Whew! Thank God Finals are Over!!!!

MEXICO

• Click here for the Mexico Groups
• Click here for the Jan Term Mexico Blog

THE POWER OF ONE

• Click here to view the coming project for The Power of One.
• It is due on Tuesday, January 19

Mexico Trip Groups

Group 1               

LEADER: GEANIE DAVIS

Ryan Koenig 11

Jesse Chong 11

Joseph Chung 11

Matthew Moon 10

Makenna Davis 9

Bella Cetani 9

Kimberly Pashby 9

Alyssa Biechman 12

Karina Blondin 11

Group 2

LEADER: ERICK RICHARDSON

Zachery Toler 11

Evan Richardson 10

Clayton Stofer 9

Nichole Huston 9

Kate Lester 9

Sophia Gill ?

Group 3

LEADER: ARMANDO DOMINGUEZ

Gabe Rankin 12

Sam Elizer 12

Jake Smith 10

Conor Richardson 10

Savannah Lorentz 12

Megan Dominguez 11

Maddie Hiura 11

McKenzie Capozza 9

Mia Segovia 9

Group 4

LEADER: DONALD FINN

Patrick Moran 12

Kristian W. 12

Ian Dinglasan 9

Adrian Eclavea 9

Sasha Levy 9

Holly Finn 9

Isabella Dinglasan 9

Alicia Hauser 10

Susanna Talley 10

Group 5

LEADER: DAVID SWING

Ian Penniket 11

Andrew Larsen 10

Jimmy Danels 12

Juan Garcia 12

Rachel Grant 12

Jessica Ellison 12

Sara Swing 10

Kelsey Gehl 10

Group 6

LEADER: KATHLEEN KELLEY

Ryan Anderson 10

Keith Jaffe 10

Josh Larsen 9

Collin Bright 9

Raphael Gomez 9

Macie Miller 11

Francesca Lauta 11

Gianna Garza 11

Shelby Anderson 9

Jocelyn Zepeda 9

Group 7

LEADER: STEVE LOUPE

Abe Cohen 10

Nick Arroyo 10

Aiden EZ 10

Jaime Fernandez 12

Hannah Locsin 10

Rene Nichols 10

Elyse Edgerle 11

Iona Joseph 10

Olivia Loupe 11
Jessica Hoefling 10

Group 8

LEADER: SOPIA HAUSER

Devon Deich 10

Logan Guerero 9

Miguel Lim 12

Dennis Yang 10 

Isabel Hollingsworth 10

Abbey Lynch 10

Lauren Winkler 11

Kristen Chmelicek ?

Rachel Vanni 11

Block Day 12/10-11 ~ The Power of One, Ch.6

*West only: Journal Check


THE POWER OF ONE

*Discuss Ch. 4

*More Vocab

1. recalcitrance (n.) - stubborn, resistant (p.259)
2. Aberrant (adj.) - straying from the right or normal way (p.266)
3. perfidy (n.) - deliberate breach of; treachery (p.308)
4. iniquitous (adj.) - sinful, wicked (p.311)
5. erratically (adv.) - lacking consistency or uniformity; irregularity (p.315)

REVIEW GAME!!!

Here it is again for your studying pleasure......... SAT Vocab that will be on the final. 

From Two Kinds

1. prodigy - child of highly unusual talent or genius
2. lamented - said with regret or sorrow
3. listlessly - without energy or interest
4. mesmerizing - fascinating
5. discordant - clashing; not in harmony
6. dawdled - wasted time; lingered
7. stricken - heartbroken
8. fiasco - total failure
9. nonchalantly - without interest or concern
10. betrayal - failure to fulfill another's  hopes

From Through the Tunnel

1. Contrition - a state of feeling crushed by guilt
2. luminous - bright or shining
3. supplication - the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly
4. sputtering - spitting or spraying
5. beseeching - urgently requesting someone to do something
6. minute - tiny
7. clambered - to climb, move, or get out of something in an awkward or laborious way
8. incredulous - unbelievable
9. gout - a type of arthritis

