Due Monday, January 6

Read Huck Finn through chapter 33. There will be a reading quiz on these chapters.

Complete the analytical vocabulary assignment explained below.

Vocabulary and Analytical Sentences

Chapters 1-18

The words that you use in your writing have a significant effect on the voice you create. Accordingly, this activity will help you learn the definitions of some “mature” and “academic” words, and also help you apply them to your thinking about Huck Finn.

For each word, you’ll need to complete a two part process. After you look up the definition of the word, write down a meaningful definition; this will complete part one. Make sure you put this definition in your own words: do NOT just copy and paste! The second step is to create a statement (maybe 2-3 sentences) making an analytical observation about Huck Finn that uses this new word. (You can change the form of the word if necessary). It’s important to avoid making a sentence that is simply a plot summary. Instead you need to analyze a character, theme, idea, etc, much like we’ve been doing in our class discussions. In fact, you can even use some of the observations from our class discussions. Remember, analysis presents an observation (a reference to a specific event or events in the text) and then seeks to explain why that observation is important or significant to the story.

Also, please use this as an opportunity to focus on creating mature sentences. I recommend typing this assignment so you can revise as you go along; my example sentence below underwent at least 10 revisions before I decided to leave it alone. Notice you’re only being given a few words, so I expect high quality thinking and writing.

Here is an example:

0.) ambivalence: (Noun) a sense of uncertainty; undecided conflict between two emotions.

Huck’s ambivalence about his living conditions, the fact that he can be content under the rules of the widow but then quickly readapts to the harsher living environment with Pap, serves as an important indication of his malleable character. Because it is not in Huck’s nature to make up his mind fixedly, this indecision allows for perhaps his greatest act of open-mindedness-- the ability to come to see Jim as a person.

1.) juxtapose
2.) ostensible
3.) incongruous
4.) conventional
5.) ephemeral
6.) elicit

Extra Credit (Also due January 6th)

You will need to write a 2 page (double spaced) essay on the video that you viewed. One page or so should be summary information of what you learned, and the second page should be a reflection on the importance/significance of what you learned. The second half of the paper is reflective, so it can be written in the first person. Other than that, there are no specific structural requirements for the assignment.

Due Wednesday

Huck Finn reading through chapter 13.

Reading Due Tuesday

Huck Finn Chapters 6-9.

Please make an effort to get caught up with the reading if you have already fallen behind.

Remember you should be reading for plot details as well as looking for evidence of and thinking about our themes and motifs in the novel. (See previous posts.)

Reading Due Monday

We will be working with Mark Twain as we transition to Realism, which will include working with the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Although copies are available through the library to check out, I strongly recommend that you get your own copy so that you can take notes on your own text. Our first reading assignment will be due on Wednesday, so you have a few days to get a copy, either paper or electronic.
Please note that the web version does not flow from chapter to chapter. Instead, when you finish with chapter 1, you will need to click on chapter 2 on the left hand side of the screen.

More information about Huck Finn reading below.

For our reading of Huckleberry Finn, pay careful attention to the following topics. I suggest that you mark these topics in your text (or on a post-it). If you want to be extra fancy, you can also color-code these different ideas in your notes.

Supersition
The role of the river
Women (and their influence on Huck)
Religion
Education
Class Consciousness
Racial Identity
Clothing
Money/Wealth/Acquisitiveness (wanting to acquire stuff)
Deception
Search for Approval
Protectiveness

Here is a link to an electronic copy, if you do not have your own yet.

Homework Info

1. Please finish reading the Whitman "Song of Myself" excerpts found in your book on pages 456-460. We will continue to discuss Whitman tomorrow.

2. Please remember to check your "Usher" antithesis essays for comments on Turnitin. I am almost halfway finished (through the L's, I think), and I am hoping that your feedback will be helpful for your essay next week. I have changed the settings to allow a late submission, so you may upload your assignment if you haven't already done so.

3. The quizlet is available here. There are a few glitches: there are some questions we haven't done yet, and a couple of times the answer is a quotation which doesn't work that well on the fill in the blank tests. But the flashcards are a great resource, and it is definitely better than no quizlet, which is what I usually have for my students. Yay for Evelyn! Now, get studying!

