Literature of the Americas

"Fences" Sheldon Schedule

2010-05-23T21:33:00.000-07:00

5/25
Harlem Renaissance portfolios due.
Introduction to Wilson. Main themes, historical context of the play.
Read “Mommy what does … mean?” Discuss the power of language.
Homework: Finish Reading “Fences” Act I through scene iii
5/27
Reading quiz.
Homework: Finish Act I. Read Act 2, scene i-i
6/1
Reading quiz.
Homework: Finish Act 2
6/3
Reading quiz.
Wrap up discussion of Fences, the Civil Rights movement.
Homework: work on essays and speeches
6/7
IHS final assembly. No class.
Homework: Finish essays and speeches.
Day 5
6/9
Essays are due.
Begin speeches
6/11
Speeches
6/15
Speeches
Last day of school.

"Fences" South Schedule

2010-05-23T21:20:00.000-07:00

5/24
Harlem Renaissance portfolios due.
Introduction to Wilson. Main themes, historical context of the play.
Read “Mommy what does … mean?” Discuss the power of language.
Homework: Read Act I, scene i
5/26
Reading quiz.
Homework: Finish Act I
5/28 Reading quiz.
Homework: Act 2, scenes i-iv
Day 4
6/2 Reading quiz.
Homework: Finish Act 2 Work on essays and speeches.
6/4
Reading quiz.
Wrap up discussion of Fences, the Civil Rights movement.
Homework: Finish essays and speeches.
Day 5
6/8 Essays are due.
Begin speeches
Day 6
6/10
Speeches
Day 7
6/14
Speeches
6/16
Last day of school. (Finish speeches?)

The Harlem Renaissance

2010-05-07T07:21:00.000-07:00

Harlem Renaissance Unit Schedule 2009-2010

Day 1
*Pick up Harlem Renaissance Packet:
*Intro to Harlem Renaissance,
READ the cover of the packet, and the Harlem Renaissance Characteristics
*Homework: Read “Sweat” pages 25-31

Day 2
Music log, portfolio
In-class discussion “Sweat”
Read Shange and Giovanni poetry page 56
Taking a look at Jim Crow laws
*Homework: Read “The Ethics of Living Jim Crow”

Day 3
*In-class discussion of “The Ethics of Living Jim Crow”
-Read Langston Hughes poem page 7
-Read Dunbar poetry page 46
-Art Display activity
Homework: Read “Blood Burning Moon” pages 16-24

Day 4
In-class discuss “Blood Burning Moon”
Small group work
*Homework: Read the prologue to Invisible Man pages 1-7

Day 5
In class discussion of the Prologue to Invisible Man
Music Log
*Read Countee Cullen poems on page 8, Langston Hughes poems page 7, and “If We Must Die” on page 60
*Homework: Read “On Being B lack” pgs 49-51

Day 6
*In class discussion of “On Being Black” and Harlem Renaissance characteristics.
-Read “A Bronzeville Mother Loiters in Mississippi. Meanwhile, a Mississippi Mother Burns Bacon”, pgs 57-60 and discuss Emmett Till
**Music Logs Due

**Day 7 Harlem Renaissance Portfolio’s due at the beginning of class.

Harlem Renaissance Portfolios
Due Day 7
55 points possible
Your packet contains works by authors published during the Harlem Renaissance, and works by authors influenced (and in some cases mentored) by those writers. We will devote some class time to discussions and related assignments in response to the works; however you will need to write your responses outside of class. Your personal responses will be collected in a short portfolio, the components of which are as follows. This portfolio will be your final assessment for the Harlem Renaissance Unit.

1. Design a front cover with a meaningful title.

2. Include a one page (minimum) personal response to three of the short stories/essays of your choice, and two of the poems of your choice. Your responses may be a set of thought-provoking questions with answers, a commentary, a poem, a song, a letter, a drawing, a picture-word collage, or an original story of your own. Each response may take a different form, or you may choose to unify your entries by using the same form for each (i.e. all commentaries, all poems, all visuals). Whatever the form of your responses, each must clearly show direct links to the works. If your response is in a visual form, provide an explanation of a short paragraph (1/2 page) describing what you are trying to convey and how you are trying to convey it on the back of the art piece.