From The Masque of the Red Death

1. profuse - plentiful
2. sagacious - wise
3. voluptuous - characterized with luxury or pleasure
4. contagion - the spreading of disease
5. imperial - majestic
6. emanating - coming forth
7. sedate - calm; quiet
8. pervaded - spread throughout
9. piquancy - a pleasantly sharp or appetizing flavor
10. phantasm - a figment of the imagination; an illusion
11. cessation - ceasing or stopping
12. disapprobation - strong disapproval, usually on moral grounds
13. propriety - quality of being proper
14. tangible - something that can be touched
15. impetuosity - impulsive or rash 

 *Watch movie if time! 
Pay attention...it deviates from the novel quite a bit, but also explains more.



HW: Read like the wind! You now have four weeks to complete this novel!

Wednesday 12/9 ~ The Power of One, Ch. 4

REVIEW

• Focus: Review Roots

THE POWER OF ONE
*Review Chapters 1-4 & Journal 33

*More Vocab

1. abhorred (v.) - to regard with loathing (p. 214)
2. expatriate (v.) - to exile, banish (p.216)
3. francas (n.) - a rowdy fight (p.218)
4. onerous (adj.) - troubles or oppressive; burdensome (p.223)
5. feint (v.) - feigned attack designed to draw defensive action away from the intended target (fake out move) (p. 245)
6. contrite (adj.) - repentant, penitent (p.246)

HW: Read  Ch. 4

EQ: What has Peekay learned about camouflage so far? How are the ideas of camouflage and adapting to change related to the "power of one" ? What is the "power of one"?

Tuesday 12/8 ~ Power of One Ch. 3

JOURNAL CHECK ~ WEST ONLY
*ON Block Day!!! Journals 25-32 are game! Click here to see all links.

FINALS REVIEW

• Focus: Literature Review
• Could you recognize plot elements from the short stories we've read?
• Could you match each literary device to its definition?
• Could you name the writer of significant quotes from the writings we've studied?

Literary Devices

• Allegory
• Symbol
• Irony
• Theme
• Tone
• Allusion
• Conflict (internal and external)
• Point-of-View (first, various versions of third and unreliable)
• Direct Characterization
• Indirect Characterization (STEAL)
• Plot (exposition, complication, rising action, climax, epiphany, falling action, denouement)

THE POWER OF ONE

*Discuss Ch. 2.

*Add to your vocabulary list vocab for future reading:

• Neophytes (n.) - recent convert; beginner or novice (p.159)
• incongruous (adj.) - lacking in harmony; incompatible (p.165)
• Esoteric (adj.) - religious practices that come from mixing orthodox religious ideas with science, but the result is accepted by neither mainline religions or science. Ex/ new age and occult practices. Generally, this adjective describes something that is understood by very few (p.180)
• Punctilious (adj). - Following fine points of etiquette (p.180)
• fervent (adj.) - very emotional or heated
• equivocation (n.) - the use of ambiguous language; using noncommittal language (p.207)
• recidivist (n.) - one who has a tendency to laps into previous pattern of behavior, especially criminal activity (p. 207)
• imperious (adj.) - arrogangly domineering or overbearing, urgent pressing (p. 211)

*HW: Read Ch. 3 & do Journal 33

Journal 33 ~ WEST ONLY

After reading Chapters 1-4, write a 1/2 page response. What is the lesson or theme that the author most likely wants readers to learn about the nature of human cruelty and prejudice.

*Make sure your journal is complete with a basic thesis about a specific lesson and plenty of evidence grounded in the text to prove your idea.

Monday, 12/7 ~ Are you ready for your final?

(This verse written in Isaiah, 650 years before birth of Christ.)

ROOTS

• oper ~ work
• ortho ~ straight, correct
• pac ~ peace

GRAMMAR

• Focus: Grammar ~ Check the review page and study this section in your notebook.

THE POWER OF ONE

*Ch. 1-6 Vocab: Work together and look up a basic definition online.

