Homework: 12/15

For this evening's homework, I would like you to try to read the next 6 pages. I am hoping to have all of you up to page 36 (class edition) by tomorrow. Please look at today's handout as a guide for your reading and complete the questions as you come across them. I will have you work in groups at some point to compare answers, or to answer the questions together. 

Looking forward, there are a few things coming up: the reading cards are due on Wednesday, we will have a timed write this week at some point, vocabulary is listed in this email - due Friday. 

In addition you have worked on two paragraphs for me in class. These paragraphs should be kept in your writing portfolio and brought with you to class. These should be completed. If you did not do the assignment in class, you need to do at home. 

Vocabulary:

Pestilence 

Deplorable

Impudence

Edifying

Languidly

Sententious

Prodigious

Fecundity

Propensity

Ascetic

Sunday 12/14

I apologize for not posting earlier. As a result, Homework will be limited to the assignments you have due. For reading, you should try to read at least three pages, but if you don't get to it, I will understand. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

Homework: 12/11

Good evening. For tonight you should read the rest of part 1 of the book. Do your vocabulary and come prepared for a quiz on  the words - regardless of whether we have one or not. We will spend the last hour of the class taking an AP diagnostic. Copies should be ready by 5th period. This is a one hour, 55 question, multiple choice practice test. There is no essay. 

Make sure you choose a book for the independent reading assignment. Reading cards due soon (17th) and your reading schedule due on the (15th). We will work on more paragraphs as we move on. I will give you an official schedule for Heart of Darkness and due dates for the I. R. assignment on Monday. 

The reading schedule should be a typed, formal breakdown of the five sections of the book with a reading schedule and plan for completing the book by January 5th, 2009. 

Homework: 12/10

Please read the next 6 pages of the book this evening. Continue to isolate passages of particular interest/relevance/significance. Tomorrow we will spend the first part of the class allowing Tanya, Marcia, and Jeffery to present their group analysis of the text. They have decided to do a close reading of the first part of the book. They will discuss Conrad's use of language to convey larger ideas and provide some insight into the meaning of the words. Please come prepared to contribute to the presentation having read and taken notes on the readings so far.

Two Comments. I must say that I was happy with some of the paragraphs I read today in class. I noticed a definite improvement in structure and organization of your ideas. The key to good writing - at least on school-based assignments - is clarity and organization. A clear thesis leads to solid topic sentences, which in turn leads to well-structured and well-organized essays. Let's continue to work toward that end.

Lastly, there is still too much talking during our writing assignments. Writing is a key component to AP Literature and COMPOSITION, and therefore should be taken seriously. It is very difficult to write effectively and organize one's thoughts without absolute quiet. Please do not force me to become the teacher I do want to be. I am asking you all to self-govern and show academic respect and maturity. I know that many of you are legitimately discussing the text, but an individually assigned writing task is not the time to do so. I have a lot of respect for all of you and I ask that you respect the class and your classmates. I want to avoid classroom confrontation as that only serves to weaken a class and creates a negative tone. I can handle a little talking, but please pick appropriate times. I am confident that this will be all that is necessary to solve this minor issue.

Homework: 12/09

Good evening, 

Please read the next 6 pages of the book. Then, I would like you to once again bring in at least two passages for discussion. You should also make notes of the specific use of literary devices, elements, etc. Have a good night.

Homework: 12/08

I hope that you are all finding the book manageable at this point. I will not require any additional reading tonight, but you should go back and take a look at the selection from the weekend reading. You should also read the handouts distributed in class today to gain some context and understanding of the author, time period, history, etc.

Please come prepared to work in small groups and discuss the reading from the first 10 pages. Please bring in questions for the discussion, as well as a brief passage that you found difficult, significant, meaningful, or insightful. These passages - which need not be long -  will fuel the group discussions and allow for a vibrant discourse between group members.

I will set a date of Monday, December 15th for your Reading schedule for the new independent reading assignment. I will give you a due date for the book, but you can count on a similar schedule with staggered due dates for each individual component. I will change the assignment for the next I.R. project, but we will keep it the same for this one. 

Also, we need to begin to make up the writing conferences for those who missed or were rescheduled, and schedule meetings for those who have not done so yet. 

