Week of January 5-9

Monday, January 5:

• Introduce Final Essay for Short Story
• Choose any story that we read this semester and write an analysis for three different elements of fiction present in the story.
• Rough Draft due Monday, January 12
• Final Draft due Friday, January 16
• Choose a story and begin silently re-reading the story

Tuesday, January 6:

• Receive photocopy of chosen short story
• Demonstration:  actively reading your short story
• Begin actively reading your story.  You are encouraged to re-read it several times, examining a different element of fiction each time.  This is a quiet work day.

Wednesday, January 7:

• Work on outlining your essay.  Utilize the time in class to get extra help, ask questions, etc.  The essay outline is due at the end of class on Friday.

Thursday, January 8:

• No school - cold day.  Continue to work on your essay outline.

Friday, January 9:

• Computer lab day.  Finish outlining your essay and begin typing.  The essay outline is due at the end of the hour.

Week of December 15-19

Monday, December 15:

• Computer lab time to type essays
• "The Lottery" vs. The Hunger Games Compare/Contrast Essay Rough Draft due tomorrow
• Final Draft due Friday

Tuesday, December 16:

• Rough draft due
• Self-edit essays (formatting, introduction, conclusion)
• Peer-edits essays (body paragraphs essay No-Nos)

Wednesday, December 17:

• Computer lab time to edit essays
• Individual conferences with students

Thursday, December 18:

• Computer lab time to edit essays
• Individual conferences with students

Friday, December 19:

• "The Lottery" vs. The Hunger Games Compare/Contrast Essay due.  Turn in the following items stapled and in order:
• Rubric
• Final draft
• Writing Center sheet (if applicable)
• Rough draft
• Peer-edit sheet
• Watch "The Lottery"
• Have a safe and happy break: :-)

Week of December 8-12

Monday, December 8:

• Finish watching The Hunger Games
• Notes:  Compare/Contrast essay formatting

Tuesday, December 9:

• Finish Compare/Contrast essay formatting notes
• "The Lottery" vs. The Hunger Games:  Compare/Contrast Essay
• Rough Draft:  Due Tuesday, December 16
• Final Draft:  Due Friday, December 19
• Begin working on essay brainstorming sheet; this should be checked over by me before you begin writing your outline.

Wednesday, December 10:

• Check brainstorming sheet (10 points)
• Begin working on the essay outline

Thursday, December 11:

• Continue working on essay outline - due tomorrow at the end of the hour

Friday, December 12:

• Computer lab to type essays
• Essay outline due at the end of the hour (20 points)
• Rough Draft due next week Tuesday

Week of December 1-5

Monday, December 1:

• Fiction Reading + Log #21
• Read "The Lottery" (packet) in groups
• HW:  Answer just 3 of the 10 questions in the packet.  You MUST choose #7 for one of your questions.  Due tomorrow.
• Comp books will be collected on Thursday

Tuesday, December 2:

• Turn in "The Lottery" questions
• Discuss "The Lottery," especially its symbolism
• Read "The Open Boat" (p. 186) aloud together in class.  Fill in the symbolism sheet as you read (staple this inside your comp book).

Wednesday, December 3:

• Fiction Reading + Log #22
• Finish "The Open Boat" (p. 186) and the symbolism sheet

Thursday, December 4:

• Turn in comp books
• Discuss symbolism in "The Open Boat"
• Watch The Hunger Games.  Complete the symbolism sheet as you view the film.  Look for 3 examples of symbols and explain their meanings/importance.

Friday, December 5:

• Continue watching The Hunger Games and completing the symbolism sheet

Week of November 24-28

Monday, November 24:

• Discuss Elements of Fiction Analysis (passed back on Friday) - weak and strong versions of an analysis will be shown in class.  A discussion will take place, explaining why these paragraphs are considered weak and strong.
• Finish and discuss "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" (p. 369) - go over the elements of fiction
• Tone Disconnect final draft due tomorrow!

Tuesday, November 25:

• Turn in Tone Disconnect assignment
• Fiction Reading + Log #20
• Notes:  Symbolism

Have a great Thanksgiving Break! :-)

Week of November 17-21

Monday, November 17:

• Discuss "The Necklace" for tone and mood
• Notes:  Theme
• Explain Tone Disconnect Assignment
• Draft due Friday, November 21 (Computer Lab day)
• Final copy due Tuesday, November 25

Tuesday, November 18:

• Notes:  Conflict
• Read "Harrison Bergeron" (p. 216) out loud together in class, with students taking turns.  Complete the questions on the handout as you read.  Pay close attention to the theme and conflicts present in the story.  The questions are due on Thursday.

