Second Hour American Lit and Composition

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2/25/09    Students started by discussing the poem The Raven by using the questions on page 471 of the gold Am Lit book to prompt them.  They went over the Literary Analysis box as well.  In a whole group discussion, students connected the poem to Poe’s life.  They compared it to the 4 short stories we’ve read as well.  They discussed what elements are obviously Gothic in nature, and then they watched The Raven Simpson’s episode.  Then, they discussed the Simpson’s interpretation of the poem—keeping in mind the text is the same.  No homework.

2/24/09    Students turned in their homework, and then they took a quiz on the short story.  Next, we discussed the story as well as compared and contrasted the four Poe short stories.  Then, students practiced assigning rhyme scheme to the first three stanzas of The Raven.  They were given the remainder of the hour to work on their homework.  Homework:  Read pages 466-471.  Final Gothic test on Friday.  Review pages 446-448 and 450-453.

2/23/09    Students were given a copy of the short story The Black Cat by EA Poe.  They were also given study questions and a review sheet of literary terms.  We started reading and annotating the story in class--the process was modeled for students who are not as familiar with the process.  Homework:  Finish reading and annotating the short story.  Write out the answers to the study questions--due tomorrow along with a multiple choice quiz on the short story.

2/13/09    Students started with the Fall of the House of Usher quiz.  Next, we watched a film.  No homework.  Have a great break.

2/12/09    Students turned in their homework.  Next, we started reading Fall of the House of Usher.  Homework:  Complete reading the short story.  Write out the answers to 1-5.  Reading check tomorrow.

2/11/09    Students started by handing in their homework.  Next they had a reading check on The Masque of the Red Death  Next, we corrected it and discussed the short story.  Then we read Tell Tale Heart in class.  We paid special attention to Poe's use of sentence structure and punctuation to create mood.  Homework:  Write out the answers to all of the Think and Discuss questions 1-8, as well as all of the Reviewing Point of View 1-3 questions after the short story.  Reading check tomorrow. 

2/10/09    Students turned in their papers, then started with an open note quiz on pages 446-453.  Next, we corrected it and discussed it--reviewing how to read and take notes from informational text.  Then, we started reading the background on Poe's short story Masque of the Red Death on page 454.  We started reading the short story on page 455.  Homework:  Finish reading pages 455-462 and write out the answers for questions 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 8.  There will be a reading check tomorrow.

2/09/09    Students were given notes on Gothic literature.  They were supposed to take notes.  Homework:  Take HANDWRITTEN notes on pages 446-453.  There will be an open note (handwritten only no Xerox or computer printed notes) tomorrow on pages 446-453.   

2/06/09    Students were in the lab using My Access.  They were revising and trying to improve their paper's score.   Homework:  Continue working your DPS paper.  See notes page for paper specifications and due date.

2/05/09    Students were in the lab using My Access.  They wrote on a persuasive prompt.  We will be in the lab again tomorrow revising and trying to improve the paper's score.   Homework:  Continue working your DPS paper.  See notes page for paper specifications and due date.

2/04/09    Students turned in their introductions, and we went over them in class.  Homework:  Continue working your paper.  See notes page for paper specifications and due date.

2/3/09    Students finished watching Dead Poet's Society.  Students also received an assignment sheet for their final paper (see notes page).  Homework:  Start working on final DPS paper (see note page for details and due date).

2/2/09    Students continued watching Dead Poet's Society.  No homework.

1/30/09    Students continued watching Dead Poet's Society.  No homework.

1/29/09    Students turned in their homework, and then we started watching Dead Poet's Society.  No homework.

1/28/09    Students took their final Transcendental Test.   When students finish, they received an  “I hear _________ singing” template (available on notes page).  They will be creating their own poems using this same style.  They get to decide what they want to write about and then they fill in the blanks.  They need to take this assignment seriously and to give it some thought.  Homework:  Complete the “I hear _________ singing” poem you started in class.  It is due tomorrow.

1/27/09    We went over the basic Transcendental concepts and discussed modern day connections including music and lyrics.  Homework:  Study for tomorrow's Transcendental Unit Test (see notes page for study information).  Also, print up the lyrics to a song that has Transcendental roots and ideas.  Due tomorrow.

1/26/09    Students received a writing prompt sheet (see notes page for copy).  The article was read  aloud to students and then they wrote their responses.  They turned it in before they left class today.   No homework.

1/23/09    Continue working on essay from yesterday.  Due at the end of the hour.  No homework.

1/22/09    Students started with the Pooh of Walden Pond Quiz.  When they were done, we corrected it and discussed the answers.  Next, they received the lyrics to “Another Brick in the Wall” by Pink Floyd.  They had to:  Defend or refute the following statement:  The lyrics to Pink Floyd’s song “Another Brick in the Wall” are rooted in Transcendental beliefs and ideals. 

This is a persuasive essay so be sure to address counter argument.  Also, be sure to use examples from Transcendental literature and the song to support your statements.

Homework:  Work on your essay.  You will have class time tomorrow to work on it as well.  It will be due at the end of the hour Friday.  One class period is not enough to do a thorough job--so you must work on it tonight!

1/21/09    We started reading Pooh of Walden Pond together discussing it and annotating as we went along.  Students were then given the remainder of the hour to continue working on it.  Homework:  Finish reading Pooh of Walden Pond annotating it as you read.  Be prepared for a quiz on the reading tomorrow. 

1/13/09 - 1/16/09    Exam week.

1/9/09    Students received the first semester exam study guide.  It is a skills based exam—they will read and answer questions.  They will also write a PERSUASIVE essay.   Next, student took the reading check sheet for I Hear America Singing and I Sit and Look Out.  I collected the TP-CASTT from any students who did it.  It wasn’t required, but if they did it, and gave it to me, they will get extra credit.  Next, we went over the answers.  Homework:  Prepare for your final exam.

01/08/09    Students took reading comprehension test.  No homework.

01/07/08    We discussed poetry and started the Whitman segment of the unit.  Homework:  Read “I hear America Singing” and “I Sit and Look Out.”  Read over the questions and TP-CASTT the poems for understanding (but you won’t need to turn them in).  We will have a reading check on Friday.

01/06/08    We broke into groups to discuss Walden and last night's homework.  No homework.

01/05/08    We finished discussing Civil Disobedience.    Homework:  Read Walden and choose your favorite selection and quotes (pgs. 381-389).

12/23/08    No School!  Water Main Break.  Have a safe and relaxing holiday break!

12/22/08    Students broke into groups and analyzed sections of Civil Disobedience.  Then they shared their findings with the class.  No homework.

12/19/08    No School!  Snow day!

12/18/08    Students wrote Challenge Day letters to middle schoolers.  No homework.

12/17/08    Students started reading and discussing Civil Disobedience on pages 369-379.  No homework.

12/16/08    We discussed Self Reliance and took a reading check.  Next, we went outside  Homework:  Go outside for 20 minutes and write a descriptive paragraph describing your experience--no music, phones, or interruptions. 

12/15/08    Students started by turning in their homework.  Next, they took a reading check on "A Psalm of Life."  Then, we started "Self Reliance" on page 363-367.  Homework:  Finish reading "Self Reliance."  Write out the Reader's Notebook assignment on page 363 and the answers to questions 1-4 on page 367.

12/12/08    Students started with a reading check on  The Devil and Tom Walker.   Next, they took a practice quiz on persuasive rhetoric and the three appeals, active reading, and other topics we have covered.  Students need to maintain their knowledge of units and lessons covered in class.  Homework:  Read and TP-CASTT (instructions for TP-CASTING available on Am Lit Notes page) A Psalm of Life pgs. 344-347.  Write out the answers to questions 1, 2, 3, 5.  Review persuasive rhetoric (notes available on Am Lit Notes page). 

12/11/08    We started with a reading check on the background of the unit (pages 336-339).  We corrected it and discussed it.  Next, we started the Psalm of Life on page 345 and discussed aspects of poetry including:  TP-CASTT, rhyme, meter, rhyme scheme, free verse, and stanza.  Homework:  Reading The Devil and Tom Walker tomorrow.

12/10/08    We started by reading page 349 in the literature book.  We discussed the Connect to Life topic "Money Matters."  After completing page 349, students read the short story The Devil and Tom Walker on pages 350-359.  They were assigned questions that followed.   Homework:  Finish reading The Devil and Tom Walker.  Write out the answers to questions 1-4 on page 360.   Also, read literary analysis on page 360.  Reading check tomorrow on the Celebrations of Self on pages 340-342 and the short story tomorrow. 

12/09/08    We discussed individualism and pages 336-339.  We also discussed the importance of counter argument in persuasive rhetoric.  Homework:  Finish reading pages 340-342 including the Voice of the Times in the margins.   Reading check tomorrow.

12/08/08    We started our next unit (Romanticism and Transcendentalism) by viewing segments of the film Dead Poet's Society.  Students were given questions to consider and answer while they watched the segments.  Then, we discussed them.  No homework.

12/05/08    We continued our work on persuasive rhetoric by writing an introduction, body, and conclusion.  We used examples as a class to edit and revise.  No homework.

12/04/08    We continued with persuasive rhetoric.  Students were given notes on the three appeals (see notes page).  They were also given examples.  No homework.

12/03/08    We shared the "isms" and discussed them.  Students received the formal definition of the word aphorism.  No homework.

12/02/08    We took a reading check on the two letters.  We corrected it and discussed the letters.    Next, we read Poor Richard's Almanac on page 292 and discussed them as well as additional  "isms. "  Homework:  Create your own "ism" (aphorism) and explain it. 

12/01/08    We started by discussing the Declaration of Independence--pointing out the use of repetition and parallelism.  Next, we read page 282 in its entirety.  Then, we read both the Wheatley and Adams letters that followed.  Homework:  Reread the two letters and answer write out the answers to questions 1-3 on page 284 and questions 1-4  on page 287.  Reading check tomorrow.

11/26/08    Students watched America Rock.  No homework--have a great Thanksgiving.

11/25/08    Students turned in their homework, and we discussed Henry's speech and use of persuasive rhetoric, as well as the homework.  Next, we read page 270 and discussed paraphrasing and parallelism.  Each student was assigned a portion of The Declaration of Independence to paraphrase.  Homework:  Read the Declaration of Independence in its entirety.  Next, write out the answers to questions 1, 3, 4, 6 on page 279 AND write paraphrase the section assigned in class..

11/24/08    Students started by reading The Right to be Free on pages 256-258.  Next, we read over Persuasive Rhetoric on pages 260-261 and discussed it.   Next, we discussed the term allusion.  Then, students were assigned to read Patrick Henry's speech at the Virginia Convention on pages 262-267.  Homework:  Finish the reading and write out the answers to questions 1-2 and the two Comprehension Check questions on page 267 due tomorrow.

