Halloween

We need to talk about/go over your Letters, your impersonations, and then read chapter 16.

BLAHHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Tuesday

Remember to wear your letters tomorrow.

Today - we need to read chapter 15.

 Class Work: 

A)   Hester Prynne: Fit or Unfit mother.  Argue your answer. 

B)   Discuss Chillingworth’s outward action with his true intentions.  What real person reminds you of Chillingworth.  Be prepared to do an impersonation.

C)   Choose a character and write a biography of them.

D)   Choose a piece of music that would show Hester’s state of mind in chapter 14.  Be prepared to play and explain it for the class.

E)    What letter should Dimmsdale wear?  Why?

F)    Everyone in your group needs to choose a letter to represent themselves, create it and wear it on Wednesday

Let's look the meaning of some the names:

LEARNING GOAL: RL9 - read and discuss classical literature of the 19th century.  Determine a theme of a text by referring to specifics from a text.  

Objective: record and analyze specifics from the text as you read.  Make sure these specifics interest you and relate to some larger idea or connection. 

Lets look at some symbols:

Hester Prynne

Hester: Hestier in Greek mythology, Zeus’s sister, a woman of beauty

            hestier (hasty)

Prynne: prurient

             prune: purify her sin

             pry: probe into the interior of one’s heart

                               

Arthur Dimmesdale

Arthur: Adam, adultery

Dimmesdale: dim + dale:  dim interior  (to hide one’s sin)                      

 

Roger Chillingworth

Roger: rogue (revenge)

Chillingworth: chilly (cruel, inhumane)

                        + worth (induce Arthur to speak out his own sin)

                                    

Pearl: good, pure and precious

 

 

The Scarlet Letter

Today, we need to read and discuss chapter 14 and then work on dialectical journals.

10/29 - Chap. 14
10/30 - Chap. 15
10/31 - Chap. 16 and wear your letter to class.
11/2 - TEST over chapters 1-16
11/5 - Chap. 17
11/6 - Chap. 18
11/7 - Chap. 19
11/8 - Chap. 20
11/9 - Chap. 21
11/12 - Finish Novel
11/13 - Review.  Dialectical Journals Due
11/14 - TEST
11/15 - Work on Essay
11/16 - Work on Essay
Essay Due when we return from Thanksgiving Break




Unit Learning goal: Students will demonstrate knowledge of nineteenth century foundation works of American Literature by determining how a theme is developed over the course of text by analyzing structure, author’s choice of details, and character; and, by writing an essay on how these elements (or one of them) influences the meaning of the novel as a whole.


You should be drawing from your dialectical journals to develop these essays. 

Also we need to discuss possible essays and thesis statements:



THEMES:

2010. Palestinian American literary theorist and cultural critic Edward Said has written that “Exile is strangely compelling to think about but terrible to experience. It is the unhealable rift forced between a human being and a native place, between the self and its true home: its essential sadness can never be surmounted.” Yet Said has also said that exile can become “a potent, even enriching” experience. Select a novel, play, or epic in which a character experiences such a rift and becomes cut off from “home,” whether that home is the character’s birthplace, family, homeland, or other special place. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the character’s experience with exile is both alienating and enriching, and how this experience illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot. 

Go here

Nature vs. Human Law
Nature of Evil
Sin vs. Forgiveness or Punishment vs. Forgiveness
Individual vs. Society
Exile
Public Guilt vs. Private Guilt
Civilization vs. Wilderness or Town vs. Woods
Good vs. Evil

Analysis Essay:
Students will need to analysis some aspect of The Scarlet Letter and connected it to a theme. Things that can be explored include symbolism, tone, diction, characters and events. I expect students to use their didactical journals for focus on examples. I also expect all students to choose something small to concentrate on. I would rather you spend three pages examining one paragraph in relation to a theme, than to try and examine something like Pearl’s role as Savior and Chillingworth’s role as the devil (unless you view these roles from looking at one paragraph or one page). This would be too large. You couldn’t examine it in enough detail in three pages. Remember I’m looking for precise thesis statements and evidence that is analyzed. 

