Block Day, December 14 & 15 ~ Review Day

First, can you please rate our class so far this semester?
Click here for Mrs. Witmer
Click here for Mrs. West


Review Game.

Wednesday, December 13 ~ Short Stories Due

Semester 1 Final ~ Study Guide

I. Roots (35 pts.)
    a. Study your list from the entire semester.

II. Grammar (20 pts.)
      a. Fragments  Practice 1   Practice 2   Practice 3

      b. Comma Splices  Practice 1  Practice 2   Practice 3

      c. Subj. Verb Agreement  Practice 1   Practice 2   Practice 3

III. SAT Vocab (15 pts.)
       a. Journal 17 - Amy Tan
       b. Journal 18 - Edgar Allan Poe

IV. Literary Devices (10 pts.)
      allegory, allusion, atmosphere, climax, conflict, direct/indirect characterization, motif,
      rising action, symbol, theme, tone Definitions are here

V. Short Stories (5 pts.)
      a. Two Kinds
      b. The Masque of the Red Death
      c. Lamb to the Slaughter
      d. The Lottery

VI. CAB Style Thesis (3 pts.)
       Contest
                   Although the Greek heroes were often demigods and quite selfish,
          Assert
                   they do have some major similarities with the typical modern hero
          Because
                    because they share the traits of self-sacrifice, loyalty and courage.

VII. TIED Paragraph Structure (5 pts.)
     

Topic Sentences	T: The topic sentences lets the reader know what your subject is and what you are going to prove.  Never use "I" or talk about the essay/paragraph in this sentence. Always include a key word that correlates to the list in your thesis.
Introduce Evidence	I: After the topic sentence, you should introduce  the context of your evidence (or quote).
Evidence          (this could be a quote           or logical reasoning)	E: In a Literary Response essay this is the quote that demonstrates your point.
Discuss (aka commentary)	D: You must discuss how the evidence is important in proving your assertion from the thesis. Always button up your evidence on the thesis...never let your evidence speak for itself.

     
 The prisoners’ concert is important because it symbolized unity of the tribes. When Courtenay describes the concert, he uses a metaphor of a puzzle being brought together: “all the pieces would be brought together under the magic spell cast by the Tadpole Angel” (319). The spell describes the power of a leader who is viewed as a chosen one. Peekay’s leadership is the key to the unity within the prison.

Merry Christmas and God bless you all.

Monday and Tuesday, December 11-12 ~ Peer Edit

Peer Edit

• Read a short story
• Edit using short story edit form
• Author name on form
• Editor name on form
• Turn in 
• Author receives 10 points
• If you do not have your rough draft Monday, you have Tuesday to bring it in for a peer edit.
• FINAL DRAFT DUE WEDNESDAY 
• THERE IS NO GRACE PERIOD

Block Day, December 7 & 8 ~ Short Stories complete!

Roots Quiz

After you have finished your quiz, copy the vocabulary below. Then you may use the rest of the period to work on your short story. 

SHORT STORY VOCAB:

• Atmosphere - tells us the way a story makes the reader feel
• Tone - tells us the attitude the narrator has toward his subject and us.
• Theme - a central idea or statement that unifies and controls an entire literary work. For our purposes, a theme should be a lesson or insight.
• Motif - a recurring element, such as an image, reference, or even phrase which reveals the theme of the story.
• Foreshadow - a hint within the text about what will happen later. 
• Flashback - a method of narration in which present action is temporarily interrupted so that the reader can witness past events - usually in the form of a character's memories, dreams, narration, or even authorial commentary. 
• Practice: What motifs, theme, and foreshadowing did we see in the stories we read? 
• Would you like to review the rubric? 

West's class click here.

HOMEWORK
West's Class: Rough Drafts are due typed (digital is fine) on Monday 12/11 (20 pts.)
Short story due Wednesday. 
Attention: the "gift" portion of your story is optional for extra credit. 

Be prepared for a peer review on Monday.

Wednesday, December 6 ~ Numbered Heads

Short Story

Today I will be checking in on your short stories. They are due 1 week from today.
If you haven't already brainstormed for ideas, you better get started!

Here is the rubric.

Here are some last tools to help you with your characters:

• Characterization (West's class HW: Create a STEAL chart about your character)
• Dialogue - Makes the story more interesting to read.

HOMEWORK
Rough Drafts due in digital format on Monday, December 11. 
Short Story due as Final Draft December 13
Prepare for Roots Quiz on Block

Tuesday, December 5 - The Lottery (cont.)

Journal Check TODAY! Have your journal out ready for my scrutiny. 

Short Story

• Group up to finish the discussion questions for "The Lottery". 
• Be prepared for the larger class discussion tomorrow. It will be graded.
• West's Class click here.

HOMEWORK

How's your short story coming along?

Monday, December 4 ~ The Lottery

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Click here

Journal 20

• Reading Groups - When your group has finished reading, begin the discussion questions.

• Small Group Discussion -
  In your small groups,discuss the following questions about "The Lottery." Try to get beyond just talking about the plot; use your critical thinking skills to deeply examine this story. All members should be jotting down notes for each of the following questions in order to prepare for our larger class discussion.
  1. How do the commonplace details of life and the folksy language contribute to the impact of the story? Why did Jackson choose common people for her characters? Could she have chosen characters from other levels of sophistication with the same effect? What is the irony of the trite (lacking originality due to overuse) dialogue and casual tone of this story?
  2.  What seems to be the original purpose of the lottery? What do the people believe about it?
  3.  Is it important that the original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost? What do you suppose the original ceremony was like? Why have some of the villages given up the practice? Why hasn't this one?
  4.  What is the significance of Tessie's final scream, "It isn't fair, it isn't right"? What aspect of the lottery does she challenge; what aspect goes unquestioned? 
  5.  What hints are given in the early parts of the story that elude to the seriousness of the occasion? Give evidence of foreshadowing. From which characters do you get the best sense of what is to come?
     
     6.Some critics insist that the story has an added symbolic or allegorical dimension. Do you agree? If so, what is Shirley Jackson trying to tell us about ourselves?
     
     7. Is the lottery a collective act of murder? Is it morally justified? Is tradition sufficient justification for such actions? 
     What are your thoughts on other cultures that perform "strange" rituals?
     
     HOMEWORK
     Journal Check tomorrow, (J16-J20)