Taking the Final: December 19, 2019

Welcome to the A.P. Lit final!

Section I: Multiple Choice (55 questions; 1 hour)

Please record your answers on the scantron.


Section II: Free Response (3 question; 2 hours)

Please clearly label your essays and use separate sheets of paper for each essay.
When you finish, stable the rubric to the corresponding essay:

• Question #1 (Henry IV): Yellow rubric

• Question #2 (Johnny Got His Gun): Green rubric

• Question #3 (Midsummer Night's Dream): Pink rubric

***Also, please turn in your copies of A Midsummer Night's Dream if you have not yet done so.***

You and Q2: December 16, 2019

Focus: So, what's Q2 about?

1. Warming up with three good things

2. Walking through essay strategies and a sample Q2 together (and offering you one to go!)

• Quick recap of MC strategies (save the hardest for last)

• Thoughts on essay strategies

• How to approach Q2: The first inch and the last inch

HW:
1. For TODAY: Make sure your MSND big question blog is completed. I mention this on the Bingo sheet, but I also recommend clicking on other peoples MSND posts, too.

2. For NEXT THURSDAY:
Remember that your final is on THURSDAY, December 20 from 11:30 am to about 3:00 pm. You will need a pencil, a blue or black pen, and notebook paper.

Ideas for preparation: PLAY BINGO!

• Look carefully through all the timed writings you've done this semester.
• Use Quizlet to review terms.
• Revisit your MSND packet.
• Watch a performance of MSND and jot down key scenes, character names, settings, etc.
• Skim through your composition notebook.
• Get a good night's sleep and eat breakfast in the morning.

Meeting the Exam: December 13, 2019

Focus: What are we wondering about the midterm?

1. Warming up with MSND mental jousting

2. Enjoying Dove chocolate and understanding what I mean by complexity

3. Walking through a full-length sample A.P. Lit together; asking questions and talking strategy

HW:
1. For MONDAY: Complete your MSND big question blog to prep for Q3 on the final.

2. For NEXT THURSDAY:
Remember that your final is on THURSDAY, December 20 from 11:30 am to about 3:00 pm. You will need a pencil, a blue or black pen, and notebook paper.

Ideas for preparation: PLAY BINGO!

• Look carefully through all the timed writings you've done this semester.
• Use Quizlet to review terms.
• Revisit your MSND packet.
• Watch a performance of MSND and jot down key scenes, character names, settings, etc.
• Skim through your composition notebook.
• Get a good night's sleep and eat breakfast in the morning.

What's (Un)Resolved by the ending of MSND? December 12, 2019

Focus: What's resolved by the end of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and what is left unresolved?

1. Warming up with a scoreboard check

• What conflicts were set up in Acts 1 and 2?

• In Acts 3 and 4, who won each one?

• How was each one won?

• What complex patterns can you find among the nature of the conflicts, who won them, and how they were won?

2. Finishing the film version of MSND and slowing down on a little metacognition from Act 5

3. Enjoying some lively mental jousting

HW:
1. For FRIDAY/MONDAY: Complete your MSND big question blog to prep for Q3 on the final.

2. For NEXT THURSDAY:
Remember that your final is on THURSDAY, December 20 from 11:30 am to about 3:00 pm. You will need a pencil, a blue or black pen, and notebook paper.

Ideas for preparation: PLAY BINGO!

• Look carefully through all the timed writings you've done this semester.
• Use Quizlet to review terms.
• Revisit your MSND packet.
• Watch a performance of MSND and jot down key scenes, character names, settings, etc.
• Skim through your composition notebook.
• Get a good night's sleep and eat breakfast in the morning.

The Play within the Play: December 11, 2019

Focus: What larger themes emerge through the tradesmen's performance of Pyramus and Thisbe?

1. Warming up with our final poetry project presentation

2. Close reading the role of metatheatre in the final act of the play

3. Watching end of Act 4 and Act 5 in the film version of MSND (1:26)--start film by 2:05!

HW:
1. For FRIDAY/MONDAY: Complete your MSND big question blog to prep for Q3 on the final.

2. For NEXT THURSDAY:
Remember that your final is on THURSDAY, December 20 from 11:30 am to about 3:00 pm. You will need a pencil, a blue or black pen, and notebook paper.

Ideas for preparation: PLAY BINGO!

• Look carefully through all the timed writings you've done this semester.
• Use Quizlet to review terms.
• Revisit your MSND packet.
• Watch a performance of MSND and jot down key scenes, character names, settings, etc.
• Skim through your composition notebook.
• Get a good night's sleep and eat breakfast in the morning.

Experiencing Poetry, Day 2: December 20, 2019

Focus: What can we learn about poetry from each other's creative projects?

1. Warming up with end-of-the-semester A.P. Lit Bingo!

2. Enjoying poetry projects with follow-up questions and index card feedback


HW:
1. For TODAY: Projects and papers are due if you did not present/submit today.

2. For FRIDAY: Complete your MSND big question blog to prep for Q3 on the final.

3. For NEXT THURSDAY:
Remember that your final is on THURSDAY, December 20 from 11:30 am to about 3:00 pm. You will need a pencil, a blue or black pen, and notebook paper.

Ideas for preparation:

• Look carefully through all the timed writings you've done this semester.
• Use Quizlet to review terms.
• Revisit your MSND packet.
• Watch a performance of MSND and jot down key scenes, character names, settings, etc.
• Skim through your composition notebook.
• Get a good night's sleep and eat breakfast in the morning.

Experiencing Poetry, Day 1: December 9, 2019

Focus: What can we learn about poetry from each other's creative projects?

1. Warming up with three good things

2. Enjoying poetry projects with follow-up questions and index card feedback


HW:
1. For TOMORROW by 4:00: Projects and papers are due if you did not present/submit today.

2. For FRIDAY: Complete your MSND big question blog to prep for Q3 on the final.

3. For NEXT THURSDAY:
Remember that your final is on THURSDAY, December 20 from 11:30 am to about 3:00 pm. You will need a pencil, a blue or black pen, and notebook paper.

Ideas for preparation:

• Look carefully through all the timed writings you've done this semester.
• Use Quizlet to review terms.
• Revisit your MSND packet.
• Watch a performance of MSND and jot down key scenes, character names, settings, etc.
• Skim through your composition notebook.
• Get a good night's sleep and eat breakfast in the morning.

Mehad a Dream: December 7, 2019

Focus: What roles do sleep and dreaming play in MSND?

1. Warming up with a little background on Shakespeare and sleep

• Click here to access the Shakespeare Concordance (or go to our class website).

3. Reading Act 4 with a focus on the character of Bottom

• How would you characterize sleep and dreaming in Act 4? 

