Read, Read, Read

Today in class I introduced the titles for our upcoming choice unit. Your job is to think about two things:
1) The people in your group (4-5 members--I know I said 4 in class, but let's go with 4-5)
2) Your group's book preferences.
We will take care of sorting out groups and preferences on Monday. So for now, think about the books over the weekend!

The Weight of All Things by Sandra Benitez
The last time Nicolas saw his mother, she was slumped over him, mortally wounded by gunfire that erupted in a crowded plaza during a funeral for a martyred archbishop. Watching while her body is dragged away with other victims, Nicolas believes that his mother is still alive. He vows to find her again, no matter what. Thus begins the young boy's harrowing journey through his war-ravaged country--a journey that brings him face-to-face with the danger, cruelty, and violence inflicted today on so many parts of the world by terrorism and repression. Inspired by real events, this gripping yet poignant novel will solidify Benitez's place in the pantheon of contemporary authors writing brilliantly about the realities of Latin American life.http://www.barnesandnoble.com
**YOU WOULD NEED TO PURCHASE YOUR OWN COPY OF THE WEIGHT OF ALL THINGS

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Unstuck in time, Billy Pilgrim, Vonnegut's shattered survivor of the Dresden bombing, relives his life over and over again under the gaze of aliens; he comes at last to some understanding of the human comedy. The basis of George Roy's great 1972 film and perhaps the signature student's novel in the 1960's embracing protest and the absurdity of war.http://www.barnesandnoble.com
**YOU WOULD NEED TO PURCHASE YOUR OWN COPY OF SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE

The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, "each the other's world entire," are sustained by love. Awesome in the totality of its vision, it is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of: ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation.**Winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Fictionhttp://www.barnesandnoble.com

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
An engineer by training, Ashoke adapts far less warily than his wife, who resists all things American and pines for her family. When their son is born, the task of naming him betrays the vexed results of bringing old ways to the new world. Named for a Russian writer by his Indian parents in memory of a catastrophe years before, Gogol Ganguli knows only that he suffers the burden of his heritage as well as his odd, antic name. Lahiri brings great empathy to Gogol as he stumbles along a first-generation path strewn with conflicting loyalties, comic detours, and wrenching love affairs. With penetrating insight, she reveals not only the defining power of the names and expectations bestowed upon us by our parents, but also the means by which we slowly, sometimes painfully, come to define ourselves. The New York Times has praised Lahiri as "a writer of uncommon elegance and poise." The Namesake is a fine-tuned, intimate, and deeply felt novel of identity.http://www.barnesandnoble.com

Black Boy by Richard Wright
Black Boy is Richard Wright’s unforgettable story of growing up in the Jim Crow South. Published in 1945, it is often considered a fictionalized autobiography or an autobiographical novel because of Wright’s use of fiction techniques (and possibly fictional events) to tell his story. Nevertheless, the book is a lyrical and skillfully wrought description of Wright’s hungry youth in rural Mississippi and Memphis, told from the perspective of the adult Wright, who was still trying to come to grips with the cruel deprivations and humiliations of his childhood. http://www.barnesandnoble.com

Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver
Dreamless and at the end of her rope, Codi comes back to Grace, Arizona to confront her past and face her ailing, distant father. What the finds is a town threatened by a silent environmental catastrophe, some startling clues to her own identity, and a man whose view of the world could change the course of her life. Blending flashbacks, dreams, and Native American legends, Animal Dreams is a suspenseful love story and a moving exploration of life's largest commitments. With this work, the acclaimed author of The Bean Trees and Homeland and Other Stories sustains her familiar voice while giving readers her most remarkable book yet. http://www.barnesandnoble.com

After I introduced the books today, we used class time to work on reading.
Homework: Read pp. 109-149

She's got Style

After talking about the reading today, we took a closer look at Markandaya's writing. If you were absent, you should get the notes on the syntax technique that we discussed in class.

Homework: Read pp. 71-108.

It's a Boy!

After the vocab quiz today, we discussed the reading.

If you were absent, you'll need to come in outside of class to make up the quiz. The following discussion work should be completed in your notebook:

For each of the following quotes, discuss:
a. the speaker and context
b. the underlying philosophy present in the statement.
c. whether or not you agree with the underlying philosophy
d. Write 2 statements—1) a description, and 2) a prediction—about the character based on the quote and its underlying philosophy. WRITE THE STATEMENTS IN YOUR NOTEBOOK ON A PAGE ENTITLED, “NECTAR EXPOSITION.”