Remember - thesis statement.

Connect the symbol, character or literary element to a theme.  Then present an order of development or list of things you will cover in your essay.

Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement directs all of the ideas, quote selection, and commentary in your essay. Therefore, a muddled or imprecise thesis statement will lead to an unclear or meaningless essay.

A thesis statement is NOT:

1. An abstract concept. For example, “Greed” is not a thesis statement.

2. A general “universal” truth. For example, the following sentence is not a thesis statement: “For thousands of years, man has been greedy.”

A thesis statement IS a statement that provides direction for the analysis of a theme or idea presented by a particular text. Therefore, in order to construct an effective thesis statement, you must first determine what a text is suggesting about an abstract concept (like greed, for example).
Your thesis statement will address an abstract concept PLUS the evaluation of that concept through a particular text.

A thesis statement for “The Pardoner’s Tale” might address the abstract concept of greed as it is handled in the story. The first two examples are NOT thesis statements. The third one is a complete thesis statement:

a. Greed is something that man has struggled with for centuries, as demonstrated in “The Pardoner’s Tale” by Chaucer. (Abstract Concept Only)

b. “The Pardoner’s Tale,” written by Chaucer, is a story about how three men kill one another while looking for Death. (Plot Summary)

c. “The Pardoner’s Tale,” written by Chaucer, suggests that the “deadly” sin of greed is stronger than any oath of friendship, and will ultimately lead those who give into its allure to their own destruction. 

EXAMPLES OF POSSIBLE THESIS STATEMENTS:

In the Scarlet Letter, the theme of exile transforms the characters of Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth.

In the Scarlet Letter, the "A" on Hester's chest represents Hester, herself, and reflect her transformation - from Adulterer to Able to Absolution.  The "A" is Hester's soul.

In the Scarlet Letter, Pearl represents the theme of forgiveness.  She is the force sent - like a female Christ figure - to allow Hester and Dimmesdale to be saved from their sin.

The Scarlet Letter

Today we are going to talk about chapter 11.

First I want you to look at the following video.  When we are done, I want to discuss it.  I will be asking you questions.

Tuesday - The Scarlet Letter

So today we are going to look at the revised reading schedule for the Scarlett Letter; reading chapter 10; and discuss the vocabulary quiz on Friday.

Revised Reading Schedule

10/23 - Chap. 10
10/24 - Chap. 11
10/25 - Chap. 12
10/26 - Chap. 13
10/29 - Chap. 14
10/30 - Chap. 15
10/31 - Chap. 16 and wear your letter to class.
11/2 - TEST over chapters 1-16
11/5 - Chap. 17
11/6 - Chap. 18
11/7 - Chap. 19
11/8 - Chap. 20
11/9 - Chap. 21
11/12 - Finish Novel
11/13 - Review.  Dialectical Journals Due
11/14 - TEST
11/15 - Work on Essay
11/16 - Work on Essay
Essay Due when we return from Thanksgiving Break

Friday

10/12 chapters 3-4
10/15 chapter 5
10/16 chapter 6
10/17 chapters 7-8
10/18 chapters 9-10
10/19 chapter 11
10/22 chapter 12
10/23 chapter 13
10/24 chapter 14
10/25 chapter 15
10/26 chapter 16-17
10/29 chapter 18-19
10/30 chapter 20
10/31 chapter 21-22
11/1 chapter 23-24
11/2 Finish Dialectical Journals
11/5 Review for Test
11/6 Test
11/7 - 11/9 Work on Scarlet Letter Essay
11/12 Essay Due

Thursday

Class Work:

1) Outlining the plot up to chapter 8.
2) List all the characters in the book so far with a brief description/summary of each.
3) List at least five symbols with a discussion of why they are important.
4) List and explain how one theme works in the novel so far.
5) If create a movie version of this book who would you cast in the roles?
6) Create a poster for your movie.  
 (Poster will be due on Tuesday)

Remember that next Wednesday there will also be a vocabulary quiz.

Wednesday

Today we need to put words of the day on the board.

