| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Page Last Updated May 20, 2010
Number of Visits: 1985
|
Ms. De Soto 354-2730, ext.335; pdesoto@lgsuhsd.org
A book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us. --Franz Kafka
Course Goals: · to establish a thoughtful, respectful, and supportive community for discussion and discovery; · to improve your ability to write, read, and think critically, closely, and creatively; · to enhance your public speaking skills through a variety of presentations Course Schedule: Sept. 8 -- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger Sept. 16 -- First draft of research paper due Sept. 22 -- Second draft of research paper due Sept. 30 -- Final version of research paper due by 3:00 pm Oct. 6 -- Rough draft of college essay due Oct. 6 -- The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka Oct. 20 -- Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Nov. 1 -- Final version of college essay due Dec. 7 -- Jane Eyre byCharlotte Brontë Jan. 4 -- Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Jan. 8 – Quotations & Literary Terminology Exam, part I Jan. 20 -- A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce Feb. 5 – Practice Multiple Choice Test #1 Feb. 22 -- Beloved byToni Morrison March 9 – Practice Multiple Choice Test #2 March 30 -- Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Parts 1 & 2 April 5 -- C&P, Parts 3 & 4;; practice Multiple Choice Test #3 April 20 -- C&P,Parts 5,6, & Epilogue May 4 -- Quotations & Literary Terminology Exam, part II May 6 -- AP English Literature Exam We will begin discussing these books on the dates specified. Failure to complete thereading will mean you will have to go to the library to finish the book beforerejoining the class. Your ability to contribute to the discussion requires that you have the reading assignment completed. If you are unprepared on the day the reading is due more than once, you may be transferred to an English12 class. In class, we will also read Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Waiting for Godot, Pygmalion, and A Doll’s House, aswell as an extensive selection of poetry and essays, all of which requiresgreat familiarity with literary terminology. You will need to memorize one passage from each of the majortexts, including the plays and your summer reading novels. Citing from memory an excerpt of thetexts addressed in the essay portion of the AP exam really “wows” your readers,and that’s why I’m holding you accountable to this memorization in the form oftwo “quotation exams,” which you will take at the end of the first semester andright before the AP test. On thedays you take the quotation exams, you will also be tested on your knowledge ofthe literary terminology that we’ve been using throughout the year. Finally, you will take three practice multiple choice tests modeled on the actual exam. Please note that you are required to take the AP EnglishLiterature Exam on May 6. If this presents a problem, please see me immediately. After the AP exam, we will have a four-week unit on positive psychology. Participation: What we do in class is essential to everyone’s intellectual and personal development. Because this courseis student-centered and discussion-based, participation is worth 15% of your total grade. Good participation involves more than being in class on time; you need to be an active, attentive, positive presence in class discussions andactivities. For those of you whostruggle with shyness, I do pay attention to your “participation” in class, notas a speaker, but as an active listener. Being engaged in class discussions andtaking careful notes will improve your participation grade. Additionally, if you have something tosay but do not feel comfortable saying it to the class, you may share it withme at tutorial or after school. Igenuinely welcome your ideas and opinions. Part of your participation grade also includes your level ofpreparedness: you need to come toevery class with the standard school supplies, including several #2 pencils andblack or blue pens, and a three-ring binder that contains all hand-outs andpapers. You will also need tobring daily a spiral notebook or blank binder paper for in-class notes andwriting activities. (Taking notesis a habit you need to form now, so by the time you get to college it will beold hat. The rule in this classis: If it's on the board, thenit's in your notes.) Preparedness also includes bringing the assigned text to class. Due Dates: Aside from the research paper and a handful of assignmentsoutside of class, your ONLY homework consists of reading and “processing” theassigned text thoroughly. Almost all essays will be written in class. I strongly encourage you to buy all of the assigned novelsso that you can take notes in the margins, highlight important passages,etc. There will