The Seven Stories

Here are the links to the stories.  You should have looked at them all for tomorrow.  You will have time with your partner to make the final decisions.

The Bet

The Treasure of Lemon Brown

The Monkey's Paw

The Tell-Tale Heart

The Elevator

Lamb to the Slaughter

Old Glory

Reading Closer and Thinking Deeper

That was the thrust of today's class.  It is through close reading and deep thinking that you will find the true gold hidden in the stories and be able to expand upon them so that you can offer a fleshed out, unique piece of writing.

Tonight, as you write your two page theme paper, I want you to push yourself to write a complete theme analysis, using all the relevant details the author offers.  Don't just settle on the protagonist or the first idea that comes to mind.  Analyze all the characters, all that happens in the story so that you can write the most comprehensive piece possible.

Bring those two complete pages to class tomorrow.

As I said today, I won't be in class tomorrow.  You will be doing some reading and selecting.  I'm giving you seven choices.  That leaves only about 8 minutes per piece of writing.  You won't have time to read all of the stories but I do want you to look over as many as you can.  As you read them be thinking about the types of papers you will be writing this quarter.

Which of the stories will offer the best opportunity to write a theme paper?

Which of the stories will offer the best opportunity to write an analysis of the author's writing style?

Which of these two stories will offer the best opportunity to write a compare/contrast paper?

Ask yourself these questions while you are reading the pieces.  Select the two that you think give you the best opportunity to write these papers well.  Let me know on Friday.  If you need more time with them, look here tomorrow night for a link to the pdfs.

Until next time...

The Start of the Literary Essay Unit

Investigative Journalism is in the past and the Literary Essay is now here, but that doesn't mean you should forget everything we went over during the first unit.  Instead, you should be drawing on the writing aspects that carry over to this type of writing.  

You are still going to need to write creative leads.

You are still going to need to use paragraphs.

You are still going to be making claims.  

You are still going to need to support your claims with evidence and quotes.

You are still going to need to balance your writing between narrative and argumentative.

You are still going to need to close with a BANG! or a jolt or a clever twist or a cohesive ending.  

You are still going to need to write and edit and revise and submit a polished paper when we are finished.

Our first literary essay will be theme based.  You will be writing an essay identifying and supporting a theme from a short story.  With that in mind we agreed on a definition for theme:

A theme is a sentence that identifies the universal moral/message/central idea the author is trying to get across.

We also distinguished between thematic ideas:

love

curiosity

power

And themes:

Love is blind.

Curiosity killed the cat.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Sorry, all the above examples are cliche, but you get the idea.

For tonight, the honors classes are completing their two page writing on a theme they identified from "All Summer in a Day".

For tonight the standard classes are taking two thematic ideas (period three: hope and jealousy) (period four: individuality and jealousy) and turning them into themes that could be used in conjunction with "All Summer in a Day".

We will read and write more tomorrow.  

Until next time...

Classics

Here is a list of classic novels for you.  This list is not all-inclusive.  If you want to read something not on this list, just let me know, and I will check to see if it is okay.

Gulliver's Travels

The Great Gatsby

Brave New World

The Sound and the Fury

Catch-22

Grapes of Wrath

1984

Slaughterhouse Five

Invisible Man

Native Son

As I Lay Dying

All the King's Men

The Bridge of San Luis Rey

Lord of the Flies

The Naked and the Dead

The Catcher in the Rye

A Clockwork Orange

Heart of Darkness

Lord Jim

The Call of the Wild

Sophie's Choice

To Kill a Mockingbird

Battlefield Earth

The Hobbit

Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Dune

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Martian Chronicles

Fahrenheit 451

One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest

Jane Eyre

Emma

Wuthering Heights

Pride and Prejudice

David Copperfield

Oliver Twist

A Christmas Carol

Great Expectations

White Fang

Treasure Island

Kidnapped

Tess of the D'Ubervilles

The Count of Monte Cristo

Of Mice and Men

A Tale of Two Cities

Dracula

Frankenstein

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Gone with the Wind

The Once and Future King

Watership Down

Moby Dick

The Three Musketeers

The Man in the Iron  Mask

Four Day Break

Enjoy your time away from school.  Check back here this weekend for a list of classic novel possibilities.

