Tuesday / Wednesday 18/19 October

In class students wrote about a time that they left someone or someplace, or about a time that someone left them.

Students were told that next week they will begin working on telling one of their own stories using the graphic story telling format.

We reviewed how narration is done in a square box in a graphic panel.

Then we discussed the political spectrum in relationship to Uncle Anoosh and Margi's father's argument on page 62.

  Finally there was SSR time.

Thursday / Monday 13 / 16 October

In class students turned in their essay's from last class. We reviewed the role of topic sentences as not only the main idea of body paragraphs, but as providing support for the thesis.

Students wrote quiz questions for the chapter "The Hero" and we answered and discussed these questions, as well as analyzing the quality of the questions.

Finally we read a article on the history of the SAVAK. Students can get this article from Mr. Zartler. We analyzed the article for evidence of U.S. involvement with the SAVAK; for themes of revenge; finally we tried to answer the question, "Was the SAVAK successful?"

WE added the word "mediocre" to the vocabulary list.

Students were assigned to read Persepolis through page 71 for next week.

Tuesday / Wednesday 11/12 October

In class students turned in SSR sheets and got new ones which will be due on October 31st.

We worked as a class on analyzing the following panels from Persepolis.

We read and discussed the end of "The Party" as an example of the importance of 'forgiveness' as a theme.

Students were assigned the following short essay as homework:

Thursday, 2 June

EXTENSION!

The deadline for Woman Warrior papers is extended until Monday, June 6th!

All students should have read "Every Tongue Shall Confess" and "Our Lady of Peace" for Friday.

Short stories due for Monday are "The Ant of Self" and "Drinking Coffee Elsewhere".

Major Due Dates till the end of the year

Accelerated Sophomore English: Due Dates till end of term.

Wednesday / Thursday 25/26 May  -- Woman Warrior Presentations Book Check out Drinking Coffee Elsewhere

Friday 27 May – Essay Preparation in class. Analytical Essay on The Woman Warrior to be due on or before the beginning of class, Friday, 3 June.

In a 3-4 page essay analyze a major theme of the The Woman Warrior explaining how the structure of the narrative helps develop and explain the theme.

Monday 30 May – Memorial Day

Tuesday 31 May – Due “Brownies” from Drinking Coffee Elsewhere

Wednesday / Thursday 1/2 June – assigned story due; group study and lesson preparation

Friday 3 June – Due Analytical Essay on The Woman Warrior

Due “Every Tongue Shall Confess” and “Our Lady of Peace” from Drinking Coffee Elsewhere

Monday 6 June – “The Ant of the Self” and “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere” from Drinking Coffee Elsewhere due

Tuesday 7 June – “Speaking in Tongues” and “Geese” from Drinking Coffee Elsewhere due

Wednesday/ Thursday 8/9 June –Drinking Coffee Elsewhere activities

Final Exam “Doris is Coming” from Drinking Coffee Elsewhere due

Period 3: 10 June; Periods 4/5: 13 June; Period 7: 14 June

In class essay: “How is “Doris Is Coming” related to the collection Drinking Coffee Elsewhere.

23 May, 2011

Today in class students presented their findings with relevant quotes on the themes of:

Voice / Speaking/ Silence
Ghosts
Males v. Females
Food
Culture.

We also reviewed the requirements for the presentations of the multimedia projects that are due tomorrow.

Presentations should be short and should explain:
What is shown by the project.
How the project shows what it does.
Why understanding this aspect of The Woman Warrior is important.

16-20 May

Students worked in small groups to analyze themes in The Woman Warrior.

Presentations were made Wednesday/ Thursday and finished on Friday.

Students did small group work on Friday for Monday presentations on the topics of

Voice/ Speaking / Silence
Ghosts
Males v. Females
Food
Culture

Monday, 16 May

Today in class we discussed a number of issues.

We considered what the first sentences of each of the sections had in common.

We considered the importance and significance of the last line of the book, "It translated well."

We began a chart that helps analyze the process of translation

Who translates    |  What do they translate?         |  For whom?          |  To whom?

Maxine               |  Chinese Culture/Traditions    | Brave Orchid        | The pharmacist

Maxine               | Story of "No Name Woman" | No Name Woman | the reader

etc.

We discussed the following major assignment:                              

NEXT MAJOR ASSIGNMENT

Woman Warrior Multi-Media Investigation  May 2011

Due: Tuesday, May 24^th. (50 points)

The memoir The Woman Warrior has many interesting themes, and an unusual and challenging structure. I find it a very rich source for discussion and contemplation.