1. Inkosi (in Zulu) 
2. obsequiousness (10)
3. sjambok (12)
4. cicatrization (23)
5. querulous (37)
6. consternation (42)
7. jocularity (56)
8. parlance (71)
9. diaphanous (77)

Inkosi - chief

*Discuss Chapters 1 & 2

*Read Chapters 3 

*EQ: What is the lesson or theme that the author most likely wants readers to learn about the nature of human cruelty and prejudice.

HOMEWORK:

BRIDGETTE'S CLASS ~ Finish reading Chp. 2

Block 12/4 ~West's class ~ Advent Special

ROOTS

• oligo ~ few, little
• omni ~ all, every
• onym ~ name

GRAMMAR

• Semi-Colon Practice: Bedford Exercise 34D #'s 1-5.

THE POWER OF ONE

Ch. 1-6 Vocab: Add these words in your journal under Journal 34. Work together and look up a basic definition online.

1. Inkosi (in Zulu) 
2. obsequiousness (10)
3. sjambok (12)
4. cicatrization (23)
5. querulous (37)
6. consternation (42)
7. jocularity (56)
8. parlance (71)
9. diaphanous (77)

Inkosi = cheif

HW: Read Chapters 1-2 (Be ready for a class discussion on Monday for credit!)



And just for kicks...
It's time for Advent!

Did you know that Advent has been going on since the 4th century and it celebrates the "waiting" for four weeks before Christmas. This week is all about HOPE!


A couple of key scriptures for Advent:
Isaiah 11:1-2 This is the Jesse tree scripture, the promise of a savior from a nation that has been "cut down."
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
   from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him -
  the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
  the Spirit of counsel and of power,
  the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord
(and it goes on to talk about the righteousness of the savior, that he will be a just judge and will bring peace and unity to people.)

Isaiah 61-1-3 The scripture Jesus reads in the temple when he claims he is the messiah. He is claiming HOPE! Advent is a time for us to claim hope too. May you be a great oak planted for God's glory and beautiful work!

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
  for the Lord has anointed me
  to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
  and to proclaim that captives will be released
  and prisoners will be freed.
He has sent me to tell those who mourn
  that the time of the Lord's favor has come,
  and with it, the day of God's anger against their enemies.
To all who mourn in Israel,
  he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
  a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
  festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
  that the Lord has planted for his own glory.

Want a free Advent Devotional? Check out Ann Voskamp or John Piper.
2 

Block Day ~ 12/3 & 4 ~ Semicolons and Roots, Oh My!

ROOTS

• oligo ~ few, little
• omni ~ all, every
• onym ~ name

Review Activity ~ SINK OR SWIM
You form two teams. Line up in two lines across the room facing each other. I will ask someone on team 1 for the definition of a root, if they get it right they may sink someone on team 2. Then I will go to someone on team 2, if they know the definition of the root they may either sink someone on team 1 or rescue their "sunken" team member. The winning team is the team with the most people still standing. Fifteen minutes on the clock.




HOUSEKEEPING
Bridgette's class:
For those of you who did not finish your peer edit, please do so now.

***For those seeking extra credit, you may turn in your finalized short story now***

GRAMMAR

Semicolon Practice ~ Exercises: 34-1 (1-5), 34-2 (a-e)
Now let's see how well you know your stuff! Semicolon stuff that is!
Pop Quiz - all you need is a pen or a pencil.

READING

The Power of One

HOMEWORK

Bridgette's class: if you haven't finished your short story, then you better get 'er done! For those of you who have finished.........kick back and relax. Wait! You could begin studying for the final.

Wendesday, 12/2 ~ Peer Edit

 ROOTS

• nov ~ new
• nox, noc ~ night
• numer ~ number

GRAMMAR

Semicolon ~ Bedford ~ 34c & 34d
Read and take notes.

Bridgette's Class:
PEER EDIT

Find a partner and share your short story. Use the peer edit form to critique your partner's story.
All peer edit forms are due with your final draft, Monday. No peer edit, no points.