Student-Lead Conferences Day II

Another long night tonight, but it's all worth while if I get to meet some parents.  Can't wait!

Today we looked at theme in the honors class.  We agreed that it

-was the central idea of a piece of writing
-shared the point the author was trying to get across
-was the moral
-was universal in scope
-was a stated in a sentence, not a single word (like courage)

When it came to the theme in "All Summer in a Day" one class emphasized the importance of thinking through decisions before acting.  Another class stressed the power of jealousy and how it makes us act. Period 6? I'll find out in an hour.  the classes offered support and argued for their selection in a debate.  Good material.

As you can tell from the Acuity tests, knowing how to identify themes is an important skill.  You will be tested on it again so we will be working on it often this year.

The standard class had a good discussion on "All Summer in a Day".  We didn't get to theme, but we still managed to demonstrate our understanding of the text and dig a bit into character motivation and development.

Tomorrow we will write for 45 minutes.  Be sure you have a good topic you feel fired up about.   It would also behoove you to have some research handy.  Facts, figures, quotes and evidence will all add credibility and strength to your paper.  Remember, you will be writing this essay tomorrow and won't have access to a computer.  I also will not be allowing any printing tomorrow. Bring what you need to school tomorrow so that you are prepared.

Until next time...

Preparing in Lab C

Today was a rather low key day after a late night at student-lead conferences.  It was great seeing a lot of you with your parents.  It's easy to see where you all get your intelligence and good looks.  (Shameless brown nosing.)

We went to Lab C to do a bit of research for the upcoming Unit II pre-write this Thursday.  On that day you will be writing about a topic you feel strongly about, something that really gets you excited and passionate (there's that word again!).  We often feel we know a lot about what we feel strongly about, but a little hard evidence and a few facts or statistics go a long way.  That's what today's (and tonight's and tomorrow night's) research is for.  Find the quotes, the facts, the support that will lend strength and credibility to your argument.

Remember you will not be typing this on the computer.  You will be writing this in class on a piece of lined paper, so you need to have your researched notes printed out or written down.  Since you might use material that you found through research, you must, of course, have the information necessary to cite the material in your paper.

Tomorrow we will bring our discussion of "All Summer in a Day" to a close.  Have an idea what you think the theme of the story is so that we can have an amazing conversation.  Can't wait to see where this discussion ends up.

Until next time...

The Weekend Post!

Ah!  The weekend has arrived and we can now relax and slow down for a couple days...unless you have some travel tournament in the next time zone that has you leaving tonight and getting back late Sunday.  I must say that I am glad those days are behind me.

Once you have recovered a bit and before I see you again on Monday, be sure to do a couple of things.

The irony assignment is due on Monday.  No 10/10 score is possible after that.

We are on the home stretch of the QBTs.  If you haven't gone yet, be sure to practice.  These last few should be the best ones yet seeing as you've been able to watch well over 20 examples by now.

Honors:  Be sure to look at the prompts for "All Summer in a Day" again, especially the one on theme.  You'll need to be able to identify what the theme of the story is and back it up with evidence from the text. That's all of you!  Also you should be thinking about the classic novel you will be reading second quarter.

Standard: You need to revise that synthesis paper.  Make it as strong as possible.  Then clean it up. Get rid of all the highlights and comments.  Print it off and bring it to class on Monday.

Until next time...

Diversity Discussion and Synthesis Writing

How does diversity shape people's perspectives?

That's the question that was posed today in the honors class.  The responses were thoughtful and they varied from increasing acceptance to sparking creativity to encouraging ignorance.  While we didn't make connections to "All Summer in a Day" yet, you can bet those will be coming.

In order to enhance our discussion in class tomorrow, be thinking about the following prompts.  You do not need to write out responses, but you should make little notes on your story that will help you respond quickly in class tomorrow.

