American Lit. for Sept. 19-23

Post date: Sep 19, 2016 1:51:41 AM

Here's what we will be doing for the next few days until fall break:

Vocabulary: We will give vocabulary a rest for the next few weeks, resuming with unit 6 some time after the break.

D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read): Taking the place of vocabulary will be D.E.A.R., with students selecting a book on Monday and beginning reading on Tuesday. Students will keep a daily reading log, focusing on the plot of their books as well as "Notice and Note" signposts, which I will explain in class. After finish their books in three weeks, students will be asked to complete a project and a short summary, analysis, and reflection (S.A.R.) paper.

Argumentation: We will shift gears in our argumentative unit this week, focusing on three pieces from the colonial/revolutionary era and analyzing how their three authors use a variety of strategies to make their points. The selections are:

• • Patrick Henry's "Speech to the Virginia Convention"

  • Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence

  • Benjamin Banneker's "Letter to Thomas Jefferson"

After fall break students will decide on a controversial topic, one that has two sides that can be argued, on which to complete an analysis of two articles before using those two articles to write an argumentative essay of their own on the topic they've chosen.