Syllabus for Feb. 19-23

FORGOT TO BRING IN YOUR copy of Great Expectations to my office? You have two more chances to gain points beore it becomes a NTE (50%) grade. If you bring it in on Thursday you will receive 16/20 points, and if you bring it in on Friday you will receive 14/20 points. To date, we have read up through and including chapter eighteen of our novel. 

Monday

  • No school for institute day. 
  • HW: Read chapter eighteen in Great Expectations (GE).

Tuesday

  • Part one of "Victorian House," the second episodea documentary about living in England during Charles Dickens's lifetime. Subsequently, we will finish working on the crossword puzzles from Friday.
  • Hw: Crossword puzzles are due Wednesday. 

Wednesday

  • Collecting both crosswords and illustrations of Mrs. Havisham, and then reading chapter 19 together in class. 
  • HW: Finish reading chapter nineteen for homework. This will end our reading of part one of Dickens's GE! Reflect on your marginal notes: What point is Dickens making about life, through Pip's example? And what is the MOST important idea that Dickens confronts us with?

Thursday

  • Discussion: After reading part one, what is the MOST important think to know about Dickens's novel (not what happens in the book, but what you think about what happens)? We will hold a discussion on this issue. 
  • HW: Read chapter twenty and twenty-one.

Friday

  • Returning to part two of the "Victorian Slum House" documentary. 
  • HW: Reading chapters twenty-two through twenty-four. 
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Syllabus for Feb. 12-16

BRING YOUR COPY OF GREAT EXPECTATIONS into my office this week, Wednesday through Friday, during periods 1, 3, 4, 7, or 8. I want to take a quick look at your annotations and make certain that you are writing thematic questions while you read. Students who do that will earn some points towards their annotation grade (and those who don't, won't). 

Monday

  • Discussion: What is Joe's imact on Pip? We have already discussed that while he surely is somewhat of a father figure, in regards his relationship with Mrs. Joe, he is more peer and ally than authoritarian figure. What does Pip derive from Joe's attention? Why does Joe gain from his inherited nephew beyond another mouth to feed?
  • HW: Read chapter twelve in Great Expectations (GE).

Tuesday

  • Part one of "Victorian House," a documentary about living in England during Charles Dickens's lifetime. This is what we would have watched last Friday, had we not have had a snow day. 
  • Hw: Reading chapters thirteen AND fourteen.  Review your annotations in preparation for tomorrow's discussion.

Wednesday

  • Discussion: How is Pip shaped by guilt? What is it that Pip requires in order to become a whole, healthy person? Or does Pip already have that which he requires to be successful in Victorian England?
  • HW: Reading chapter fifteen.

Thursday

  • Discussion: What is the effect of Estella upon Pip? How does Pip react to her, and how does Estella treat her in kind? How does Dickens portray Satis House and Mrs. Havisham? 
  • HW: Read chapter sixteen.

Friday

  • Crossword Friday. Today we will work through the language up to this point in the book. 
  • HW: Finish the crosswords started in class.  Reading chapters seventeen and eighteen.
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Syllabus for Feb. 5-9

WHEN READING GREAT EXPECTATIONS you should be certain to circle vocabulary, write your thematic based questions, and annotate for the theme of Pip's emerging identity. Remember that your notes in the margins should reflect the reader's dialogue with the narrative and what the author wants the audience to consider. I will collect and grade these. If you are having trouble with this text, please see me in room 330 to discuss. You can likewise use the RWC for help with your reading and annotations. 

Monday

  • Lecture on class selections. We will finish watching the Biography documentary on Dickens' life. How is Dickens actual life reflected in Pip's experience? 
  • HW: Read chapter four in Great Expectations (GE).

Tuesday

  • Looking at Dickens language. What does he do with sentences? How does he structure his narration, and how can students best read Dickens? We will look carefully at a few passages in chapters one through four. We will also go over how to annotate for the theme of bildungsroman. 
  • Hw: Reading chapter five. 

Wednesday

  • Finishing our discussion of chapters four and five. 
  • HW: Reading chapter six and seven.