be a reading quizon the day the assigned reading is due. A passing score on the reading quiz is 60%. If you do not pass the reading quiz, I assume that you havenot the homework and will therefore have nothing of value to contribute to theclass discussion. This class, as acollege-level course, demands a rigorous level of intellectual integrity—EVERYparticipant needs to be engaged actively and astutely in our many classdiscussions. Having said that, youare allowed ONE “Get Out of Jail Free” card per year. This means that you may opt to go to the library and finishreading the assigned novel on the day the novel is due. You may take the make-up exam duringtutorial without penalty. If youcome unprepared to class a second time, you will receive no points for thereading quiz; you and your parent will also need to sign a contract whichoutlines more severe consequences for subsequent failure to come to classprepared. If you never have to usethis “freebie,” you will earn 10 extra credit points per semester. Make-up Policy: You may not make up any work, including tests, if you havean unexcused absence. Following anexcused absence, it is YOUR responsibility to see me about missed work,particularly missed tests and in-class essays. You will receive a "0" for that test or essay if:A) you do not see me within two days of your absence to schedule a make-update, either before school, at lunch, during tutorial, or after school; or B)we have agreed upon a set make-up date, and you do not show up at thattime. The week immediatelypreceding each grading period is reserved only for students making up work thatthey missed during that five-day period. NEW Rewrite Policy: The rewrite policy will now be applied on a case-by-case basis. If it is clear that you put forth your best effort in the original essay and still earned a 5 of below, you qualify for the rewrite option, provided that you must meet with me first to go over the revisions. After our meeting, you will have one week to submit both the original and TYPED revised version of that essay--you also must submit your revision to turnitin.com by 11:59 pm that night. I will not accept your revision if you turn it in late, if you do not give me a hard copy, and/or you do not submit your revision to turnitin.com by the deadline. Your final grade for that essay will be the grade you earned for the revised paper. WELCOME TO SECOND SEMESTER! Wednesday, 1/20/10 1. Review who's who in Portrait 2. Take Portrait RQ 3. Make up a list of Why We Loathe/Appreciate Joyce 4. Examine excerpts from Ulysses and Finnegans Wake 5. Go over shmoop's "Why Should I Care" article that connects Joyce with blogging, cheesy 80s movies, and Harry Potter! 6. Get into groups to organize panel presentations HW: For Friday, reread your assigned chapter; panels will begin Tuesday, 1/26/10 Friday, 1/22/10 1. Go over Portrait RQ 2. Examine all of the following: SD's relationships with father and mothers (biological, literary, religious, mythical); the anxiety of influence & authorship; the significance of the scatological references; and the subjective nature of art & the aesthetic 3. Read Dave Barry's "Clearly Not For the Faint of Art" & look at slides from Art Basel 4. Do a "Joyce Appreciation" activity (winner receives a fabulously hideous prize!) 5. Meet with the other members of your panel HW: All panels will present on Tuesday, 1/26/10 Tuesday, 1/26/10 Portrait presentations all period HW: Read Perry Saidman's article on cooperation for Thursday's Socratic seminar Thursday, 1/28/10 1. Finish Portrait presentations 2. Wrap-up discussion 3. Socratic seminar on Saidman's article 4. Debrief seminar 5. Distribute essay topics for Portrait HW: Take-home essay on Portrait due Monday, 2/1/10; essay should be typed, double-spaced, MLA formatted, and follow the 5 paragraph structure--make sure to cite from Joyce's novel at least once in each body paragraph. Essay must be submitted to turnitin.com by 11:59 pm Monday night. Monday, 2/1/10 1. Have your Portrait essay on desk--attach green peer review sheet 2. Fill out two peer reviews 3. Go over figurative language and devices of sound on terms sheet 4. Explore the wide and wonderful world of the sonnet! 