Moon Day

*Homework: Read Scarlet Letter chapter 16. Over the weekend you need to finish the novel (gulp! Sorry) and then we will finish discussing it during next week and have our test on FRIDAY the 11th

*Homework Scarlet Letter vocab 31-40 for Friday
Scarlet Letter Vocabulary List

Passage: Kaplan edition, page 141 "Hester, he said . . ." to 143 "presence made there."
Page 69 in other edition.

What is revealed in this passage about the differences between men and women (concerning their view of the world, especially love). Write approximately 1 paragraph and we will share.

Wednesday

Characteristics of the Romantic period, the Romantic world view

Romantic music:

Beethoven's Pathetique sonata, first movement
Beethoven's Heiligenstadt testament letter explaining his despair: Letter to brothers
More romantic music:
Chopin, Prelude  in E-minor (op. 28 no. 4)

Group work: 
find three examples of  Romanticism in The Scarlet Letter (you may select an example we have already discussed and add two others)

Discuss
(58)
(65)
(73)
". . . my child must seek a heavenly father" (ch. 3, end)

*Homework: Read Scarlet Letterm ch. 9,10; Wed 11, Thur 12, weekend 13, 14
*Homework Scarlet Letter vocab 21-30 for Friday
Scarlet Letter Vocabulary List

Tuesday, Sept 24

*Homework: Read Scarlet Letterm ch. 9,10; Wed 11, Thur 12, weekend 13, 14
*Homework Scarlet Letter vocab 21-30 for Friday

Characteristics of the Romantic period, the Romantic world view
Group work: fin Romanticism in The Scarlet Letter

Discuss
(58)
(65)
(73)
". . . my child must seek a heavenly father" (ch. 3, end)

Scarlet Letter Vocabulary List

Thursday

Library Day

Every six weeks you will read a book of your choosing out of class. Today we will go to the library where Mr. Rick, our librarian, will give a number of brief book talks. You, too, will do a book talk--on your summer reading  book.

A. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

B. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

C. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

D. Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury

E. Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver

F. Cold Mountain by Charles Frasier

G. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

• Brief plot summary without giving away the ending
• Your favorite part
• What makes it a good book 

Wednesday--Oden's Day

SAT missed questions--Finish

Summer reading essay: You will divide into groups and share ideas from your papers with the class. Students who wrote on prompt 1 will summarize their essays with the group. Students writing on prompts 2 and 3 will do the same. Share at least three actual sentences from your paper. Generally discuss the novel. Yeah, this is a pretty loosey goosey assignment.

SUMMER READING: Choose One:

A. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

B. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

C. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

D. Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury

E. Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver

F. Cold Mountain by Charles Frasier

G. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Once you have read and annotated the novel of your choice, choose one of the prompts below and write a focused, well-supported essay (using evidence properly cited from the novel) of 500-700 words:

1.  In what ways is the novel you have studied concerned with gaining, maintaining, or losing a paradise of some kind? Refer closely to the text your read.

2.  Discuss the roles of men and women in the novel, and what in each case these roles say about the society reflected in the novel.

3.  Explore the author's presentation of morality or the lack of, as a driving force in the novel you have studied.

Poems to Start the Year

*Homework: Read Scarlet Letter to the end of chapter 7
*Homework Scarlet Letter vocab 11-20 for Friday
*Poem memorization, Friday

Work on memorizing poem

Scarlet Letter Vocabulary List

Tuesday, September 17

Journal: Select one of the poems you haven't written about. Make sure that you have found three images, the most important word, and the most important line (answers will differ). Pay particular attention to the most important word. In two paragraphs (not three, not one), convince me why that word is the one that says it all.

SAT missed questions

Poems to Start the Year

*Homework: Read Scarlet Letter to the end of chapter 6
*Homework Scarlet Letter vocab 11-20 for Friday
*Poem memorization, Friday

Work on memorizing poem

**Bring your summer reading essay to class tomorrow. You will divide into groups and share ideas from your papers with the class

Scarlet Letter Vocabulary List

Journal: Select one of the poems you haven't written about. Make sure that you have found three images, the most important word, and the most important line (answers will differ). Now select one of the images and explain how it helps you understand the meaning of the poem.

SAT missed questions

Poems to Start the Year

*Homework: Read Scarlet Letter to the end of chapter 5
*Homework Scarlet Letter vocab 11-20 for Friday
*Poem memorization, Friday

Scarlet Letter Vocabulary List

Monday, September 16

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT

Journal: Select one of the poems we have not yet studied. Make sure that you have found three images, the most important word, and the most important line (answers will differ). Now select one of the images and explain how it helps you understand the meaning of the poem.

Review "The Secret" and read the other three poems.
  Poems to Start the Year

*Homework: Read Scarlet Letter to the end of chapter 5
*Homework Scarlet Letter vocab 11-20 for Friday
*Poem memorization, Friday

Scarlet Letter Vocabulary List

Friday the 13th--

Scarlet Letter. Discuss townswomen. Why do they respond the way they do?

