3

8/25/10

(A; Noon)

Introduction to the class and syllabus.

On cards, write career/study interests to help plan future reading assignments.

Read and discuss "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan (illustration essay).

Read chapter on the Indo-European language family and look at the language family tree (definition essay).

Study the chapter and take notes to help you study for Monday's quiz on the reading.

8/27/10

(C; 1:10)

Read and discuss poem and note about it by Julia Alvarez; begin reading her essay.

Read "A Brief History of English" and answer five of the ten questions at the end of the essay (your choice!). Hand in your answers at the start of class on Tuesday.

8/31/10

(E)

Study for tomorrow's summer reading exam.

Ask your family for help with the questions you answered in class, and add to those answers based on the information you get from your family discussion.

9/2/10

(A)

Begin reading the essay by Ewa Hryniewicz-Yarbrough. Take nots and discuss.

Finish reading essay by Ewa Hryniewicz-Yarbrough. Quiz Tuesday on the reading.

9/7/10

(C)

Quiz on homework reading.

Continue work on essay #1.Discuss the questions. Work on a thesis for your essay and meet individually with instructor for help determining a topic.

Write a first draft of essay 1. Due Monday, Sept. 9; final draft due Sept. 20.

9/9/10

(E)

Peer conferences.

Continue working on the essay of illustration. Final draft due Monday, Sept. 20.

9/13/10

(A)

Continue working on the essay of illustration. Final draft due Monday, Sept. 20.

9/15/10

(C; Advisee Meeting)

Begin unit 2: book reviews. 

Complete working on the essay of illustration. Final draft due Monday, Sept. 20.

Read book review: "Who Was Charles Dickens?" and study for the quiz on this reading on Tuesday.

Decide which book you will review for Essay #2: the book review.

9/20/10

(E)

QUIZ on homework reading (book review on Charles Dickens).

Tell Mrs. Boucher what you might review for the next essay.

Book reviews, continued. Read examples; discuss the purposes of reviews.

Read "Messing About With _The Wind in the Willows_" and prepare for Wednesday's quiz on this review.

Begin writing your book review by determining your book and skimming to recall important elements.

9/22/10

(A)

Read book review on Luce biography.

Discuss the various possible approaches to writing a book review; discuss the rubric for the book review and "do's and do not's" for this assignment.

Continue work on book review: take one page of brainstorming notes, applying today's discussion to the book you plan to review. Due Friday for 10 homework points.

9/24/10

(C; Mid-Quarter Reports)

Write first draft of book review; ask questions.

Continue work: write a full and complete first draft.  Due Tuesday for 10 homework points.

9/28/10

(E)

Conference drafts with teacher and peers.

Continue working on book report: write a complete second draft. Due Thursday for 10 homework points.

9/30/10

(A)

Finish working on book report: write a complete final draft. Due Monday for 100 points.

Please work on obtaining your copy of _Lady Windermere's Fan_ by Oscar Wilde.

10/4/10

(C)

Begin unit on the Definition Essay.  Read C. S. Lewis' "Hope" and begin "Green Thumb."

Finish reading the essay "Green Thumb."

Think about your topic for the definition essay.  Write it down.  Take notes to get you started.

Please work on obtaining your copy of _Lady Windermere's Fan_ by Oscar Wilde.

10/6/10

(E; Class Mtg)

Discuss essays of definition and begin work on your own.

Finish your first draft of Essay #3: Essay of definition.

Please work on obtaining your copy of _Lady Windermere's Fan_ by Oscar Wilde.

10/8/10

(A)

Write a second draft based on today's conferences.

Please work on obtaining your copy of _Lady Windermere's Fan_ by Oscar Wilde.

10/13/10

(C; Noon)

10/15/10

(E)

Write your final draft of Essay #3.

Due Tuesday, Oct. 19. Use the comma, colons and semicolons handout to help you edit.

Bring your reading packet to class, or at least the following:

critical thinking handout and "In the Beginning: Creationism and Astronomy."

By now, you should have a copy of _Lady Windermere's Fan_ by Oscar Wilde. If you do not, please get it SOON!

10/19/10

(A)

Read "In the Beginning: Creationism and Astronomy"

Finish reading "In the Beginning: Creationism and Astronomy." Be prepared for discussion.

10/21/10

(C)

Begin unit for Essay #4: Cause and Effect essay.

Begin essay related to musical education, "What Makes a Musician?" Take notes on cause-and-effect essay structure.