READING

The Power of One

HOMEWORK

Bridgette's class: work on finalizing you story.

If you're finished and feeling brave.........turn in your final copy on block day and I might feel inclined to give a few points extra credit. (5 pts.) Don't forget your peer edit form with the final copy.

Tuesday, 12/1 ~ The Power of One

ROOTS

• neur ~ nerve
• nom ~ law, order
• nomen, nomin ~ name

GRAMMAR

Go to Bedford found on the right side of the blog under "Resources".
Take notes on the proper usage of the semicolon, (34a and 34b).


READING

The Power of One


HOMEWORK
Bridgette's class: Rough draft due tomorrow for peer edit.

Monday 11/30/15 ~ Welcome back from break. Three weeks to go!

Best part of Thanksgiving?

Do you like awkward family photos?

How's your story coming along?

West's class: It is due to Turnitin.com tonight by midnight! Bring a digital copy tomorrow.

Bridgette's class: Rough draft (digital or paper) due for peer editing on Wednesday. Final draft (MLA) due on Monday, December 7.

Have you bought The Power of One yet?
Today, let's look at some of the background info to our book.

• Check out this Prez

Discussion Questions: Do you Know? 

• What language is spoken in South Africa?
• Who is Nelson Mandela? Why is he so famous?
• What is Apartheid? 
• What do you think would happen in the U.S. if the government gunned down 600 students at a protest? 
• How can one country keep another in check in the case of serious injustice, without going to war? 

Journal #32 - After watching the prezi and reading through this outline, write a one paragraph synopsis explaining the historical background of our next novel, The Power of One.



A Quick History of Apartheid in South Africa

I. History:

• The first European settlers come to the Cape of Good Hope around 1600.
• 1652- Dutch, German and French come to Cape for religious and economic motives.
• Dutch Boers (farmers) begin to move north and live with native Africans and a new culture develops: the Afrikaner or the white African tribe. Their language was a mix of Dutch and various African languages.
• 1795 the British seize control of the Cape and surrounding area and more Boers are driven north. 
• Many Afrikaners died in battles with "natives" while adapting to the harsh land and climate.
• Hatred of the British and Blacks deepened in the Afrikaner solidarity.
• The Boer War 1899-1902: British wanted gold and diamonds were discovered on Afrikaner land. A fierce war ensued with atrocities on both sides, Britian wins ultimate control and makes South Africa a commonwealth territory.
• Independence was granted in 1910. While the Afrikaners made up only 13% of the population, they dominated the government.

II. Apartheid:

• IN 1948 the Afrikaner Nationalist Party gained control of the South African Parliament, and established the system known as apartheid.
• Apartheid means "separateness" or "apartness" and included 317 laws which reserved civil rights for 5 million whites and denied them to 25 million blacks.
• All citizens were classified by race.
• Marriage and sexual relations across color lines were made illegal
• Separate residential areas; whites get all fo the best, over 80% of the population was crowded into areas which covered less than 13% of the total land mass. 
• Economic development was outlawed in the black "homelands." Jobs were made available only in white areas.
• All non-whites must carry a passbook at all times.
• All public places were segregated.
• Black schools were intentionally underfunded.

III. Resistance

• Resistance began in the 1950's, the first outbreak of violence occurred in 1960 and was known as the Sharpville Massacre, 69 people were killed and 180 wounded by South African police.
• Nelson Mandela rose to leadership of the African National Congress (ANC), but was arrested in 1964 and imprisoned for 26 years. 
• In the early 1970's Steven Biko founded the "Black Consciousness" movement patterned after the "Black Power" movement in the U.S. Biko was arrested, tortured, then killed while in police custody in 1977. 
• in 1976 thousands of students protested in the black township of Johannesburg, this became known as the Soweto Riot. The government killed 600 students and arrested thousands.
• In 1983 as protests continued the government declared a state of emergency and 30,000 more blacks were jailed. 
• International pressure began to mount. South Africa was expelled from the UN in 1974
• They were banned from the Olympic Games in 1976, in 1986 the U.S. Congress banned new investments by U.S. companies.