5. Distribute practice MC #1 HW: Hard copy of revised Portrait essay (attach original & peer review sheet) due Wed, 2/3/10; submit essay to turnitin.com by 11:59 pm Wed. night; take practice MC #1 for Friday's class Wednesday, 2/3/10 1. Turn in original and revised Portrait essay (don't forget turnitin.com) 2. Fill out Poetry or Prose? handout in packet 3. Discuss the relation between form and content; look at the ways in which authors manipulate the genres of prose and poetry 4. Investigate all the sensation associated with a blackberry and then eat it 5. Read Heaney's "Blackberry-Picking" 6. In pairs, brainstorm for 10 minutes about the AP poetry prompt 7. Independently, write only the intro paragraph of what would be an awesome and illuminating essay HW: Make sure to take the practice MC #1 test for Friday, 2/5/10 Friday, 2/5/10 1. Go over the answers for the admittedly intimidating/sinister multiple choice test #1 2. Pass back "Blackberry-Picking" intro paragraphs 3. Read and score sample student intros from periods 3 & 5 using the rubric provided; also read and score sample student essays taken from the nationwide pool of test-takers HW: You need to finish Toni Morrison's novel Beloved by Monday, 2/22/10. Tuesday, 2/9/10 1. Finish reading the sample "Blackberry-Picking" essays 2. Examine Donne's life and poetry (remember the 3 stages) 3. Introduction to the very basics of scansion (see p. 3 in packet), using Shakespeare, Poe, and Sir Mix-a-Lot 4. 3rd period--do exercise #3 on p. 12 in packet; 5th period--work on sample MC questions on Keats's "On the Sonnet" HW: See above Thursday, 2/11/10 1. 3rd period--Keats; 5th period--exer. #3 in packet 2. Discuss popular themes/preoccupations on AP exam (man & nature; Romantic & Realistic 3. Analyze Hardy's "Convergence of the Twain" and the Homer and Atwood versions of The Odyssey 4. Write a PARTIAL in-class essay--intro (thesis and POD aka three main points), 1 body paragraph (develop one of your three main points--pick the strongest one), and conclusion HW: Beloved is "due" on Monday, 2/22/10 Monday, 2/22/10 1. Take reading quiz on Beloved 2. Pass back Portrait essays and discuss importance of theme 3. In small groups, respond to the following questions--one write-up per group. 1. Do you think the novel’s explicit sexual references aregratuitous? Is the graphicviolence gratuitous? Why or why not? (Remember, this is your opinion, sospeak your mind freely.) 2. Explain how freeing oneself is not the same thing asclaiming ownership of one’s free self. 3. What are the values of the slaves’ society? 4. What are the values of the slaveholders’ society? 5. Choose one symbol (Sethe’s milk, the chokecherry tree, PaulD’s tobacco tin, the rooster Mister, Stamp Paid’s red ribbon, etc.) and examinewhat it is symbolic of. Alsoexamine its effectiveness in conveying and/or enhancing the novel’s themes,characterization, etc.--BUT NOT PLOT. 6-8. Do the same for metaphor, imagery, andrepetition. 9. This novel raises the question of how one is supposed todeal with such a painful past. Does it provide any answers to this question? 10. What does the narrator mean by, “Thiswas not a story to pass on”? Ifthis is not a story to pass on, why does Morrison do just that? 4. Reconvene as class and discuss small group responses 5. Assign homework: On a separate sheet of paper, write down 10 examples of your assigned motif (water, color, or song) for Wednesday's class. Wednesday, 2/24/10 1. Get back in your small groups from Monday and write down the following: all themes from novel; 3 "meaty" and thoughtful examples of your assigned motif; and the thematic significance of each example (I will check homework as you do this) 2. Reconvene as a class and go over findings. 3. Clarify Beloved's various ghost manifestations & examine all of the ways in which one can deal with a traumatic past. Friday, 2/26/10 1. Go over handout on Postmodernism, African-American theory, and excerpts of critical responses to Morrison's novel 2. Analyze the Middle Passage part (Beloved's stream of consciousness) 3. Explain "found" poem assignment 4. Distribute Crouch's article HW: Turn in TYPED found poem (min. 20 lines) and read Crouch's article for Tuesday, 3/2/10 Tuesday, 3/2/10 1. Turn in found poem 2. Socratic seminar on Crouch's article 3. Beloved ICE HW: Practice multiple choice #2 is "due" Monday, 3/8/10; parts I & II of Crime and Punishment due Tuesday, 3/30/10--make sure to get translation by Richard Pevear & Larissa Volokhonsky Thursday, 3/4/10 1. Begin unit on Close Reading prompt (question #2 on AP exam) 2. Read and analyze passage from Anita Desai 3. Go over close reading strategies, including paying careful attention to the prompt 4. In pairs, read, brainstorm, and write intro paragraph on Paret passage HW: New due date for practice MC #2--Wednesday, 3/10/10 (no Sunday night creepies about Monday morning homework!); make sure to sign up for English Literature and Composition AP test by Friday, March 12, 2010. If you have any questions or concerns about sign-ups, see me ASAP. Monday, 3/8/10 1. Pass back 3 paragraph poetry ICE 2. Go over the importance of theme; POV vs. perspective vs. perception; use of apostrophe 3. Go through definitions of poetry terms and other literary terms (on back of goldenrod sheet) 4. Read and analyze the Obasan passage in close reading packet HW: practice MC #2 due Wed, 3/10/10 Wednesday, 3/10/10 Let me just take a moment to say how very sorry I am about Tom Gallie's death. I know that all of our thoughts and prayers go out to his family. This is a particularly difficult time for the whole community, so please take good care of yourselves and each other. 