Weekend homework: 10/31 - 11/2

First of all, have a fun and safe Halloween tonight, and good luck to all who are taking the SAT tomorrow. I know you will do well. 

For homework, please read chapter's 5 and 6 for the weekend. Complete your journal entries and hand them in on Monday. Also, you need to give me the chapter two work for the novel. You should begin to consider the m/c questions for the independent reading, as they are due Monday, the 10th. I want to give a due date of November, 14th for the short story. I will try to give you some class time, but it still needs to be done. I will not assign another independent reading until that assignment is complete. Have a good weekend. 

Homework 10/30

For tonight, please read chapter 4 of the novel. Please bring the work you did on chapter two, as I never collected it. Do your vocabulary for the week and bring tomorrow for checking. There will be an essay assigned as well. I know you have your journal entries to do this weekend, so I will try to be reasonable with the essay. Any concerns, please let me know. Good multiple-choice discussion today.

Homework 10/29

For tonight, you should read chapter 3 of the novel. Please answer questions 7 and 8 from today's assignment and be prepared to discuss tomorrow. We will have some time to work on our short stories. Perhaps a timed write. We'll see.

Homework 10/28

For tonight, you should read the second chapter of the novel. Focus on the road as a metaphor, diction and syntax  esp.  the trustees' arrival at founder's day, Trueblood's tone, and Mr. Norton's 100.00 gift. Consider the points above. Tomorrow we will have an abbreviated group activity, as I want to give you some time to write creatively during the second part of the course. 

I want you to continue to work on your short stories. I would like to get these completed within the next two weeks. So, I will dedicate a few class periods to working on them.

Homework 10/27

For tonight, you should read the prologue and chapter one of "Invisible Man." At this point, you should have purchased the book, or you should have purchased post-it notes. Either way, you should read critically and practice marginalia, or post-it(talia) and take critical notes. Be prepared to work in groups tomorrow. While reading, consider the significance of the grandfather's advice, racial suggestions, and signs of assimilation. In addition, look for effective use of figurative language, plot, setting, structure, etc.

Words for the week:

Avocation,  Ascertain,  Remunerative , Pursy,  Countenance,  Evinced

Benighted,  Vacillating,  Grist,  Vaunted,  Nebulous,  Extol

Index Cards: Definition, Pronunciation, Sentence, and Synonym. Due Friday

Homework 10/25

Sorry for the late post. Since, you are getting this late, I will not require Invisible Man reading this weekend. You should, however, read the story, "Owl Creek." After reading please answer the following question:

Farqhuar experiences a heightened sensitivity to his surroundings right before he is to be executed. How might one account for this? In other words, explain the significance from a human perspective, not necessarily a literary perspective. You should integrate textual evidence. This can be accomplished in two paragraphs. Typed is best. Use your discretion. 

Homework 10/23

Read the introduction to  "Invisible Man." Vocabulary is due, and there will be a quiz tomorrow. Short day. 38 minutes. 

Vocabulary

Admixture

Ape

Fop

Corroborate

Eclectic

Asunder

Mercurial 

Cleave

Saturnine

Parsimonious

Homework 10/21

For tonight, I would like you to work on your short stories. Thinking about the dates, I would like a rough draft of your story to be ready Monday 10/27. This gives you a little time to work on them. I would like you to brainstorm some ideas this evening. What do you want to say? Is there a particular theme that you would like to convey? Do you have an idea for an interesting character? Is there story you have always wanted to tell? We will spend some time writing in class, but continue to work on these at home. 

For the novel, I have chosen Invisible Man. It is a relevant book, that makes sense for us. Please feel free to purchase a copy if you like to keep your books and mark in them. I will also work in Heart of Darkness, but more on that later. We will begin some pre-reading activities tomorrow and hand out the books for those that choose not to buy it. 

As far as the multiple choice, we will do some more practice and go over some of the questions you got wrong. Don't worry too much if you did poorly on this one; it was a bit harder. 

Some things I need to give you: the dates for the "Tale of Two Cities," Reading schedule for the novel, additional handouts for the written part of the AP exam. A lot to do I know...

Homework 10/17 - 10/19

For this weekend, you should take some time to catch up on your independent reading assignment. Check the handout for due dates and make sure that you are staying on schedule. These things have a way of creeping up on us. Work on college essays.

Some things to look forward to:

We will begin a new unit next week. I am considering the the following novels for deeper study:

Huck Finn

Crime and Punishment

Pride and Prejudice

The Invisible Man

We will also spend some time going over the multiple choice questions and working on some writing. In addition, I will assign an essay for the short story unit.

Homework 10/16

Okay, let's all take a deep breath. You have all worked hard this marking period and we have reached the end. The next unit will begin shortly. In order to wrap up marking period one, I want to spend a little time gathering final assignments and tying up loose ends. We need to discuss the final story, complete the college essay, and have a culminating assignment to the short story unit. I hope that you found the stories interesting, if nothing else. We read some great authors and you were introduced to some of the most influential writers in literary history. Remember, this is a survey of literature. One of my goals is to expose you to authors, ideas, genres, and philosophies, and to give you a well-rounded introduction to the literary canon. I hope that you had a little time to appreciate the literature as literature. I know it can be difficult when you are constantly asked to analyze for meaning. 

