November 30 - December 4

This week, it's December!

Online classes are becoming more and more ubiquitous (vocab word this week), but there are certain things that can only be done in a classroom with peers.  This week, I look forward to a lively Socratic Seminar involving the themes of The Grapes of Wrath.  The purpose is to explore ideas and make connections to events outside of the book.  I believe the ideas we explore could be good fodder for your SAT, ACT and of course AP exams later this year.

MONDAY/TUESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Thesis check-in for term paper.  Discuss Step 5 of the term paper - the components of the intro paragraph (hook, basic information, thesis).  Socratic Seminar exploring ideas on the Discussion Questions handout.

Due: The Grapes of Wrath Discussion Questions handout filled out.  Rough draft (1-4 sentences) thesis statement ready to share.

Homework: Study for vocab quiz on Friday.  Complete rough draft of intro paragraph for Friday. 

WEDNESDAY:  Junior conferences take up most of the period.  Return Grapes of Wrath, pick up Huckleberry Finn.  Literary analysis terms: metonymy and synechdoche.
 
THURSDAY/FRIDAY:  Journal warm-up.  Vocabulary quiz.  Check-in intro paragraphs for the term paper.  Begin writing body paragraphs.  Intro Huckleberry Finn.

Due: Step 5: Intro paragraph rough draft.

Homework: Write 2 body paragraphs of the term paper for Tuesday (Step 6).

Read the article from The Atlantic found here: "The Coddling of the American Mind" and come to class prepared to discuss the current climate and national conversation on Tuesday.  Look at how the authors make their argument - what is their claim and what type of evidence do they provide?  The comments section of the article has a lively debate as well.  (This article is very critical of the current college climate - during class on Tuesday we will read and discuss a letter to Jerry Seinfeld from a SDSU student that defends banning certain types of speech from campus.) 

November 24th/Thanksgiving Week

You've worked hard over the last 12 weeks and we've just completed the longest novel we'll read this year (Grapes of Wrath).  Due to the Thanksgiving holiday and block scheduling, we'll meet once this week, on Tuesday and we will NOT have a quiz (vocab quiz next week on December 4).

TUESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Discuss the controversial ending of Grapes of Wrath: was it fitting and effective, or too unsettling?  Watch the last part of the 1940 movie as well as a student adaptation.  Source packet check-in.  Thesis overview for term paper: write a rough draft of your thesis and share it out loud.   Carson essay review and class exercise improving a sample paragraph.

Due: Source packet due with all 8 sources with SOAPS + Tone and annotations, MLA formatted bibliography, and other requirements. The Grapes of Wrath finished.

Homework: Polish the thesis of the term paper and make sure it's accessible via Internet (either in Google Docs, your e-mail, or some other online provider).  Answer the Grapes of Wrath discussion questions and be ready to discuss in a large roundtable on Monday, November 30.  Read and review all of the Carson essay samples against the College Board essay scoring chart. 
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Enjoy the holiday break, and get plenty of rest!  I am thankful to have such a wonderful group of students and the opportunity to work with you.  It's been a great year so far, thank you!

November 16-20

This week, we'll work on researching sources for the term paper and finish The Grapes of Wrath. 


MONDAY: Journal warm-up.  Collect research proposals.  Healthy kids survey.  Begin work on Source Packet - instructions and research time on laptops.

Due: The rest of The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 26.  Research proposal.

Homework: Locate, print and annotate/SOAPS for 3 sources for term paper.


WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Term paper check-in.  Research time for additional sources for the term paper.  Current event discussion about Syrian refugees and the rhetoric associated with the issue. 

Due:  First three sources annotated/SOAPS for the term paper.

Homework: Study for current events quiz, continue work on term paper source packet.



FRIDAY:  Journal warm-up.  Current events quiz.  Read and discuss portions of Chapter 28-29 of The Grapes of Wrath. Go over results of last in-class essay and view College Board and Mogilefsky essay samples.  Term paper check-in and work time.

Due: n/a

Homework: Finish the Source Packet requirements and bring all 8 to class for Tuesday.  Finish The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 30 (the rest of the book) for Tuesday, November 24 and be prepared to discuss the ending.

November 9-13

Welcome!  This is a big week for our class; we'll write our third rhetorical analysis essay (our second in-class rhetorical analysis essay) and begin work on the term paper.  The term paper allows for student choice in the topic, gives practice in analyzing "real-world" examples of rhetoric, and will hone your research and term paper-writing skills. 

MONDAY: Journal warm-up. Introduce Rhetorical Historical fall term paper and provide handout with general description.  Review rhetorical analysis essay steps.  In-class rhetorical analysis essay.

Due: The Grapes of Wrath, Chapters 24-25.


Homework:
Come to class on Wednesday with three choices of topics for the Rhetorical Historical term paper in order of preference.  We'll be selecting them and no more than two students can have the same topic.

Study for the vocabulary quiz on Thursday.


WEDNESDAY: Veteran's Day - no school.


THURSDAY: Journal warm-up.  Vocabulary quiz.  Rhetorical Historical term paper topic selection and overview. Table reading of completed student papers.   Step 2 Proposal handout.  Grapes of Wrath reading scenes/discussion in class.

Due: Bring three term paper topic choices in order of preference.


Homework:  Finish Grapes, Chapter 26 from page 528 to the end of the chapter.  Please type up Step Two: Research Proposal for Monday, November 16.

November 2-6

It's November!  We'll write another rhetorical analysis essay, continue with The Grapes of Wrath, preview NOISES OFF, and analyze the rhetoric surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement and its critics.

TUESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Overview of 2nd quarter.  Finish asyndeton/polysyndeton activity.  Green essay rewrite exercise due; review in class.  Begin rhetorical analysis paragraph on Steinbeck prompt from The Grapes of Wrath. 

Due:  
Green essay paragraph rewrite: please bring the old paragraph and the new one (handwritten neatly is fine).

Grapes Chapters 21-22. 

Homework:
Study for current events quiz covering TheWeek.com e-mails from Sunday, November 1 - Wednesday, November 4.   NOTE: There will be two Grapes reading questions on this week's quiz.

Read Grapes Chapter 23 (short).

Finish Grapes of Wrath rhetorical analysis paragraph for Thursday. 


THURSDAY: Journal warm-up.  NOISES OFF preview from 1-1:30 p.m.  Current events quiz.  Grapes of Wrath reading scenes in class.  The rhetoric surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement - discussion.

Due: Grapes, Chapter 23 and The Grapes of Wrath rhetorical analysis paragraph.

Homework:  Read Grapes, Chapter 24 and 25.  Look over your rhetorical analysis essay notes over the weekend and we'll write another in-class essay on Monday.