1) What do you think the title of Bradbury’s story means? Do you think it’s a good title? Why or why not?

2) How might this experience effect Margot and the children who mistreated her? Will they react more positively toward each other now or will the relationships be even more strained?

3) How does the setting of this story (including the weather) serve as a major plot

element? Would there be a story if Bradbury’s Venus had less extreme weather? Explain.

4) From what you know of her character based on her behavior throughout

the story, how do you think Margot will react when she is let out of the closet? Should

Bradbury have described what happens next, or do you like the story as it is? Explain.

5) There is a rain shower of metaphors throughout this story. Identify some and explain how Bradbury uses the metaphors? What does he convey with the metaphors?

6) Make a real world analogy for the children's reaction to the arrival and departure of the sun.

7) What is the central idea/theme of “All Summer in a Day” what message was Bradbury trying to get across?  

In the standard class we were working on synthesis writing.   You shared ideas on what should be included in your writings and the list was pretty solid.

1) Leads

2) Titles and authors

3) Clearly stated claims

4) Quotes for support

5) Cited quotes 

6) Explanations of those quotes and how they tie into your claim

7) Conclusions

I was impressed.  Now the real challenge will be if you are able to produce all of those things in a well written essay.  We tried today and will assess those short essays tomorrow.

Until next time...  

The Student Lead Conference Preparation Day

Here is a link to the prompts for the reflection on the Investigative Journalism Article.

Today we prepped for the Student Lead Conferences next week.  If you haven't completed the reflection that we started in class today, be sure to click on the link above and finish responding to the prompts.  Then, save it to your LA submit folder and be sure to print off a copy and bring it to class tomorrow.

No QBTs to day but we will be on them again tomorrow.

Honors students: Be sure to print, read and annotate a copy of Ray Bradbury's "All Summer in a Day" short story.  We will be using it in class tomorrow.  Be thinking about how the setting of the story serves as a major plot point.

Until next time...

No Copiers? No Problem!

I had several things to copy when I arrived at school today.  Imagine my surprise when not one, not two, but all three copiers in the school were not working.  The horror!

Thank goodness for the laptops and Google Docs.  I quickly altered my plans and decided that we would be typing our in class timed writing today in the honors class.  I shared the image, prompt and rubric through Google Docs and we were ready to go.

You had one task to do today: write an essay that explains how the image I selected could be a symbolic representation of one of the short stories, "Harrison Bergeron" or "The Pedestrian", or the poem "Caged Bird".  You had 40 minutes, the same time that you would have for an AP writing assignment.  That meant you needed to think fast, organize your ideas, find the support and write, write, write.  I'm looking forward to reading them over the next few days.

Another potential casualty of the broken copiers was tonight's homework.  Fortunately, we have the internet.  I want you to go to the following link: "All Summer in a Day", print off the story, (it's four pages) read it and annotate it.  This needs to be completed by Thursday.

Don't forget your irony assignment.  I received over a dozen today.  They were very good examples and explanations, but remember, now you can't do them.  Complete the assignment quickly but correctly.

We are over half way on the QBTs.  Keep them strong!

In the standard class we also have the irony and the QBTs to do, but our focus in class was on the writing of the synthesis paper between "Harrison Bergeron" and "The Pedestrian".  We wrote one part and saw some of the areas we needed help with.  We'll take  a closer look tomorrow and write some more.  I was impressed with the way you identified the texts, identified your claim and used information from both pieces.  We are getting there!

Until next time...

The Irony Assignment and the IJA Return

I've been gone a couple days but now I'm back and I'm bringing an irony assignment along with me!

By next Monday you are going to submit an example of irony.  I want you to find an example of irony in your own life, in the newspaper, in a magazine, on-line or in some other way.  Identify a picture/image to represent the irony and copy/paste in to your document.  Below the image offer a thoughtful, clear, detailed explanation of the image and why it is ironic.  Be sure to identify the type of irony in your example.  Also be sure to include a heading.  10 points if it is turned in correctly and on time.  Here is my example again.