1. “While the sun shines on you and the fields are green and beautiful to the eye, and your husband sees beauty in you which no one has seen before, and you have a good store of grain laid away for hard times, a roof over you and a sweet stirring in your body, what more can a woman ask for? (8).

2. “I have not lied to him, there has just been this silence” (22).

3. “It was business and nothing else with him, never a word of chaff or a smile—or perhaps it was the flattery I missed—and I would much rather have had it the other way; but there you are, you cannot choose” (23).

4. “Bend like the grass, that you do not break” (28).

5. “Yet I thought you would know better, who live by the land yet think of taking from it without giving” (32).

HW: Read pp. 35-70; Nectar Vocab on Edline--due next Tuesday

Dawn

We began class by completing a final response to Night. In our ensuing discussion, students shared that the book was thoroughly engaging and is one of the best pieces we've read this year. We ended the hour with a quick intro to Nectar in a Sieve. The reading homework for tomorrow (per the Nectar bookmark) is pages. 3-34.

Also, the Night vocab quiz is tomorrow. Study your vocab. cards as well as the cultural words that are defined for you on the second page of the vocabulary assignment.

Below is the full Nectar in a Sieve reading schedule:

The date indicates the night you should read the assigned pages as homework:

Apr. 27: pp. 3-34
Apr. 28: pp. 35-70
Apr. 29: pp. 71-108
Apr. 30: pp. 109-149
May 1: pp. 150-186

Night Falls

We began class today with a quiz on chapters 6-9. Then we had our final Night panel discussion. Homework: read something!!

Night, continued

Today we discussed chapters 6-7 and watched Oprah and Elie.

Homework: Finish book

Night, continued

We began class today with a quiz on chapters 4-5. Then we had the chapter 5 panel discussion. Oprah and Elie took us to the end.

Homework: read chap. 6-7; 6-7 panel people, complete your response.

Night, continued

Today we completed an anticipation guide and talked about various elements of the Holocaust. I also collected vocab cards. Then we had the chapter 4 panel discussion. After the panel discussion, we watched some of Oprah and Elie.

Homework: Read chapter 5

**If you were absent, turn in vocab cards first thing tomorrow!!

Night Falls

Today we took a reading quiz and had the panel discussion for chap. 1-3. If you were absent, you should have emailed your Dalai Lama response to me.

Homework: Read Chap. 4; chap. 4 panel discussion--complete response; vocab cards due tomorrow.

Friday Fun

We shared poems today--they were awesome! The we continued discussion of the Bystanders article. Finally, I distributed Night books and we began reading.

Homework: Read pp. 3-46, chapters 1-3; prepare for panel discussion (those assigned to chapter 1 or 2-3); complete the Dalai Lama response; Work on vocab--due Tuesday.

If you were absent, please try to procure a copy of Night (I know they sell it at Target for $8) and complete the reading. You may print a copy of the Night discussion guide on Edline.

Bystanders of Genocide

Today we shared quotes and talked about the Power article.

If you were absent, respond to the following in your notebook:

1. What is the most important piece of learning you can take away from the article?
2. Identify the most well-crafted sentence among your group’s chosen quotes. Justify your choice.
3. Identify 3 factors, from the article, that contributed to the lack of involvement--in Rwanda--by the rest of the world.

Homework: Read the rest of "Bystanders of Genocide"--use google notebook to collect 5 quotes and comment on them; poem assignment due tomorrow (see below); Dalai Lama response due Monday; vocab (see Edline) due Tuesday.

Regarding the Poem Assignment
Make sure that you have your poem, reflection, and Works Cited for tomorrow.
Here are some Frequently Asked Questions/Comments:
1) Should I define the foreign words somewhere?
Yes, define them at the bottom of the poem in the form a mini glossary. See "The Second Coming" for a model.
2) Should my Works Cited be its own page?
Yes, it should be a separate page. HOWEVER, it should come at the end of the reflection so it should be numbered as the last page.
3) Do we need to print out and bring in our research?
No.
4) How much is this worth?
50 points.
5) This is a lot of work!
That's why it was assigned over a week ago. (Last Wednesday, to be precise.)
6) Can I use a late coupon?
No, we have no late coupons this quarter. You will lose 10% of the score for each day it is late. (Weekend days count as well.)