IV. Apartheid Ends:

• F.W. deKlerk becomes Prime Minister in 1989 and bowing to international as well as internal pressure negotiations begin.
• in 1990 Nelson Mandela is released from prison and the ANC works with the government to write a new constitution which would put an end to Apartheid.
• In 1994 Mandela is elected as the first black President of South Africa

HW: Finish paragraph for Journal 33 and turn in short story on turnitin.com tonight by midnight (West only).

Finals Study Guide

Here's a study guide list for starters....

Roots & Prefixes

• Prefixes (Dominus-Mortis)
• Roots (Gest-Pac)

Grammar

• Complex sentences (how to use a semi-colon, colon, and conjunctions to combine sentences)
• Pronoun agreement

Writing Instruction

• What makes a good thesis statement? What is CAB?
• What is a TIED paragraph?
• How can you use the TIE method to incorporate quotes? 

Short Stories and Vocab

• Be able to identify which story is being discussed or quoted:
• "The Masque of the Red Death " by Edgar Allan Poe
•  "By The Waters of Babylon" by Stephen Vincent Benét 
• Fishcheeks by Amy Tan
• Through the Tunnel by Doris Lessing
• 
  
• Know these Literary Devices:
• Allegory
• Symbol
• Irony
• Theme
• Tone
• Allusion
• Conflict (internal and external)
• Point-of-View (first, various versions of third and unreliable)
• Direct Characterization
• Indirect Characterization (STEAL)
• Plot (exposition, complication, rising action, climax, epiphany, falling action, denouement)

SAT Vocabulary

From Two Kinds

1. prodigy - child of highly unusual talent or genius
2. lamented - said with regret or sorrow
3. listlessly - without energy or interest
4. mesmerizing - fascinating
5. discordant - clashing; not in harmony
6. dawdled - wasted time; lingered
7. stricken - heartbroken
8. fiasco - total failure
9. nonchalantly - without interest or concern
10. betrayal - failure to fulfill another's  hopes

From Through the Tunnel

1. Contrition - a state of feeling crushed by guilt
2. luminous - bright or shining
3. supplication - the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly
4. sputtering - spitting or spraying
5. beseeching - urgently requesting someone to do something
6. minute - tiny
7. clambered - to climb, move, or get out of something in an awkward or laborious way
8. incredulous - unbelievable
9. gout - a type of arthritis

From The Masque of the Red Death

1. profuse - plentiful
2. sagacious - wise
3. voluptuous - characterized with luxury or pleasure
4. contagion - the spreading of disease
5. imperial - majestic
6. emanating - coming forth
7. sedate - calm; quiet
8. pervaded - spread throughout
9. piquancy - a pleasantly sharp or appetizing flavor
10. phantasm - a figment of the imagination; an illusion
11. cessation - ceasing or stopping
12. disapprobation - strong disapproval, usually on moral grounds
13. propriety - quality of being proper
14. tangible - something that can be touched
15. impetuosity - impulsive or rash 

Block Day, 11/19 & 11/20 ~ He Said/She Said ~ POV and Dialogue

ROOTS

• nat, nasc - to spring forth, to be from
• neo - new

EQ: What effect does POV have on the our stories so far? Why would an author use the unreliable pov?

LIT NOTES: Do you know your point of view? If you don't, now you do. Add this to your notes in your journal section. 

• First-person point of view
• Why don't we talk about second person?

• Third-person point of view
• limited
• objective or dramatic
• omniscient

• Unreliable

WHAT ABOUT DIALOGUE?

"Hi Tony," said Katy.

"Hey," Tony answered.
"What's wrong?" Katy asked.
"Nothing," Tony said.
"Really? You don't act like nothing's wrong."

         Pretty tiresome dialogue, right?

