river oaks [english]

I'd like to thank the Irish for Halloween . It's always been one of my favorite holidays...

Freshmen are currently reading (and watching) "The Birds" and working on an essay revision. The revision assignment follows: First, you are to "grade" your essay based on my comments and the Six-Traits handout. Then, based on the comments, the handout and our discussion in class, you are to revise your paper. I want everyone to think about what RE/VISE means -- to look at the paper again, with a new set of eyes. The final step is to submit the revised draft, along with a letter summarizing your experience revising the paper -- what you saw on second look, what you changed, and how your perception of the paper (or the experience itself) has changed, if at all. The goal of the assignment is two-fold: students learn what the essay grade is based on (and how their perception matches up with mine) while learning to become more critical readers of their own work.

CHAPTERS 5-8 As before, for each word, include the sentence from book (cited), the definition (from Websters ), and your own sentence. *VOCAB & QUESTIONS DUE FRIDAY* 1. annihilate 2. inscrutable 3. assimilations 4. martyrdom 5. plebeian 6. superfluous 7. repugnance 8. ignominious 9. venerable 10. talisman 11. mutability 12. despondency 13. inviolable 14. phantasmagoric 15. imperious 16. dauntless 17. tome 18. expatiating 19. plumage 20. unwonted Please respond to each of the following using complete sentences and MLA citation when needed: 1. Give at least TWO reasons why Hester does not leave the colony. 2. Describe Hester’s home (and location). 3. Name one thing Hester sews (for someone else) and one thing she's not allowed to sew. 4. What special knowledge does Hester feel the Scarlet Letter gives her? 5. Why did Hester name her child “Pearl”? 6. Describe Pearl. What do the townspeople think of her? 7. Name TWO reasons Hester visits Governor Bellingham. 8. How can Belling...

CHAPTERS ONE-FOUR *Questions due Monday (Vocab due Tuesday)* Study Questions -- respond to the following using complete sentences: What is the setting? Where exactly does the book begin? Why does Hawthorne mention Anne Hutchinson ? What two possible symbols does the rose have for the reader? Describe the Puritan women (use quote to support your answer). Describe the appearance of Hester Prynne. What is Hester’s sin? Punishment? What punishment is usual for her "crime"? What is astonishing about the “A” on her bodice? Importance? What things does Hester think about while she is on the scaffold? Describe her baby. Who are Hester and her baby compared to? Describe the man who is standing on the outskirts of the crowd. What does the stranger learn from the townsman next to him? Who is the father of Hester’s baby? What are Hester’s feelings toward the stranger? Who is Dimmesdale, and what is his relationship to Hester? What does he ask her to reveal? Why does the jailer call ...

Your next PowerPoint assignment is to deliver a presentation on one of the United States' National Parks. The presentation must include at least twelve organized and informative slides. Please include a title page and a works cited page. We picked topics in class, but if you'd like to change your topic (as long as no one else has the same topic), then please let me know by Friday 13th. Although the National Park Service ’s website will most likely be your best source, you are required to use at least two other credible Internet sources.

When Shirley Jackson published "The Lottery" in 1948, in the pages of The New Yorker , neither she nor her publisher could have guessed the response. According to Wikipedia , "many readers canceled their subscriptions, and hate mail continued to arrive throughout the summer." South Africa banned the story altogether. What is so dangerous about the story? Is it that the brutality is committed by people very much like us, and not some foreign dictatorship? Remember that Miller's The Crucible was published some years after this, and was set in the distant past. This story seemed to take place yesterday. Again, from Wikipedia: Amid the optimism of the post-WWII years, when such issues as racism, torture, the Holocaust, child abductions, police brutality and serial killers were not regurgitated daily in the mass media, many readers of family magazines were shocked or confused by reading about the traditions and values of small town America twisted into violence...

REMINDER: Independent reading papers are due SOON! FRESHMEN ~ Your paper is just like the summer reading paper ...don't forget to CITE. Also, don't forget that you must take a "reading practice" test on the computer (50 points) JUNIORS & SENIORS ~ You have three options, as discussed in class: Historical Criticism -- placing the text in its historical context, whether the time of publication or the setting, discussing either the impact OF the period or ON the period Character Analysis -- looking closely at the development of a major character, focusing on turning points/realizations, or mental and physical attributes Thematic Analysis -- focusing on a central theme, or idea central to meaning in the novel, including the various "forces" affecting the major characters (socio-political issues, economics, class struggles, etc.)

Although there are infinite visual interpretations of the places and characters in The Hobbit , I though I'd post a sampling. First, Bag-End : Here's Gollum (by Inger Edelfeldt): And, finally, Smaug (by David Wyatt) Also, there are more than few websites dedicated to Tolkien and his collected works. Here are some specifically related to The Hobbit : Abiator's The Hobbit (this one has quizzes) Wikipedia: The Hobbit Houghton Mifflin (publisher) Middle-Earth Tours (includes sections about places and people in The Hobbit ) Okay, so these last two are just because they made me giggle: The Hobbit Restaurant The Hobbit Pub (dig that swirling logo!)

As we are watching The Crucible , and soon beginning Scarlet Letter , you may want to learn more about the Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692 (also at Discovery School ) Again, we will have a test on the film on Monday , including the vocabulary from the play (in your book). I also recommend that you read the introductory pages to Act One, at the very least. As noted, we will begin Scarlet Letter next week, so you must have your book with you when you come to class on Tuesday . Although no particular edition is required, I recommend the Modern Libary version (and I'll be referencing page numbers from that version in class).

Your next paper, the Solutions to your Problem , requires that you evaluate at least two solutions using a set criteria (the basis for your comparison). For Monday, you are all required to construct a sentence outline of your third paper. Please insert your information into the following outline, using complete sentences and including any relevant information you have gathered so far: I. Introduction -- Restate Problem, and introduce Solutions and Criteria II. Solutions A. Solution One (brief description) B. Solution Two III. Evaluation A. Criterion One (why is this a good basis for comparison?) Evaluation of Solution One Evaluation of Solution Two B. Criterion Two Evaluation of Solution One Evaluation of Solution Two IV. Conclusion -- State your conclusion based on the evidence presented Remember that the purpose for this paper is to provide the best (or primary) solution to the problem you've been researching. This outline should be ty...