Syllabus starting November 18

WHAT IS THE NATURE OF GOOD AND EVIL? Our next novel, Lord of the Flies, explores this theme by placing a group of school-aged boys onto a tropical isle, free from all adults, without any plans for survival or tools for escape. How will these English, post WWII boys fare as they attempt to escape at first, and then survive at second, from the idyllic tropic island?

Monday

• Examining the first part of chapter one. How does Golding present nature (the island, the trees, the creepers, the jungle, the ocean)? How does Golding present civilization (the boys, their leadership, their activity, their plans for rescue/survival)? Practice keeping notes on these themes in your copy of the book.

• HW: Reading the rest of chapter one for homework.

Tuesday

• In class listening to chapter two. How do the boys plan to obtain rescue? How does their plan fail? For what is the fire a metaphor?

• HW: Read the rest of chapter two for homework tonight.

Wednesday

• Small group analysis of chapter two. Working in small groups to analyze the chapter.

• HW: Finish this worksheet for class on Monday.

Thursday

• No classes for parent/teacher conferences.

• HW: Read the first 15 pages from chapter one, LOTF.

Friday

• No classes for professional development day.

• HW: Finish the worksheet on chapter two.

Audio for lord of the flies

Click on the image above to access audio of William Golding reading the text.

Syllabus starting November 11

WHY DOES SALINGER CHOOSE CENTRAL PARK for the primary setting of the novel? Why is Central Park so important to Holden? As we gear up to begin our study of The Lord of the Flies, we will start the week in the library, working on a research project on the iconic park.

Monday

• Small group pair and share of research results. Students will ensure the writer has covered the four areas in the paragraph ( a) the author’s background and expertise; b) background on the publisher; c) other sources mentioned; d) content of the source. Specifically, they should write questions on the AB, of each source, as applicable.

• HW: Begin revising your annotated bibliography. A new draft is due Monday.

Tuesday

• In class writing Posting paragraphs about your research results. What’s important to know about Central Park? Sharing your findings via squarespace.

• HW: Read the entries posted by students in both 5th and 6th period.

Wednesday

• Collecting CITR. Discussion of why Salinger uses Central Park as the central setting for Holden’s experiences in New York. Subsequently reading a Jstor article, literary analysis of the novel, comparing it to Elliot’s “The Wasteland,” examining the importance of landscape in the novel.

• HW: Continue to revise your AB. If you didn’t finish reading the essay in class, please finish reading it tonight.

Thursday

• Watching to clips from Olmsted documentaries. How is the history of the park tied to how Salinger uses the park in his novel? How is Central Park a refuge for Holden? We’re taking notes, and I’m collecting notes.

• HW: Pick up your copy of Lord of the Flies, with introduction by Steven King.

Friday

• Does evil exist? If so, can evil control and overpower good? Prereading for Lord of the Flies, and discussion about the nature of good versus evil.

• HW: Read the first chapter of LOTF.

The Olmsted Legacy: America's Urban Parks

Part 1 of a documentary celebrating the legacy of Fredrick Law Olmsted - designer of Central Park in New York City and many other great urban parks and developments across the United States. Co-written and Directed by George deGolian.

Central Park: Summary of Findings

ANDREW BERTULEIT/ISTOCK VIA GETTY IMAGES

What have you discovered about Central Park? Write a summary of your key findings and post your paragraph(s) here, as a comment to this post. How was the park developed? What purpose was it intended to serve? How did New Yorkers come to use the park? What does it mean to the citizens of New York? How is Central Park a symbol for the city, and what does that symbol mean?

Once posted, your homework will be to read all the posts made here after 1:30 pm on Tuesday, for class on Wednesday.

Syllabus starting November 4

WHY DOES SALINGER CHOOSE CENTRAL PARK for the primary setting of the novel? Why is Central Park so important to Holden? As we gear up to begin our study of The Lord of the Flies, we will start the week in the library, working on a research project on the iconic park.

