28 January 2014
• Welcome to Ms. Chaga’s 11-1 English Class!
• Daily Question (#1): If you had to lose one of your senses, which would you choose? Why?
• Vocab (#2)
• Syllabus (#3)
• SSR Choices ( www.mschaga.pbwiki.com
)
• SSR Project Assignment Sheet (#4)
• Letter of Introduction (#5)
• Summer Reading Reflection (#6)
• Quizzo
• HOMEWORK: 1. Letter of intro due TOMORROW 2.
Syllabus, binder, SSR choice due FRIDAY 3. Summer
Reading Reflection due on Google Drive MONDAY
**invite coming

29 January 2014
• Daily Question: List your top 2 or 3 choices for
SSR and explain what interests you about those books in particular.
• Vocab
• Business items: Seats, Letters, Summer Reading
Reflection Questions?
• Themes Practice and Discussion (#7)– Pulse app or www.Pulse.me
• HOMEWORK: 1. Syllabus, Binder, SSR choice/signature due FRIDAY 2. Summer Reading
Reflection due by 3 pm MONDAY

• Go Ask Alice
• Philadelphia Fire
• Perks of Being a Wallflower
• To Kill a Mockingbird

• Daily Question: What literary techniques might/do authors use to convey theme in a text? Any examples? (This is a tougher question; just try  )
• Vocab
• ”On The Spot”
• Themes Practice and Discussion (cont.) (#7)
• Literary Elements and Techniques (#8)
Plus (+) for know well, (*) for maybe know, (-) never heard
Glossing (#9)
• “Story of an Hour” (#10)
• HOMEWORK: 1. Read/gloss “Story of an Hour” for MONDAY
2. Summer Reading Reflection for TUES 2. SSR texts for
WED 3. “On The Spot” for MONDAY (I will tell you tomorrow) 4. Binder/Syllabus/SSR choice technically due tomorrow

“On the Spot”
• 1 person each day (we’ll start with 2 to get the hang of it)
• Each person should be prepared with a question or problem for the class to discuss
– Questions should be text-centered, but not plot-based
– Should be based on what we are reading or have read
– Should stimulate debate, interpretation, discussion, analysis…etc.
• Examples:
• Ambiguous, specific, and/or troubling imagery, diction, literary technique
– “I’m not sure how this metapor works…”
– Is the author/speaker suggesting _________ when she writes _______?”
– “The image of ________seems contradictory and I want to know what people think.”
• Character analysis
– “I’d like to discuss why __________did ________. What was his motivation?”
– “_________contradicts herself when she ___________.”
• Irony and Tone
– “I’d like to ask what people thought of the tone of this passage…”
– Is the speaker being critical of the character when he says…”
• Socio-political readings/reading through a “lens”
– “Why are the women/men in this text portrayed as _______________?
– “I think the speaker wants to make a political point when he says _________.”

• Keep it simple.
– I noticed…
– I was surprised by…
– I thought it was strange that…
– I’m wondering why the author would…
• 20 points
– 20: Amazing questions; stimulated thought and discussion
– 16: Good questions. We talk about them.
– 12: A question.
– 0: Not prepared
• (credit to Mr. Mullen for concept)

• Reminders!
• I will collect/check the following things on MONDAY:
– Syllabus signature
– Binder
– SSR choice signature sheet
– QOD sheet from this week (mark today with “Wing Bowl”)
– “Story of an Hour” Glossing
• HOMEWORK: 1. See above. 2. Summer Reading summary and reflection due TUESDAY 3. SSR texts for
WEDNESDAY 4. Read “YGB” for MONDAY

• Daily Question: Nathanial Hawthorne descended from
John Hathorne, one of the Salem Witch Trial judges. Many historians speculate that Hawthorne added the “w” to his name as a means of distancing himself from his greatgrandfather’s legacy. How does this revelation impact your reading of “YGB”?
• Vocab
• BUSINESS ITEMS: 1. Check binder/ collect syllabus 2. Collect
SSR signature sheet 3. HOLD ON TO YOUR QOD 4. Collect
Summer Reading Summary **I will check Google Drive at 7.
• Review terms (#8)  + (KNOW), * (maybe know), - (DON’T
KNOW)
• “Young Goodman Brown” (#11) Gloss with focus
• “YGB” Group Study Questions
• HOMEWORK: 1. SSR TOMORROW 2. Literary Elements
Common Quiz (80%) on FRI

• GLOSS with focus on…
–
–
–
–

• SSR– 30 minutes (LOG– date, pages read, summary, reaction= take note of mood, tone, characters, conflict, point-of-view etc.)
• Daily Question: What is the author’s purpose in YGB?
What point does it seem to argue? Explain.
• Vocab
• YGB quiz (#12) and discussion
• “A Good Man is Hard to Find” (#13)
• Gloss with a focus on tone, author’s purpose, characterization, mood change, point-of-view and symbolism.
• HOMEWORK: 1. Read/gloss “AGMIHTF” for
TOMORROW 2. On the Spot = Michael and Katie 3.
OSCAR Lit Elements Quiz (80%) *changed* to MONDAY

• SSR– 30 mins (LOG)
• Daily Question: What is the comment about human nature that the author is making in “A
Good Man is Hard to Find”? Explain.
• Vocab
• On the Spot
• “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” Quiz (#14)
• HOMEWORK: 1. Literary Elements Quiz (80%)
MONDAY!

• No Daily Question/Vocab
• 102 Minutes
• Response: Choose a medium to react to the documentary.
It may take any form that you wish (poem, journal entry, photo, drawing, short story…etc.).
• HOMEWORK: 1. “A Good Man Is Hard To Find” Writing
Activity TOMORROW (bring your glossed text) 2. On the
Spot = Michael and Emily 3. SSR Tomorrow 3. Literary Terms
Short Story Quiz on FRIDAY Explain The Misfit’s statement,
“She would have been a good woman…if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life.”

• SSR– 30 minutes
• Daily Question : Identify 2 examples in pages 1-2 of
AGMIHTF of direct characterization of the grandmother and explain why the author includes this description.
• Vocab
• Review Lit Terms for Quiz with AGMIHTF questions
• “A Good Man is Hard to Find” Writing Activity (#14)
• HOMEWORK: 1. Lit Terms Quiz TOMORROW (bring a pencil)

Terms to Understand
• Characterization
• Climax
• Connotation
• Diction
• Inference
• Irony
• Mood
• Point of View
• Symbol/symbolism
• Theme
• Tone

13 September 2013
• Literary Terms Common Quiz (#2 pencil, you MAY write on/gloss the story and the quiz)
• Daily Question : What adjectives (try to come up with at least 2) best describe the tone of the note? Use evidence to support your choices.
• Vocab
• Analyzing rubrics (multiple pages) (#15) and rubrics (#16-21)
• Peer Review/ Rationation (#22)
• HOMEWORK: 1. Gatsby Chapter 1 due
TOMORROW 2. On the Spot –

Gentlemen: I received your letter today by post, in regard to the ransom you ask for the return of my son. I think you are a little high in your demands, and I hereby make you a counter proposition, which I am inclined to believe you will accept. You bring Johnny home and pay me two hundred and fifty dollars in cash,
I agree to take him off your hands. You had better come at night, for the neighbors believe he is lost, and I couldn ’ t be responsible for what they would do to anyone they saw bringing him back.
Very respectfully,
EBENEZER DORSET

1. Keystone Persuasive Rubric
2. AP English Lit Rubric
3. PA Writing Rubric
4. ACT Writing Rubric
5. SAT Writing Rubric
6. Common Core Standards Rubric