Thursday

  • Discussing chapters six and seven.
  • HW: Read chapter eight.

Friday

  • Part one of "Victorian House," a documentary about living in England during Charles Dickens's lifetime. 
  • HW: Reading chapters nine through eleven. 
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Syllabus for Jan . 29 - Feb. 2

WELCOME TO SEMESTER TWO: We have finished reading The Other Wes Moore, but I still need to collect and grade your annotations. Our next book will be Charles Dickens novel Great Expectations. You should purchase the Modern Library Edition, isbn 375-75701-5

Monday

  • Returning the finals. Students will spend time re-reading your essays. I will lecture on different issues within the times essay test, including: creating a debatable thesis statement, argumentative body paragraph structure, and inverted body paragraphs. We will also cover various issues relating to style (vague wording, rhetorical transitions and quote integrations) and conventions (use of commas and elipsis, MLA format, formatting of titles).
  • HW: No homework. 

Tuesday

  • What is implicit bias, and how does it shape our understanding of race and economic opportunity? We will start with a working definition and then move into a documentary about Swedish Nobel Laureate Gunnar Myrdal's 1938 study of racial injustice: American Denial.
  • Hw: Obtain your copy of the next novel, Great Expectations. Our bookstore will have it either Thursday or Friday. The cost is $10, plus tax. 

Wednesday

  • Continuing our work on the Myrdal documentary and the idea of implicit bias. 
  • HW: Bring your copy of When the Emperor Was Divine, The Lord of the Flies, The Catcher in the Rye. Review your annotations, looking for passages that illustrate an answer to this question: How do we become the person that we are? Post ONE quote per text in the following spreadsheet. Use google sheets or google drive and check "shared with me" to find the document, entitled, "Thematic Quotes." You can view it here.

Thursday

  • Returning copies of The Other Wes Moore. After adding a quote for Wes Moore and reviewing everyone's passages, we will discuss. What shapes us? How do we become, that which we become?
  • HW: Reading a biography of Charles Dickens.

Friday

  • Watching a documentary on Charles Dickens life. 
  • HW: Reading chapters 1-3 from GE.
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Syllabus for Jan. 8-12

WE'RE SETTING ABOUT sthe independent reading, The Other Wes Moore, a non-fiction memoir. While I will not be teaching the text, we will discuss your reading in class, and annotation is expected. For those who desire it, the following is a link to my version of the book audio: click here. You should have finished your reading of the text by the final. By the way...on the topic of finals. Ours is Monday, January 22nd at noon in the following locations:

finals.jpg

Monday

  • Passing back both your copies of The Catcher in the Rye as well as your first draft of the annotated bibliographies on New York City in general and Central Park in general. Describing what R.I., Alpha, 1BL, Xurl, and other assorted symbols mean. Students will have the remaining time in class to work collaboratively on finishing a revision of the annotated bibliography. 
  • HW: Finish reading part one of The Other Wes Moore.

Tuesday

  • What goes into a citation's annotation? It is not just information on the source. It's your evaluation of: a) the author: other works, education, expertise, rationale for publication; b) the document: why was it produced, who produced it, and what argument does it make?; c) the source's topical connections: what does it say about NYC or Central park, and how does it connect to Salinger's decision about setting? 
  • HW: When reviewing your annotations, know that your audience includes past, current, and future students who either have or will read The Catcher in the Rye. And remember: what you think about the source > the source itself. The typed and stapled bibliographies are due at start of class. We will discuss part one of OWM tomorrow. 

Wednesday

  • Discussion! We will begin in earnest with a Great-Books format reading of the non-fiction text. Can we ever truly know what life is like for another person? How effectively does Wes Moore capture both his life and the life of "the other" Wes? We will start by looking at "jobs" and discussing your life experience, making connections with the protagonists's life experience.
  • Continue reading The Other Wes Moore. Part two should be finished for class on January 15. Part three should be finished for class on January 20.

Thursday

  • Examining similarities and differences between Author-Wes and Other-Wes, emphasis on similarities. How to approach race-based discussions, acknowledging multiple, seemingly contradictory truths and the importance of using I-based statements. 
  • HW: Continue reading The Other Wes Moore.

