| Syllabus
| Assignments | Revised:
Oct. 18, 2007 | |
Week
of August 20 to 24 |
| Mon | Teacher
In-Service Meetings |
| Tues | First
day of class! Course syllabus. Journal #1 (untimed:
"My Summer" questions). Class introductions. Organize English class
notebooks. "Mrs. Dibben, you need to know" questions.
Hmwk:
Finish putting together English class notebook as per instructions in syllabus
("Additional Materials" section). Finish "Mrs. Dibben, you need
to know" questions. |
| Wed | Due:
"Mrs. Dibben, you need to know" questions (if not turned in yesterday).
Intro origin stories. Journal #2 (beginnings, origins). Read text intro, pp. 37-44
& 46-47, "From the Earliest Days," "Native American Mythology,"
"The Oral Tradition," and "Recording the Oral Tradition."
Read "Apache Creation
Story" and "Creation
of the First Indians."
Hmwk: Finish reading "Apache
Creation Story" and "Creation
of the First Indians" if you didn't finish during class. |
| Thurs | Bring
Bible to class. Finish reading Wed's intro reading in text--if you didn't finish
in class yesterday. Read Native American origin stories beginning on pp. 48 &
51, "How
the World Was Made" and "The Sky Tree." Read aloud Genesis
1 & 2. Begin list/chart/diagram
of similarities between Gen. 1 & 2 Creation story (Bibles supplied in classroom)
and Native American stories (due Wed). No hmwk. |
| Week
of August 27 to 31 |
| Mon | Bring
Bible to class. Syllabus quiz. Journal #3 (What are some things you want to have
happen this year that didn't happen last year? What steps are you taking to make
sure they happen?) Continue list/chart/diagram
of similarities between Gen. 1 & 2 Creation story and Native American stories.
Hmwk: Continue work on list/chart/diagram of similarities between Gen.
1 & 2 Creation story and Native American stories (due Wed). |
| Tues |
Journal #4 (Significance of similarities between Judeo-Christian origin stories
and Native American origin stories). Discuss similarities, purpose and characteristics
of different kinds of origin stories. Read from Myths
and Legends of California and the Old Southwest.
Hmwk: Complete
list/chart/diagram of similarities between Gen. 1 & 2 Creation story and Native
American stories (due Wed). |
| Wed |
Due: Final draft version of list/chart/diagram
of similarities between Gen. 1 & 2 and other origin stories. Share similarities.
Journal #5 (Imagine you are a Native American who has never seen a European. A
sail appears on your horizon. What do you think? What happens next?) Read "From
La Relación" (pp. 62-65) and "Meet Álvar Núnez
Cabeza de Vaca (p. 61). [Online La
Relación: read from here
to here.] [Do
questions #1-5 & 8, p. 66, in class.]
Hmwk: Learn more about Cabeza
de Vaca at
Wikipedia, the PBS
Conquistadors site and PBS Cabeza
de Vaca site. Write a page of notes in your own handwriting, in your own words,
and include sources. |
| Thurs | Share
and collect research on Cabeza de Vaca. Read extracts
from Fontaneda's Memoir. Compare
with Cabeza de Vaca's account. No
hmwk.
Leave English notebooks in the classroom for
initial check. |
| Week
of September 3 to 7 |
| Mon | Labor
Day: No Classes |
| Tues | Do
questions #1-5 & 8, p. 66, in class. Read aloud pp. 3-7, Made in America,
by Bill Bryson. Read "Meet William Bradford," p. 68. Begin reading "From
Of Plymouth Plantation," pp. 69-72. [Online: "from
Chapter 9, 'Of Their Voyage, and how They Passed the Sea; and of Their Safe Arrival
at Cape Cod'," "from
Chapter 11, 'The Starving Time'" (scroll down to "The Starving Time"),
"Indian Relations"
(scroll down to "Indian Relations"), "from
Chpt. 12, 'First Thanksgiving'"] No hmwk. |
| Wed | [Publications
Workshop] Continue reading "From Of Plymouth Plantation," pp. 69-72.
[The selections in our text are from Chpt. 9,
11 & 12.]Read p. 67, "Recognizing Bias." Do qstns. #1-8 (skip 5),
p. 73. On the same paper, identify an example of biased language from Of Plymouth
Plantation and explain it.
