Monday: Hand out Latin Roots 3; Reading of “The Hangman” and overview of lit. analysis paper due Friday OR Monday; time to work on analyzing and examining poem; additional handout on McCarthyism; begin watching second half of The Crucible
Tuesday: Finish The Crucible movie; get into groups to read and analyze “modern day” witch hunts; present and draw parallels to The Crucible
HW: Work on Literary Analysis paper
Monday: Journal – “Fall in love at least three times a day.” - Matthew Fox What have you fallen in love with? What will you fall in love with? What feeling does this give? etc. Reading of Act Two – getting to know the characters and themes; Cruelty vs. Morality handout started in class
HW: Finish “Cruelty vs. Morality” sheet
Tuesday: Journal; Watch first half of The Crucible movie to review first half of play; go over “Cruelty vs. Morality”
HW: Take-home quiz (open book) over Act II
Wednesday: Journal; collect take-home quiz; Predictive Reading Activity; read first part of Act III; overview of McCarthyism/Red Scare and how this is an ALLEGORY to The Crucible; handout on Miller and McCarthyism
HW: Read “What Was McCarthyism” and answer 9 questions
Monday: MLK Jr. Day (no school)
Tuesday: Journal – “It matter not how long we live, but how.” – Bailey Tell the story of someone you know personally who has lived his/her life in an extraordinary/radical/inspiring way, or just reflect on this quotation OR write your thoughts on today’s effect on history…; share and hand in children’s books; DGP packet and brief review; Crucible Offenses Activity; Crucible Anticipation guide and “On the Fence”
HW: Continue to work on “Sinners” imitation piece
Wednesday: Journal – “Education, in its deepest sense, is continuous and lifelong and, in essence, unfinishable.” – John Hilton; selection of parts for The Crucible; begin reading of Act One
HW: ”Sinners” piece due tomorrow!
Thursday: No journal – instead, extra credit opportunity to brainstorm possible quotations or “maxims” for Laws of Life essay. Because the deadline is tomorrow, this is OPTIONAL and for extra credit! Volunteer to share “Sinners” pieces; hand out “Crucible Casting List” with roles; finish reading Act One in class, with quiz over first part.
HW: Optional “Laws of Life” essay; study for Latin roots and complete vocab. journals
Friday: Latin roots quiz; Act One Review – Character flaw activity, with presentations
Monday: Journal – “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt. What do you think of this; Turn in/share poems; Powerpoint on American Indian Life; Venn Diagram for Jackson and Samuel pieces; Reading of origin myths in small groups with “roles”
HW: Brainstorm possibilities for your own creation myth; begin looking for IR book – must show me it by next Tuesday!
Tuesday: Sorry you have a sub! Finish myths in groups; compile list of characteristics found in myths/trickster tails; overview of your own creation myth project; time to work on writing myth
HW: Work on myth
Wednesday: Journal – “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” – Leo Tolstoy What would you change in this world? What would you change in yourself to help make this happen? Overview of Puritanism and looking at how our Puritan roots affect society today; intro. to Jonathan Edwards; “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” read aloud; activity to look at Puritan theology and images in Edwards’ speech.
HW: choose an image from Edwards’ speech to illustrate, with quotation; continue to work on myth
Thursday: Journal from Writing Toward Home – where does writing hide?; check “Sinners” response and share and collect images; read Edwards’ “Young Puritan Code” and discuss; read Bradstreet’s “To My Loving Husband” and “Upon the Burning of Our House” and analyze; overview of IR; overview of Latin roots vocabulary
HW: Continue to work on myth – due TUESDAY!
Friday: Journal – MLK Day is intended to be a day of service. If you could spend it in this way, what would you choose to do, and why?; Salem Witchcraft video with video guide to give an overview in preparation for The Crucible; “Sinners” Imitation writing assignment
HW: Complete myth this weekend; work on imitation piece
Challenge yourself. Have fun learning. Get to know your classmates. Strive for excellence and your best. Be creative. Be outspoken (remember, silence is acceptance). Have intrinsic motivation. Achieve greatness. Question the world. Shout out your answers. Love learning, love literature, love life.
“I dwell in possibility –” Emily Dickinson
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” Frederick Douglass
Monday: Welcome to American Literature with Ms. York in Rm. A114! Overview of course syllabus and class; Interviewing Activity (talk to many classmates for a short 3 minute period and then choose one classmate with whom to do an in-depth interview); begin writing Partner Profile
HW: Visit this website; have parent/guardian sign syllabus and return by Jan. 9th; complete 2 paragraphs (6-8 sentences in a paragraph!) for Partner Profile
Tuesday: Journal – What does it mean to be an American? What does an American look like? Value? Dream of? etc.; sharing of partner profiles (very creative – way to go!); Carousel Activity: Around the Room; discussion of questions; Walt Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing”
HW: Read Whitman’s poem and decide who he has included. Also, who has he excluded?
Wednesday: Journal - ”The universe is made of stories, not atoms.” – Muriel Rucker What do you think of this notion? What stories have had a powerful influence on your life? ; Close reading of Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing” with questions and written response; reading of “Let America Be America Again;” Jigsaw activity for analyzing stanzas of poem
HW: Write a rough draft of either your own “I Hear America Singing” (model Whitman’s style – 10 lines, free verse) or your own “Let America Be _____________ Again” (model Hughes by using first person, catalog, 20+ lines).
Thursday: Journal – “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it.” – Lou Holtz; Share rough drafts of imitation poems with those around you; First to contribute to American voice? American Indians! Draw a Native American (break down stereotypical image afterward); Read Encounter, a children’s book about Columbus’ arrival on San Salvador from a Taino boy’s perspective; Read Sherman Alexie’s “Indian Education” and analyze what the “lesson” is that he learns in each grade level.
HW: Finish “Indian Education” and chart of lessons learned
Friday: Benchmark Pre-Test in computer lab; reading of Andrew Jackson’s address to Congress in 1830 about the Indian Removal Act and discussion of questions
HW: Read “Samuel’s Memory;” type your final draft of your imitation poem