We also need to discuss chapter 6, dialectical journals, grades, and then read chapter 7-8.

Monday

Today you are going to turn in your personal narratives, and we will read chapter 5. 

Remember that your projects are due tomorrow!  Hopefully you filmed them. 

Also remember to work on your dialectical journals. 

Friday

Today we are going to put words of the day on the board and look at chapters 3-4.  I will also give you some time to work on dialectical journals. 

Here is a reading schedule for you to follow:

10/12 chapters 3-4
10/15 chapter 5
10/16 chapter 6
10/17 chapters 7-8
10/18 chapters 9-10
10/19 chapter 11
10/22 chapter 12
10/23 chapter 13
10/24 chapter 14
10/25 chapter 15
10/26 chapter 16-17
10/29 chapter 18-19
10/30 chapter 20
10/31 chapter 21-22
11/1 chapter 23-24
11/2 Finish Dialectical Journals
11/5 Review for Test
11/6 Test
11/7 - 11/9 Work on Scarlet Letter Essay
11/12 Essay Due

THEMES:
Nature vs. Human Law
Nature of Evil
Sin vs. Forgiveness or Punishment vs. Forgiveness
Individual vs. Society
Exile
Public Guilt vs. Private Guilt
Civilization vs. Wilderness or Town vs. Woods
Good vs. Evil

EXAMPLE OF A DIALECTICAL JOURNAL:

from the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God

(Zoe Wassman):  
 

Journal #1:

“Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is the life of men.

Now, women forget all those things they don’t want to remember, and remember everything they don’t want to forget. The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly.” (Pg. 1)

 
The first two paragraphs are defining the gender roles used throughout Hurston’s novel. Just like in a lot of literature, the women are the weaker gender, and men the stronger, more efficient gender. These two paragraphs are saying that men are more empirical than women, especially in their dreams. When men think something is unattainable, like a ship that rarely docks on land, they let it go and move on. When women think something is unattainable, they can’t discriminate the difference between they want and what it true, meaning that women live a more romanticized life. This creates the dynamic for the unsuccessful relationships and unrealistic expectations throughout the novel as a whole.  

Dialectical Journals

LEARNING GOAL: RL9 - read and discuss classical literature of the 19th century.  Determine a theme of a text by referring to specifics from a text. 
 
Objective: Start keeping a dialectical journal.  Try to chose things that reflect a major theme and connect to each other.   

Effective students have a habit of taking notes as they read. This note-taking can several forms: annotation, post it notes, character lists, idea clusters, and many others. One of the most effective strategies is called a dialectical journal. The word “dialectical” has numerous meanings, but the one most pertinent is the “art of critical examination into the truth of an opinion” or reworded “The art or practice of arriving at the truth by using conversation involving question and answer.” As you read, you are forming an opinion about what you are reading (or at least you are SUPPOSED to be forming an opinion). That opinion, however, needs to be based on the text – not just a feeling. Therefore, all of your opinions need to be based on the text.

The procedure is as follows:

1. Purchase a dedicated spiral notebook and draw a line down the center of each page of the notebook. NOTE: I expect you to publish these journal entries on your blogs nightly and number them as you go.

2. As you read, pay close attention to the text.

3. Whenever you encounter something of interest (this could be anything from an interesting turn of phrase to a character note), write down the word/phrase in the LEFT HAND COLUMN making sure that you NOTE THE PAGE NUMBER. If the phrase is especially long just write the first few words, use an ellipsis, then write the last few words.

4. In the RIGHT HAND COLUMN, WRITE YOUR OBSEVRATIONS ABOUT THE TEXT you noted in the left-hand column. This is where you need to interact in detail with the text. Make sure that your observations are THOROUGH, INSIGHTFUL, and FOCUSED CLEARLY ON THE TEXT.