Review "The Secret" and read the other three poems.
  Poems to Start the Year

*Homework: Read Scarlet Letter to the end of chapter 4

Sept 12

1. How to write a good paper--"Resources" tab
2. Wall of shame for essays
3. Hand in essay
4. Read "The Secret" 
  Poems to Start the Year
*Homework: 
Summer reading is due Friday (yes, as in day after tomorrow)
Here's how to access our class on Turnitin.com
Username: 6979259
Password: saxons
Yeah, I should have come up with something better for the password, something more "Englishy." Maybe, "whatareyougoingtodowithyouronewildandpreciouslife" 

We've been extra busy lately. Things will calm down a bit in a week or two.
Here's my little mantra for you to help you not feel overwhelmed:

Breathing in I calm my body; breathing out, I smile

Wednesday

1. Go Over Practice SAT (we didn't get to this so we'll start the period with it tomorrow)
2. Color mark poem
Here's the list of poems: Summer Poems
3. Homework: 
     Finish up college application essay so you can hand it in tomorrow. Be sure to have someone proofread it! Remember, the title needs to be engaging and by the end of the first sentence I need to feel compelled to continue reading.
     Review vocabulary for Friday's quiz 
*Summer reading is due Friday (yes, as in day after tomorrow)
Here's how to access our class on Turnitin.com
Username: 6979259
Password: saxons
Yeah, I should have come up with something better for the password, something more "Englishy." Maybe, "whatareyougoingtodowithyouronewildandpreciouslife" 

We've been extra busy lately. Things will calm down a bit in a week or two.
Here's my little mantra for you to help you not feel overwhelmed:

Breathing in I calm my body; breathing out, I smile

Tuesday, September 10

1. Practice SAT
2. Color mark poem
Here's the list of poems: Summer Poems
3. Homework: Underline the single most important line from the poem The Summer Day. Now put a box around the single most important word. In a different color, underline three images.
Now, write two sentences explaining the effect of each of the five things you marked.

Friday, September 6

Garbage man essay due.
Wall of Shame
How to write a good title for an essay
How to write a good paper for high school
How to write an argumentative essay

How to Read Literature Like a Professor.
In groups of four, write down four important ideas from the book. Each person in the group needs to write all ideas.

Personal Narrative essay.
Homework: start your essay over the weekend. I just need to see something on Monday--even 1 page of brainstorming. Preferably 1 page of the essay, but not necessarily. Yeah. Fragment there. I know.

1. Northwestern--James Joyce wrote in Dubliners, "Mistakes are the portals of discovery." Describe a mistake or mistaken idea of your own that led to a discovery (a growing experience).
2. USC--The 18th century French philosopher Denis Diderot said, “Only passions, great passions can elevate the soul to great things.” Describe one of your passions and reflect on how it has contributed to your personal growth. Think about what you really like to do and how it has made you a better person. For this essay you’ll be writing about something you feel strongly about.
3. Harvard--Please describe which of your activities (extracurricular and personal activities or work experience) has been most meaningful and why. For this essay you’ll need to talk about something you’ve done.
4. Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
5. Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance.

Boston University--Describe a character in fiction, an historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music,science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence (or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.)

Check out The Scarlet Letter. Start reading over the weekend if you have time. You don't have to though. We'll focus more on that next week.

Let the Games Begin, and May the Odds be Ever in Your Favor

What can I say, I love teaching Honors American Lit where the discussions are lively, the insights keen, and the writing enjoyable to read (keep it that way :~]

Rather than create a website, I've set up this blog for our class and you will be required to view it from time to time.  I prefer blogs to websites because they can be updated so easily and they also give you the opportunity to comment on the things that are said here. I think it's important for the class to be a dynamic, organic thing, with each person making contributions. If you want to just sit back, take notes, ace multiple-choice tests--well. . . but who likes that, really?

The first thing I'd like you to do is to go to  the "Handouts" 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!

Scarlet Letter Vocabulary List
Test on first 10 Friday, September 13th. Each week we will memorize ten.

Here's what you'll be doing today:
Garbage Man Job Recommendation Letter

Write a well-reasoned letter convincing me to hire Byron or Pete. In a way, it's hard to imagine not hiring either one of these guys. Pick one, though (take a stand--thesis) and do your best to convince me to hire your favorite candidate.
Hand in at the first of the period tomorrow.

Garbage Man Essay

Tomorrow bring your copy of How to Read Literature Like a College Professor (yes, some of you are starting to panic right about now).
Also bring  your summer reading book and essay (not actually due until Friday the 13th (a bit a propos, don't you think?). Students who do bring in the essay tomorrow get +2 extra credit points.

How to Mark Literature