Wednesday, February 24

Warm-up:  
Many schools have rules against student cell phone usage in class; some schools even forbid students to bring cell phones to school. State whether or not you agree with cell phone restrictions in school and provide three reasons to support your belief.

Today:

Review strategies and components for open-ended questions

Review literary devices and elements

"The Story of an Hour"

Homework:

Find examples of the following in "The Story of an Hour": imagery, metaphor, characterization, paradox, oxymoron, personification, alliteration, foreshadowing, simile, repetition, point of view, symbolism, onomatopoeia, irony

Answer two open-ended questions about the short story. 

Write responses for these two questions based on “The Story of an Hour.” You will be graded according to the PSSA Open-Response Rubric.

Plan your answer before you write! Remember to answer each part of the question. Use TAG and Say It, Support It, Explain It to help guide you.

1. The ending of the story is unexpected by many readers, but there are hints of what may happen throughout it. Explain the irony at the end of the story and then find two examples of foreshadowing that give clues as to how the story will end.
2. How does the author use figurative language to describe the main character’s emotion? Provide three examples of figurative language and explain how they support the main character’s feelings. 

Monday, February 22

Study for your Beloved test tomorrow!

Beloved Project

Here are your options for the Beloved project. Projects will be due on Wednesday, March 3.

Friday, February 19

Warm-up: Many students believe that the dress code should be amended. State your opinion and give reasons why it should or should not be amended.

Today:
Share poems (collect responses)
Reading/Constructed Response group work

Homework:
Begin working on word maps

Thursday, February 18

Warm-up: Choose a quote from Beloved that you found to be especially to the overall meaning of the text.
    1. Write down the quote
    2. Explain what you think it means
    3. Explain how it relates to the overall themes and
            meanings of the novel.

Today:
    1. Review new vocabulary words (make sure you get correct definitions!)
    2. Finish group presentations
    3. Beloved Found Poetry
         due tomorrow, 1 paragraph analysis

Homework:
Finish Found Poetry

Wednesday, February 17

Warm-up: Of Denver, Paul D and Sethe, which character do you think has changed the most at the end of the novel? Explain why.

Today:
1. Finish watching movie.

2. Begin finishing group tracings of themes and motifs.

Homework: 
New vocabulary words 

Tuesday, February 16

Warm-up:
On page 273, Stamp Paid tells Paul D that the community "can get messy when they think somebody's too proud, but when it comes right down to it, they good people."
    1. What does he mean by this?
    2. How does Denver discover this in Part III?
    3. How does the community come through for Denver
        and Sethe?

Due today:
1. From Friday, 2/5
    - 20 Word Maps and 4 Warm-ups were due!
    - Make up vocabulary test by Friday, 2/19
    - read pages 257-277 and take notes (to be collected)
2. From Tuesday, 2/9
    - answer 8 reading questions on handout (check)
    - complete SAT prep packet (check)
    - read pages 281-309 and take notes (to be collected)


Assignments:

1. Review SAT practice questions
2. Number2.com Website and Assignment
3. Review Beloved (end of part II and beginning of part III) -- go over questions from Tuesday

Homework:
Finish the book! 

Tuesday, February 9

I am at Ballard Spahr today with the freshmen. I apologize for missing today's class. Please complete the following assignments.

Assignments:

On a separate sheet of paper, answer the following questions. I will collect your answers and your notes tomorrow.

1. “His tobacco tin is blown open, spilled contents that floated freely and made him their play and prey.” What is Paul D now remember that has been locked up in his tobacco tin?
2. What is Paul D’s obsession with other black families and his own?
3. What is the Plan? What happens that alters some of the details of the plan?
4. What happens the night of the Plan? What does Paul D know for certain, and what can he only infer?
5. What is Paul D’s “worth” in money? How does this complicate his turmoil over whether or not he is a man?
6. Why does Stamp Paid tell Paul D the story about Vashti?
7. What does Stamp Paid say is the reason Sethe killed her daughter? What does this say about the way he judges the incident?
8. What made Paul D leave 124 Bluestone?

Read pages 281-309 and take notes for Thursday (we are almost finished!)

Complete the SAT Reading Comprehension Activities. We will go over them tomorrow.

Friday, February 5

You had a vocabulary quiz today! See me Monday to make it up.

20 word maps and this week's warm-ups were collected.

Read pages 257-277 and take notes for Monday.

Wednesday, February 3

Warm-up: Sethe and Denver both seem to think that Beloved has come back for them. How are their thoughts similar and different?

Thursday, February 4

Warm-Up:
What has changed about the narration and point of view in Part II, especially in the last four chapters? Why do you think Morrison has chosen to do this? What affect does it have on the novel overall?

Assignment:
We reviewed last night's reading and caught up on the movie. We made up skits for the vocabulary words.

Homework:
Vocabulary test tomorrow!!!
Read pages 257-277 for Monday (and take notes!)

Tuesday, February 2

Warm-up: Chapter 19 of Beloved (pages 199-235) cover the guilt and remorse of three characters. Choose two of these characters and explain the effect of their feelings on them.

Assignments:
Review chapter 19:
1. From which two character's points of view is this chapter told?
2. What are the 28 days Sethe keeps thinking about? (pg 204)
3. "Nobody saw them fall" is repeated three times. What could this mean?
4. Why does Baby Suggs begin to think about "the color of things"? (pages 209-211)
5. What changes about Sethe's narration on page 216? What is this called?
6. The community exiles Paul D and Sethe. What is Sethe's reaction in turn? (pg 222)
7. Who is Sethe talking to as she walks home for work? Why? (pg 226)
8. What happened to Paul A? What does Sethe choose to focus on? (pg 232-233)
9. Who does Sethe seem to blame all of her problems and all of the terrible events on? What other character does she share this sentiment with?
10. On page 234 and 235, there is emphasis on Sethe locking the door behind her. What could this symbolize?


We also broke into groups to analyze the following passages, focusing on characters' views of whites and dehumanization.

Group 1 - Sethe's memories of the schoolteacher and Sixo
                    -pages 223-225, 226-228

Group 2 - Stamp Paid and the influence of whites
                 - pages 212-213, and 234-235

Assignments:
- Summarize the meaning and significance of the passages
- Identify and analyze literary devices
- 3-4 questions that would help the class understand the passage

Homework:
Read Beloved pages 235-247.
Part I Reflections due on Thursday. These must be typed! I will be after school today and tomorrow.
Cumulative vocabulary test on Friday! See me for a handout.
Word maps for chapters 14-15 due Friday.

Monday, February 1

Warm-Up:
Choose a quote or passage from the reading that you thought was especially important or meaningful. Explain you reasons. You may use your book.

Assignment:
Daily Warm-ups: Every day will begin with a daily warm-up assignment. At the end of every two weeks, I will collect your daily warm-ups. You can keep your warm-ups in a single notebook, or staple loose leaf together when you submit them.
You will be graded on the following:
- Warm-up assigment completed for each day of class
- I will choose one assignment to grade closely, looking for content, completion, grammar and effort.
3 pts for each warm-up (30) + 20 pts for graded warm-up = 50 pts

Groups continued working on theme/motif traces.

Homework:
Read pages 222-235 and take notes in Beloved. 
Part I Reflections due on Thursday. These must be typed! I will be after school today and tomorrow.
Cumulative vocabulary test on Friday! See me for a handout.
Word maps for chapters 14-15 due Friday.