GROUP 1  Taylor, Scott, Claire, Kevin, Liam,
Nate
GROUP 2  Cristin, Jackie, Shannon, Joe, Zech,
Brianna, and Sam
GROUP 3  Emilie, Sarah, Owen, Gillian,
Michael, Zach, and Pat

GROUP 1  Lara, Austin, Rebecca, Shannon,
Joey, and Jamila
GROUP 2  Sean K, Sarah, Kris, Noa, Regan, Pat, and Gianna
GROUP 3  Sean M, Mary, Jessica, Ainsley, Julia, and Kerri

10 February 2014
• Daily Question: What skills do critical readers use when beginning a new text and making inferences?
• Vocab
• Literary Elements Common Quiz *use “Story of an
Hour”
• Gatsby Ch. 1 Anticipation Guide  (#15)
• Gatsby Background Lecture  (#16)
• Begin Ch. 1– gloss for connection to Background
Lecture ** You DO NOT need to read the last page.
• HOMEWORK : 1. Finish Ch. 1 for TOMORROW 2. On the
Spot = Kassidy and Curtis

• Daily Question: Synthesize your knowledge of the background of this text (#16) and the specifics of chapter 1 and write one arguable statement.
• Vocab
• Inferences
• Evaluation Chapter 1
• “On the Spot” – Kassidy and Curtis
• Hidden Rules of Class (#17)
• HOMEWORK: 1. Chapter 2 and 3 due FRIDAY
(Shannon and Luke– 2, Ethan and Sara– 3)

• SSR– 30 minutes + log
• Daily Question: Interpret the oxymoron: “two friends whom I scarcely knew at all.” (Nick referring to Tom and Daisy)
• Vocab
• “People Like Us: Social Class in America”
• Day 1 (#18)
• HOMEWORK: 1. Gatsby Chapters 2-3 due FRIDAY
(On the spot– 2: Shannon/Luck, 3: Ethan/Sara)

• Daily Question: What do you think Fitzgerald wishes to convey about Gatsby’s parties through the incident with the drunks and the car and the husbands and wives arguing?
• Vocab
• *collect “People Like Us” Day One Reactions
• On The Spot (Review)–
– Chapter 2: Shannon/Luke
– Chapter 3: Ethan/Sara
• HOMEWORK: 1. Chapter 4 due THURSDAY (quiz on 2-4)
2. Chapter 5 due FRIDAY

19 February 2014
• SSR– 30 minutes (+ log – summary/literary term analysis)
• Daily Question: Nick comments that the people at the party conduct “themselves according to the rules of behavior associated with an amusement park” (41). Analyze what is being conveyed by the comparison.
• *No vocab– quiz MONDAY
• “On the Spot” Ch. 3 (Ethan/Sara)
• “People Like Us” Day Two (also #18)
• HOMEWORK: 1. Chapter 4 due TOMORROW (quiz on Ch. 2-4) 2. Day Two Reflections due
TOMORROW 3. Chapter 5 and 6 due MONDAY

• Ms. Chaga @ Model UN
• Gatsby Chapters 2-4 Quiz
• Daily Question: Analyze the techniques used to develop the character of Wolfsheim. Cite specific evidence to support your claims.
• Marxist Theory (#19)
• HOMEWORK: 1. Vocab Quiz MONDAY 2.
Chapters 5-6 due MONDAY

• Ms. Chaga @ Model UN
• SSR– 30 minutes
• Daily Question: Why do you believe it is important to Gatsby that Daisy see his house?
Explain.
• “Gatsby and Marxism” (#20)
• “Marxism Continued” (#21)
• HOMEWORK: 1. Vocab Quiz MONDAY 2. Chapters
5-6 due MONDAY

• Vocab Quiz
• Daily Question: Who IS Jay Gatsby? Analyze your newfound knowledge of his past through a
Marxist perspective.
• Finish Marxist Criticism paragraphs (Marxism
Continued = #21)
• HOMEWORK: 1. Chapter 5 “On the Spot” = Ruben and Alan , Chapter 6 “On the Spot” = Janelle and
Brandon 2. Chapter 7 due WEDNESDAY (“On the
Spot” = Joe and Ciara)

• SSR– 30 minutes (+log)
• Daily Question: Interpret the following metaphor from chapter 7 and explain the context in which it takes place: “Her voice is full of money” (120).
• SO many “On the Spot” people  Ruben/Allen
(5), Janelle/Brandon (6), “People Like Us” Day 3
(still #18)
• HOMEWORK: 1. “People Like Us” Day 3 Reactions for TOMORROW 2. Relax with the Gatsby reading…make sure you’re caught up through
Chapter 7. (Joe/Ciara – hold onto your “on the spot”)

• Daily Question: Interpret the following quotation in relation to the documentary and The Great Gatsby:
– “What a man is depends on his character; but what he does, and what we think of what he does, depends on his circumstances. The characteristics that ruin a man in one class made him eminent in another.” – George Bernard Shaw
• Finish “People Like Us” (#18)
• “People Like Us” Discussion/Gallery Walk
• Chapter 7 will be discussed on MONDAY (8-9 due
TUESDAY)
• HOMEWORK: 1. See above regarding the reading. 2.
SSR Tomorrow

• SSR– 30 minutes (log)
• Daily Question: Is there a way to reconcile the push to “be all you can be” with the pull to
“stay true to your roots”? Explain.
• HOMEWORK: 1. Chapter 7 discussion
MONDAY 2. Chapters 8-9 due TUESDAY (if snow day, all due TUESDAY)

4 March 2014
• Daily Question: Step one: List 4 words that describe you. Step two: Think of synonyms for these words (you may use phone thesaurus). Why did you not choose the synonym instead? What made your word “better”?
• Vocab
• “Shades of Meaning” Connotation Contest– (#22)
• On the spot Chapter 7– Joe and Ciara
• Connect Rhetorical Choices to Meaning (#23)
• In pairs, complete Diction example
• HOMEWORK: 1. For TOMORROW “On the Spot” Ch. 8 =
Emily and Sean and Ch. 9 = Christina and Erin 2.
Complete an example of Imagery tonight! 3. Gatsby exam will be TUESDAY

• Friendly vs. Cordial
• Intelligent vs. Level-headed
• Silly vs. Airheaded
• Open-minded vs. Tolerant
• Optimistic vs. Quixotic

• The word “overpopulated” used to describe
Gatsby’s lawn at a party conveys extravagance because Gatsby lives in excess. This is significant because “overpopulated” not only represents the high number of people at one of his parties but also Gatsby’s all-consuming goal in life to want more and have more. Examples of this reflection include the gaudiness of Gatsby’s mansion, the overabundance of food, and the overall lack of real friendship; Gatsby attempts to fill an empty void with empty excess.

• The word “moths” used to describe those who attend Gatsby’s parties conveys impersonality because moths are insignificant, blandlooking, and flock dumbly to light. This is significant because the guests who go to
Gatsby’s parties do not know him personally and instead use him for his parties. They are characterized as similar-looking and behaving, and they migrate to Gatsby’s parties like moths to a light.

• The word “throbbing” used to describe New York traffic conveys heightened excitement since the lanes of the city street are overcrowded during rush hour. This is significant because Fitzgerald is able to illustrate the chaotic sense of city life; it tells the reader about New York’s atmosphere in the 1920s.
• Focus on the WORD– what is throbbing like? How could that be significant?

• The word “roaring” is used to describe how drunk
Nick wants to get at Gatsby’s party in order to have a good time. This conveys Nick’s and other peoples’ attitude during the roaring twenties. It’s significant because Fitzgerald consistently references the roaring twenties time period and this word connects to the roaring twenties motif.
• Focus on the WORD– what is the connotation of roaring? Why this particular word?

