Welcome to American Literature!

Updated 03/16/2009

PSAE Time!!

When Spring Semester rolles around, all junior's minds turn to . . .standardized testing! Yes, it's that time of year. We will be spending a significant amount of time on test preparation to get everyone prepared for the ACT and WorkKeys.

EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

CONGRATS

--to the Speech Team on their 1st

place at Sectionals

--to the Wrestlers on a 1st at

Regionals and sending 5

members to state

--to the Cheerleaders on their 5th

place at State

Mr. Ryden!!!!!

Jeffrey Ryden will be student teaching this spring. Mr. Ryden is a graduate student from SIU-C and is looking forward to taking over the classes this month.

March 2009

Wednesday 3/4: Club Day

Thursday 3/5: BloodDrive & Late Start

Friday 3/13: Half Day

Sunday 3/15: Beware the Ides of March

Tuesday 3/17: Happy St. Patrick's Day

Friday 3/20: Half Day

Wed & Thurs 3/25-26: PSAE Practice

Supplies Students Need for English III

Pencils

Pens

Paper

Pocket & Clasp Folder

ENGLISH III

Like all general English courses, English III focuses on reading comprehension and analysis, communication skills, and mastering various writing forms. We will cover American works including The Scarlet Letter, The Crucible, works by Edgar Allan Poe, The Great Gatsby and many other works. We will write many shorter essays along with a 7-10 page Research Paper.

I hope to add many fun new projects this year using the new equipment BCHS received as part of a large technology grant. Students will be working on computers to do research, create PowerPoint presentations, and complete many written and visual projects.

2007-08 should be a great year, and I look forward to getting started.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT ENGLISH III

Like English III, AP focuses on rhetorical, analytical, and practical communication skills. A large part of advanced English is challenging the way students think, read, and write. To that end, we cover works including Billy Budd, The Scarlet Letter, The Crucible, works by Edgar Allan Poe, Ethan Frome, The Great Gatsby, Of Mice and Men, and Hamlet. Weekly advanced vocabulary is a large part of AP, along with regular writing assignments.

We also spend a great amount of time in class discussion and working in small groups on individual projects. Students will be expected to complete two independent readings during the year and then teach that work to the rest of the class. Finally, the big project of the year is the 8-10 page Research Paper.

SUMMER READINGS: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn(Day 1), A Streetcar Names Desire (Day 2), and The Grapes of Wrath (Day 3). I will also be handing out a selection of poems to read. Students will get these the first week of school and a printable copy will be available on the Handouts page of this site. Titles are listed on the Assignments page.

AP is a fun yet challenging class where students get out of it just what they put into it. I can't wait to get started.

Brain Bender!!

The Candy Dilemma

You come upon three gumball machines, but vandals have spray-painted the glass and switched the signs so that all three are incorrectly marked.

You know that one machine has all cherry, one has all grape, and one is evenly mixed with grape and cherry.

You only have one quarter to spend. How can you put the correct sign on the correct machine buying only one gumball?

For extra credit, be the first to bring in the answer.

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Last winner:

After 7 weeks on the site, Gaige of B-4 finally solved the word puzzle. The answer is TOP.

Find that Word

A common three letter word can be added to all the following words to make a new word. WHAT IS IT?

TOPHAT

DOORSTOP

TOPPING

In the . . .

SAT vs. ACT: What Are the Real Differences?

by Justin Dolecki, The Princeton Review

Not sure what the differences are between the SAT and ACT? You're not alone. One of the most frequently asked questions is, How do these tests actually differ? But what most students forget to ask is how they're the same. They're both standardized tests that factor into the college admissions process. They both measure just one thing: how well you take a standardized test. They don't tell you how smart you are, how well you've done in high school, or even how well you'll do in college.

Now, back to the differences. Here are the top four:

1. Geography. There's a great geographic divide between the two tests. The SAT is the dominant college admissions test up and down the eastern seaboard and on the West Coast. ACT country can be found in the Midwest and South. Important fact: Nearly all colleges accept both! See our own version of red and blue states.

2. Science. Both the SAT and ACT test the old standards of math and English but one key difference is that the ACT has a science section. Don't worry, you don't need to know anything about amoebas or chemical reactions; the science section is more of a reading test. See what a science question on the ACT looks like.

3. Writing. Both the SAT and ACT include an essay, but the key difference is that the essay on the SAT is mandatory while the ACT essay is optional. If you plan on taking the ACT make sure you check with your prospective colleges to see if they even require the essay. See which colleges and universities want the ACT essay.

4. Scoring. Each section of the SAT is scored on a scale of 200 to 800 with 2400 being the highest possible combined score. The ACT, on the other hand, scores each section on a scale of 1 to 36. Your total composite score will also fall somewhere on that scale. Search for the average SAT and ACT scores of various colleges.

Other key differences that you need to know are outlined on this chart from The Princeton Review.

Regardless of which test you take, or if you take both, prepare! There are free resources and prep books, classroom and online courses, or tutoring programs available to you--take advantage of all of your resources! Good luck!

Dolecki, Justin. SAT vs. ACT.: What are the Real Differences? 2008. Microsoft MSN. 18 Feb. 2009 http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/Departments/college/Default.aspx?article=satvactdiff.

For extra credit, find 10 colleges that prefer the ACT and 10 colleges that prefer the SAT. Bring the list to Mrs. Morris.

Try these Sample ACT questions.

Answers found on the Class Bulletin Board page of this site.

1) Sabotage came from the French saboter, which means “to clatter with wooden shoes (sabots).”

which means “ to

which means, “ to

that means “to

that means- “to

that means, “to

2) In studying an assignment it is wise to read it over quickly at first, than see the major points, and finally outline the material.

first, than

first: then

first-then

first, then

first-than

3) The setting of a story effects the story’s plot.

effects the story’s plot

effects the stories plot

affect the story’s plot

affects the story’s plot

affects the story’s plots

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The best place to look for ACT practice tests and information is The ACT official Website: http://www.actstudent.org/testprep/index.html

Some other good sources are

http://www.learningexpressadvantage.com

http://www.testprepreview.com/

http://www.isbe.state.il.us/assessment/psae.htm

http://www.number2.com

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http://www.bentonhighschool.org