Monday

• In the library, setting up noodle bib projects for your Central Park research. Mrs. Straube will be providing an overview of the resources she’s put together for our work, as well as covering some key research concepts for the project.

• HW: Spend 15-20 minutes getting the 10,000 foot view of Central Park: What is it? What’s the basic history of the park? What is the park an important, historic place in NYC? Also, complete the journal reflection assignment with complete sentences.

Tuesday

• Second day. Today we will take a deeper dive into research, looking at key terms/phrases, talking about a variety of sources, and beginning to take notes on Central Park and your resources. I will also pass out grade reports.

• HW: You should have at least two sources entered onto your Noodle bib project, with the “annotation” paragraph that examines the author’s expertise, the publisher’s background, sources mentioned, and an overview of information.

Wednesday

• Final day in library. Today you will want to make sure you have a variety of sources. Include literary sources (short story, poem, screenplay), reference material (encyclopedia), print media (magazine, newspaper), video/audio (documentary film, interview), and web based (blog, non-for-profit web site, etc), or other unique type of source.

• HW: Complete a third source on your AB.

Thursday

• Back in classroom, returning to the Salinger documentary.

• HW: Continue work on your CP annotation project, due Monday.

Friday

• Finishing the documentary Salinger

• HW: Finish work on the Central Park annotated bibliography assignment. It should be both shared and typed.

Syllabus starting October 28

WHAT IS THE MORAL CENTER OF HOLDEN’S WORLD? What does Salinger what you—his reader—to realize about life in America? Salinger was notoriously protective of his creation, Holden Caufield. Whenever Hollywood approached him with a film proposal, or even when fans asked him questions about what the novel means, he insisted that the novel speaks for itself, and nobody could interpret it beyond what the novel contains. Of course, Salinger then becomes famous for his silence, thus making him—ironically, possibly purposefully—more famous. Based upon what we have, what is the novel’s lesson?

Monday

• Examining the somewhat infamous Mr. Antolini chapter, using the johari window as a tool. What does Holden know about himself that he refuses to reveal? What does Mr. Antolini know about Holden, revealed in his attempted advice? What larger truth do we, the audience, understand about Holden?

• HW: Our next book is The Lord of the Flies. Read the first three poems in the packet.

Tuesday

• Close textual reading of two poems, “Mothers Day” and “Gamin.” We will also look into chapter 25: Notice that Holden worries that he might have misinterpreted Mr. Antolini’s actions, but he also worries about his complexion, and that he has cancer.

• HW: Read the next three poems: “Union Square,” “On Broadway,” and “Observation.” While reading, annotate for this question: What do you notice?

Wednesday

• Finishing chapter 25, and then looking at two more of the three poems read from our NYC packet. We will continue practicing our annotation and analysis technique with poetry: What do you notice? And what does the poem mean?

• HW: Read the next three poems: “Juke Box Love Song,” “Refugee Blues,” and “Song of the Moon.”

Thursday

• Poetry analysis in the same vein of yesterday’s work.

• HW: Finish reading the poems in the packet for Friday.

Friday

• We will be in the library on Monday through Wednesday of next week. Today we will continue the Salinger documentary from last week.

• HW: Research project is going to be due Wedensday. This weekend, locate your five sources, and write annotations for two of them (after reading them, of course).

Syllabus starting October 21

“IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH…” is a reoccurring statement for Holden. He sees himself as a truth-teller, someone who can cut through the social niceties and superficial mores of American culture. This is part of the reason he finds it so difficult to conform the social norms: he sees them as base, valueless, and phony. So where is Holden’s moral center? If he cannot turn to our cultural institutions, to teachers, to adults for guidance, where can he turn? He considers turning to God, talks to Ackley about becoming a monk and thinks of the nuns when he’s reminded of James Castle’s murder. But even these fall short. What, then, does Holden have faith in? What, above all else, does Holden value?

Monday

• Taking a closer look at Phoebe and Holden’s relationship. She is the first character that knows Holden well. What do we realize about Holden via this conversation? Why does Holden love about his sister, and what does that reveal about Holden?

