March 31

AGENDA:

1. Return and Review short answers from yesterday
2. Review last night's reading
3. Read and discuss

HW: Read through page 97

March 30

AGENDA:

1. Read to page 69
2. Short answer question on the reading so far of Our Twisted Hero

     "The only thing pain can wring from a soul that has abandoned resistance and from a mind that has lost its hate is sorrow." How does this quote fit Han.


HW: Read through page 78; Literary Analysis due May 1

March 27

AGENDA:

1. Vocabulary quiz 
2. Camp 14 video



HW: Read through page 61 this weekend

 

March 26

AGENDA:

1. Finish Fish Bowl
2. Review of last nights reading 
3. If time, read 

HW: Vocabulary tomorrow

March 25

AGENDA:

1. Fishbowl
2. Read through page 37


HW: Vocab on Friday; 

March 24

AGENDA:

1. Our Twisted Hero
2. Questions
3. Anticipation Guide 


HW: Vocabulary on Friday; Read pages 1-20 by tomorrow and answer questions

March 23

AGENDA:

1. Distribution of books
2. Introduction to "Our Twisted Hero"

HW: Vocabulary this week - Friday

March 20

AGENDA:

1. Complete stories
2. Books - Ten noted authors who "live" in my house
3. Details of Literature Analysis

HW: Literature Analysis - due May 1

March 19

AGENDA:

1. "The Hit Man" stories.....





HW: List 10 people that "live" in your house. Bring the list to class tomorrow. List 10 famous people that you would like to have "live" at your house. (Chances are there is a great book about each of them)

Literary Analysis

LITERATURE ANALYSIS QUESTIONS

Please answer the following questions about the book you selected.  Make sure to provide appropriate examples to support your ideas.

Title

1. What connection do you make with the title of the book and its content

Author

1. Biographical information about the author and how does it pertain to the book
2. Genre 
3. Historical information about the period of publication

Setting

1. Where/when does the story take place?
2. Does the author use one setting or more?  Why?
3. Over how long a period of time is the story told?
4. Could the story have been told in a different setting (such as the old west, a different planet, 200 years in the future, a tropical island)?  How would this change the story? 

Plot

1. What is the inciting incident?
2. Did the author use foreshadowing or introduce a plot twist that surprised you?
3. Could you imagine the story happening to someone you know?  Was it realistic?  Why/why not?

Characters

1. Describe the main characters and explain whether the author uses direct or indirect characterization.
2. Are these people you would like to know?  Why or why not?
3. Are the characters realistic?  Do they resemble people in real life?  How?  Why do you think the author wrote them in this particular way?

Style

1. Describe the author’s syntax and diction.
2. Does the author use lengthy descriptions of settings and characters, or does s/he focus on action?
3. What is the tone of the book?  Did it make you feel happy, curious, sad or another emotion?  Describe.
4. Is there a lot of dialogue?  Do the characters have to talk for you to know what they are thinking?
5. Was there irony? Symbolism?

Theme

1. Does the book have a central message?  Do you think there is a universal theme or moral of the story?  What is it?
2. Why do you think the author wrote the book?  What was his/her purpose?

Memorable Quotes and their significance:

1.

2.

3.

March 17/18

AGENDA:

1. "The Hit Man" continued....


HW: List 10 people that "live" in your house - list 10 books that are in your house. Bring the list to class tomorrow.

March 16

AGENDA:

1. More on "The Hit Man" and creating images and subtleties 
Using an unsympathetic character in the way that T. Coraghessan Boyle has written “The Hit Man.” Use a “The Dictator” or “The Senator.” Exaggeration is the key here.

 T. Coraghessan Boyle's short-short "The Hit Man" uses the approach of a scrapbook-type that catalogs a hit man's early years until his death. A very short work can contain a novel. The reader sees this four-page story as a coming-of-age, fictional biography, which tells about the hit man's trouble with teachers as a youngster, his life on the streets, the death of his parents (he "wastes" his father, but his mother dies naturally), first job, moods, first child, retirement, and death. Afterward the reader has experienced a character's life and times in under a half hour. 

March 13

AGENDA:

1. Papers are due today
2. Vocab Quiz
3. Finish movie and discuss
4. Library to return books

March 12

AGENDA:

1. Discuss the conflicts at Welton and Keating's lessons so far
2. Movie


HW: Vocab on Friday; Paper on Friday or Thursday night by midnight

March 11

AGENDA:

1. Movie - Dead's Poet Society

Question?
How did the poetry book make it into Neil's room? Did Keating put it there? And if so, why, after telling the boys that the present administration would not look favorably on it, would Keating do that?


HW: Essay due on Friday or Thursday night by midnight; Vocab on Friday

March 10

AGENDA:

1. Questions or thoughts on essays
2. End of book recap
3. Movie - Dead Poets Society


HW: Vocab on Friday; Essay on Friday or by midnight Thursday via email

March 9

AGENDA:

1. Go over essay again and possible theses'
2. Finish book - discuss


HW: Essay due Friday in class or Thursday night midnight; vocabulary Friday  - all NEW words

March 5

AGENDA:

1. Complete Chapter 12
2. Essay assignment


HW: Essay thesis and outline due Monday - final essay due Friday

March 4

AGENDA:

1. Share with the class your situation in which you could benefit by acting with courage. (Go around the room and share - each student)

2. Interview a classmate about a mistake or lack of judgment-type experience that had a strong influence on him or her. Record the results of your interview, and then have the same classmate interview you. Share with the rest of the class what both of you have learned from the interviews. In discussion, consider why different kinds of events influence people as strongly as they do. What emotional reactions do we have with these mistakes? How did Gene's mistake affect him? 

March 3

AGENDA:

1. "Courage is the feeling the fear and doing it anyway."
2. Group work on why we lie



HW: Respond this evening - 
    How is confidence related to trusting in oneself? How can you feel confident in yourself without proof? How do you build confidence? If you are faced with a situation in which you are tempted to lie: What kind of thoughts might be running through your head? What could you do to help yourself build self-confidence?

AND

Tomorrow - be prepared to share - either a movie, a book, people you know or your own personal experience, and write down how and where someone found the courage in a tough situation. And write 1-2 sentences about a situation in which you could benefit by acting with courage. Be prepared to share in class.

March 2

AGENDA:

1. Discuss Chapter 10
2. Art of WWII
3. Read Chapter 11 in class


HW: Vocab review this week