11/21/08    Students went to the computer lab B327.   They  logged onto My Access and did a Salem Witch Trials prompt.  Once they submitted their essays, they printed their scores.   Then,  they were to go in and start to revise their papers and submit them again.  They focused on improving the areas that needed the most work first and then move to the next.  They should continued to work on this all hour.  No homework. 

11/20/08    Students were in the lab writing a a persuasive essay.  No homework.

11/19/08    Students continued watching the film The Crucible.  No homework.

11/18/08    Students continued watching the film The Crucible.  No homework.

11/17/08    Students started watching the film The Crucible.  No homework.

11/14/08    Students met in the lab and wrote a persuasive baseline essay and received immediate feedback from a writing program we will be using this year.  No homework.

11/13/08    Students took the final Crucible test.  No homework.

11/12/08    Students continued writing there character sketches.  This was their second day of writing, and it was due at the end of the hour.  Homework:  Final Crucible test Thursday.  

11/11/08    Students selected a character and used their character trait sheets to write a character sketch about one of the characters in the play The Crucible.  They received instructions on how to write a character sketch and read an example of one (see notes page for details).  They began writing their character sketches.  This is an in class assignment that will be due at the end of the hour tomorrow.  Homework:  Final Crucible test Thursday.  

11/10/08    Students continued work on character trait sheets and had the opportunity to work in pairs.  Homework:  Finish the play The Crucible and continue filling in character trait sheets.  Final Crucible Test this week.

11/07/08    Students wrote an ACT style persuasive impromptu due at the end of the hour.  Homework:  Finish the play The Crucible and continue filling in character trait sheets.

11/05/08    Students received a character chart, and we continued with the play "The Crucible".   Homework:  Finish the last few lines of the play. 

11/05/08    Students continued with the play "The Crucible".   No homework. 

11/04/08    No school for students!

11/03/08    Students took a character quiz on the play "The Crucible", and we went over it in class.  No homework.

10/31/08    Students continued with the play The Crucible.  Homework:  Continue filling in character sheets.  Have a safe and fun Halloween.

10/30/08    Students turned in their homework, and then we discussed Act I of the play The Crucible.  Next, we continued on to Act II.  Homework:  Continue filling in character sheets. 

10/29/08    Students received some Salem Witch Trials information.  Then, we continued with the play "The Crucible."  Homework:  Write out the answers to questions 1-5 on page 190.  Also, complete Act I character trait sheets on John Proctor, Abigail Williams, and Reverend Hale (using the instructions from Reader's Notebook on page 163).

10/28/08    After students turned in their homework, we started "The Crucible".  We stopped at approximately page 185.  No homework. 

10/27/08    Students started with a journal entry using the following prompt:  What material possession(s) would you feel the most upset about losing?  Why is it so important to you?  How would you feel and how would you deal with the loss of it?  Next, they worked with partners and read Anne Bradstreet's poem "Upon the Burning of our House" on pgs. 140-141.  With their partner they discussed what similarities were expressed in Bradstreet's poem and their journal entries.  Next, they wrote a second journal entry using the following prompt:  Now that you've read the poem, reread your entry.  Are you all that different from Bradstreet?  When you really think about it, is the item you chose really that important?  Explain.  Homework:  Answer the 3 blue questions on page 141 (1.  How does Bradstreet view her loss?   2.  What does Bradstreet miss about her house?  3.  What is Bradstreet comparing to a house?  What ideas are suggested by this comparison?)  The answers written on loose leaf are due tomorrow at the start of class.

10/24/08    We started reading Jonathon Edwards sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God".  We discussed the Puritans and their beliefs.  Homework:  Read pages 152-158.  Do Reader's Notebook on page 152.  Read over all of the questions on page 158 and write out the answer to #1 only.  Also, find some artistic representation of the mood Edwards creates in his sermon.  It may be original, or it may be a picture, photograph, song, etc. that you find.  It must be school appropriate.  Due Monday.

10/23/08    We went over yesterday's test, and students received notes on suffixes and spelling rules.  No homework.

10/22/08    Students started with the spelling test.  Then, they finished watching the film “A Rose for Emily.”  Then, they wrote a journal entry on their reaction to the film.  Whose to blame for Miss Emily’s actions?  Is she at all responsible?  Is it her father’s fault?  Is it the community that allowed it to happen?  Etc.  No homework.

10/21/08    Students took a reading check today.  Next, they learned the hungry rule for spelling.  They watched the first half of "A Rose for Emily."  Homework:  Spelling test on Hungry Rule tomorrow.

10/20/08    Students who read "A rose for Emily" wrote an impromptu using the following prompt:  Discuss the importance setting plays in the short story "A Rose for Emily."  Consider its impact on mood, plot, characterization, etc.  The students who read the fog took a practice test on spelling and the Hungry Rule.  Then, they continued reading "The Fog."  Homework:  Both groups should prepare for a reading check.  Fog group:  repeated reading, word chart, phrase chart, write out 5 questions about the story and answer them. 

10/17/08    Students broke into groups and discussed the stories that they read.  Homework:  Rose for Emily group be prepared for a reading check on Monday.  Fog group do repeated reading of first paragraph of chapter 3 five times on two separate days this weekend, finish reading chapter 3, and write 3-5 sentences on what happened in chapter 3 and what do you think will happen next.  

10/16/08    Students took a reading check on Heidegger and then broke in to two groups and read.  They had to read either "The Fog", "A Rose for Emily".  Homework:  Finish reading and do the following--answer questions 2, 3, 4, 6 that come after the story "Rose for Emily" and the group with "The Fog" must chart words and phrases, do repeated reading, read chapter 1 & 2, and write 3-5 sentences on what happened in the chapters and what they think will happen.   

10/15/08    We started reading "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" in class discussing it as we went along.  Homework:  Finish reading the short story on pages 502-514.  Write out the Reader's Notebook on pg. 500. Write out the answer to #5 on page 514.

10/14/08     Students took part II of their Scarlet Letter final test.  No homework.

10/13/08    Students took part I of their Scarlet Letter final test.  Next, they wrote about their favorite character from the novel.  No homework.  Part II of the test will be tomorrow.

10/10/08    Students paraphrased and explained the meaning of chapter 19 of The Scarlet Letter .  No homework.  Final test--Part 1 Monday and Part 2 Tuesday. 

10/09/08    Students paraphrased and explained the meaning of four passages of The Scarlet Letter.  No homework.  Final test--Part 1 Monday and Part 2 Tuesday. 

10/08/08    After students turned in their homework, we continued reading The Scarlet Letter.  No homework. 

10/07/08    Students read chapter 15 and received study questions.   They were given time to read and to answer the questions.  Homework:  Finish the reading and the questions. 

10/06/08    After students turned in their homework, they took an extra credit reading check over chapters 1-14.  No homework. 

10/03/08   We read chapter 13 of The Scarlet Letter in class.  We discussed chapters 12 and 13 and discussed the characters.    Homework:  Read the portion of chapter 14 that was passed out and summarize it

10/02/08    We read and discussed The Scarlet Letter, completing chapter 12.  Homework:  Write out the answers to the nine questions assigned in class (see notes page for questions). 

10/01/08    Students started with the following writing prompt:  What is your fondest Halloween memory?  Be sure to use descriptive language.  Next, we went over last night's homework--discussing in great detail, why each essay received the score it did.  No homework. 

9/30/08    Students had a scored impromptu (available on notes page).  It was due at the end of the hour.  Homework:  Score the six essays in the packet that was distributed using the 6 pt. ACT rubric.

9/29/08    Students created their in-class writing folders, and they put their return work in them.  These folders stay in the class and are available for parents to view if they would like to come in and see them.  Students were also given their persuasive impromptus back.  They were given a copy of the ACT 6 pt. rubric.  We went over the rubric and the elements that make a good essay.  Introductions and conclusions were modeled for them as well.  There will be another persuasive impromptu tomorrow.  No homework.

9/26/08    Students took an open note quiz on Unit 1.   Next, they wrote a journal entry using the following prompt:  Share your thoughts and ideas on ways to bring the students at GPNHS closer and make them feel connected to the school and each other?  Is it possible to accomplish?  No homework.

9/25/08    Students started by discussing The Scarlet Letter.  Next, we continued reading and listening to the novel discussing it as we went along focusing on Active Reading strategies and connecting to life.  We also continued discussing the message Hawthorne is trying to  convey in his allegory.  No homework.

9/24/08    We read and discussed chapter 7 of The Scarlet Letter.  Students learned how to break down Hawthorne's language and look for meaning.  Then, they worked on chapter 8 on their own, writing a summary of it due at the end of the hour.  No homework.

9/23/08    Students taking notes on Freytag's Pyramid and conflict.  Then, we continued with  The Scarlet Letter.  No homework.

9/22/08    Students started with the following  journal entry:  Is homecoming worth the effort?  What is the meaning behind homecoming?  Is the philosophy behind homecoming outdated.  Do students feel connected to the school?  What can be done to make them feel connected?  Next, we continued with The Scarlet Letter.   No homework.

9/19/08    Students were introduced to the novel The Scarlet Letter.  They were given background information about the Puritans and Nathaniel Hawthorne.  They were also given the definition of the term allegory.   The Scarlet Letter is an allegory.  Then,m they read and listened to the cd.   Students should keep track of characters and symbols in the novel as we read. Homework:  Be prepared with your notes from Unit 1 part 1 and 2 for a test next week—you will be allowed to use your notes. 

9/18/08    Students were given a timed reading comprehension survey.  No homework.

9/17/08    Student wrote a persuasive impromptu essay that was due at the end of the hour.  Students who missed it need to arrange a make-up time.  No homework.

9/16/08    Students read Of Plymouth Plantation aloud in class and discussed it as they went along.   They were given class time to work on homework.  During class students met individually with Mrs. Sexton and took a FAST reading survey.  Homework:  Do questions 2, 3, 4, 5 (for question 2 write out a 1-2 sentence summary of each bolded section). 

9/15/08    Students turned in their Native American log assignment.  Next, in the lab, they worked on their "About Me" assignment.  This needs to be completed at school, and it must be saved in their Class Manager folder.  No homework.

9/12/08    Students started with a reading check on Rainy Mountain.  Next, we corrected it and discussed it.  Then, we read pages 66-68 in the lit book.  Students were told to take notes on the reading.  Next, we read Voices of the Times--Christopher Columbus's log on pages 67-68 and discussed it.  Homework:  Take notes on Historical Background pgs. 66-68.  Write a log assuming the persona of one of the natives that greeted Christopher Columbus and his men when they landed in 1492.  It must be 1-2 handwritten pages or 1/2-1 double spaced typed page.  It must be in final form--neatly done in ink or typed, one side of the paper only.   