Instead of writing a dialogue like the one above, a writer could condense the scene:

"Hi Tony."
Tony looked down at his shoe, dug in his toe, and pushed around a pile of dust. "Hey," he replied.
Katy could tell something was wrong.

Formatting Tips
1. The first thing to remember is that punctuation goes inside quotations.
    "I can't believe you just did that!"
2.  Dialogue tags (the he/she said of the quotation) SHOULD BE USED SPARINGLY. The dialogue and narration should be used to show the emotion or action stated in the tag. One of the most important rules of writing fiction is: show, don't tell.

DON'T DO TOO MUCH OF THIS:
"But I don't want to go to sleep yet," he whined.

TRY THIS INSTEAD:
He stood in the doorway with his hands balled into little fists at his sides. His red, tear-rimmed eyes glared up at his mother. "But I don't want to go to sleep yet."

**A good writer will describe the scene in a way that conjures the image of a whining little boy.

3.  Paragraphs are very important to the flow and comprehension of the dialogue. Remember to start a new paragraph each time the speaker changes within the dialogue. This helps the reader know when someone new is speaking (and who it is).


Journal #31
Please answer these three questions for three kids' stories or one adult story of 5+ pages.
1. What point of view is the story written in?
2. What noble truth or lesson is in the story?
3. What gift could be paired with this story? How would it enrich the story's meaning?

*Click here for another collection of Christmas Stories.
*Want to read some adult stories that are not holiday themed? Click here

 

Wednesday 11/18 ~ A Christmas Blessing

ROOTS

• mor, mort - mortal, death
• morph - form
• multi - many

SHORT STORY

• We will complete "Through the Tunnel" on Block day. 

CHRISTMAS BLESSING

• Pair Share: Share your Protagonist Sketch with a partner or two in class. As you read the sketch, write down a couple of questions to help the writer develop the character more. Will this character be revealed via direct or indirect characterization? 
• Next, work on your story outline by using the Plot steps. Simply copy the bullet points and fill them out on the same google doc you've started for the character sketch. This should be turned into our Google Classroom before block day begins. 

Plot -

• Beginning
• exposition: What other characters will be part of this story? What is the setting? Antagonist?
• complication: What is the inciting incident or first challenge that gets the story going?
• rising action: How will you build tension toward the climax?
• crisis points:
• 
  
•  

• Middle
• climax: or ultimate crisis?
• Darkest moment in the climax? 
• Epiphany or moment of truth? 

•  End
• falling action:
• How are all the loose ends tied up? 
• What is the meaning that the reader leaves the story with? 
• What gift item will accompany this story? How is it related to the story? 

HW: Please use this Plot outline to create an outline of your story on the same Google document as your character sketch. Then turn in the whole document in Google Classroom before block day.

Tuesday 11/17/15 ~ Out of the Tunnel

ROOTS

• mit, miss - send
• mob, mot, mov - move
• mon - warn, remind

SHORT STORIES

• Begin Short story #5 "Through the Tunnel"

Journal 29
1. Have you ever taken a risk to prove yourself before? Record a quick story to share.
2. Write a sentence using five of the SAT words from the list above.
3. Write an overview of the plot of Through the Tunnel using the bold terms from yesterday's notes (exposition, complication, rising action, climax, epiphany, falling action, denouement).
4. Do you find it convincing that Jerry takes such a large risk and survives? Why/why not?

SAT Vocab - Write a sentence using FIVE of these SAT words.

1. Contrition - a state of feeling crushed by guilt
2. luminous - bright or shining
3. supplication - the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly
4. sputtering - spitting or spraying
5. beseeching - urgently requesting someone to do something
6. minute - tiny
7. clambered - to climb, move, or get out of something in an awkward or laborious way
8. incredulous - unbelievable
9. gout - a type of arthritis

• Click here to check out your Christmas Blessing Story assignment.