• Is Bottom a Shakespearean clown? 

• Is he comedic or tragic? Or something else?

• Does he understand anything that other characters fail to?

• Does he fail to understand anything that other characters do?

• What important truths does he reveal?

HW:
1. Thursday this week will be a paper/project work day. Bring what you need.

2. Next MONDAY, DEC 9: Papers/projects due.

Because we will be at the end of the semester, please note the following:

1. No extensions will be granted. 
2. You will NOT be able to revise these because you won't get them back until your final.

Make It Work: December 6, 2019

Focus: How can we turn ideas and outlines into drafts and projects?

1. Warming up with a little inspiration from Andy Goldsworthy

2. Offering one quick note to the project people about designing their own rubrics, printing out their poems, signing up for presentations, and reviewing the presentation guidelines; offering the Night-Before Checklist to the paper people

3. Working, working, working (and conferencing)

HW:
1. ASAP: Project people--please submit a hard copy of your poem so I can make a packet.

2. Next MONDAY, DEC 9: Papers/projects due.

Because we will be at the end of the semester, please note the following:

1. No extensions will be granted. 
2. You will NOT be able to revise these because you won't get them back until your final.

Close Reading Acts 2 and 3: December 5, 2019

Focus: What complex answers does the play offer in response to your questions?

1. Warming up by finishing our final Acting Company performances (click here for the questions)

2. Selecting your favorite Acting Company question and performing a slow reading of two moments

• Pick one Acting Company question that piqued your interest.

• Find two short passages from the play (ANYWHERE in the play) that respond to that question.

• Read them closely, trying to unearth paradoxes and complex responses to that question.

HW:
1. Thursday this week will be a paper/project work day. Bring what you need.

2. Next MONDAY, DEC 9: Papers/projects due.

Because we will be at the end of the semester, please note the following:

1. No extensions will be granted. 
2. You will NOT be able to revise these because you won't get them back until your final.

Calling All Acting Companies for Real: December 3, 2019

Focus: How can performance deepen our understanding of Shakespeare's characters and conflicts?

1. Warming up five minutes to get thyself ready

2. Performing Acts 2 and 3 of A Midsummer Night's Dream; using each other's opening questions and selected passages to analyze each scene

HW:
1. (Optional) By Wednesday, December 4: Turn in your typed, printed one-pager on the Shakespearean film you have watched (see overview).

2. WEDNESDAY this week will be a paper/project work day. Bring what you need.

3. Next MONDAY, DEC 9: Papers/projects due.

Because we will be at the end of the semester, please note the following:

1. No extensions will be granted. 
2. You will NOT be able to revise these because you won't get them back until your final.

Lord, What Fools These Mortals Be: November 22, 2019

Focus: What significant patterns emerge in the first half of A Midsummer Night's Dream?

1. Warming up with three good things

2. Recapping Acts 1, 2 and 3 of A Midsummer Night's Dream with an old-school "quiz" and an index card challenge

3. Enjoying the film version of the first half of A Midsummer Night's Dream while considering your motifs and dichotomies

HW:
1. (Optional) By Wednesday, December 4: Turn in your typed, printed one-pager on the Shakespearean film you have watched (see overview).

2. WEDNESDAY this week will be a paper/project work day. Bring what you need.

2. Next MONDAY, DEC 9: Papers/projects due.

Because we will be at the end of the semester, please note the following:

1. No extensions will be granted. 
2. You will NOT be able to revise these because you won't get them back until your final.

This has been your only A.P. Literature homework for the past 23 nights. Please make sure that your final product is college-worthy.

Calling All Acting Companies: December 2, 2019

Focus: How can performance deepen our understanding of Shakespeare's characters and conflicts?

1. Warming with three good things and five minutes to get thyself ready

2. Performing Acts 2 and 3 of A Midsummer Night's Dream; using each other's opening questions and selected passages to analyze each scene

HW:
1. (Optional) By Wednesday, December 4: Turn in your typed, printed one-pager on the Shakespearean film you have watched (see overview).

2. WEDNESDAY this week will be a paper/project work day. Bring what you need.

3. Next MONDAY, DEC 9: Papers/projects due.

Because we will be at the end of the semester, please note the following:

1. No extensions will be granted. 
2. You will NOT be able to revise these because you won't get them back until your final.

This has been your only A.P. Literature homework for the past 23 nights. Please make sure that your final product is college-worthy.

Prepping the Performance, Take 2: November 21, 2019

Focus: How can preparing a performance deepen our understanding of Shakespeare's characters?

1. Warming up with a mini lesson on inversion

2. Perusing the rubric and clarifying expectations

3. Deciding on your opening question and passage for close reading (I will put them on a single slideshow); making directorial choices and rehearsing, rehearsing, rehearsing

4. If possible, delivering our first performance

HW:
1. By TOMORROW: Complete the brainstorming phase of your paper/project.

• If you're doing the project, complete the attached plan in your packet.
• If you're doing the paper, complete your thesis and a rough outline. 
• E-mail me, submit hard copies, or stop in for a quick chat.

2. (Optional) By Wednesday, December 4: Turn in your typed, printed one-pager on the Shakespearean film you have watched (see overview).

Heads-up! December 9-10: Poetry papers and project are due. Because we will be at the end of the semester, please note the following:

1. No extensions will be granted. 
2. You will NOT be able to revise these because you won't get them back until your final.

Please plan ahead and spread this out over the next few weeks. You will have one work day in class, but this is largely designed to be an independent, college-style assignment.

Prepping the Performance, Take 1: November 20, 2019

Focus: How can preparing a performance help us understand A Midsummer Night's Dream?

1. Warming up by backtracking to Pyramus and Thisbe, then reading 1.2 with human subtitles

• What do you notice about these characters as a group?

• What do you notice about Bottom in particular?

• Why did Shakespeare put these guys in charge of Pyramus and Thisbe?

2. Getting into Acting Companies and reading through Act 2 and 3 scenes

Acting Company #1: 2.2

Acting Company #2: 3.1.1-100

Acting Company #3: 3.1.101-208

Acting Company #4: 3.2.1-111

Acting Company #5: 3.2.112-180

3. Reading through the scene, understanding the characters and plot, and selecting a passage for close reading

4. Making directorial choices

*Performances will all take place this Friday.*

HW:
1. By Friday, November 22: Complete the brainstorming phase of your paper/project.

• If you're doing the project, complete the attached plan in your packet.
• If you're doing the paper, complete your thesis and a rough outline. 
• E-mail me, submit hard copies, or stop in for a quick chat.

2. (Optional) By Wednesday, December 4: Turn in your typed, printed one-pager on the Shakespearean film you have watched (see overview).