9/11/08    Students wrote for ten minutes using the following prompt:  Setting is where and when a story takes place.  Why is it important to a story?  Next, they opened their books to page 55 and read it discussed it as we went along.  Next, we read The Way to Rainy Mountain aloud in class.   Homework:  Finish reading The Way to Rainy Mountain.  Be prepared for a reading check tomorrow. 

9/10/08    Students took a Degrees of Reading Power test.  No homework.

9/9/08    Students started with the following writing prompt:  How do both of the twins' personality from "The World on the Turtle's Back" exist in all of us?  Next, they took a reading check on the story.  Then, we corrected it and discussed the myth.  No homework.

9/8/08    Students started with a journal prompt:  When you think of American Literature, what immediately comes to mind?  What comes to mind when you think of Native Americans?  What type of stories do you think they created?  Will they be interesting?  Etc. Next, we started reading the creation myth "The World on the Turtle's Back" on pages 24-30.  Homework:  Finish reading "The World on Turtle's Back" and read all of the questions on page 31.

9/5/08    Students read pages 6-7 (Active Reading Strategies).  Next, we read the background information for Unit One and took notes (pages 20-22).  Homework:  Finish reading pages 20-22 and continue taking notes on what you've read. Do Not Read Voices Of The Times.   

9/4/08    Students received syllabus and supply list.  They need to return signed paperwork tomorrow.  Homework:  Return signed syllabus and permission slips.  Also, bring Kleenex box to class.

First Hour American Lit and Composition

A supply list for all courses I teach is available on the Miscellaneous page.

6/12/08    No class--exam week.

6/11/08    No class--exam week.

6/10/08   No class--exam week.

6/9/08    Semester 2 Final Exam 8:00-9:30.

6/06/08    Students turned in their last homework assignment.  We continued watching DOAS. 

6/05/08    Students took the final  DOAS test, and we discussed the homework assignment.  Homework:  Write Willy's obituary.  It can be from a newspaper's staff writer's point of view or from one of Willy's family members'/friends' point of view (be sure to specify who the writer is).  Due tomorrow..

6/04/08    We finished reading DOAS, and discussed it.  Students were also given an explanation of their last assignment, writing an obituary for Willy Loman.  Homework:  Start to write Willy's obituary.  It can be from a newspaper's staff writer's point of view or from one of Willy's family members'/friends' point of view.  Final test on DOAS tomorrow.

6/03/08   We read and discussed DOAS.  We left off at the top of page 96.  No homework.

6/2/08    We read discussed DOAS.  Then, we continued reading the play aloud in class.  Homework: Read up to the middle of page 85.  Stop when Willy's mind returns to the past. 

5/30/08    We took the Act I reading check and then continued reading DOAS aloud in class.  Homework: Read up to page 64.  Stop when Howard exits. 

5/29/08    We continued reading DOAS aloud in class discussing it as we read.  Homework:  Finish reading Act I. 

5/28/08    Student received copies of the play Death of A Salesman (DOAS).  We started reading the play aloud.  Homework:  Read to the middle of page 28.  Stop before Charley enters.

5/27/08    Students turned in their GG books and their final GG papers.  Then, they took the final GG test. No homework.

5/23/08    We discussed chapter 8 as a class.  Students who completed the homework discussed with me chapter 9 and the novel as a whole.  Students who hadn't done the reading were given class time to finish the novel.  Homework:  Prepare for the GG Final Test on Tuesday, finish the GG Final Paper due Tuesday. 

5/22/08    Students started with a quiz on chapters 3-6.  Next, we discussed chapter 7.  Students were given the option to choose their homework assignment.  Homework:  Choose one of the following:  Read both chapters 8 & 9 and prepare for final discussion and review.  Journals for those chapters will be due on Tuesday with the final paper and the final test----OR----Read chapter 8 and journal it. 

5/21/08    Students were given a quiet day to work on their papers or read tonight's homework.  Homework:  Read and journal chapter 7 and work on final paper.

5/20/08    We discussed chapter 5 and started reading chapter 6 (discussing it as we went along).  Students were also assigned their GG Final Paper (requirements are available on the Notes page).  They were also given the upcoming calendar overview for the remainder of this week and next week.  Homework:  Read and journal chapter 6.

5/19/08    Students worked in groups discussing Fitzgerald's methods of character development, symbolism, and conflict.  They had to turn in their work before they left.  Homework:  Read and journal chapter 5.

5/16/08    We discussed chapter 2 of GG and started reading chapter 3.  Homework:  Finish chapter 3 and read chapter 4.  Be ready for a reading check on chapter 4 and a quiz on 1-3.

5/15/08    Continuing with The Great Gatsby (GG)....After students turned in their homework, they took a reading check on chapter 1.  We corrected it and discussed chapter one--paying special attention to characterization and symbolism.  Next, we started reading chapter 2--emphasis was placed on looking up words you don't know otherwise you will not understand important aspects of the novel.    Homework:  Finish chapter two and do a journal entry per the instructions given. 

5/14/08    We read almost all of chapter 1 aloud in class discussing it as we went along.  Students were given a "journal' writing assignment sheet that explains what is due the day after we read a chapter (see notes page for instructions and format sheet that can be printed and used to simplify the assignment). Homework:  Finish chapter one and do a journal entry per the instructions given. 

5/13/08    Students turned in their homework, and we went over it--discussing ways to improve the essay.  Next, students were asked to jot down anything and everything they knew about the 1920s and Prohibition.  We discussed the time period and the changes the country saw at that time.  Next, we started reading The Great Gatsby.  No homework.

5/12/08    Students handed in their homework, and then they started with a journal entry using the following prompt:  What challenges did you face while writing Friday's essay?  Be specific.  Is literature based writing easier or harder than persuasive writing?  Explain.  Next, we took student essays and revised them--discussing the papers' introductions, body paragraphs, and organization.  Homework:  Students were given an actual student essay (name withheld) and they must "grade it" considering the assignment's guidelines as well as basic essay principals.  They should make comments directly on the paper.  In addition, they should revise one portion of it on their own. 

5/9/08    After students turned in their homework, we discussed Hughes's poetry.  Next, we discussed the  writing assignment due Monday.  Homework:  Based on what we've learned about the struggles of different groups this year through the American literature we've read, write a compare/contrast paper discussing the literature these groups produced and compare it and contrast it to L. Hughes's 3 poems (I, too; Harlem; Weary Blues) be sure to consider elements like style, theme, imagery, tone, etc.  Use quotes and parenthetical documentation to support your ideas.  Groups/literature to consider include:  Native Americans, Puritans, Revolutionary War writers., Transcendentalists, Twain, Douglas, Lincoln, Civil War writers, women's rights writers, Civil Rights writers, Hughes (Harlem Renaissance).   Final draft is due Monday.  Write your name on the back if you don't want it disclosed during in class revision activities. 

5/08/08    Students started a reading check on the Langston Hughes biographical reading selection.  We corrected it and discussed it.    Next, we read and discussed page 924.  Homework:  Read Langston Hughes's poems on pages 923-927.  Write a reaction after reading each one.  Once you've read all three, write a paragraph connecting them--consider style, rhythm, theme, imagery, etc. 

5/07/08    We started by discussing our 10 minute journal entries and what students should be accomplishing in the allotted time.  Next, we had a reading check on The Yellow Wallpaper, and then we discussed the short story.  After that, we started the Harlem Renaissance by reading pages 914-919.  Homework  Read pages 920-923. 

5/06/08    We went over more of Dickinson's poetry and a letter she had written.  We finished up by reading Literary Analysis on page 760.  Homework:  Read Yellow Wallpaper on 765-779.  Write out the answers to the 9 purple Active Reading questions located through out the short story.

5/05/08    Students started with a quiz on their reading assignment.  Next we read page 750.  Homework:  Read Dickinson's poems on pages 751-753 and TP-CASTT them for tomorrow (see notes page).

5/02/08    Students read the background information and the poem on pages 618-619.  In class, they answered questions 4 & 6 on page 620.  We also read Literary Analysis on page 620.  We also read the biographical information on page 621 in the blue box.  Next, students turned to page 740 & 741.  We discussed what was going on during the timeline.  Next we read pages 742-744.  Homework:  read Voices from the Times on pages 742-744 (the Sojourner Truth selection).  Also read pages 746-749 (be prepared for a quiz) .

5/01/08    Students turned in their homework, and then they were given the rest of the hour to write a poem (see notes page) about the story we read yesterday.   It was due at the end of the hour. No homework.

4/30/08   We discussed the answers to the 3 questions from last night's homework.  Then, we read and discussed Lincoln's Gettysburg Address on pages 605-608.  Next, we read Anne Moody's Coming of Age in Mississippi on pages 609-615  Homework:  Answer questions 3,5,6,7 on page 616 and read the literary analysis box on that page.  Also, read the biographical information on Anne Moody on page 617.

4/29/08   Students went over questions from Owl Creek, and we discussed the point of view.  They were given 3 questions to answer for tomorrow:  1.  What were the dates of the Civil War?   2.  What were the total number of deaths? 3.  What were the bloodiest battles?  Homework: Answer the three questions to turn in tomorrow.

4/28/08  Students finished reading and discussing "An Occurrence at the Owl Creek Bridge".  No homework.

4/25/08  Students did not begin class with a journal entry today.  We began reading and discussing "An Occurrence at the Owl Creek Bridge" on page 581 (we read through sections I and II). No homework.

4/24/08   Students began with the following journal prompt: "Write about one current (social) situation that you think should be protested.  How would you gather interest from the general public about the situation?  What are effective ways of fixing or solving the situation?"  As a class, we then read and discussed the poems on pages 574-579.  No homework.

4.23/08  Students began with the following journal prompt: "Why didn't Covey ever whip Douglas again? Why do you think Covey didn't tell authorities about Douglas's resistance and have Douglas punished? Knowing what you know about bullies, is Covey one? Why or why not?"  Students then took a reading check on Fredrick Douglas's autobiography.  Students did a TP-CASTT of the poem on page 615.  We then read and discussed the poem as a class.  Homework: Author Activity on page 573.

4/22/08    Students broke into groups and worked on creating a 3 paragraph essay while addressing the question posed in the Cooperative Learning Activity on page 571 of their lit book.  Each group had to contribute to the essay (this is a graded assignment).  No homework. 