• HW: Finish working on your reader’s journals: due Wednesday..

Tuesday

• Close textual reading of chapter 22: What impact does James Castle’s death have on Holden? We will study his responses to those around him, and how his responses to Phoebe—and the way she reacts to him—reveals a truth about Holden. Finally, we will examine the origins of the novel’s title.

• HW: Finish your drawing of Holden’s dream job, uploading it to the shared google folder and renaming the file with your period and last name.

Wednesday

• Collecting journals. We will then discuss what this dream job reveals about Holden. Reviewing chapter 23: Why does Holden cry?

• HW: Re-read chapter 24. What should the reader make of Mr. Antolini’s actions? Why does Salinger include this passage, having Holden leave his parents’ apartment?

Thursday

• Writing a short, narrative in class. Write a short (400‐500 words) personal narrative essay. Like Holden’s memory of the Museum of Natural History, write an essay that describes a place from your childhood. This essay should include sensory details that helps the reader experience being in the place with you, at that time. Some guidelines for this first draft:

  • Be precise. Include specific, carefully chosen detail. Instead of “chair,” write “overstuffed loveseat with enormous green cushions”)

  • Say more about less. Rather than listing every possible detail, choose details that align with the tone you want to set, and write more about those fewer details.

  • Include an implicit claim. In narrative, readers like to draw their own conclusions. Instead of writing, “I loved this place because it reminded me of my Na‐Na, my grandma who was more of a mother to me than my actual mother,” describe the place with details that help the readers draw their own conclusions.

• HW: First draft due Monday.

Friday

• No class because of early dismissal day.

• HW: Finish your essay for class on Monday.

Syllabus starting October 14

HOLDEN IS THE INADVERTENT SPOKESPERSON for Salinger’s world view. But Holden doesn’t speak directly about what he values, nor does he articulate clearly a philosophy. However, as careful readers we can puzzle through Holden’s lingo and rambling, informal style to tease out what Salinger says through him. This week we will continue to read through The Catcher in the Rye, as Holden wanders through Central Park, the natural jewel of Manhattan, New York.

Monday

• What advice does Shakespeare provide teenagers via Laertes and Polonius in Act I Scene III of Hamlet? Furthermore, what does this advice mean to sons, versus daughters? Further still, what does Holden make of this advice, and what do you make of Holden’s potential reaction to said advice? We’re studying I.iii in greater depth today.

• HW: If incomplete, finish answering the aformentioned advice in regard teenagers. You should also read chapter 17 in CITR.

Tuesday

• We will examine the museum scenes from chapter seventeen. Why does Holden so love the Museum of Natural History? We will continue with some close textual analysis, examining the three-page long paragraph in which Holden describes going on a field trip when younger.

• HW: Read chapter 18 in CITR.

Wednesday

• Beginning to write a two-page memoir narrative about a place you visited as a child. You are to describe the place in such a way as to communicate the importance of the experience WITHOUT openly stating why the experience matters. Due Monday, October 21. We will also look at The Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall.

• HW: Catch up on your CITR journals.

Thursday

• Reading the essay “Manhattan, Floating World” in class together. How is the narrators experience in New York City different from Holdens?

• HW: Reading chapter 19 in CITR.

Friday

• Listening to chapters 20 onward in class.

• HW: Finish reading the novel this weekend.

Syllabus starting September 30

WHAT IS WRONG WITH HOLDEN Caufield? We will continue with our analysis of who he is, the contradictions embodied by Holden. For example, he is highly critical of entertainment and popular culture in general, yet he spends time talking about movies, theater, going out to see music, to dance, and to met with friends socially. Holden claims to be noble and honorable in his relationships with women, but calls them out of the blue to ask them out, even invites a prostitute to his hotel room. He despises people who behave hypocritically, yet he himself says one thing, yet thinks the exact opposite, and rarely do his actions align with his beliefs. What do we make of Holden?

Monday

• No class for Rosh Hashanah.