One last thing. The school is doing a canned food drive for the less fortunate. They have decided to run it through the English department this year. The winning class get some kind of a prize. I keep forgetting to mention it, so remind me tomorrow. Let's all think about bringing in cans to help the cause. 

Weekend Homework: 12/05 - 12/06

For this weekend I would like you to do two things. First, Read the first 10 pages of the book. While reading, begin to take note of the motifs found in the book. Exploration, light and dark imagery, trade, imperialism, colonialism, race. Be aware that there is some racism in the book, so we must understand its significance as well. You should also take note of the use of the "framing narrative," essentially the the name we use for books that have a story within a story. How does the narration allow for critical interpretation? Begin to use post-it notes and read closely and carefully.

Second, Read and annotate the poem, "The Hollow Men," by T.S. Eliot. We will discuss on Monday in class. 

Homework: 12/04

Hello. For this evening, you should complete the vocabulary homework assignment and be prepared for a quiz tomorrow. Words are included in this email.

A few things to consider:

We will begin Conrad's Heart of Darkness  this weekend and do some preliminary work with the book starting tomorrow. We will also spend some time working to perfect the paragraphs for Roethke's poem. The next five reading cards are due on Wednesday, December 17th. As per request, the next independent reading list is found at the end of this email. Same assignment, but we will go over that in class. Next week we will have a multiple choice diagnostic. 

Words for vocabulary:

Ostentatious, Iridescent, Attenuate, Recrudescent, Cajole, Venerable, Punctilious, Temerity, Obstreperous, Fractious.

Independent Reading Assignment List:

1. Arthur Miller - Death of a Salesman

2. Ken Kesey- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

3. Tim O'Brien - The Things They Carried 

4. Richard Wright - Native Son 

5. Henry James - Portrait of a Lady

6. Leslie Marmon Silko - Ceremony

7. Khaled Hosseinii - The Kite Runner

8. Louise Erdich - Love Medicine

9. Thomas Hardy - Tess of the D'urbervilles

10. Miguel de Cervantes - Don Quixote

Thanksgiving Homework

First, let me wish you all a safe, happy, and healthy Thanksgiving weekend. Take some time to enjoy family and friends and relax. And of course, indulge in the spirit of the holiday by eating to your heart's content.

Now, after you have accomplished the above, you need to focus on the work for your classes. Like you, I fully intend to enjoy the weekend, however, I also have to shift focus and utilize the time off to get caught up on my grading, lessons, and calculating marking period grades. The lives of teachers and students aren't easy, and the workload never seems to ease - at least not until June. 

To that end, I will spend much of my time working. I would like you to do the same. Rather than assign additional work, which would render you further behind, I would like you to focus on getting your work for AP Lit caught up. If you are missing assignments, complete them. The only thing that I will require of you is to complete the book. I can accept late assignments until Monday, but no later. My grades are due Tuesday. I am going to enter in your independent reading assignment grade as is. If you are missing the questions, you miss 100 points. If you turn them in late, I will give you credit - late points deducted. 

Next week, we will have a final assignment, a close reading, and final discussions about the themes. You will also have a timed write and a multiple choice diagnostic. We will also begin a new book, assign more reading cards, and begin another independent reading assignment. A lot to do I know. Let's get caught up and begin fresh next week. As Pope said, "Hope springs eternal in the human breast." Truer words have rarely been spoken.

Homework: 11/24

Please read chapter 21 for homework. We will continue to work on your group assignments in class for the next two days. Please keep up with the reading as we will not have time to discuss these chapters until after the Thanksgiving break. 

Homework: 11/21 - 11/22

For this weekend, please read chapters 18, 19, and 20.

While reading look for Ellison's use of symbolism, irony, and allusion throughout these chapter. I would like to discuss what you find in class, so make sure you take good notes this weekend. Consider the letter he receives as it seems to recapitulate this idea of "running on a treadmill" for African Americans. Also, Consider the role Frederick Douglass played as an advocate for the Women's Suffrage Movement. How does that connect to the Invisible Man?

Have fun.

Homework 11/19

Hello. Tonight I would like you to read chapter 17 in the novel. We will not have an opportunity to discuss in class, so please make sure that you take notes for discussion on Friday.

