Weeks 1-6

• Skim "How to Mark a Book" and how to annotate

  • In other words, just familiarize yourself with these two links.

• Read "Raymond's Run" in reader and annotate (take notes) accordingly.

Mon 8/26 (S): Quotation assignment (summary and analysis) of "Raymond's Run."

• Please do the assignment on Canvas

  • If you're unclear how to use Canvas, just do the assignment on a Word doc and I'll explain next week how to post it

  • Assignment:

    • • Please select 3 of the following 5 quotations and do both a summary and an analysis of them. Re-write the quotations followed by summaries and analyses.

        • Summary: You summarize or re-tell what the quotation says. You don’t supply any new information about it.

        • Analysis: What does the quotation tell us about the narrator’s character? In your analysis, tell us something about the quotation that is implied but not directly stated about the story or about the narrator’s character. In a sense, you’re telling us what’s going on underneath the words. A rich quotation will give the reader much more information than it directly states on the surface. In the following example, we learn a lot more about the narrator’s personality than simply what she says.

        • Example:

        • “I don’t play the dozens or believe in standing around with somebody in my face doing a lot of talking. I much rather just knock you down and take my chances even if I am a little girl with skinny arms and a squeaky voice, which is how I got the name Squeaky” (1).

        • Summary: In this quotation, the narrator says that she doesn’t believe in insulting other people—“play[ing] the dozens”—or “standing around” listening to insults about her; she would prefer to fight the other person physically even though she’s small and has a “squeaky” voice.

        • Analysis: Here, the narrator shows she’s tough. Despite being a small girl with a “squeaky” voice, she’s not afraid of “tak[ing] her chances” and getting beaten up. Being tough for Squeaky therefore means being willing to fight and being unafraid of getting hurt. What she really dislikes is people “standing around... in [her] face” and insulting her. Squeaky is very direct; she doesn’t want to bother wasting her time with words and she won’t tolerate any nonsense.

        • Note: In your analysis, be sure to include actual words from the quotation to explain how you reached the conclusions you did. Look at the above example to see how this is done.

        • 1) “But once I spread my fingers in the dirt and crouch over the Get on Your Mark, the dream goes and I am solid again and am telling myself, Squeaky you must win, you must win, you are the fastest thing in the world, you can even beat your father up Amsterdam if you really try” (5).

        • 2) “And what do you know—Chopin’s waltzes just spring out of her fingertips and she’s the most surprised thing in the world. A regular prodigy. I could kill people like that” (2).

        • 3) “The biggest thing on the program is the Maypole dancing, which I can do without, thank you, even if my mother thinks it’s a shame I don’t take part and act like a girl for a change” (3).

        • 4) “You’d think they’d know better than to encourage that kind of nonsense. I am not a strawberry. I do not dance on my toes. I run. That is what I am all about” (3)

        • 5) “We stand there with this big smile of respect between us. It’s about as real a smile as girls can do for each other, considering we don’t practice real smiling every day, you know, cause maybe we too busy being flowers or fairies or strawberries instead of something honest and worthy of respect . . . you know . . . like being people” (6).

Tu 8/27 (L) Block F OR Weds 8/28 (L) Block C: Read and take notes on "Man of the House" in reader, pp. 31-34.

Thurs 8/29 (L) Block F OR Fri 8/30 (L) Block C: Quotation assignment on "Man of the House": "Man of the House" quotation assignment

• Time for assignment (assuming you’ve put away your phone and any other devices that might distract you): 30-40 minutes

  • Word count: 225-300 words total (75-100 words per quotation)Note that the quotations themselves do not count towards your total words.

    • Note also that you can do more than 300 words, but not fewer than 225.

  • Please read about how to quote here: info on quoting

  • Also here are the steps for analyzing quotations discussed in class:

    • Steps for Analyzing:

      • Identify “loud” words or short (2-4 word) phrases in the quotation

      • Write down any associations you have with these loud words/phrases

      • Eliminate associations that don’t apply to the quotation

      • Connect remaining associations with the quotation

      • Look for how these words reveal a theme of the story

      • Your written analysis should incorporate the loud words you identified and state how their associations apply to the quotation/story

      • Analysis should finish with a “deeper” insight into a theme of the text or into a character

Mon 9/2--No school

Tu 9/3 (S):Topic Sentence Writing Exercise on "Man of the House." Assignment is here: "Man of the House" topic sentence assignment (link is now active)

• • Please read about topic sentences here

  • We didn't go over topic sentences in class on Thurs/Fri--please just do your best on the assignment and know that we'll discuss topic sentences (what they are, how to write them) in class this week. In other words, don't worry about doing the assignment "right."

  • This is a Pass/Fail assignment.

W 9/4 (L) Block F OR Th 9/5 Block C: Read and take notes on "Cell One" in your reader. Additional copy of the story to be found here: "Cell One"

Some questions to consider as you do the reading:

*** What are the themes or topics of this story?

• What is the narrator's relationship with her brother like before, during, and after his incarceration?

• Contrast Nnamabia's attitude in prison before and after he begins to witness the guards' treatment of the old man.

• Despite his faults, how is Nnamabia a sympathetic character?

• Whose story is this, Nnamabia's or his sister's? Explain your response?