Wednesday, November 19:

• Finish reading "Harrison Bergeron" (p. 216)
• Work day for the following:
• "Harrison Bergeron" questions - due tomorrow
• Tone Disconnect rough draft - due Friday

Thursday, November 20:

• Read "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" (p. 369).  Using your comp books, analyze the story for the following elements:
• What is the story’s point of view?  How does it affect our perception of the main character?
• Is the grandmother round or flat?  Static or dynamic?  How do you know?
• How is the setting important to the story?
• What is the tone?  Mood?
• What a is major theme of the story?  Explain how you know.

Friday, November 21:

• Turn in "Harrison Bergeron" questions
• Check Tone Disconnect drafts
• Peer-edit and make changes in the computer lab

Week of November 10-14

Monday, November 10:

• Finish reading "A Pair of Tickets" (p. 132)
• Complete the elements of fiction analysis for both "To Build a Fire" and "A Pair of Tickets" - due Wednesday

Tuesday, November 11:

• Notes:  Tone + Mood
• In-class time to complete the elements of fiction analysis

Wednesday, November 12:

• Turn in elements of fiction analysis
• Fiction Reading + Log #18
• Read "Gift of the Magi" (p. 169) in groups and analyze the story for tone and mood.
• Whole-class discussion on "Gift of the Magi"

Thursday, November 13:

• Pass back and go over "Granny Weatherall" Quiz
• Finish discussing "Gift of the Magi"
• Read "The Masque of the Red Death" (p. 428 in the American Literature textbook) in your groups.  Do the following in your comp books as you read:
• Write a 1-2 sentence summary for every page you read
• Identify the tone and mood of the story after you finish reading.  Explain how you arrived at both of your answers.

Friday, November 14:

• Fiction Reading + Log #19
• Discuss "The Masque of the Red Death"
• Read "The Necklace" (packet on the handouts table) in groups.  Use one color highlighter for tone, and one color for mood.  Read through the entire story first, and determine the story's tone and mood.  Use the colors to highlight evidence for both tone and mood.

Week of November 3-7

Monday, November 3:

• Fiction Reading + Log #15
• Notes:  Setting

Tuesday, November 4:

• NO SCHOOL - Election day

Wednesday, November 5:

• Fiction Reading + Log #16
• Begin reading "To Build a Fire" by Jack London (p. 114) in groups and fill out the processing sheet as you read.  This will go in your comp book.

Thursday, November 6:

• Pass back and discuss essays
• Finish reading "To Build a Fire" (p. 114) and complete the processing sheet
• Discuss "To Build a Fire"

Friday, November 7:

• Fiction Reading + Log #17
• Read "A Pair of Tickets" (p. 132) in groups and use the "Say Something" strategy as you read

Week of October 27-31

Monday, October 27:

• Fiction Reading and Log #13
• Work on reading "Cathedral" (p. 94) and completing the t-chart
• Character Development Paragraph practice:
• We will practice organizing and writing a solid character analysis.  These skills will be modeled by using the traits we know about a famous figure to decide what conclusions we can draw from this person's traits.
• Work on the Character Development Paragraph for "Cathedral" (p. 94) - finish by Wednesday

Tuesday, October 28:

• Finish "Cathedral" (p. 94), the t-chart, and the Character Development Paragraph
• Begin reading "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall" (story packet will be handed out in class).  Follow the active reading prompts as directed in the packet.  Quality active reading responses will be modeled.
• Finish all "Cathedral" and "Granny Weatherall" activities by tomorrow - comp books will be collected at the end of the hour on Wednesday
• "Granny Weatherall" quiz on Thursday

Wednesday. October 29:

• Work on "Granny Weatherall" Qs
• Discuss "Granny Weatherall," the questions, and the "Cathedral" (p. 94) paragraphs
• Turn in composition books at the end of the hour

Thursday, October 30 (3rd hour) OR Friday, October 31 (6th hour):

• Pass back composition books
• Quiz:  "Granny Weatherall"
• Fiction Reading and Log #14

Week of October 20-24

Monday, October 20:

• Substitute teacher today:  Grab a fiction book and read "Cathedral" on p. 94 with the rest of your group members.  Group members should take turns reading and stop periodically to comment on the story.  We will finish the movie and begin writing the prompt tomorrow.