Hmwk: Browse in the Plimouth
Plantation website: http://www.plimoth.org/. ("The
'Pilgrims' as People" is interesting.) Make at least a page of notes
(in your own words, in your own handwriting, include source/s) to give evidence
of your browsing. Be prepared to share in class. Due Thurs. |
| Thurs | [Publications
Workshop] Due: notes of browsing in Plimouth
Plantation website. Share research with classmates. Journal #6 (You've just
arrived on the Mayflower. Basing your answer on your research, discuss your most
pressing needs. How are you planning to survive until next summer?) Complete qstns.
#1-8 (skip 5), p. 73, if not completed yesterday. No hmwk, unless you were on
Pub. Wksp. Use the weekend as an opportunity to make up missed work. |
| Week
of September 10 to 14 |
| Mon |
View The Puritan Experience: Making
a New World (available from the PUC Library: VTR F 7 .P83). Write notes on
these qstns: - How
could Puritanism be seen as a burden?
- Who
determines what is "right"?
- How
should wrongdoers be punished?
- Can
people be allowed to be "wrong"?
- What
contributions did Puritanism make to the success of our country?
No
hmwk for students who were in class last week. Pub. Wksp people should use this
as an opportunity to make up work missed last week so that you can turn it in
tomorrow. |
| Tues | Due:
Pub. Wksp. make-up work. Discuss questions from yesterday's video. Read "Meet
Anne Bradstreet," p. 76. Read Bradstreet poetry: "Upon
the Burning of Our House" (pp. 77-78) and "To
My Dear and Loving Husband" (p. 79). Discuss Bradstreet in terms of her
Puritan society. Do qstns. #1-3 & 6-8, p. 80. Due by end of class. No hmwk. |
| Wed | Journal
#7 (Think about a typical day if you were William Bradford's or Anne Bradstreet's
neighbor). Read Anne
Bradstreet bio (http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/Bradstreet/bradbio.htm).
Read "The Author to
Her Book" and "By
Night When Others Soundly Slept." Discuss extended metaphor.
Hmwk:
Complete today's in-class reading. |
| Thurs | Reading
quiz over yesterday's reading. Read aloud "Before
the Birth of One of Her Children" and "A
Letter to Her Husband Absent upon Public Employment," Review for test
(next Thursday).
[More Bradstreet poems: "In
Reference to Her Children," "As
Weary Pilgrim."]
Hmwk (sometime before next Thursday): Study
for Earliest Days test. |
| Week
of September 17 to 21 |
| Mon | [ITED/CogAt
Testing] No class.
Hmwk: Study for Earliest Days test. |
| Tues | [ITED/CogAt
Testing] No class.
Hmwk: Study for Earliest Days test. |
| Wed | [ITED/CogAt
Testing] No class.
Hmwk: Study for Earliest Days test. |
| Thurs | Test:
Earliest Days (Origin stories, Cabeza de Vaca, Fontaneda, Bradford, Bradstreet).
No hmwk. |
| Week
of September 24 to 28 |
| Mon | Journal
#8 (Poetry: love it? hate it? What about song lyrics?) Discuss poetical feature
of Bradstreet's poetry (extended metaphor and rhyming couplets). Extended metaphor
handout with sample poems.
Hmwk: Think about a subject that you could
write about in a poem with rhyming couplets and an extended metaphor. Begin working
on your idea. |
| Tues |
Discuss rhyme schemes of sample poems.
Work period: Write an extended metaphor poem about somebody/something important
to you. Poems earning an "A" grade will incorporate both an extended
metaphor and a specific rhyme scheme (either rhyming couplets or alternating rhyme).
Hmwk: Work on poem, word process and illustrate/decorate. (Due Thurs) [Check
out RhymeZone.com.] |
| Wed | Read
"Excerpts
from speeches by Canassatego . . . " and "Offer of Help," pp.
107-8. (NB: bio and background info on previous page.) Do qstns # 1-5, p. 109
OR write the previous letter from the colonists that provoked Canassatego's letter
of response.
Hmwk: Complete qstns (or letter)--if you didn't finish
in class. Finish poem.
