Monday, April 23

1. TYPE DWA
District Writing Assessment--Race in the Courtroom
2. HOMEWORK: Read Of Mice and Men to page 38; over the weekend read to page 66
3. Hemingway/Fitzgerald Rewrite Due Wed, 25th
Creative writing portion (200-500 words)
Analysis (400-700)
Note: Pretty much what you do in the analysis is write a written commentary on your rewrite, analyzing your use of literary devices. To convince me that your writing is authentic, you will also need to show that your target author uses the same literary devices in the same way to develop his ideas (themes). You will also want to contrast this writing style with the writing of the author you are rewriting. If you would like, you could organize your paper this way:

• Intro to the way your target author writes
• Brief analysis of examples from the target author's writing
• In-depth analysis of your creative rewrite, showing that you have used literary devices the way that the target author does. You need to spend at least 2-3 sentences elaborating upon each example you give and discuss the effect of the author's (and your) use of literary devices
• Brief analysis of examples from the rewritten author's writing, contrasting the way he uses literary devices. Cite examples and elaborate a bit (not necessarily as much as you do with your own rewritten piece.
• Conclusion, more or less stating that you have successfully mimicked the target author's style

Vocab quiz on Monday, April 30

Quiz: Vocabulary--Difficult Words:  words 21-30: "vitiated-deferential"

Friday, April 20

District Writing Assessment--Race in the Courtroom
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ChAp05XZzqnI-ZVI9y2hKDilsCmBWnqs

Hemingway/Fitzgerald Rewrite Due Monday, April 23 (25 OK)
Creative writing portion (200-500 words)
Analysis (400-700)
Note: Pretty much what you do in the analysis is write a written commentary on your rewrite, analyzing your use of literary devices. To convince me that your writing is authentic, you will also need to show that your target author uses the same literary devices in the same way to develop his ideas (themes). You will also want to contrast this writing style with the writing of the author you are rewriting. If you would like, you could organize your paper this way:

• Intro to the way your target author writes
• Brief analysis of examples from the target author's writing
• In-depth analysis of your creative rewrite, showing that you have used literary devices the way that the target author does. You need to spend at least 2-3 sentences elaborating upon each example you give and discuss the effect of the author's (and your) use of literary devices
• Brief analysis of examples from the rewritten author's writing, contrasting the way he uses literary devices. Cite examples and elaborate a bit (not necessarily as much as you do with your own rewritten piece.
• Conclusion, more or less stating that you have successfully mimicked the target author's style

We are too busy to have a vocab quiz on Monday. Let's do it Friday.

Quiz: Vocabulary--Difficult Words:  words 21-30: "vitiated-deferential"

Monday, April 16

Vocab quiz
Of Mice and Men quiz
Oral Commentaries
2.Quiz: Vocabulary--Difficult Words:  words 21-30: "vitiated-deferential"
For next Monday: "deferential-ostensibly"3. Oral Commentaries
Discuss The Old Man and the Sea
       The Iceberg Effect
4. SBAC practice test to prepare for next week's argumentative essay which will be submitted to the school district for grading and which I, too, will grade. Yes, you will receive points and it will count toward your grade.
Homework: Take practice SBAC  
Check out Of Mice and Men (yay! Steinbeck at last)

Wednesday

Commentary due!  -10% if I don't have it by tomorrow

Hemingway/Fitzgerald Rewrite is due on Monday, April 16th
HOMEWORK:
1. GATSBY test
2.Memorize vocabulary for next Friday's quiz
Vocabulary--Difficult Words:  words 21-30: "vitiated-deferential"
3. Discuss The Old Man and the Sea
       The Iceberg Effect
4. SBAC practice test to prepare for next week's argumentative essay which will be submitted to the school district for grading and which I, too, will grade. Yes, you will receive points and it will count toward your grade. 

Vocabulary--Difficult Words

Quiz Thursday, April 6, over words 11-20: "circumlocution" to "avant-garde"

How to do Commentary/Explication of a passage (see handout)
Analyze the last two pages of the novel (handouts)
Choose any passage from the novel and type a 2-page+ commentary on the passage.
To do this you need to:

• Introduce the topic for 2-3 sentences
• State a theme(s)
• Summarize your interpretation as it relates to the theme (thesis)
• Cite details (quote words and phrases) from the passage that support your interpretation and explain how those details lead you to your interpretation
• Think in these terms:
• IF YOU CAN TALK FOR TEN SENTENCES DISCUSSING THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT WORD EXPLAINING HOW IT TIES IN WITH THE REST OF THE PASSAGE AND THE NOVEL AS A WHOLE, YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK. I'm not saying that you have to do that, but this is the kind of detailed analysis you need to do. Quote an example (word connotation, maybe) and discuss its effect in detail 2-5 sentences, quote another detail (image, maybe) and discuss for 2-5 sentences, quote another detail (metaphor, maybe, or another word connotation) and discuss for 2-5 sentences, etc.
• Recommended:  think in terms of symbolism and deeper meaning; look for irony

Commentary due at the end of the period Friday
You may do this assignment at home and spend Friday working on your Hemingway/Fitzgerald Rewrite, which is due on Monday, April 16th
HOMEWORK:
1. Memorize vocabulary for Friday's quiz
Vocabulary--Difficult Words:  words 11-20: "circumlocution" to "avant-garde"
2. Start studying for the Gatsby test, which is Monday, April 9
3. You may type your commentary at home, if you prefer
Friday we will work on commentaries and then finish the movie (students who would rather finish commentaries may do so in the hall)
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Optional:
For you general edification, if you're interested:
The opening lines of The Great Gatsby: The Power of Money and Privilege
If we don't have time to get to this, read it on your own!
Is Gatsby Indeed Great? -- written by a high school senior!
The Greatness of The Great Gatsby
Hand back PSAT
SAT Practice Test 3