• The word “powdered” was used to describe
Catherine, Myrtle’s sister’s complexion. How it is cakey in reality, but she thinks it looks high class and elegant. In truth she puts on this façade of a high class woman when she’s willing to “put herself out there” and sell herself. This is a display of someone who is acting and believes they are higher socially than they are.
• FORMAT? Why is this significant to the story?

• The phrase, “like Kant at his church steeple…”
(Fitzgerald 93) is used to describe how Nick’s gaze at Gatsby’s home was almost philosophical in that Gatsby’s home was a symbol of Gatsby’s own godliness. This contrast’s with Nick’s simple lifestyle. This is significant because Gatsby’s home is better than other mansions because it gives a sense of philosophical knowledge while showing
Gatsby’s reputation in society as an individual superior to the rich.
• OK…cool idea! I loved the beginning, but I lost you near the end.

• Daily Question: What is the significance of the connotation of the word “Great” in the title, The Great
Gatsby? Think how it might change if it were instead,
“Gigantic,” or “Fantastic” or “Wonderful”?
• Vocab
• End of Book Discussion Questions – (#24)
• “On the Spot” Chapter 8/9 (Emily/Sean, Christina/Erin)
• Formalism Notes (loose leaf #25)
• Formalist Chapter Project Rubric– (#26)
• Group Work Time
• HOMEWORK: 1. Project Presentations MONDAY 2. SSR
FRIDAY 3. Gatsby Exam TUESDAY

Gatsby Formalist Powerpoint Groups
Block 4
• Chapter 1: Erin and Katie and Sara
• Chapter 2: Janelle and Tyler
• Chapter 3: Alan, Jake, and Sean
• Chapter 4: Emily, Luke, and Gwen
• Chapter 5: Ely, Demetri and Shannon
• Chapter 6: Adam, Michael and Christina
• Chapter 7: Curtis, Brandon, and Ciara
• Chapter 8: Misha, Ethan, and Kassidy
• Chapter 9: Joe and Ruben

• Daily Question: Is Gatsby or Nick the protagonist of the novel? Explain your choice.
• Vocab
• Group work for Formalism PowerPoint Project
• HOMEWORK : 1. PowerPoint Presentations
MONDAY 2. Gatsby Exam TUESDAY

•

• A. Suspense: Tom’s affair with Myrtle/does Daisy know?
• B. Foreshadowing: Daisy saying “What
Gatsby?”(3)
• C. Symbol: Daisy’s white clothing symbolize purity and desirability.
• HOW DOES THE PLOT INFLUENCE THE THEME?
• INCLUDE ONE DIRECT QUOTE.
• CAN BE MORE THAN ONE SLIDE FOR EACH.

• The word “slunk” used to describe how Nick moved when he went to the direction of the cocktail tableconveys awkwardness and how he feels out of place because he is aomong many people in the upper class and he’s more lower class. This is significant because it shows the difference between the classes and how they feel around each other.
• OK start. Why does slunk convey awkwardness? What about its connotation says that?

• The word “vacuous” used to describe personality conveys the people having a good time at the party. Because in that scene people were care free and full of reckless decision making. This is significant because it shows Gatsby doesn’t care about his home or belongings because as long as people keep showing up he will find Daisy.
• Good choice of word-- >Vacuous = EMPTY, mindless, hollow like a vacuum.
• So why specifically vacuous?

• The phrase “picking his words with care” used to describe Gatsby’s speech conveys secrecy and carefulness because he makes sure to say very little about himself and only says what be believes people want to hear. This is significant because it sets up the book in that it shows why
Gatsby speaks the way he does. People don’t really know him, they know what he tells them, which is based off of what he thinks they want to hear. It makes the reader see that they can’t really trust what he says.

• The image of Dr. Eckleberg’s eyes on the billboard represent sight or insight (and therefore blindness).
The characters have very little self-knowledge or knowledge of one another. For example, Daisy does not really know how to identify herself and how to react to her husband’s affair. Even the “Great” Gatsby is blind.
He is blinded by dreams of seeing Daisy again and the possibility of rekindling a relationship. The only character who appears to see what is happening around him is Nick; the eyes might also be God-like because they see everything.

• The image of Gatby’s Rolls-Royce becoming an
“omnibus” conveys a picture of a low class man because the reader realizes that even though
Gatsby outwardly appears to be a man of high class, it is apparent that he is new money through his use of expensive cars to transport people. This is significant because the reader sees what’s underneath Gatsby’s extravagant experience.
• OMNI = every
• Discussion of the bus imagery itself?

7 March 2014
• Daily Question: The sentence, “So we drove on towards death through the cooling twilight” (143 (yellow) or 136) is
A. a metaphor.
B. an example of weather reflecting life.
C. used to build suspense and foreshadow upcoming trouble.
D. used to contrast the coolness of the evening to the heat of the day.
– EXPLAIN
• Vocab
• Formalism Project Continued
• HOMEWORK : 1. Project Presentations MONDAY (e-mail me your group’s Power Point by MONDAY at 8 AM) 2. Gatsby
Exam TUESDAY

• Daily Question: Analyze Nick’s actions and remarks in the following quotation: “You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together.
I’ve always been glad I said that. It was the only compliment I ever gave him, because I disapproved of him from beginning to end”
(162).
• Vocab
• Formalism Chapter Presentations
• HOMEWORK: 1. Gatsby Exam TOMORROW!

•

• A. Suspense: Tom’s affair with Myrtle/does Daisy know?
• B. Foreshadowing: Daisy saying “What Gatsby?”
• C. Flashback: N/A
• D. Atmosphere…etc.
• HOW DOES THE PLOT INFLUENCE THE THEME?
• INCLUDE ONE DIRECT QUOTE.
• CAN BE MORE THAN ONE SLIDE FOR EACH.

• Daily Question: Test your group’s theme for “truth.”
Meaning, list and explain a time (in film, literature, history, art…etc.) where it was also shown to be true.
(Example: In Great Expectations, Miss Havisham lives “up town” and is greatly privileged; however, her privilege comes with isolation behind great iron gates.)
• Vocab
• Gatsby Exam
• HOMEWORK: 1. None! Enjoy  2. Chapter 2 , the last half of 8, and 9 will present TOMORROW

• SSR– 30 minutes
• Daily Question: You’re in charge of casting the next incarnation of The Great Gatsby in film. Who would you choose for the main characters
(Gatsby, Nick, Daisy, Tom, Myrtle)? Why?
• Vocab
• Presentations
• Gatsby Film
• HOMEWORK: 1. Another night of a break!

• Daily Question: How is the final scene of Gatsby different when you read it? What emotion does that conjure up and how does that change when you’re seeing it simultaneously represented on the screen and narrated? **write down for AFTER the film
• Vocab
• Finish Gatby Film
• HOMEWORK : 1. Permission slip for TOMORROW if you plan on attending the 2 nd block assembly on TUESDAY.

• SSR--30 minutes
• Daily Question: What is the most defining characteristic of identity: gender, race, socio-economic status, culture, language, nationality or something else? Explain.
• Vocab
• Minority Literature Circle Options (#27)
• Minority Lit Circles Calendar (#28)
• Novel Questions (AFTER discussion, you will turn in 3)
(#29)
• Gatsby Film (if time)
• HOMEWORK: 1. Bring in a photo of yourself in a context that is significant for you. Be prepared to tell the story of the photo to a partner. 2. First lit circle
MONDAY!

