HW 9/30

Hello. I apologize for not posting last night, I could not post from school and I did not arrive home until after 8. For this evening, please do the following:

1. Read "Gooseberries." Attached
2. Choose a story for tomorrow's timed write.
3. Complete vocabulary assignment for "Once Upon a Time."

By preparing a story, I mean to have read it thoroughly and to have annotated it. This will allow to write about the story immediately.

Have a great night.

HW 9/28

For this evening, you should complete the vocabulary assignment on tone and bring it to class with you tomorrow. Read the handouts distributed in class as well. The readings are brief and should not require a great deal of time to get through. Read Gordimer's story "Once Upon a Time." I think that I will postpone the timed write until Friday, so we can spend a little time getting caught up on the literature. Please make sure to acquire the independent reading books and begin working on them. Lastly, college essays: I will set a date for a first draft by Friday. Keep working on them. Come see me if you need help. Have a great night.

HW 9/27

Okay. I was not able to link the story "Once Upon a Time," for this evening's reading. Unfortunately, the link I used to use is no longer available. So, please continue to work on the assignments at hand.

As far as the reading schedule is concerned, what I'm looking for is a general breakdown of the pages and the dates on which you intend to finish them. You should include the author's name, the title of the book, total number of pages, and the edition of the book you are reading. Then, have the schedule for the readings. This should be typed.

I will copy the story for tomorrow.

Have a good night.

Weekend HW 9/24-9/26

Hello again.

For this weekend, please do the following:

Read "Everyday Use" again

Work on tone vocabulary that is now due Wednesday

Complete today's handout.

Also, please write a 1 - 1 1/2 page essay on the following topic:

Choose one story we've read so far in class and discuss how the plot/structure functions as a literary device and ultimately influences the themes, or the work as a whole. You paper should be typed, 12 font, double-spaced, Times New Roman. Please make sure to provide sophisticated analysis and use textual evidence to support your ideas.

If you have any time left, have some fun, but be safe.

HW 9/23

Good Evening.

Please read "Everyday Use" for tonight's homework. In addition, please read the section on characterization from your book, or from the handout.

There are a number of assignments coming up and this is where the pace begins to pick up. Make sure to prioritize your time and try to stay on top of your work. Remember, late assignments are strongly discouraged. Please bring a journal if you don't plan to use your summer journal. I hope that you have all given me the signed student agreement. Have a great evening.

HW 9/22

Hello. Sorry for the late post tonight. Meet the teacher night for my daughter. In any case, please read "Maladies" a second time. Continue to focus on tone. Please continue to work on your college essays and researching the books for the first independent reading assignment. We will continue our conversation tomorrow. Thanks to all who contributed to today's discussion. See you tomorrow.

HW 9/21

Hello. For tonight's homework, I would like you to read the story, "Interpreter of Maladies." I want you to focus on the importance of tone in the story. Remember, tone is the author/speaker's attitude toward a subject. You will see how each scene may reveal a different tone, or how the tone of a story can be consistent throughout. Please come in with a few ideas about the tone of "Maladies."

A few things to consider:

While literature allows for various interpretations, these interpretations should be rooted in the text. In other words, we can float many theories about what's going on, but we are confined by the actual words on the page. We have to be careful of allowing our imaginations to govern our interpretations.

Make sure to bring your books on a daily basis.

Make sure that you are using post-it-notes in your books. Close reading is the key to good analysis.

Have a good night.

HW 9/20

Good evening.

For tonight, I would like you to read Greene's story a second time. After reading the story, address the following prompt in a well-planned paragraph or two. Make sure to use evidence from the text to support your ideas.

"On the surface this is a story of action, suspense, and adventure. At a deeper level it is about delinquency, war, and human nature. Try to sum up what the story says about human nature in general" (Perrine's)

Continue working on your college essays. We will work with the story tomorrow.

Please bring in signed agreements. They are officially late after tomorrow.

I will begin entering in snapgrades for summer work, signed agreements, HW, etc. as soon as they input all the names. it should be this week.

Weekend HW 9/17-9/19

Hello.

For this weekend, I would like you to read the section on Plot and Structure and then read the first story, "The Destructors." Also, please bring in the signed agreement and a journal for literary responses. On Monday, we will work with the story. I will provide you with the next story and the first unit schedule. I hope today was informative for you. Have a good weekend. See you all Monday.

HW 9/16

Hello.

Foe tonight, please read section VI. of Perrine's. That would be the handout that starts on page 12 for those without the book. For those with the book, this section should be found around the same pages in whatever edition you have. Other than that, please continue to think about your college essays. Henkel will be in tomorrow, so pretty easy day. Have a good night.

HW 9/15

Hello.

There is no homework this evening. I am working hard to resolve the textbook issue. We should be up and running by this weekend. I apologize to those who did not receive the book today.

We will definitely work with "Meany" tomorrow.

We have a great (and very informative) presentation from Mr. Henkel on Friday, so be sure to get to class on time.

Finally, college essays. It is imperative that you begin thinking about the college essay. This is an important task and one that requires a great deal of effort on your part. We will start the process in class and meet periodically to discuss your papers. You should begin thinking about some topics. What do your chosen schools require? What kind of essay do you plan to write? Begin to jot down stories and anecdotes that aid in painting a complete picture of who you are? Even the best resumes often conceal one's finest qualities. Who/what has been inspirational in your life? While the college essay is only a small part of your application package it can be a wonderful tool for revealing the intangible qualities you posses. These essays allow colleges to see you as a living, breathing human being who is interesting, unique, and as someone who will be an extraordinary addition to the intellectual community. In short, take some time to think about who you really are and what has really helped shape your development as a human being. Bring some ideas with you to class tomorrow.

Have a good night.

HW 9/14

Good evening.

Thanks for a good discussion today. It was nice to have the input from so many different students. For those who did not comment today. Please be prepared to contribute in the near future.

I must admit that the the short class is taking a little getting used to. I am used to having so much time with my AP kids, that 45 minutes seems to fly by. I will really have to learn to cut to the chase. As far as the lesson was concerned, I really wanted you to see how a story needs to be deconstructed for its individual parts before we can really understand the meaning behind an author's words. Understanding theme is a key component to doing well in AP. To that end, I would like you to do two things tonight:

1. Come up with two possible themes for Pirandello's story, "War." I will give an example, so you can see what I expect.

Ex: There are times when those deeply buried in their own grief find it impossible to see others' tragedy in their isolation: hence they remain incapable of sympathy and understanding of other people's heartache.

2. Write a one paragraph analytical response to one of the following topics:

a. Why is the fat woman's question, "Then is your son dead?" of primary importance to the resolution of the story, "War"?

b. The aura created around the fat woman amounts to an enigma until the end of the story. Plan and write a paragraph clarifying for the reader the techniques Pirandello employs in presenting the fat woman.

Have a great night. Email if you have questions.

HW 9/13

Good evening.

First, let me say that it is a pleasure to be working with all of you this semester. Because of programming issues, we are getting a bit of a late start. Things will really begin to heat up in the coming days, so enjoy the lull in the action while you can. We will begin the college essay process this week, as well as the short story unit. I will work - briefly - with "Meany" tomorrow.

For homework tonight, please close read the attached story, "War," by Luigi Pirandello. You should read the story twice to appreciate its subtle qualities and its rich use of verbal irony. Close reading requires a highlighter, or the use of marginalia. This should be evident by the marks on your paper. Please do not come in with a pristine copy of the story. Please print the story and bring it to class tomorrow. I will have you working in small groups, discussing the story.

I hope to have the schedule and textbook for you in the next day or so. Again, welcome to AP Literature.