Tuesday, October 21:

• Finish watching The Sixth Sense
• The Sixth Sense Point of View Analysis - due Thursday
• What type of point of view is The Sixth Sense told from?  How does this point of view work well AND work poorly for the telling of this particular story (benefits and limitations)?  How would a different point of view alter the telling of the story?  Answer each one of these questions completely, and use paragraphs to organize your thoughts.

Wednesday, October 22:

• Fiction Reading and Log #11
• Notes:  Character Types + Development Devices

Thursday, October 23:

• Turn in The Sixth Sense Point of View Analysis
• Finish Character Development Devices notes
• Read "Down at the Dinghy" by J.D. Salinger in groups.  As you read, fill out the character development devices chart.  Name the character, determine the character development device used, give a line from the story to support your answer, and explain what the line(s) reveals about the character.  Finish this by tomorrow.

Friday, October 24:

• Fiction Reading and Log #12
• Discuss "Down at the Dinghy" and the character devices present in the story
• Begin reading "Cathedral" (p. 94) in groups and complete "What do you know, and How do you know it" t-chart in your comp books as you read.  Stop after every 2 or 3 paragraphs to process the story and complete the chart.

Week of October 13-17

Monday, October 13:

• Rough Draft due
• Peer-editing day.  Try and get more than 1 student to edit your essay.
• Final Copy due on Thursday

Tuesday, October 14:

• Parent letter for The Sixth Sense.  We will be viewing the movie after turning in essays on Thursday; please let me know by then if you need an alternative assignment.
• Computer lab to edit rough drafts
• Students will be called one-by-one for a conference with me.  Conferences will continue tomorrow.

Wednesday, October 15:

• Last day of computer lab time before essays are turned in tomorrow.  Conferences will continue during this time as well.

Thursday, October 16:

• Turn in argumentative essay
• Begin watching The Sixth Sense

Friday, October 17:

• Continue watching The Sixth Sense

Week of October 6-10

Monday, October 6:

• Introduce Argumentative Essay
• Consider these three stories:  "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe, "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and "Strawberry Spring" by Stephen King.  Which story has the most unreliable narrator?  Due Thursday, October 16.
• Notes:  Counter-argument and Refutation Tips

Tuesday, October 7:

• Works Cited and plagiarism information
• Work on the argumentative essay brainstorming sheet during the hour.  If you finish early, begin working on your essay outline.  The brainstorming sheet will be checked tomorrow for 10 points.

Wednesday, October 8:

• Check brainstorming sheet
• Work on essay outline packet.  Due on Friday.

Thursday, October 9:

• Go over Formal Paper No-Nos
• Computer lab time to type essays/finish outlines/student-teacher conferences

Friday, October 10:

• Check essay outlines
• Review:  MLA formatting
• Computer lab time for essays.
• Rough Draft due on Monday

Week of September 29-October 3

Monday, September 29:

• Fiction Reading and Log #9
• Read "A Haunted House" (p. 41) and complete the pronoun study (in your comp book)

Tuesday, September 30:

• Turn in Point of View Assignment
• Discuss "A Haunted House" (p. 41)
• Turn in comp book
• Begin reading "The Yellow Wallpaper" (p. 436) aloud in class

Wednesday, October 1:

• Fiction Reading and Log #10
• Finish "The Yellow Wallpaper" (p. 436) as a whole class

Thursday, October 2:

• Explain the rules/expectations for Socratic Seminar
• Work on Socratic Seminar questions for the "The Yellow Wallpaper," "The Tell-Tale Heart," and "Strawberry Spring."  Due tomorrow.

Friday, October 3:

• "The Yellow Wallpaper" (and other stories) Socratic Seminar
• Get questions stamped for completion
• Sit in either the inner or outer circle.  Inner circle holds discussion for 20 minutes while the outer circle listens.  Both circles will switch places during the 2nd half of the hour; all students will have participated in discussion by the end of the hour.
• Write a reflection of your participation on the rubric.  Turn in your rubric and questions by the end of the hour.