In the honors class we spent time discussing and hearing a successful example of an investigative journalism piece.  The writings were pretty good, but there is some work to do.  Our primary focus should be clearly identifying the topic we are writing about.  It's hard to tell if the piece is organized and on topic if the topic isn't clearly stated.  In addition we need to be sure to

-cite all our sources

-be sure our interviewees each shares unique information

-do research that strengthens the overall paper

-be sure the point you are trying to make is actually made

Bring those papers to school tomorrow.  We are not finished with them yet.

A "Harrison Bergeron"-"The Pedestrian"-"Caged Bird" writing is coming either tomorrow or Wednesday.  I have a picture for you.  Ask me questions if you have any.

Book Fair Wednesday.  Bring your money if you want to buy something.

Until next time...

Be Insightful

We are discussing "Harrison Bergeron", "The Pedestrian" and "Caged Bird".  We are trying to figure out themes and connections and deeper meanings.  In order to do this and do it well, we need to be...INSIGHTFUL!

You need to start challenging yourself to go beyond the obvious answer that anyone can pick out.  Go past the literal meanings and interpretations and seek the figurative meanings.  Look for the metaphorical reads.   Find the analogies.  "Caged Bird" is not just about a being locked in a cage. There is so much more meaning in those words.  Maya Angelou trusts her readers (just like Vonnegut and Bradbury do) to find that meaning.

To the same extent you need to be thirsty for knowledge. I told you there was more meaning to the title of "The Pedestrian" than the initial idea that comes to mind.  Yet, very few of you took the extra minute to look up the word "pedestrian" in  the dictionary and discover what other definitions it has. Once you do, you discover that Bradbury is saying more with the title than you initially thought.

I want students to crave knowledge.  Offer insightful commentary. Look for analogical interpretations.  Go beyond the average and allow yourself to excel.    

Today we discussed "The Pedestrian" in the standard classes and all of the pieces--with an emphasis on "Caged Bird"--in the the honors classes.  If you have been absent, make sure you have read the material and annotated it well.  Check out the prompts from the last few days too.

We will finish our discussion in class once our Acuity testing is over tomorrow.  I am not sure how long that will take.  

Honors will be receiving their papers back on Friday.  Standard classes will receive them early next week.

Until next time...

Caged Bird and The Pedestrian

QBTs have been off to a fairly rough start so far.  We need to step up the preparation and deliver smooth presentations.  From this writing forward, all QBTs must be a minimum of 55 seconds long. A heavy penalty will be handed down to anyone not speaking for at least 55 seconds.  the structure should be pretty easy to follow otherwise:

Lead/Intro
Synopsis/Summary
Selling Point
Conclusion

Let's get them done well.

We looked deeper at "The Pedestrian" today in the honors classes.  We saw an important secondary meaning of the word "pedestrian".  We tried to decipher what Bradbury was trying to say and we made several connections to "Harrison Bergeron".  Those are all good.

Tonight I want you to think about the word individuality with regard to the two stories.

I also want you to read and annotate "Caged Bird" by Maya Angelou.  Like the title of Bradbury's short story, there is more to this poem than just a caged bird.  Think outside the box and, of course, be thinking about how the poem connects to the Vonnegut and Bradbury stories.

Acuity testing in language arts will take place on Thursday.

In the standard class we just started reading "The Pedestrian".  You are to complete the reading for class tomorrow being sure to annotate it like we were doing in class.  You should also be considering the following questions as you read:

1) What is a pedestrian?

2) Describe the city.

3) Pay close attention to everything about the police car. What does it symbolize?

4) Towards the end of the story, Bradbury describes a house that is “brightly lit”. What does that house symbolize?

5) Is the reader left with a positive or negative feeling? Explain and defend your response.

6) What is Bradbury's purpose?

7) How is the story “The Pedestrian” similar to “Harrison Bergeron”?

You don't have to answer the questions yet but you should be prepared to discuss them tomorrow.

Until next time...