• HW: Revision of the values essay is due on Tuesday.

Tuesday

• In computer lab 377-N for work on the values essay revision.

• HW: Essay is due tomorrow.

Wednesday

• Collecting the revisions of the values essays, the new draft stapled on top of the old one. We will then turn our attention to chapters 11 and 12, reading them aloud together in class, comparing annotation notes, and beginning to work on study guide questions about these two chapters.

• HW: Work on the journal assignments related to chapters 11 and 12.

Thursday

• Starting class by finishing the 1950s paragraphs about life as a teenager, completing the paragraphs posted on our shared google-sheet. We will then turn our attention to chapters 13 and 14, finishing the worksheet we started yesterday.

• HW: Make sure you have finished both the chapters 1-2 and chapters 3-4 journals for class on Friday. Working on the journal assignment on chapters 13 and 14.

Friday

• Watching the first part of a documentary on Salinger, a biography on his life and his writing. I have emailed the link to you at your NT email account. One student in class will need to mirror his/her/their ipad to the projector for the class.

• HW: Reading chapters 15 and 16 for homework over the weekend.

Audio for Catcher in the Rye

This poster is available for purchase at Red Bubble via this link.

A professional, commercially available recording of Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye does not exist. In his lifetime, Salinger (and now, by extension, his estate) was vehemently protective of his artistic vision, refusing other artists to reproduce or otherwise interpret his work.

Nonetheless, fans have produced various versions of the novel. The poster below leads to an mp3 reading of the novel that was posted to youtube, which I have divided into chapters for ease of access. While not an approved reading of the book, is is a fair reading of the text with only few errors, and for those who require an audio copy of our text, is a valuable resource that can supplement your annotation of the physical book.

Syllabus starting September 23

WHAT IS WRONG WITH HOLDEN Caufield? This week we will narrow our study of CITR and spend time discussing Holden in more detail. I will also return the values essay, reviewing some specific stylistic issues. In class, you will begin writing a report for your research on American teens during the 1940s.

Monday

• In class discussion: What is wrong with Holden? Salinger leaves us lots of clues. What do we make of his behavior? His relationship with Ackley? With Stradlater? With Jane? What makes Holden

• HW: Read chapter seven in CITR. Why is Holden flirting with a peers mother on the train to NYC?

Tuesday

• Brief check in on Holden Caufield and his expensive luggage. Subsequently, we will get into the research groups we used last week in the library. Reporting out on your team research. What did your group discover about being a teenager in 1940s-50s America? You will begin writing paragraphs on: how success is defined, what family life is like, the pressure to conform, and expectations for teenaged Americans.

• HW: Read chapter eight and work on your writing journals for the novel.

Wednesday

• Returning your values essay and providing grade reports. We will cover some of the stylistic concerns I see in this batch of essays.

• HW: Revise your essay for a writing portfolio with we’ll keep track of in class. Aim to have this done for class on Friday. Read chapter nine.

Thursday

• Discussion: What does Holden make of New York City? Who and what does he encounter there? In many ways, the city is another character in the novel. What would Holden say about the city, if it were a person?

• HW: Make sure you have finished both the chapters 1-2 and chapters 3-4 journals for class on Friday. Read chapter ten.

Friday

• Holden Caufield slang and lingo crossword.

• HW: No homework for Rosh Hashanah holiday. If you are behind in CITR, catch up.

Syllabus starting September 16

WHAT WAS LIFE LIKE FOR AMERICAN TEENS in the late 1940s and 1950s? Besides starting Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, students will begin keeping a reader’s journal in response to the novel. We will also spend four days in the Library practicing research skills. We will return to our revision of the “values” essay once done in the Library; we will likewise begin discussing CITR once done with the 1950s library project.

Monday

• Discussing Holden. What do you notice about Holden? He claims to be private and non-judgmental, but he clearly takes positions and talks extensively about what he believes and values. What does Holden reveal about himself? Can we take him at his word…why and why not? We will also begin watching the following 1953 Education film, “ The Age of Turmoil.”