Requirements:

1) For each novel we read you will need to complete a MINIMUM of 55 entries if you wish to be eligible for an “A”. 35 is the minimum for a passing grade. Make sure you number your entries.
2) A completed dialectical journal should be brought to class each day a reading assignment is due.
3) On some short fiction and poetry reading assignments I may ask you to keep a dialectic journal on the reading (usually I’ll ask for 5-10 entries for shorter works).
4) Dialectic journals will be used as part of class discussion and will be randomly collected and graded for homework.

When should you write things down?
• When certain details seem important to you
• When you have an epiphany
• When you learn something significant about a character
• When you recognize a pattern (overlapping images, repetitions of idea, details, etc.)
• When you agree or disagree with something a character says
• When you find an interesting or potentially significant quote.
• When you notice something important or relevant about the writer’s style.
• When you notice effective uses of literary devices.
• When you notice something that makes you think of a question

That is all there is to it. This way, once you have read your text you will already have a great set of notes on which to draw when you write your paper. You also should have gained a great deal of insight about your particular text.

Note: Should you rather type this, just use the COLUMN function in your tool bar and complete steps two-four electronically.

Grading (based on 55 entries, if you have 45 entries an A= B, B= C, 35 entries A=C)

A—Detailed, meaningful passages, plot and quote selections; thoughtful interpretation and commentary about the text; includes comments about literary elements (like theme, diction, imagery, syntax, symbolism, etc.) and how these elements contribute to the meaning of the text; asks thought-provoking, insightful questions; coverage of text is complete and thorough; journal is neat, organized, numbered and readable.
B—Less detailed, but good selections; some intelligent commentary about the text; includes some comments about literary elements (like theme, diction, imagery, syntax, symbolism, etc.) but less than how these elements contribute to the meaning of the text; asks some thought-provoking, insightful questions; coverage of the text is complete and thorough; journal is neat, organized, numbered and readable.
C—A few good details about the text; most of the commentary is vague, unsupported or plot summary/paraphrase; some listing of literary elements, but perhaps inadequate discussion, but not very thoroughly; journal is relatively neat.
D—Hardly any good or meaningful details from the story; notes are plot summary or paraphrase; few literary elements, virtually no discussion on meaning; no good questions; limited coverage of text, and/or too short


New Vocabulary Words:

Anathema

Emolument

Mountebank

Deleterious

Misanthropy

Indefatigable

Constrained

Amenable

Averred

Heterodox

 

Wednesday

Today we are going to continue to work on your projects, but I do want to give you a brief overview of American Romanticism.


Unit Learning goal: Students will demonstrate knowledge of nineteenth century foundation works of American Literature by determining how a theme is developed over the course of text by analyzing structure, author’s choice of details, and character; and, by writing an essay on how these elements (or one of them) influences the meaning of the novel as a whole.

Scale/Rubric relating to learning goal:

4 – The student can write a 5-10 page essay that explores how structure, details (symbol, imagery, figurative language) is developed of the course of the novel and how it influences the meaning of the novel. 

3 – The student can write a 3-5 page essay that explores how structure, details (symbol, imagery, figurative language) is developed of the course of the novel and how it influences the meaning of the novel. 

2 – With some direction/help from the teacher the student can write a 3-5 page essay that explores how structure, details (symbol, imagery, figurative language) is developed of the course of the novel and how it influences the meaning of the novel. 

1 – Even with help from the teacher the student is unable to the student can write a 3-5 page essay that explores how structure, details (symbol, imagery, figurative language) is developed of the course of the novel and how it influences the meaning of the novel. 

Objectives (smaller chunks of overall goal) and suggested time periods

At the end of this Unit the Students will be able to

1)  List and explain 3-5 symbols from the novel The Scarlet Letter

2)  Discuss the basic structure(s) of The Scarlett Letter

3)  Given the main ideas of various pieces of Romantic Literature

4)  List the key aspects of Romanticism

5)  List the key aspects of transcendentalism

6)  Discuss who the Fireside poets were and what they believed in

7)  Keep a dialectical journal while reading The Scarlet Letter

8)  Evaluate the purpose and argument of public advocacy

9)  Determine two or more themes in a text

10)          Discuss the importance of rhyme scheme and stanza structure and how they create meaning

11)          Compare Emerson and Thoreau

 Major Themes addressed:

The idea of individualism and the purpose of nature.