The Pedestrian

We officially started the QBTs today...and not everyone was as prepared as he or she needed to be.  I drafted a couple people who would have benefited from a bit more practice.   Put in some good practice time tonight so you can offer a polished presentation tomorrow. For those of you who have already presented,  I'll record the scores tonight and you can see your assessment tomorrow in class.

In the honors class we had a brief talk on "The Pedestrian" today just hammering out the plot details. Tomorrow we will be diving into the story a little deeper.  Be sure you review the prompts below so that you can be an active contributor in class.

          1) Bradbury spends a significant amount of time writing about TV...what is its role in this
              society?
          2) Why does Bradbury name the story "The Pedestrian"?
          3) How does the setting establish the tone? Offer examples for support.
          4) What is ironic in this story?
          5) Is the reader left with a positive feeling or a nagative feeling?  Explain.
          6) What is Bradbury's purpose?
          7) In what ways is "The Pedestrian" similar to "Harrison Bergeron"?

In that standard class we haven't yet read "The Pedestrian".  We'll take a look at it tomorrow and then move forward from there.

Until next time...

Weekend Warriors

Today we worked on connecting two different pieces of writing.  We took "Harrison Bergeron" and a collection of quotes and used the short story to validate the quote.  We also analyzed the writing to see what needs to be done to make it as strong as possible.

We made it further in the honors classes so I passed out "The Pedestrian" to those three classes.  This weekend you should read and annotate (notes in the margins!) the short story.  Here's a link in case you were absent.    Be ready to discuss this story on Monday.  Be thinking of how the story could be a satire.  Also consider the different meanings of the title.  Think beyond the obvious.

QBTs start Monday.  You need your typed outline on Monday and you need to be ready to present.  Practice this weekend.  Then practice some more.  Can't wait to hear about your books.

Until next time...

Heavy Dose of Harrison

After a quick review of irony and satire we took a head first dive into "Harrison Bergeron" to understand Harrison's motivation and level of success.

We also tried to figure out what we could about Kurt Vonnegut by what he offered in the writing.

The story is obviously taking the idea of equality to the extreme making equality look ridiculous.  So does that mean Vonnegut is against equality?

Yet at the end the man who wanted to get rid of equality is dead and the woman who supported equality is alive.  Things also return to "normal".  Does that mean Vonnegut was for equality?

The story was written in 1961 during the burgeoning Civil Rights movement.  Was Vonnegut trying to say something about the black struggle for equality?

The key line in the text has Harrison saying, "'Now watch me become what I can become!'" So does Vonnegut support personal freedom without limits?

He seems to be mocking the doomsayers and the extremists.  Is he against them?

Another thing to consider is what Vonnegut is satirizing in the story.

Lots to talk about in class today.

Now for tomorrow, the honors classes have three quotes to read and think about.  They need to be able to connect the quote to the story and write about it fluidly.  Tonight you thin.  Tomorrow you write.  Here are the quotes.

 1) If liberty and equality are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in government the utmost.

-Aristotle

2) Equality, rightly understood as our founding fathers understood it, leads to liberty and to the emancipation of creative differences; wrongly understood, as it has been so tragically in our time, it leads to conformity and then despotism.

-Barry Goldwater

3) Equality may perhaps be a right, but no power on earth can ever turn it into a fact.

-Honore de Balzac

Until next time...

"Harrison Bergeron" and Satire

We opened up class today with a look at satire.  We now have a working definition that reads as follows:

1. the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.

We also listed off several examples including Honest Trailers, The Daily Show, and, of course, "Harrison Bergeron".  The left-handed Green Goblin article from The Onion is also a pretty awesome example.  You can look at it again here.  

We then started discussing "Harrison Bergeron".  We seemed to have a decent understanding of the plot and started to move to some deeper discussion questions like the ones I posted on yesterday's blog.  We'll wrap those up tomorrow, and then you'll do a little work with either a picture or some quotes.  I'll decide later on tonight.  

Keep working on those QBTs.  They will be starting for all of you in five days.  

Until next time...