1. Look at models of intro paragraphs and quotation integration for the Paret passage 2. Read and analyze Obasan passage 3. Get into small groups and read/score sample AP essays on the Obasan prompt 4. 3rd period: Model close reading (CR) presentation; have groups select which CR prompt in the pink packet to discuss. 5th period: Go over poetry terms; distribute pink packet--we'll get to that Friday HW: We will finally go over practice MC #2 on Friday, 3/12/10. If you've already taken the test, then you have no homework. You will have class time to work on your close reading presentations on Friday after we go over the MC. Friday, 3/12/10 1. Go over practice MC #2 and record scores 2. Put together CR presentations in assigned small groups HW: CR presentations are due Tuesday, 3/16/10. Make sure someone in your group emails the group's introductory paragraph. Tuesday, 3/16/10 1. Have grey sheet (periods of English literature) and terms sheet out on desk for easy reference 2. CR presentations in chronological order, interspersed with commentary and context HW: Have you started Pevear and Volohkonsky's translation of C & P yet? Parts I and II are due in two weeks... Thursday, 3/18/10 1. Finish CR presentations 2. Pass back Beloved ICE 3. Go over tips for writing about comedy 4. Play Lit Term Bingo HW: Get excited for Monday's in-class essay on a close reading passage!!! And don't forget about Fyodor! Monday, 3/22/10 1. Examine irony in some of its many facets (verbal, situational, dramatic) 2. Read Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" and the 1943 Guide to Hiring Women for a double dose of feminist irony (and patriarchal condescension) 3. Read aloud excerpt from Lady Windermere's Fan and, as promised, write a fabulous five-paragraph essay! HW: Fyodor, anyone? Wednesday, 3/24/10 1. In small groups, grade sample AP responses to Lady Win's Fan--use the 1-9 rubric 2. Individually, grade 3 papers from the class--both writer and reviewer will be identified by 6-digit ID number 3. Distribute big yellow poetry packet; read "Cinderella" by Anne Sexton aloud and go over sample presentation (see p. 2 in yellow packet for write-up) HW: On Friday the 26th, we'll be working on multiple choice problems, on Tuesday the 30th, there will be a reading quiz on Parts I & II of C & P and then I'll put you into pairs for the poetry presentations. Friday, 3/26/10 1. Spend first hour taking multiple choice quiz (pink packet) 2. Go over answers in grey booklet HW: Fyodor awaits! Tuesday, 3/30/10 1. Review names, roles, and pronunciations in C & P 2. Take C & P parts I and II reading quiz 3. Look at sample poetry presentation (on Sexton's "Cinderella") 4. Work on presentation with assigned partner for remainder of period HW: Poetry presentations due Thursday, April 1 (no, this isn't a joke)--please make sure to email me your intro paragraph by Thursday morning so I can organize them. Also, feel free to have fun with the " visual" component of this presentation. Thursday, 4/1/10 1. Wade through the poetry presentations (which, for reasons unknown, seem to have triggered a rapid case of senioritis/rigor mortis. Word to the wise: if you're going on Monday, please bring your personality and a food product with you to ensure that your classmates will at least have high blood sugar.) 2. Poetry ICE (April Fools..ha ha. Don't be too excited, though. You're writing a whole essay on poetry next week--yummy!) HW: For Monday, bring your practice MC (pink packet) with score; RQ for parts III & IV of Crime and Punishment Monday, 4/5/10 1. Record scores from pink MC packet 2. Take RQ on C&P, parts III & IV 3. Continue/finish poetry presentations 4. Work on MC HW: Finish C & P over break Wednesday, 4/7/10 1. Pass back Lady Win CR ICE and discuss importance of textual evidence, development, and detail (5 paragraph essays, please) 2. Poetry ICE 3. 3rd period--continue poetry presentations (w/ time limit...sigh....why are these taking so long??) 5th period--go over MC strategies HW: Finish C & P over break; bring food to share if you feel like it Friday, 4/9/10 Seniors won the rally! Yay! Good job! Why on earth did we bother trying to have a normal school day? Thanks for the pizza and drinks in 5th period, Audrey, Caitlyn, and Ravi! Don't forget Fyodor over the break! Tuesday, 4/20/10 1. Take final RQ of the year on parts V, Vi, & epilogue of C & P! 2. Discuss all the various crimes and punishments involved in the novel 3. Fill out "morality" exercise where you get to be the VOJ (Voice of Judgment) 4. Go over background in grey packet: nihilism, Underground Man, oberman theory 5. Rask. and his foils: Raz, Svid, Sonia, Dunia, Porfiry, and Luzhin HW: For Thursday, you will meet in your selected groups and choose which of the above seven characters you will focus on for the performance and presentation (see directions below). Crime and Punishment -- presentation (please use Power Point format): Identify and examine the key themes associated with your character and use textual evidence to support each theme. (“Textual evidence” means either specific examples from the text or excerpt from the text. If you cite from the novel, yourcitations do not have to be overly long and involved.) 