I do feel that it is incumbent upon me to mention something. As I look around the room, I see more and more students with their heads down, or outright sleeping. While I realize that we are keeping late hours of late, there is never an excuse for sleeping in your classes. It is rude inappropriate. I find that I am allowing my AP class to do things that I would never allow in my other classes. While I tend to give you more freedom and approach your class with a level of flexibility not afforded other classes, I believe that this is doing you a disservice. Sleeping in a college course will deeply offend professors and tarnish your reputation as a serious, dedicated student. In addition, as interesting as I am, why would any of you be anything other than riveted and captivated by my lectures. And if you aren't, you should pretend that you are. Since I have been accused of late of not having a "heart," I do not want to call anyone out in front of the class. Please make every effort to get your rest at home, and come to school rested and prepared to work. Part of life is putting on a smile and pretending to enjoy something even when you don't.

Homework: 11/18

Hello, for tonight, please read chapter 16 for homework. Tomorrow we will discuss the chapter and talk briefly about the midterm on Thursday. 

I know that many of you are still working diligently to complete you college application requirements. I do understand that this is a chaotic and emotionally draining time for you. However, I do want to make sure that we are giving the required attention and time to the novel. It is an important novel, and I would hate to think that we aren't doing it justice. Please make sure that you are annotating the novel and taking the time to consider the text in an analytical way. You should - at the very least - be prepared each day to discuss the text in a critical and sophisticated manner. Also, I really need more people to contribute to the class discussions. I am working on a way to get more of you involved. That will follow soon. 

For those who have fallen a little behind, all I ask is for you to make an earnest effort to get the assignments completed and turned in at your earliest convenience. If that cannot happen before Thanksgiving, then perhaps that weekend will provide you with the requisite time to do so. 

Homework: 11/17

For tonight, read the rest of 14 and complete chapter 15. We will discuss tomorrow in class. We will likely do a close reading, or do some writing. 

Homework: 11/15 - 11/16

For this weekend,  you can work on your stories. No reading. College apps are done. Have some fun writing. Complete your stories. 

Homework 11/13

For tonight, take the night off from reading. Work on your stories, or anything else you may need to finish. Tomorrow, we will conduct a close reading of the speech and the conversation with the man in the cafe. 

The folders I gave out yesterday, should house your essay-related work for AP Literature. This will be an informal portfolio and will be used to track your progress throughout the year. 

Reading.

You can limit your reading to chapter 12 for tomorrow. Don't worry about 13. 

Sunday 11/9

Today is a late post, but really I just need to give an update on where we stand. You should all have read chapters 10,11 in the text and completed the close reading. If you don't get to complete the close reading, I will give some time in class tomorrow. The final part of your independent reading assignment is due tomorrow. That includes your typed passage and multiple choice questions. Some of you are falling behind and really need to get caught up - quickly. I don't need to remind you that this is an AP class. While I will try to reasonably accommodate your temporary negligence, it is important to keep up with all assigned work and adhere to the due dates. If this seems like an insurmountable task, then we need to have a discussion as to why. I will suspend much of the outside work for this week (except reading) to let you all complete your college application requirements. In fact, let me further extend the short story due date to Monday, 11/17 (I'm not sure, but we may have already decided this) to relieve some additional pressure. 

This week I will begin to schedule writing conferences to discuss your writing. The first meeting will be an informal conversation and a brief discussion about goals. We will then follow up with a more formal discussion about your strengths and weaknesses. The conferences will begin next week. 

Sadly, "Tale of Two Cities," is closing today. Sorry we did not get to see it. I will try to plan something for us at a later date. 

No school this Tuesday.

Homework 11/3

There is a lot going on this week and so I want to make sure everyone is clear on assignments and due dates. This should bring us up to date.

Reading cards - let's make it 10 - are due on Wednesday.

The short story is due on 11/17.

The essay I assigned today is due on Friday, 11/7. This should be 2 pages, typed, 12 font, etc.

You need to read chapters 7 and 8. 

Make sure to blog your multiple choice question if you did not turn it in today. 

Looks like the play is looking like 11/18.

Did I miss anything? Let me know. 

"Tale of Two Cities" poll

Use the voting link to the right to let me know which date you would prefer to attend the play. I need to know soon, so that I can make arrangements. Thanks for your prompt attention. Check with you parents and let me know. Tickets are 39.00 for the show. Also, if any of you have parents/guardians who would like to attend, they are welcome as well.