Friday, 4/3/2009

AP

Literary Naturalism

• We talked about what it is, generally speaking, keeping London's "To Build a Fire" in the front of our minds as an example.  I put notes up on the big screen, which everyone recorded, and we talked about what each item meant.  We compared London's writing to Shelley's Frankenstein as a way of highlighting what Naturalism is, and what it is not.
  

Naturalism versus Romanticism

• We broke into two groups and talked more about Naturalism, then read two Romantic poems--William Wordsworth's "Lines Written in Early Spring", and John Keats' "On the Grasshopper and Cricket."  I asked both groups to consider questions about the writers' tones and diction as a way of starting to figure out what Literary Romanticism is.
  

Quiz Discussion

• I handed out the graded "To Build a Fire" quizzes.  I talked about the three questions I was going to discard, and everyone re-scored their quizzes and handed them back in.
  

Random Acts of Racism

• We talked about the following:  racial slurs, college entrance formulas that may favor certain groups, "benign" racism, and the difference between patting someone on the back, and patting someone on the head.
  

Homework for MONDAY

• Have your villanelle perfected and ready to hand in (paper copy).  You will also need an anonymous copy to save into the Student Volume in the "HS Classes" then "AP" folder.  Make sure to take your name off before you save it in there, and save it as the title only.
  
• Have The House on Mango Street read, and the study completed, through the chapter entitled "Alicia Who Sees Mice".

PS:  Do NOT worry about typing the "A Rose for Emily" journal.  We'll do that in class--all of us--on MONDAY.

Thanks!

MODERN PROSE

• Mr. E. stopped in for a chat, and we spent the first twenty minutes talking about improvements we'd like to see made in the school, as well as learning about what Skype is, and harassing Mr. Smeins.
  
• Everyone read or worked on book reports.
  
• You guys are doing a GREAT JOB with your reading, so keep up the good work!
  

EARTHBOOK

• I'll post this weekend.