OAKS Score Info

I decided to post your entire set of OAKS scores as one big number like 4444, 4345, 5445, etc. The first number is your score for Ideas Content, the second is Organization, the third is Sentence Fluency, and the fourth is Conventions. A passing score must show at least a 4 in each category. We will talk more about next steps in class. Remember, these scores are not having an impact on your class grade, and although they look kind of obnoxious, is at least an easy way to get the information to you.

Romanticism Reading List and Study Guide

Available here.

Precise dates are still up in the air, but I am hoping for Monday or Tuesday of next week. Most likely, we will do both portions of the test on the same day, using both class periods.

Due after Thanksgiving Break

You need to read the excerpts in your textbook from Moby Dick. Remember that Melville is an Anti-transcendentalist, so you should see these themes revealed in his plot and characters.

For those of you who have been absent, here is information about the poetry assignment that we worked on earlier this week.

Read the following poems:

334- “The Tide Rises”

336- “The Psalm of Life”

347- “The Chambered Nautilus”

352- “First Snowfall”

Write a response for each poem consisting of:

1. Literal Summary (1-2 sentences):

2. Interpretation/Theme: What deeper meaning does this poem convey (2-3 sentences)

3. Style analysis: What poetry devices (rhyme, figurative language, allusions, diction...) does this poem make use of? How do they help enhance the theme? (1-2 sentences)

Please include answers to these three questions after the title of each poem on your paper. Then, complete question number for after you have read and responded to all 4 poems:

4. What similarities do these poems share? In what way do they differ from each other? Which one did you find the most enjoyable? Explain your thoughts... (4-5 sentences)

Black Veil Introduction

For the introduction due tomorrow, please do the following.

Your thesis should be some variation (although not the exact phrasing) of the following idea:

Hawthorne reveals key anti-transcendental ideas in the "Minister's Black Veil" such as mankind's X, Y, and Z. Obviously, you will need to provide specific traits rather than just variables.

Your entire introduction should consist of 5-6 sentences and follow the funnel/triangle format. You should focus in on ideas that are key for your reader to know before he/she comes to your thesis idea. There is not one right answer of what these ideas should be, but please make sure they are relevant.

Additionally, transitioning your reader from one idea to the other smoothly should be a another focus of your introduction. Avoid disconnected and awkwardly brief sentences like, "Hawthorne was such an author." You may wish to explore the use of transitional dependent clauses at the beginnings of your sentences like, "Because of this," or "As a result", "Since..." as a means to help link your ideas together.

You may type or hand write your intro, and we will discuss them in class rather than have you hand them in.

Due Tuesday: Reading and Writing

Reading

Please read the excerpt from Thoreau's Walden in your book for Tuesday. Focus on how Thoreau reveals Transcendental ideas in this work.

Writing

Please submit the following assignment on Turnitin. This will NOT be handed in as a paper copy, but instead needs to be electronically turned in by 11:59 pm on November 11th.

You will write a paragraph that analyzes the struggle between Reason and Romanticism (in this case understand Romanticism to emphasize the imagination and unexplained) in "The Fall of the House of Usher." Imagine that your paragraph belongs to a paper with the following topic:

Prompt: To what extent does "The Fall of the House of Usher" represent the triumph of Romanticism over Reason?"

The paragraph you're writing is the the first thesis paragraph (not the introduction or the antithesis paragraph) so you will write about the side you belief in. In other words, you will either say that the story shows Reason triumphing of Romanticism(the imagination) or Romanticism triumphing over Reason.

Topic statement(s): Transition + acknowledgement of antithesis + thesis statement. (You do not have to use a specific POA point for this assignment.)

You will need three piees of evidence. Your evidence should be a quotation from the text. If there is a long passage, provide a short quotation that is at least an excerpt from the story.

Instead of following a strict What/How/Why format after each quotation, explore what is interesting about your quotation focusing on some insights that your quotation reveals about the characters, symbolism, imagery, parallels, etc. Make sure, however, that you do ultimately explain that your quotation shows your side of the prompt.


Note: This is still a formal voice essay (so you can't say "I think this is interesting..."). Please avoid saying "This is interesting because" because that will drive me crazy.

Also, this assignment will allow you to practice transitions for thesis/antithesis writing, which is a good thing.

Due Friday: OAKS and Emerson Quotations!

OAKS writing assessment is due today. Please bring a final copy stapled to any rough draft or pre-writing you did for the assignment. Remember your final copy can be in pencil and please rewrite or staple a copy of the prompt you wrote on to the top of the page.