3. Create and overall, one page typewritten, response to your study of the African American literature in this unit; this should summarize your experience reading and considering the works in the packet as well as anything else that was covered in class. This response should be the first entry in your portfolio, but the last thing you write.

4. Create a personal poem for the last entry in your portfolio. This poem may be modeled on one in the packet, it may be a ‘found poem’ created from the Du Bois and or Wright essays, or simply an original poem containing vivid imagery, metaphors, similes, and other literary devices. Give your poem a creative title. It should be at least ¾ of a page long.

______________________________________________________________________________

The Harlem Renaissance Portfolio Evaluation Criteria:
Use this checklist to make sure you portfolio is complete and meets the requirements of the assignment.

___Submitted on time- 5 points
___Cover and title -5 points
___Overall response (first entry, typed) -10 points
___Responses to three short stories—meaningful with direct links to the works- 15 points
___Responses to two of the poems—meaningful with direct links to the works- 10 points
___Original poem—with title and creative use of literary devices- 5 points
___Overall quality: neatness, care and obvious detail and work investment- 5 points

The Great Gatsby

2010-04-28T17:17:00.000-07:00

Reading Schedule: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Date In class Homework (due the following class)
Day 1 Frost Passage Analysis Bring 10 facts about the US during the Roaring ‘20s

Read chapter I of The Great Gatsby.
Day 2 Intro to the Roarin’ 20’s
The Great Gatsby discussion of narrator perspective, setting, and style.

(Chapbooks and Due Today) Read chapters II and III of The Great Gatsby
Day 3 Map Activity
Characters, Colors, Truths and lies…Writing like Fitzgerald

Discussion of themes, character contrasts, time period references and color! Read chapters IV and V of The Great Gatsby
Day 4 Writing like Fitzgerald

Discussion of themes, character contrasts, time period references and color! Read chapters VI and VII of The Great Gatsby
Day 5 Scavenger Hunt

Discussion of light vs. dark, time, hotel scene, triangles, the past… Read VIII and IX of The Great Gatsby
Day 6 Wrap up the novel…
American Dream, Characters…Changes: colors, characters, relationships, love, etc.
TJ Eckleburg, automobiles, Plot

Literary Criticism Article Due Today *Start Harlem Renaissance details to be announced
*Literary Criticism Assignment due next class.
**Reading Quizzes may happen on any day

As you read The Great Gatsby focus on images, motifs and themes of:

- Watching - Honesty/dishonesty
- Automobiles/driving - Loneliness
- Colors (green, yellow, white…) - Responsibility/irresponsibility
- Waste and excess - Dreaming/yearning
- Violence - Time
- Illusion: what’s real, what’s imagined
Also pay attention to structure in The Great Gatsby:

- The narrator telling the story of another main character
- Contrasts and contradictions (settings, characters, images)

Frost Exam: SHS Tuesday , SEHS Wednesday

2010-04-15T15:34:00.000-07:00

Preparing for the Frost Exam

For the Frost exam, I will give you a choice of two of the following Frost poems:

“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”

“Home Burial” (you would write on a section)

“Out, Out—”

“Design”

“After Apple-Picking”

“Mending Wall”

“Birches”

“Desert Places”

“Acquainted with the Night”

Bring your packet to class—you will need to use it for the exam.

You will have the full class period to write a commentary on ONE of the assigned poems. That means you will write an essay offering your interpretation of the piece and analyzing it.

Your commentary will be an in-depth, detailed analysis of the poem. You will analyze the poem’s style, language, content, and structure, and discuss the way that they work together to create meaning. You should have a controlling idea—a thesis statement that summarizes your interpretation of the poem. You should also organize your supporting paragraphs in a coherent way that supports your interpretation.

One way to set up your commentary:

Paragraph 1: A “big picture” discussion of the poem: a summary of the poem’s literal meaning, perhaps with some mention of its major themes, followed by your thesis statement. Your thesis statement should attempt to connect form to meaning: how the formal techniques you will discuss contribute to the meaning and effect of the poem. Example thesis for “Stopping by Woods”: “Through vivid imagery, symbolism, and an exceptionally rigid form, Frost creates a somber portrayal of a pause in a journey that becomes a metaphor for life and death.”