HW: Journal 30 ~ Short Story Start Up

1. Create a character sketch 100-200 word character sketch for your protagonist. Consider all the bits of the Indirect Characterization acronym, STEAL: How will you communicate to the reader how your protagonist speaks & sounds, thinks, interacts with others, acts and look?
2. Write a few ideas of the lesson or truth you'd like the reader to gain from your story.
*Please complete this assignment on a google doc so that it is ready to turn in digitally tomorrow. 

Monday 11/16/15 ~ Weeping by the waters...

ROOTS

• meter - measure
• micro - small
• migra - wander

SHORT STORIES

• Finish Journal 28 "By the Waters of Babylon"
• Begin Short story #5 "Through the Tunnel"

Journal 29
1. Have you ever taken a risk to prove yourself before? Record a quick story to share.
2. Write a sentence using five of the SAT words from the list above.
3. Write an overview of the plot of Through the Tunnel using the bold terms from yesterday's notes (exposition, complication, rising action, climax, epiphany, falling action, denouement).
4. Do you find it convincing that Jerry takes such a large risk and survives? Why/why not?


SAT Vocab - Write a sentence using FIVE of these SAT words. 

1. Contrition - a state of feeling crushed by guilt
2. luminous - bright or shining
3. supplication - the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly
4. sputtering - spitting or spraying
5. beseeching - urgently requesting someone to do something
6. minute - tiny
7. clambered - to climb, move, or get out of something in an awkward or laborious way
8. incredulous - unbelievable
9. gout - a type of arthritis

HW: Complete Journal 29 (#s 1-2 only)

Block Day 11/12-13/15 ~ Weeping by the waters....

QUIZ
Roots & Grammar Quiz

SHORT STORIES

• Short Story #5 "By The Waters of Babylon" 
• Journal 28
• 1. To understand what is really happening in this story, you have to draw conclusions based on the writer’s clues and your own experience and knowledge. What do you think John is really seeing (and how are you able to tell) when he describes each of the items below? (You might want to work with a group to solve these puzzles.)
  

  • the Great Burning
  • Ou-dis-sun
  • the statue of a man named ASHING
  • the temple in mid-city with a roof painted like the sky at night
  • the caves and tunnels where John thinks the gods kept their slaves

  2. Find a place in the story where John achieves a breakthrough, and explain what he discovers. How does the first-person point of view help you appreciate his breakthrough?
  
  
  3. Explain how the words of Psalm 137, verses 1-6, connect with Benét’s story.
  

  • "Longing for Zion in a Foreign Land"
    1 By the rivers of Babylon,
    There we sat down, yea, we wept
    When we remembered Zion.
    ² We hung our harps
    Upon the willows in the midst of it.
    ³ For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song,
    And those who plundered us requested mirth,
    Saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
    ⁴ How shall we sing the Lord’s song
    In a foreign land?
    ⁵ If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
    Let my right hand forget its skill!
    ⁶ If I do not remember you,
    Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth—
    If I do not exalt Jerusalem
    Above my chief joy.
     

  4. Near the end of the story, John says, “Perhaps in the old days, they ate knowledge too fast.” What do you think he means? Are we “eating knowledge too fast” today? Explain.
  5. Benét wrote this story in 1937, before the first atom bomb was invented. World War II and the Cold War are over now. Do Benét’s warnings about the complete destruction of a civilization still have relevance today? Why?
  6. Do you think Benét made the secret of the Place of the Gods too easy to guess, or too hard, or were the clues just difficult enough? Explain.
  7. What is the narrative perspective of this story?  How does this perspective play a role in the reader's experience and theme of the work?
   

HW: Start "Through the Tunnel"

SAT Vocab - Write a sentence using FIVE of these SAT words. 

1. Contrition - a state of feeling crushed by guilt
2. luminous - bright or shining
3. supplication - the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly
4. sputtering - spitting or spraying
5. beseeching - urgently requesting someone to do something
6. minute - tiny
7. clambered - to climb, move, or get out of something in an awkward or laborious way
8. incredulous - unbelievable
9. gout - a type of arthritis

SHORT STORY #5: Through the Tunnel