ALSO

Research Emerson quotations online and select 5 that you really enjoy. Copy and paste the quotations into a document and format it so that you have a pretty readable font-size (around 20). Cut out each quotation individually, and bring them with you to class.

We will be doing a class activity with these quotations, so make sure to get this done so you don't feel left out.

Due Thursday

Read the excerpts by Emerson:

"Self-Reliance"
"Nature"

(268-271)

Due Thursday/Due Friday

Due Thursday: Read a be ready to discuss Poe's "The Oval Portrait"

(You should also get started on your reading assignment due Friday, since "Usher" is such a long story)

Due Friday: Read a be ready to discuss Poes's "The Fall of the House of Usher"

Read the story "The Devil and Tom Walker" and write down at least one quotation (abbreviated) for each of the following focus areas:

1. The characterization of Tom
2. his wife and
3. the Devil
4. Theme(s) of the story
5. Setting/Role of Nature in the story
6. Role of the Narrator/narrative voice in the story
7. Similarities to previous literary movements
8. Differences to previous literary movements

***Please do not feel that you need to write down the entire quotation. Simply write down a page number, paragraph location, and the first few words of the quotation.

This should be part of your reading notes and will not be handed in.

OAKS Practice Writing: Expository/Persuasive

You will be writing a sample OAKS expository or persuasive essay to submit as a non-assessed homework assignment. This assignment will be kept on file, and you may (or may not) be receiving feedback regarding your process towards passing scores in Ideas/Content, Organization, Sentence Fluency, and Conventions.

Your due date will be sometime next week (probably the second half) but you will not have any class time to complete this task. I will post an official due date soon.

Testing Conditions:

For your practice samples, simulate the following testing conditions to the best of your ability at home.

• Handwrite the essay.
• Write an outline, rough draft, revise, and then write a final copy.
• You may use paper dictionaries and a thesaurus.
• You may not use any electronic devices, or have any distractions such as music, tv, friends, etc.
• You may not have anyone proofread the essay or discuss it with anyone.

OAKS tests technically have unlimited time, but most people completed this task within 2 hours.

Choose from ONE of the following prompts for this sample. Make sure you know which mode you are writing in.

1. Think of a successful person. Explain by using specific examples the qualities, characteristics, behaviors, etc,that contribute to that person’s success.

2. Imagine for a moment that there are no budget problems that affect schools. Explain your idea of the best possible education that a school could offer to its students.

3. Many people think that the media goes too far as reporters pursue celebrities and athletes for news stories. Others believe that these famous people should accept
intrusions on their personal lives as the price of fame. Take a position on this issue and write a paper to convince others to agree with your point of view.

4. Your school is considering offering a new class. The New Course Committee wants to choose one that will be useful and interesting to high school students. What new course would you like to see taught? Propose a new class for your school and convince the committee that they should add this class.


5. Some people feel that professional athletes and entertainers make too much money. Do you agree or disagree? Write a letter to the editor or an essay that
would convince other people to feel the same way you do about this issue.

Due Monday

Your final copy of the Colonial Authors Paper is due on Monday. You must bring in a paper copy and submit your paper electronically on Turnitin. Please attach to your final paper a copy of your signed outline and any rough draft pages that you have editing mark on.

The MLA powerpoint (with corrected spelling) is available here. Although you will not be assessed on MLA, you should make your best effort to formal your paper properly.

This paper is assessed on Analysis, Transitions, and Conventions. Those rubrics are available on a previous post. You will also receive and "on time score" that will go in your homework category.

Resources

Please be sure to look at the previous post for information about your next paper.

The powerpoint presentation for today can be accessed for a limited time here.

Our first content test is likely to be Wednesday or Thursday of next week. Please make sure you are beginning the studying process. Resources are available below.

Unit 1 Content Material

Literary Devices:
o Aphorism,
o Personification
o Periodic Structure
o Allusion, Metaphor
o Parallel Structure
o Metaphysical Conceit
o Epanorthosis
o Rhetorical Questions
o Rhetorical Appeals

Title of Passages we’ve read
o General History or Virginia
o Of Plymouth Plantation
o Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
o Wonders of the Invisible World
o Dialogue…Gout
o Autobiography
o Poor Richard’s Almanac
o Speech in the Virginia Convention
o Declaration of Independence
o The Crisis
o To his Excellency, General Washington

Authors of Passages we’ve read

General time period, dates, and purpose of passages we’ve read

You will need to be able to identify excerpts from the passages we’ve read

Colonial Authors Essay Outline

Your next paper is on the following topic:

Colonial authors used a variety of literary devices to persuade their audience to separate from the English.