You will be writing an essay analyzing The Woman Warrior. However, there are many ways to reach understanding of the themes raised by the complex text of the book. What questions or idas raised by the text do you find most intriguing. What do you think is the best mode to investiage this / these ideas (besides analytical essay)? Choose any (not-traditional-analytical essay) means of inquiry and investigation – drama, film, interactive web page, power point, musical performance, dance, fiction, etc. to examine a question raised by our study of the work.

Your project should help illuminate at least on of the issues and ideas raised in The Woman Warrior: Memoir of a Girlhood Among Ghosts. Including: Themes; Symbols; Structure; Style & Use of Language; and Conflicts. The best projects – which could earn extra credit – will address multiple issues and ideas. In particular a superlative project would address how these various ideas and attributes of the story interact to create meaning.

Your project must convey understanding and demonstrate analysis and be well executed.

Tuesday 10 May

Only 3rd and 4th period met.

We observed that "At the Western Palace" is written in 3rd person objective point of view and considered what this point of view meant for analyzing the story.

Students should read "At the Western Palace" for next class.

Friday-Monday 6-9 May.

Over the course of these two days we developed timelines for events portrayed in Woman Warrior, and we created a family tree for Maxine.

Wednesday-Thursday 4-5 May, 2011

In class today students were responsible for two things.

1) Meeting with their counselor to forecast for classes next year.

2) The following assignment:
(NOTE: Papers are organized by class on shelves next to the file cabinets in the southwest corner of the room.)

Sophomore Self-Evaluation May, 2011

This year you have written at least four major pieces three essays and a memoir on the topics of: Lord of the Flies; Macbeth; Night; and of course you! You are to write a two page essay (handwritten) that fulfills the requirements of one of the assignments below. You will have today in class to work on it. It is due on Monday of next week at the start of class.

Writing can be a process of discovery. When asked about all of his failed experiments, Einstein responded, “Those weren’t failures. I learned what didn’t work each time.” Sometimes our writing “works,” other times it doesn’t. One of the purposes of a portfolio is to give you time to reflect on what you’ve learned about writing — either through your mistakes or your successes. When you figure out what makes you a successful writer and articulate that on paper or in dialogue, you are more likely to transfer that knowledge to your next writing project. Find your passion in this assignment. Find a way to make it meaningful to you.

First look back through writing. I want you to begin this activity by just reading through your papers.  Read all the papers. As you read, look at the kind of growth you’ve made over the year. Take some notes on the changes you’ve witnessed in your writing.   Identify a favorite piece of your writing, a least favorite, and some places where the revision process really made a paper better.

Portfolio Essay

Use lots of great examples from your work as evidence.  (As always, evidence in every body paragraph).

Option 1, Focus on multiple examples

___Type up a list of all of the things you’ve learned about writing, i.e.:

Concrete images; specific examples; integrated quotes with page number; catchy intro; varying sentence length; active verbs; evidence in every paragraph, So what? conclusion, or other things…

___Choose and indicate three items from your list above and evaluate your use of those items in 2 or more of the writings you have included.  Do this in the context of an essay.  Your evidence in this essay will be clearly-cited passages from your own writing.  Every single body paragraph must include 1 or more passages of your own writing as evidence that you will evaluate and discuss.  (Note English 3-4: This could be a simple comparison of your writing in the two main essays: the Patriotism and the Iran-Policy compare/contrast essay)

Option 2, Focus on one piece of Writing

            ___Imagine for a moment that you have been recognized as one of the year’s outstanding

writers.  Part of the award is a speech about one piece of your writing this year.  Write the speech you would give with lots of detailed examples from this piece of writing.

            ___Tell  how you “got” this piece and why you wrote this piece the way you did.

            ___Tell what several selections say about your ability to write—use of an effective

            introduction, development of a powerful argument, use of imagery and rhythm, etc.

            ___Note the changes you made during revision.  Mark them on your drafts, number

            your drafts and include passages in this discussion of your use of the revision

            process.   How do these changes reflect new knowledge about writing?

            ___Discuss the role your classmates played in improving your writing

            ___Discuss your observations about what good writing is by using examples from

            your work, the work of your peers, or the work of professional writers.

Every single body paragraph must include 1 or more passages of your own writing as evidence that you will evaluate and discuss.

Tuesday, 3 May

In class we considered the following issues, ideas, and questions in relation to "Shaman."

1)    In this section how does the narrator present her mother?  What is her tone?  Find and use quotes from the section to illustrate your point.  Describe what you take from the quotes and why.

2)    In what ways are the narrator’s mother’s experiences in China surprising considering her life in America.  Use quotes to illustrate your thinking.

3)    Describe the ghosts and spirits presented in this section.  How are they similar to and different from ghosts and spirits in previous chapters.  Be sure to use, and annotate quotes from each chapter.