2. Identify and examine your character’s philosophical and/or religious beliefs. Again, use textual evidence to support your examination. 3. I Identify and examine any significant imagery associated with your character (dreams, symbols, motifs, metaphors, etc.) Once again, use textual evidence to support your examination. 4. Select one passage that involves your character and do a close reading of that passage. 5. Come up with two intriguing and challenging questions for the culminating class discussion of the novel. Thr Thursday, 4/22/10 1. 1. Pass back poetry ICE and provide general commentary 2. Get in small groups and grade sample student essays based on 1-9 rubric 3. Go to English computer lab and work on C & P presentation HW: ALL presentations will be done on Monday, 4/26/10. Please email your Power Point to me by early Monday morning so I can download and file it and save some time, time that we just don't have to spare! IMPORTANT ADDENDUM: Want some extra credit? You can earn 10 points of it if you attend one of two study sessions next week: either 9:30 - 10:30 am on Wednesday, April 28 or 9:00 - 10:00 am on Thursday, April 29. You must be here on time and stay the full hour to earn all 10 points. You are welcome to attend both sessions; however, you may earn a maximum of 10 points E.C. Monday, 4/26/10 1. Distribute study guide for spring final exam 2. Crime and Punishment presentations all period HW: On Wednesday, we will have a class discussion on C & P; on Friday, there will be an in-class essay on C & P and the spring final exam (spelling, quotations, terms). Please attend one or both of the study sessions for a rare extra credit opportunity! Wednesday, 4/28/10 District handouts--final discussion on C & P HW: Read Wallace's article on "default settings" for some helpful ways to discuss and analyze some of the tensions between the individual and the collective; be prepared for the ICE and final exam. Tomorrow's study session is from 9 am to 10 am; we'll be talking about the "so what" question for all three essay prompts. Friday, 4/30/10 This is it, folks. The last long "run" of the year before the race. 1. Take final exam (quotes, terms, spelling) first half of period 2. Write FINAL in-class essay of the year on Crime and Punishment for the second half of the period. N NO HOMEWORK!! We will have one last prep session during class on Tuesday, May 4th. If you won't be in class that day because of AP Comp Sci, Spanish, or Stats, come by before Thursday to get the handouts. T Tuesday, 5/4/10 1. Pass back spring final and C & P in-class essays 2. Go over final, esp. the Matching section 3. Review w/ free response prompts: in small groups, choose at least three texts that could be used to answer your assigned free response prompts and briefly explain how and why those texts would work well with the prompt 4. Last-minute tips and boosters! (Note--average score on Spring Final was 175/185 = 94.5%; average score on C & P ICE: 7.5 = 87%--these are IMPRESSIVE numbers!!! For For Thursday, May 6 (i.e. the day of the BEAST!), please come to room 21 for breakfast and class bonding. We'll start serving at 7 am--please come by before the test start time of 7:45 am (even a few minutes, even if you can't make the 7 am start time) so you can get some FOOD and take some SNACKS for the "road"... Mo Monday, 5/10/10 - Friday, 5/14/10 Gi Given that it's the second week of APs, there's STAR testing, Fractured Follies, and the Great America trip on Friday, let's just say this is going to be a low-key week. Early next week I will model and explain the Senior Statements which begin on Friday, 5/28/10. Tu Tuesday, 5/18/10 1. Distribute Senior Statement directions 2. Due to laryngitis, I can't model the Sen. Stat. today 3 3. Continue working on positive psychology unit--defenses, "dream list" HW: Sign-ups for the statements will be posted later this week. Read over the handout and come to class with questions on Thursday. Thursday, 5/20/10 1. Model Sen. Stat. as best as I can (ugh, my throat) 2. Q & A re: Sen. Stat. 3. Continue working on positive psychology unit--fears, struggles, disappointments, appreciation 4. 4. Sign-up for Statements posted at end of period HW: Statements start on Wednesday, 5/26/10 1. Fri `1 1 1. |