• HW: Read chapter three in CITR.

Tuesday

• Meeting in Library room J for an orientation to the Winnetka Library. We will close today by having students find a book on America in the 1950s and sharing it on a book cart.

• HW: Begin writing a response to the chapters 3-4 journal question (I know you haven’t read chapter four yet…that’s o.k..).

Wednesday

• Review of academic integrity policy. What the school’s expectations relative to completing your school work fairly and honestly? After reviewing, students will sign off, confirming we discussed the issue. I’ll also collect your character/symbol assignment. I will likely have students share NT email addresses as well.

• HW: Read chapter four in CITR.

Thursday

• Introduction to the American Teenager in 1950s project. We will begin by having groups report out the author and title, abstract, and link. We will then talk about using visual evidence in a research report, watching a scene from, “A Date With Your Family” (1950)

• HW: Make sure you have finished both the chapters 1-2 and chapters 3-4 journals for class on Friday.

Friday

• Last day in the library. By the end of class, students should have gathered sufficient evidence to write a paragraph on each of the four sub-categories about teenagers in America: conformity, family life, success, and teens in specific. Next week, you will work in class to write a report, posting it online via a google sheet.

• HW: Read chapters five and six of CITR. For these chapters, pay careful attention to where Holden goes, what he does while there, whom he talks to, and what he says about them when they’re gone. As with the previous ones, keep track of what we learn about Holden?

Copy of Catcher in the Rye, Ch. 1-3

If you haven’t obtained your copy of Salinger’s novel yet, you can access a copy by clicking through this link. Remember that when you annotate, you should mark the following: 1) vocabulary; 2) your questions (theme, not plot, is your target); 3) the topics mentioned in the journal assignment.

Syllabus starting September 9

WE WILL FINISH WHEN THE EMPEROR was Divine with a literary analysis of a character and a symbol from the novel. In class on Thursday, we will begin reading J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye. Please pick up one of the larger editions (it should match WEWD in size) for ease of annotations. You will be writing in the book as you read, and I will grade these notes.

Monday

• Finishing “Unfinished Business,” a 1986 film nominated for an Academy Award in best documentary. Keep notes on these three individuals and how they express their core belief(s) relative to their experience in the 1940s American concentration camps. What lesson(s) should we learn via the Japanese-American internment camps? (And by extension, about America via the novel, When the Emperor was Divine)?

• HW: What symbols do you associate with your character, and what do these symbols mean? In the novel? To you, the reader?

Tuesday

• Symbol analysis: What are the important symbols in the novel? What does each mean in terms of the plot? What does each mean thematically? In small groups, students will create a study sheet to help us better understand what Otsuka intends these symbols to mean. I will end class by reviewing literary-analysis body paragraph structure.

• HW: What does Otsuka want the reader to realize about life in America, because of your character and chosen symbol? Write a one page response to this question that begins with the author’s name, the title of the novel, your character’s name, a description of the symbol, and what the reader should realize. You should use at least one direct quote from the novel. First draft is due tomorrow (typed, double spaced, 12 pt. font).

Wednesday

• Review of academic integrity policy. What the school’s expectations relative to completing your school work fairly and honestly? After reviewing, students will sign off, confirming we discussed the issue. I’ll also collect your character/symbol assignment. I will likely have students share NT email addresses as well.

• HW: Spend 15 minutes researching post-WWII America. What was life like in America in the late 1940s and the 1950s? Come to class prepared to share what you’ve learned.

Thursday

• Introduction to Catcher in the Rye.

• HW: If not completed in class, read and annotate chapter one and two in the novel.

Friday (or Monday b/c of early dismissal)

• Returning the in-class essays about your core value (the four freedoms flag) from last Wednesday, and lecturing on developing claim, argument body paragraph structure, and some shared stylistic concerns.

• HW: Typed revisions to this essay are due on Wednesday of next week. Start by typing your essay verbatim. Then make changes as appropriate. Do NOT merely re-write the essay from scratch.