• Joe
• Emily
• Brandon
• Ely
• Christina

• Katie
• Gwen
• Alan
• Kassidy
• Ciara

• Adam
• Sara
• Janelle
• Erin
• Demetri

• Mike
• Ruben
• Tyler
• Ethan
• Shannon

17 March 2014
• Ms. Chaga Out Sick
• Daily Question: Consider Friday’s daily question.
Other than the broader “culture,” what specific element has has the most significant impact on your own developing identity? Explain. (Race, language, culture, gender, family, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, language…etc.)
• Minority Lit Circle Groups
• HOMEWORK: 1. Bring the photograph that has a story that is meaningful to you FRIDAY 2. Minority
Lit Circle Questions (choose 3) TYPED for FRIDAY

18 March 2014
• Daily Question: We will be focusing on four “minilessons” about aspects of identity during this unit.
They will include socio-economic class, gender, race, and language. Each will include a reading and a video component . What do you think we should use as our fifth focus within the components of identity? Why?
What information should we investigate for this?
Explain .
• “Bossy Pants” Article– (#30)
• Minority Lit Circles
HOMEWORK: 1. Minority Lit Circles Questions (3) due
FRIDAY (TYPED) 2. Lit Circle #3 will be TOMORROW 3.
Bring the photo that is meaningful to you on FRIDAY

• SSR– 30 minutes
• Daily Question: How does socio-economic class play a role in your lit circle text? Explain.
• Vocab
• Minority Lit Circles Calendar (#28) and check-in
/questions?
• Finish Gatsby Film
• HOMEWORK: 1. Lit Circle #3 for TOMORROW 2. 3 questions TYPED from your text’s section 1 questions for FRIDAY 3. Bring in your photo that was meaningful/has a story for TOMORROW

• Daily Question: How much does culture shape an individual identity? How much of an individual’s life is based on culture and how much is based on individual choice?
• Vocab
• Minority American Literature Circles (Memory as Cultural
Identity Rubric on back) (#31)
• Memory as Cultural Identity Creative Writing (#32)
• Literature Circle #3
• HOMEWORK: 1. 3 (TYPED) questions due TOMORROW
*Please write the corresponding number 2. Literature Circle
#4 TUESDAY 3. Memory as Cultural Identity Assignment due
Wednesday, April 2 nd .

21 March 2014
• Daily Question: How does the story you wrote yesterday tell something about your identity? Will you use it for your
Memory and Cultural Identity writing? Why or why not?
• No Vocab– quiz TUESDAY
• Collect typed questions. Hand in pink sheet if no questions.
• Option A  we collect $20 and go to the b-ball game)
• Option B  SSR and time to read your homework.
• HOMEWORK:
• 1. Read and annotate (gloss) #33 (“Being White in Philly”) and the response #34 (“Whites Must Criticize…”)
• 2. Write a (typed) one-paragraph response to a passage from either article. Cite the passage and then write your response.
• 3. Lit Circle #4 MONDAY
• 4. Memory as Cultural Identity Assignment due Wednesday,
April 2 nd .

24 March 2014
• Daily Question: Is the promotion of
“colorblindness”(the idea that ignoring or overlooking racial or ethnic differences promotes racial harmony) a positive or a negative idea for our society?
• No vocab– quiz TOMORROW
• Lit Circle #4 (This section’s questions due MONDAY)
• “Colorblindness”/ “Walk on By”  #35
• WWYD Race/ Race is an Illusion
• HOMEWORK: 1. Read “Sitting Together in the
Cafeteria” and Race response due WEDNESDAY by 8
AM 2. Lit Circle TOMORROW 3. Vocab Quiz
TOMORROW 4. Identity Assignment due NEXT WED
(April 2) (Google Drive – 3-5 pages– 1 ½ pages for memories, 1 ½ for analysis)

25 March 2014
• Vocab Quiz
• Daily Question: What does it mean to “act like a man”?
What does it mean to “act like a lady”? What do we call people that do not fit inside these “boxes”? (Please be candid here– we can be respectful while actually talking about the issue)
• Vocab
• Lit Circle– 10 minutes
• “Why Boys Don’t Play With Dolls” (#36) and questions
• “Video clips– “What Would You Do?” and “Target Women” and “As Gender Roles Change are Men Out of Step?”
• HOMEWORK: 1. Lit Circle FRI. 2. Respond to RACE and
IDENTITY prompt for TOMORROW (e-mail by 8AM) 3. Read
“The Future of the Gender Bend” and respond to GENDER and IDENTITY prompt for THURSDAY (email by 8AM) 4.
Identity Assignment due NEXT WED (April 2) (Google Drive
– 3-5 pages– 1 ½ pages for memories, 1 ½ for analysis)

26 March 2014
• Daily Question: Without any additional background knowledge, write a thesis statement for the following prompt: “Take a position that defends, challenges, or qualifies the claim that television has had a positive impact on presidential elections.”
• SSR – 30 minutes
• TV Synthesis Prompt  (#37)
• HOMEWORK: 1. Gender response on Google Drive for
TOMORROW 2. TV Prompt Outline due TOMORROW 3.
3 Questions for 2 nd half of Lit Circle text due MONDAY
(Typed!) 4. Cultural Identity and Memory Assignment due WED.

27 March 2014
• BEFORE your DQ, write the thesis of your TV Prompt from yesterday on the notecard.
• Daily Question: What are some ways that people synthesize beside writing? How are each of you a “synthesis”?
• Vocab (new list)
• Synthesis Essay Notes  (loose leaf #38)
• Sample Scoring Guidelines  (#39) *what makes the difference?
• Sample Essays from the AP  (#40)
– Count off by 7
– Read OUT LOUD with your group
– Assign a grade based on the rubric and be ready to explain your choice
• Scoring Commentary  (#41)
• HOMEWORK: 1. Lit Circle #6 TOMORROW 2. 3 Questions from 2 nd half of Lit Circle text due MONDAY (typed!) 3. Identity and Memory
Assignment due WEDNESDAY 4. Group Synthesis Essay will be in class on FRIDAY (April 4
Midterm Exam 4/9 th ) 5. Midterm Essay/Notebook check 4/8 6.

• SSR– 30 minutes
• Daily Question: Are certain languages privileged over others? Explain your reasoning.
• Vocab
• 10 minute meeting with your Lit Circle
• Language articles  (#42) Gloss, summarize, and be prepared to discuss/share your reactions
• Language Clips
• HOMEWORK: 1. Read Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” and complete Language prompt for TUESDAY 2. Memory and
Identity Assignment due WEDNESDAY (share with me on
Google Drive) 4. Last Lit Circle MONDAY + 3 questions
(typed)

31 March 2014
• SSR– 30 minutes (we will NOT have SSR on Friday because of the in-class Group Synthesis Essay, hence will we have it today).
• Daily Question: Would you want to be able to remember every moment of your life? Why or why not? How would such an ability affect your identity? Explain
• Vocab
• LAST Literature Circle Group– complete AP Card (one per group) on a separate piece of paper. This will be a quiz grade (25 pts) **you will find the format on page 5 of your green “Reference Pages” packet (#23)
• HOMEWORK: 1.Language response due TOMORROW emailed by 8AM 2. Memory and Identity Paper (3-5 pages) due WEDNESDAY (share directly with schaga@haverfordsd.net on Google Drive) 3. Group
Synthesis Essay FRIDAY (in class) 4. Midterm Essay TUESDAY
4/8 (and notebook check – 50 pts) 5. Midterm Exam 4/9

1 April 2014
• Daily Question: Read, “Hand - Me - Down Memories? Not Here.”
(#63) List what mementos from your childhood you still hold on to, and why. What do you think of Ms. Slatalla’s realization that “When you hold on to the past too hard, and for no better reason than simply because it happened to you, it can start to take up so much space that you don’t have room to try something new”?
• Vocab
• Wrap-Up Race/Language/Gender with Gallery Walk
• **Question, argue, agree with, challenge, or connect to something else!
• Group work with last practice synthesis prompt-- #64
• HOMEWORK: 1. Memory and Identity paper SHARED with me by the start of class tomorrow! 2. Tomorrow we will begin the final synthesis project. Bring your brain and your lit circle book! 3.
Midterm Essay FRI 3. LAST SSR– tomorrow. 4. Lit circle packets due
WEDNESDAY

• SSR– last one! 30 minutes
• Daily Question: Evaluate your own work on the
Memory and Identity Assignment. What do you feel you did well? What aspect would you change or improve if you could? Explain.
• Vocab
• Lit Circle—work to plan/read for TOMORROW (#64)
• HOMEWORK: 1. We will be completing the synthesis IN
CLASS TOMORROW! 2. Lit circle packets due
TOMORROW 3. Midterm Essay FRIDAY in class! 4.
Midterm on MONDAY!

