1. I reminded the students that their poem / paragraph assignment was due last Thursday but will still be accepted until the last day of school, this Thursday.
2. To direct their focus as we listen to the end of Animal Farm, I wrote several themes or topics related to the novel in our unit of study. The topics were as follows:
   1. Consider how easily people in societies can be persuaded / manipulated / motivated.
   2. Leaders and followers – there are always natural leaders and natural followers
   3. Common good – what does it mean / who decides what it is / someone always loses out
   4. Social responsibility – our conscience / intuition inform us in our decisions
   5. Self doubt – people still do things despite uneasy feelings (ie: follow)
   6. People do what they believe is right
   7. Power – does power always lead to corruption?
3. Students finished listening / reading the novel Animal Farm. We discussed it a bit at the end but will continue tomorrow.
4. I also handed back the practice Dept exams the students started last week. Whether they use them as practice or to study the format for the exam or not is up to them. There is also a answer key they can use to check their responses for the first few sections of it.
5. In regards to the format for their final next Monday, I reminded them that they will have to write two formal literary essays – one that only refers to any three of the shorter literature (stories, essays, poems) and one that refers to only one of the major pieces of literature we have studied (Hamlet, Night or Animal Farm). I had written on the board the essay question options from last June’s B30 dept exam. The questions will obviously be different ones but looking at these allows them to gather a better idea of the types of questions they may be asked.
   1. Formal essay  options referencing three shorter pieces:
      1. With reference to three selections, show how characters strive to be accepted or admired.
      2. With reference to three selections, show how characters’ reactions to challenges illustrate their true identity.
   2. Formal essay options referencing only one major piece:
      1. Show how unrealistic expectations established by the main character(s) lead to disappointment.
      2. Show how characters attempt but fail to remedy the injustices of society around them.

Here is a link to another year’s ELA B30 departmental exam with answer key attached. Try it out.

There’s a pretty great movie made based on the novel Animal Farm. They did a great job with the movements of the animals. What do you think?