October 17-21

I hope everyone had a restful and relaxing weekend.  It's "college week" at PVHS, and we're fortunate enough to have a high-quality College Center sponsoring a variety of events, including paying for all juniors to take the PSAT on Wednesday.

MONDAY: Journal warm-up. Act out scene from Chapter 18 in Grapes of Wrath, begin Chapter 20. Review narrative comments, samples.  Work on final drafts of narratives on laptops in class: first a step-by-step check of your current draft vs. the rubric, then time to type and get help. 

Due: Finish Chapter 18 of The Grapes of Wrath.

Homework:  Continue working on your narrative paper.  UPDATE: The final version is due on Monday, October 24 by 10:00 p.m. to turnitin.com.  (See sidebar for class codes and passwords.)

WEDNESDAY: 7:45 a.m. PSAT for all juniors.

Journal warm-up.  View narrative essay sample.  After sitting for the PSAT, we will practice vocabulary with a fun* activity called "Vocab Story Rounds."

*Fun = an English teacher's version of fun.

FRIDAY: Journal warm-up.  Quiz.  Read, annotate and SOAPS Starvation Under the Orange Trees by John Steinbeck.  Notes: Irony. View two videos about irony.

Due: Continue working on the narrative essay. I've extended the deadline; please note the new due dates below.

Homework:  Read, annotate and SOAPS articles by Steinbeck and Peikoff about government-sponsored healthcare.  Be ready to share and debate 1. which is the more persuasive article, and 2. whether or not you think the U.S. government should provide healthcare to its citizens.

UPDATE: The final version of the narrative essay is due on Monday, October 24 by 10:00 p.m. to turnitin.com.  (See sidebar for class codes and passwords.)  The weekend reading/homework is still the same, but I've extended the deadline so that students will have time on the weekend to complete their best, final draft.

October 10-14

It's a very short week, but an important one.  (Yes, know I always say it's important!)  This week we'll take a close look at what is arguably the most incendiary chapter in the book and study Steinbeck's persuasive techniques.  Here's the agenda:

TUESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Rhetorical analysis notes: repetition.  Close reading and analysis of Chapter 14 of Grapes of Wrath.  Summarize 15-17.   Begin reading Chapter 16.

Due: n/a

Homework: Read 15 pages of Chapter 18 of The Grapes of Wrath: the Joads are almost to California.  Study for quiz.


THURSDAY:  Journal warm-up.  Quiz covering vocabulary, grammar, and Grapes reading.  Fill out PSAT forms, continue with Chapter 18 of Grapes of Wrath.

Due: first 15 pages of Chapter 18 of The Grapes of Wrath.

Homework: Finish Chapter 18 of The Grapes of Wrath.

October 3-7

It's October and we're already in our sixth week of school!  Please make sure you've made up any older quizzes you missed because I'll be passing back work from September (except last week's quiz). 

Here's what's planned for the week:


MONDAY: Journal warm-up. SOAPS notes: a tool for analyzing passages.  Turn in hard copy of rough draft.  Discuss Chapter 10 in class.  Read Chapter 11 and 12 in class and go through repetition and imagery found in those short chapters.  Begin reading Chapter 13 in class.

Due: Read the rest of Chapter 10 in Grapes of Wrath.  Who would you cast (known actors) for the different Joad characters based on their descriptions in the book? Have this in mind as you read - soon the class will submit and vote on nominations.

Please bring a hard copy of the rough draft of your narrative for Monday. 


Homework:  Read first 15 pages of Chapter 13 of The Grapes of Wrath for Wednesday.


WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up. Current event/current issue day. Topic: surveillance cameras at school.  Read and analyze two articles on the subject.  Stakeholder groups and debate.  Vote.

Due:  Read first 15 pages of Chapter 13 of The Grapes of Wrath for Wednesday.

Homework: Please read the rest of Chapter 13 of The Grapes of Wrath for Friday.


FRIDAY: Journal warm-up. Quiz covering vocabulary and Grapes reading for the week.  Close reading and analysis of two opposing articles about Colin Kaepernick's anthem protest, SOAPS analysis.  How does each make their argument using rhetorical devices?  Class votes: which is the better argument?  Do you think Kaepernick's method of protest is justified?