Friday

  • Looking further into both Weses' stories, looking for similarities. What are the fundamental and foundational experiences that make these two boys the young men that they become?
  • HW:  Finish reading part two (chapters four through six) for Monday.
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Syllabus for Dec. 18-22

WHY DOES SALINGER set much of The Catcher in the Rye in New York City in general, and Central Park in specific? After reading a few more poems about New York City, we will head to the library to complete a short research unit about Central Park, its development, history, purpose, and how that might pertain to it becoming a pivotal setting in Salinger's novel. 

Monday

  • Returning to the New York City poems that we began discussing last Friday. How is the speaker's emotional state reflected in the setting of the poem? In other words, how is what the speaker feels connected to place, or where the poem happens (sometimes, poets call this, "the occasion for the poem," or what instigates the poem itself).
  • HW: Read the introduction to The Other Wes Moore.

Tuesday

  • In the Library to work on "Holden in Central Park" assignment.
  • HW: Read today's handout, "Thinking in Print," from Williams, Booth and Colomb's The Craft of Research. What is the purpose of writing while researching?

Wednesday

  • Again in the library. Today I will provide a sample annotated bibliography entry. Note how the annotation is a paragraph that describes: the author's credibility and intellectual background, the audience and purpose of the publication, as well as a partial summary of the source itself. 
  • Continue reading The Other Wes Moore.

Thursday

  • Returning to the library today. It may be a good day to return to, "Manhattan, Floating World" by Phillip Lopate. Mrs. Brennan located that essay for us, a writer reflecting on New York City and why it matters to him. He lists some literary sources that connect to New York City and Central Park. Spend some time today looking for your literary source, a poem, short story, creative essay or even a chapter in a novel that is about New York City or Central Park and in some way connects to Holden's experience in The Catcher in the Rye. 
  • HW: Continue reading The Other Wes Moore.

Friday

  • Last Library day to work on project. 
  • HW: No homework over break. Enjoy your break. 
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Syllabus for Dec. 11 - 15

AFTER FINISHING with Holden in The Catcher in the Rye, we will be reading The Other Wes Moore, written by...wait for it...Wes Moore. You can pick up a copy in the bookstore or elsewhere. It is a memoir, a non-fiction, creative narrative that is autobiographical, focusing upon one part or one aspect of the author's life. Like Holden, this memoir (as it is rightly called) is an exploration of identity. We will continue with Catcher, however, this and next week.  

Monday

  • Collecting journals. Today we will write reflections on the journals, and return to our google sheet to answer one more question on the novel.  A brief introduction to The Other Wes Moore.
  • HW: Revisit your annotations, which are due Wednesday. Remember, your marginal notes should reflect the readers dialogue with the text, should reflect your thinking, relative to the novel's themes and meaning. In other words, what does the author want you to realize because of the story (not about the story)? Finish your google sheet response. 

Tuesday

  • Now that we have finished The Catcher in the Rye, we will spend several days looking deeply into supplemental literature that is either directly connected to the novel (mentioned by Holden) or thematically connected to the novel (about the themes or setting of the novel). We will start by returning to Oliver's film version of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Apart from Polonius' advice to Laertes, what do both Polonius and Laertes say to Ophelia about young love, and the fickle affection shown by boys like Hamlet and Stradlater? 
  • HW: Annotations due tomorrow. 

Wednesday

  • Introduction to our research unit on NYC in general, and Central Park in specific. Next week we will be in the library researching the following question: "Why did Salinger set the majority of Holden's experiences in New York City?" Today, we will read, "Manhattan, Floating World" by Phillip Lopate. As you read, circle vocabulary, mark 3-5 particularly well crafted sentences, and annotate for this question: "What effect does Manhattan have upon the narrator?'
  • HW: Finish re/reading the above essay. 

Thursday

  • In class discussion of the essay. What does the essay say about Manhattan?
  • HW: Read and annotate the first four poems in the packet handed out today in class. 