4/21/08    Students started Unit 4 in their lit books today--A House Divided--and we read pages 558-560.  Next, we read the background information for Frederick Douglas's narrative on page 562.  Homework:  Read pages 563-570.  Answers questions 2, 4, 8 on page 571.  Also, do Reader's Notebook (page 562) as well as write down 5 items from the reading that stood out.  Be ready to explain why. 

4/18/08    Students took part two of their two part Huck Finn test.  No Homework

4/17/08    Students took part one of their two part Huck Finn test.  Homework: Work on the final project and prepare for 2nd half of Huck Finn final test. 

4/16/08    Students were given a study guide of questions to answer to help them prepare for their test tomorrow.   Homework: Work on the final project and prepare for tomorrow's final test. 

4/15/08  As a class, we went over the theme packet in class.  Students then received their final project sheet for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  Students had the remainder of the hour to develop a plan for their project.  Homework: Work on the plan for the final project. 

4/14/08  Students began class by taking a reading check on chapters 13-18.  Students then worked on a "theme" packet for the remainder of the hour.  Homework: Finish the theme packet.

4/11/08  Students did not take a reading check today.  Students silently read at their desks for the period. Homework: Read chapters 13-18 for Monday.

4/10/08   Students began class by taking a reading check on chapters 9, 10, and 11.  We then talked about the relationships or bonds forming in the novel, especially between Huck and Jim.  Homework: Read chapter 12.

4/09/08   Students began class by taking a reading check on chapter 8.  We then talked about the humor or satire surrounding religion in the novel (including the idea of superstition).  Homework: Read chapters 9,10, and 11.

4/08/08    Students began class by taking a reading check on chapters 6 and 7.  Students then worked on study guide questions from chapters 1-3 and 4-7.  Homework: Read chapter 8.

4/07/08    We started with a journal entry using the following prompt:  Now that you've met Pap, what does it explain about Huck?  What stands out about Huck's father's attitude toward Huck being educated?  Next, we took a reading check on chapters 3-5.  Homework:  Read chapters 6 and 7 and be prepared for a reading check.

4/04/08   We started with a reading check on last night's homework.  Next, we started reading chapter 3.  Homework:  Read chapters 3-5 and be prepared for a reading check.

4/03/08    We started with a reading check on last night's homework.  Next, we read and discussed chapter 1.  Homework:  Read chapter 2 and be prepared for a reading check.

4/02/08    We started with the following journal entry:  Have you ever had a preconceived idea or stereotyped an individual or a group?  If not, have you ever been profiled or stereotyped?  What did you learn from the experience.  Next, we discussed satire and read an example article.  Then, we started reading the novel Huck Finn.  Homework:  Read the About the Author, The Preface, and the Summary of Tom Sawyer for tomorrow.  Expect a reading check. 

4/01/08    We started with the following journal entry:  As a society, do we blow things out of proportion more now than we did in the past?  Are we overly sensitive and overly politically correct?  Next, we continued with Born to Trouble.  No homework.

3/31/08    Students started by viewing a clip of Kilpatrick's state of the city address.  They then wrote a journal response to his use of the "N" word.  Next, we started watching Born to Trouble a PBS special about the controversy surrounding Twain's novel Huck Finn.  No homework. 

3/20/08   Students turned in their work packets.  We then went over the  "Our Spiritual Strivings" strivings in class (see notes).  No homework. 

3/19/08   Students were assigned one paragraph from "Of the Meaning of Progress" and had to choose an important idea, event, or description from that paragraph.  Students were to think about race, equality, and education (while keeping the time period in mind). Students then shared their ideas with the class and we pieced together the story.  No homework.

3/18/08   Students read 3 biographies in class about W.E.B. Dubois (see notes).  Students chose one biography that they thought was the most impartial and one biography that they thought was the most favorable.  Homework: finish the biography assignment.  Also, compare the situations presented in Dubois to Justice Warren's paragraph about the state of education in 1868 and 1964.

3/17/08  Students received background on Brown vs. Board of Education.  Students then received the piece "Of the meaning of progress" and a work packet on "Of the meaning of progress" from The Souls of Black Folk  (see notes).  Homework: read "Of the meaning of progress" and fill out pages one and two of the packet.

3/14/08  Students took their final gothic test.  We then talked a little about the Harlem Renaissance. No homework.

3/12/08  Students children's books or comic books were handed in at the beginning of class.  We resumed discussion of "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment".  Students were told about their final gothic test on Friday.  Homework: prepare for the final gothic test.

3/10/08  Students did not begin with a journal. In class, we checked in the storyboards and students received the paper for their children's book or comic book.  Students who did not have their storyboard finished did not receive paper; they will receive the paper when their storyboard is compete.  Students then read "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" starting on page 502.  Homework: complete questions 5, 8, and "What do you think of Dr. Heidegger's reason for not wanting to be young again?"

3/7/08   Students were permitted to work quietly for the hour.  Homework: work on you Poe project (the written copy and the storyboard are due Monday).

3/6/08   Students did not begin with a journal prompt.  Students received a worksheet describing the  final Poe project (see notes).  Students had the hour to work on the project.  Homework: work on your children's book or comic book. 

3/4/08   Students began with the following journal: How is "Annabel Lee" different from any of Poe's short stories. Students then examined setting, character, foreshadowing, and flashback in "Annabel Lee".  Homework: continue working on the setting, character, foreshadowing, and flashback activity.

3/3/08    Students did not begin class with a journal.  Students received a copy of Annabel Lee (see notes).  Students read the poem silently in class. Homework: Write down how the poem seems characteristic of Poe.  Also, write how the poem does not seem characteristic of Poe.

2/29/08   Students began class with the following writing: What is "The Raven" about? Why does the raven appear to the narrator and what does it symbolize? Students then went through aspects of the TPCASTT to check for an understanding of the poem.  Students watched the Simpson's version of "The Raven" for the last 10 minutes of class.  No homework (other than paper due Monday.

2/28/08   Students began class with the following writing: Why do you think Poe would choose "The Raven" as a title for one of his poems? What comes to mind when you think of a raven?  In class, we then reviewed TPCASTT (title, paraphrase, connotation, attitude, shift, title, and theme).  Students were assigned certain stanzas from "The Raven" to paraphrase in class.  Homework:  TPCASTT "The Raven" and continue working on paper.

2/27/08   Students did not begin with a writing prompt.  Students took a reading check on The Black Cat.  Students then were to read The Raven (page 467) and answer questions 1,3, and 4 on page 471.  Homework: Finish reading and answering the questions--continue working on your paper.. 

2/26/08    Students did not begin class with a writing prompt.  Students were to work within their rows in order to find literary elements in The Black Cat.  Each row was assigned a particular page to focus on.  After 15 or 20 minutes, a representative from each row went to the front of the room and presented the literary elements.  Students were given a writing assignment that is due Monday.  Homework:  Start working on essay due Monday.

2/25/08  Students did not begin class with a writing prompt.  Students were given a reading check on The Fall of the House of Usher at the beginning of class.  Students then were to figure out the rhyme scheme of the first 18 lines of  "The Raven" on page 467 of their textbooks. Students were introduced to The Black Cat and reviewed important literary terms.  Homework: students are to find examples of literary terms (character, setting, irony, imagery, punctuation)  in The Black Cat and write them out on paper.

2/15/08  Students began class with the following writing: What predictions can you make about "The Fall of the House of Usher?"  Why do you think the story will end in that certain way?  In class, we went over the homework from last night.  We also read through the end of The Fall of the House of Usher. No homework.

2/14/08  Students begun class with the following writing: Why is Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" characterized as a psychological story? Does Poe's use of character, setting, and other literary terms support the idea of a psychological tale? How?  After the prompt, we continued reading "The Fall of the House of Usher".  Homework: students are to paraphrase pages 485-488.

2/13/08   Students did not begin class with a writing prompt.  In class, we read pages 474 - 481 of The Fall of the House of Usher.  While reading, we stopped periodically to look at important vocabulary and to check for understanding.  Students identified different literary elements in the story.  No homework.

2/12/08   Students did not begin class with a writing prompt.  Students read page 473 as an introduction to The Fall of the House of Usher.  In class, students listened to a partial recording of The Fall of the House of Usher.  Students followed along in their books with the recording.  After listening to the recording, we talked about how different media forms (audio version) can affect how a reader interprets a story.  No homework.  We will be discussing pages 474-483 of The Fall of the House of Usher tomorrow.

2/11/08   Students did not begin class with a writing prompt.  Students took a reading check on The Masque of the Red Death.  Students then reviewed literary terms and examined how they apply to The Masque of the Red Death.  As a class, we then came up with example (suspense) stories, using the different literary terms.  Students began working on their own suspense scenarios in class.  Homework: students are to make up their own suspense story (half a page to a page long) using literary terms (character, setting, imagery, and conflict). 

2/8/08   Students began class with a 10 minute writing using the following prompt: How do you think Poe's use of literary terms affected how you read The Tell-Tale Heart.  Students then took a reading check on  The Tell-Tale Heart.  In class, we began reading The Masque of the Red Death.  Homework: students are to read the rest of The Masque of the Red Death and answer questions 1,2,4,5,6,8 on page 462.

2/7/08  Students did not begin class with a reading prompt.  At the beginning of class, students took the check on the Gothic literary movement and on Edgar Allan Poe.  Students then answered the following questions: What is mood? How do you know if a person is guilty? What qualities/ characteristics does an insane person possess? Can you always tell if someone is insane? Do insane people know if they are insane? As a class, we read the first portion of The Tell Tale Heart (see notes), emphasizing various literary elements.  Homework: Finish reading The Tell Tale Heart. Also, mark down the different literary elements as we did in class.  Think about how they make the reader feel.

2/6/08   Students began class with a 10 minute writing using the following prompt: What do you think gothic means? What do you think some characteristics of gothic literature would be? Why? In class, the students read about the Gothic literary movement (pg. 446).  Students also read a biography piece about Edgar Allan Poe (pg. 448).  Students were informed that they would have a reading check on the Gothic literary movement and on Edgar Allan Poe tomorrow.  Homework: Study for the reading check.

2/5/08   Students began class with a 10 minute writing using the following prompt:  What is an example of contemporary media (book, film, song, etc.) that represents Transcendentalist views or ideas? How?  Students then received a writing prompt and an example of contemporary song lyrics (see notes).  In class, we went over the directions for the prompt and used the example as a guide.  Students worked on brainstorming ideas for the prompt for the rest of the period.  Homework: The writing prompt (typed) and the brainstorming work students completed in class are due tomorrow.

2/4/08    We discussed the film Dead Poets Society and its ties to Transcendentalism.  In addition, we discussed the characters' actions and the mistakes they made.  Then, we finished watching the film.  Homework:  Dead Poets Society film question worksheet due tomorrow.

