syllabus for the week of 10/2-6
LAST WEEK: We're finishing our short story unit this week. We've read "The Lie," "The Landlady," "Pure Fiction," and "Born of Man and Woman." While reading these stories, we have reviewed annotation technique. We'll continue that, but add to our practice some brainstorming for a short-story paper that we'll start this week.
Monday
- We'll finish watching the Twilight Zone episode, "It's a Good Life" After, we will compare/contrast the main characters in this tale with that from "Born of Man and Woman." Discussion: How are these main characters similar and dissimilar? What do both stories teach us about evil?
- HW: You should have read "A&P' by class tomorrow.
Tuesday
- What is the narrator's motivation for quitting his grocery store job? Do you think he is right to quit? By the stories end, do you think that he thinks he has made the right choice? We will use the Great Books method today to discuss the story.
- HW: All students should re-read the story, listening to the posted audio while reading. Pay attention for the author's clues about the main character's attitude toward a) where he works; b) the people that shop there; c) the people that work there with him; d) the girls that come into the store.
Wednesday
- We are going to revisit "A&P" and complete a close, careful re-reading and discussion of the story.
- HW: Read "Flowers" by Alice Walker.
Thursday
- Our next story, though short, is intensely emotional. It is historical fiction, and also an example of meta-fiction (or prose-poetry, depending upon who you ask). We will read a non-fiction article that provides some historical context. We will also look at some documentary footage on the history of lynching and Jim Crow segregation in 19th/20th century American south.
- HW: Choose a historical moment and write a short narrative that captures the moments value. While I do not expect you to capture the intense emotional experience of Walker's story, I do expect you to use first person narrative, present tense, and word choice appropriate to the tone and setting of the moment you memorialize.
Friday
- Vocabulary day! We will have our second crossword, this one using language from our short stories.
- HW: Obtain your copy of Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. This will be our first novel.
Syllabus for the week of 9/25-29
LAST WEEK: We've begun our unit on the short story, and began practicing annotation technique with Vonnegut's story, "The Lie." Besides completing an analysis and discussing the story, we reviewed literary terms for fiction.
Monday
- No class because of late start.
- HW: You should have read Roald Dahl's "The Landlady" by class tomorrow.
Tuesday
- Practice using a google spreadsheet for our analysis of the story "The Landlady." Tips: make sure you have the google sheets app downloaded to your ipad. Also, Make sure you have logged into your NT google account, and that you're accessing the email account you've shared with me.
- HW: Read the second story in our packet, "Pure Fiction." While reading, annotate by: a) circling vocabulary, b) writing your questions in the margins, and c) noting any part of the narrative that deals with morality.
Wednesday
- Our second story--and the second on involving death--raises questions about the afterlife and questions about the way technology effects our world view. What point is the author making about these topics, through the story? We will practice Great Books discussion method, and will complete: pre-writing, discussion notes, and post-writing for this discussion.
- HW: Read "Born of Man andWoman." Make sure to circle vocabulary and write questions.
Thursday
- Discussion of "Born of Man and Woman." Like yesterday's discussion, we will have a GB style discussion on the story, and like Tuesday's class, we'll look for clues to meaning that we might otherwise have missed. Our essential question: What is a parent's obligation to his/her child?
- HW: Finish the crossword for homework.
Friday
- Twilight Zone episode, "It's a Good Life," in which another child--who seems outwardly normal--is as monstrous as the one in "Born of Man and Woman."
- HW: Read "A&P" for class on Monday. Remember to annotate!
syllabus for week of 9/18-22
LAST WEEK: Students completed the first writing assignment, a two paragraph analysis of When the Emperor was Divine (one paragraph about the story, one about what it means). We used George Takai's speech about his life experience as a model for that essay (a combination of storytelling and analysis). We completed the academic integrity policy, took pictures for my gradebook, and ended the week with library orientation.
Monday
- In class assessment: Should WEWD be re-assigned as summer reading, and why/why not? Timed writing assessment.
- HW: No homework.
Tuesday
- Introduction to our short story unit. Students will listen to the story "Tank," and take notes on how the author provides textual clues about the story's meaning. During class discussion, we will discuss a) what happens in the story, and b) what meaning does the author want his audience to get from what happens in the story. We discussed the disconnect between American's perception of war, and the reality of war as experienced on the battlefield.