Friday

  • In class discussion on poems. What does the poem say about New York City? How does the setting of the poem effect the speaker in the poem? And how is that related to what the poem means, what you notice in the poem?
  • HW: Finish reading the poems in the packet for Monday. Remember, we will be in the library Tuesday through Friday of next week for research. The collected evidence of your work will be an annotated bibliography of sources your discover--more on that next week.
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Syllabus for Dec. 4 - 8

AFTER FINISHING with Holden in The Catcher in the Rye, we will be reading The Other Wes Moore, written by...wait for it...Wes Moore. You can pick up a copy in the bookstore or elsewhere. It is a memoir, a non-fiction, creative narrative that is autobiographical, focusing upon one part or one aspect of the author's life. Like Holden, this memoir (as it is rightly called) is an exploration of identity. We will continue with Catcher, however, this and next week.  

Monday

  • Finishing our discussion of Holden's drunkenness and his return home in chapters 20 and 21. What does Holden think about Phoebe's reaction to his expulsion from Pencey? How does he feel? We will begin listening to chapter 22, the revelation about James Castle's suicide.  
  • HW: Re-read chapter 22. 

Tuesday

  • What does the revelation about the suicide/murder at Elkton Hills teach us about Holden's world view? Does is add to our understanding of why he's critical of society? Indifferent about his academic performance? Pondering his own mortality? Questioning the morality of his peers? We will re-listen to the performance by Jermaine Ramsey. We will then move on to chapter 23, wherein we meet Mr. Antolini, who covered James Castle with his coat after the fatal fall. 
  • HW: Continue working on your last journal. 

Wednesday

  • Listening to chapters 24-26, finishing the novel. 
  • HW: Finish your last journal entry. The entire journal will be due on Monday. 

Thursday

  • Discussion of subject/predicate and revision of sentences from "The Silence" essays for active language. 
  • HW: Identify and revise three posted sentences, written by three different peers. So in total, you should revise NINE sentences. Please re-write sentences written by peers in your own class. 

Friday

  • Handing back revised sentences. After distributing these, we will work on revising your OWN sentences. 
  • HW: Journals will be due on Monday...annotations on Wednesday. 
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Syllabus for Nov. 27 - Dec. 1

LAST WEEK we broke for Thanksgiving celebration, and I am indeed thankful for the break. We all needed one. To date we have read up through and including chapter 19 of The Catcher in the Rye. We've also read the short story, "The Silence" for a course-wide writing assessment that we will conduct this week. 

Monda

  • Discussing the short story, 'The Silence" by Haruki Murakami. We will start with the question, "What is the cause of 'the silence' in the story?" We will close with, "What is the lesson of 'the silence' in the story?" I will NOT collect notes or annotations on this story until AFTER students write the essay in class on Wednesday.
  • HW: Review and complete any journal entries not finished, up through chapter 19 in CITR.

Tuesday

  • Discussing chapters 17, 18 and 19 in CITR. What is Holden's world view? What does he say about a life well lived, about war, about love? We will use a google sheet to share observations about these chapters prior to a brief discussion of the chapters. 
  • HW: Review your annotations and notes on the story, "The Silence" for the in-class essay tomorrow. Read chapter twenty and work on CITR journal. 

Wednesday

  • In class essay on the story, "The Silence."
  • HW: Review the definition of subjects and predicates using the following handout. No need to print this out; merely read through it online. 

Thursday

  • Meeting in Lab 377-N (across catwalk, on other side of Atrium) to type the in-class essays. 
  • HW: Read chapter twenty-one and work on your journal. 

Friday

  • Discussion of chapters 20 and 21.
  • HW: Journals will be due one week from this coming Monday, Dec. 11. 
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Syllabus for Nov. 13-22

LAST WEEK: We have read through chapter 11 of Catcher in the Rye. We also spent a little more time examining American 1950s culture, and watched a documentary about "fitting in" with the social expectations of that time period. This and next week are shortened weeks for parent-teacher conferences and Thanksgiving break. Once you've turned in your revision to Lord of the Flies, we'll return to Catcher.

    Monday

    • Returning the LOTF papers. I will lecture the entire period, looking at student papers and examining the organizational, rhetorical language, and inflated phrasing problems within student papers. 

