Wednesday 12/10/14: Half Day Homework!

Block C:
1. Finish reading and annotating "A Whole Heap of Ashes."
2. Study your new vocabulary words.

Block D:
Essays on "The Body" are due on Friday at the start of class. Be sure to access the Writing Guide here for help with formatting. 

Block E:
Read and annotate "In the Field" in your story collection. Complete the blue story organizer as you read.

12/9/14: Homework

Block E:
Today in class we watched the second part of the interview with Tim O'Brien and Nate Fick. O'Brien read his story titled "Ambush," which revisits the events in the story "The Man I Killed."
First, return to the interview for a second listen (the reading begins at the 13:44 mark)

Next, respond to the following question in a thoughtful and well-supported paragraph. Bring your response to class tomorrrow.

O’Brien’s daughter asks if he ever killed a man: “‘You keep writing these war stories,’ she said, ‘so I guess you must’ve killed somebody.’ Following this, O’Brien relates two possible scenarios of the death described in “The Man I Killed” to explain “This is why I keep writing war stories.” In your opinion, why does O’Brien keep writing war stories, and why does he tell them in this way? Where does truth reside in this book? Why is O’Brien using lies to get at “the truth”?



Block G:

1. Study for your vocabulary quiz on Thursday. 
2. Read and annotate the article "A Whole Heap of Ashes."

Block B:

1. Complete the blue sheet for "The Sweetheart of the Song Tra-Bong"

2. Read and annotate  "The Man I Killed" in the story collection for class on Thursday. 

Friday 12/5/14: Homework

Block B:

1. Study this week's vocabulary words for a quiz on Monday
2. Read and annotate the first part of "The Sweetheart of the Song Tra-Bong" (stop at the stopsign). Create an illustration that depicts the story thus far. Your illustration should include the setting, the characters, and the changes that underway. ANNOTATE your illustration with language from the text. This means you will need to include QUOTES FROM THE STORY!!!

Doesn't Gatsby look great in this suit?

Block C:

1. Study for this week's vocabulary quiz on Monday. We will meet in the classroom at the start of the block.
2. Read and annotate the article I gave you titled "A Whole Heap of Ashes" for Thursday.

Block D:

1. Develop a working thesis/argument for the essay you will write on "The Body." Use this THESIS GENERATOR TOOL (and model thesis statement) if you find it helpful. I will ask you to share your work in discussion on Monday. 
2. Study vocabulary

Block E:

1. Read and annotate "The Man I Killed" in your story collection. 
2. Study for the vocabulary quiz on Tuesday.

Thursday 12/4/14: Homework

Block D:

Oops! I forgot to collect your responses on the film today! Please bring them tomorrow! 

For tonight, consider what you believe to be the "most valuable idea" in King's "The Body." 

Use the form below to consider why the idea is valuable, where you see it in the text, and how it resonates in the world around you. Do some research and affix an article, a news story, or another textual or cultural connection to the novella and the idea you have identified. See the figure below, which comes from Kelly Gallagher's text Deeper Reading. 

Block E:

See the previous night's post for the assignment which we will review tomorrow when we meet. 

Block G: 

Complete the close reading passage exercise for Chapter 9. Follow the directions on the back of the handout. 

Bring in your Gatsby song connection lyrics. 

Wednesday 12/3/14: Homework

Block G:

• Be sure that you have completed the close reading passage from Chapter 8 (on the handout that I gave you on Monday).

Block B:

• Be sure that you have finished reading and annotating "How to Tell a True War Stor." 

Block C:

• Bring your selected close reading passage from Chapter 9.
• Bring in your selected song lyrics as well.
• Meet in the mini-theater at the start of the block on Friday!

Tuesday 12/2/14: Homework

Block B: 

Read and annotate "How to Tell a True War Story." Complete your blue story organizer. 

Block C:

1. Choose a passage from Chapter 9. Copy it, annotate it, and analyze its purpose in the text by doing a close reading. Consider what the text says, what it means, and why it matters. 

2. Choose a song that illuminates a theme, character, or motif in the novel. Bring in the lyrics with your notes and ideas. 

Block D: 

1. Write a one page response to the film. Explore the deviations from the novel and consider the effect and purpose of the changes made. 

2. Continue to work on developing your argument for a response to "The Body." 

Block E:

 Revisit your blue story organizers thus far. Make sure that are completed thoroughly. 

 In looking at the collection, respond to the following questions:

1. What do you notice thus far in reading this collection of stories? 

2. What observations do you make about O'Brien's writing style? 

3. Develop one question you have about the stories as a wholethus far. 

** also! make a study guide of some sort for your new vocabulary words. 

Monday 12.1.14 How is it DECEMBER already?

Block C:

1. Complete the front side of the Close Reading (Chapter 8) activity that I distributed in class this morning.
2. Read your independent reading book

Block D:

1. Begin developing an argument for an essay that you will write on "The Body."
2. Study your vocabulary words--we will have the quiz this week!

Block E:

1. Finish reading and annotating "The Sweetheart of the Song Tra-Bong"
2. Complete your illustration of the story. It should include the beginning, middle, and end of the story, as well as 3-5 textual references (quotes from the story!)

Block G:

1. Complete the front side of the Close Reading (Chapter 8) activity that I distributed in class this afternoon.
2. Read your independent reading book