Heads-up! December 9-10: Poetry papers and project are due. Because we will be at the end of the semester, please note the following:

1. No extensions will be granted. 
2. You will NOT be able to revise these because you won't get them back until your final.

Please plan ahead and spread this out over the next few weeks. You will have one work day in class, but this is largely designed to be an independent, college-style assignment.

Ill Met By Moonlight, Proud Titania: November 19, 2019

Focus: How do Shakespeare's motifs contribute to the play's characterization and conflicts?

1. Warming up with a dramatization of Queen Elizabeth's rebranding of herself as "The Virgin Queen"

• What is the power in being a "Virgin Queen"?

• Can you find any representation of Queen Elizabeth's virgin power in the play so far?

2. Finishing Pyramus and Thisbe, and reading 1.2 with human subtitles

• What do you notice about these characters as a group?

• What do you notice about Bottom in particular?

• Why did Shakespeare put these guys in charge of Pyramus and Thisbe?

3. Reading 2.1 together with a focus on yesterday's motifs and dichotomies

• Find one or two passages from this scene that connect to your motif. Write out the passage(s).

• Put it into your own words, using the footnotes if you need to.

• Read it closely, looking for interesting diction, imagery, and figurative language, such as metaphors, similes, and personification.

• So far, what is this play suggesting about __________ (your motif)?

HW:
1. By Friday, November 22: Complete the brainstorming phase of your paper/project.

• If you're doing the project, complete the attached plan in your packet.
• If you're doing the paper, complete your thesis and a rough outline. 
• E-mail me, submit hard copies, or stop in for a quick chat.

2. (Optional) By Wednesday, December 4: Turn in your typed, printed one-pager on the Shakespearean film you have watched (see overview).

Heads-up! December 9-10: Poetry papers and project are due. Because we will be at the end of the semester, please note the following:

1. No extensions will be granted. 
2. You will NOT be able to revise these because you won't get them back until your final.

Please plan ahead and spread this out over the next few weeks. You will have one work day in class, but this is largely designed to be an independent, college-style assignment.

From Tragedy to Comedy: November 18, 2019

Focus: How does Shakespeare turn tragedy into comedy?

1. Warming up with three good things

2. Close reading two moon metaphor passages

• What does Theseus compare the moon to? Why?
• What does Hippolyta compare the moon to? Why?
• Does any of this connect to the motif you've chosen to follow?
• So far, the moon might be a metaphor for...

3. Group reading the myth of Pyramus and Thisbe

• What parallels can you find between this myth and A Midsummer Night's Dream?

4. Reading 1.2 with human subtitles

• What do you notice about these characters as a group?
• What do you notice about Bottom in particular?
• How do the mechanicals' linguistic patterns differ from those of the lovers?

HW:
1. By Friday, November 22: Complete the brainstorming phase of your paper/project.

• If you're doing the project, complete the attached plan in your packet.
• If you're doing the paper, complete your thesis and a rough outline. 
• E-mail me, submit hard copies, or stop in for a quick chat.

2. By Wednesday, December 4: Turn in your typed, printed one-pager on the Shakespearean film you have watched (see overview).

Heads-up! December 9-10: Poetry papers and project are due. Because we will be at the end of the semester, please note the following:

1. No extensions will be granted. 
2. You will NOT be able to revise these because you won't get them back until your final.

Please plan ahead and spread this out over the next few weeks. You will have one work day in class, but this is largely designed to be an independent, college-style assignment.

The Paper/Project Metacognitive: November 15, 2019

Focus: How can metacognition help us close-read poetry?

1. Warming up with an overview of your Shakespearean "homework"

2. Offering you a few metacognitive reminders

3. Performing the metacognitive

HW:
1. By next Friday, November 22: Start brainstorming ideas for your project (see the attached plan in your packet) and possible thesis statements for your essay. E-mail me, submit hard copies, or stop in for a quick chat.

2. By Wednesday, December 4: Turn in your typed, printed one-pager on the Shakespearean film you have watched (see overview).


Heads-up! December 9-10: Poetry papers and project are due. Because we will be at the end of the semester, please note the following:

1. No extensions will be granted. 
2. You will NOT be able to revise these because you won't get them back until your final.

Please plan ahead and spread this out over the next few weeks. You will have one work day in class, but this is largely designed to be an independent, college-style assignment.

Power Dynamics: November 14, 2019

Focus: What power dynamics are established in the first scene of MSND?

1. Warming up with a little discussion of yesterday's notes and Shakespearean conjugation

2. Creating a living picture of 1.1 and reading the scene together in an actor's circle

3. Getting acquainted with the tragic tale of Pyramus and Thisbe

• Why the play within a play? In other words, what parallels can you find between this myth and A Midsummer Night's Dream?

HW:
1. If you are absent today, please read Act 1, Scene 1 carefully on your own.

2. For TOMORROW: Bring to class the poem you have chosen for your project/paper, along with a charged laptop, for a metacognitive writing.

3. Please turn in your school copies of East of Eden.

Setting the Stage: November 13, 2019

Focus: How does Shakespeare set the stage in the first scene of A Midsummer Night's Dream?

1. Warming up by tossing the ShakesBEAR and predicting the play's dramatic situation

Before:

• Who has a line with a word they don't know the meaning of?
• Who has a word they don't know how to pronounce?

After each round:

• How many lines can you remember?

After both rounds are done:

• Scan the meter of the lines.

• Which ones are iambic? What do they have in common, or how does the iambic rhythm fit what's being said in those lines?

• Which ones break from iambic meter? Which words stand out? What do those lines/words have in common, or why might Shakespeare break from iambic meter there?

2. Mapping out the play's people, places, and problems:

• Who are the three main groups of characters? What can you infer about each?
• Where are the two main settings? What can you infer about each?
• What central conflicts might be driving this play? 
• Can you find any other patterns?

3. Freewriting on big ideas about being a teenager

HW:
1. For TOMORROW: Bring your school copy of East of Eden to turn back in.

2. By next FRIDAY, NOV 15: Select your paper/project poem and bring it to class for a metacognitive writing.

An Old-Fashioned Workshop: November 12, 2019

Focus: How can workshop help us improve our timed writing skills?

1. Warming up with a reflection on your Socratic success and areas for improvement

2. Getting acquainted with a "classic essay workshop" on a sample timed writing

• Where did you hear complexity?

• Where did you hear specific evidence / examples?

• Where did you hear strong style?

• Where did you hear room for improvement?

3. Trying out a classic essay workshop on three of your timed writings

4. Wrapping up with your timed writing take-aways

HW:
1. For TOMORROW: Bring your school copy of East of Eden to turn back in.

