First Semester
First Quarter
Week 1
Tue, 8/10 - complete Practice Test A (Sections 1-2) for a grade
and for discussion tomorrow
Wed, 8/11 - review my test answers/explanations for
discussion tomorrow; read Close Reading Passages 1, 2 for discussion tomorrow
Thu, 8/12 - complete Close Reading Passage 3 for
discussion tomorrow; read entire Glossary by Monday
Fri, 8/13 - continue (repeat) Glossary reading
Week 2
Mon, 8/16 - read Lincoln's letter to Thurlow Weed by tomorrow
(what's he saying between the lines?) and Etty Hillesum's letter from
Westerbork two times by Wednesday:
--> in what ways does Hillesum seek not only to convey her reactions,
but to invite her readers to share them as well?
--> note allusions; examples of pathos; irony; gallows
humor; imagery; use of simple sentences for emphasis
Wed, 8/18 - reread Hillesum (yes, a third time) noting the
use of color imagery and its overall effect on the passage
Thu, 8/19 - tonight you must spend a minimum of 30 minutes
reading this week's headlines (current events) - the goal is to increase your
knowledge of world, national, and local events, politics, and human interest
stories; be sure to explore at least three major internet news sites
Fri, 8/20 - "Color Purple" by Tuesday
Week 3
Mon, 8/23 - for "Color Purple," consider the three discussion
questions (listed above), find the tone of each letter, and consider
rhetorical techniques which introduce the "unfamiliar" world of which Nettie
speaks to Celie; the next set of letters for discussion is #5: William
Cobbett, #6: George Bernard Shaw, & #7: Leonard Woolf - read these a couple of
times by Thursday
Wed, 8/25 - Cobbett, GBS, Woolf by tomorrow
Thu, 8/26 - are you keeping up with the news? tell me
something (news-related) that I don't know tomorrow....
Fri, 8/27 - by Tuesday read the last four letters in the
unit (Montague, Chesterfield, Dickens, Bonhoeffer - these are parent-to-child
letters); identify
1. each author's intention in writing the letter;
2. the relationships between writer/recipient (what kind of relationship
is it, not how are they related); and
3. how you think the letter would be received by each reader
Week 4
Mon, 8/30 - as you reread the parent-to-child letters, consider
how questions 1, 2, 3 (above) work together to suggest an overall tone;
remember our discussion of your responsibilities when doing scholarly
readings: the more you use your resources now (while you can), the better
prepared you will be when they are not available to you (i.e., when you're
taking the actual test); we'll take the first Glossary test next week: study
terms A-I (about 3 pages)
Thu, 9/2 - read #13, Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant" a
couple of times by Tuesday; Glossary test (A-I) will be Friday, 9/10; keep up
with world events and DON'T FORGET YOUR V-O-C-A-B-U-L-A-R-Y from now on!
Week 5
Tue, 9/7 - answer the question: Is Orwell's "Shooting an
Elephant" more properly classified as an autobiographical story or an
autobiographical essay?; write informal discussion notes for "The
Facts/Strategies" questions (p. 18 in text); write a formal thesis for this
piece of writing - you may need to combine direct quotes/paraphrases with your
own prose to fomulate a suitable thesis (you are not limited to a single
sentence)
Wed, 9/8 - screwy schedules dictate that I postpone the
Glossary test until Tuesday or Wednesday of next week
Fri, 9/10 - read Mencken's "Libido for the Ugly" and look
for a thesis - we probably won't get there until Tuesday, but just in case....
Week 6
Mon, 9/13 - don't forget your Glossary Test on Wednesday (you
need to be extra-super prepared since you only have 27 minutes to take it!!
...oh, and by the way, it's only A through C... sorry); read Mencken's "Libido
for the Ugly" and make sure you're looking up vocabulary!
Thu, 9/16 - type AND edit/revise your Mencken essay as
needed; read #16, Pearl S. Buck's "My Several Worlds" a couple of times by
Monday - write down (1) the broad topic, (2) the specific thesis, and (3) the
technique she uses to develop her thesis throughout the essay
Week 7
Mon, 9/20 - see above for Tuesday; for Wednesday, read #18,
Pearl S. Buck's "Reflections on Dickens" and #19, Lesley Hazleton's "My Class
and Jack Kerouac" and thoroughly answer the 5 discussion questions at the end
Wed, 9/22 - we'll meet in the Media Center tomorrow -
bring your text!
Fri, 9/24 - don't forget you have a Word Origins test
coming up next week or the following; for those of you who missed Thursday
and/or Friday, your task is to look at the essay "Manifestation" (#17) and
follow the instructions at the end of the essay - bring your typed revision on
Monday
Week 8
Mon, 9/27 - "Patterns of Development for the Subject of Guilt"
(#20) by tomorrow
Tue, 9/28 - as we discussed, you need to improve your
individual efforts on these reading assignments and especially on your
multiple-choice tests: are you questioning the answers, both right and wrong?
are you certain you know why the correct answers are correct or why the wrong
ones are wrong?
Wed, 9/29 - to beat the end of the quarter and to
(hopefully) bring up your grades, I have to give your Word Origins test on
Friday... or not at all this quarter; it may seem short notice, but
you'll recall I gave you a heads up well over a week ago - first five
chapters, 50 words total (starting with herculean)
Fri, 10/1 - read entry #22 a couple or three times: E.B.