Note that "persuasion" is your how idea, and "separate from the English" is your why idea.

Your complete outline is due on Monday. A sample is available here.

The rough draft of your first body paragraph is due on Tuesday.

Due Thursday, 10/17

You will need to complete the following process and bring your annotated paper to class on Thursday.

1. Print out a new copy of your Edwards Intro and Body Paragraph.

2. Print out copies of the Analysis Rubric, and the Conventions and Transitions Rubric. (see previous post)

3. Read your paper for transitions. When you find a clear transitional element, put a box around it. If you have a less clear transitional element, put a dotted box around it. If you do not have a transitional element, write the word TRAN in a box located where that element should go. Hint: you should have THREE transitional elements in this paragraph that occur as you introduce each example. If you are struggling with this, here is a list of some transitional phrases.

4. Read your paper for Analysis. After each quotation, check for "how" analysis. This should be a couple of sentences explaining "how" the example you just gave creates fear in the reader. You cannot assume that your reader knows why a spider is scary; you must explain this. If you are lacking "how" analysis, or if it is weak, right a note that says either "connect to how" or "how analysis?". After this, check for why analysis. As the last few words of each example, you will need to explain that this fear motivates people to return to the church, have conversion, lead religious lives, etc. If this step is missing, you will need to write, "connect to why".

5. Create a list at the top of your paper that is abbreviated AN, TRAN, CON. Place your number score (based on the rubric descriptions) that you would give your paper in each category.

Resources

Here are some resources to help with your paper that is due on Friday.

Editing Sheet
Transitions and Conventions Rubric (You are not being graded on voice for this assignment.)
Analysis Content Rubric (Don't worry about the fact that the document title says "research paper content"

Sentence Patterns Sheet (Please include an example of sentence pattern 5, if you have not already done so.)

Updates

Here is a link to your grammar practice quiz thing from class today.

Your full grammar test will be on Thursday. Please bring a copy of a rough draft of your Edwards assignment, so that you will be able to use any left over time to make revisions.

Homework info

Reading due Monday: Mather's "Wonders of the Invisible World" (74-78)


Edwards Introduction and Body Paragraph (Due Wednesday or Thursday of next week)


Using the format provided in Part I of your “Musings” packet, write an introduction and body paragraph on “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Make sure to pay careful attention to the question word guidance for the different steps of analysis.


Thesis idea: Edwards creates fear in the audience in order to ________________________.


POA: Edwards uses figurative devices, structure, and rhetoric.


Your body paragraph will focus on the discussion of his use of figurative devices, but we still want to provide a full POA in our thesis so we can get used to that concept.

Reminders:

* Maintain formal voice.
* Practice establishing context in your introduction along with relevant background information.
*Provide a quotation from the text that will serve as your evidence (your "where" part of analysis.)
* Understand that your "how" part of the analysis explains how your quotation creates fear in the audience.

Weekend Assignment Infor

1. Remember your Antithesis Practice Essay is Due Monday. Please refer to previous posts for details.

2. Reading due on Tuesday: "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"(70-73) Please pay special attention to how he describes hell.

3. Phrase/Clause Practice

Phrase Clause Practice Answers

(Sorry, there are a few repeat examples)

Reading Due Friday

Smith: "General History of Virginia" (42-47)
Bradford: "On Plymouth Plantation (50-54)

Be sure to think about your lecture on geographic determinism and what you know about the differences between the Northern and Southern colonies as you do your reading.

You will also need to create a chart based on the Bradford/Smith readings that has the following:

One column focusing on details more unique to Bradford's work.
One column focusing on details more unique to Smith's work.
One column identifying what similiarites the two pieces had.

Under each column, you may with to consider such things as:

-Characterization of speaker, community members
-Values of community
-Lifestyle/living conditions
-Voyage
-Relationship with Native Americans
-Style of writing
-Purpose of writing
-Selection of details

This is just a start, so you can feel free to include other observations that I haven't mentioned. Try to aim for about 4-5 observations under each column.