["The
Iroquois and the U.S. Government" with audio link] [Check out RhymeZone.com.] |
| Thurs | Due:
word-processed and illustrated/decorated extended metaphor poem (with specific
rhyme scheme). Discussion and pointers for reading poetry aloud effectively. Poetry
sharing and reading aloud. No hmwk. |
| Week
of October 1 to 5 |
| Mon | Journal
#9 (What do you know about Pocahontus? Would you have travelled to parts unknown
for a new life? What would have been your reasons for emigration?) Read John
Smith bio and "Letter
to Queen Anne regarding Pocahontas." [Learn more
about John Smith from the Colonial Williamsburg Journal, Spring 1994.]
Hmwk:
Read "The
House That Byrd Built" (bio of William Byrd) and "William
Byrd's Secret Diaries." |
| Tues | Read
"What
Happened Till the First Supply" (from The Generall History, Chpt.
2) and Review different focuses of northern and southern colonists.
Hmwk:
Read extracts from the secret diary of William Byrd (distributed in class). |
| Wed | Read
and discuss the "Great
Awakening." Read selection from "Sinners
in the Hands of an Angry God" (pp. 101-104). (mp3
audio link here)
Hmwk: Read the first section, "The Three Wings
of Puritanism," in "Puritanism
in America." |
| Thurs | Quiz
over hmwk reading. Do "Imagery" #1-3 and Qstns #1-4, p. 105. Begin creating
timeline (in your own handwriting) of all authors studied so far. (Goals: authors'
names, life dates, geographical locations, and title/s of work/s we have read.)
No hmwk. [WOPAM this weekend] |
| Week
of October 8 to 12 |
| Mon | Review
for test. Continue with timeline (in your own handwriting). Due at beginning of
test. Authors for timeline (and matching section on test): Cabeza de Vaca, Fontaneda,
Bradford, Bradstreet, Canassetego, John Smith, William Byrd, Jonathan Edwards).
The latter four authors will feature in the significance and essay sections of
the test.
Hmwk: Study for test and complete timeline. |
| Tues | Due:
Timeline review (must be turned in before test to receive credit).
Test:
Earliest Days. No hmwk. |
| Wed | Journal
#10 (What do you have in abundance? How are you very fortunate? How are you blessed?)
Begin "New Nation" unit. Read unit Intro, pp. 120-128. Pass back papers.
Hmwk:
Internet research about Benjamin Franklin. Find something that you didn't know
before, something that you think others don't know, somthing that impressed you,
and be prepared to share in class. (Evidence of your research: 1 FULL page of
notes in your own handwriting, in your own words. Be sure to document completely
all sources.) |
| Thurs |
Share Benjamin Franklin research results and turn in handwritten notes. Read "Franklin's
Program of Self-Improvement" in Chpt. 8 of his autobiography. Do worksheet
on Franklin's 13 virtues.
No hmwk. |
| Week
of October 15 to 19 (End of First Quarter) |
| Mon | Journal
#11 (Founding fathers/mothers. What does it take to be a founding parent? How
could you be a founder now?) Continue reading"Franklin's
Program of Self-Improvement" in Chpt. 8 of his autobiography and worksheet
on Franklin's 13 virtues.
Hmwk: Work on worksheet
on Franklin's 13 virtues. Due Tues by end of class. |
| Tues | Due
by end of class: worksheet
on Franklin's 13 virtues. Read selection from Ben Franklin's autobiography
in our text, pp. 131-133. Do qstns #1-4, p. 136. No hmwk. |
| Wed | No
class: PSAT. No hmwk. |
| Thurs | (Collect
any p. 136 qstns not turned in on Tues.) Journal #12 (How are you making the world
a better place? Reflect on contributions you're making in the various spheres
of your life.) Read Franklin's
Funeral & Grave handout, especially noting his youthful epitaph and lifetime
achievements. Document your own contributions (and/or those you hope to make).
Suggestions: - Write
a poem (an extended metaphor epitaph?)
- Write
a paragraph ("I would like to be remembered for . . .")
- Make
a drawing, a collage of words, a headstone(?)
(See
second page of Franklin's
Funeral & Grave handout.).
Hmwk: If you didn't finish your
assignment in class, finish it tonight and submit it to Mrs. Dibben tomorrow. |