4)    How can the To Keung School of Midewifery be seen as an example for the American born narrator?

May 2nd, 2011

In class today students were assigned new seats.

Students were reminded to remove "Millions Projects" and "Memorial Projects" that are not on display before the end of the week.

Students received grade printouts.

Students were reminded to bring to class for Tuesday (switched to Wednesday/ Thursday) any essays that they wrote this year that are not in class already.

Mr. Zartler will travel to Washington D.C. for the final time this week.

Students will be meeting with their counselors to forecast during block day this week.

In class we studied a critical essay on "Talk Story" see Mr. Zartler for a copy of the essay.

Thursday, 28 April

In class we considered ghosts, not only in our own experience, and in our popular culture, but in the text of The Woman Warrior.

The class was broken into small groups to analyze what it is that one learns about the narrator (Maxine) from the stories she tells about others. These analyses will be shared at the start of class Friday.

Tuesday, 26 April

In class today we analyzed the final segment of the chapter "White Tigers."

We examined controversial issues and topics that are raised by the narrator in the last few pages of the section. We analyzed her attitude towards the topic/ issue, and we considered what her mother's attitude was; what other Chinese-American Immigrants likely think; and what "most" dominant culture American's think.

HOMEWORK

Read through page 87 (where there is a break) in "Shaman.

Monday, 25 April

Today we discussed the various frames of reference and various frames that stories and stories within sections of The Woman Warrior create. We read a translation of a 5th or 6th Century poem telling the story of Mulan, the "same" character at the center of the main narrative in "White Tigers."

We created a chart showing similarities and differences among these stories. The differences provide a key insight into why the stories are being told. Below is one example of the charts.

Homework:

Read the rest of "White Tigers". As you read consider the following questions (which are really different ways of asking the same thing).

Why does the narrator use the subjunctive (to transition the frame on page 20)? Why does the narrator hide (or make less obvious) the change in frame that occurs on page 20?

In class today we wrote in response to the question: What is magic? (What is magic in general terms, and in terms of White Tigers.)

We considered what the "rules" for the world of "White Tigers" are. 

We examined the sentence " I would have to grow up a warrior woman." Who's sentiment is being expressed?

We examined the sentence, "The call would come from a bird that flew over our roof." We learned a bit about the subjunctive mood (e.g. "would come") which is typically used to express a wish, emotion possibility, judgment, opinion, necessity or action that has not yet occurred.

18-21 April

We spent much time this week enjoying the amazing presentations of memorial projects.

On Tuesday when the first section of The Woman Warrior was due, we studied the first two sentences of the memoir.

The second sentence does the opposite of what the mother tells her daughter in the first sentence. Therefore the function of the second sentence is to illustrate that there is conflict between the mother and the daughter.

The class was presented with "layers" in the text

Words
Story
Symbolism
Function
Frame

Wednesday/ Thursday in class I presented the following reminders and important issues to pay attention to:

The class divided into groups to examine "No Name Woman" according to the seven themes above. Groups presented on the themes paying attention in particular to the following:

After groups scatter visit each group and for the following group suggest:

Revenge: who takes revenge on whom? Why? Is Revenge Justice?

Family: perhaps begin with a definition of “family”

Speaking/ Silence: Who speaks? Who doesn’t? Who decides, and why?

Clash of Cultures: What cultures are involved (there are at least three).

Voice: check in that the group is clear on what is meant by feminism

Role of males v. females:

Food / Eating: point out that this is an excellent topic to explore symbolism as well as function.

Homework for Friday is:

Read "White Tigers" at least through page 31.

Be alert to shifts in "frame"

Consider what, if any, stories this part of the story reminds you of.

13-15 April, 2011

OAKS Testing in Room #145

12 April, 2011

Today in class student continued to present their amazing memorial projects.

From the library students checked out:

Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts.

The first section "No Name Woman" is due for next Monday.

As you read consider the following questions:

Who is "No Name Woman?" Who is she in the greater sense, not a literal sense.

What questions do you have about the story?

What questions do you have for the narrator? (Or what questions do you have about the narrator?)

Finally, think about the contradictions that are evident in the section.

Remember: OAKS Testing

The rest of this week go to room #145 

for OAKS Testing

Monday, 11 April

Sorry for the lack of posts last week.

We had lectures on memorial music and a slide lecture on memorial around the world last week.

Today, Memorial Projects are due.

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday 

will be OAKS testing.

Wednesday-Thursday March 20-31

In class we reviewed the questions about the genocides in Bosnia and Rwanda.

We made a list of and briefly discussed human atrocities. We considered how genocide and civil war might be regarded as different.