This chart will be handed in and graded under the category of "practice".

Antithesis Paper Practice Essay Due Monday

Antithesis/Thesis Practice Writing Assignment

Step 1: Select a topic of your choice that you would like to write practice antithesis/thesis paragraphs with. You might consider something from:
 Music
 Movies
 Politics/Policy
 Food
 Hobbies, Sports, activities
 (Anything else that interests you—if you’re unsure about your topic, check with me first)

Step 2: Following the guidelines in the “Musings” packet, write an Antithesis/Thesis statement with 2 POA points. Remember to focus on the concept of opposing, not just opposite. (Note that you’re not writing an entire introduction, just the antithesis/thesis).

Step 3: Write a corresponding antithesis paragraph. Make sure to remember your qualifying transition. You should have 3 pieces of evidence to support your antithesis topic and use standard paragraph format. Make sure your ideas are well developed and not just presented as a list.

Step 4: Write a corresponding thesis paragraph. Make sure to use an appropriate contrasting transition word that acknowledges your antithesis, and clearly state your thesis and POA point. You should have 3 pieces of evidence and use standard paragraph format. Your support in this paragraph supports your thesis idea only. Do not "disprove" or refer to your antithesis ideas. Again, make sure you develop your content well.

Step 5: Celebrate the fact that McElliott is not making you write the 2nd paragraph in support of your thesis. Yay McElliott! However, remind yourself that this paragraph does exist in a complete essay, and that it serves to sway your reader in favor of your thesis idea since there are a total of two thesis paragraphs and only one antithesis paragraph.

Step 6: Proof read your paragraphs, checking for conventions errors, and making sure that you match the structure given to you in the packet.

Due Tuesday

Please finish practicing the following sentences from a thesis/antithesis paper.


1. To what extent is the 7 period day schedule an effective schedule?

a. thesis/antithesis/POA statement
b. first sentence of antithesis paragraph
c. first sentence of first thesis paragraph.



2. To what extent are dances an important part of the high school experience?


a. thesis/antithesis/POA statement
b. first sentence of antithesis paragraph
c. first sentence of first thesis paragraph.


If you are struggling, remember to use your Musings packet for help. Information about sentence type A is on page 7, B is on the top of page 8, and C start at the bottom of page 8. (I think)

Due Monday

Read Part 2 of the Musings Packet, paying careful attention about how to make a thesis/antithesis statement rather than just a plain old thesis statement. Remember, a thesis/antithesis helps to answer a "to what extent" question, so you may want to try making one of this for your history introduction. Hopefully you notice how transitional phrases are key to making this a successful thesis/antithesis.

Here is the document with positive introduction beginnings.

And here is our "quiz" from in class today, if you need a reminder of what to avoid.

Welcome to HAMLIT!!!

You have two responsibilities for tomorrow. The first is to print out a copy of the course syllabus, review it with your parent or guardian, and submit a piece of paper with both your signature and your parent's signature. A copy of the syllabus is available here, or on Mr. Nickel's website.

Your second task is to complete the "pretest" writing assignment. Please demonstrate your best writing and thinking skills, but remind yourself that this assignment receives completion points in the "homework" category. This assignment is due on Thursday!

Here is the assignment:

Imagine you are writing an essay on one of the following topics:

1. Why is the study of past events (history) important in a world that is focused so much on the present and future developments?

2. Why is the study of past writing (literature) important in a world that seemingly places little emphasis on this medium of expression?

Now, the assignment:

Write an introduction and a body paragraph that address ONE of these topics. Set up your introduction as if you were writing the entire essay, but you, of course, will just be writing one body paragraph.

Please use this as an opportunity to show off your best writing in terms of vocabulary, structure, organization, and ideas. I understand that this is essentially a ‘first draft’ and has not undergone a lengthy revision process, but you should proof read for conventions.

Please type in 12-point font.


Due tomorrow!

Extra Credit Clarification

Although it should probably go without saying, please make sure to write thoughtful responses for all of the extra credit questions related to your Dos Passos reading. Remember, the more thoughtful, the greater the chances of receiving the full extra credit bonus. Also, typing them would be splendid.

The Extra Credit passages are IN!

