Monday, Jan. 28th (F)
• Due: Read Chapter Two in Gatsby and complete email (see last week’s calendar).
• Class: Debrief on Valley of Ashes; characterization in Gatsby.
Tuesday, Jan. 29th (S)
• Due: Read Chapter Three in Gatsby. No email today.
• Class: Rhetorical analysis of the Jazz Age.
Wednesday, Jan. 30th (U)
• Class does not meet.
Thursday, Jan. 31st (M)
• Due: Read Chapter Three & Four and complete email (choose roles in advance!):
Chapter Four & Five: Dear Diary
The first person to email should compose a diary entry as Daisy Fay, using information from the period just before her wedding, including the scene with the letter and the bathtub.
The second person to email should briefly comment upon the first writer’s post. Then, compose a diary entry as Jay Gatsby, also using information from this scene. Include what he might have written in that letter to Daisy before her marriage to Tom. Print and bring to class.
• Class: Share diaries; introduce and plan oral interpretations of Chapter Five in groups.
Friday, Feb. 1st (T)
• Due: Passage analysis homework (TBA).
• Class: Perform oral interpretations and discuss; time as motif and theme in Gatsby.
Monday, Feb. 4th (W)
• Due: Read Chapter Six and complete email:
Chapter Six: Free Response
Exchange a short email with your partner about the events in Chapter Seven. Share reactions, observations, insights, analysis, and predictions. Print and bring to class.
• Class: “Fact or Fiction: Tracing Gatsby’s Past.”
Monday, January 28, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Week of January 21st
Monday, Jan. 21st• No school today!
Tuesday, Jan. 22nd (M)
• Due: Study for vocabulary quiz on Unit #6.
• Class: Vocabulary quiz. Scenes from The Scarlet Letter (1934).
Wednesday, Jan. 23rd (T)
• Due: Enjoy a day off between units!
• Class: Wrap up The Scarlet Letter (1934). Sign out The Great Gatsby; assign email partners for homework discussions.
Thursday, Jan. 24th (W)
• Due: Complete the following exercises to review for the Units #4-6 test next week:
p. 72, Vocabulary for Comprehension
p. 75, Two-word Completions
p. 76, Choose the Right Meaning; Antonyms
p. 78, Word Associations
• Class: Review answers to vocabulary. Introduction to Gatsby and the Jazz Age.
Friday, Jan. 25th (F)
• Due: Read Ch. 1 in The Great Gatsby and complete email assignment below.
• Class: Analysis of narrator and principal characters in Ch. 1; sketching the “Valley of Ashes.”
Email Topic: Chapter One: Look Who’s Talking
Write to your partner describing what you have ascertained so far about Nick, the narrator of The Great Gatsby. In addition to details about his life, values, personality, consider the following questions you might ask of any fictional narrator:
1. Is the narrator part of the story? If so, how much influence does he or she have over what happens? To what degree does the narrator participate in the action (just observe, participate somewhat, or participate fully)?
2. Is the narrator conscious of the storytelling and commenting on it or not?
3. Does the narrator take the reader inside his or her mind?
4. Is the narrator’s presentation of the situation and people reliable, partially reliable, or biased?
5. Is the narrator telling the story in the present, a short time after the actions take place, or a long time after the actions take place?
The second person to write should add to the first person’s response, or if that seems complete, should summarize observations about other characters in this chapter. Print and bring to class.
Monday, Jan. 28th (S)
• Due: Read Ch. 2 in The Great Gatsby and complete email assignment below.
• Class: Understanding characters in The Great Gatsby.
Email Topic: Chapter Two: Character Traits, Values, Class
Choose two characters to focus on for this email: Tom, Myrtle, Nick, Mr. Wilson, Catherine, Gatsby, or Mr. McKee. Write a journal in which you explore the characters’ traits, values, and social class. Use and cite clues from the text (their words or actions, things people say about them, etc).
Do these characters have similar traits and values? Which are the most fully characterized? The least? What inferences can you make about Fitzgerald’s portrayal of different social classes in this scene?
The second person to write should briefly comment upon the first person’s response, and then continue with an analysis of two additional characters from the list above. Print and bring to class.
A Word on Emails: Emails to your partner should adhere to standard conventions of spelling, grammar, etc. There are no specific guidelines for length, but about 200 words is a reasonable ballpark figure. You should work out logistics of timing with your partner; I’m flexible but it is important that you regularly alternate who writes first. Bring a printed copy of your own email to each class on the day it is due. Come talk to me (before something is due) if you anticipate any problems.
Tuesday, Jan. 22nd (M)
• Due: Study for vocabulary quiz on Unit #6.
• Class: Vocabulary quiz. Scenes from The Scarlet Letter (1934).
Wednesday, Jan. 23rd (T)
• Due: Enjoy a day off between units!