We watched a documentary on Mauricio Lasansky and his "Nazi Drawings."

Finally we considered the question of the relationship between art and that which is terrible.

For more details and images of all of the "Nazi Drawings" visit: http://www.lasanskyart.com/art/collections/nazidrawings/nd_tour_overview.shtml

Tuesday, 29 March

In class today I mistakenly announced to third period that they would be doing the state reading test tomorrow, that testing will be on the 13th -- my bad!

In class all students had questions, and packets to read on genocides in Bosnia and Rwanda.

Also students were given the opportunity to weigh in on what courses they would be interested in taking in English next year.

To take the survey students may go to: tinyurl.com/grantsurveyenglish

Monday, 28 March

In class today, we studied The Book of Job. We also looked at Friedrich Nietzsche's phrase, "God is dead."

Tuesday, 15 March 2011

Students turned in their Night essays today. On the back of the essay each student addressed the criteria for the assignment and argued for a grade they believed they earned. The criteria are:
3 Pages
Character Analysis
Summary / Paraphrase Evidence
Properly Embedded Quote(s)
Thesis
      supported by
Topic Sentences
     supported by
Body Paragraphs of Evidence
Transitions
Expansive Conclusion
Style & Interest

After turning the papers in we discussed teh film about Gerda Weissmann One Survivor Remembers. We focused ont eh questions about powerful scenes/ images; Nazi dehumanization of the jews (and others); the role of fantasy & delusion in survival; other examples of persecution; and hope and heroes -- both in Ms. Weissmann's story and else where in the Holocaust.

Monday, 14 March

Today we viewed a film that tells the story of Holocaust survivor Gerda Weissmann. We will discuss the film after tomorrow after essays are turned in.

11 March, 2011

Rough Drafts were due today.

On the left in the photo below are the requirements for the essay.

On the right are the steps we followed in class for peer response.

Tue-Thursday 8-10 March

In class we have been working on revising thesis statements, developing outlines, and writing topic sentences for the essays. Rough Drafts are due on Friday. Below is a snap shot of notes about paragraph structure of the essay. We also discussed the importance of having a topic sentences that support the thesis statement of the essay, and which are supported by the evidence in the paragraph.

Monday, 7 March

Today we discussed the nature of the character analysis essay due next week. Below are two version of the notes for the day.

Homework: Write a thesis statement and identify two formative and two illustrative events in Elie's life.

Next Deadlines

All students should have completed their reading of Night by Monday, 7 March.

Next week we will begin writing the first essay of the Night unit. This essay will be character analysis of Ellie. It is important to note that the memoir Night covers three years in his life, and that Ellie waited ten years after the events he writes about before he wrote the book.

Students may want to consider whether Night is the story of one or of more than one change in Ellie.

Tuesday/Wednesday/ Thursday 1 - 3 March

The Close Reading of Night (Chap 1-3) work is the focus of class this week.

Students self divide into expert groups on a quote. In these groups they discuss there initial analysis; find common understandings and insights; and they discuss alternative interpretations. After a thorough examination of the quote in the expert group, the experts create a mini-lesson / presentation for the class to help everyone understand the meaning / significance (or multiple meanings / significance) of each passage.

This activity is repeated for three sections of questions.

After each round of presentations, the class debriefs the presentations? How was the presentation effective in helping students read the text closely? Was the presentation clear?

Monday, 28 February, 2011

Millions Projects are due; projects were shared.

The following assignment is due tomorrow:

Close Reading of Night

Chapters 1-3

There are many different issues to address when reading Night. The passages I have selected below are ones that address some of the most significant and recurring issues. First review the entire set of references. Choose five of the passages to write very detailed responses to. Create a journal entry or note on each of the passages.

Page 5

“What question and answer is one?”

Page 10

“The Eight Days of Passover.

            The weather was sublime.”

Irony. Are there other examples of irony in the text?

Page 12

“Most people thought that we would remain in the ghetto until the end of the war, until the arrival of the Red Army. Afterward everything would be as before. The ghetto was rules by neither German nor Jew; it was ruled by delusion.”

Could Ellie have had this point of view from the Ghetto?

Is being ruled by delusion always bad?

Page 20

“Oh God, Master of the Universe, in your infinite compassion, have mercy on us…”

Will this prayer be answered?

Page 24

Mr. Schachter cries out, “Look! Look at this fire! This terrible fire! Have mercy on me!” Ellie relates, “Some pressed against the bars to see. There was nothing. Only the darkness of night.”

How do you explain this episode?

Page 29

“The beloved objects that we had carried with us from place to place were now left behind in the wagon, and with them, finally our illusions.”