Also, please read/review the writing tips on quoting and topic sentences:

• On quoting:

  • here

  • and here

• On topic sentences:

  • here

Fri 9/6 (S): (No school) FROG PARK!

Mon 9/9 (S): Paragraph assignment due on "Cell One."

• Click here for topic on "Cell One"

• Please bring your paragraph to class on a Google or Word doc.

• Click here for sample paragraph on "Man of the House"

Tu 9/10 (S): Revise "Cell One" paras as needed

• Please consult sample para on "Man of the House" if you're unsure what your para should look like in terms of structure, formatting, etc.

• Also, please review the "writing checklist" to see what you might need to revise tonight.

  • Use the highlighted version of your paragraph (done in class Monday) to help you visualize where you need to cut/elaborate/edit your paragraph.

  • In some cases, it's better to re-write the para from scratch. In some cases, this isn't necessary. Use your judgment about which method is better for you.

• Please keep in mind that this is your first graded assignment.

Weds 9/11 (Block F) or Thurs 9/12 (Block C)--L: Grammar Day!

• Read about nouns on pp. 8-12 of How Grammar Works and do the exercises on pp. 9 & 12.

  • Click here: How Grammar Works: Nouns

    • Note: you can do the exercises on your computer (on the PDF or on a Google doc--no need to share the doc with me) or you can print out the exercises and do them on paper. Either way is fine.

• Read about pronouns in the pink Grammar Workbook, pp. 5-6.

• Also, read about verbs in the pink Grammar Workbook, pp. 9-12.

• Bring pink workbook with you to class

Fri 9/13 (S): Read and take notes on "On the Rainy River” (short story READER).

Mon 9/16 (S): Writing assignment on “On the Rainy River"

• Please click on Canvas instructions HERE

• NOTE: Assignment has been cancelled because the link did not work.

Tues 9/17 (Block F) or Weds 9/18 (Block C)--L: PLEASE NOTE that this assignment has changed slightly.

Total time for tonight's homework: no more than 40 minutes

Grammar day: Adjectives and adverbs

• Review nouns, pronouns and verbs from last week

• Read about adjectives and adverbs in How Grammar Works,pp. 41-45 and 47-53.

  • Click here

    • Or see link to the left under English 1/Grammar Info/PDFs on How Grammar Works

  • Optional (if you have time): Do examples on pp. 45 and 53 of HGW;

  • Bring pink workbook to class.

• AND

  • Do the following brief writing assignment on Canvas: click here

Weds 9/18:

• If you're feeling a bit shaky on parts of speech, I'd strongly suggest you go to the Common Classroom this Wednesday on parts of speech (please note that we won't have covered every part of speech yet in class).

• Also, remember you can always make an individual appointment with a writing coach:

  • Click HERE

Thurs 9/19 (Block F) or Fri 9/20 (Block C)--L: Grammar!

• Please bring your short story reader to class as well as your pink grammar workbook.

• Brief quiz on parts of speech we've studied this far:

  • nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives

• Read about prepositions in How Grammar Works (pp. 54-56 & 60-61)

  • Remember, the link to the PDFs is under "Grammar Info" on the course website

    • Click here: prepositions

  • Semi-memorize list of prepositions on page 23 in pink workbook.

    • Don't spend hours--just make sure you know what is and is not a preposition.

• Conjunctions!

  • Read about conjunctions in How Grammar Works

    • Click here or see link to PDF under "Grammar Info."

  • Please do examples in pink workbook, p. 29.

• Bring pink workbook to class.

Mon 9/23: No school!

Tu 9/24 (S): Read and take notes on "The Red Convertible."

• Please print out a copy of this PDF to read and annotate

Weds 9/25 (Block F) or Thurs 9/26 (Block C)--L: Grammar review

• Please print out and do the following grammar review sheets for the Parts of Speech test.

  • This Sentence: Grammar Practice

  • Parts of Speech Homework Practice AND outline of test

    • • Note: you will not be writing your own sentences for this test.

  • (You don't need to print this one out) Click here for review sheet: Grammar Review #1

    • • There's a handy list of conjunctions on the last page of the review sheet. I'd suggest you familiarize yourself with this list in order to identify conjunctions more easily on the test.

• • • Note: For extra grammar practice, click here. Note that the first part of this sheet is the same as one of the above, but there's a new exercise on the second sheet (with answers on the fourth page).

    • Optional: More grammar practice! MOH Grammar Practice

      • Corrected answers will be posted.

    • Answers to Tuesday's grammar worksheet on this link (link not yet active)

Friday 9/27: Grammar test on parts of speech

• If you're feeling a bit unsure about your understanding of parts of speech, please make an individual appointment with a writing coach:

  • writing coaches

• Review Grammar

  • Check out this site--helpful for practice of certain parts of speech

  • Click below for the preposition song

  • Also: extra information about parts of speech on this site: extra grammar info

    • This site also has very good exercises. I need to give you an individual account and password. Please ask me if you'd like an account.

  • Last but not least:

    • Another practice quiz

      • Practice Quiz on Parts of Speech (link now active)

      • access code: nemeses

  • Here's the link to the smartboard slides with extra practice and some answers: smartboard slides