White's "Once More to the Lake" and answer the discussion questions (not to be
collected) by Tuesday
Week 9 (End of 1st Quarter)
Mon, 10/4 - Marine Bio folks - you missed an essay in class
today... you and anyone else missing work must get caught up ASAP; read #22
(White) as outlined above
Wed, 10/6 - for "Once More to the Lake," write a clear
thesis - include a combination of quoted material and your own prose (formally
written for submission)
Thu, 10/7 - no homework - for once
Second Quarter
Week 10
Tue, 10/12 - REread White's "Once More to the Lake" then read
Yeats' "Reveries Over Childhood and Youth" and answer the discussion questions
for the two (not to be collected)
Week 12
Mon, 10/25 - read #24, Langston Hughes' "Salvation" and answer
discussion questions by Tues; read #25, H.D. Thoreau's excerpt from "Walden"
and discussion questions by Wednesday
Wed, 10/27 - read the condensed version of Plato's "Cave"
allegory, then reread the excerpt from "Walden"
Week 13
Mon, 11/1 - read #26, "What is a Persuasive Essay?" and #27,
"What is a Thesis?" for tomorrow; Glossary Test (causal analysis
-- image) on Monday, 11/22
Tue, 11/2 - read #28, "The Thesis" and complete the 10
thesis statements and one paragraph as stipluated in the assignment that
follows; then, read #29, "This is Funny" (hint: it really isn't)
Thu, 11/4 - read #29, MLK's "I Have a Dream" for Tuesday
Week 14
Mon, 11/8 - reread "I Have a Dream"; find MLK's thesis; write
your own thesis for this speech and determine where you would place it
Week 15
Mon, 11/15 - if you haven't already, read #32, "How to Write
Clearly" (you'll need this for Wednesday's class/discussion); read each of the
student samples from today's essay and answer the attached questions (due
tomorrow); read #34, "How the Superwoman Myth Puts Women Down" and answer the
discussion questions (for Wednesday); don't forget the Glossary Test next
week!
Tue, 11/16 - reread "The Thesis" (#28) and "...Write
Clearly" (#32) and then read "My Wood" (#35); then, write his thesis, create a
basic outline, and determine what it is Forester is trying to persuade you to
do (and is he persuasive and why or why not)
Week 16
Mon, 11/22 - no homework this week or over the break
Week 17
Mon, 11/29 - read #36, Swift's "Modest Proposal" by Tuesday
(note "language of satire" from class); work on letter (3 TYPED copies due
Wednesday - use your number, not your name); read ahead for Thursday: #37,
"Locial Fallacies" and #38, an excerpt from Shakespeare's Julius
Caesar --- there will be an additional assignment with this (TBA); Word
Origins test will be next week
Tue, 11/30 - remember - 3 typed, double-spaced copies with
your four-digit number in lieu of your name (2-3 pages); you have to decide
how you're going to deal with "Mr. Smarmy": will you explain the satire? will
you accomodate him and stop using Swift's satire? will you simply tell him
he's wrong? ...you're writing a persuasive letter to one of your
constituents so you'll have to be careful of not only what you say but how
you say it
Wed, 12/1 - read #37, "Logical Fallacies" and look up the
terms listed at the end; read #38, Antony's speech from Caesar;
identify as many "generally sleazy tactics" as you can -- find at
least: sarcasm, fictionalization, dramatization, double-speak, hearsay,
non-sequitur, and appeals to base qualities, to emotions, and to pity
Fri, 12/3 - read #39, "...Killed Gary Gilmore..." and #40,
"Rook Execution..." by Tuesday -- there will be additional work assigned with
this on Monday, so go ahead and get started; Word Origins Test Friday
Week 18
Mon, 12/6 - here's an outline for the week (so far):
-
Manic Monday - you have your answers from today's test: retake it and
for each response, explain why each choice is right or
wrong (complete for Thursday)
-
read #39, "...Killed Gary Gilmore..." and #40, "Rook Execution..." (complete
by Tuesday), then:
-
prepare a thesis statement that reflects your own attitude toward
capital punishment
-
create a detailed outline to support this thesis in summary form
(complete thoughts are required; complete sentences are not)
-
bring two copies for peer review (for Thursday)
-
read #41, "Hooray for Lethal Injection" and list several reasons why this
essay should receive a failing grade (for Wednesday)
-
Word Origins test (Ch. 6-10) Friday
Your exam is at 10:30am on Wednesday, 12/15.
It is comprised of four
multiple-choice reading passages and one essay.
You are not required to answer all questions - this section
will count 45% of your exam score.
You may
have no more than 15 minutes' additional time after the exam period.
This section will count 55% of your exam score.
.
Second Semester 2010-2011
3rd Quarter
Week 19
Tue, 1/4 - read and take notes (about 5-6 good key points on how
to write) #46, "How to Write a Paper about Literature" (by the way, line 5 of
the Frost poem should read Mixed ready)
Wed, 1/5 - read #47, "Kinds of Discipline," and #48,
"Thinking as a Hobby," and answer the discussion questions following each (11
total)