Book club = 10%
 Journal = 10%
 Participation = 10%

Grades will be based on points, not percentages. For
example, a minor homework assignment with ten
questions might only be worth ten points, while a
major paper might be worth 50 points.
Full Year Grades
Term 1: 20%
Term 2: 20%
Term 3: 20%
Term 4: 20%
Midterm: 10%
Final: 10%
“If there is a book you want to read, but it hasn’t been written
yet, then you must write it.” –Toni Morrison
 DOL #21
 Journal: What
are you looking forward to about the
weekend?
 Handout: How to Write a Precis
 Practice writing a precis using “The Triumph of the Trivial”
in groups
 Critique precis
 Homework: Mechanisms of Control and Rebellion
Worksheet—due Monday
3600 marion street
denver co
october 19 2000
rosebud floral design
275 west chestnut street
chicago il 60610
dear sir or madam