river oaks [english]

Sophomores Read pages 746-60 in your textbook - introduction to Emily Dickinson and a short anthology Answer the Comprehension Check and #2-6 for Wednesday We will have an EXAM on Thursday on the three stories and Dickinson poems Seniors Read "Super-Toys Last All Summer Long" in your textbook (665)  Answer questions #1-7 on p671 You also have an article due on Wednesday AP students have a practice test due on Thursday Also, here's the video on the "uncanny valley" I showed in class: Try the following links for recent articles on the subject of robotics: TheWeek Gizmag PopSci

Sophomores For optional homework credit, write a response to Chopin's "Story of an Hour." Seniors We will start a new (but related) topic this week, with an in-class essay scheduled for Thursday. For a preview, follow the links below: MIT: Personal Robotics Group Carnagie Mellon: The Robotics Institute Willow Garage: PR2 Double Robotics ROBOY As the last essay before break, we will talk about the positives and negatives of "living better with robots," the stated mission of many of our nation's top engineers. Topics will include the rise of the personal robot, drone aircraft, nano-technology, industrial manufacturing, medicine, the future of toys, and the uncanny valley.

Sophomores Answer question #4 on 779. Write at least one-half page, citing specifics from the text. Seniors Although the questions in the handout may lead you to a thesis, you are certainly not limited to those topics. I strongly recommend that you avoid all reviews of the film (professional and amateur) until you have written your own analysis. Afterwards, it might be interesting to see what other people think.  For tomorrow, develop a thesis. You will need to make specific references to the film, so organize your notes. Above all, remember that this is an analysis , not a summary .

Sophomores Read "The Yellow Wallpaper" (765) for Thursday. Seniors We will finish The Truman Show in class and discuss possible topics. Please bring the handout .

Sophomores Answer questions on "A Wagner Matinee" (p697): Comprehension Check #1 Describe Aunt Georgiana. #2-4 Seniors We will continue to view The Truman Show this week. Please print and bring a copy of the following to class Wednesday: Truman Show Discussion Questions

Sophomores Your assignment is to read "A Wagner Matinee" (689) by Willa Cather. We will discuss in class tomorrow. This will begin a unit on women's literature. Guys, stop groaning. Seniors We are watching The Truman Show this week and writing an in-class film analysis at the end of the week. You have a set of questions to answer during the viewing, and I will give you another afterwards to help determine a topic. Take notes and pay attention . You will be required to cite specifics from the film in your essay. If necessary, I will also quiz you.

Please follow MLA format for your typed final drafts. See the following sites (discussed in class) for guidelines and examples: Purdue OWL - MLA Formatting and Style Guide Research and Documentation Online Revisions are due Monday. Please include all drafts with the most recent on top.

Sophomores Study for your exam on Tuesday, and start gathering material for your essay on Huck Finn, to be written in class on Wednesday.  Possible topics include, but are not limited to, the following: Huck's development - his maturity in attitude towards Jim, Tom, girls, slavery, the cons, religion, authority/society Jim's admirable traits - as a father figure to Huck, and as a father to his own children A comparison between Huck and Tom, Jim and Pap, "mothers" and "fathers," river and shore Portrayal of the river - in realistic/naturalistic terms, as a symbol, as "home" Function as an anti-slavery novel, or one to be banned for reinforcing stereotypes Function as a temperance novel Huck's "drowning" and "rebirth" - symbolic function of his staged death Role of religion and/or superstition The episodic nature of the narrative - a road to self-discovery, the hero's journey The use of humor and satire, in pa

Nothing to turn in on Monday, but that doesn't mean you should take the weekend off.... Sophomores You should be studying for the Huck Finn exam on Tuesday and picking a topic for the in-class essay on Wednesday. Seniors You should be gathering information for your in-class essay Monday. Your essay should include the Baudrillard summary I gave you plus at least one more article of your choosing.