Due Wednesday the day of your final at the beginning of 6th period (or before):

1. Obtain and read the Dos Passos passage after reading my preface:

Preface:

John Dos Passos was an influential Modern writer at the same time as Hemingway, Faulkner, and Fitzgerald. Like Hemingway, his experiences in World War I contributed greatly to his writing. One of his most famous works, the U.S.A. trilogy, traces the lives of several characters in the years preceding, during, and following World War I. In addition to telling the stories of these characters’ lives, he includes several “biography” sections in this work, in most cases of famous Americans. The biography he presents in this section is of a different sort. Read this section carefully and answer the following questions in detail using specific quotations from the text. The excerpt is challenging, so you may find that you need to read it more than once. (And yes, I have done a bit of editing on the text.)


2. Think about and read the following questions:


1. Identify several instances in which Dos Passos uses language/structure in a unique way. What overall effects does this use of language have on the piece?
2. What insight does this piece give into society of this time period in regards to racial relations?
3. How is war depicted in this passage?
4. What are some ironies that this excerpt addresses?
5. What role does repetition play in this passage?
6. How does this passage’s style and content compare to the writings of Hemingway, Faulkner, and Fitzgerald? (Be sure to address all three.)
7. What is your personal opinion of this passage? (Reactions, thoughts, comments, etc.)

TOMATS Reading and Author Imitation Assignment

Old Man and the Sea Reading Due Monday, 6/3: Pages 68-94


Last sentence: "Then it spread like a cloud . . . "


Author Imitation Assignment

Prep: Create a 4 quadrant chart in which you write down the following information for Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Steinbeck, and Faulkner

Location(s)
Types of Characters
Common Themes
Stylistic Observations
A defining Quotation

This will be turned in along with your Rough Draft and Final Copy of your Author Imitation Essay.

Rough Draft Due 6/6 (Please put your name only on the back of the last page)
Final Copy Due 6/7

Your task is to write a short story in the style of one of the major 4 Modern American authors we have studied this semester. You have randomly been assigned your author based on your last name. If you want to switch with someone with another author, you both must come in and get my formal permission to switch authors.

The alphabet breakdown:

A-Dan: Hemingway
Dav-Krieg: Faulker
Lay-Riv: Fitzgerald
Ro-Yeh: Steinback

Your short story should be between 2-3 pages in length (hopefully closer to 3.) You must imitate your author in regards to:

- Subject matter
- Setting
- Characters
- Themes
- Style (diction, syntax, figurative language, etc.)

Other students will be reading your story and attempting to guess which author you are imitating. Therefore, give your story a real (and hopefully significant title) as opposed to calling it “Hemingway imitation story.” Also, this is why for your rough draft, you name should occur only on the back of the last page.

Reading Due Friday

Due Friday, May 13: Pages 43-68

Last sentence: "'I do not know,' he said aloud. 'I have never had a bone spur.'"

Due Thursday: Pages 1-43

Last sentence: "He tightened the pressure of his thumb and finger for a moment and the weight increased and was going straight down"




Text of Old man and the Sea.

Wash due Friday

Please read Faulkner's Wash and be prepared to discuss. Make sure to have an understanding of Faulkner's use of flashback.

Due Monday

Due Monday:Read "Flight" by Steinbeck.

(This story is available in your textbook, so the link is provided just in case you forgot to take your book home.)

If you were absent Friday, we also worked on the following stories in class. We have only discussed one so far, so we will be discussing "A Clean Well Lighted Place" in class on Monday as well as the Steinbeck piece.

"Hills like White Elephants" and "A Clean well-lighted Place."

WELCOME BACK!

For Thursday, please read the story "In Another Country" by Ernest Hemingway. (722-727).

Pay special attention to:

- The role of technology
- Existential elements (alienation, creation of essence, anxiety)
- Symbolism of characters

(In other words, if I ask a question about these topics in class, you should be able to point to specific quotations and add your own thoughts.)

Here is the complete text (I think) just in case you've forgotten your book. Just ignore the weird layout.

Verification Info for those who need it...

Your Verification Stack

You must have a photo copy for each quotation in your Research Paper.
They must be arranged in the same order they appear in your paper.
Remember, this will include both observation quotations (from Huck Finn) and your importance quotations (from critical sources).
If you use the same page for more than one quotation, you must have a copy of this page for every time a quotation from this page is used.
If a photo copy is missing, you must provide a piece of paper in its place that indicates it is missing. [ I do not have a copy of the Smith Quotation.]
You must highlight a quotation you have used directly.
You must draw a box around (in highlighter) a section you have paraphrased.
You must highlight the page number on the photocopy.
The stack must be stapled together with your name in a prominent location, but the stack is not stapled to your research paper!