2/1/08     Students did not start class with a writing prompt today.  In class, students continued to watch Dead Poet's Society and fill out their movie guide questions.  No homework.

1/31/08      Students did not start class with a writing prompt today.  In class, students continued to watch Dead Poet's Society and fill out their movie guide questions.  No homework.

1/30/08      Students started with a 10 minute writing using the following prompt: With what character from "Pooh on Walden Pond" can you relate to and why.  Students then took the reading check on "Pooh on Walden Pond" in class.  Students received a movie guide about Dead Poet's Society (see notes) and we began watching the movie.  No Homework.

1/29/08      Students started with a 10 minute writing using the following prompt: Select a modern day figure (fictional or non-fictional) that represents Transcendentalist views or characteristics.  State why you have chosen the figure and name the specific characteristics that they hold. Students then received the "Pooh on Walden Pond" article and began reading it in class (see notes).  Students were told that they would have a reading check on "Pooh on Walden Pond" the following day.  Homework: Finish reading "Pooh on Walden Pond" and prepare for the reading check on Wednesday.

1/28/08       Students did not begin class with a writing prompt today.  Students received and took the Transcendentalism unit test in class.  No homework.

1/25/08       Students turned in their "I Hear America Singing" poems.  Students started with a 10 minute writing using the following prompt:  What is the American Dream? Does it still exist today? What is your vision of the American Dream? How has the American Dream present of evident in the Transcendental works we have read.  As a class, students read "A Song of Myself" on pgs. 400-403. Homework: study for the Transcendental unit test on Monday.

1/24/08        Students started with a 10 minute writing using the following prompt:  Keeping in mind the poems we read yesterday ("I Hear America Singing" and "I Sit and Look Out"), what jobs or aspects of life could you use to describe life today? Students received an informational packet on Romanticism  and Transcendentalism to help them review for their test on Monday (see notes page).  Students received two template worksheets of  "I Hear America Singing"  and began writing their own version of the poem. Homework: finish writing the poem started in class; finalize it, do a final copy, and staple it to the rough draft.  (due tomorrow).

1/23/08    We read pages 396-399 and discussed the poems.  Homework:  do questions 1-3 on page 398 and questions 1-3 on page 399. 

1/22/08    Teacher Record Day--No School for Students.

1/21/08    MLK Day Observed--No School.

1/15/08 thru 1/18/08    First semester finals.  See homepage for exam schedule.  Quarter grades, exam grades, and semester grades will be posted (by student identification number) on the bulletin board outside my classroom B321 no later than the morning following the exam. 

1/14/08    After students turned in their homework, they received notes on deductive/inductive reasoning and the three appeals (see Am Lit Notes page).  Next, they continued their work with Walden.  No homework.

1/11/08    After homework was collected, students continued their work on Walden by going outside and writing observations.  Progress on their journals was also checked today.  Homework:  Continue working on their two day journal/record of what they are doing .  They should keep track of everything they do through out the course of the day and write it down.  Prepare for your exam.

1/10/08    Students turned in their homework.  After a reading check and discussion of last night's homework, students started Walden.   Homework:  Read Walden on pgs. 382-391 and answer questions 1-3 on page 392.  Students had to also start a journal/record of what they are doing for the next two days.  They should keep track of everything they do through out the course of the day and write it down. 

1/09/08    We continued our work with Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau.  Homework:  Finish reading Civil Disobedience pgs. 369-376.  In addition, do the Reader's Notebook assignment on pg. 369 and write out the answers to questions 1,2,4,8 on pg. 378.

1/08/08    Students turned in their homework, and then they were given a quiz on their reading assignment.  After we discussed it, we started discussing Civil Disobedience.  No homework.

1/07/08    Students were given their updated grade sheets today.  We started reading Self Reliance (pg. 363-366) and they were given notes on TP-CASTT (see Am Lit Notes page).  Students were also given a review sheet for the 1st semester final exam next week.  Homework:  Finish reading Self Reliance, do reader's notebook on page 363, choose and write down your top three aphorisms Emerson uses, TP-CASTT "Memoirs" (page 366), read over all of page 367.

1/04/08    Students turned in their homework, and then they had an ACT style 30 minute practice impromptu using the following prompt:  Some adults believe children should be seen and not heard, and they should simply do as they are told.  Other adults believe it is vital to allow children to express themselves freely.  In your opinion, should parents teach their children to do as they are told ore learn to think for themselves?   No homework.

1/03/08    Students started with a quiz on yesterday's reading assignment.  We went over the answers, and then they started working on Psalm of Life.  They read the entire poem aloud--discussing it and paraphrasing it as they went along.  They also discussed the differences between Edwards's Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God and Longfellow's poem and beliefs.    Homework:  Write out the answers to questions 1-4 on page 347.

1/02/08    Students started work with Transcendentalism and viewed and discussed the film Dead Poets Society.  Homework:  read pages 340-342 and now the definitions for transcendentalism and aphorism.

12/21/07    Students watched a film.  No homework over break.

12/20/07    Students received information on Romanticism (see Am Lit Notes Page).  After, that they broke into four groups and each group received one of four Romanticism info sheets.  They went through the information and found what they believe to be the most important.  Next, they wrote up the information they felt should be shared with the class.  One person took it home and typed it up so the group could eventually present it to the class tomorrow. 

12/17/07   Students took a mini review quiz on Friday's reading assignment.  Next, we discussed it.  Then, we started the next unit, Individualism.

12/14/07    Students discussed the examples of parallelism and repetition used by Jefferson in the D of I.  Next, they read examples from Poor Richard's Almanac on page 292 and chose the one they liked the best.  Next, they were assigned to read in class pages 289-293 (reading check on Monday).  Homework:  Find out where your ancestors came from and when they came to America.  Be ready for Monday's reading check.

12/13/07    Students had an impromptu due at the end of the hour.  They responded to the following prompt:        Look at Jefferson's, Henry's, Wheatley's, and Adams's writings, notice their methods of persuasion (parallelism, repetition, use of other persuasive rhetorical methods).  Choose a number of school related OR home related rules/policies that you find unfair and address the need for change.  Be sure your writing can incite the reader the way the Revolutionary writings we've read incited others. 

No homework.

12/12/07    Students turned in their homework.  Next, we started reading and discussing the literary letters on pages 282-287 in the Lit Book.  Homework:  Read all of page 287 and 288.  Answer questions 2-7 for tomorrow. 

12/11/07    After we discussed Patrick Henry's Virginia Convention piece, we moved on to the Declaration of Independence.  Each student was assigned a passage from the document, and had to paraphrase it.  Homework:  Paraphrase portion of D of I and answer questions 2,3,4,6,7. 

12/10/07    After homework was collected, we took a reading check and corrected it.  No homework.

12/07/07    We read pages 256-2258 and 260-261 in class.  Students need to know the information about Persuasive Rhetoric for a future quiz.  Homework:  Read pages 262-266 and write out the answers to questions 2,3,4,5,6,7 in complete sentences.  Be ready for a reading check.  Also, read page 269.

12/06/07    Students took part 2 of their Scarlet Letter final test.

12/05/07    Students took part 1 of their Scarlet Letter final test.

12/04/07    Students received their work to place in folders.

12/03/07    Students made a list of all of the characters in the novel they have encountered so far. They had to briefly describe each one.  Next, they had to find examples of characterization, setting, symbolism, irony, point of view, and conflict.  They had to write down the page number and explain why the quote they’ve chosen is a good example.  Homework:  Prepare for final unit test on Wednesday and Thursday.

11/30/07    We went over questions for chapters 15-18 and discussed the novel.  Then students were asked to practice paraphrasing portions of chapters 19 & 20 to help prepare them for a portion of their final unit test.  No homework.

11/29/07    We started by going over yesterday's impromptu.  A portion of each one was read aloud (the writers' names were not disclosed).  We discussed how to improve them and the good and bad qualities they possessed.  Next, in-lieu of the reading check, students were asked to summarized chapters 15-18, and then they were asked to create 5 questions for each chapter.  This helps students decipher what is important in a chapter and can help them comprehend what they've read.  Homework: Final paper is due tomorrow--the specifics of the paper can be found on the Am Lit Notes page.

11/28/07    Students had an impromptu and wrote all hour using the following prompt:  Discuss how Hawthorne has created a heroine in the Scarlet Letter's main character Hester.   How are her qualities more redeeming than the two main male characters in the novel?  Students had to parenthetically document page numbers of the quotes used to support their statements.  It was due at the end of the hour.  Homework:  Read chapters 17 & 18.  Reading check on 15-17 tomorrow.  Reminder--Final paper is due Friday--the specifics of the paper can be found on the Am Lit Notes page.

11/27/07    We started with a reading check on chapters 13 & 14.  We corrected them and discussed the novel.  Next, we started reading chapter 14 aloud.  Homework:  Read chapters 15 & 16. 

11/26/07    Students watched a Great Books study of The Scarlet Letter.  Homework:  Read chapters 13-14.

11/21/07    Students watched a video.  No homework over break.  Have a great Thanksgiving!

11/20/07    Students started by turning in their homework.  Next, there was a reading check on chapters 11-12.  We corrected it and discussed the novel.  Homework:  Read chapter 13 and start your Scarlet Letter Paper (due Friday, 11/30/07).  See notes page for specifics.  Final test for novel is on Monday, 12/3/07  (multiple choice) and Tuesday, 12/4/07 (paraphrase and explain).

11/19/07    Students started by turning in their homework.  Next, there was a reading check on chapters 8-10.  We corrected it and discussed the novel.  Homework:  Read chapter 12 and do the questions.

11/16/07    Students worked quietly all hour on reading chapter 11 and answering the questions for it.  Homework:  Complete chapter 11 and the questions.  Be prepared for a quiz or reading check on chapters 8-11 on Monday.

11/15/07    Students worked quietly all hour on reading chapter 10 and answering the questions for it.  Homework:  Complete chapter 10 and the questions. 

11/14/07    Students worked quietly all hour on reading chapter 9 and answering the questions for it.  Homework:  Complete chapter 9 and the questions. 

11/13/07    Class met in the lab, and students typed their essays and saved them in their 1st hour collected folders as curfew.

11/12/07    Students wrote a persuasive essay using the following prompt:

 They wrote all hour and turned it in before they left.  No homework.

11/09/07    Students had a reading check for chapters 6-7.  Then, we corrected it and started reading chapter 8 aloud in class discussing it as we went along.   Homework:  Finish reading chapter 8 and do the study questions.

11/08/07    Students were given class time to start reading chapter 7 and answers questions for chapters 5-7.  Homework:  Finish reading and do the questions.