"unfinished business" 1986 documentary

By selecting the image above, you can watch the last 15 minutes of the documentary. Notes are due Tuesday, 9/10.

Syllabus starting September 3

BESIDES TAKING THE COMMON essay assessment on the novel When the Emperor Was Divine, we will begin some analysis of both characters and symbols within the novel. Once done with the summer reading, we will begin reading J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye. Students should pick up their copy of the text as we will start it next week.

Monday

• No school for Labor Day.

• HW: No homework.

Tuesday

• Collecting your freedom essay. We will also create a seating chart. Today we will examine FDR's four freedoms more closely in the context of the novel. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from fear, and freedom from want: of the main characters--father, mother, sister, and son--which is most important to each, and why? Provide evidence for your responses via a diagram.

• HW: The mind-map note sheet can be 8.5"x11", and one sided. It should be handwritten and is due tomorrow.

Wednesday

• In class writing assessment. This will be taken by all sophomores in 3-level English courses today, and will take the entire period. It will be assessed not for a typical letter grade, but to provide a baseline for growth as a writer.

• HW: Listening to one 1/2-hour podcast interview with our author, as well as four shorter-recordings of the author discussing the characters. Go to this NEA Big Read web page, select the "multimedia" tab, and listen to all four podcast recordings (the last 3 are just a few minutes each).

Thursday

• Character analysis: What do we know about each character? How does internment shape each character? What would Otsuka want her reader to realize about internment, because of each character? We will examine the difference between plot (what happens in the story) and theme (what the author wants her audience to realize via the story).

• HW: Choose one of the four main characters and trace their development through the novel in a plot line. Due Tuesday.

Friday

• English classes at Winnetka Campus are cancelled for the English Dept. retreat.

• HW: Next week we will review body paragraph, argumentative structure, and students will write a short character analysis toward that end. Finish your character plot line for Tuesday.

Lecture: George Takai on Internment

Star of Star Trek speaks on his experience in American internment camps.

Norman Rockwell's version of four freedoms

Click on image above to access NR Museum’s site.

Syllabus starting August 26

GREETINGS SCHOLARS and welcome to sophomore English class! This week we're starting our examination of the summer reading, the novel When the Emperor Was Divine. Bring that text with you everyday for the next two weeks. If you haven't finished reading it, do so. That should be your homework focus for this week and this weekend. 

Monday

• Introduction me, your teacher, and to our course expectations. We will also take pictures.

• HW: No homework.

Tuesday

• Review of course expectations and procedures. Practice reading and annotating, marking vocabulary words on an article about the four-freedoms flag, a WWII era flag that was used by the Allies's international forces to represent their common beliefs.

• Hw: Finish reading the second article, "Here's the inside story on the most famous flag that you've never heard of," by John Kelly of the Washington Post.

Wednesday

• Examining the following sentence: "Brooks Harding died in 1959 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, where the snap of fabric in the breeze and the sound of halyard against flagpole is a constant reminder of sacrifice." What makes this an excellent sentence? Thinking about reading like a writer, and writing like a reader.

• HW: Brainstorm a list of four beliefs/values for an essay about yourself, using the four-freedoms flag as a metaphor for who you are.

Thursday

• Watching George Takai's TED talk, in which he describes how his experiences in a Missouri J-A internment camp, his conversations with his father, and the example of the American 442nd shaped his core value(s). Reviewing the academic integrity policy in the 2019 Student Guidebook.

• HW: Select one of your core values, and begin brainstorming for a short essay explaining that core belief, how it came to be and what it means to you.

Friday

• We're going to computer lab 377-N to work on writing a two-page essay that describes a) one core value/belief; b) what it means to you, and; c) how that value/belief came to be.

• HW: The typed, two page essay (with title, printed single sided, 1" margins, double-spaced, 12 pt. font, your name-date-course title in upper right corner) due Tuesday. Use George Takai’s speech as a model for writing about your core belief. Include specific wording and details, as in the sentence we studied in Wednesday’s class.