4 April 2014
• Daily Question: What are some ways that people synthesize beside writing? How are each of you a “synthesis”?
• Vocab
• Synthesis Essay  create document in Google Drive folder.
• HINTS:
1. You should not be using a single source per paragraph. That is not a synthesis!
2. However, just because you’re using two sources in a paragraph doesn’t automatically make it synthesis.
3. You don’t want too much of a good thing! Be sure to include your own analysis/argument.
HOMEWORK: 1. Midterm Essay FRIDAY – make sure you have your SSR book in order to be able to use direct citations. 2. Midterm MONDAY!

8 April 2014
• Midterm Essay– you need a writing utensil and loose leaf paper.
• 1. Write your name on the prompt.
• 2. Read the prompt carefully.
• 3. Please don’t forget to SKIP LINES!!!!
• 4. Staple your prompt to the top of your essay and hand in to Ms. Chaga
• You will NOT have extra time.
• HOMEWORK: Midterm Exam MONDAY. You need a #2 pencil. Check Google Drive for the Keystone
Sample Questions for studying purposes.

• Daily Question: Write a theme you see being presented in Forrest Gump. Support with two examples.
• Vocab
• Introduce 2 nd quarter SSR (drama)
• Forrest Gump
• HOMEWORK: 1. NONE! We will begin The
Road!

• Harvey: Zach S., Kevin, Scott, and Owen
• Arsenic and Old Lace: Cristin, Sarah, Claire, and Bri
• Steel Magnolias: Emilie, Gillian, Jackie, and
Shannon
• American Buffalo: Liam, Sam, Pat, and Joe
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: Zack, Nate,
Michael, and Taylor

• The Crucible: Shannon, Jamila, Regan, Mary
• American Buffalo: Sean^2 Austin, Pat
• Arsenic and Old Lace: Ainsley, Joey, Becca, Jess
• Harvey: Lara, Sarah, Kris, Kaytie
• Rumors: Gianna, Kerri, Noa, Julia

• Daily Question: You are hanging out a basement with two of your friends when some sort of “event” occurs leading to global devastation (apocalypse). Somehow, the three of you survive intact. As leader of your group, what are the first three things you would do and why?
• Vocab
• SSR Drama Options/Groups (list your three choices– need books by next THURSDAY)
• SSR Drama #65
• Dystopian Literature Notes #66
• Finish Forrest Gump
• HOMEWORK: 1. SSR book by THURSDAY (one week from today) 2. Read The Road pages 3-25 for TOMORROW!

8 November 2013
• Daily Question: What do you think society gains from imagining a post-apocalyptic/dystopian future? How can you explain the recent surge in popularity of texts such as The Hunger Games and The
Uglies, movies like I Am Legend and TV shows like The Walking Dead and Revolution?
• Vocab
• Dystopian Literature Notes (loose leaf) #66
• Oprah and Cormac McCarthy Clip
• Take note of what you notice about Cormac McCarthy.
– What does he say?
– How does he act?
– How does he speak?
– What seems important to him?
– What do his mannerisms say about him?
• Section I Assignment (#67)
• The Road Anticipation Guide (#68)
• HOMEWORK: 1. Complete Double-Entry Notes from 3-37 (#69) 2.
Read through p. 37 in The Road 3. SSR drama books due THURSDAY

• Daily Question: Are equality and fairness the same thing? Explain.
• Vocab
• Collect The Road Double-Entry Homework (#69)
• Wrap up discussion of Anticipation Guide (#68)
• Excerpt from Utopia by Sir Thomas More (#70)
• Creating a Dystopia (Utopia  Dystopia OR Post-
Apocalyptic  Dystopia) (#71)
• HOMEWORK: 1. The Road 37-50 for TOMORROW with handout questions (#72) 2. SSR drama books due
THURS!

• Briefly sum up how Utopia is introduced at the beginning of Book II (and then explain how occupations are divided among the Utopians and how idleness is prevented.
• What do you think of this system— do you especially like any parts of it or see any problems with it?

• Daily Question: Would you be willing to sacrifice the happiness of someone else to be perfectly happy yourself for the rest of your life? Why or why not?
• Vocab
• Present Utopia/Post-Apocalypse  Dystopia
• “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” (#72)
• Questions for “TOWWAFO” (#73)
• HOMEWORK: 1. The Road 51-75 with questions
(#74) for THURS 2. SSR drama book for THURS

Terms “TOWWAFO”
• Restive (adj.): unable to keep still or silent and becoming increasingly difficult to control, esp. because of impatience, dissatisfaction, or boredom.
• Dulcet (adj.): Having a soothing or agreeable quality.
• Banality (n.): Something that is trite, obvious, or predictable; commonplace.
• Puritanical (adj.): Very strict in moral or religious matters, often excessively so; rigidly austere.
• Magnanimous (adj.): Generous in forgiving insult or injury; free from petty resentfulness or vindictiveness.
• Amiably (adv.): having or showing pleasant, good-natured qualities.
• Imbecile (n. or adj.): (usually offensive) showing mental feebleness or incapacity.
• Uncouth (adj.): strange and ungraceful in appearance or form.
• Vapid (adj.): without liveliness or spirit; dull or tedious

13 November 2013–
Use appropriate strategies to interpret and analyze the universal significance of literary fiction .
• Daily Question: Do we consider only pain and evil intellectual and worth talking about? Is that why the news is filled with bad things? Do we think being happy is childish and uninteresting? Or do we thrive on the drama?
Explain.
• Vocab
• Wrap-Up “TOWWAFO” Discussion (#73)
• Dystopian Literature Articles (#75)
• How, if at all, do the current dystopian and post-apocalyptic themes differ from other “dark” or weighty themes in young adult books, like death, divorce, illness, poverty, teenage pregnancy and so on?
• Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic Fiction Annotated Bib (#76)
• HOMEWORK: 1. The Road 51-75 with questions for
TOMORROW (#74) 2. SSR drama books for TOMORROW

Strongly Agree, Agree Somewhat, Disagree
Somewhat, and Strongly Disagree

•

•

•

• We want to hold on to our individuality, our humanity, our ability to love and connect to others, […] but in today’s global communications network we can’t avoid facing overwhelming obstacles. The more we understand how small and powerless we really are against the immense forces that control our existence, the more we yearn to feel meaningful. And so we read again and again about the child of dystopia who makes us feel hope for humankind.

1. Why are young adults interested in post apocalyptic or dystopian stories, according to this writer?
2. What, if anything, does he or she think makes the themes in today’s young adult stories different from those in the past?
3. After reading this writer’s thoughts on dystopian themes in young adult literature, do you agree or disagree? Why?