Week of September 22-26

Monday, September 22:

• Fiction Reading and Log #6
• Begin reading "Strawberry Spring" in groups.  Use the symbols described in the "Thinking Notes" to respond to text by writing in the margins.  Finish reading the story for homework.

Tuesday, September 23:

• Complete the "Strawberry Spring" questions (write the answers in your comp book)
• Discuss "Strawberry Spring" by sharing your thinking notes and discussion questions
• Point of View Writing Assignment instructions
• Write a page-long story using 1st person point of view.  Then re-write the same story using 3rd person objective point of view.  Finally, write a reflection explaining the benefits and limitations of both points of view, with a final explanation of which point of view is more effective in telling your story and why.  Due next week Tuesday.

Wednesday, September 24:

• Fiction Reading and Log #7
• Notes:  Showing Devices

Thursday, September 25:

• Watch "The Tell-Tale Heart"
• In groups, look for reasons why the story's point of view is effective and details that identify the speaker as an unreliable narrator.
• Discuss the point of view and the narrator's unreliability.  Share quotes from the story that identify the speaker as an unreliable narrator.  Finally, choose two quotes that act as the best pieces of evidence.  Why are these quotes better to use than the others?

Friday, September 26:

• Fiction Reading and Log #8
• Notes:  Analytic Writing
• In your groups, use the two unreliable narrator quotes chosen yesterday to write an analytic body paragraph explaining why the narrator is unreliable.  These belong in your comp books.
• Turn in comp books for the weekend

Week of September 15-19

Monday, September 15:

• Fiction Reading and Log #3 (write this in your composition book)
• Plot Writing Assignment for "A&P"
• Using your notes and a book, write about the elements of plot as they appear in the story, "A&P" (p. 16).  Define the terms:  exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.  Then describe (using complete sentences) the contents of the various elements of the story and support your thinking.

Tuesday, September 16:

• Finish and turn in "A&P" Plot Writing Assignment
• Notes:  Point of View
• Activity:  Identifying Point of View/Narrative Perspective
• Identify the point of view of 15 short passages.  Determine if the point of view is 1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person omniscient, 3rd person limited, or 3rd person objective.  Explain how you arrived at your answer.

Wednesday, September 17:

• Fiction Reading and Log #4 (write this in your composition book)
• Go over the Identifying Point of View Activity
• Begin reading "A Rose for Emily" (p. 29) in groups, using the "Say Something" reading strategy

Thursday, September 18:

• Finish reading "A Rose for Emily" (p. 29) in groups and work on the questions.  Staple the handout with the questions into your composition book (this should be your 7th entry).  In addition, in your groups, write one open-ended discussion question for each section (5 questions total) - we will use them tomorrow to discuss the reading.

Friday, September 19:

• Fiction Reading and Log #5 (write this in your composition book)
• Discuss "A Rose for Emily"
• Notes:  Unreliable Narrator

Week of September 8-12

Monday, September 8:

• Finish Introduction/Elements of Plot notes
• Class website information:  access the website through ePark2 by Friday
• Read "Cinderella" in groups.  Write an analysis for each of the following terms:  plot, point of view, character, setting, tone/style, mood/voice, theme, symbolism.  We will finish and discuss these tomorrow.
• HW:  Bring a fiction book by Wednesday

Tuesday, September 9:

• Discuss the literary elements for "Cinderella"
• Read "The Appointment in Sammara" (p. 6) and "Godfather Death" (p. 11) in the fiction book.  Take turns reading aloud in your small groups using the "Say Something" reading strategy described in class.  As you read, determine how both stories do not fit the modern short story genre.  Be prepared to use the text for support as you explain your answers tomorrow.
• Getting-to-know-you questionnaire

Wednesday, September 10:

• Fiction Reading and Log #1 (write this in your composition book)
• Finish discussing "The Appointment in Sammara" and "Godfather Death"

Thursday, September 11:

• Thinking notes to encourage close reading
• Read "A & P" together in groups (p. 16).  Use the techniques from both the thinking notes and "Say Something" strategy as you read.  I will stop the groups every few minutes to discuss what we know from the reading.
• Begin completing questions #2, 4, 6, and 8
• HW:  ePark login due tomorrow!

Friday, September 12:

• Fiction Reading and Log #2 (write this in your composition book)
• Finish completing "A & P" questions - due at the end of the hour