2. By next FRIDAY, NOV 15: Select your paper/project poem and bring it to class for a metacognitive writing.

Writing about East of Eden: November 11, 2019

Focus: How can we synthesize our thoughts about East of Eden through high velocity writing?

1. Warming up with three good things, some watercolors, and a little visualization

2. Exploring your ideas about East of Eden in a timed writing (Q3)

HW:
1. For TOMORROW: Bring your school copy of East of Eden to turn back in.

2. By next FRIDAY, NOV 15: Select your paper/project poem and bring it to class for a metacognitive writing.

Descending into the Fire and Rising up from the Ashes: November 8, 2019

Focus: What does Steinbeck reveal to us in his final chapters?

1. Warming up with Steinbeck's fires (pun intended!):

Take a look at Lee's commentary on fire (598).  Put it into your own words and consider whether or not you agree with him.

Revisit the three scenes in recent reading in which a character sets something on fire:

• Sheriff Quinn's burning of explicit photos (558)
• Cal's burning of the money (565-6)
• Abra's burning of Aron's letters (578, 583)

In each scene, what does the fire release?  What does it destroy?

What do these objects have in common?

Why is destruction by fire (vs. a different method of destruction) appropriate to these particular objects?

How/what do these fiery scenes contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole?

3. Enjoying our final Socratic seminar on East of Eden

4. Wrapping up: Lingering questions, big epiphanies, generous kudos

HW:
1. BY MONDAY: Complete your next Big Question Blog for East of Eden to prepare for Monday's timed writing. My recommendation: Reread the first and the last chapter of the novel and consider these questions:

• What central conflict is established at the beginning?
• How is it resolved by the end, and to what extent?

2. By next FRIDAY, NOV 15: Select your paper/project poem and bring it to class for a metacognitive writing.

I Hope You Like Enjambing, Too: November 7, 2019

Focus: How can enjambment help us find meaning in modern poems?

1. Warming up with enjambment and meeting some of my favorite 20th century poets

2. Reading "The Writer" and trying out the multiple choice questions

• Performing an MMM reading on the poem as a class: 
• Moments (which images, sounds, metaphors, words, etc. make you take a moment to pause?)
• Movements (Where does the poem shift? Is there physical movement in the poem? What larger patterns emerge?)
• Multiple meanings (What do you make of the author's complex tone and themes?)

• Choosing the answers in silent partnerships

3. Reviewing a few key questions together

HW:
1. FOR FRIDAY: Finish East of Eden! Complete your final reading ticket by doing the following:

• Select one motif (water, apples, the color gray, Cain & Abel, etc.).

• Describe where the motif has shown up previously, and address where/how it comes into play in the final chapters (include quotations/page numbers).

• What has this motif contributed to the meaning of the work as a whole. In other words, why do you think Steinbeck developed this particular motif?

2. BY MONDAY: Complete your next Big Question Blog for East of Eden to prepare for Monday's timed writing.

3. By next FRIDAY, NOV 15: Select your paper/project poem and bring it to class for a metacognitive writing.

Meet the Poetry Project/Paper: November 6, 2019

Focus: How can we use our own creativity to analyze another author's creativity?

1. Warming up by meeting the poetry paper/project and starting to browse poetry

• Please finalize your poem selection by next Friday, November 15; you will perform a metacognitive this day.

• Old School: Books and anthologies

• New School: 
• Contemporary literary journals
• Poetry In Voice (it's like Spotify, but for poems)
• Poets.org

2. Reading time (or, if you're caught up in the reading, poem-perusing time)

3. Wrapping up by starting to think about your new Big Question Blog Post

HW:
1. BY TODAY, 4:00: 

• Submit your printed sonnet essay with the completed checklist stapled to the top.

• You will also have your last 30 minutes of reading time this day, so bring your book.

2. FOR FRIDAY: Finish East of Eden! Complete your final reading ticket by doing the following:

• Select one motif (water, apples, the color gray, Cain & Abel, etc.).

• Describe where the motif has shown up previously, and address where/how it comes into play in the final chapters (include quotations/page numbers).

• What has this motif contributed to the meaning of the work as a whole. In other words, why do you think Steinbeck developed this particular motif?

3. BY MONDAY: Bring your charged laptop to class on Friday to compose your Big Question Blog on East of Eden; complete your next Big Question Blog for East of Eden to prepare for Monday's timed writing.

Cal's Fortune: November 5, 2019

Focus: What do Steinbeck's allusions contribute to our understanding of his characters?

1. Warming up with a close reading the end of Chapter 49 together:

• Which authorial choices stand out to you?
• Why might Steinbeck have made these choices?

2. Enjoying our penultimate Socratic on East of Eden

3. Wrapping up with lingering questions, big epiphanies, and generous kudos

HW:
1. BY WEDNESDAY, 4:00: 

• Submit your printed sonnet essay with the completed checklist stapled to the top.

• You will also have your last 30 minutes of reading time this day, so bring your book.

2. FOR FRIDAY: Finish East of Eden! Complete your final reading ticket by doing the following:

• Select one motif (water, apples, the color gray, Cain & Abel, etc.).

• Describe where the motif has shown up previously, and address where/how it comes into play in the final chapters (include quotations/page numbers).

• What has this motif contributed to the meaning of the work as a whole. In other words, why do you think Steinbeck developed this particular motif?

3. BY MONDAY: Bring your charged laptop to class on Friday to compose your Big Question Blog on East of Eden; complete your next Big Question Blog for East of Eden to prepare for Monday's timed writing.

Workshop, Take 2! November 4, 2019

Focus: How can we improve our poetry timed writing skills?


1. Warming up with three good things

2. Wrapping up loose ends with a preview of your final Socratic reflection and last-minute sonnet essay questions

(3. Enjoying a round table reading of "Thou Blind Man's Mark")

4. Perusing sample released essays and enjoying and old-school workshop of one of yours

HW:
1. You will have a window for submitting your final draft: Oct 30-Nov 6 by 4:00 pm. They will be graded in the order that they are turned in.

2. For TUESDAY, Nov 5: Read Chapters 45 through 50 and prepare your Socratic ticket. We have only two Socratic seminars left, so you must stay caught up with the reading.

(Click HERE if you need the revised East of Eden bookmark.)

3.  BEFORE NOVEMBER 15: REGISTER FOR YOUR AP TESTS. Click here for the link with instructions.

Sonnet Timed Writing, Take 2! October 31, 2019

Focus: How can we improve our understanding of poetry through high velocity writing?

1. Warming up with connections between sonnet structure and timed writing structure

2. Composing your in-class writing (Q1)

3. Turning in your timed writing; PLEASE TURN THIS IN EVEN IF YOU'D PREFER THAT I GRADE YOUR "ECHO SONNET" ESSAY INSTEAD OF THIS ONE. We will workshop this essay on Monday.