The Bystander Effect & Rwanda's Genocide

Class began today with discussion of a poem written by a witness to acts of genocide. Then, we discussed the Bystander Effect. During the discussion of the Bystander Effect, we began working on an assignment due Monday. It is the following:

Review the following quote from the Dalai Lama:

“The greatest threat to our world is we’re raising a generation of passive bystanders.”

•How would you respond the Dalai Lama’s statement?
•Do you agree or disagree?
•Can you point to any examples to support your assertions (besides the ones we spoke about)?
•1 -1 ½ pages double-spaced and typed
•Due Monday – 20 points

For Thursday your homework is to do some reading on the Rwandan Genocide. The following is a detailed explanation of the homework:

Please go the following link: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200109/power-genocide
The article is titled "Bystanders to Genocide" and was written by Samantha Power.
It was published in The Atlantic in September 2001.

Tonight, you will read the first five online pages of the article - see the links at the bottom of the article's first page. As you are reading, please use Google Notebook to record your thoughts. You should copy and paste 5 quotes into Google Notebook and then comment on each quote. We will use your comments as the basis for tomorrow's discussion, so please print out your work in the notebook. You do NOT need to print out the article unless you want to. We will read the second half of the article Thursday night and do the same activity.

Friday--Poetry assignment due.

Also, the Night vocab will be due next Tuesday--it is on Edline.

Monday the 13th

We began class today by discussing a William Carlos Williams poem. Then we shared explication outlines and completed individual reflections on them. If you are turning in the hard copy of your outline tomorrow, complete the following reflection:

On the back of your own outline, describe:
1. One disclaimer for your outline—one thing you only now realize that you did incorrectly.
2. One brilliant aspect of your outline.

Finally, we took an MCA practice test.

Homework: Get some rest! You've got MCA exams tomorrow. I won't see you tomorrow:( On Wednesday, we'll begin talking about why--and what happens when--people fail to act in situations.

This week you should be working on your poem activity--due FRIDAY!!
NOTE: EHS DATABASE PASSWORDS ARE ON EDLINE!

Friday

On Friday I collected summer reading proposals and we discussed (argued about) them.

Homework: Complete the explication outline for Monday.

The MCA, Part II

We began class by analyzing a poem by Martha Collins. Then, we discussed basic tips/rules for the MCA and finished the MCA practice test we began yesterday.

The summer reading proposals are due tomorrow!!

The MCA

We began class today by analyzing a poem on the projector. Then, we discussed the creative poem assignment (due 4/17). I distributed a handout about the poem assignment--see Edline or pick one up in class if you were absent. Then, we took a practice MCA passage test and reviewed the answers.

Homework: Summer reading proposal due Friday; explication outline due Monday; Poem assignment due next Friday.

HERE'S THE LINK WE USED 1ST SEMESTER FOR INFORMATION ON POETRY EXPLICATION

The Second Coming

Today we began to analyze the epigraph of Things Fall Apart, "The Second Coming," by Yeats. If you were absent, please head to Edline to print and complete the work.

Homework: Work on the summer reading proposal--due Friday. The explication outline (assigned today) is due on Monday.

Our Mission

Today in class we discussed The Mission and Things Fall Apart, first in small groups, then as a large class. If you were absent, please respond to these questions on a notebook page entitled, "Mission/TFA":

The Mission
1. What is the historical setting of this film? From whose point of view is the film made?
2. What is the role of the Spaniards in this film? the Portuguese? the Church? the Jesuits? the Guaraní? How does this film portray each of these groups of people? Who are the heroes, the villains, the victims? With which group do you sympathize? How accurate do you think the film's portrayal of these groups is?
3. How is life portrayed in the mission? Outside of it? Which is better? safer? What is the role of the mission? How has the mission changed the lives, actions, dress, and thoughts of the Guaraní? Why don't the Guaraní want to go back to the forest?
4. Does this film portray the Guaraní as having an active role in the development of their historical identity?
5. Examine power relations as depicted in this movie. How do the church, state, and Indigenous peoples interact?
6. Compare the actions of religious workers, governmental officials, and others with those in Things Fall Apart.

Comparisons
7. Compare/contrast the final acts of Father Gabriel, Rodrigo, and Okonkwo. Could you call one or all heroic? Were the final acts of the mission priests comparable to Okonkwo’s suicide?
8. Create one meaning field for Things Fall Apart and The Mission. A meaning field is a collection of thematic statements the can be made about a work of literature. In this case, create a meaning field the combines both texts. Therefore, each thematic statement you make should be applicable to both works.

Homework: Lear Extra Credit due tomorrow; summer reading proposal (Edline) due Friday.