The meaning of sin and forgiveness.

Sometimes to be patriotic means to protest one’s government.

The meaning of truth and the idea that everyone has a dark side.

Is the price of progress ever too high?

Anchor Text(s)/Additional Instructional Resources:

The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

EARLY ROMANTIC LITERATURE

“The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving

FIRESIDE POETS

“A Psalm of Life” and “The Tide Falls” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“The Chambered Nautilus” and “Old Ironsides” by Oliver Wendell Holmes

THE TRANSCENDENTALISTS

“Self-Reliance” and “Nature” by Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Walden” and “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau

GOTHIC

“The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe.

Tuesday

So - today I'm going to give you time to work on your projects.  These projects are due next Tuesday, but on Thursday we will be moving to The Scarlet Letter

Remember to chose something you like and to let me know if you are having problems with choosing something.

Read the text - 1) give an overview of what the text is about (this is a detailed summary but should also relate to why the author wrote the piece); 2) List and a explain a major theme of the text; and 3) discuss how the text fits the particular period of literature.

Early American Writing 1491-1800

(Native American Literature, Literature of Explorations and Early Settlement, Literature of the Puritan Experience, Literature of the American Revolution).

Unit Learning goal: Students will demonstrate knowledge of sixteenth-nineteenth century foundation works of American Literature by choosing one of the four subsections of this Unit (Native American Experience, Early Explorers and Settlers, The Puritan Experience, and Writers of the Revolution) researching and reading an additional story, essay or speech of their choice and creating a video discussing the theme and how the work fits its particular period. 

Scale/Rubric relating to learning goal:

4 – The student can create a video that explores two or more of the subsections of this unit and relate it to a theme and time period.

3 – The student can create a video that explores one of the subsections of this unit and relate it to a theme and time period.

2 – With some direction/help from the teacher the student can create a video that explores one of the subsections of this unit and relate it to a theme and time period.

1 – Even with help from the teacher the student is unable to can create a video that explores one of the subsections of this unit and relate it to a theme and time period.

Boston Tea Party - Eye Witness 

Ethan Allen and Ticonderoga 

The Iroquois Constitution

from "The Crisis" on page 248.

"Letter to John Adams" on page 262

"Letter to the Reverend Samson Occom" by Phyllis Wheatley on page 260

"from the Defense of the Constitutions" by John Adams on page 292

Monday

Today we are going to take the test over Period 1 - 1491-1800.

If you finished before the end of class, please work on your UNIT I Projects.  These projects will be due on next Tuesday, but we will be starting THE SCARLET LETTER before then.

Thursday

American Literature: TEST 1 (Texts from the Colonial Era): 70 Points

1)   What type of myth is “The World Upon the Turtle’s Back”? or “Coyote and the Buffalo”. What Iroquois beliefs does it reinforce?  Briefly summarize the myth.

2)   Outline the three sections of the Declaration of Independence.  Briefly discuss what is happening in each section (give examples).

3-5)       In the following texts, what is the author’s purpose?  Give specific examples from the texts to back up your position.

a)    “From the General History of Virginia”

b)   “Of Plymouth Plantation”

c)    “The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin”

6) What is the author’s purpose for the following texts?  What types of appeals does each author use to achieve his purpose?  Give examples.

 

a)    “Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God”

7) Briefly discuss what “The Speech in the Virginia Convention” was about.  What are some of Patrick Henry’s arguments (or claims). 

Early American Writing 1491-1800

(Native American Literature, Literature of Explorations and Early Settlement, Literature of the Puritan Experience, Literature of the American Revolution).

Unit Learning goal: Students will demonstrate knowledge of sixteenth-nineteenth century foundation works of American Literature by choosing one of the four subsections of this Unit (Native American Experience, Early Explorers and Settlers, The Puritan Experience, and Writers of the Revolution) researching and reading an additional story, essay or speech of their choice and creating a video discussing the theme and how the work fits its particular period. 