Paragraphs 2-?? (you may have more than 3 supporting paragraphs): Support your thesis statement through discussion of form (dramatic narrative, sonnet, etc.) and how the poet’s choice of form adds to the effect or meaning of the poem; analysis of meter/rhythm; discussion of diction (word choice) and syntax (sentence structure, punctuation); analysis of rhyme; theme; movement from specific to general; discussion of poetic devices like alliteration, onomatopoeia, etc. If you notice parallels to other Frost poems, point them out and discuss the significance of these connections. If it is a short poem, one effective way to organize this section is simply to work your way through the poem line by line or stanza by stanza. You can also just devote a paragraph to your discussion of meter, a paragraph for rhyme, etc. Whatever structure you choose, you should try as much as possible to relate form to meaning.

Final Paragraph: Sum up your interpretation in a brief conclusion.

Whatever format you choose, your essay should consider the following (focus on the ones that are most relevant to the poem and your interpretation of it; try to show as much knowledge as possible):

Literal meaning

Form (narrative, sonnet...)

Meter/rhythm; line length

Use of enjambment vs. endstopping

Rhyme (or its absence; consider internal rhyme as well as end rhyme)

Syntax (sentence structure and punctuation)

Diction (word choice; consider connotation vs. denotation)

Imagery

How the subject/topics are typical or atypical of Frost; similarities/connections to other specific Frost poems

Themes

Poetic devices (alliteration, onomatopoeia, displacement/metonymy, etc.): try to discuss not only what devices Frost uses, but why he uses them/what effect they have on the reader/how they contribute to the meaning of the poem

Movement from specific to general or physical to metaphysical

Literary allusions, if any

How to Prepare

Review and study the poems listed. Re-read the essays on “Stopping by Woods” and “Design.” Review your class notes. Study the poetry terms. Think about the poems and formulate your own interpretations of them. Mark up your packet; jot down ideas about possible thesis statements.

If you want to look at some critical responses to Frost, check out the Modern American Poetry web site maintained by the University of Illinois at http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/a_f/frost/frost.htm . This is a better source than Sparknotes. However, if you use any of the ideas you find there (or elsewhere, including Sparknotes, etc.), you must cite your source.

A Note on Punctuation

Titles of poems (except book-length poems like The Odyssey) should be put in QUOTATION MARKS, not underlined or italicized.

When quoting the poem, cite the line number as you normally would cite page numbers. If you quote more than one line, put a slash at the line break and put both line numbers in parentheses. Example:

Frost ends “Home Burial” with the husband’s threatening words: “Where do you mean to go? First tell me that. / I’ll follow and bring you back by force. I will!—” (115-116).

There’s a different way for citing poetry excerpts of more than three lines, but we won’t worry about that for now!

How to Use Your Exam Time

1. Plan: Don’t skimp on your planning time. Spending 5-10 minutes re-reading the poem, marking it up, writing notes to yourself, and jotting down an outline is well worth it since it can help you organize your essay and ensure that you don’t forget anything important.

2. Write your essay. Be sure to include specific textual support.

3. Polish: In the last five or ten minutes, proofread your essay. Check for spelling, punctuation, grammar, legibility, and sense. Clearly cross out anything you do not want me to read.

Scoring

This exam is worth 50 points—10 points for each of the following categories: Knowledge and Understanding; Interpretation; Presentation; Appreciation of Literary Features; Formal Use of Language. (See rubric for details.)

What to Bring

This essay must be written in black or dark-blue ink. Please bring:

two reliable pens

your own Frost packet (you may--and will need to--use your packet on the exam, but may not use any other notes or handouts, nor may you use any other student’s packet*)

several sheets of blank notebook paper

* Note: If you forget to bring your packet, you will have to write on one poem, rather than having a choice (I will have photocopies of one, and only one, poem). Sharing packets or using another student’s packet during the exam is cheating and both students involved will get a 0 on the exam. (It’s OK to study together before the exam, and if you have missed a class you should certainly get notes from a classmate, but for the exam itself you must rely on your own mental resources!)