HW: 
1. You will have a window for submitting your final draft: Oct 30-Nov 6 by 4:00 pm. They will be graded in the order that they are turned in.

2. For FRIDAY, Nov 1: Read through Chapter 44 and prepare your Socratic ticket. EVERYONE NEEDS TO SUBMIT A SOCRATIC TICKET. Please make sure you are caught up with the reading.

(Click HERE if you need the revised East of Eden bookmark.)

Poetry Out Loud: October 29, 2019

Focus: How can Mr. Jovan Mays help you connect to poetry?

Please meet in the THEATER and join me in the front row!



HW: FOLLOW THE SCHEDULE EVEN IF WE HAVE SNOW DELAYS.

1. You will have a window for submitting your final draft: Oct 30-Nov 4 by 4:00 pm. They will be graded in the order that they are turned in.

2. For FRIDAY, Nov 1: Read Chapters 40 through 44 and prepare your Socratic ticket. EVERYONE NEEDS TO SUBMIT A SOCRATIC TICKET.

(Click HERE if you need the revised East of Eden bookmark.)

Snowball Socratic! November 1, 2019

Focus: What patterns are shifting in East of Eden?

1. Warming up with Socratic ticket musical chairs

2. Enjoying a Socratic on East of Eden, Chapters 35 through 44

3. Wrapping up with your kudos, questions, and epiphanies

HW:

1. You will have a window for submitting your final draft: Oct 30-Nov 6 by 4:00 pm. They will be graded in the order that they are turned in.

2. For TUESDAY, Nov 5: Read Chapters 45 through 50 and prepare your Socratic ticket. We have only two Socratic seminars left, so you must stay caught up with the reading.

(Click HERE if you need the revised East of Eden bookmark.)

3.  BEFORE NOVEMBER 15: REGISTER FOR YOUR AP TESTS. Click here for the link with instructions.

Sonnet Essay Workshop: October 28, 2019

Focus: How can the process of peer workshopping help us improve our sonnet essays?

1. Warming up with three good things

2. Filling out the top of your Peer Workshop sheet by considering what aspect of your sonnet essay you'd like the most help with.

• Click HERE if you need an online version of the Peer Workshop sheet.

3. Exchanging essays (follow the three-step directions on your sheet) and workshopping them

• Note: I strongly suggest exchanging your essay with someone who is analyzing your same sonnet.

4. Wrapping up with a five-minute out-loud conference with your partner

HW: FOLLOW THE SCHEDULE EVEN IF WE HAVE SNOW DELAYS.

1. For TUESDAY, Oct 29: Read Chapters 35 through 40 and prepare your Socratic ticket (we'll be back on the regular ticket schedule for the last two weeks of East of Eden).

You will have a window for submitting your final draft: Oct 30-Nov 4 by 4:00 pm. They will be graded in the order that they are turned in.

2. For FRIDAY, Nov 1: Read Chapters 40 through 44 and prepare your Socratic ticket.

(Click HERE if you need the revised East of Eden bookmark.)

You Gotta Work, Work, Work, Work: October 25, 2019

Focus: What do you need to get yourself back on track (or to stay on track) in A.P. Literature?

1. Warming up by e-mailing me your plan for today's class:

• What will you get done by the end of 5th hour today? 

• What can I do to help you?

2. Taking 30 minutes of silent work time (though you're welcome to listen to music)

3. Enjoying a productive and mostly quiet work period; you may continue reading or writing silently, but you may also peer edit during this time as well


HW:
1. For MONDAY, Oct 28: Complete rough draft of sonnet essay. We will peer edit this day.

2. For TUESDAY, Oct 29: Read Chapters 35 through 40 and prepare your Socratic ticket (we'll be back on the regular ticket schedule for the last two weeks of East of Eden).

You will have a window for submitting your final draft: Oct 30-Nov 4 by 4:00 pm. They will be graded in the order that they are turned in.

Thursday Workshop: October 24, 209

Focus: How do we strengthen our poetry timed writing skills?

1. Warming up with the caesura

2. Reading "The Echo Sonnet" aloud with two readers; discussing how to read the poem

• What is an echo?
• What role does the caesura play?
• Why is "To an Empty Page" important to the poem?

3. Understanding the poetic devices; discussing how to write about the poem

• Which poetic devices (literary terms) seemed important or interesting to you?
• Where did you get stuck?

4. Exploring sample released essays together as a class and the AP readers' comments; leaving comments on each other's timed writings

HW:
1. Friday, Oct 25 will be a drafting day and/or a reading day. Chapters 35-38 will be added to the Socratic on Tuesday (along with Chapters 39 and 40). We will return to the normal reading ticket schedule on Tuesday.

2. For MONDAY, Oct 28: Complete rough draft of sonnet essay. We will peer edit this day.

3. For TUESDAY, Oct 29: Read Chapters 35 through 40 and prepare your Socratic ticket (we'll be back on the regular ticket schedule for the last two weeks of East of Eden).

You will have a window for submitting your final draft: Oct 30-Nov 4 by 4:00 pm. They will be graded in the order that they are turned in.

Sharing the Same Story: October 23, 2019

Focus: How do we all share the same story?

1. Warming up with a revised bookmark and a close reading of Chapter 34

2. Enjoying a fishbowl-style discussion of Chapters 27-34

3. Wrapping up with remaining questions, epiphanies, and kudos

HW:
1. ASAP: Make sure you have e-mailed me your sonnet essay thesis and any outlining you have completed.

2. Friday, Oct 25 will be a drafting day and/or a reading day. Chapters 35-38 will be added to the Socratic on Tuesday (along with Chapters 39 and 40). We will return to the normal reading ticket schedule on Tuesday.

3. For MONDAY, Oct 28: Complete rough draft of sonnet essay. We will peer edit this day.

You will have a window for submitting your final draft: Oct 30-Nov 4 by 4:00 pm. They will be graded in the order that they are turned in.

Mental Health Day: October 22, 2019

Focus: How are you doing today

1. Warming up with a letter

2. Taking a walk

3. Feeling better

HW:
1. ASAP: Make sure you have e-mailed me your sonnet essay thesis and any outlining you have completed.

(Remember that TOMORROW is a reading day.)

2. Friday, Oct 25 will be a drafting day. In lieu of having a Socratic seminar on Chapters 35-38, you will have a short written reflection that will take the first 10 minutes of class.

3. For MONDAY, Oct 28: Complete rough draft of sonnet essay. We will peer edit this day.

You will have a window for submitting your final draft: Oct 30-Nov 4 by 4:00 pm. They will be graded in the order that they are turned in.