• Class: Wrap up The Scarlet Letter (1934). Sign out The Great Gatsby; assign email partners for homework discussions.
Thursday, Jan. 24th (W)
• Due: Complete the following exercises to review for the Units #4-6 test next week:
p. 72, Vocabulary for Comprehension
p. 75, Two-word Completions
p. 76, Choose the Right Meaning; Antonyms
p. 78, Word Associations
• Class: Review answers to vocabulary. Introduction to Gatsby and the Jazz Age.
Friday, Jan. 25th (F)
• Due: Read Ch. 1 in The Great Gatsby and complete email assignment below.
• Class: Analysis of narrator and principal characters in Ch. 1; sketching the “Valley of Ashes.”
Email Topic: Chapter One: Look Who’s Talking
Write to your partner describing what you have ascertained so far about Nick, the narrator of The Great Gatsby. In addition to details about his life, values, personality, consider the following questions you might ask of any fictional narrator:
1. Is the narrator part of the story? If so, how much influence does he or she have over what happens? To what degree does the narrator participate in the action (just observe, participate somewhat, or participate fully)?
2. Is the narrator conscious of the storytelling and commenting on it or not?
3. Does the narrator take the reader inside his or her mind?
4. Is the narrator’s presentation of the situation and people reliable, partially reliable, or biased?
5. Is the narrator telling the story in the present, a short time after the actions take place, or a long time after the actions take place?
The second person to write should add to the first person’s response, or if that seems complete, should summarize observations about other characters in this chapter. Print and bring to class.
Monday, Jan. 28th (S)
• Due: Read Ch. 2 in The Great Gatsby and complete email assignment below.
• Class: Understanding characters in The Great Gatsby.
Email Topic: Chapter Two: Character Traits, Values, Class
Choose two characters to focus on for this email: Tom, Myrtle, Nick, Mr. Wilson, Catherine, Gatsby, or Mr. McKee. Write a journal in which you explore the characters’ traits, values, and social class. Use and cite clues from the text (their words or actions, things people say about them, etc).
Do these characters have similar traits and values? Which are the most fully characterized? The least? What inferences can you make about Fitzgerald’s portrayal of different social classes in this scene?
The second person to write should briefly comment upon the first person’s response, and then continue with an analysis of two additional characters from the list above. Print and bring to class.
A Word on Emails: Emails to your partner should adhere to standard conventions of spelling, grammar, etc. There are no specific guidelines for length, but about 200 words is a reasonable ballpark figure. You should work out logistics of timing with your partner; I’m flexible but it is important that you regularly alternate who writes first. Bring a printed copy of your own email to each class on the day it is due. Come talk to me (before something is due) if you anticipate any problems.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Week of January 14th
Monday, Jan. 14th
• Snow Day!
Tuesday, Jan. 15th (H)
• Due: Lit crit presentations by email. Copy yourself and verify receipt!
• Class: First three presentations on lit crit. Discussion.
Wednesday, Jan. 16th (F)
• Due: Write vocabulary sentences for Unit #6. Work on lit crit one-pagers.
• Class: Last three presentations on lit crit. Discussion.
Thursday, Jan. 17th (S)
• Due: Rough draft of lit crit one-pagers in hard copy.
• Class: Peer edit rough drafts. Vocabulary review.
Friday, Jan. 18th (U)
• Class drops. Papers are due by 10p on Thursday via email (you will receive confirmation of receipt that night) or in person on Friday (both is great too).
I will take one day off per paper per day late, including each weekend day. No late days, please.
Monday, Jan. 21st
• No school.
Tuesday, Jan. 22nd (M)
• Due: Study for vocabulary quiz on Unit #6.
• Class: Vocabulary quiz on Unit #6. End of semester reflection.
Note: If you are legitimately absent from class on Tuesday you MUST make arrangements to take the quiz before or after school on Wednesday, Jan. 23rd so that I can finish your term grades.
• Snow Day!
Tuesday, Jan. 15th (H)
• Due: Lit crit presentations by email. Copy yourself and verify receipt!
• Class: First three presentations on lit crit. Discussion.
Wednesday, Jan. 16th (F)
• Due: Write vocabulary sentences for Unit #6. Work on lit crit one-pagers.
• Class: Last three presentations on lit crit. Discussion.
Thursday, Jan. 17th (S)
• Due: Rough draft of lit crit one-pagers in hard copy.
• Class: Peer edit rough drafts. Vocabulary review.
Friday, Jan. 18th (U)
• Class drops. Papers are due by 10p on Thursday via email (you will receive confirmation of receipt that night) or in person on Friday (both is great too).
I will take one day off per paper per day late, including each weekend day. No late days, please.
Monday, Jan. 21st
• No school.
Tuesday, Jan. 22nd (M)
• Due: Study for vocabulary quiz on Unit #6.