Frost

2010-03-29T23:15:00.001-07:00

DATE	In Class	Homework for next class
Day O		-Read the essay “How Does a Poem Mean” pgs 2-5—take notes in the packet over the questions on pg 5.
Day 1	WORLD LIT ESSAY DUE Intro Frost: his characteristics, and his style Discuss “How does a Poem Mean” and “Stopping By Woods…” and work on Frost Imitation poem	-Read “The Wood-Pile” pg 17 and take notes as indicated by half sheet you receive in class
Day 2	Discuss “The Wood-Pile” -Read and Discuss “After Apple Picking” pg 18	-Finish “After Apple Picking” pg 18 -Read “Home Burial” pgs 12-13
Day 3	-Dramatic presentation and discussion of “Home Burial” -Start “Mending Wall” pg 19 in class… finish as homework	-Read “The Death of the Hired Man” pgs. 9-11 taking notes on Frost characteristics and plot development
Day 4	-Discussion over “The Death of the Hired Man” -Read “Mending Wall” pg 19	-Read “Birches” pg 20 and answer questions in packet
Day 5	-Discuss “Birches” -Read and Discuss “The Sound of Trees” pg 16, “Acquainted with the Night” pg 15, and “Desert Places” 22	Prepare for Passage Analysis Frost packets due Day 6 *Poetry Chapbooks due Day 7
Day 6	In class Passage Analysis	Read chapter one of The Great Gatsby
Day 7	Poetry Chapbooks due Discuss chapter one of The Great Gatsby

turnitin.com

2010-03-08T12:22:00.000-08:00

The world lit papers need to be submitted to turnitin.com.

Sheldon a.m. 1: 3173517

Sheldon a.m. 2: 3173520

South: 3173521

Marquez

2010-03-03T21:36:00.000-08:00

Chronicle of a Death Foretold

Date	In class	Homework for next class
Day 1		Read through page 37
Day 2	Discuss the beginning of the novel Small group activity Quiz	Read from page 37 to the end of chapter 3
Day 3	Discussion of novel so far… Discussion of Final Creative Assignment Relationship Chart Quiz	Read chapter 4
Day 4	Discussion of Novel Share Examples of Good World Literature Papers Share with each other ideas for Final Latin American Assessment Quiz	Read chapter 5
Day 5	Magical Realism poetry writing Small group skits Quiz	Finishing up Outline for Final Assessment
Day 6	Wrap up the novel discussion ***Outlines for Latin American Assessment Due!	Finish up final creative assessment for the novel
Day 7	Final Creative Piece Due For Chronicle of a Death Foretold Start Rough Drafting In Class
Day 8	Rough Drafting and conferencing in Class	Finishing up World Lit Essay
Day 9	Final Draft of World Lit. Paper Due	To be announced…

Food assignment assessment.

2010-02-14T13:56:00.000-08:00

Step one for the final assessment .

Final assessment.

Como agua para chocolate

2010-02-02T20:47:00.000-08:00

Like Water for Chocolate

By Laura Esquivel

	In-class	Assignment for next class
Day One	Preparing your senses… Intro for the novel, and discussion of creative assessment	Read January from Like Water from Chocolate
Day Two	Historical Context for the novel Elements of Latin American Literature Discussion of folklore, tradition…	Read February and March
Day Three	Discussion of desire, liberation, longing… Wedding scene toasts	Read April and May
Day Four	Images of women in the novel Frida Kahlo assignment	Read June, July and August
Day Five	Discussion of the mystical and the political in the novel so far… Alchemy assignment	Read September, October and November
Day Six	Discussion of change, home, place in the family Assignment on how characters mirror the political climate	Read December
Day Seven	Wrap up the novel: discussion about time, love and the future… Final Assessment due on Day Eight	Finish Creative Final Assessment
Day Eight	Creative Assignment due FOOD DAY Set up Chronicle of a Death Foretold	Chapter 1 from Chronicle of Death Foretold

*Reading quizzes may happen on any of the dates above.

Paper/orals topics

2010-01-08T12:06:00.000-08:00

My Ántonia

Attitudes toward immigrants portrayed in the novel.
Aspects of the Garden Setting.
Roles of women in the novel.
Roles of gender identity in the novel.
The use of music.
Changes of seaosn and landscape as characters change.
Elements of realism, naturalism, and romanticism.
Elements of the American Dream.
How the novel is a "coming of age" story.
Elements of nostalgia and reconciliation.
The use and purpose of poetry in the novel.
The use and purpose of narrative style in the novel.
The use and purpose of vernacular language.
Comparisons and contrasts of U.S. settlers and immigrants.
The use of anecdotes, stories, legends, and folklore in the novel.
Themes of loneliness, identity, longing, regret etc ... .