- HW: Print out and read the short story, "The Lie," by Kurt Vonnegut. While reading, annotate by: a) circling vocabulary, b) writing your questions in the margins, and c) noting any part of the narrative that deals with morality.
Wednesday
- Small group practice in annotating. I will review our method of working in groups, how to annotate. Students will then work through a close reading of "The Lie" in small groups.
- HW: Again, no homework for Jewish holiday. If you had not read the Vonnegut story all the way through, you should do so.
Thursday
- Starting with a review of short-story terms as they apply to our story, "The Lie." Finishing our small group annotation of the Vonnegut. Time permitting, we will also spend more time completing the vocabulary from WEWD.
- HW: You should have read our next short story, "The Landlady" (By Roald Dahl of James & the Giant Peach and Charlie & the Chocolate Factory fame) by class on Tuesday.
Friday
- Analysis of "The Lie," due by the end of the period (50 minute class due to early dismissal). No class on Monday.
- HW: You should have finished reading an annotating "The Landlady," by class on Tuesday. As always, circle vocabulary, write questions, and look for this theme: appearances can be deceiving...
Short story unit
This week we will begin a short unit on the short story. We will use these stories as a way of practicing annotations, and that includes: marking vocabulary, writing questions, and identifying our author's thematic clues.
When you read these stories, you should do all three of the aforementioned. We'll begin with a practice story by Kurt Vonnegut, "The Lie," linked to the image below.
The Four Freedoms Flag
Click on the flag to read more about F.D.Roosevelt's "Four Freedoms" speech.
Syllabus for week of 9/11
LAST WEEK: We began by looking at a poem, "Antigonish," and students posted a paragraph of analysis on our class blog. We spent some time studying the language of When the Emperor Was Divine via a crossword.
Monday
- Nuts and bolts day. We will cover the academic integrity policy (cheating rules) as well as the course expectations (what I expect of students, what students can expect of me, the teacher).
- HW: No homework tonight, save making sure you have finished your reading in When the Emperor Was Divine (W.E.W.D.)
Tuesday
- The four freedoms. We will look at a flag that represents these freedoms, as well as read an article about what the freedoms are. We will begin discussing which freedoms (or lack thereof) are important in our novel.
- HW: The four freedoms are: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from fear, and freedom from want. Of the main characters--father, mother, sister, and son--which freedom is the most important and why? Provide evidence for your responses via a diagram. The mind-map note sheet can be 8.5"x11", and one sided. It should be handwritten. Due tomorrow!
Wednesday
- Discussion. What do you think our author says about freedom to us, her audience? We will practice Great Books discussion format. Your notes from last night's homework will be useful for your discussion.
- HW: Revise last night's notes to include the notes from today's discussion. Your additions may add support to your original idea, develop that idea more specifically, or even add an alternative to the idea you develop. Regardless, I want you to ADD the discussion notes to your diagram of freedom notes.
Thursday
- Writing day. What does Julie Otsuka say about freedom to her audience via the novel When the Emperor was Divine? These (longer) paragraph(s) will eventually be posted to our squarespace blog.
- HW: The aforementioned writing assignment is due Monday. Meeting in library tomorrow.
Friday
- In our library for orientation. This is a wonderful library, with great faculty and staff who are skilled at both de-stressing and providing assistance to New Trier students. Take careful note of what Mr. Stu shares with you today, and you will be rewarded.
- HW: Freedom writing assignment due Monday!
Welcome to Sophomore 2-Level
Our main theme for exploration is identity. Who are we? How do we become the person we are? What forces play a role in creating our character?
We're starting our year with the following Hughes Mearns poem:
Antigonish [I met a man who wasn’t there]
Yesterday, upon the stair,
I met a man who wasn’t there
He wasn’t there again today
I wish, I wish he’d go away...
When I came home last night at three
The man was waiting there for me
But when I looked around the hall
I couldn’t see him there at all!
Go away, go away, don’t you come back any more!
Go away, go away, and please don’t slam the door... (slam!)
Last night I saw upon the stair
A little man who wasn’t there
He wasn’t there again today
Oh, how I wish he’d go away...