• Class: Vocabulary quiz on Unit #6. End of semester reflection.
Note: If you are legitimately absent from class on Tuesday you MUST make arrangements to take the quiz before or after school on Wednesday, Jan. 23rd so that I can finish your term grades.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Scarlet Letter Assignment
Click here to view the details of the Scarlet Letter "one-pager." It's fine to recycle information, quotations, and arguments from your group presentation as long as the writing and the final opinion are your own!
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Week of January 7th
Monday, Jan. 7th (S)
• Due: Read through Ch. 19 and complete dialectic journal. Research assigned symbols.
• Class: First Annual Scarlet Letter Symbol Symposium.
Tuesday, Jan. 8th (U)
• Class does not meet today. Enjoy the early dismissal!
Wednesday, Jan. 9th (M)
• Due: Read through Ch. 24 and complete dialectic journal. Phew! You made it!
• Class: Discussion of the end of the novel. Lit crit groups touch base on first impressions.
Thursday, Jan. 10th (T)
• Due: Read assigned lit crit essays.
• Class: Group work on lit crit.
Friday, Jan. 11th (W)
• Due: Prepare for continuing group work.
• Class: Group work on lit crit.
Monday, Jan. 14th (H)
• Due: Lit crit presentations by email to skitsis@arlington.k12.ma.us before Homeroom on Monday. Copy yourself and verify receipt in case of technical difficulty!
• Class: First three presentations on lit crit.
Tuesday, Jan. 15th (F)
• Due: Write vocabulary sentences for Unit #6. Work on lit crit one-pagers.
• Class: Last three presentations on lit crit.
Wednesday, Jan. 16th (S)
• Due: Rough draft of lit crit one-pagers.
• Class: Peer edit rough drafts. Vocabulary review.
Thursday, Jan. 17th U)
• Class does not meet today.
Friday, Jan. 18th (M)
• Due: Final copy of lit crit one-pagers. Study for vocabulary quiz on Unit #6.
• Class: Vocabulary quiz on Unit #6.
Note: Because it is the end of the term there will be essentially no wiggle room for late work, so plan carefully. If you are absent and not hospitalized when the paper is due, I’ll expect you to email it to me. And speaking of the end of the term, don’t forget to submit your work to the literary magazine by Jan. 18th for extra credit!
• Due: Read through Ch. 19 and complete dialectic journal. Research assigned symbols.
• Class: First Annual Scarlet Letter Symbol Symposium.
Tuesday, Jan. 8th (U)
• Class does not meet today. Enjoy the early dismissal!
Wednesday, Jan. 9th (M)
• Due: Read through Ch. 24 and complete dialectic journal. Phew! You made it!
• Class: Discussion of the end of the novel. Lit crit groups touch base on first impressions.
Thursday, Jan. 10th (T)
• Due: Read assigned lit crit essays.
• Class: Group work on lit crit.
Friday, Jan. 11th (W)
• Due: Prepare for continuing group work.
• Class: Group work on lit crit.
Monday, Jan. 14th (H)
• Due: Lit crit presentations by email to skitsis@arlington.k12.ma.us before Homeroom on Monday. Copy yourself and verify receipt in case of technical difficulty!
• Class: First three presentations on lit crit.
Tuesday, Jan. 15th (F)
• Due: Write vocabulary sentences for Unit #6. Work on lit crit one-pagers.
• Class: Last three presentations on lit crit.
Wednesday, Jan. 16th (S)
• Due: Rough draft of lit crit one-pagers.
• Class: Peer edit rough drafts. Vocabulary review.
Thursday, Jan. 17th U)
• Class does not meet today.
Friday, Jan. 18th (M)
• Due: Final copy of lit crit one-pagers. Study for vocabulary quiz on Unit #6.
• Class: Vocabulary quiz on Unit #6.
Note: Because it is the end of the term there will be essentially no wiggle room for late work, so plan carefully. If you are absent and not hospitalized when the paper is due, I’ll expect you to email it to me. And speaking of the end of the term, don’t forget to submit your work to the literary magazine by Jan. 18th for extra credit!
Friday, January 4, 2008
Homework: Symbol Symposium
OPEN THE TEXT!
Click here to open the full text of The Scarlet Letter at the Gutenberg Project, or navigate to http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext92/scrlt13.txt. (If for any reason that link doesn't work, go to http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/33 and click on the download link next to "Plain text" under the section "Download this ebook for free.")
DIRECTIONS! (Same as you got in class.)
In addition to completing the reading and dialectic journals assigned (through Ch. 19), please investigate a couple of symbols over the weekend for our Symbol Symposium on Monday. First, just think about the potential symbols. Where do you recall seeing them in the novel? Independent of the novel, what associations do you have with these objects?
