CATCH-UP MODE

First, new reading pages have been on the board this week, but I don't think they've officially made it into the blog.  So here they are---more or less the "second third" to get you about two-thirds of the way through your book.
In all cases, by Wednesday you should be THROUGH the following chapters:
Frankenstein -- Chapter 16
Jane Eyre -- Chapter 20
Pride and Prejudice -- Chapter 34
Brave New World -- Section X (Ten)
Grendel -- Chapter 7
The Curious Incident of the
   Dog in the Night-Time -- Ch. 173 (p. 126)

TODAY IN CLASS

• The background reports (varied subjects depending on book) were collected. 
• More time to read/study for tomorrow's quiz. 
• People who felt thoroughly read for tomorrow were encouraged to start making some vocabulary lists; you will have a more formal assignment before the last group discussion that will involve some vocabulary work.  (We're not interested in technical words--such as the math/physics concepts in Curious Incident or the largely made-up technical vocabulary for BNW; you could think of the target as either "SAT words" or other vocab that you think many seniors wouldn't know, though they seem to be "ordinary words" in some of the works you are reading.)

FOR TOMORROW
A quiz, obviously tailor-made for each work--that will cover up through the reading.  It will count as assessment points, not "daily work."  Expect a combo of multiple choice, quote ID, some short answer (up to a sentence or two), possibly the kind of true/false in which you have to provide the correct info for false statements.

BOOK CHOICE UNIT

I am going to be make this as complete as possible, but for today, I'm just going to pick up with the Background Information assignment that I discussed in class today with each group. 

There are different formats/length suggestions for each group; one group has very little to write, but much to read and digest.  So don't worry about what another group is/is not doing--just focus on your own task.

For all groups, DO write down the sources you consult, but you do not need to provide "citations" for everything you include.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Look up both autism and Asberger's syndrome.  Write one substantial (but obviously general) paragraph about autism, and then write a description of Asberger's syndrome.  The Asberger's section should include a list (bulleted is fine) of common traits/characteristics/symptoms of this condition.  And why is it often called a "spectrum"?

Grendel

• You received a packet on existentialism.  Study it thoroughly.  Now look up nihilism, using at least two sources OTHER THAN a regular dictionary.  One may be Wikipedia, but the other source must be this one:     http://www.iep.utm.edu/nihilism/

         Now boil down what you've learned into what you consider to be the FIVE (5) most essential
         bullet points.  These bullet points will need some explanation to make each point clear.

• Your other task:  read the following source carefully (you'll be using it later).  WAIT.  We talked about the zodiac signs . ..I thought I had one generic piece I wanted  you to read.  I've got to add to this later tonight.  The essential thing is to know the signs, know which chapters--but beyond that, what they MEAN is a controversy for later on . . . Zodiac signs are an art, not a science, and how much Gardner wanted them to mean is controversial.

Frankenstein

• Look up galvanism, making sure that the name Erasmus Darwin is mentioned at some point (otherwise you might have the process for strengthening metal . . .) Just summarize briefly.
• Look up the Gothic novel:  list the time period, list some well-known authors/books, and provide a list of characteristics (bullet points are OK)

Jane Eyre

Find out what you can about the plight of orphans in the 19th century, particularly in England (but things weren't much different in America, though we had some novel solutions. . . the orphan trains, for example). Of course you should find out what you can about orphanages, but you do not need to restrict yourself to this one way of dealing with them.

Pride and Prejudice

Find out what you can about inheritance law, and particularly what is meant by the term entailment. We are especially concerned with the early 19th century in England for it to best relate to Austen's novel.

Brave New World

. . . I'll add to this post later tonight.  If you were in class today, you've already got the assignment.  If not, well, hope it doesn't inconvenience you not to be working on a Friday afternoon!

OK, so I slacked on this one, because it got complicated, and we talked it over in class-but for the record, here's what we decided upon:
2nd period originally wanted to write about how the aftermath of World War I affected Huxley--the focus being on the effects of the war, not so much on the biography.  But 4th period had a different plan, and 2nd period people were allowed to switch if the so desired.  So 4th period--a mix of specific people or other cultural phenomena; quite a few ideas were mentioned.  We settled on each person choosing three elements (terms, people, ideas, . . . ) but one of them HAD to be Henry Ford.  (The expectation is to know more about him and his social and political ideas than just that he developed the assembly line. . . ). 

TODAY IN CLASS
1.  Author biographies--some discussion of material with book groups and with the class as a whole. Then these were collected.  LATE PAPERS will be accepted on Monday for 1/2 credit.  NO CREDIT for papers not turned in by Monday.

2. Background information assignment--due Tuesday, April 26.  Content/scope varies by group.  See the relevant part of the Unit Overview (next post).

3. Time to read--about 25 minutes of class time

FOR MONDAY
Read.  You should plan on being about 2/3 of the way through the book by Wednesday, April 27.  Obviously realize that getting a start on the background info material would be a good idea as well.