What objects in your life create illusions? Would delusions be a better word in the text of Night? What about for objects in your life? Objects that you see in other peoples’ lives?

Page 30

“’Shut up, you moron, or I’ll tear you to pieces! You should have hanged yourselves rather than come here. Didn’t you know what was in store for you here in Auschwitz? You didn’t know? In 1944?’”

Should they have known?

Page 31

In the cattle car, young men and fathers have an argument. To revolt, or not. The argument is won by saying, “We mustn’t give up hope, even now as the sword hangs over our heads, So taught our sages…..”

Do you agree that this was the argument to have? Is it better to die in a hopeless battle, or to maintain hope?

Page 32

A truck load of babies is dumped in a flames.

Ellie writes, “I did see this, with my own eyes … children thrown into the flames. (is it any wonder that ever since then, sleep tends to elude me?)

There are those today who deny that The Holocaust of WWII happened. Do you think the monstrosity of the events makes it easier, or harder to deny the truth?

Page 33

“I don’t know whether, during the history of the Jewish people, men have ever before recited Kaddish for themselves.

Ellie writes, “For the first time, I felt anger rising within me. Why should I sanctify His name? The Almighty, the eternal and terrible Master of the Universe, chose to be silent. What was there to thank Him for?

What would you say to Ellie? Is what you would say were you standing next to him in 1943 be different from what you would say to him were you to meet him today?

Page 34

“Never shall I forget.”

Consider this passage in the center of the page.

Page 42

“I became A-7713.”

What is the importance of a name? What is the significance of making a person a number?

Page 45

“Akiba Drumer said:

            ‘God is testing us. He wants to see whether we are capable of overcoming our base instincts, of killing the Satan within ourselves. We have no right to despair. And if HE punishes us mercilessly, it is a sig that He loves us that much more…”

Page 46

“How we would have liked to believe that. We pretended, for what if one of us still did believe?”

Is this kind of belief a delusion, or a source of power?

Page 46

“On the way, we saw some young German girls. The guards began to tease them. The girls giggled. They allowed themselves to be kissed and tickled, bursting with laughter. They all were laughing, joking, and passing love notes to one another. At least, during all that time, we endured neither shouting nor blows.”

Are bystanders evil? Guilty? Can the girls be held libel for being girls?

Consider the passages that I have asked you to pay special attention to above. Now read, or review Chapter 4 (pages 47-65). Which passages seem most important to you in this section. Copy the passage down; write a question or prompt that you think is important to consider in conjunction with the passage. You should have at least two passages.

Friday , 25 February, 2011

Poems were turned in and shared in class. Before sharing the poems students did a self evaluation of the poem that included:

Iindicate using a key passages of 1) Vivid Language 2) Use of metaphor 3) Passages with emotional content (describe the intended mood / tone) 4) Indicate other areas of strength e.g. if you wrote to have rhyme, rhythm, interesting sounds, etc.

Below is an example.

Wednesday Thursday, 22-23 February

Reminder: Poem inspired by "The Things They Carried" is due on Friday.
"Millions Project" is due on Monday.

The following assignment is due next Tuesday.

Close Reading of Night

Chapters 1-3

There are many different issues to address when reading Night. The passages I have selected below are ones that address some of the most significant and recurring issues. First review the entire set of references. Choose five of the passages to write very detailed responses to. Create a journal entry or note on each of the passages.

Page 5

“What question and answer is one?”

Page 10

“The Eight Days of Passover.

            The weather was sublime.”

Irony. Are there other examples of irony in the text?

Page 12

“Most people thought that we would remain in the ghetto until the end of the war, until the arrival of the Red Army. Afterward everything would be as before. The ghetto was rules by neither German nor Jew; it was ruled by delusion.”

Could Ellie have had this point of view from the Ghetto?

Is being ruled by delusion always bad?

Page 20

“Oh God, Master of the Universe, in your infinite compassion, have mercy on us…”

Will this prayer be answered?

Page 24

Mr. Schachter cries out, “Look! Look at this fire! This terrible fire! Have mercy on me!” Ellie relates, “Some pressed against the bars to see. There was nothing. Only the darkness of night.”

How do you explain this episode?

Page 29

“The beloved objects that we had carried with us from place to place were now left behind in the wagon, and with them, finally our illusions.”

What objects in your life create illusions? Would delusions be a better word in the text of Night? What about for objects in your life? Objects that you see in other peoples’ lives?

Page 30

“’Shut up, you moron, or I’ll tear you to pieces! You should have hanged yourselves rather than come here. Didn’t you know what was in store for you here in Auschwitz? You didn’t know? In 1944?’”

Should they have known?