2009-12-10T10:42:00.000-08:00

My Antonia

Schedule of Reading and Activities

Day 0	Finish short stories	Read chapters 1-6 of Book I in My Antonia
Day 1	Introductions of My Antonia Biographic info on Cather and the narrator Historic Perspectives Characters/Biographical connections “Optima dies…prima fugit”	Read chapters 7-14 of Book I in My Antonia Reading quizzes may happen on any day.
Day 2	Character descriptions Discuss: themes: gender roles, coming of age, portrayal of immigrants, time/seasons, religion	Reading quizzes may happen on any day.
Winter Break
Day 3	Landscape poetry Discuss: Cather’s landscapes	Read chapters 15-19 of Book I in My Antonia Reading quizzes may happen on any day.
Day 4	Character Map Discuss: themes of weather, land, nature, contrast of immigrants and settlers…	Read chapters 1-7 of Book II in My Antonia Reading quizzes may happen on any day.
Day 5	Plow activity Discuss: themes of town vs. country, role of town, music, knowledge	Read chapters 8-15 of Book II in My Antonia Reading quizzes may happen on any day.
Day 6	Grant Wood’s American Gothic Discussion: knowledge, Virgil, growing up…	Books III in My Antonia Reading quizzes may happen on any day.
Day 7	Wrap up the novel Discussion: End of the novel, gender related questions, women’s roles, immigrant hope of future, love… What’s the moral of the story???	Book IV and V in My Antonia Reading quizzes may happen on any day.
Day 8	Oral Presentations begin/Final papers due.

Oral Presentations and Fianl Papers due Thursday 1/21 or Friday 1/22

*** PLEASE NOTE: This schedule is subject to revision! ***

Reading quizzes may happen on any of the days above.

Thursday and Friday, Sheldon and South

2009-12-08T12:38:00.000-08:00

1/3, 1/3, 1/3

Read either "In the Land of the Free'" "The Men in the Storm," or "The Yellow Wallpaper." Take at least 1/2 page of notes and be prepared to talk about the story with the entire class.

Jack London

2009-12-04T13:33:00.000-08:00

Read "South of the Slot" and write a paragraph which compares the way social class is treated in "The Lost Beautifulness" and "South of the Slot."

Anzia Yezierska

2009-12-02T08:27:00.000-08:00

“The Lost Beautifulness”

Choose five (5, fünf, cinq, cinque) of the following and answer in complete sentences.

Describe he relationship between Hannah and her husband. How does this relationship evolve throughout the story?
From the reading, draw or describe Hannah. Or, using quotes from the story, describe Hannah’s personality.
What role do Hannah’s neighbors play in the story?
Describe the relationship between Hannah and Mrs. Preston. What do each of them get from the relationship?
There are several ironies at work in this story. Discuss the effects of one of them.
What is this story saying about the immigrant’s experience in America?
To what extent is “The Lost Beautifulness” a feminist story?

You will all cry when we're done reading Whitman!

2009-11-29T22:36:00.000-08:00

Monday/Tuesday, Sheldon/South: "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" and review for Whitman test.

Wednesday/Thursday, Sheldon/South: essay/analysis test on Whitman.

UPDATE

2009-11-18T11:58:00.000-08:00

Films are due Tuesday 11/24 at Sheldon, Wednesday 11/25 at South. The films must be uploaded to youtube the day before they are due. The youtube user name is

waltwhitmanable

I will give out the password in class.

Compost Poem

2009-11-02T12:41:00.000-08:00

"This Compost"-based poem. Due next class.

Assignment: Write a free-verse poem about something sublimely wonderful rising out of something foul. Start concrete and go abstract. You are encouraged to experiment with the Whitmanesque poetic characteristics that we discussed in class: parallel structure, long, fluid and free-rolling lines with no set rhyme scheme, and juxtaposition of images. Embrace/explore contradictions like Whitman did. It is evidence that you, like nature, "contain multitudes." Type the final poem or present it creatively/artistically on standard size paper.

Some ideas to get you started ...

