Remember that the final essay is due Monday, June 7. Please arrive before 9:00 AM and have your portfolio assembled and ready to go.
You will all have a chance to present your work to other students in the grade.
Here is the Final-essay-checklist for your reference.
See you on Monday!
Monday (5/24) FIRST DRAFT DUE. In class conferences (see schedule on blog).
HW: Continue rewriting and revising your essay.
Tuesday (5/25) NO CLASS
Wednesday (5/26) In class conferences (see schedule on blog).
HW: Continue rewriting and revising your essay.
Thursday (5/27) In class conferences (see schedule on blog).
HW: Continue rewriting and revising your essay. Finish second draft by Thursday, June 3.
Friday (5/28) FIELD DAY – NO CLASS
Monday (5/31) SCHOOL CLOSED – MEMORIAL DAY
Tuesday (6/1) NO CLASS
Wednesday (6/2) Discussion: Writing Workshop #5: Writing a conclusion. Review of process piece and components of portfolio (final checklist).
HW: Continue revising your essay. Bring complete, “near final” second draft to class on Thursday for peer editing. YOU MUST PRINT YOUR DRAFT BEFORE CLASS.
Thursday (6/3) In class: Peer editing.
HW: Finish revising your essay.
Friday (6/4) READING DAY. Final day to meet with Julia. Meetings by appointment, only.
HW: Write your process piece and assemble final portfolio according to the instructions on the checklist.
Monday (6/7) ESSAY DUE: STUDENT SHARE OF CRITIQUES IN PAC, 9:00-11:00 AM.
English 10 – Final Essay Conferences
Monday, May 24
9:00-9:15 EMMA
9:15-9:30 OLIVIA
12:55-1:10 JESSE
No conferences on Tuesday, May 25
Wednesday, May 26
8:45-9:00 SIMON
9:00-9:15 ZAC
9:15-9:30 MAYA
11:35-11:50 LISA
11:50-12:05 SOLOMON
12:05-12:20 ROBBIE
Thursday, May 27
8:45-9:00 TIFFANY
9:00-9:15 MANNY
9:15-9:30 TAYLOR
12:30-12:45 JACK
12:45-1:00 ISABEL
No conferences on Friday May 28 (Field Day)
All students will have the opportunity to have a second conference the week of June 1-3 or on Friday, June 4 (Reading Day).
Monday 5/17 – WJ #20 due. Discussion: Share WJ#20. Writing workshop #1: What is your critique of the American Dream? What evidence/texts will you use to persuade your reader? Looking at texts of the course: “How is this text a critique of the American Dream? What evidence could I use from this text for my own critique?”
HW: Continue work from today, looking at each text as a possible critique. Finalize the two texts you will use as a lens to critique the notion of the American Dream. Find 3-5 pieces of evidence from each text and analyze those pieces of evidence, keeping in mind your critique. This is WJ#21. 2 pages typed, minimum, due Wednesday.
Tuesday 5/18 – NO CLASS
Wednesday 5/19 – WJ #21 due. Discussion: Writing workshop #2: Evidence and analysis, organization of argument, body paragraphs. How might your analysis inform the structure of your argument? How do the topic sentences provide a “map” for the reader?
HW: Formulate topic sentences for your body paragraphs. Using the analysis from WJ#21, write at least one body paragraph. 1 page typed, minimum, due Thursday.
Thursday 5/20 – Discussion: Writing workshop #3: Evidence and analysis, body paragraphs, continued. Generating thesis statements and intro.
HW: Generate 5-7 sentences for your introduction and include a specific working thesis statement. Due Friday.
Friday 5/21 – Writing workshop #4: Introduction and thesis statement. Peer editing or work period.
Assignment: Finish the first draft of your essay. Revise intro, thesis, topic sentences, analysis, and citations. Add more evidence as needed, deepen analysis for each body paragraph. First draft due Monday, May 24. (4 pages, typed, minimum).
Monday 5/24 – FIRST DRAFT DUE. In class conferences.
HW: Continue revising your essay.
Wednesday (5/12) Discussion: Introduce final essay assignment. Circle back to discussions of American literature, great American novel, canons, what’s unveiled/not unveiled, American dream vs. reality, portrait of America, images of beauty, media clips (cultural icons, videos, etc.). Begin WJ#19 in class.
HW: Finish WJ#19. 3 pages typed, minimum, due Thursday.
Thursday (5/13) WJ #19 due. Discussion: Share WJ#19 in class. Begin reading “Rethinking the American Dream” by David Kamp (Vanity Fair, April 2009).
HW: Finish reading Kamp article. Select 3-5 moments in the article that you think connect to the texts and/or themes of this course. Be sure to bracket and annotate these moments, for discussion on Friday.
Friday (5/14) Discussion: Kamp article. What is a critique?
HW: Write WJ#20: In response to the Kamp article, answer these questions: How is the Kamp piece a critique of the American Dream? What evidence does Kamp use to persuade his reader of his critique? To what extent do you agree/disagree with Kemp’s critique? 2 pages typed, minimum, due Monday.
Reminder: BRING ALL OF YOUR TEXTS TO CLASS ON MONDAY (The Things They Carried, The Scarlet Letter, In the Blood, “Song of Myself,” The Great Gatsby, and The Bluest Eye).