The Echo Sonnet: October 21, 2019

Focus: How can we understand poetry through high velocity writing?

1. Warming up with three good things

2. Writing about "The Echo Sonnet" (Q1)

HW:
1. Before you go to bed tonight: E-mail me your sonnet essay thesis and any outlining you have completed.

• Click HERE for the overview of the sonnet essay.
• Click HERE for the sample sonnet essay.

2. For TUESDAY, Oct 22: Read Chapters 27 through 34 and prepare your next reading ticket. If you average about 11 pages today, you'll easily finish this assignment.

3. Friday, Oct 25 will be a drafting day. In lieu of having a Socratic seminar on Chapters 35-38, you will have a short written reflection that will take the first 10 minutes of class.

4. For MONDAY, Oct 28: Complete rough draft of sonnet essay. We will peer edit this day.

You will have a window for submitting your final draft: Oct 30-Nov 4 by 4:00 pm. They will be graded in the order that they are turned in.

Sonnet Recitals: October 15, 2019

Focus: How does memorizing (and listening to) a sonnet change your understanding of it?

1. Warming up with your small group sonnet recitals and self-reflections

2. Offering you a quick recap of the sonnet essay's structure and a sample essay from last year

3. Discussing Chapters 25 and 26 in East of Eden, "save the last line" style

HW:
1. For MONDAY, Oct 21: E-mail me your sonnet essay thesis and any outlining you have completed.

• Click HERE for the overview of the sonnet essay.
• Click HERE for the sample sonnet essay.

2. For TUESDAY, Oct 22: Read Chapters 27 through 34 and prepare your next reading ticket. If you average about 11 pages today, you'll easily finish this assignment.

3. Friday, Oct 25 will be a drafting day.

4. For MONDAY, Oct 28: Complete rough draft of sonnet essay. We will peer edit this day.

You will have a window for submitting your final draft: Oct 30-Nov 4 by 4:00 pm. They will be graded in the order that they are turned in.

Timshel: October 14, 2019

Focus: What is timshel?

1. Warming up with a quick three good things and an MMM reading of the ending of Chapter 24

2. Enjoying a Socratic seminar on Chapters 23 and 24

3. Wrapping up with epiphanies, kudos, and questions

HW:
1. For TUESDAY:

• Read Chapters 25 and 26. If you did not prepare a ticket for today, please prepare one for tomorrow.

• By TUESDAY, October 15, you must MEMORIZE your sonnet

2. Ongoing: Please let your parents know that I will only be at conferences next Wednesday from 4:00 to 6:30 pm because I am part-time.

Bears, Beets, Battlestar Galactica: October 11, 2019

Focus: Why is the black bear the best kind of bear?

1. Warming up with my a little Friday Fun: My favorite alliteration of the letter "B"

2. Exploring the alliteration of "W" in "The Whipporwill in the Woods," taking inventory of question types, and talking through three of the most confusing questions

3. Relaxing into East of Eden

HW (PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGES):

1. For TOMORROW: Bring East of Eden to class for some reading time. We also be rounding up some literary terms using Quizlet Live.

2. For MONDAY: Please read Chapters 23 and 24 for a formal Socratic; for TUESDAY, read Chapters 25 and 26. You may prepare a ticket for either day, but I highly recommend making one for Monday.

3. By TUESDAY, October 15, you must MEMORIZE your sonnet.

4. Ongoing: Please let your parents know that I will only be at conferences next Wednesday from 4:00 to 6:30 pm because I am part-time.

The Call of the Whipporwill: October 10, 2019

Focus: How do our lessons on sound devices and extended metaphors help  us answer questions about poetry?

1. Warming up with a Quizlet review of sound devices

• Click HERE for the Quizlet link to join the class.

• Find "Literary Terms Weeks 7-13."

2. Reading "The Call of the Whipporwill" with an ear for sound devices and an eye for extended metaphors

3. Trying out the multiple choice questions and comparing answers

HW (PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGES):

1. For TOMORROW: Bring East of Eden to class for some reading time. We also be rounding up some literary terms using Quizlet Live.

2. For MONDAY: Please read Chapters 23 and 24 for a formal Socratic; for TUESDAY, read Chapters 25 and 26. You may prepare a ticket for either day, but I highly recommend making one for Monday.

3. By TUESDAY, October 15, you must MEMORIZE your sonnet.

4. Ongoing: Please let your parents know that I will only be at conferences next Wednesday from 4:00 to 6:30 pm because I am part-time.

Stabilizing Your Reading: October 9, 2019

Focus: How can we get on more stable ground in our reading of East of Eden?

1. Warming up with a revisitation of our reading schedule, signing the Sparknotes Oath, and asking clarification questions

2. Reading East of Eden

3. Wrapping up by making sure you're registered for the A.P. test

HW:
1. For Friday, Oct 11: Read Chapters 24, 25, and 26; create your next Socratic ticket.

2. By Monday, October 14, you must MEMORIZE your sonnet.

3. Thursday, October 17 will be our next timed writing (it will be a Q1: Poetry).

Isolating the Essence: October 8, 2019

Focus: How can we isolate what's most important in East of Eden?

1. Warming up with blackout poetry of Chapters 20, 21, and 22



2. Enjoying our first Silent Socratic Seminar and signing the Sparknotes Oath

3. Wrapping up (out loud) with kudos, epiphanies, and lingering questions

HW:
1. For Friday, Oct 11: Read Chapters (23), 24, 25, and 26; create your next Socratic ticket.

2. By Monday, October 14, you must MEMORIZE your sonnet.

Sound and Sense: October 7, 2019

Focus: How can sound devices help us unlock poetry?

1. Warming up with three good things

2. Describing two different scenes using only your sense of sound

3. Offering you some of my favorite poetic sound devices

Euphony: Pleasing to the ear, harmonious

Cacophony: Harsh, discordant, unpleasant sounds

Alliteration: Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginnings of words (the snake slithered silently)

Assonance: Repetition of vowel sounds (or, as Eminem refers to it, "Word Bending")


4. Enjoying several poems together using only our ears

• What sounds are you noticing?

• How do the sounds contribute to/create the larger meanings of the poems?

HW:
1. For Tuesday, Oct 8: Read Chapters 20, 21, 22 and 23; create your next Socratic ticket.

2. For Friday, Oct 11: Read Chapters 24, 25, and 26; create your next Socratic ticket.

3. By Monday, October 14 (over a week away), you must MEMORIZE your sonnet.

The Elusive Eden: October 4, 2019

Focus: How is Steinbeck using natural imagery, and to what end?

Do I have your metacognitive?

1. Warming up with a close readings of "flowery" language:

• As a class: What's up with the flowers? (page 75 and 85)

• On your own: How does Steinbeck allude to the Garden of Eden? (Use the green close reading questions below to help). How does this relate to the flowers we were just discussing?