Identify the foul thing that leads to something sublime and establish how/why this occurs. What is your feeling about this relationship or process?
Start the poem with the thing itself: the hardshness, the corruption, the threat, baseness and/or the sweetness, awe, positive attributes of nature.
Describe concrete images/objects and then connect them to a big idea (microcosm to macrocosm). You may choose to go back to the microcosm, the zoom effect.
Juxtapose positives with their opposites.
Be full of surprises — like nature, not oversimplified.
Play with and examine contradictions in nature.
The poem can "rise" from identifying a "corruption" in nature to praising nature, like Whitman's poem, but this need not happen. You may express a praise of nature in some tiny image, left unexplained (such as a patient, noiseless spider).

Above all, experiment and enjoy your own ideas and language use, as well as the fluidity allowed by long rolling lines of free-verse. You are not being assessed on how well you write poetry, just how willing you are to explore an idea of Whitman's in his style. Minimum length: 150 words.

Walt Whitman Film Festival Criteria

2009-10-28T08:23:00.000-07:00

Students will work in small groups (three or four) to create a short film/video (5-7 min). The goal is to illustrate and explain one of Whitman’s major poems (and it should be one that is longer than 10 lines).
Procedures:
choose groups (one person must have access to a video camera, film does not have to be on DVD)
decide on a poem
create a screenplay/outline/storyboard for capturing Whitman’s imagery (the visual imagery of the poem should be acted out)
decide on whether poem will be read by one person as a voice over, or whether you will cast a “speaker” to be the voice of the poem (this should be an intentional/artistic choice, be able to justify your choice)
decide on music to match the mood/tone of your poem
decide on locations for filming
edit/polish your film—your film should have gone though a final revision
as a large part of your video you must find a way to add a “panel of scholars” or a “literary expert” or even the poet himself…..so that you can include a discussion of the poetic techniques demonstrated in your chosen poem (this can be done throughout, or only at the beginning and end, it’s up to you!)

You will be graded on the following:

10 points: A screenplay/outline/storyboard that captures Whitman’s imagery
5 points: The integration of appropriate music for your film
30 points: The integration of a literary panel in your film including a discussion of poetic techniques in your chosen poem
15 points: Quality, polished film that is 5-7 minutes long

Walt Whitman

2009-10-28T08:22:00.000-07:00

Walt Whitman unit 2009-2010

Date	In Class	Homework (due next class)
Day 1	Discuss transcendentalism Quick Intro to Whitman “I Hear America Singing” compared with Hughes poem.	Read and take notes “Poet Celebrated Democracy…”—essay about Whitman
Day 2	Discuss “Poet Celebrated Democracy…” essay Continue Intro for Whitman: note taking assignment, begin discussion of Whitman characteristics. Read “I Saw In Louisiana A Live Oak Growing”	Read “This Compost” take notes on initial observations about corruption
Day 3	Pseudo Halloween-ish class… some Poe… AND Read “This Compost” in class, taking notes as requested.	“This Compost” based poems. Read “Song of Myself” at home, take notes for given details.
Day 4	Read “This Compost” based poems in class. Read and analyze “Song of Myself” in class. Focus on Whitman’s poetic characteristics, and poetic devices.	Find three to five interesting facts about the life and/or death of Abraham Lincoln .
Day 5	Talk about Abraham Lincoln. Read and analyze “When Lilacs Last In The Dooryard Bloomed”. Focus on Symbolism.	Read “I Sing the Body Electric”, take notes for details provided.
Day 6	Read and discuss “I Sing the Body Electric”. Focus on Whitman’s poetic characteristics and devices.	Read “Come Up From the Field Father”, take notes on details provided.
Day 7	Analyze “Come Up From the Field Father”, read and discuss “Cavalry Crossing a Ford” and “Bivouac on a Mountain Side”. Focus on Whitman’s historic facts.	Read “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry”, taking notes on details provided.
Day 8	Discuss “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” in class. Review for the in-class essay assignment.	Study for in-class essay.
Day 9	In-class Whitman essay. You may use your poetry packets, and any written notes for this essay.	Whitman packets with notes taking due.

*Notes taken on the poems we cover in class will be graded based on requirements given above and in class. See Whitman note-taking assignment guidelines for more details.

Sheldon, 10/23/2009

2009-10-23T11:38:00.000-07:00

Civil Disobedience.

Review the IHS guidelines foe community service and create a 5-point plan for making the IHS community service guidelines better serve the community.

