Thursday/Friday

1. Quiz over 21-end Monday Literary terms--Quizlet

2. Share creation myths
3. Review Grammar pre-test
Write correct sentences and then write your own sentence using the concept.
4. Read The Crucible
5. Watch The Crucible

The Crucible is really about the Communist Red Scare (Joseph McCarthy)
Karl Marx wrote The Communist Manifesto, which says that common people should have the same rights as everyone. No rich and poor. All equal. In democracy, some people are rich.
Actors and writers were blacklisted (they couldn't get a job).
Arthur Miller wanted people to have the courage to stand up and say that the Red Scare was bad.

Families
Narrator                                               Mr. Isom
PARRIS                                            3rd Period             5th Period
Reverend Parris (50)                          Mr. Isom              Reed
Betty (10) (mother died)                                                 Dylan
Abigail Williams (neice--17)                 Michelle             Sadie
Tituba, the slave (42) from Barbados   Alfonso             Garrett

PROCTOR
John (35)                                             Eduardo            James
Elizabeth (35)                                                                Lexi
Mary Warren (17)                                Jayda                Allison

PUTNAM
Thomas (46)                                        Alfonso            Emilio
Anne (42)                                           Cloey               Anastacia
Ruth (14)
Mercy Lewis (18)                              Cloey                

NURSE
Francis (80)
Rebecca (80)                                    Michelle                Angel              

CORY
Giles (76)                                          Isaiah alsum        Dylan
Martha (58)
Factions- A small group within a larger group that disagrees concerning with what is important ( Paris thinks they are trying to overthrow him)

HALE, Reverend                            james

Tue/Wed

1. Quiz over 11-20 Literary terms--Quizlet
2. Share creation myths
3. Review Grammar pre-test
Write correct sentences and then write your own sentence using the concept.
4. Read The Crucible

The Crucible is really about the Communist Red Scare (Joseph McCarthy)
Karl Marx wrote The Communist Manifesto, which says that common people should have the same rights as everyone. No rich and poor. All equal. In democracy, some people are rich.
Actors and writers were blacklisted (they couldn't get a job).
Arthur Miller wanted people to have the courage to stand up and say that the Red Scare was bad.

Families
PARRIS
Reverend Parris (50)                               Mr. Isom
Betty (10) (mother died)                         Dylan
Abigail Williams (neice--17)                  Sadie
Tituba, the slave (42) from Barbados     Garrett

PROCTOR
John (35)
Elizabeth (35)
Mary Warren (17)

PUTNAM
Thomas (46)                                           Emilio
Anne (42)                                               Lexi
Ruth (14)
Mercy Lewis (18)

NURSE
Francis (80)
Rebecca (80)                                         Angel

CORY
Giles (76)
Martha (58)





3rd Period
Abigail    Michelle
John Proctor  Carter
Reverend Parris    Sam
Tituba    Alfonso
Betty  
Susanna  Mariza
Thomas Putnam   Eduardo
Ann Putnam     Gavin
Mercy Lewis   Sam

September 24

1. Quiz over 11-20 Literary terms--Quizlet

2. Work 30 min on Lottery assignment

 
3. Share the outline your creation myth. It doesn't matter to me if this is in standard outline form. A thorough 

brainstorming sheet would be fine. I just need to see who the characters are in your myth, what 

happens, and I need to see that you are going to answer at least one question that you have about

 life (last night's homework) and at least one of your values needs to be evident.
4. Spend 30 minutes writing these, so you should come to class with a good start. This is fun! 
HOMEWORK: Over the weekend you will write your own creation myth. 300-600 words. Due Monday.
AFRICAN ZULU CREATION MYTH
Try bigmyth.com
AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL MYTH
NORSE CREATION MYTH
STUDENT VIDEO AZTEC CREATION MYTH

        Extra credit (+2-10 depending on quality) for illustrating your myth or otherwise making it more             dynamic (sculpture, short video, etc).

1. Work 50 min on Lottery assignment

2. Learn literary terms11-20 by Thursday/Friday Literary terms--Quizlet

3. Outline your creation myth. It doesn't matter to me if this is in standard outline form. A thorough 

brainstorming sheet would be fine. I just need to see who the characters are in your myth, what 

happens, and I need to see that you are going to answer at least one question that you have about

 life (last night's homework) and at least one of your values needs to be evident.

During the rest of the week and over the weekend you will write your own creation myth. 400-600 words. Due  Monday.
        Extra credit (+2-10 depending on quality) for illustrating your myth or otherwise making it more             dynamic (sculpture, short video, etc).
5. Thur/Fri we will spend 30 minutes writing these, so you should come to class with a good start. This is fun! 