• Identify significant diction, imagery, figurative language, symbols, etc.
• Brainstorm the connotations of the ones that strike you the most.
• Use the connotations to make a statement about what Steinbeck might be up to.

2. Enjoying Socratic seminar: Chapters 15 through 19

3. Wrapping up with epiphanies, kudos, and lingering questions

HW:
1. For Tuesday, Oct 8: Read Chapters 20, 21, 22 and 23; create your next Socratic ticket.

2. For Friday, Oct 11: Read Chapters 24, 25, and 26; create your next Socratic ticket.

3. By Monday, October 14 (over a week away), you must MEMORIZE your sonnet.

Listening to Your Sonnet with a Stethoscope: October 3, 2019

Focus: How can a poem's rhythm contribute to its meaning?

1. Warming up by listening to the heartbeats of three songs:

In each song, how does the rhythm reflect meaning?

Song #1: "Stressed Out" (twenty one pilots)
Song #2: "Critical Mistakes" (888)
Song #3: "Modern Man" (Arcade Fire)

2. Introducing you to scansion with Shel Silverstein and Robert Frost; examining scansion's larger purpose in Shakespeare's "Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day" and "My Mistress' Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun"

• What different types of poetic rhythm should we be listening for when there's no music?
• How does the rhythm in each poem reflect the poem's larger meaning?

3. Listening for the rhythm in your sonnets (small groups) and adding to your metacognitives

HW:
1.  For Friday, Oct 4: Read Chapters 16 through 19 and prepare your next Socratic ticket. Remember your oath: NO SPARKNOTES.

2. By Monday, Oct 14: Memorize your sonnet (stay tuned for tips on this).

"One Book to a Man": October 2, 2019

Focus: What are you uncovering about Steinbeck's intent in writing East of Eden?

1. Warming up with the first page Steinbeck's East of Eden journal

• Read the letter aloud.

• Which parts of the letter unlock some aspect of Steinbeck's authorial intent? How so?

2. Reading Chapters 16 through 19 with an eye on authorial intent

HW:
1. For TOMORROW: Make sure your sonnet metacognitive is finished (and shared with me if you typed it).

2. For Friday, Oct 4: Read Chapters 16 through 19 and prepare your next Socratic ticket.

The Metacognitive: October 1, 2019

Focus: How does your mind puzzle through a sonnet?

1. Warming up by getting set up for your metacognitive

• You may either handwrite or type.

• At the top of your paper or document, please your name, date, and the title of the sonnet you're exploring (it must be from the original sonnet packet).

• Please use all of the class time given. If the class time is not enough, you can finish up at home tonight. This will count as a timed writing grade.

• Remember the two big goals of the metacognitive:

(1) You should be constantly bringing in words and phrases from the sonnet. All metacognitives stem directly from the author's language.

(2) You should end in a better place than where you started. What did the process of the metacognitive help you understand better or differently about your sonnet?

2. Getting metacognitive with your selected sonnet

• Click HERE for an overview of the method and purpose of the metacognitive (given out yesterday in class).

• If you handwrote, please turn in your metacognitive at the end of class if you're finished.

• If you typed, please share your Google doc directly with me before you leave class today.

HW:
1. For TOMORROW: Please finish your metacognitive if you did not finish in class.


2. For Friday, Oct 4: Read Chapters 16 through 19 and prepare your next Socratic ticket.

"The Free, Exploring Mind": September 30, 2019

Focus: What does Steinbeck want us to understand about the movement from Part 1 to Part 2?

1. Warming up with three good things, a quick overview of tomorrow's metacognitive, and a drill on authorial intent

2. Enjoying a Pinwheel Socratic seminar on East of Eden, Chapters 12 through 15

3. Wrapping up with kudos, epiphanies, and lingering questions

HW:
1. For TOMORROW: Decide which sonnet to perform your metacognitive timed writing on. Be sure to bring the actual sonnet to class that day.

2. For Friday, Oct 4: Read Chapters 16 through 19 and prepare your next Socratic ticket.

Please Allow Me To Introduce Myself: September 27, 2019

Focus: How does Steinbeck create the character of Cathy, and to what effect?

1. Warming up with a close reading of Cathy's characterization

Step 1: Find several physical details about Cathy. Write them out and leave a little space.

Step 2: Musical chairs: Read closely the lines in front of you. 

• What do these details make you think of? 

• How do they connect and disconnect from each other? 

• What do they suggest about Cathy? 

• What larger effect might Steinbeck be trying to create?

2. Enjoying a Socratic Seminar on Chapters 8 through 11

3. Wrapping up with kudos, questions, and lingering questions

HW:
1. For MONDAY: Read Chapters 12 through 15 and prepare your next Socratic ticket.

2. For Tuesday, Oct 1: Decide which sonnet to perform your metacognitive timed writing on. Be sure to bring the actual sonnet to class that day.

3. For Friday, Oct 4: Read Chapters 16 through 19 and prepare your next Socratic ticket.

Approaching the Sonnet: September 26, 2019

Focus: What do we need to reflect on to help us progress?

1. Warming up with Billy Collins'  and Edna St. Vincent Millay's meta-sonnets

• What are they teaching us about sonnets?

2. Exploring "An Echo from Willow-wood"

• Moments: Which images, diction, etc. make you pause/take a moment?
• Movement: What patterns can you uncover? Are there any shifts?
• Multiple Meanings: What do you think the poet is trying to do here (tone/themes)?

*A mini break for a puzzle challenge (and metaphor)*

3. Reading and marking up Foster's "If It's Square, It's a Sonnet" 

• How does the form contribute to the poem's meaning?

4. Trying out your newfound sonnet knowledge on Keats

HW:
1. For Friday: Read Chapters 8 through 11 and prepare your next Socratic ticket.

2. For next Tuesday, Oct 1: Decide which sonnet to perform your metacognitive timed writing on. Be sure to bring the actual sonnet to class that day.

Of Monsters and Men: September 25, 2019

Focus: What is a monster, and why does Steinbeck introduce us to one?

1. Warming up with your thoughts on the word "monster"

• What is a monster?

• How has your definition of this word changed over time?

• What makes one susceptible to a monster?

2. Reading Chapters 8 through 11 in East of Eden

3. Taking the Sparknotes Oath

HW:
1. For Friday: Read Chapters 8 through 11 and prepare your next Socratic ticket.

2. For MONDAY: Read Chapters 12 through 15 and prepare a Socratic ticket.

3. For next Tuesday, Oct 1: Decide which sonnet to perform your metacognitive timed writing on. Be sure to bring the actual sonnet to class that day.