"Civil Disobedience"

2009-10-21T13:47:00.000-07:00

Read Thoreau's essay "Civil Disobedience." Find something in your life, at school or outside of school that you think is fundamentally unjust. Brainstorm ways you can use civil disobedience to fight this injustice.

"Self-Reliance"

2009-10-19T18:07:00.000-07:00

Read Emerson's essay, "Self-Reliance" and be ready to discuss what this means to Emerson and what it means to you.

Emerson and Transcendentalism

2009-10-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

Due 10/19 (Sheldon) and 10/20 (South)

1) Nature Walk

Your home work is to take a walk in nature and jot down observations you have. Walk silently and slowly and focus your attention on sounds and colors and movement. You may want to take some paper with you so that you can jot down observations as you go, but if not when you get home write a short description (no less than ½ page) of what you experienced on your nature walk, and be descriptive.

2) Then read the excerpt from Emerson Nature noting what he has to say about nature. Be prepared for a discussion in class about your observations and Emerson’s beliefs about nature.

3) Poem about nature

Take the observations from your nature walk, and the excerpt from Emerson’s Nature and write a Found Poem that captures the essence of nature for you.

A Found Poem takes words from existing text and turns them into an original poem. You should find words and phrases that are important to understanding what you and Emerson think about nature. Then move these words and phrases around, change their order, repeat important words, cut out ordinary words.

The key to making this poem yours is going to be in how you choose to inter-mix Emerson’s words with your own observations from your nature walk.

Your poem should be at least 10 lines long, but may be much longer.

Don’t forget to cite the Emerson excerpt at the end of your poem, and have fun with this assignment.

"The Minister's Black Veil"

2009-10-13T17:04:00.000-07:00

Read "The Minister's Black Veil".

What is the veil? Answer in a brilliant and eloquent paragraph.

Hawthorne 10/11 and 10/12

2009-10-08T07:59:00.000-07:00

Yeah, Hawthorne! I'm sure you're as enthused as I am to read this genuine, born-on-the fourth-of-July American literary master. For Monday (South) and Tuesday (Sheldon) of next week you need to read "Young Goodman Brown" and respond to the following following questions, in full sentences:

1) How is nature portrayed in this story? What is Hawthorne’s attitude toward nature? How would you characterize the portrayal of Native Americans?

2) Who is the stranger? What is unusual about his staff, and what might this symbolize?

3) What is the significance of the pink ribbon falling from the sky?

4) What is the significance of Brown’s family history?\ and Puritan history as mentioned by the stranger?

What happened in the woods? Was it real? A dream? An allegory?

Unit Test, Wednesday at South, Thursday at Sheldon

2009-10-06T13:11:00.000-07:00

The Tempest

Part I: What's my line?

a) Identify the act, scene and speaker(s) for the four lines you memorized.

b) Write out these same four lines.

Part II: Passage Analysis.

You will be given a choice of two passages to analyze along with the criteria for the analysis.

The Tempest

2009-09-25T08:21:00.000-07:00

Day 1: Introduction to Shakespeare and to The Tempest.

Homework: Act I, ii to line 221. Memorize 4 lines of the text.

Day 2: Discussion of the reading, declamation, quiz. Present journal assignment

Homework: Act I, ii line 221 to the end of Act I. Memorize 4 lines of the text.

Day 3: Discussion, declamation, and reading quiz. Love letters between Miranda and

Homework: Act II Memorize 4 lines of the text. Work on your journals.

Day 4: Discussion, declamation, and reading quiz. Analyze and present source documents.

Homework: Act III, Character relationship chart. Work on your journals.

Day 5: Discussion and reading quiz. Finish source document presentations. Work on journals.

Homework: Act IV. Choose what you think is the most important passage in Act IV. Be ready to defend your choice. Reading quiz Act 4 Act 5

Day 6: Discussion and reading quiz. Textual analysis activity.

Homework: Act V. Bring in a picture of your character for your journal assignment. Work on your journals. Finish your analysis paragraph.

Day 7: Discussion and reading quiz. Act 5. Themes, characters, analyses. Is this a good ending, predicting the characters' futures.

Homework: Completed journals.

Day 8: Journal readings and presentations.

Homework: Prepare for the test. Journal Prepare for test

Day 9: Passage Analysis Test.

Homework: Transcendentalism texts.H