Welcome to Week 1, Semester Two
I HOPE YOU EXPERIENCED A HAPPY AND HEALTY WINTER BREAK, and that you’re returning refreshed and ready to work on your writing and reading skills. Second semester will be primarily different in content. First semester we focus on short stories and a novel; second semester we will focus on an epic poem (Homer’s Odyssey) and a play (Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet). We will, however, continue to read essays and other non-fiction materials related to these works, and you’ll additionally read a novel of your own choice. But first we must close up our work on Achebe.
MONDAY, January 8
Shortened day—classes are only 20 minutes long.
Reviewing results from the final for semester one. Results from the annotation (pretty good) and the paragraphs (not bad—but we need to work on evidence selection).
Preview of the week—closing our work on Achebe’s TFA by completing a google sheet analysis of Nnoromele’s argument about the novel. We will soon begin reading and annotating Emily Wilson’s translation of Homer’s epic poem, “The Odyssey.” Obtain that! Finally, we will complete a discussion of Dorris Lessing’s short story, “Through the Tunnel.” In fact, we will likely do that BEFORE tackling the Nnoromele analysis.
HW: Locate and make sure you have finished reading and analyzing “The Plight of the Hero in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.” You were to read that and annotate for the good professor’s argument (claims/reasons/evidence).
Tuesday, January 9
Completing the STAR reading re-assessment. Here’s the link. Remember, you user name is your id, and your password is your birthdate—8 digits.
Handing back finals and discussing “Through the Tunnel.” What argument is Lessing making about Jerry? Which quotes BEST illustrate that argument? Students will identify their claim and evidence (What is Jerry’s transformation> Which Q, best illustrates that idea?) and then think about wording (eloquence) and insight (nuance).
Time permitting, students will begin completing the Nnoromele google-sheet analysis.
HW: Spend 30 minutes completing the first two column’s of the aforementioned analysis. What argument is the professor making? Type out the EXACT wording of that claim, and then write it out in your own words.
Thursday, January 11
Starting by working on the ““Nnoromele’s Argument” spreadsheet, completing both the reasons and evidence columns for “The Plight of the Hero” essay.
Planning writing conferences that will run through next week.
Period 1B: Dance Day, sitting stage right, rows F and G.
Period 4B: Dance Day, sitting in the balcony, stage left, rows L-S (to the left of Ms. Schindler’s class—they are along the wall).
HW: Write a >1 page abstract that uses two direct quotes (and two of the following: claim, reason, evidence). Typed, printed on paper. Be mindful to NOT use AI or other resources other than the article itself and the google spreadsheet to write this abstract.