Due: Please read the rest of Chapter 13 of The Grapes of Wrath.

Homework: Done in class today.  Enjoy!

September 26-30, 2016

Hopefully by the time we meet on Tuesday, the weather will have cooled down some!  Fortunately, the weather forecast says that the heat wave will be short-lived.  Bring plenty of water, I'll have the fans set to full blast, and we'll make it!

TUESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Go over examples of narrative essays (1-2 pages).  Receive rubric.  Type up rough drafts in the computer lab/library.  Notes: diction, counterargument.  Leave journals in bins in classroom for points.

Due: Add at least 3 instances of imagery and/or figurative language that are original to the interview sheet and bring it with you on Tuesday.

Read the first 10 pages of Chapter 10.  Which Joad family member are you or your family like, and why? 

5th and 6th - Make sure your journal is filled down an entire page or marked "absent" for the days you weren't in class.  We'll have a journal check where you leave your journals in the bin in the classroom at the end of the day on Tuesday.


Homework: For Thursday: Study for quiz.

Finish rough drafts of narrative and submit to Turnitin.com by Wednesday night, September 28 at 10:00 p.m.

4th period only: Journals will be collected on Thursday.


THURSDAY: Journal warm-up.  Quiz covering vocabulary, grammar, Grapes reading.  Notes: tone.  Watch clips from the presidential debate and analyze each candidate's rhetoric using terms and concepts we've learned so far (logos, pathos, ethos, tone, diction, juxtaposition, connotation).

Due:
Finish rough drafts of narrative and submit to Turnitin.com by Wednesday night, September 28 at 10:00 p.m.

Homework:  Read the rest of Chapter 10 in Grapes of Wrath.  Who would you cast (known actors) for the different Joad characters based on their descriptions in the book? Have this in mind as you read - soon the class will submit and vote on nominations.

Please bring a hard copy of the rough draft of your narrative for Monday.  

September 19-23

I'm looking forward to opening the doors for "Back to School Night" this week: please mark your family calendars and ask parents and guardians to come to your classes on Thursday night, September 22.  We will have a minimum day on Friday following this event.  We'll get to enjoy each other's "Setting the Stage" projects displayed in the room and work on creating our own narratives about how we/our families came to be in California as we travel with the Joads in The Grapes of Wrath.

MONDAY: Journal warm-up.  Enjoy each other's Setting the Stage projects.  Discuss the characters we've met so far in Chapter 8 of The Grapes of Wrath.  Name one character you can think of from another book, movie, or TV show that is similar to one of the Joads.  Notes - more analysis terms: types of imagery and its effects on a reader.  The class will interview each other and write down how their partners' families came to be in California, adding at least one form of figurative language to their interview. 

Due:
Setting the Stage projects.

Finish reading Grapes, Chapter 8. Do any of the characters remind you of other characters in books, movies, or TV shows?

Ask your parents/guardians how you/your family came to be in California and be ready to talk about it in class next week.

Homework: Read Chapter 9 of The Grapes of Wrath for Friday and make a list of what you would bring on a similar journey if you had to move and could only take one backpack with you. Be ready to share on Friday.

Bring your interview sheet with you on Friday.


WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up.  View excerpts from Steinbeck's Nobel Prize acceptance speech.  Hear about how the novel was received: its commercial success and the controversy and bans.  Four-corner debate with examples, evidence: should some books and materials be banned in the United States today?

Due: n/a

Homework:
Study for the quiz.

Bring your interview sheet with you on Friday.

Read Chapter 9 of The Grapes of Wrath for Friday and make a list of what you would bring on a similar journey if you had to move and could only take one backpack with you. Be ready to share on Friday.


FRIDAY (minimum day): Quiz covering the week's vocabulary, grammar and Grapes reading for the week.  Discuss Chapter 9 and the contents of your backpack.  Group exercise: agree on 1 backpack and share with the class. 

Share excerpts from interviews on Tuesday (each student should have 1 paragraph minimum describing how they/their families came to be in California with 1 example of imagery included).    View examples of effective narratives - student examples and Chipotle example. 