Page 31

In the cattle car, young men and fathers have an argument. To revolt, or not. The argument is won by saying, “We mustn’t give up hope, even now as the sword hangs over our heads, So taught our sages…..”

Do you agree that this was the argument to have? Is it better to die in a hopeless battle, or to maintain hope?

Page 32

A truck load of babies is dumped in a flames.

Ellie writes, “I did see this, with my own eyes … children thrown into the flames. (is it any wonder that ever since then, sleep tends to elude me?)

There are those today who deny that The Holocaust of WWII happened. Do you think the monstrosity of the events makes it easier, or harder to deny the truth?

Page 33

“I don’t know whether, during the history of the Jewish people, men have ever before recited Kaddish for themselves.

Ellie writes, “For the first time, I felt anger rising within me. Why should I sanctify His name? The Almighty, the eternal and terrible Master of the Universe, chose to be silent. What was there to thank Him for?

What would you say to Ellie? Is what you would say were you standing next to him in 1943 be different from what you would say to him were you to meet him today?

Page 34

“Never shall I forget.”

Consider this passage in the center of the page.

Page 42

“I became A-7713.”

What is the importance of a name? What is the significance of making a person a number?

Page 45

“Akiba Drumer said:

            ‘God is testing us. He wants to see whether we are capable of overcoming our base instincts, of killing the Satan within ourselves. We have no right to despair. And if HE punishes us mercilessly, it is a sig that He loves us that much more…”

Page 46

“How we would have liked to believe that. We pretended, for what if one of us still did believe?”

Is this kind of belief a delusion, or a source of power?

Page 46

“On the way, we saw some young German girls. The guards began to tease them. The girls giggled. They allowed themselves to be kissed and tickled, bursting with laughter. They all were laughing, joking, and passing love notes to one another. At least, during all that time, we endured neither shouting nor blows.”

Are bystanders evil? Guilty? Can the girls be held libel for being girls?

Consider the passages that I have asked you to pay special attention to above. Now read, or review Chapter 4 (pages 47-65). Which passages seem most important to you in this section. Copy the passage down; write a question or prompt that you think is important to consider in conjunction with the passage. You should have at least two passages.

Tuesday, 22 February

In class today we briefly discussed how the story "The Things They Carried" connects with our study of Night.

Students received the following assignment which is due on Friday.

There is another homework assignment that is due on Monday. This assignment is called "The Millions Project."

What is a million? A million is a huge number. It is hard to imagine the enormity of the Armenian Genocide or The Holocaust because it is hard for us to conceptualize the number one million. 11-12 Million humans were murdered / exterminated / killed by the Nazi's. Six million were Jewish people; six million were Romani, homosexuals, Chatholics, unionists, and people with disabilities.

What can you make to help others understand what a million is? Bring your project to class on Monday.

Friday, 18 February

In class we viewed material on the website http://www.teachgenocide.org.

It is important to note, that this site is published by a group that has a strong point of view. As you review the site, which contains disturbing information and images (be careful of yourself and especially younger siblings), look for evidence of this point of view. Recognize, too, that this point of view exists in the context of other individuals and groups claiming the events did not occur.

As you examine the website, consider our essential questions.

Wednesday-Thurrsday, 16-17 February

Students completed reading "The Things They Carried."

Key points covered include:

Relating the story to the Night Unit Essential questions (in this packet and on the white board under a magnet). Students choose one question and wrote about the connections they made with the story.

The timeline for reading Night, currently doesn't make sense. You may pause you reading where you are, or continue. If you continue, remember to complete journal entries.

Monday-Tuesday, 14-15 February

In class we reviewed the due dates for "chapters" in Night, and the requirements for journal entries during the reading. Note: the page numbers on the handout should be updated for the edition of Night currently being used:

For 2/15 through page 46
For 2/16-17 through page 65
For 2/18 through page 84
For 2/22 through page 103
For 2/23-24 through page 115 (the end)

In class we have been reading the story "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien. We have been discussing the tangible and intangible things the characters bore.

Friday, 10 February

After some review of recent activities, Guest Teacher Mr. Reinholt took students to the library to check out Night.

Then students reviewed the following handout. Time left at the end of class was used to begin journaling and reading Night.

Wednesday/ Thursday 9/10 February

In class today Guest Teacher Mr. Reinholt led an activity around the following questions:

Night: Write Around the Block #1

Theme: Religion                                    1/6

Give examples of religion as a beneficial aspect of society.

Then give examples of some horror it has caused.

Theme: Hate                                    2/6

Do all people hate?

Is hating part of being human?

What other emotion is hate most like?

Theme: Social Injustices                                    3/6

If Congress considered passing a law so that all people must carry identification with them when traveling between states to help police detect illegal aliens, would you support this idea? Why?