11/07/07    Students were given notes on the different registers of language (see notes page).  Then, they did an exercise in converting casual language to formal language.  No homework.

11/06/07    No school!

11/05/07    Students read chapter 6 of the Scarlet Letter.  Homework:  Finish reading the chapter.

11/02/07    Students handed in their homework.  Then, I read chapter 5 aloud to them stopping and discussing it along the way.  No homework.

11/01/07    Students worked in groups of 2-3 to complete tonight's homework.  Homework:  Write out the answers to the questions for chapters 2-4.  The answers must be written out on loose leaf  paper, and each person must hand in his/her own. 

10/31/07    Students received a reading check for chapter 4.  After about 15 minutes, they were allowed to use their books to find the answers.  It was due at the end of the hour.  Homework:  Answer the study questions for chapter 1.  Due tomorrow. 

10/30/07    Students took a reading check.  Then, we corrected it and discussed the novel.  They were given time to start reading chapter 4.  Students have been advised to keep a character list and a list of symbols and motifs for the novel to help them keep things clear and assist in their understanding of it.  Homework:  Read chapter 4. 

10/29/07    We read chapter 2 and started chapter 3 of the novel The Scarlet Letter we discussed it and paraphrased it to get students use to the language.  Homework:  Finish reading chapter 3 and write a 3-4 sentence summary (in your words--not Cliffs Notes) of the entire chapter.

10/26/07    Students had a graded impromptu essay today using the following prompt:  As a society, have we become more or less sympathetic to crime and law breaking?  Write an essay addressing the prompt.  No homework.  Reminder :   Students have been given the opportunity to make up some of their missing work for partial credit.  To receive partial credit for late work--all work must be in before October 30 to be graded for report cards.

10/25/07    We started by discussing Preface 1 and Preface 2.  Then we started reading chapter 1 and 2 while discussing it.  No homework.

10/24/07    Students started with a journal entry using the following prompt:  What was your reaction to yesterday's speaker and his presentation?  Consider:  Can it make a difference?  Will it make a difference?  If not, what could make a difference?  Could you identify with him?  What was your impression of the students' behavior during the assembly?  Next we discussed the language in Hawthorne's writing.  Students received their Scarlet Letter books.  Homework:  Read Preface 1 and Preface 2 for tomorrow.  Stop at The Custom House.

10/23/07    We finished watching the film The Crucible.   All Pinnacle grades are current.  Students have been given the opportunity to make up some of their missing work for partial credit.  To receive partial credit for late work--all work must be in before October 30 to be graded for report cards.  No homework.

10/22/07    We continued watching the film The Crucible.   Students receive their updated grade sheets.  All Pinnacle grades are current.  Students have been given the opportunity to make up some of their missing work for partial credit.  To receive partial credit for late work--all work must be in before October 30 to be graded for report cards.  No homework.

10/19/07    We continued watching the film The Crucible.   Students receive their updated grade sheets.  All Pinnacle grades are current.  Students have been given the opportunity to make up some of their missing work for partial credit.  No homework.

10/18/07    Students started with a journal entry using the following prompt:  Are movies ever as good as the novel?  Explain.  Next, we started watching the film The Crucible.  No homework.

10/17/07    Students started with a journal entry using the following prompt:  Did Proctor finally salvage his pride in the end?  Explain if it was too little too late.  Next, students took their final Crucible test.  We will start watching the film tomorrow.

10/16/07    Students started with a journal entry using the following prompt:  What would you do if you were Elizabeth Proctor?  Would you convince John Proctor to confess?  Then, they had to take the opposite view and write about it as well.  Next, we finished reading Act IV.  They had the last 10-15 minutes to start the homework.  Homework:  Write out the answers to questions 1-5 on page 243.  Final Crucible test tomorrow.

10/15/07    Students started with a journal entry using a prompt of their choosing.  Next, we started reading Act IV.  No homework.

10/12/07   Students started with a journal entry using the following prompt:   Would you rather save your name and reputation by refusing to admit to something you did not do, or would you agree to confess to a crime and condemn others in the process?  Next, students took a reading check on Act III and we corrected it and discussed it.  No homework.

10/11/07    Students didn't have a journal entry today.  They broke into groups and continued reading Act III.  Homework:  Finish reading Act III and do questions 2-5 that follow the Act.

10/10/07     Students started with a journal entry using the following prompt:  Why would someone feel unprepared for a test on The Crucible considering we've read it and discussed it in class?  Next, we went over the test and discussed each question and answer, as well as the essay prompt.  We finished by starting Act III.  Homework:  Look up and find out what the McCarthy trials were and how they are similar to the Salem Witch Trials.  Write 1-2 paragraphs explaining what you found out.

10/9/07    No Writing Prompt Until Tomorrow.  Students took the Crucible Act I test ( NO NOTES OR BOOKS).   No homework.

10/8/07    Students started with a journal entry using the following prompt:   Has Proctor missed the window of opportunity to expose Abigail and the others?  Explain.  Then, we continued reading Act II.  Homework:  Finish reading the last 5 lines of Act II and do questions 2-6.

10/5/07   Students started with a journal entry using the following prompt:   Next, we started reading and discussing Act II.

10/4/07    No Writing Prompt Until Friday.   Students continued our work with Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible in the yellow lit book.  They completed Act I.  Homework:  Answer questions 2-5 on page 190. 

10/3/07    No Writing Prompt Until Friday.  Students continued their work with Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible in the yellow lit book.  Students read the parts.

10/2/07    Students started with a journal entry using the following prompt: Profanity--why?  Dishonesty--why?  Continued reading the play The Crucible, discussing it as we went along.

10/1/07    Students started with a journal entry using the following prompt:  What do you think of ticket brokers being able to sell tickets at more than face value?  Next, we started the play and discussed it as we went along.

9/28/07   Students started with a journal entry using the following prompt:  How is a play different than other forms of reading and entertainment?  Have you been to any plays?  Which one(s)?  Did you enjoy it?  Explain.  Next, they started Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible in their lit book.  They received drama terms and definitions on the overhead projector.  Then they started the play on page 163—they read over all of the background and focus reading and active reading sections.  No homework.

9/27/07    Students started by watching two video clips--Miss Teen USA response to a question and a shadow hand puppet performance.  Next they responded with a journal entry using the following prompt:  What is your reaction to the videos you viewed?  What similarities and differences can you make between the two?  Next, we discussed Plymouth Plantation and the questions from last night's reading selection.  We started reading the background information for the play The Crucible.  They will be starting the play tomorrow.  No homework.

9/26/07    Students started with a journal entry using the following prompt:  Could the hysteria that occurred in Salem, MA in the late 1600s occur today?  Explain.  Next, we read pg. 81 in the lit book and discussed why the Pilgrims came to the New World.  We discussed how their descendants behaved only 70 years later and the irony in it.  Then we discussed the American Dream.  Students wrote about their American Dream.  They were given the last 10 minutes to start the homework.  Homework:  Read pages 82-88 and read over all of the questions.  In writing, answer question #3--due tomorrow.

9/25/07    Students started with a journal entry using the following prompt:  What would you do if you were falsely  accused of something?  Next, students were introduced to what occurred in Salem, MA in the late 1600s and the witch trials.  No homework.

9/24/07    Students started by writing in their journal for 15 minutes.   Prompt:  Make a personal list of ten material objects that either you or your family owns that you value.  How would you feel if you lost those objects in a fire? To capture your personal feelings, simply write a diary entry about the experience of losing those objects and your response to the loss.

 Next, they worked with Anne Bradstreet’s poem “Upon the Burning of Our House”   

Next, the class discussed that  a colonial poetess wrote of her experience of losing material goods in a household fire in 1666.   Students were asked: "What objects might a person living in 1666 own?" Record their responses on the whiteboard. Be sure to consider:

Furniture

Cooking and Eating Utensils

Tools and Equipment

Animals

Clothing

Next, students opened to Anne Bradstreet's poem in the Am Lit book.  They were asked the following questions after a recitation (aloud) of the lines.

Lines 1-10

a) At what time of day did the fire occur? (Answer:  night)

b) What was the poets mental state as she went to sleep? (Answer:  peace of mind)

Lines 11-16

c) To whom did the poet's heart cry out? (Answer:  "to my God")

d) What does she ask of her God? (lines 13-14)

Lines 17-24

e) What justification does the poet give for the loss of her goods?

Lines 25-40

f) In these lines the poet mentions some of the material objects she lost. Can you list at least five? (Answer:  trunk, chest, roof, candle, table)

Lines 41-58

g) The poet, in these final lines, chides herself for pining for her lost house and its contents. She returns to a spiritual explanation for her loss, but uses domestic metaphors such as "house on high" "Mighty Architect" and "richly furnished" (with glory). What is her attitude (at the end of the poem) about her lost wealth? ("Pelf" in line 56 is a contemptuous word for wealth)

Homework:  write a brief essay (2-3 paragraphs) about an object you have lost and your response to that loss.

HERE FOLLOWS SOME VERSES

UPON THE BURNING OF OUR

HOUSE JULY 10th, 1666. COPIED

OUT OF A LOOSE PAPER

In silent night when rest I took                         

For sorrow near I did not look

I wakened was with thund'ring noise

And piteous shrieks of dreadful voice.

That fearful sound of "Fire!" and "Fire!"

Let no man know is my desire.                          

I, starting up, the light did spy,

And to my God my heart did cry

To strengthen me in my distress

And not to leave me succorless.

Then, coming out, beheld a space                   

The flame consume my dwelling place.

And when I could no longer look,

I blest His name that gave and took,

That laid my goods now in the dust.

Yea, so it was, and so 'twas just.                      

It was His own, it was not mine,

Far be it that I should repine;

He Might of all justly bereft

But yet sufficient for us left.

When by the ruins oft I past                                             

My sorrowing eyes aside did cast,

And here and there the places spy

Where oft I sat and long did lie:

Here stood that trunk, and there that chest,

There lay that store I counted best.

My pleasant things in ashes lie,

And them behold no more shall I.

Under thy roof no guest shall sit,

Nor at thy table eat a bit.

No pleasant tale shall e'er be told,                    

Nor things recounted done of old.

No candle e'er shall shine in thee,

Nor bridegroom's voice e'er heard shall be.

In silence ever shall thou lie,

Adieu, Adieu, all's vanity.                                 

Then straight I 'gin my heart to chide,

And did thy wealth on earth abide?

Didst fix thy hope on mold'ring dust?

The arm of flesh didst make thy trust?

Raise up thy thoughts above the sky                             

That dunghill mists away may fly.

Thou hast an house on high erect,

Framed by that mighty Architect.

With glory richly furnished,

Stands permanent though this be fled.           

It's purchased and paid for too

By Him who hath enough to do.