Due:
Read Chapter 9 of The Grapes of Wrath for Friday and make a list of what you would bring on a similar journey if you had to move and could only take one backpack with you.

Bring your interview sheet with you on Friday.

Homework:  Add at least 3 instances of imagery and/or figurative language that are original to the interview sheet and bring it with you on Tuesday.

Read the first 10 pages of Chapter 10.  Which Joad family member are you or your family like, and why? 

Make sure your journal is filled down an entire page or marked "absent" for the days you weren't in class.  We'll have a journal check where you leave your journals in the bin in the classroom at the end of the day on Tuesday.

September 12-16

Welcome back!  This week, we'll continue learning more about the Joad family and The Grapes of Wrath as you work on your Setting the Stage projects, due on Monday, September 19.  As we read, we'll continue to learn the basics about rhetorical analysis as we analyze and evaluate how Steinbeck and other writers use these techniques to persuade an audience. 

TUESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Review Chapter 2, Grapes of Wrath. Overview of Chapters 3,4 and 6. Read Chapter 7 in class: why do you think Steinbeck included this chapter?  In your opinion, are there businesses, industries, or products/services that are still like the car dealership in Chapter 7?

Notes: logos, pathos, ethos.  View samples and videos. 

Due:  Read Grapes, Chapter 2. (Also chapter 7 for 5th period only.)

Homework:
Read the first 10 pages of Grapes, Chapter 8 and look carefully at how Steinbeck introduces Pa Joad and Ma Joad.  Are they believable?  Do they remind you of anyone?

Study for quiz on Thursday.


THURSDAY: Journal warm-up.  Quiz covering vocabulary words, grammar, and Grapes reading for the week.  Discuss Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 8, first 10 pages.  Logos, pathos, ethos review and role play exercise. 

Due: first 10 pages read of Grapes, Chapter 8 (to the point where Tom sees Ma Joad)

Homework: For Monday -

• Read the rest of Grapes, Chapter 8.
• Finish the Setting the Stage project.
• Ask your parents/guardians how you/your family came to be in California and be ready to talk about it in class next week.

September 6 - 9, 2016: Week Two!

Welcome back! I hope everyone had an enjoyable three-day weekend.  This week, we'll continue with The Grapes of Wrath, define "rhetoric" and begin looking at rhetorical devices, work on vocabulary and grammar, and begin a short narrative writing assignment.

NOTE for 4th period: Due to the assembly on Friday, 4th period will participate in the Gallery Walk and Grapes of Wrath Intro before discussing the Chapter One questions.


WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Collect homework.  Definition of rhetoric, Aristotle's Rhetorical Triangle.  Review of the simile, metaphor, personification (figurative language).  Dialects in The Grapes of Wrath activity.  Note that there will be Grapes of Wrath reading questions on the Friday quiz as well as vocabulary, grammar, and summer reading questions.

Due:

• Signature page of syllabus
• Signed Turnitin.com permission form
• Get supplies for class (notebook with tabs per syllabus)
• Read Chapter One of The Grapes of Wrath and answer the Chapter One questions on the handout.

Homework: Read Grapes of Wrath Chapter 5.  While you're reading, find and write down at least 2 examples of effective/original figurative language that you're ready to share next class.  (Similes, metaphors, personification.)  Also, find one more example of figurative language outside of the book (that you overhear or create).

FRIDAY:  Journal warm-up.  Quiz.  Finish dialect activity. Discuss Chapter 5 in class and evaluate Steinbeck's purpose and effectiveness.  Introduce the Setting the Stage project.  Read Chapter 2 out loud in class and act it out. 

Due: Read Grapes of Wrath Chapter 5.  While you're reading, find and write down at least 2 examples of effective/original figurative language that you're ready to share next class.  (Similes, metaphors, personification.)  Also, find one more example of figurative language outside of the book (that you overhear or create).

Homework:
Choose an option and begin the Setting the Stage project - due next Monday, September 19. 

5th only: Please finish Chapter 2 and read Chapter 7.  Are there businesses and industries that still work this way? 

4th and 6th only: Please read Chapter 2 and get an introduction to Tom Joad.