Analyze connections between texts (Road, Dystopian Genre, and “Darkness”
• SSR– 30 minutes (Without your play? Read The Road or another choice text for today!)
• Daily Question: How, if at all, do the current dystopian and post-apocalyptic themes differ from other “dark” or weighty themes in young adult books, like death, divorce, illness, poverty, teenage pregnancy and so on?
• Vocab
• Film Permission Slip for TOMORROW (or no film)
• The Road Section 4 (76-100) Questions (#77)
• Continue Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic Fiction Annotated
Bib (#76)
• “Darkness” (#78)
• HOMEWORK: 1. The Road (76-100) for MONDAY 2.
Permission slips for TOMORROW!

Analyze the author’s
(director’s) intended purpose of a “text.”
• Daily Question: What do you make of the title
(Children of Men) of the film? How does it set up or inform your viewing and what questions does it leave you with?
• Vocab
• Children of Men Film Analysis Sheet (#79)
• HOMEWORK: 1. The Road (76-100) with questions for MONDAY! 2. Google Doc response to Children of Men for TUESDAY!

analyze the author’s
(director’s) intended purpose for a text.
• Daily Question: What do you see as the largest connection between the dystopia of Children of Men and that of The Road? What are the major differences?
• Vocab
• Finish Children of Men (#79)
• “Darkness”  (#78)
• HOMEWORK: 1. Children of Men handout due
TOMORROW 2. Google Drive response due
TOMORROW 3. The Road (101-126) with questions
(#80) due THURS. 4. Quiz FRIDAY on The Road up through 126.

• ‘At the end I cannot dictate a sense of hope for anybody because a sense of hope is something that’s very internal. We wanted the end to be a glimpse of a possibility of hope, for the audience to invest their own sense of hope into that ending. So if you’re a hopeful person you’ll see a lot of hope, and if you’re a bleak person you’ll see a complete hopelessness at the end.
’ – Children of Men
Director, Alfonso Cuaron

• SSR– 30 minutes
• Daily Question: When the man and boy say they are
“carrying the fire” they are referring to humanity and being the “good guys.” If society is destroyed and our way of live no longer exists, what purpose does humanity serve?
• Vocab
• The Road (101-126) (#80)
• “Bedtime Story” (#81)
• HOMEWORK: 1. The Road 101-126 due THURS 2. Quiz
THURS 3. Vocab quiz TUES

• Daily Question: Do a close reading of the following quotation. “He’d had this feeling before, beyond the numbness and the dull despair. The world shrinking down about a raw core of parsible entities…” (88-89).
• Vocab
• “The Murderer” (#82)
• HOMEWORK: 1. Quiz TOMORROW 2. The Road
101-126 TOMORROW 3. Vocab Quiz TUES

• SSR– 30 minutes (calendar-- #82)
• Daily Question: Throughout the novel, the characters seem to draw conclusions about what constitutes a “good guy” versus a “bad guy.”
What distinction, if any, does the father seem to draw between the two categories of people?
What distinction does the son draw?
• “Darkness” (#78)
• Quiz– connect The Road with “Darkness” (#83)
• HOMEWORK: 1. The Road (127-150) (#84) due
TOMORROW 2. Vocab quiz TUES

• Daily Question: *Fun Friday* see next slide
• Vocab– 2 words
• The Road Group Discussion
• Surviving the Apocalypse Game (#86)
• The Road Game Project (#87)
• HOMEWORK: 1. The Road 151-175 (#85) with questions due MON (127-150 also due) 2.
Vocab Quiz TUES

• Daily Question: The sardonic blind man named Ely tells the man that, “ There is no God and we are his prophets ” (170).
What does he mean by this? Why does the father say about his son, later in the same conversation, “ What if I said that he ’ s a god?
” (172). Are we meant to see the son as a savior? Provide example(s) from the book to support your stance.
• No vocab this week! (Quiz TOMORROW)
• Questions about Road Project? (#87)– 40 mins!
• (You will have ½ block on the 5 th and a full block on the 6 th )
• The Road Section 8/9 due WED– time to read! 30 mins!
(#88, #89)
• HOMEWORK: 1. Vocab Quiz TOMORROW 2. 8/9 due WED
3. Section 10 due MON 12/2 4. Road Projects December
10 th , 11 th , 12 th !

• SSR– 30 minutes
• Daily Question: Which conflict (man vs. man, man vs. self, man vs. nature, man vs. society) is the central conflict of this story? Why?
• No Vocab
• Vocab Quiz
• Continue work on 8/9
• HOMEWORK: 1. 8/9 due TOMORROW 2. 10 due
MONDAY 3. Road projects Dec. 10-13

• Daily Question: On page 188, analyze the symbolism of the serpents.
• No vocab
• Baucis and Philemon (#91)
• @ 11:30 The Road Film in 126
• HOMEWORK : 1. Section 10 (#90) due
MONDAY 2. Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

2 December 2013
• Daily Question: Clearly the characters in the story are all survivors of something that has happened, so why do you think the old man, called Ely, makes the statement, “If something had happened and we were survivors and we met on the road then we’d have something to talk about.
But we’re not. So we don’t”? Why would Ely not consider at least himself to be a survivor? What does this say about survival? Is survival merely staying alive, or does survival have a deeper connotative meaning here?
• Vocab
• “After the Apocalypse” by Michael Chabon (#92)– read/gloss
• Section 11 (#93) due TOMORROW
• The Road Film
• HOMEWORK: 1. Section 11 due TOMORROW 2. Section 12
(end) due WED 3. Road project work time ½ THURS, FRI. 4.
Road Test MONDAY 5. Road projects 12/10-13

• Ambivalence: (n) co-existance of negative and positive feelings
• Preponderance: (n) superiority in weight, power, number
• Mitigating: (v) lessen in intensity
• Appurtenances: (n) rights, privileges
• Stalwarts: (n) steadfast, uncompromising partisans
• Pasquinade: (n) satire or lampoon
• Ineluctable: (adj) incapable of being evaded
• Asymptotically: (adv) approaching a value as approaching infinity
• Congenial: (adj) pleasing in nature
• Intuit: (v) to know or receive by intuition
• Messianic: (adj) characteristic of an expected deliverer
• Depredations: (n) act of plundering or robbing
• Abnegate: (v) to refuse or deny oneself; reject
• Fulcrum: (n) point of rest on which a lever turns
• Punctilio: (n) strictness or exactness
• Charnel: (adj) fit for a repository for dead bodies
• Tropes: (n) any rhetorical device that exists in other than literal sense
• Prognosticatory: (v) to forecast or predict
• Fidelity: (n) strict observance of loyalty
• Audacity: (n) boldness or daring
• Abyss: (n) deep unfathomable or infinite

• Do you agree with his genre choice?
• “But it’s not the goal of the journey, the movement toward healing, however illusory, that marks The Road as epic adventure: rather it’s the passage of its heroes through Hell” (4)
• “The Road is not a record of fatherly fidelity, it is a testament to the abyss of a parent’s greatest fears” (5).

