Weeks 12-16

Note: if you don't already have the proper paper edition of Fences, here it is:

Plume Edition, ISBN 987-0-452-26401-4

Note 2: Assignments for Fences might change/shift around a little.

Mon 4/15--S: Grammar Day: Pronoun Case

    • Read about pronoun case in pink workbook, pp. 80-81

  • Do exercises on 82 and 83 of pink workbook

Tues 4/16--S: In Fences, read "Characters," "Setting," "The Play" and Fences, Act One, scene 1 (pp. 1-20)

W 4/17 (Block B) or Thurs 4/18 (Block G)--L: Read Fences, pp. 21-40 (Act One, scenes 2 and 3)

Fri 4/19--S: Writing assignment on Fences:

Do the following assignment as a quasi-freewrite.

  • By "quasi-freewrite," what I mean is, don't worry too much about grammar, sentence structure, etc.

  • In Part I, however, you must quote from the text and practice your close reading skills.

Part I: In Fences, what does being a good father mean to Troy? What does being a good husband mean? Find specific words and lines from the play that illustrate your responses.

Part II: What is your personal definition of a “good” father? In your opinion, is Troy a good husband and father? Why/why not?

Word count total: 400 words minimum

Please post your assignment here on Canvas

Mon 4/22--S: Read Fences, pp. 41-58 (Finish Act One)

Tu 4/23 (Block B) or Weds 4/24 (Block G)--L: Grammar Day: Agreement

    • Review pronoun case

    • Download the attached PDF on agreement

      • Or click here

      • Read pages 1 and 2 of the PDF

      • Do the exercise on page 3 of the PDF

    • Briefly look at page 92 of the pink workbook

Thur 4/25 (Block B) or Fri 4/26 (Block G)--L: Read Fences, pp. 59-77 (Act Two, scenes 1 and 2)

M 4/29--S: Finish Fences, pp. 78-101 (Act Two, scenes 3, 4, and 5)

Tu 4/30--S: Writing assignment to help prepare for in-class essay:

    • Please write a list of all the key topics you've observed in Fences (minimum number of topics: 7)

    • Think about the connections you can make between topics

      • In other words, try to connect topics to find an interesting theme

    • After you've thought about this, please find two sections of text that illustrate the theme you've found

      • Write down each of these sections/passages and provide page numbers

      • After each passage, write a brief analysis of each section/passage, explaining how/why it illustrates the theme you've found

    • Please post your assignment here

    • Minimum word count (not including passages): 300 words

      • Note: if you're confused by the assignment, just do your best and don't worry if you get it slightly wrong. Just a pass/fail assignment!

Weds 5/1 (Block B) or Th 5/2 (Block G)--L: Revision assignment:

    • Re-read your Gatsby paragraphs

      • Make sure to read all the bubble comments as well as the end comments

    • Please fix the mechanical errors in your Gatsby paragraphs

      • Make a list of all the mechanical errors

      • Also, please write out the sentences with the errors, and highlight where you fixed them. (E.g., if you added a comma, highlight it.)

    • For models of closely reading specific words and phrases, please review the sample passages on Gatsby here

    • Re-write (or start re-writing) one of your paragraphs, using the suggestions I made to improve the paragraph.

    • Spend no more than 40 minutes on the above assignment. I realize you have a lot of other work this week, so I don't want to overload you.

    • Post your assignment here on Canvas

Fri 5/3--S: In-class essay on Fences

    • I'd suggest doing more of the type of work you did for homework earlier in the week.

      • Keep writing and actively thinking about the themes and passages of Fences.

    • Also, you can use the following questions to think about the play more. Again, I'd recommend writing on these questions--freewrites and formal timed writing are both good!

    • 1. Why does Cory initially refuse to go to the funeral?

    • 2. Why does he change his mind?

    • 3. Is Troy a tragic figure? Should we feel sorry for him?

    • i. Where do you sense the love Troy has that he fails to express or expresses badly?

    • ii. What else is mixed with that love?

    • 4. To what degree is this Rose’s play?

    • 5. Why does Gabriel end the play?

    • 6. What are fences supposed to symbolize in this play? What do they represent to each of the characters?

    • 7. Has your understanding of the play and its characters shifted as you read through it?

    • 8. What do Troy’s and Rose’s respective metaphors (baseball, garden) say about how they understand the world?

    • 9. What commentary does this play make on the American Dream (if you think it does)?

M 5/6--S: Grammar: Voice and Usage

    • Read pink workbook on voice, p. 84

      • Do exercises on page 86-88 (skip the exercises on mood)

  • Read about usage and usage errors on pp. 93-94 of the pink workbook.

    • Try the exercise in your pink grammar book, p. 95.

  • Don't worry if you're confused/don't understand where the errors are. We'll go over this in class.

Tu 5/7 (Block B) or Weds 5/8 (Block G)--L:

    • Please note that we're skipping the section on mood this year. This will not be on the test.

    • Click here for overview of what's on the grammar test: Overview of content of grammar test

Weds 5/8--Common Classroom: Grammar Review

Thurs 5/9 (Block B) or Fri 5/10 (Block G)--L:

M 5/13--S: Extra day for review

Tu 5/14--S: Final grammar test

    • As detailed above, this test will cover all the grammar we've studied this year.

Thurs 5/16 (Blocks B and G) L:

  • Write Letter to Sophomore Year Self

      • See instructions here

          • Please post this letter on Canvas

Fri 5/17--S: Review for final