Scale/Rubric relating to learning goal:

4 – The student can create a video that explores two or more of the subsections of this unit and relate it to a theme and time period.

3 – The student can create a video that explores one of the subsections of this unit and relate it to a theme and time period.

2 – With some direction/help from the teacher the student can create a video that explores one of the subsections of this unit and relate it to a theme and time period.

1 – Even with help from the teacher the student is unable to can create a video that explores one of the subsections of this unit and relate it to a theme and time period.

Boston Tea Party - Eye Witness 

Ethan Allen and Ticonderoga 

The Iroquois Constitution

from "The Crisis" on page 248.

"Letter to John Adams" on page 262

"Letter to the Reverend Samson Occom" by Phyllis Wheatley on page 260

"from the Defense of the Constitutions" by John Adams on page 292


Remember - you will need to do the following:

1) Give An OVERVIEW of the TEXT
2) LIST a Major THEME
3) And discuss how it fits the period

It should be a video.

Wednesday

Today - we will look at Thomas Jefferson's "The Declaration of Independence".

We are going to outline the three sections of this document.  So highlight your book. 

I.


II.


III.

Think about the author's purpose in writing this document and write out your favorite grievance.


Remember, this text will be on the test - so know it!

Tuesday

Today we will look at our 2nd writer of the Revolution: Benjamin Franklin.  Tomorrow we will look at Thomas Jefferson, and on Monday we will take a Unit Test over the period 1491-1800.

FIRST - MAKE SURE YOUR BLOG ASSIGNMENT FROM YESTERDAY IS POSTED, AND TURN IN YOUR PERSONAL NARRATIVES.

TODAY'S ASSIGNMENT:

 "From the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin" (page 266) and answer question 1-4, and 6 (on page 276).

Review for the upcoming test next week:

American Literature: TEST 1 (Texts from the Colonial Era): 70 Points

1)   What type of myth is “The World Upon the Turtle’s Back”? or “Coyote and the Buffalo”. What Iroquois beliefs does it reinforce?  Briefly summarize the myth.

2)   Outline the three sections of the Declaration of Independence.  Briefly discuss what is happening in each section (give examples).

3-5)       In the following texts, what is the author’s purpose?  Give specific examples from the texts to back up your position.

a)    “From the General History of Virginia”

b)   “Of Plymouth Plantation”

c)    “The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin”

6) What is the author’s purpose for the following texts?  What types of appeals does each author use to achieve his purpose?  Give examples.

 

a)    “Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God”

7) Briefly discuss what “The Speech in the Virginia Convention” was about.  What are some of Patrick Henry’s arguments (or claims).

Monday

Today - in small groups you will review Patrick Henry's "Speech in the Virginia Convention".  You'll need to list Patrick Henry's claims and his counterclaims (those that refute the British); also, you'll need to list evidence from the text that show his use of Logos, Ethos, and Pathos, and his use of Expert Testimony, Self-Interest, Facts and Statistics (or use of Logic), and Audience Self-Interest.

POST THESE TO YOUR BLOG.

 

When you are done work on your Personal Narrative.  

 

Early American Writing 1491-1800

(Native American Literature, Literature of Explorations and Early Settlement, Literature of the Puritan Experience, Literature of the American Revolution).

Unit Learning goal: Students will demonstrate knowledge of sixteenth -nineteenth century foundation works of American Literature by choosing one of the four subsections of this Unit (Native American Experience, Early Explorers and Settlers, The Puritan Experience, and Writers of the Revolution) researching and reading an additional story, essay or speech of their choice and creating a video discussing the theme and how the work fits its particular period.



Scale/Rubric relating to learning goal:
4 – The student can create a video that explores two or more of the subsections of this unit and relate it to a theme and time period.
3 – The student can create a video that explores one of the subsections of this unit and relate it to a theme and time period.
2 – With some direction/help from the teacher the student can create a video that explores one of the subsections of this unit and relate it to a theme and time period.

1 – Even with help from the teacher the student is unable to can create a video that explores one of the subsections of this unit and relate it to a theme and time period.