Monday (5/17) WJ #20 due. Discussion: Share WJ#20. Writing workshop #1: What is your critique of the American Dream? What evidence/texts will you use to persuade your reader?
HW: Continue work from today. Finalize the two texts you will use as a lens to critique the notion of the American Dream. Find 3-5 pieces of evidence from each text and analyze those pieces of evidence, keeping in mind your critique. This is WJ#21. 2 pages typed, minimum, due Wednesday.
Here is the prompt with directions for the Bluest Eye Essay 2010 on Monday.
Preparation: In preparation for this in-class essay, please do a careful review of your textual annotations and notes from class. Complete the pre-writing handout with your notes for your introduction, thesis statement, evidence, conclusion. If you wish to do a rough draft of your notes page, you can download and print the pre-writing handout here: In class essay worksheet.
Materials to bring to the in-class essay:
Monday (5/3) Discussion: The Bluest Eye pp. 187-206 — summer imagery; gossip and blame; connections to other texts.
HW: WJ #15 – What do Morrison’s comments in the “Afterword” and in the interview illuminate about the novel for you? How do you see the novel differently? 2 pages typed, due Wednesday, 5/5.
Tuesday (5/4) NO CLASS
Wednesday (5/5) Discussion: The Bluest Eye — Pecola’s breakdown; narrative shifts–who is the “we” of this section? Who is to blame for Pecola’s tragedy? Discuss Afterword, framing texts, the Master Narrative, and Oprah interview.
HW: Prepare for in-class essay. See handout for prompts.
Thursday (5/6) Discussion: Sharing of WJ’s and review of how to write a close reading/ in-class essay.
HW: Prepare for in-class essay. See handout for prompts.
Friday (5/7) ARTS FESTIVAL – NO CLASS
HW: Prepare for in-class essay.
Monday (5/10) BLUEST EYE IN-CLASS ESSAY.
Monday 4/26 – Discussion: The Bluest Eye, pp. 154-163. Why/how did the characters arrive at this moment? Issues of power and voice in the story and in the narrative structure, sharing writing. HW: Review The Bluest Eye, pp. 164-183 and read up to page 192.
Tuesday 4/27 – No class
Wednesday 4/28 – Discussion: The Bluest Eye pp. 164-183: Soaphead Church’s story. What is the connection between the primer (“see the dog”) and the events in the chapter? Soaphead’s definitions of beauty, his upbringing, his relationship with God. Observe patterns of child abuse in the novel—how do Soaphead and other adults use and abuse Pecola?
HW: Study for close reading quiz, Thursday 4/29.
Thursday 4/29- CLOSE READING QUIZ
HW: Read and annotate The Bluest Eye, pp. 193-206.
Friday 4/30 – Class: Watch Oprah’s interview with Toni Morrison.
HW: Read and annotate The Bluest Eye, pp. 209-216, “Afterword.”
Monday 5/3 – Discussion: Discuss The Bluest Eye pp. 183-216 – summer imagery; narrative shifts—who is the “we” of this section? Who is to blame for what happens to Pecola? Discuss the “Afterword” in relation to Oprah’s interview.
HW: Prepare for in-class essay (pre-writing).
Monday (4/19) Discussion: The Bluest Eye pp. 110-131: compare the key aspects of Pauline’s story (tooth metaphor, color imagery, attitudes towards sex, etc.) with the experiences of Geraldine and Pecola.
HW: Read and annotate The Bluest Eye pp. 132-153.
Tuesday (4/20) NO CLASS
Wednesday (4/21) Discussion: The Bluest Eye pp. 132-153: Compare aspects of Pauline’s story with parallel aspects of Cholly’s story (watermelon metaphor, images of color and light, physical response to rejection and oppression, power and sexuality). How do these two characters deal with conflicting emotions and motives?
HW: Read and annotate The Bluest Eye pp. 154-163.
Thursday (4/22) Discussion: The Bluest Eye pp. 154-163: Why did Morrison choose to include certain details in this scene, while omitting others? Why/how did the characters have arrive at this moment?
HW: Read and annotate The Bluest Eye pp. 164-183 [due Monday 4/26.]
Friday (4/23) NO CLASS – Shakespeare’s Birthday – Special Presentation
Monday (4/12) Discussion: The Bluest Eye pp. 61-80: seasonal images; internalized racism; Mr. Henry; “ruined” status of women.
HW: Read and annotate The Bluest Eye pp. 81-93.
Tuesday (4/13) NO CLASS
Wednesday (4/14) – Discussion: The Bluest Eye pp. 81-93.
HW: Read and annotate The Bluest Eye pp. 97-109.
Thursday (4/15) Discussion: The Bluest Eye pp. 97-109 — “ruined” women and second appearance of the prostitutes; Mrs. Breedlove and Pecoloa at the Fisher house.
HW: Read and annotate The Bluest Eye pp. 110-131. Mark each of the major events of Pauline’s life in your text and pay special attention to images of color.
Friday (4/16) SCHOOL CLOSED – PROFESSIONAL DAY
Monday (4/19) Discussion: The Bluest Eye pp. 110-131: compare the key aspects of Pauline’s story (tooth metaphor, color imagery, attitudes towards sex, etc.) with the experiences of Geraldine and Pecola.
HW: Read and annotate The Bluest Eye pp. 132-153.