Cain/Charles and Abel/Adam: September 24, 2019

Focus: What does Steinbeck's allusion to Cain and Abel mean?

1. Warming up with a close examination of Steinbeck's allusion to Cain and Abel

• What's an allusion?

• What direct parallels does Steinbeck draw between the Biblical story of Cain and Abel and his own story? Try to get specific here; find lines to support your thinking.

• What does he change, and why might those changes be important?

2. Enjoying a Socratic Seminar on East of Eden, Chapters 4-7

3. Wrapping up with kudos, epiphanies, and lingering questions

HW:
1. For Wednesday: Bring East of Eden to class for reading time.

2. For Friday: Read Chapters 8-12 and prepare your next Socratic ticket.

3. By the end of the month: Finish the A.P. Central multiple choice questions on characterization we started in class today.

4. For next Tuesday, Oct 1: Decide which sonnet to perform your metacognitive timed writing on. Be sure to bring the actual sonnet to class that day.

Next Stop...A.P. Central! September 23, 2019

Focus: How do we deepen our understanding of literature outside of class?

1. Warming up with three good things :)

2. Shaking hands with the sonnet essay

3. Accepting the hand that A.P. Central is offering to you: Help with multiple choice!

HW:
1. For TOMORROW: Read chapters 4, 5, 6, and 7 and complete your next reading ticket.

2. By the end of the month: Finish the A.P. Central multiple choice questions on characterization we started in class today.

3. For next Tuesday, Oct 1: Decide which sonnet to perform your metacognitive timed writing on. Be sure to bring the actual sonnet to class that day.

First Impressions: September 20, 2019

Focus: What does Steinbeck want us to start thinking about?

1. Warming up by questioning Steinbeck's first chapters with a Bucket List

Level 1 Bucket: questions for clarity--what's confusing you about the plot?

• Who is the narrator? Is it Steinbeck himself?

Level 2 Bucket: Socratic-style questions

• On page __, what do the descriptions of Samuel Hamilton's strengths have in common? Why might Steinbeck emphasize this particular pattern?

"What Would Foster Say?" Bucket

• After being beaten nearly to death by his brother, Adam lies briefly in a stream of water. What would Foster say about the significance of this "baptism"?

3. Discussing your Bucket questions in a Socratic

4. Wrapping up with kudos, questions, and epiphanies

HW:
1. For MONDAY: Bring your laptop to class. Also, be sure to get a portion of your East of Eden reading done over the weekend.

2. For TUESDAY: Read chapters 4, 5, 6, and 7 and complete your next reading ticket.

Odyssey Thursday Workshop: September 19, 2019

Focus: How do we use workshop to improve our timed writing skills?

1. Warming up by leaving kudos, questions, and epiphanies on each other's Big Blogs

2. Perusing a few sample essays together to figure out what we're aiming for

3. Peer editing the structure of each other's timed writings

HW:

For FRIDAY: 

• Complete your final poetry response (autumn poetry packet given out last Wed).

• Read Chapters 1, 2, and 3 in East of Eden and complete your first reading ticket.

And Still, the Box Is Not Full: September 18, 2019

Focus: Why this book, right now?

1. Warming up with a metacognitive on the opening letter in this book

2. Offering you the best gift I have:

"Well, here's your box. Nearly everything I have is in it, and it is not full." -- Steinbeck

3. Reading the opening chapters of East of Eden

A challenge for you: The first chapter of a good book has an important job, and that is to set up every important tension of the novel. In his lengthy, stunning descriptions of setting, what underlying tensions are you noticing?

HW:

For FRIDAY: 

• Complete your final poetry response (autumn poetry packet given out last Wed).

• Read Chapters 1, 2, and 3 in East of Eden and complete your first reading ticket.

Writing About The Odyssey: September 17, 2019

Focus: How can a timed writing help you deepen your understanding of a text?

*Please turn in your school copies of The Odyssey.*

1. Warming up with kudos, questions, and epiphanies on each other's blogs

2. Walking through your first AP Lit prompt as a class; composing your first "Tuesday" writing individually

• Find the heart of the prompt and underline it.
• Brainstorm and/or outline in a way that works for you  (5 min).
• Don't start writing until you have an idea of what you're going to say after your first body paragraph.
• Write in the present tense.
• Go narrow, go deep (the more precise you can get with your examples, the better).
• MOST IMPORTANTLY: Let yourself discover new meanings as you write. End in a better place than where you started.

3. Wrapping up with thoughts on your first timed writing

HW:

1.  For TOMORROW:

• Bring East of Eden to class.

2. For FRIDAY: 

• Complete your final poetry response (autumn poetry packet given out last Wed).

• Read Chapters 1, 2, and 3 in East of Eden and complete your first reading ticket.

Endings and Beginnings: September 16, 2019

Focus: How do we wrap up our first unit and get ready for the next one?

*Friendly reminder: If you don't have your college essay printed yet, please submit it by 4:00 pm today. Remember to staple the checklist to the top.*

1. Warming up with three good things

2. Sharing beautiful words from your college essays

3. Introducing to you the East of Eden reading schedule and reading ticket possibilities

4. Finishing your Big Question Blog posts on The Odyssey

HW:

1.  For TUESDAY:

• Finish your Big Question Blog post if if you did not finish in class.

• We will have a timed writing on The Odyssey this day. You may not use your book.

• Please bring your copy of The Odyssey to turn in.

2. For FRIDAY: 

• Complete your final poetry response (autumn poetry packet given out last Wed).

• Read Chapters 1, 2, and 3 in East of Eden and complete your first reading ticket.

Go Big or Go Home: September 13, 2019

Focus: What do we really want to explore this year?

1. Warming up with big, big questions: List of possibilities

2. Exploring two sample Big Question Blogs:

Mike's Sample Blog

Mara's Sample Blog

3. Checking out www.blogger.com and setting up your own blogs

• Please make sure give yourself a unique blog title that includes your first name.

• Include your big question in the header.

• E-mail me your blog address (it ends with "blogspot.com") as soon as you have one.

4. Creating your first big blog post using The Odyssey

• Bring in specific lines / highly specific scenes. Strangely, to "go big" you have to first "go small."

HW:

1. For MONDAY: Finish your "best draft so far" of your college essay to turn in by 4:00 pm on Monday. Please use this checklist (hard copy given in class and sent to you via Remind).

2. For TUESDAY:

• Finish your Big Question Blog post if if you did not finish in class.

• We will have a timed writing on The Odyssey this day. You may not use your book.

• Please bring your copy of The Odyssey to turn in.

3. For NEXT FRIDAY (SEP 20): Complete your final poetry response 

(4. Suggested, but not required: Start reading East of Eden.)