Partial Post--Maybe Check Back Later for the Rest

TODAY IN CLASS/HOMEWORK/UPCOMING ASSIGNMENTS
Some discussion of upcoming assignments, plus reading time.  Here's what you need to know:

Tomorrow:  First Group Discussion Day.  You should have read up to the following points:
For these two novels, the indicated pages might be too much because several of you did not have the right book on the first day or two.  However, consider these to be the ideal target by tomorrow.  Do your best.
Jane Eyre--through Chapter 11
Pride and Prejudice--through Chapter 23

For the other four novels, however, you absolutely should be at least to the following points by class-time on Thursday:
Frankenstein--Letters plus Chapters 1-4

Grendel (expect some re-reading along the way)--through Chapter 4

Curious Incident--through "Chapter 101"--that is, to the bottom of p. 69 (I think there's only one edition)

Brave New World--I was misleading with 2nd period because I mis-read the chapters/parts designations.  In this book the Roman numerals "trump" the things called "parts".  Go to the end of section V; what I told 2nd period actually moves on a few pages into VI.  (Wish there were consistent page numbers, but I don't have the version that most of you got from the bookroom.)  Please DO double-back and read the Forward, if you did not do that on the day that you started reading.

FOR FRIDAY
There was a hand-out for material on the author's biography and the motivation for writing the particular novel you're reading. Be sure to pick it up in class if you were absent today. Read what's in your book, do some internet searching, but compile what you say into your own words.  For the third question, I'll give you a head-start by referring you to particular sections of the gray book, but I will not post that until later this evening.

ADDITIONAL WORK--I will start as a second post the Unit Overview, with details/links/due dates as we go.  This is a work in progress.

For now (4:58, after a LONG faculty meeting), this is enough for you to be prepared for tomorrow.

Don't Forget turnitin.com!

TODAY IN CLASS
Hamlet essays were turned in (complete final draft, peer response sheet, and body paragraphs draft).
The turnitin.com folder for the Final Draft closes tonight at 11:59.  You really should have done that already, but a few of you have not. DO NOT FORGET.

There was an in-class reading and writing activity, described below.  It is HOMEWORK only for those who were absent (whatever the reason:  you DO need to make this up).

We will be doing two poems in blank verse (like most of Hamlet) that make some use of allusion to some aspect of Shakespearean plays.  Today was the first poem,Robert Frost's "Out, Out--"; we used a class set of books from the cupboard, but if you need to make the work up, here is a link to the poem:
http://www.bartleby.com/119/22.html

This poem is based on an actual event that occurred in the area where Frost was living; in fact, he read about it in the local newspaper.  YOUR JOB is to write the newspaper account that Frost might have read:

• Use the tone and style of a newspaper report (esp. a small town paper)
• Include all the details that are relevant to describing what happened (this is where local papers tend to perhaps give a fuller account than a big-city publication might do)
• MAKE UP whatever you would expect to find in a typical write-up (name/age/parents/location, etc.)
• Some people made sure to include the name of the paper, the date, etc--the sort of thing that made it seem real.

(There was a second step, but more on that later)

FOR MONDAY
No homework for the rest of you , but bring your Hamlet text if you didn't have it with you today (or were absent).  On Monday we will get books for the group project. I'm going to try to post who's doing what later this week-end.  (First names only unless I need last initials for clarity).

Peer Response Day Tomorrow

1.  Show up in class with a hard copy of your working thesis plus the three body paragraphs.  See preceding posts for details.  Typed, double-spaced.

2.  Submit to turnitin.com--deadline for that is 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday.  (No reason to wait; it's just a back-up for anyone who has unexpected difficulties.

Clarification on What's Due for Wednesday

In 2nd period today, I used the phrase "first draft" to describe what's due in class on Wednesday (hard copy in class; same material on turnitin.com).  But as you know from the assignment sheet and what was still boldly on the board from before break, it's actually the working thesis and the three body paragraphs that are due.  The thesis should be carefully and completely written, but with the understanding that it might be adjusted in various ways as you revise the paper.  And the three body paragraphs should be complete and as well-written as you can muster; please do not think of them as "rough drafts" because no one can assess them fairly if they are just thrown together with the assumtion that "oh, well, I can revise them later."

But what you DON'T need for Wednesday is an introductory paragraph or a conclusion.  You will add those after receiving feed back on the Wednesday peer-response session and revising the body paragraphs accordingly.  Then you will write the perfect introduction to the paper you've already written, and write a sensible and compelling short paragraph to leave your reader with a clear and positive impression of your ideas.

So obviously:  homework for tomorrow, be working on your paper. BRING YOUR HAMLET BOOK TO CLASS, and if at all possible, bring a print-out or a hand-written draft of a body paragraph that you're actually working on (doesn't have to be the first).

An On-Going Vacation Post

1) The official essay assignment with due dates and break-downs was given out in class on Friday.  Here's the link to that hand-out:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dC4wwfJMEbcLneA2li1lysHWUrL-q5AEr11P7ES2UQw/edit?hl=en&authkey=CN2d8ZgK

Read carefully; I'm not summarizing here.

2) I've posted the objective section of the Hamlet test.  Yes, it was somewhat difficult, but several of you really rose to the occasion and did quite well.  Here is how I softened the blow for to help the classes as a whole:
Everyone's posted score has 3 points added to it--this was in part to take care of one or two especially tough questions.
There is an additional curve provided by figuring the score as the number correct (plus the 3 mentioned above) out of 50, rather than the 52 actual questions.

Stay tuned for more grades--and probably further additions to this post--as the week goes on.

Hope you are having a good break..  To those in the Seattle area--let's hope for a bit of spring sunshine!!