Theme: Social Injustices                                    4/6

At what point is violence justified to remedy social injustice?

Theme: Quest for Freedom                                    5/6

Fundamentally what are rights?

How are they established?

To what degree are they absolute?

Are there any rights that apply to all people?

Are there any that should, but don’t?

Theme: Power of the Human Spirit                                    6/6

What motivates people to keep living when in dire straits?

Tuesday, 8 February

As an introduction to the unit on Night, students wrote responses to the following words (responses included initial reactions, questions, and connotations.

family
faith
Romani
gypsy
Transylvania
Jewish
The Holocaust
memory

HOMEWORK:
Create a chart that shows:
What you know about The Holocaust
What you wonder about The Holocaust
What you want to learn about The Holocaust.

Monday, 7 February

In class we shared Memoirs in small and large groups.

Tuesday-Friday February 1-5.

This week we studied style and theme in Throne of Blood.

Students wrote an essay comparing Kurosowa's vision with their reading of Shakespeare's text for Macbeth.

Students compared their Macbeth essay with their Lord of the Flies essay (and memoir) if available to write a self-evaluation.

2nd Semester

This semester we will have three major units. The first will be based on the memoir Night, by Nobel Prize winner Ellie Wiesel. The second major unit will be based on the contemporary memoir by Maxine Hong Kingston The Woman Warrior.

The third unit will be based on independent reading and research from a list of world authors.

Finals

Students Final exams have two parts:
 

1) Final check and self evaluation of Macbeth paper.

A)Check they essay that is due. Ensure that the title of the play is in italics or underlined.

B) Double special check the embedding of quotes in their paper. For a treat ask them to chant the “quote pattern chant” to you five times. You can also put the rubric under the document camera as a reminder of the editing details involved.

C) On the back of their paper have them hand write a self-evaluation that speaks to the quality of their paper given the assignment and the amount of effort they put into the paper.

Turn in essay.

West White Board Red Ink

2) Viewing and note taking on Throne of Blood.

A) Understand that the film IS the story of Macbeth, though not the plot, or words. (it’s a retelling using Japanese Samurai.)

B) Students will view the second part of the film on Tuesday, and then write an in-class essay on Thursday of next week that responds to the following questions:

C) In what ways are Throne of Blood and Macbeth thematically similar. IN what ways are they thematically dissimilar?  How does the film’s style (visuals, sound design, acting, etc,) contribute to showing the theme Kurosawa wanted to show?

 In class we discussed:

You should help students discuss and understand the differences between theme and plot. Then help students think about “style” means in terms of direction.  You may prompt them that in terms of style the first thing they will note is that the music accompanying the titles will grate on their nerves and set a disturbing tone. Then there will be fog, and fog will suggest mystery…. Be sure that students take notes. 

Monday-Tuesday, 24-25 January

 In class on Monday we divided Macbeth into acts and searched for passages that reflected the chain of being and for passages that seemed to relate to the four suggested topics for the essay.

Macbeth essays are due at the beginning of the final exam period. Students will have a self-evaluation activity on the essay, and an activity to extend the study of Macbeth: viewing Kurosawa's Throne of Blood.

Memoir Day, 21 January, 2011

Writer's turned in their drafts. Periods 3&4 should have printed an extra draft for Mr. Zartler (in addition to the one for Karen Karbo.)

Some final thoughts:

The first draft is for you to tell yourself the story. The next drafts are for you to tell the story to someone else.

Whatever writing assignment you have: Find the place where you have an emotional engagement with the topic.

Give yourself some time; some space; thus the "soft deadline" preceded the "Dead-deadline" by a week.

18-19 January

We viewed Polanski's Macbeth. We reviewed these handouts for the Macbeth essay.

Memoir are due tomorrow!

Memoir Day -- Tuesday, 18 January

1,000 Words due Friday, 21 January!

Extra Credit -- a bit is available to any students who attend the WITS Reading at Broadway books, tomorrow, Wednesday, 19 January at 7 pm. Broadway Books is located at 1714 NE Broadway.

Media Training : Follow these three rules for success:

1) You don't have to talk to the media.

2) Stop and think before you answer

3) If you mess up, ask for a "do-over." The reporter will almost always say, "sure!"

Revising is not editing

First Look at the First Sentence:

Make your opening an "Away We Go" sentence; it should be powerful and seductive. Make sure the verbs are "action verbs." Try to make the content unusual or surprising.

Famous First Sentences:

"Call me Ishmael." -- Moby Dick

"It was a bright cold day in April and the clocks were striking thirteen." -- 1984

"The King was pregnant." The Left Hand of Darkness.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only." -- Tale of Two Cities

Eliminate these useless words: actually; totally; completely; exactly; very; in fact; kind of; of course. (These words may belong in dialogue, but in your writing just get rid of them if they are not a direct quote.)

