Today:
1. Vocabulary  (10 min)
2. Discuss Of Mice and Men (30 min)
3. Read Bean Trees to page 120 for next time

1.547 SAT words  Quiz next time: Thur/Fri
Study words for 10 minutes. Use Smart phones to find example sentences to help you learn the words in context. No written work required.
Words: malign, pensive, ulterior, superfluous, prodigal, ignominious, caustic, implicit, nemesis, dearth, esoteric,  ethereal (yeah, it's 12, but you're already supposed to know at least three of them)

2. Of Mice and Men Questions. Write 1/3-1/2 page answers to each of the following four questions. Find specific examples from the book to support your answers. Work in groups but each person must write answers.

• What does this book have to say about corporate America/Capitalism/big business? 
• What does this book have to say about social responsibility (how we should treat our fellow human beings)?
• What does this book have to say about the American Dream?

• What is the significance of the title of the novella? WE WILL DO THIS ONE NEXT TIME. SKIP FOR NOW.How does it relate to themes in Robert Burns' poem "To a Mouse"?  Click the link To a Mouse, Original and Modern Translation, and read the poem. Then discuss why you think Steinbeck chose this title (be sure to discuss parallels between the themes in the book and themes in the poem). Pay particular attention to the following lines
• "the best-laid schemes of Mice and Men go oft awry (away from the planned course).
  "I'm truly sorry Man's dominion has broken Nature's social union"
  "Still, friend, you're blessed compared with me! . . . Only present dangers make you flee
  

Read The Bean Trees to page 120 for Thur/Fri

Thur/Friday

1. Finish Of Mice and Men this weekend. Be prepared to discuss Monday and for a 15 point test Thursday/Friday (we will study poetry again on Tue/Wed and finish discussing Of Mice and Men.)
In-class reading time today (45 minutes)
2. Vocabulary sentences--find on phone and show on projector
547 SAT words--learn all of them (ok, just "duress" through "ken," approximately 10-20 on list).
3. Watch Of Mice and Men (or read in the hall). We will not finish this movie but it is quite engagine and is, I think, a nice reward for a sunny Thur/Friday when you have to stay inside.


Final project for the semester: movie of a scene from one of the novels studied this semester. More details to follow, but it is more or less a scene from the novel with a director's commentary concerning the artistic choices made to develop themes in the book/movie. Fun!

The remainder of the semester:
1. We will read Of Mice and Men (this weekend)
2. We will read The Bean Trees for the remainder of the six weeks and have our final test over the book on June 9th/10th just before finals.
We will check out books today so that some of you can start reading it now so that you don't have so much homework later. The novel might appear daunting, but it is a fast read and I will give you a full two hours of class time to read it. Bring books next time (both novels).
3. Grammar terms
4. Final project: movie of a scene from one of the novels studied this semester. More details to follow, but it is more or less a scene from the novel with a director's commentary concerning the artistic choices made to develop themes in the book/movie. Fun!
Today:
Share poems:
In Just by e.e.cummings
I thank you God for this amazing by e.e. cummings
somewhere i have never travelled by e.e. cummings
A Passing Glimpse by Robert Frost

The Ghost House by Robert Frost
Bereft by Robert Frost
Similarities?
Reluctance by Robert Frost
October by Robert Frost
HOMEWORK:
1. Read to page 85 in Of Mice and Men. Test not until Thursday/Friday, though (19th/20th).
2.S.A.T. Vocabulary. Let's take this quiz on Monday since we haven't really had time to study the words yet.
547 SAT words--learn all of them (ok, just "duress" through "ken," approximately 10-20 on list).

Monday, May 9

The remainder of the semester:
1. Finishing Of Mice and Men (this weekend)
2. Reading The Bean Trees for the remainder of the six weeks and having our final test over the book on June 9th/10th just before finals
We will check out books today so that some of you can start reading it now so that you don't have so much homework later. The novel might appear daunting, but it is a fast read and I will give you a full two hours of class time to read it. Bring books next time (both novels).
3. Grammar terms
4. Final project: movie of a scene from one of the novels studied this semester. More details to follow, but it is more or less a scene from the novel with a director's commentary concerning the artistic choices made to develop themes in the book/movie. Fun!

Today:
Share poems:
In Just by e.e.cummings

A Passing Glimpse by Robert Frost

Fire and Ice by Robert Frost
Bring your printed (or handwritten) poem by Robert Frost or e.e. cummings and bring it to class on TuesdayWednesday (5 points)
 (no, don't try the old "can I show you the poem on my phone?" trick!)
HOMEWORK:
1. Read to page 85 in Of Mice and Men
2.S.A.T. Vocabulary for Thur/Friday--let's take this quiz on Monday since we don't really have time to 
547 SAT words--learn all of them (ok, just "duress" through "ken," approximately 10-20 on list).

Thursday, May 5

HOMEWORK:
1. Read to page 37 in Of Mice and Men
2. Print a poem by Robert Frost or e.e. cummings and bring it to class on Monday (5 points)
 (no, don't try the old "can I show you the poem on my phone?" trick!)

S.A.T. Vocabulary for next Thur/Friday
547 SAT words--learn all of them (ok, just "duress" through "ken," approximately 10-20 on list).

The Pasture      Choral rendition
   Why is this poem listed at the first of the Robert Frost Complete Poems anthology?
   What is revealed about Frost's writing in the poem?
Read 922 in The American Experience (AKA "Big Red Book" in this classroom)
The Road Not Taken
Stopping By Woods on a Winter's Eve
Nothing Gold Can Stay

Quote of the day:
"Beauty if ephemeral--because if it was there all the time, it wouldn't be beautiful"
       --Taylor Leveck
 

Of Mice and Men quiz.
The American Dream. PBS piece on the American Dream
Questions:
Why does George tell Lennie the story?
Why does George stop telling Lennie the story?

Intro to Catcher in the Rye by John Green

Catcher in the Rye Analysis, part 1 by John Green

Catcher in the Rye Analysis, part 2 by John Green

Language, Voice, and Holden in The Catcher in the Rye, part 1

Holden, JD, and the Red Cap in The Catcher in the Rye, part 2

RIP J.D. Salinger by John Green

Wednesday

Vocal Quiz
 Vocabulary for Final Exam
Catcher Her in the Oatmeal
Make a creative rewrite of a fairy tale in the voice of Holden.
Work in groups. One person writes; other people jot down specific page references (5) that show your writing is similar to Salinger's.
(or just tell me what part of the book you are plagiarizing;)
Three Little Pigs, etc. 



Extra Credit:

Film or novel that is similar to Catcher in the Rye
+4-7 points, depending on the quality of your work. Due Thur/Fri
This will raise your grade approximately 3% (87% becomes 90%, an "A")
Watch one of the following movies or read one of the following books and type two pages, double-spaced, discussing parallels between the movie/book and The Catcher in the Rye. To do this, you will need to cite at least three examples from Catcher in the Rye (the more the better, of course).
Novels: 
Franny and Zooey
Fight Club
Other
Movies:
Finding Forrester
Field of Dreams
Harold and Maude
Moonrise Kingdom
The Royal Tenenbaums
Igby Goes Down
(Note: a couple of these movies are R-rated and I can't really recommend them, if you know what I mean. At your own discretion!)