    • HW: Begin revising. A revision of the paper is due Monday, one week from today. 

    Tuesday

    • Adding to yesterday's notes. I will finish lecturing on the student essays. We will begin reading a selection from "Chapter 6: Effective Sentences" in small groups. 

    • HW: Reading two short chapters, 8: "Memento from Rama" and  9: "Ravana in Council"

    Wednesday

    • Small group discussion of the "Effective Sentences" handout for the first half of class. For the second half, we will return to Holden and listen to chapter 12 in CITR.

    • HW:  Read chapters 13 through and including 15 over the long weekend. 

    Thursday & Friday: No class for parent-teacher conferences

    Monday

    • Collecting revisions of LOTF essays. Remember to staple your NEW draft on TOP of the old draft (that is, the one with my comments; I need to add to your writing conference notes--and yes, that is worth points). Large group discussion of chapters 13-15.
    • HW:  Read chapters 16 and 17.

    Tuesday

    • "Shy Guy" featuring Dick York of Bewitched fame. Does Holden suffer from general insecurity? Or, like the frozen-fish in Central Park, is he caught in stasis? Watching the short instructional film and connecting it to Holden: What do we see in him?
    • HW: Read chapters 18 and 19

    Wednesday

    • Discussion of chapters 18 & 19, great books format. 
    • HW: Get caught up with your journal entries. Have a good Thanksgiving!

    Thursday & Friday: No class for Thanksgiving

     

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    Syllabus for Nov. 6-10

    LAST WEEK: Having met Holden, we will start the week finding out more about the America Holden lived in. Remember, as you read, make certain to circle words, write questions (whatever they may be), and annotate for this question: Who is Holden?

    Monday

    • Meeting in the library to gather information about the 1940s and 1950s via the New Trier yearbook, The Echo, and from Life magazine. What was life like as a teenager during the late 1940s, early 1950s in America? Writing down verbal evidence and taking pictures of visual evidence.

    • HW: Read chapters 5 by class on Wednesday.

    Tuesday

    • Continuing our research in the library. Today, narrow your focus to say more about less (SMAL...one of our precepts of good writing). Choose one of the four categories and spend today looking for evidence related to it.

    • Hw: Work on your journal tonight.

    Wednesday

    • Reviewing questions from chapter one, and discussing chapter one. Begin listening to chapter two.

    • HW: Work on your journal.

    Thursday

    • Q&A on The Catcher in the Rye. The remaining time in class will be spent on reading and writing.

    • HW: Read chapter nine tonight.

    Friday

    • Today we will look closely at Holden and women. Reading between the lines, what happens between Holden and the three Seattle women? What is Holden's past with Jane?

    • HW: If your class didn't get to it, finish reading chapter 11. Finally, everyone should watch the short 1957 "Social Responsibility" film located here:

    Social Acceptability - How to be social acceptable by learning social skills 1950s - Teens learn to get along.

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    Syllabus for Oct. 30 - Nov. 3

    LAST WEEK: We finished writing our essay on LOTF. This week we will start Salinger's Catcher in the Rye. As you read, make certain to circle words, write questions (whatever they may be), and annotate for this question: Who is Holden?

    Monday

    • Before turning in papers, students will complete an in-depth reflection. Please staple the reflection on top of the essay. 
    • HW: Obtain your copy of The Catcher in the Rye. 

    Tuesday

    • First page assignment and review of biographic information on Salinger.  Start our reading of chapter one. 
    • Hw: Read chapter one of CITR tonight. Annotate by circling words, writing questions, and answering the question, "Who is Holden?"

    Wednesday

    • Reviewing questions from chapter one, and discussing chapter one. Begin listening to chapter two. 
    • HW: Finish reading chapter two. 

    Thursday

    • Reviewing questions from chapter two, and discussing Holden's relationship with Mr. Spencer.  Listening to most of chapter three.
    • HW: Finish journal assignment for chapters one and two.  Finish reading chapter three. 