Finish "What Makes a Musician?" and take notes for studying; quiz Monday on the entire piece. (10 questions; worth 20 points.)

10/25/10

(E)

Quiz on "What Makes a Musician?"

Begin reading essay related to natural sciences education, "Children in Touch, Creatures in Story." Take notes on cause-and-effect essay structure.

Finish "Children in Touch, Creatures in Story" and take notes for studying; quiz Friday on the entire piece.

10/27/10

(A)

Begin reading essay related to moral education: "The Real Price of Gold" and write a summary.

Quiz Friday on "Children in Touch, Creatures in Story" and "The Real Price of Gold."

10/29/10

(C)

Quiz on the two essays.

Moral education continued: read "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas." Write a response to the story; discuss.

11/2/10

(E)

ESSAY #4: Cause and Effect Essay

Write first draft of your Essay #4: Cause/Effect Essay.Teacher and Peer reviewed on Thursday.  Please bring a printed copy with you.

Requirements: 1. Page length: at least 4 full pages. 2. MLA format.     3. Works cited page. 4. Uses quotes correctly from the texts (essay, article, short story, etc.). Use at least three quotes, total. 

Prompts: Please choose ONE of the following:

CHOICE A: You have been hired as an education director for a summer camp for high school students. Design a program that will get the students involved in opportunities for musical and/or natural education. Justify your program’s plan by using support from the essays “What Makes a Musician” by David Levitin and/or “Children in Touch; Creatures in Story” by Gary Paul Nabhan. These two texts give practical ideas for you to use as well as justifications for your own original ideas for program activities.

 OR

CHOICE B: You have been hired by a school (religious or charter; you have a lot of creative leeway in your proposal) to develop a moral education program for high school students. Use the story “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Ursula K. LeGuin to explain the ideas that are the basis for your program’s activities.  In this case, the story will provide you with a theoretical basis for your program, but you will have to create your own practical activities and justify them using the story’s message as you understand it.  

FOR BOTH CHOICES:

In the introduction, explain the goals and activities of your program.

 In the body paragraphs, explain your reasons for the activities, based on cause/effect logic. Consider: What are the goals for the program? How will the activities help your students achieve these goals? Use the text(s) to support your points.

In the conclusion: Restate your goals and how your program will help achieve them.

Remember, your essay must prove to your funding sources (families and administrators) that your program is worth the money!  So, use the texts clearly to support your ideas!

Good luck!

Finish first draft of Essay #4.

Due for peer review and teacher conference on Thursday.

11/4/10

(A)

Write a second draft of essay #4.

11/8/10

(C)

Peer review/ conference Essay #4.

Continue revising Essay #4. Final draft is due Wednesday, 11/10/10.

Bring _Lady Windermere's Fan_ to class on Wednesday.

11/10/10

(E; Class Meeting)

Introduction to Oscar Wilde.

Begin watching film _An Ideal Husband_.

No homework.

11/15/10

(A; 90-Minute Delay)

Bring _LWF_ to class on Wednesday.

11/17/10

(C; 1:10)

Finish _An Ideal Husband_ and discuss.

Begin reading _Lady Windermere's Fan_ (most of Act I). Take notes and discuss.

Read the rest of Act I and read all of Act II of _LWF_. Quiz on Friday on these two Acts.

11/19/10

(E)

Read Acts III and IV, with notes and discussion. Write a personal response to the play.

Bring _LWF_ to class, Tuesday.

For those students doing the LAL letters through this class, LAL letters (first drafts) are due Tuesday. Worth 10 points (quiz grade).

11/23/10

(A; Thanksgiving Prayer Service)

Review of literary terms related to poetry.  Read two poems and write responses and basic literary analysis notes for each one.

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

11/29/10

(C)

No School.

12/1/10

(E; Class Meetings)

Brainstorm and discuss essay topics.

Begin writing first draft of Essay #5: literary analysis essay.

Finish first draft of Essay #5 and bring it to class (printed out) on Friday for peer review and teacher conferencing. Worth 10 homework points.

The final draft will be due Dec. 9.

12/3/10

(A; First Friday)

Conferencing and peer review for Essay #5.

Continue revising Essay #5.

12/7/10

(C)

Continue conferencing and peer reviews.

Continue revising Essay #5.

12/9/10

(E)

Continue conferencing and peer reviews.

Continue practicing poetry analysis.