Then go online and search the full text of the novel for instances of these concepts (try searching for related words as well; I’ve listed a few and you can probably think of more). Use Control-F or the “find” function to locate them, and record the context in your notes (you won’t have page numbers, but jot down the scene or chapter). Finally, note your thoughts on what these symbols might mean in the context of the novel.
Please keep these notes in your journal. You need not write in complete sentences.
Investigate the highlighted symbol below as well as one more of your choice (two total).
Note: If you were absent from class on Friday, choose any two bullets to work with.
• Scaffolds (scaffolding, support, steps)
• Colors (red/scarlet/blood/crimson, gold)
• Darkness versus light (sun versus shadow, night versus day, noon, moon)
• Night versus day (sun, moon, midnight)
• Vegetation (tree, plant, bush, weed)
• Roses and rosebushes (flower, thorn)
• Precious stones or gems (pearl, ruby, gold, diamond)
• The letter “A”
• Forest versus town
• Doors or thresholds (gate, fence, periphery ... look up the word “liminal”)
• Water (stream, sea, river)
• Windows, mirrors, and reflections
• Triads (things that come in groups of three)
• Chains (chain, link, bond, fetter)
Click here to open the full text of The Scarlet Letter at the Gutenberg Project, or navigate to http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext92/scrlt13.txt. (If for any reason that link doesn't work, go to http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/33 and click on the download link next to "Plain text" under the section "Download this ebook for free.")
DIRECTIONS! (Same as you got in class.)
In addition to completing the reading and dialectic journals assigned (through Ch. 19), please investigate a couple of symbols over the weekend for our Symbol Symposium on Monday. First, just think about the potential symbols. Where do you recall seeing them in the novel? Independent of the novel, what associations do you have with these objects?
Then go online and search the full text of the novel for instances of these concepts (try searching for related words as well; I’ve listed a few and you can probably think of more). Use Control-F or the “find” function to locate them, and record the context in your notes (you won’t have page numbers, but jot down the scene or chapter). Finally, note your thoughts on what these symbols might mean in the context of the novel.
Please keep these notes in your journal. You need not write in complete sentences.
Investigate the highlighted symbol below as well as one more of your choice (two total).
Note: If you were absent from class on Friday, choose any two bullets to work with.
• Scaffolds (scaffolding, support, steps)
• Colors (red/scarlet/blood/crimson, gold)
• Darkness versus light (sun versus shadow, night versus day, noon, moon)
• Night versus day (sun, moon, midnight)
• Vegetation (tree, plant, bush, weed)
• Roses and rosebushes (flower, thorn)
• Precious stones or gems (pearl, ruby, gold, diamond)
• The letter “A”
• Forest versus town
• Doors or thresholds (gate, fence, periphery ... look up the word “liminal”)
• Water (stream, sea, river)
• Windows, mirrors, and reflections
• Triads (things that come in groups of three)
• Chains (chain, link, bond, fetter)
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Week of January 2nd
Wednesday, Jan. 2nd (W)
• Due: Read and complete dialectic journal (two quotations and responses per chapter) through Ch. 15 of The Scarlet Letter.
• Class: “Hawthorne as Artist: Symbolism of Light and Dark.”
Thursday, Jan. 3rd (H)
• Due: Vocabulary exercises for Unit #6.
• Class: Review vocabulary; work on dramatic scenes.
Friday, Jan. 4th (F)
• Due: Continue reading The Scarlet Letter (we’re reading through Ch. 19 for Monday!).
• Class: Perform and discuss scenes.
Monday, Jan. 7th (S)
• Due: Read and complete dialectic journal through Ch. 19 of The Scarlet Letter; complete research for today’s work on symbolism. (Note: I’ll hand this out in class AND post on blog shortly.)
• Class: “Symbol Symposium.”
Upcoming Deadlines: We will be reading through the end of the novel (that’s Ch. 24) for Wednesday, Jan. 9th.
• Due: Read and complete dialectic journal (two quotations and responses per chapter) through Ch. 15 of The Scarlet Letter.
• Class: “Hawthorne as Artist: Symbolism of Light and Dark.”
Thursday, Jan. 3rd (H)
• Due: Vocabulary exercises for Unit #6.
• Class: Review vocabulary; work on dramatic scenes.
Friday, Jan. 4th (F)
• Due: Continue reading The Scarlet Letter (we’re reading through Ch. 19 for Monday!).
• Class: Perform and discuss scenes.
Monday, Jan. 7th (S)
• Due: Read and complete dialectic journal through Ch. 19 of The Scarlet Letter; complete research for today’s work on symbolism. (Note: I’ll hand this out in class AND post on blog shortly.)
• Class: “Symbol Symposium.”
Upcoming Deadlines: We will be reading through the end of the novel (that’s Ch. 24) for Wednesday, Jan. 9th.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