    Friday

    • Analyzing a Dick & Jane image, using the see, wonder, ask technique. We will then turn to a documentary on 1950s culture. 
    • HW: Read chapter four and write your chapter three and four journal assignment. On Monday and Tuesday of next week, we are meeting in the Library for a short research assignment on culture during the 1950s. 
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    Structure notes on LOTF essays...

    Introduction:
    Claim & preview of reasons.

    Body paragraph(s):
    Reason sentence;
    Context (plot summary set up) sentence;
    Direct quote;
    Commentary (explains connection between quote-reason; provides other examples IYOW; explores complexity of idea

    Conclusion:
    Reviews your MOST important idea;
    Addresses the larger, “So what?’ of the topic—this is sometimes called the “big picture”;
    Suggests ideas for future writers (what questions remain unanswered)

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    Syllabus for Oct. 23-28

    LAST WEEK: We've spent a week examining three poems that present nature in three different lights, and examining them in the context of the novel LOTF. We've also begun gathering quotes relating to the theme of evil from the novel, via a google-spreadsheet. Finally, I did collect, grade, and returned your annotations of the novel. 

    Monday

    • Reading an article from the Irish Times, "The challenge of confronting evil," from this past June. How do we define evil? We will then finish the documentary we started on Friday. 
    • HW: Re-read the claims posted on our google sheet, and revise your claim if needed. Tomorrow, students will read these aloud, and we'll talk these through. 

    Tuesday

    • Reviewing the claims, reading these aloud, and discussing some of the potential pitfalls of either a vague claim (one that doesn't get to the "So what?") or an overly specific (provides evidence instead of taking a debatable stance on the topic of evil). We will then embark upon writing supporting reasons. Short lecture on the difference between reasons and evidence. I will also overview body paragraph structure. 
    • Hw: Writing reasons in support of your claim. Have these posted by class on Wednesday. 

    Wednesday

    • Meeting in Lab 377-N (across catwalk, on other side of Atrium) to draft papers. 
    • HW: Work on first draft of essay. 

    Thursday

    • Meeting in Lab 377-N (across catwalk, on other side of Atrium) to draft papers. 
    • HW: Work on first draft of essay. 

    Friday

    • Why isn't the idyll life on a deserted isle possible? We will watch a Twilight Zone episode, "Time Enough to Last," that answers this question. 
    • HW: First draft of LOTF essay is due Monday.
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    Syllabus for Oct. 16-20

    LAST WEEK: We finished reading Lord of the Flies, our first novel. We've been discussing in class, practicing the Great Books method of note taking, and we've also used a few google sheets to bring our notes together and share our thinking. Finally, we watched several scenes from the film Cast Away, a modern film example of the stranded-on-a-deserted island motif.  

    Monday

    • Starting with an Anne Sexton poem, "The Evil Seekers." Then gathering our notes on the topic of evil. Does evil exist in the hearts of the boys? Are the boys born evil? Taught to be evil? Forced to act in evil ways? Students will submit four quotes: two on evil, one on violence, and one on friendship. 
    • HW: Write a short paragraph that explains what Anne Sexton thinks about the nature of evil. Quote the poem directly. You should write your answer either on the front of or the back of the poem. 

    Tuesday

    • After discussing the Sexton poem, we will look at "Wilderness" by Carl Sandburg. I will also return all the graded annotations for LOTF, and describe that grade/process. Finally, we will watch a few more minutes of the STOP: Survival on a Deserted Island documentary. 
    • Hw: Write a paragraph that explains what Sandburg wants us to know about human nature.

    Wednesday

    • Discussing "Wilderness" and finishing the documentary. We will also begin discussing "Man, Frightening Animal" by Oscar Williams. 
    • HW: DRAW what you see in the poem, on the back of the poem. Use any medium; do not use any words. 

    Thursday

    • Reviewing drawings, selecting one (apart from your own) and describing it; comparing that description back to the poem to better understand what the poem means. Then, writing a claim for our upcoming paper on LOTF and evil.
    • HW: Write a claim relating to evil and the novel, posting it onto our google document. 

    Friday

    • Beginning a short documentary, "Discovery School Great Books: Lord of the Flies."
    • HW: No homework.
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