Due 4/2

- Read chapters 5 and 6 of Gatsby.

- Importance Thinking Activity. (information and examples of this are on the research paper webpage.)

Due 4/2

- Read chapters 5 and 6 of Gatsby.

- Importance Thinking Activity. (information and examples of this are on the research paper webpage.)

Many of you still owe me the reading of "Jilting of Granny Weatherall" and "A Worn Path". Bring honor to yourself and your pod by getting caught up.

Remember, your Citation Outline is due on Monday. Check the link on the Research paper page for information. The first part of the document outlines how you will want to go through the process of narrowing down your quotations. A sample citation outline is the last part of the document. A condensed version is available below:


Citation Outline:

Observation: Huck is a vampire.
Importance: Twain criticizes mistreatment of African Americans.
POA: 1. Pap 2. Duke and the King

Thesis: Huck acts metaphorically as a vampire, sucking the life and prosperity out of other characters when it best suits him, and discarding them when he has the chance. By portraying Huck in this fashion, Twain draws a parallel between Huck and Southern society, and through Huck’s interactions with Pap and the Duke and the King, criticizes the South’s continued mistreatment of African-Americans.


Introduction:
“Blah”(Campbell 14).

Body Paragraph 1 (Observation POA 1- Pap)
“Blah” (2).
“Blah” (27).
“Blah” (Austen 42).

Body Paragraph 2(Importance):
“Blah” (Jones 14).
“Blah” (Smith 24).

Body Paragraph 3(Observation POA 2- Duke and King):
“Blah” (51).
“Blah” (55).
“Blah” (62).

Body Paragraph 4 (Importance):
They said blah things (Miller 124-125).
“Blah” (Craig 81).


Conclusion

When I Heard the Learned Astronomer
by Walt Whitman



When I heard the learn'd astronomer,
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me,
When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and
measure them,
When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much
applause in the lecture-room,
How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,
Till rising and gliding out I wander'd off by myself,
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,
Look'd up in perfect silence at the stars.

Directions:

Write a paragraph that analyzes how Walt Whitman uses different literary devices in order to advance Romantic themes* in his poem. Consider such things as diction, syntax, imagery, sound devices, etc. You may also address how Whitman advances Romantic themes by creating contrast to those ideas.

You must provide a quotation for each support, and follow all style rules.

* For this poem we focused on the importance of the emotional experience and enjoyment of nature rather than a scientific one.

____


Write your second body paragraph on the poem "Misiver Cheevey", by Edgar Arlington Robinson. For this poem, we focused on the Realist interpretation that the main character is unhappy because he wants to live in the past, that ironically never existed. Please follow style guidelines for this as well.

Notecard link

Notecard links have been updated.

Carry on with your observation work!

Due Monday, 2/25

Observation virtual notecards are due today. Please make sure you have remembered to write your current observation at the top and arrange your quotations in order from most relevant first, to least relevant last.

Observation Proposal Due Friday

Your first (and second choice) observations are due this Friday. Please clearly type up the observation half of your thesis and submit to me.

Also, I have reactivated the research paper website, so check out the link on the left to see what resources are available for you.

Reading Due Tuesday

Make sure to read "To Build a Fire" by Jack London. An e-text is available here in case you didn't take your book home for the weekend.

Semester 1 final information is available to the left.

Write an introduction for the following prompt, taking the guidelines below into account.

Expository Introductory Ideas

Essentials:

• Make it clear to the reader what the prompt topic is
• Provide necessary background information
• Provide an organizational structure for your upcoming essay


Recommended:

• Select a point of view appropriate to prompt (formal recommended, but not always possible.
• Use at least one sentence beginning with a dependent clause and properly placed comma following
• Use at least one sentence with a series including properly placed commas.


Prompt:

Imagine for a moment that there are no budget problems that affect schools. Explain your idea of the best possible education that a school could offer to its students.

Due Monday, 1/14

You should be finished reading Huck Finn!

Important Information

Huck Finn Reading: Through Chapter 38 by Friday.



State Writing Test (February 6, 7, 8):

Resources:

Official Scoring Guide

Sample Student Essays