No L33T speak! Don't write it the way you would text it.

No Adverbs. Cut them. These words are flabby and weaken the writing (or are a sign that you haven't down the "showing" that they substitute for.

Don't repeat yourself. Don't say the same things twice in a row: See? It's redundant. It's repetitive.

Tuesday, 11 January

MEMOIR DAY

Wednesday, January 19th is the reading at Broadway Books. Students in Periods 3 & 4 can earn a small amount of extra credit if they finish their piece in time and read it at Broadway books.

Word Processed document due IN CLASS.

Where to start (A GREAT RULE OF THUMB): In Media Res : This is Latin for "in the middle of things". It is a great place to start. Skip the background and explanations, just get to when things are going.... Start as late in the story as possible..... Begin with dialogue in the middle of a conversation .... Begin with action and / or conflict .....


January, 14th you must bring a printed (computed / typed) copy!

Monday, 10 January

In class today we watched act II and the beginning of Act III of Macbeth.

Friday, 10 January -- MEMOIR DAY

1,000 Word Memoir Due: Friday, 21 January, 2011
Typed, proof-read, margins, title, etc.

Next Friday: "Soft-Deadline" Next weeks work will go home with you for final revision and editing.

(January 13/14 is an additional Memoir Day devoted to peer sharing and revision.)

Your piece should have : EMOTION (It will be better -- and easier to write if your memoir has emotion)
Strong emotions (those that include embedded conflict which is vital for a story) include:
Fear
Sadness
Anger
Misunderstood (a good topic is where you can tell your side of the story)
Nostalgia (which is a kind of sadness)

MEMOIR TOPIC Title: _______________________
1. What happens?

2. Change

3. Motivating emotion

4. Telling detail (or two) / elements
Telling Detail -- that moment, event, object, etc. that helps make the shift or the emotion clear and dramatic
Elements are those landmarks in the story that take you from moment to moment in the story.

Generally it's easier to write a piece where the shift happens in one event; not to write about a change that happens over a period of time.

Wednesday / Thursday 5-6 January

In class we finished reviewing tests on Act I and II of Macbeth.

Mr. Zartler lectured on the chain of being.

As a class we reviewed passages where the chain of being informed and enriched the metaphors.

HOMEWORK:
In 2.i and in 3.iv Macbeth sees a "bloody dagger" and the "gory locks" of Banquo's ghost. After reviewing the scenes and considering how you see Macbeth as a person write a 1-4 paragraph (rough) essay explain whether if you were directing a production of Macbeth you would create the scene so that the audience sees the dagger and / or the ghost or not. Explain why you make this choice. Due Monday.

Friday is Memoir day. By the end of class each writer should be committed to a topic.

Tuesday, 4 January, 2010 MEMOIR DAY

MEMOIR DEADLINE: 21 January, 2011 -- 1,000 words!

Periods 3&4 are invited to read at Broadway Books on the 19th of January, if they have finished their piece and worked with Karen to perfect it! All are invited to come hear their peers read!

Memoir: A story about oneself; some aspect of memory; non-fiction; that features CHANGE (a shift); writing from a place of emotion

We read a piece "Static" by last year Grant Senior Nellie Papsdorf. We listened for details of sensory details. For example ..... mother walking in; the smell of Marlboro's; smoke the color of sidewalks on different days;

We paid special attention to the way the story shows that the narrator (Nellie) changed. (America has a myth of "coming of age" stories that imply that one day we grow up. But, really, it is more honest to recognize that becoming an adult is the result of a series of (often subtle) shifts.

We began to shift from writing to a prompt towards writing that is more focused on showing something (e.g. the shifting towards adulthood). "Static" is a finished piece of writing. It is the result not only of responding to a prompt, but careful and focused revision.

The prompt today was to focus on a time when there was a shift in your life.

What contributes to change:
People come and go (pets are people, too)
you move
you are tortured at school
you realize you have a gift / you realize that you don't

The next three weeks: By Friday the 7th you need to know your subject. Soft deadline is January 14th. A "soft" deadline is an internal deadline. That is you need to have a rough draft, one that you have typed and printed a copy of for class.

We will be adding a "Memoir Day" next week. We will work on memoir on Wednesday / Thursday in addition to next Tuesday and Friday.

Another thing that was discussed today was tone. Some people are naturally funny. Not everyone is funny. People who focus on being funny are really SERIOUS about being funny. Don't push yourself to be funny if it doesn't come naturally (seriously) to you.