Wednesday, February 26, 2014

The Power of Love

HOMEWORK: Finish chapter 11 before class on Monday. You have to finish the novel next weekend.

The Bean Trees Vocabulary--words  "perturbed" to "tomatillos". Quiz today
Sparknotes Summary of The Bean Trees . This is very helpful.

Work on study guides. 

When we have 25 minutes left, we will do a creative writing piece.

The short, short story genre.
Here's Hemingway's story: "For sale: baby shoes. Never worn."
Now, write your own short, short story. Remember, it needs a beginning, and middle, and an end and must have a controlling idea. Keep in mind that fiction deals with life themes, such as loss, redemption, the quest for knowledge, etc.
Here are some examples: Short, Short Stories

Creative Writing for las
Narrative essay due Thursday, March 13
Assignment: Write a "This I Believe" essay from the perspective of one of the characters in The Bean Trees. 

Length: 3 typed, double-spaced pages
More info concerning the assignment to come later. We will finish the book by Monday, 
March 10, so you'll know all of the thoughts of Taylor and her friends and relatives by then and be able to write from their perspective. I'll be giving you a number of example essays over the next few days and I think that you'll start to see some themes in them that relate to the characters in The Bean Trees.  You will write your essay on one of these themes, or on another theme appropriate
Example essays
--Taken from This I Believe series on National Public Radio (known as NPR)
     Be Cool to the Pizza Dude--Sarah Adams
                   online text

          Notes: the four principles behind coolness to the pizza dude.
     Remembering All the Boys--Elvia Bautista
online text

           Notes: why Elvia wants to remember the boys.
     The Power of Love to Transform and to Heal--Jackie Lantry
online text      When Children Are Wanted--Margaret Sanger
online text      Everything Potent is Dangerous--Wallace Stegner
online text      In Giving I Connect With Others--Isabelle Allende
          Online Text



Draw a line under the notes you took on "The Power of Love" and then . . .
Write a paragraph telling us about a time in your own life when you have seen the power of love transform someone. You don't have to write about yourself. Feel free to tell about someone you observed or heard about. If you're having a hard time thinking of what to write, think in terms of someone's day getting better simply because someone showed that they care.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

February 25

HOMEWORK: Finish chapter 8 ( page 175)
The Bean Trees Vocabulary--words  "perturbed" to "tomatillos". Quiz Friday

Narrative essay due Thursday, March 13


Assignment: Write a "This I Believe" essay from the perspective of one of the characters in The Bean Trees. 


Length: 3 typed, double-spaced pages
More info concerning the assignment to come later. We will finish the book by Monday, 
March 10, so you'll know all of the thoughts of Taylor and her friends and relatives by then and be able to write from their perspective. I'll be giving you a number of example essays over the next few days and I think that you'll start to see some themes in them that relate to the characters in The Bean Trees.  You will write your essay on one of these themes, or on another theme appropriate
Example essays:
     Be Cool to the Pizza Dude--Sarah Adams
           Notes: the four principles behind coolness to the pizza dude.
     Remembering All the Boys--Elvia Bautista
           Notes: why Elvia wants to remember the boys.

Monday, February 24, 2014

How They Eat in Heaven

They Dance Alone with many photos of women holding posters of their husbands

The Bean Trees Vocabulary--words  "perturbed" to "tomatillos". Quiz Friday

Narrative essay due Thursday, March 13
Assignment: Write a "This I Believe" essay from the perspective of one of the characters in The Bean Trees. 
Length: 3 typed, double-spaced pages
More info concerning the assignment to come later. We will finish the book by Monday, 
March 10, so you'll know all of the thoughts of Taylor and her friends and relatives by then and be able to write from their perspective.
Example essays:
     Be Cool to the Pizza Dude--Sarah Adams
     Remembering All the Boys--Elvia Bautista

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

BEAN TREES--Guatemalan Civil War

The Bean Trees
Homework: Read chapter 7 (to page 147)
Add to your characterization chart--you need a total of 5 things for Lou Ann, 5 things for Taylor and 2 things for Mattie by the end of chapter 5


The Bean Trees Vocabulary
Quiz 1-15 (pandemonium) today

Watch Guatemalan Civil War/Genocide PowerPoint
Watch YouTube video of Sting's song  They Dance Alone
They Dance Alone in Spanish
They Dance Alone with many photos of women holding posters of their husbands

Thursday, February 13, 2014

2/13/14

The Bean Trees
Homework: Read chapter 4 (to page 86)
Add to your characterization chart--you need a total of 5 things for Lou Ann by the end of chapter 4

The Bean Trees Vocabulary

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Lovey dovey poems for your Valentine's sweethearts. Trust me, they work. I know!

Shakespeare's sonnet 18
Neruda's sonnet 17 (so awesome you might want to wait until later in life!)
Neruda: I crave you
Guang Do Sheng: A Poem of You and Me



Wednesday, February 12, 2014

2/12/14

The Bean Trees

The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver

Vocabulary

Study Guides--You will need to answer study guide questions on your own sheet of paper. Some students will print the study guides at home from the provided links.
     Study Guide, Chapters 1 and 2
     Study Guide, Chapters 3 and 4

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

The Bean Trees

The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver

Vocabulary

Study Guides--You will need to answer study guide questions on your own sheet of paper. Some students will print the study guides at home from the provided links.
     Study Guide, Chapters 1 and 2
     Study Guide, Chapters 3 and 4



Monday, February 3, 2014