For homework, you should spend a little time working on your independent reading assignment. Read last night's story. Come prepared for a group activity and timed write for part 2. Check Snapgrades. 

Homework 10/15

Please read "A Good Man is Hard to Find." Concentrate on character as you read the story. We will discuss tomorrow. I have attached the story in the literature links. 

Tomorrow, we will have a multiple choice practice for the second part of the class, and a timed write on Friday.

Journals due on Tomorrow

Weekend homework: 10/11 - 10/14

For this weekend's homework, there are several things that need to be done. First, complete the timed write on P.O.V. Make sure to give yourself 40 minutes and stop at that point. It does you no good to write longer. Next, you should read Oates' story, "Where are you going, Where have you been." Zineb's group is presenting. Finally, Maggie asked about the first part of the independent reading assignment that is due on the 14th. I forgot that we do not have school Monday . So, here it is. It is a simple task. You need to provide the following:

1. Author

2. Title

3. Publisher and year

4. Your page breakdown of the five sections

5. Your schedule for completing each section

Do your best on this. It is not complicated. 

One last thing about the two trips we talked about today in class. If you are interested in going to the play for 30 dollars, let me know on this post (or in class if you prefer). 

The other trip we discussed in class is a great opportunity if anyone is interested. I know that it is a lot of money, but it might be something to consider. I found out today that it is not necessary to get school permission and parents can come. The cost might be more like 2500, but that includes most of what you will need. They also provide fundraiser ideas if we want to o that route. If you are even remotely interested let me know here. There are other trips that include more countries. In the end, we don't have to do it, but it is worth considering. Let me know what you think.

Homework 10/8

Please read the story, "Roman Fever." We have a group that will present on Friday. Please let me know if you want to see me Friday or Monday to discuss your college essay. I will bring in a sign up sheet. We need to get these essays done. More to follow.

Homework 10/7

Please read "The Guest." Then, using the story and today's discussion, please answer the following questions. Answer them fully and use textual support when possible. 

One thing to consider. Two authors primarily associated with Existentialism are Albert Camus and Jean Paul Satre. The two were contemporaries, in fact friends. Ultimately their friendship would end due to some political disagreements. Satre, unlike Camus who believed that the world is a meaningless place and human actions futile,  believed that one must make meaning for oneself despite the absurdity, and this process of making meaning will bring about an optimism for human existence. Satre also argued that when we make choices, we assert the value of what we choose.

1. How does Camus emphasize through setting that the universe is a random and absurd place?

2. Camus argued that he wasn't an existentialist, does Camus' story reflect his difference with     Satre (see above)? How?

3. What is valuable to Daru? Does he demonstrate an awareness that his behavior may be           serving as a model to others

4. What is ironic about the story?

A quick apology to Anna. I am sorry I missed our appointment. I went a little over with Lorin in the writing center during period 9. I didn't get to my room until 3:05. Sorry again.

Homework 10/6

Hello. Okay, for tonight I would like you to choose one of the poems that we read in class today. Read it again in the quiet solitude of your home. Consider what is going on in the poem. Consider the literary devices that are at work in the poem. Then, write a brief analysis of the poem, in which you discuss how the literary devices impact the work as a whole. Make sure to focus on the one device that applies to the poem from today's activity. If you aren't sure what they are, please let me know through the comments section of the post. I will check the comments by 7, but not after. 

Also, for the 2nd part of the class tomorrow, please choose a story that you feel has strong characters, as this will be the basis for the timed write. Prepare it by using marginal notes, etc. Focus on character. It can be any story from any section, as long as we read it in class. 

Homework 10/4-5

Hello, sorry for the late post, but I had a little trouble this weekend getting onto the site actually posting. In any case, I am not going to assign a reading for this weekend. I would like you to prepare a story for a  character timed write (40 minutes) for tomorrow's 2nd part of the class. You should plan to write something each day for timed write practice. I may also throw a multiple choice in as well.

For the upcoming week, we will be doing a lot of writing, primarily in class, but perhaps one out of class as well. I am preparing the rest of the short stories for the unit and you will have that soon. You should continue to work on your independent reading book. Take a look at the due dates to stay on schedule. 

"The Guest" will be the next story. 

Homework 10/2

Okay, for tonight please complete the first revision of your college essay and bring it tomorrow. I can begin the editing phase and schedule conferences with you. 

You should also read "Enormous Wings." Jasmine's group will present. You should consider the element of fantasy associated with the author. Please bring a few questions you would like to discuss in class tomorrow. 

Update 10/1

Hello all, I must apologize for not posting earlier. I hope you had an enjoyable break over the last two days, or if you are celebrating the holiday, I hope it was a nice one for you and your families. 

I decided to allow you to have a couple days to work on making corrections on your college essays, and to consider a book for your independent reading. I would like to collect college essays on Friday. After which, I would like each of you to schedule an appointment to see me for a personal conference on your writing. At that point you will have to revise your essay and a due date will be set. Since everyone will have a different meeting time, essay due dates will vary. 

For tomorrow we will work in groups to discuss Hawthorne's short story. I didn't want to schedule another story before we discussed that one.