Write final draft of Essay #5.  Remember to have at least 5 full pages and a Works (or, in this case, Work) Cited page. Also, remember to do an "extra" editing check to catch awkward phrasing and typos.

12/13/10

(A)

12/15/10

(C; Noon)

Continue readings for essay 6.

Do a web search on the following:

1. the Poor Clares AND 3 or 4 other religious orders (such as Dominicans, Benedictines, Carmelites, Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, etc. with a focus on their relationship to the vow of poverty.

2. voluntary simplicity (if you "google" the term, you will find information.

12/17/10

(E)

Discuss midterm review quide.

If you are wise, you will do the following over break (see the entire handout below detailing all three assignments):

1. Write your draft of essay #6.

2. Revise essays 1 through 4 for the portfolio.

3. Study for the midterm.

Essay #6 Topics, Portfolio Instructions and Midterm Instructions

I. Essay #6: Compare and Contrast Essay. Worth the usual 100 points. Choose ONE of the following options:

A. Based on the class readings and your research on voluntary material simplicity (including both the material simplicity of religious life and the contemporary cultural movement of voluntary simplicity), write an essay that compares and contrasts economic poverty (that is, “involuntary” poverty) and voluntary simplicity.  How are these two phenomena similar? How are they different? How do they each help you understand the other? What is the benefit of witnessing them both?

OR

 B. Based on your class readings (for this unit but previous units as well) and your research on voluntary material simplicity (including both the material simplicity of religious life and the contemporary cultural movement of voluntary simplicity), write an essay that compares and contrasts the values of economic globalism vs. the values of voluntary simplicity.  How does each general system view the following: the purpose of work and the production of material goods; the relationship between people and the environment; and, the value of human life apart from material wealth. 

REQUIREMENTS: This essay should be a full six pages long, minimum. It must contain quotations from at least four different sources. Both essay choices must include a Works Cited page for all sources (use the OWL MLA site for help with formatting). See the general rubric handed out with Essay #1 for guidelines.

 SCHEDULE: The first draft is due January 4.  We will conference it Jan. 4 and

Jan. 6. The final draft is due Monday, January 10 at the start of class. (If Jan. 10 is a snow day, it is then due Wednesday, Jan 12 at the start of the exam period.) Please note that this is the same day that your portfolio is due (see below).

II. PORTFOLIO:

What is the portfolio? Your portfolio will consist of every graded essay final draft of essays #1 through #5 (the one with all my comments and corrections) AND your new-and-improved, final final version of each.  This will mostly involve editing corrections but may also include expansion of your essay if that was suggested to you in my comments.

How is it graded?  A successful portfolio is worth a 50-point test grade. You will lose points for every correction you do NOT make on the graded essay. Please use a folder.  Put the graded final drafts in the left-hand pocket and your revised essays in the right-hand pocket.   

When is it due? The portfolio is due on Monday, January 10 at the start of class. (If Jan. 10 is a snow day, it is then due Wednesday, Jan 12 at the start of the exam period.) For every day it is late (not having it ready at the start of class, included), it loses 5 points. Please note that this is the same day that the final draft of Essay #6 is due.

 How can I use my time wisely on this project?You should consider using some of your time during break to revise essays #1 through #4. You will receive your essay #5 back with comments on Jan. 4 and will then have until Monday, Jan 10 to revise this last required portfolio essay.

 III. MIDTERM STUDY GUIDE:

The midterm will consist of the following:

 1. Part 1: a matching section to test your knowledge of different schools of literary criticism (we will review this the week before the exam). 

2. Part 2: a reading comprehension section on the three articles that are left in your class reading packet: "The Ever After" and "Fullbright Grants: An Untapped Source for Writers" and "Inside Indie Bookstores."

This will be like the other reading quizzes we did earlier on reading assignments. 

3. Part 3: you will choose two out of three poems given and answer basic questions, similar to the poetry responses we did in class. This is to test your ability to think and write critical responses "on your toes." 

4. Part 4: you will write an essay on a major theme from Oscar Wilde’s play Lady Windermere’s Fan, comparing this play's treatment of the theme to any other novel or play of your choice.

 We will discuss the exam further in class the week before the exam.

Lesson on schools of literary criticism.

Get back essay #5.

Work on final draft of Essay 6. Due Jan. 10 at the start of class.

Revise essays 1 through 5 for the portfolio. The portfolio is due Jan. 10 at the start of class.

Study for midterm.

Portfolio due.

Finish preparations for the midterm.

Study for the midterm.

GOOD LUCK!