A price so vast as is unknown

Yet by His gift is made thy own;

There's wealth enough, I need no more,         

Fairwell, my pelf, farewell my store.

The world no longer let me love,

My hope and treasure lies above.

A. B.

 9/21/07    Students started with a journal entry using the following prompt:  Is it true that homecoming is a time that brings the school and student body closer together and makes every one more devoted and full of school spirit?  Then, we discussed the prompt.  Next, we read Anne Bradstreet's poem My Dear and Loving Husband on page 139 and discussed it.  We also read the information on page 138 and discussed meter. No homework. 

9/20/07    Students started with a journal entry using the following prompt:  What persuades you most?  Why?  Is it encouragement, punishment, peer pressure, fear, etc?  Next, we went over the essays turned in.  The majority of the class did not turn in an assignment.  We went over how to write a basic introduction.  Homework:  Finalize and rework your essay due tomorrow.

9/19/07    Students turned their homework in to box in the back of the room.  Instead of their usual 10 minute journal entry, they received a sheet with their writing assignment: 

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” Writing Assignment

Topic:               Jonathon Edwards Sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

 Focus:                          Edwards’s use of figurative language

 Be sure to discuss:        The affect on the reader/listener

                                    The tone

                                    The writer’s purpose

 Using your books, write an essay discussing Edwards’s use of figurative language in his sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.”  Be sure to use specific examples from the text and place the page numbers in parenthesis after the quotes.   The final draft is due Thursday in final form (neatly done).  Staple it to any and all rough drafts.

The students should work quietly on it all hour.  Homework:  Finish and finalize writing assignment.

9/18/07    Students started with a journal entry using the following prompt:  If someone has faced a hardship or had to fight for what they want, should they be more or less sympathetic to others facing challenges?  Next, we read the introduction to Unit 2 (pages 130-136), and we discussed the Puritans and their beliefs.  Then, we read page 152 and discussed Jonathon Edwards.  Students were read excerpts from his sermon in class.  Homework:   Read pages 153-158.  Read all of the question, and write out the answers to questions 1-6 on loose leaf paper.  Look at Edwards use of figurative language and extended metaphor.  Reading check tomorrow.

9/17/07    Students started with a journal entry using the following prompt:  What right would you fight to defend?  Why?  Next, students broke into groups to discuss the topic.   Then, we had a whole class discussion and considered if some of these rights are actually slipping away and why, and what they would do if they lost these rights.  No homework.

9/14/07    STUDENTS MUST HAVE ALL OF THEIR SUPPLIES WITH THEM FROM NOW ON!      Students started with a journal entry using the following prompt:  What type of music do you prefer?  Who are your favorite artists?  Expand and explain.   Then, students took a reading check on the two poems they had read.  Next, we discussed primary source, secondary source, Columbus's use of figurative language in A Spectacle of Beauty, as well as his sense of morality.  We moved on to the Iroquois Constitution and its use of extended metaphor.  We wrapped up the bulk of the Native American literature portion for the semester.  No homework.

9/13/07    STUDENTS MUST HAVE ALL OF THEIR SUPPLIES WITH THEM FROM NOW ON!      Students started with a timed 30 minute journal entry using the following prompt:  Do you agree that the use of MP3 players should be prohibited in all classrooms and hallways during school hours?  After, we discussed the ACT Writing Rubric (available on the ACT NOTES page).  Then, students were asked to identify their thesis and topic sentences.  They were also asked to highlight where they addressed the counter argument.  We discussed the elements necessary in a good essay, as well as the things that should be left out--like personal pronouns.  No homework.

9/12/07    STUDENTS MUST HAVE ALL OF THEIR SUPPLIES WITH THEM FROM NOW ON!      Students started with a journal entry using the following prompt:  What parallels can you draw between "The World on the Turtle's Back: and other theories of creation?  After, we discussed addressing what is asked of a writer in a prompt and how they should have approached answering the prompt.  The students had a reading check on the myth, and then we continued with Unit 1.  We read over Build Background and discussed the use of formal language, parallelism, and reading lyrics that were meant to be set to music.  Homework:  Read pages 34-37 and read over all of the questions.  They may have a reading check after every reading assignment.

9/11/07    STUDENTS MUST HAVE ALL OF THEIR SUPPLIES WITH THEM FROM NOW ON!      Students started with a journal entry using the following prompt:  What impact or changes did the events of September 11, 2001 have on your life?  Did it change your definition of a hero or a villain?  Next, students took an open note test on the introduction to Unit One (pages 20-22 of their lit book).  Homework:  Read pages 24-31 and answer questions 2, 3, 4, 6 (page 31) on loose leaf paper.  Due tomorrow.

9/10/07    STUDENTS MUST HAVE ALL OF THEIR SUPPLIES WITH THEM FROM NOW ON!      Students started with a journal entry using the following prompt:  What is the American Dream and what does it mean to you?  Next, we started Unit one.  Students took notes on Active Reading Strategies.  Then, they were assigned to read pages 20-22 and take notes on the most important aspects of the information for tomorrow.  Homework:  Finish reading and taking notes on pages 20-22.

9/7/07    Students turned in their signed syllabus, pledge of integrity, and film permission slips.  We started with a our daily writing using the following prompt:  The lanyard and badge requirement should/should not remain a GP Schools' requirement.  After, we discussed audience, persuasive writing, and addressing the opposing opinion.  Next, we broke into 3 teams and played Literary Element Hangman.  After that, we went over the various literary elements.  Students should bring their textbooks and all of their materials with them on Monday.  This includes the composition book.  No homework for the weekend.

9/6/07    Went over lanyard policy and class syllabus.  Then, students had to respond in essay format to the following questions:  In regards to English, what are your likes and dislikes?  Strengths and weaknesses? Positive and negative experiences?  What are your expectations of this class?  Feel free to include anything else you may want to share about yourself.  Homework:  Have syllabus, pledge of integrity, and film permission slips signed and returned tomorrow.  Students will receive a grade for this. 

Start of 2007-2008 School Year

End end 2006-2007 School Year

6/8/07     Finished all Gatsby videos and saw practice exam results--students were given overview of exam on a handout--there will be reading selections, 10 multiple choice questions, and an essay. 

6/7/07    Took a practice exam

6/6/07    Watched The Great Gatsby

6/5/07    Watched The Great Gatsby

6/4/07    Watched The Great Gatsby

6/1/07    Watched The Great Gatsby

5/31/07  Watched The Great Gatsby

5/30/07  Took final GG test

5/29/07  In class today, we reviewed for the GG Test tomorrow and played Great Gatsby Jeopardy for bonus points.  Homework:  Study for the GG test that you will take tomorrow.

5/25/07  Homework:  Continue working on the journal assignment and symbol sheet.  It is due Tuesday.  Wednesday is your test.

5/24/07  Chapter 3-6 quiz.  Turned in homework.  Broke into pairs to work on symbol worksheet due Tuesday.  Given some class time to start reading.  Homework:  read chapters 8 & 9 and do the study questions.  Continue working on the journal assignment.

5/23/07  Impromptu writing in class.  They were asked to write a response to the following prompt: 

Discuss Fitzgerald's use of the American Dream in the novel The Great Gatsby so far.  Support your answer with evidence from the novel.

If a student was absent, he/she should set a timer for 50 minutes and write on this topic.  After 50 minutes, the students should be done.  Homework: read chapter 7 and do the study questions.  Continue working on the journal assignment.

5/22/07  Students turned in their homework, and they took a reading check on chapter 4.  We discussed the chapter and the characters.  Students were given 10 minutes to start their reading assignment for tonight.  Homework:  read chapters 5 & 6 and do the study questions for both chapters. Continue working on the journal assignment.

5/21/07  Students turned in the answers to the chapter 3 study questions and took a quiz on chapters 1-3.  They received a breakdown of the rest of the novel and its due dates along with a journal assignment.  Homework:  read chapter 4 and do the study questions.  Start working on the journal assignment.

Monday 5/21           Chap 4 w/ study questions

Tuesday 5/22          Chap 5 & 6 w/ study questions

Wednesday 5/23     Chap 7 w/ study questions

Thursday 5/24         Chap 8 & 9 w/ study questions

Friday 5/25             Discuss and review       

Tuesday 5/29          Review for test and journals due (must be typed)

Wednesday 5/30     Final Gatsby test

The Great Gatsby Journal

While reading this novel, you will keep a journal.

The journal will have one entry for each of the nine chapters.

The format for each entry is as follows:

1. For each chapter, select a character focus. This must be a different character for each entry and there may be no character repeats. It should be a character who has a prominent role in the chapter or else the rest of the entry’s requirements will be difficult to do.

2. Identify the character.

3. Choose a quote that you think best represents the character and explain its significance.  (Be sure to cite the page number!)

4. Describe his/her best and worst qualities.

5. In a paragraph describe the character’s role in the novel.

6. Write a five sentence chapter summary from the perspective of the character you’ve chosen for each chapter.

5/18/07  We discussed chapter 2 and Fitzgerald's use of description, symbolism, characterization, diction, and sentence length.  Students turned in completed study questions for chapters 1-2.  They received chapter 3 and we started reading it.  Homework:  read chapter 3 and do the study questions.  Quiz on chapters 1-3 focusing mainly on characters Monday.

5/ 17/07  Students took the chapter 1 reading check.  They were given study questions for each of the nine chapters.   Homework:  Read chapter 2; do the study questions for chapters 1 & 2; be prepared for a reading check after each chapter.

5/16/07  We started reading chapter 1 of The Great Gatsby and we discussed pages 1-12.  The students were encouraged to write on their copies of the chapter--noting character, questions, and thoughts they have while reading--utilizing active reading strategies.  Homework:  Finish reading chapter 1 and be prepared for a reading check after each chapter.

5/15/07  Students wrote briefly on what things would make them truly happy in their lives.  We discussed some of their choices.  I started reading The Great Gatsby to them aloud.   No homework.

5/14/07  Students read Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes.  Individually and quietly, students read the poem and TP-CASTT it.  Next, read the writing prompt they were given and, on separate loose leaf paper, they were supposed to respond to it in an essay.  Homework:  The TP-CASTT and completed essay are due tomorrow.

5/11/07  Students turned in their homework.  Then, we went outside to Cooper Square and utilized our senses to write descriptive statements.  We returned to the classroom, and students finalized their descriptive writing (utilizing figurative language).  No homework!

5/10/07  First hour took a reading check on Hughes's essay.  Then we read My City and discussed it.  Students learned about sonnets and iambic pentameter.  First Hour Homework:  read Any Human to Another on page 942 and do questions 1-4 on page 943.  Do reader's notebook (page 940) for both poems.   Fifth Hour Homework:  read pgs. 932-937 including Hughes's Essay When the Negro Was in Vogue and read Any Human to Another on page 942 and do questions 1-4 on page 943.  Do reader's notebook (page 940) for both poems.