Monday, September 21

HOMEWORK:

In preparation for writing your own creation myth, which will explain the world as 

you see it. The neat thing about this is that we will find out a few things about you

based on what you choose to write about :^)


Write ten things you value and why

Write 5 questions you have about life that you would like to have answered.




1. Work 20 min on Lottery assignment

2. Learn literary terms11-20 by Thursday/Friday Literary terms--Quizlet

3. Outline your creation myth. It doesn't matter to me if this is in standard outline form. A thorough 

brainstorming sheet would be fine. I just need to see who the characters are in your myth, what 

happens, and I need to see that you are going to answer at least one question that you have about

 life (last night's homework) and at least one of your values needs to be evident.

During the rest of the week you will write your own creation myth. 400-600 words. Due a week from Monday.
        Extra credit (+2-10 depending on quality) for illustrating your myth or otherwise making it more             dynamic (sculpture, short video, etc).
5. Thur/Fri we will spend 30 minutes writing these, so you should come to class with a good start. This is fun! 

Tuesday

1. Take PSAT Writing section test--30 minutes. I will also give you an additional 15 minutes to finish

section 3 from yesterday.

In order for us to use the same scantron sheet, mark "A" for numbers 49 and 50 and then bubble in 

answers for the Writing test starting at number 51 (1 is 51, 2 is 52, etc.)

2. Learn first ten literary terms by Thursday/Friday Literary terms--Quizlet

3. Creation Myth introduction

4. Write your own creation myth. 400-600 words. Due Monday.
        Extra credit (+2-10 depending on quality) for illustrating your myth or otherwise making it more             dynamic (sculpture, short video, etc).
5. Thur/Fri we will spend 30 minutes writing these, so you should come to class with a good start. This is fun! 

6. Over the weekend you can work on the vocabulary for next Thur/Fri, too, if you'd like. It's 11-20 from the Literary terms--Quizlet list.
Throughout the year we learn 10 words per week and have a vocabulary quiz every Friday (some of the blog entries you will read have been recycled from the things last year. Anytime you read "due Friday" that means due the last day of the week for your class). It is not my responsibility to remind you that you will be quizzed. NOTE: Many "B" students drop from the "A" because they don't ace all of the vocab quizzes.

A New Season is Upon Us--Welcome Back!

Welcome to American Lit/Sophomore English

Syllabus

In-class writing assignment:
What point is Walt Whitman making about the American Dream in his poem Song of the Open Road?

HOMEWORK:

1. Read syllabus, have parent or guardian read it, sign, and return Monday.
2. Learn all names by Thursday/Friday after next.
3. Learn 20 literary terms by next Thursday/40 (yes, 20, but you already know most)

• Literary terms--Quizlet

4. Finish Getting to Know You handout, including 1/2 page telling me about yourself. Make it interesting and revealing. I want to know the real you, not just typical biographical information--your passions, what makes you tick, things like that. Due Monday.
5. First three lines of Song of the Open Road by Whitman Monday.

I promise that I'll try my hardest to make the writing relevant so that you won't say, "Man, I'm never going to use any of this stuff I'm learning later in life."  You will be writing throughout your lives--writing resumes, letters to co-workers, love letters (heh, heh), and countless other things, so you'll have to know how to write, and what better time than now to start?  No one will ever know your great thoughts if you can't express them.  In this class you will learn to express them.

So, the year begins!

Class today:

1. The American Dream

• National Public Radio (NPR) video on the singer Bruce Springsteen and the American   Dream. Springsteen's American Dream--Beautiful and Bleak  
• Born to Run with lyrics (Bruce Springsteen)  Discuss meaning of the song.
• Compare and contrast the poems Song of the Open Road by Walt Whitman, and 
• A Dream Deferred, by Langston Hughes.
•  Both deal with the American dream. Which is more similar to Springsteen'sBorn to Run? Why do you think these poets and singers see the American dream differently?
• As a group, decide what the song Born to Run is saying.  Take notes.
• Homework: Write three paragraphs telling me what you think Springsteen is saying. Remember, good writing makes a specific point, supports that point with specific examples, and discusses those examples.

My hope is that you'll find the class both challenging and fun.

Homework (to be done tonight)

1. The first thing I'd like you to do is to go to  the "Resources" tab, open the syllabus, and print it.  Then read it, sign it, and have your parent or guardian sign it.  Detach the part at the bottom (keep the rest) and bring it to class by Friday.  Thanks!

2. Write three paragraphs telling me what you think Springsteen is saying. Remember, good writing makes a specific point, supports that point with specific examples, and discusses those examples.