• SSR– 30 minutes (meet with your group, begin discussing parts/possible section for performance…etc.)
• Daily Question: How is the symbolic meaning/metaphorical understanding of “fire” in The
Road paradoxical?
• Vocab
• Veteran Assignment (#95) (due January 8 th )
• Cards for Troops
• HOMEWORK: 1. Section 12 due TOMORROW 2. Write two
(2) open-ended discussion questions that will inspire discussion for tomorrow’s Socratic Seminar. EXTRA
CREDIT– bring in a scholarly article to include in your discussion 3. The Road Test MONDAY 3. Projects 12/10-13

Letters for Troops
• WHAT TO WRITE ABOUT
Keep your message upbeat and positive. Be thankful– share a little bit of yourself. Ask questions; however, do not discuss death or killing Avoid politics completely and religious in excess It is all about appreciation and respect Ask yourself: Will this letter bring a smile to someone’s face?
• MORE HELPFUL INFORMATION
-Sample salutations: Dear Service Member, Dear Hero
• -sign your first name only (you can write Ms. Chaga’s class or
Haverford High School, Havertown, PA)
• -EXAMPLE: Dear Service Member, Even though you are a world away, you are in our hearts and minds. We hope that your work will be complete soon so that you might return to be with those you love. Thank you for your effort and dedication to our nation. You are missed and honored at home.
• Thankfully yours,
• Sarah

• Daily Question: Although the novel may end on a hopeful note, much of the book is pretty gruesome. Is the violence and horror excessive? Does McCarthy cross the line with his descriptions? Is The Road too violent? Explain.
• Vocab
• Finish Film
• Socratic Seminar
– What’s the difference between discussion and debate?
• HOMEWORK: 1. Project work time ½ block tomorrow and Friday. 2. The Road exam MONDAY

Socratic Seminar: to facilitate a deeper understanding of the ideas and values in the text through shared discussion.
• Don’t raise hands.
• Listen carefully
• Base any opinions on the text.
• Address comments to the group (no side conversations)
• Use sensitivity to take turns and not interrupt others (monitor ‘air time’)

5 December 2013
• SSR– 30 minutes
• Daily Question: Throughout the story the boy is always wanting to help other people. Do you see this as a positive trait or as something that he does because he is childish? Is the boy actually a good person or is he only so compassionate because he is not old enough to know better?
• Vocab
• The Road Project work time
• HOMEWORK: 1. Tomorrow is the LAST day to work on the projects (due TUES) 2. Road Exam
MONDAY

6 December 2013
• Daily Question: Consider the following quotation from the late Nelson Mandela in relation to our readings this year. Do you agree? (Support your answer with evidence.)
• “Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.” (From Long Walk to Freedom,
1995)
• Vocab
• Road Game Projects
• HOMEWORK: 1. The Road Exam MONDAY (author’s purpose, setting, tone, mood, imagery, figurative language, vocab in context, juxtaposition, point-ofview, symbolism, conflict AND the ending) 2. Road
Projects TUES-THURS 3. Veteran’s Interview Project
January 8th

• Daily Question: What’s wrong with the following quotation integration? Fix it.
• Some of the cannibals in The Road store other humans in their basement to eat, “In the night he heard hideous shrieks coming from the house” (115).
• Vocab
• The Road Exam
• HOMEWORK: 1. Projects due TOMORROW
• TUES– SSR/ 1. Julia, Kerri, Gianna, Noa 2. Kaytie
• WED– 1. Pat, Sean, Sean, Austin 2. Kris, Lara 3. Sarah
• THURS—SSR/ 1. Ainsley, Becca, Jess, Joey 2. Mary,
Shannon, Regan

• Daily Question: Which of the higher order thinking skills does your game use? Explain. (Synthesis,
Evaluation, Analysis) **If it doesn’t, why not?
• Vocab (2 words)
• Group 1– Gianna, Kerri, Julia, Noa
• Group 2– Kaytie
• Group 3– Pat, Sean, Sean, Austin
• Group 4– Kris , Lara
• HOMEWORK: 1. Projects finished TOMORROW
• 2. Veteran’s Interview Project due 1/8

• Daily Question: Which of the higher order thinking skills does your game use? Explain.
(Synthesis, Evaluation, Analysis) **If it doesn’t, why not?
• Vocab (2 words)
• Group 1– Gianna, Julia, Kerri, Kerri
• Group 2–
• Group 3– Nate, Emilie, Joe, and Gillian
• HOMEWORK: 1. Projects finished TOMORROW
• 2. Veteran’s Interview Project due 1/8

• Daily Question: What are the rules of writing about war, and who should shape the story?
Those who serve? Those who observe? Can a novelist ever tell us things a forward-deployed officer cannot?
• Vocab
• The Road Games (finish!)
Group 1: Gillian, Emily, Joe, and Nate
Group 2: Shannon, Jackie, Taylor, and Michael
Group 3: Zack, Liam, Pat and Sam

• Daily Question: What are the rules of writing about war, and who should shape the story? Those who serve? Those who observe? Can a novelist ever tell us things a forward-deployed officer cannot?
• Vocab
• The Road Games (finish!)
Group 1: Pat, Sean, Sean, and Austin
Group 2: Kris/Lara
Group 3: Sarah
Group 4: Ainsley, Becca, Jess, and Joey
Group 5: Mary, Shannon, Regan

•
•
•
•
PLSZ (cell phone): 18
SCBC (trophy): 18
SOKZ (white house down
): -3
JENG a
(guitar): 12

•
•
•
•
“Bee” nice.
RMSK: 4
• Winnnnnnneeerrrs!
SJJB: 1
LK: 2
NKJ: 2
Oink
I love owls.

• Daily Question: Write a working thesis for the following prompt: “You can leave home all you want but home will never leave you.” -- Sonsyrea Tate
• Sonsyrea Tate’s statement suggests that “home” may be conceived of as a dwelling, a place, or a state of mind. It may have positive or negative associations, but in either case, it may have a considerable influence on an individual. Choose a novel or play in which a central character leaves home, yet finds that home remains significant. Write a well-developed essay in which you analyze the importance of “home” to this character and the reasons for its continuing influence. Explain how the character’s idea of home illuminates the larger meaning of the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.
• Vocab
• Finish games
• War Unit Choices– (#96)
• HOMEWORK: 1. Veteran Interview 1/8 2. Tuesday and Thursday of next week will be FULL SSR project prep days.

16 December 2013
• Daily Question: For centuries, prominent thinkers have pondered the relationship between ownership and the development of self (identity), ultimately asking the question, “What does it mean to own something?”
Plato argues that owning objects is detrimental to a person’s character. Aristotle claims that ownership of tangible goods helps to develop moral character. Twentieth-century philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre proposes that ownership extends beyond objects to include intangible things as well. In Sartre’s view, becoming proficient in some skill and knowing something thoroughly means that we “own” it.
Think about the differing views of ownership. Then write an essay in which you explain your position on the relationship between ownership and sense of self. Use appropriate evidence from your reading, experience, or observations to support your argument.
Write your thesis.

Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell
This is the story of the only survivor of Operation Redwing, SEAL fire team leader Marcus Luttrell, and the extraordinary firefight that led to the largest loss of life in American Navy SEAL history. His squadmates fought valiantly beside him until he was the only one left alive, blasted by an RPG into a place where his pursuers could not find him.
A born and raised Texan, Marcus Luttrell takes us from the rigors of
SEAL training, where he and his fellow SEALs discovered what it took to join the most elite of the American special forces, to a fight in the desolate hills of
Afghanistan for which they never could have been prepared. His account of his squadmates' heroism and mutual support renders an experience that is both heartrending and life-affirming. In this rich chronicle of courage and sacrifice, honor and patriotism, Marcus Luttrell delivers a powerful narrative of modern war.
Sparta by Roxana Robinson
Conrad Farrell has no family military heritage, but as a classics major at Williams College, he has encountered the powerful appeal of the
Marine Corps ethic. “Semper Fidelis” comes straight from the ancient world, from Sparta, where every citizen doubled as a full-time soldier. When Conrad graduates, he joins the
Marines to continue a long tradition of honor, courage, and commitment. Suspenseful, compassionate, and perceptive, Sparta captures the nuances of the unique estrangement that modern soldiers face as they attempt to rejoin the society they’ve fought for. Billy Collins writes that Roxana Robinson is “a master at . . . the work of excavating the truths about ourselves”;
The Washington Post’s Jonathan Yardley calls her “one of our best writers.”
I Love My Rifle More Than You by Kayla Williams
Kayla Williams is one of the 15 percent of the U.S. Army that is female, and she is a great storyteller. With a voice that is “funny, frank and full of gritty details” (New York Daily News), she tells of enlisting under Clinton; of learning
Arabic; of the sense of duty that fractured her relationships; of being surrounded by bravery and bigotry, sexism and fear; of seeing 9/11 on Al-
Jazeera; and of knowing she would be going to war.
With a passion that makes her memoir “nearly impossible to put down”
(Buffalo News) Williams shares the powerful gamut of her experiences in Iraq, from caring for a wounded civilian to aiming a rifle at a child. Angry at the bureaucracy and the conflicting messages of today’s military, Williams offers us “a raw, unadulterated look at war” (San Antonio Express News) and at the
U.S. Army. And she gives us a woman’s story of empowerment and selfdiscovery.
The Unforgiving Minute by Craig
Mullaney
In this surprise bestseller, West Point grad,
Rhodes scholar, Airborne Ranger, and U. S. Army Captain Craig
Mullaney recounts his unparalleled education and the hard lessons that only war can teach. While stationed in Afghanistan, a deadly firefight with al-Qaeda leads to the loss of one of his soldiers. Years later, after that excruciating experience, he returns to the United
States to teach future officers at the Naval Academy. Written with unflinching honesty, this is an unforgettable portrait of a young soldier grappling with the weight of war while coming to terms with what it means to be a man.
No True Glory by
Bing West

• Daily Question: Develop your own rhetorical taxonomy
(classification system). How might you divide the world of argument? In other words, how do you classify the different purposes or types of argument?
• Vocab
• Glossary of Rhetorical Terms  (#97)
• Everything’s an Argument Ch. 1  (#98)
• #1 and #4 (Loose leaf) and commercial responses  (#99)
• War Novel Reading Time (Rhetoric Essay due January 15 th )
• HOMEWORK: 1. Read through the glossary of terms and connect with your war reading (for WED) 2. Link a commercial to Google
Drive and analyze the argument according to Aristotle’s Appeals (for
TOMORROW ) 3. Tomorrow is your first SSR Drama practice day!
Come prepared.

• Sleeping Beauty’s castle on the Disney logo
• Oprah Winfrey
• The Vietnam Veterans Memorial
• Ground Zero
• A dollar bill
• Commercials:
– 1. What is the video’s argument?
– 2. Who is the intended audience?
– 3. Give one specific example of how the video uses rhetorical appeals (either emotional, ethical, or logical) to persuade the audience.

17 December 2012
• Daily Question: Write a character sketch/background for the character you will play in your group’s scene (if you don’t know yet, pick one). What does this person look like? What does his voice sound like? What was his first toy? Are her parents alive? How does she move
(what kind of body language does he use)? What does he do for money? What are her likes? Dislikes? Flesh out the character.
• Vocab
• SSR Drama Time! USE it WISELY 
• HOMEWORK: 1. Come in tomorrow prepared to share how you see a connection to one of the terms on the
Rhetorical Terms handout (#97) and a specific aspect of your War Unit book. 2. Veteran’s Interview Project due
1/8

18 December 2013
• Daily Question: Connect one of the terms from the AP Rhetorical Terms Glossary to your War
Unit text. Explain why the author employs this technique.
• No Vocab
• Chapter 2: Arguments from the Heart  (#99)
• Improv Games– Alphabet conversation, Assassin,
Rumors, What are you doing?, Occupations,
Location/Career/Death
• It’s a Wonderful Life (Pathos analysis)
• HOMEWORK: 1. Veteran’s Interview Project due
1/8 2. Tomorrow is SSR Practice Time!

• Daily Question: Analyze the following Facebook posts for the author’s purpose and rhetorical strategies.
(Choose 3)
• No Vocab
• Drama Project (Wolverine Time)
– “Blocking” = the process of planning where, when, and how actors will move about the stage during a performance.
– Make sure you plan this and write it into your script!
• HOMEWORK: 1. Veteran’s Interview Project due 1/8!
Remember: you can contact the local American Legion to ask for possible people to interview (610) 446-9986 or the Media VFW (610) 566-9980 or mediavfw@mediavfw.com

3
2
1
Purpose/Rhetorical Analysis FB Posts
4
5
6

• Guess what? No QOD or vocab for the rest of the course! (You’re welcome  )
• War Lit Reading Time– 30 minutes (1:05-1:35)
• Rhetoric Essay Assignment (#100)
• “How to Write: AP Rhetorical Analysis” (#101)
• Time to start!
• HOMEWORK: 1. Veteran Interview Presentations for WED! 2. Tomorrow is the last FULL day of practice for drama groups! 1/15 3. Rhetoric Essay due (either printed or on Google Drive) 1/17

• Last day to practice! Memorize! Costumes?
Blocking!
• HOMEWORK: 1. Veteran Interview
Presentations TOMORROW– Powerpoint should be on Google Drive 2. Drama Project
1/15 3. Rhetorical Analysis Essay due 1/17

• Block 3– 11:20-12:46
• Block 4– 1:26-2:22
• HOMEWORK:

• Block 3– 11:20-12:46
• Block 4– 1:26-2:22
• HOMEWORK: 1. Drama productions WED! 2. Bring in a working draft (at least an introduction) of your rhetorical analysis essay MON. 3. Rhetorical Analysis essay due FRI (1/17)
• *We will take a common quiz tomorrow as practice for the final. Additionally, please bring your War Unit text.

• War Unit Reading– 20 minutes
• Quiz #2 and discussion (final exam 1/23)
• Rhetoric Passage (#102)
• Rhetoric Essay Examples (#103)
• HOMEWORK: 1. Drama Projects 1/15 2.
Rhetorical Analysis Essay 1/17 3. For
MONDAY– bring in *at least* the introduction for your rhetorical analysis essay. Use format on #101 for help.

• Keystone Exam Schedule
• Block 3– Work on essay
• Block 4—Work on essay

• Block 3– 11:20-12:46
• Block 4– 1:26-2:22
• 20 minutes SSR (War Unit text)
• Conferencing with Ms. Chaga (Rhetorical Analysis
Essay Intro)
• LAST day of practice for Drama groups
• HOMEWORK: 1. Drama Presentations
TOMORROW 2. Rhetorical Analysis Essay due
FRIDAY

• Keystone Exam Schedule
• Block 3: Performances
• Block 4: Performances

• Keystone Exam Schedule
• Block 3: Watch Ms. Hartman’s class performances
• Block 4: Performances continued

17 January 2014
• Write a short response the identifies and analyzes a course theme in your group’s play.
• Requirements:
– Create a strong thesis statement. UNDERLINE in your response.
– Support your argument with at least 1 direct quotation from your play this is
INTEGRATED.
– Use correct MLA format for citation.
– Properly punctuate the title of your play.
– Include an introductory sentence and at least 2-3 concluding sentences.
• Helpful Hint—
– Change in Values Over Time
– Conformity vs. Resistance
– Identity Formation
– Perception of Truth
– Role of Religion and Morality
• EXAMPLE: Throughout Arthur Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman, the conflict between Willy and Biff Loman as well as Willy’s absent father illustrate that the hopes, dreams, and expectations of a father have a consequential impact on the identity formation of his son.
• ** WHEN FINISHED, BEGIN READING/GLOSSING the Final Essay Packet

• Final Exam Essay