5/9/07  Students wrote "blues" poetry in class.  They picked a topic of adolescent life and wrote about it.  First hour read pgs. 932-937 including Hughes's Essay When the Negro Was in Vogue. 

5/8/07  We started with a reading check on "The Weary Blues".  We discussed questions 7 & 8 on page 928.  Homework:  Students are to write a 4-5 paragraph essay (rough draft and final copy) due tomorrow.  They are to have an intro, address question #7 in a paragraph, address question #8 in a paragraph, and have a conclusion.  Students were given class time to start their essay. 

5/7/07  After the homework was collected, we discussed Hughes's poem.  Next, we read Harlem--A dream deferred and discussed it.  In class, student had to TP-CASTT The Weary Blues.  No homework.  Please check grades online--several students are neglecting their homework, in turn, their grades are falling.

5/4/07  We started the Harlem Renaissance period and our study of Langston Hughes.  In class we read pages 916-918.  Then students had to take notes on pages 919-923.  We discussed good note taking skills as well.  Homework:  read pgs. 924-25 and answer questions 1-3.  TP-CASTT the poem and write 1-2 paragraphs responding to the poem and connect it to what you know about Hughes.  Due Monday.

5/3/07  Students read pages 830 aloud.  They started with a brief discussion of the Connect To Your Life prompts.  They read over Build Background, Focus Your Reading, and Active Reading.  Homework:  Students have to  read pages 831-833.  They must write out the answers to questions 11-5 on page 831 and questions 1-5 on page 833.  It is due tomorrow.

5/2/07  Students had to write an essay responding to the following items:  1)  what do the poems read last night have in common 2)  discuss how these poems are similar and different to Dickenson's poetry and Whitman's poetry.  They should have an intro, one paragraph addressing #1, one paragraph addressing #2,

and a concluding paragraph.  It was due at the end of the hour.  Students who were absent should set a timer for 50 minutes and write a response.

5/1/07  Students turned in their homework, then they took a reading check on the short story "The Yellow Wallpaper."  Then, we read pgs. 820-822 in the lit book.  Homework:  Read pages 824-828 and write out the answers to questions 1-3 on page 826 and 1-5 on page 828.

4/30/07  Students had to read "The Yellow Wall Paper" on pgs. 765-778.  They had to complete the Reader's Notebook assignment on pg. 765 and answer all of the blue bar Active Reading questions through out the story.  They also had to answer question #2 of Think Critically.  It is all due Tuesday.  They will have a reading check on Tuesday to insure they've read the selection.

4/27/07  Students revised and finalized their poems and then typed them while we were in the computer lab.   No homework.

4/26/07  Students wrote poems that "mirrored" Dickenson's style.  They were supposed to utilize the quatrain (4 line stanza), imagery, personification, and rhyme scheme she utilized.  The poems were completed in class---overall, their poems were really IMPRESSIVE!

4/25/07  In our lit books, we read pages 746-749 on Emily Dickinson and read page 750-751.   Homework:  Students must read all of her poems (pgs. 752-759) and do "Connect to your life" (pg. 750) chart of concepts, emotions and additional thoughts (example of chart can be found on Notes and Handouts page).  They must use the active reading strategies (pg. 750) and the Reader's Notebook (pg. 750).  After they have completed this, they should write a paragraph reacting to the poems--in other words, their overall impression of it so far.

4/24/07  Students started Unit Five  The Changing Face of America and read pages 742-744.

4/23/07  Students took the final DOAS test.  They will be turning their books in tomorrow.  They must bring their lit books with them tomorrow as well.

4/20/07  Impromptu writing in class.  They were asked to write a response to the following prompt: 

Do you agree with Willy, who believes that contacts and personality are what make a salesman a success, or with Charley, who believes that a salesman must have confidence in his product and the ability to sell it? Which does the play suggest?  Support your answer with evidence.

If a student was absent, he/she should set a timer for 50 minutes and write on this topic.  After 50 minutes, the students should be done.  Homework is to write an obituary for Willy Loman that would appear in his local newspaper--it should be typed.  The final DOAS test is Monday.

4/19/07  Went over reading checks and discussed play in preparation for the final test and paper.

4/18/07  Finished watching DOAS.  Final test on the play is Monday. 

4/17/07  Continued watching DOAS.  When we finish watching the film, students will take their final DOAS test (Thusday, April 19).

4/16/07  Continued watching DOAS.  When we finish watching the film, students will take their final DOAS test (probably Wednesday, April 18).

4/5/07  Final reading check on Act II and The Requiem.  No homework--have a great break!

4/4/07  Class time given to read DOAS.

4/3/07  Continued to watch DOAS.  Students must complete reading the play by Thursday.

4/2/07  DOAS Act I reading check.  Began watching Act I of film.

3/30/07  Continued DOAS.  Homework:  finish Act I--reading check on Monday.

3/29/07  Read Death of a Salesman (got through Biff and Happy discussing Willy).  No homework.

3/28/07  Collected Huck Finn books.  Passed out Death of A Salesman books.  Started introduction.  Homework:  read the introduction.

3/27/07  Class discussion on American Dream theme and what would a character's life be like who cannot seem to achieve it.  Finalize yesterday's essay.

3/26/07  Reoccurring American Lit theme essay

3/22/07 and 3/23/07  Two part Huck Finn final test

3/21/07  After character lists and study questions were collected (late assignments will be accepted until Monday--going down in points each day), the class played Huck Finn Jeopardy to help prepare and review for tomorrow's test.

3/20/07  Students broke into groups and briefly discussed the study questions.  Then, they broke into pairs and gave examples of the following themes:  religion, freedom, superstition, nature, and education.  They had to discuss how these themes directly impact or play a part in Twain's overall purpose.  They had to define satire and discuss it in relation to the novel.  Study questions and character list are due tomorrow. 

3/19/07  Students were given the following timeline:

                                            -Read through chapter 18 by Tuesday

                                            -Class discussion of novel

                                            -Complete all study questions and update character list due Wednesday

                                            -Final Huck Finn test on Thursday

3/14/07 thru 3/16/07  Students read chapters 13 and 14 and did the study questions.  They should be updating their character lists.  They broke into groups of 3 and discuss their answers to the study questions.  They continued their discussions on theme and characters development.  Their homework was to read the next 3 chapters and do the study questions. 

3/13/07  No class due to MME.

3/12/07  Students broke into groups of 3 and discussed their answers to the study questions.  They also discussed the themes that have been presented in the novel so far.  They discussed the characters and how they are developed.  Their homework was to read the next chapter.

3/9/07  Students took chapters 8-11 reading check.  They discussed the novel, the author's use of literary elements and devices, as well as predicted what will happen.  Homework:  Read chapters 12, 13, and 14 and do the study questions.  Reading check Monday.

3/8/07  Students were given class time to read chapter 11 and work on the study questions for chapters 8-11.  There will be a reading check tomorrow.

3/7/07  Students took 1-8 Reading Check for Huck Finn.  Homework was to read chapters 9 and 10 for tomorrow.

3/6/07  Answer study questions for chapters 1-3 and 4-7 in complete sentences.  Be sure to answer the questions thoroughly and completely.  Use one side of the paper only.  Students will turn in all of the study questions when we complete Huck Finn.  Reading check on Wednesday, March 7.

3/5/07  We discussed the use of dialect in the book and the impact it has on the reader.  Homework is to read chapter 8 and continue character list.

3/2/07  Students continued to discuss the book's history of controversy and how it has changed.  We started to read the book aloud in class discussing dialect and setting, as well as other literary aspects of it.  Homework is to continue reading, and to complete Life of Mark Twain, chapters I-VII (in most books that is through page 36)  and start a character list.

3/1/07  Students started watching PBS Video Culture Shock--Born to Trouble:  Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  No homework.  We will continue with the video tomorrow and discuss the book's history of controversy.  Students will receive their novels tomorrow as well.

2/28/07  Impromptu writing in class.  They given the prompt below.   If a student was absent, he/she should set a timer for 50 minutes and write on this topic.  After 50 minutes, the students should be done.  There was no additional homework. 

It is not uncommon to hear profanity and sexist and/or racial slurs used in music and on television.  Even as one walks through the halls of a typical high school, these words are easily overheard.  Despite this, there are still books being pulled from library shelves and class lessons because of their use of “vulgar, profane, sexist and/or racist language.” 

Why do parents and teens seem to accept the use of this language in modern day music, movies, and television programs but resent its use in classic literature?   

Write an essay responding to the question.  Be sure to defend and explain your answer.  You must complete your response by the end of the hour.  One side of the paper only please.

2/27/07  In class today, we had a reading check on Celebrated Jumping Frog.  In preparation for the novel Huck Finn, we had a class discussion about discrimination and where it exists today.  No homework.

2/26/07  In class we read pages 654-657 and briefly discussed Mark Twain's life and works.  Homework is to read pages 678-685.  Do Reader's Notebook on page 679 and answer questions 1-4 on page 685.  Choose one epigram from page 678 and write a paragraph explaining why it is accurate.  It is due tomorrow 2/27 along with a reading check.

2/16/07 No homework over break!  Have a great week!

2/15/07  No homework.

2/13/07  No homework

2/12/07  Students used class time to prepare for an in class essay tomorrow.  They may continue their preparation as homework.  They will write the essay in class on Tuesday (if they are a junior attending a MME prep session--the 50 minute essay is homework for them due at the start of class Wednesday)

2/8/07  Students received notes on S.O.A.P.S., and then they were asked to "SOAP" the chapter we've been working on.  Students were reminded of a test on Chapter IV from W.E.B. DuBois's book Souls of Black Folk and the 3 biographies we read. 

2/7/07  Since we had the extended weekend, the reading check is postponed until Thursday,  2/8/07.  Today in class students received a biography packet with three separate bios on DuBois.  They had to discuss the language and descriptions of each one in groups.  Then we had a class discussion.  They are required to read each biography in its entirety for tomorrow.  Segments of it will be included on their reading check.

2/2/07   Students received Souls of Black Folk packets.  They had to do the attached assignment which included a portion of Brown vs. Board of Education, the meaning of progress, and Chapter IV from W.E.B. DuBois's book Souls of Black Folk.  They stopped after the chart.  This assignment is due 2/5/07 and they will have a reading check on the selection.

2/1/07    In class, students read the Ballad of Birmingham, and they TP-CASTT it in class for discussion.   They have to write a ballad narrative poem due 2/2/07.

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