Syllabus | Third Quarter's Assignments Revised: Mar. 19, 2008
[First Quarter's Assignments] [Second Quarter's Assignments]
Week of January 21 to 25 (Beginning of Second Semester and Third Quarter)
Mon	No School: MLK, Jr. Day
Tues	Pass back paper. Empty notebooks. Journal #14 (Untimed: Favorite childhood place. What details made it special? Look for feature that would convince someone else that is was special). No hmwk.
Wed	[PUC Invitational Academy Basketball Tournament] College writing prep. Notes about details that are likely to convince a reader. Analyze Journal #14 in terms of notes. Mark details that will work. Mark where you need to add more details. This is very rough writing. You're just dredging around to see what will convince the reader about your favorite childhood place. Do more writing, as necessary. No hwmk.
Thur	[PUC Invitational Academy Basketball Tournament] Pass back semester grades. Pass back semester test. Answer any questions. College writing prep. Read "The Basic, No-Frills Essay: How to Get an "A" on an Academic Essay." No hmwk.
Week of January 28 to February 1
Mon	[To be accepted for credit, work missed because of Basketball Tournament needs to be completed by next Monday, Feb. 4.] Help basketball players get caught up with last week's work. College writing prep. Work on guiding statement (that will become the thesis statement). Guiding statement: "_(childhood place)_ was _(emotion)_." Think of examples that will support your guiding statement. Use cluster sheet to organize your ideas. No hmwk.
Tues	College writing prep. Statements About Writing discussion prep worksheet. Continue working on organization of your essay. Hmwk: Summarize (in your own words, in your own handwriting) the characteristics of an "A" academic essay as described in "The Basic, No-Frills Essay: How to Get an "A" on an Academic Essay."
Wed	Due: Summary (in your own words, in your own handwriting) of the characteristics of an "A" essay as described in "The Basic, No-Frills Essay." College writing prep. Example essay assignment sheet. Sample essay, "A Boy's View of Playland" [pdf file]. Analyze essay based on concepts in "The Basic, No-Frills Essay": Underline and label thesis statement. Circle the signal term (opinion). For each body paragraph, underline and label the topic sentence. Number each supporting idea (1, 2, 3, etc.). Put a wiggly line under transitional devices (words and expressions that help the flow from one throught to the next). On the back, answer these questions: How does this essay illustrate unity? How does this essay illustrate coherence? Look for proofreading/editing errors. Find any? Hmwk: Complete sample essay analysis. Complete decision on topic for your essay before class on Thursday.
Thur	College writing prep. Discuss thinking/planning stage or writing process. "Playland" sample cluster sheet [pdf file]. "Playland" sample sentence outline. Cluster sheet [pdf file]. Work on thinking/planning stage of example essay. Goal: complete cluster sheet for your essay by end of class. [Use the sample essay's model cluster sheet for guidance.] No hmwk.
Week of February 4 to 8
Mon	[Deadline for work missed because of Basketball Tournament.] College writing prep. Thinking/planning time: complete detailed sentence outline before class on Tuesday. [Use sample essay's model sentence outline for guidance.] Hmwk: Complete cluster sheet and sentence outline before beginning of class tomorrow. [Click here for cluster sheet file.] Bring USB drive to class tomorrow--if you want to draft on a computer and then transfer your work to your own computer.
Tues	Due: Cluster sheet and sentence outline for your example essay. College writing prep. Begin drafting essay. Hmwk: Continue drafting essay. Print out what you have drafted so far to bring to class. (Print BEFORE you get the class. Come prepared.)
Wed	College writing prep. Continue drafting. Hmwk: Complete rough draft. Bring hard copy of your rough draft to class.
Thur	Due: hard copy of complete rough draft. College writing prep. Self evaluation. No hmwk.
Week of February 11 to 15
Mon	No School: Staff Development Day
Tues	Example essay. Share with class: Anne Lamott's "The Crummy First Draft." [Link to Lamott selection in The Emory Writing Center website] Discuss revision process (as opposed to editing). Hmwk: Revise your essay based on your self evaluation. All hand-written drafts need to be word processed before class tomorrow.
Wed	Due: revised word-processed draft. Example essay. Peer evaluation. Hmwk: Revise your essay based on the peer evaluation. Remember: you own the essay. Take your peer's advice IF it matches your understanding of a good essay.
Thur	Due: revised draft. Example essay. Proofreading. Sign up for conferences. No hmwk.
Week of February 18 to 22
Mon	No School: Presidents' Day Hmwk: Bring two printed copies of your essay to your conference: one for you and one for the teacher.
Tues	Example essay. Conferences. (You'll be reading your essay aloud to the teacher.) Hmwk: After your conference, make your final revision and prepare your final draft.
Wed	Example essay. Conferences. Hmwk: After your conference, make your final revision and prepare your final draft.
Thur	Example essay. Conferences. Hmwk: After your conference, make your final revision and prepare your final draft. Due Monday.
Week of February 25 to 29
Mon	Due: Final draft of example essay. Begin The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare. "The Merchant of Venice" in Tales from Shakespeare, Charles and Mary Lamb. Info about Tales from Shakespeare. Hmwk: Complete reading of class handouts. [Enrichment: Story Synopsis in Masterpiece Theatre website]
Tues	Continue The Merchant of Venice. Read "Shylock and History" and "On Religion" section in "Essay: On Race and Religion" from Masterpiece Theatre website. Hmwk: Complete reading of class handouts. Submit final draft of essay to Turnitin.com by midnight, Friday, Feb. 29.
Wed	Distribute Study and Discussion Questions. Begin viewing The Merchant of Venice. Hmwk: Read over Study and Discussion Questions. Look for a few questions that interest you. Submit final draft of essay to Turnitin.com by midnight, Friday, Feb. 29.
Thur	Continue viewing The Merchant of Venice. No hmwk. Due: Submit final draft of essay to Turnitin.com by midnight today.
Week of March 3 to 7
Mon	Continue viewing The Merchant of Venice. Study and Discussion Questions.
Tues	Finish viewing The Merchant of Venice. (Switch to Al Pacino version for courtroom scene and ending.) The Merchant of Venice Study and Discussion Questions.
Wed	The Merchant of Venice Study and Discussion Questions. Work in groups on discussion items #1-3.
Thur	The Merchant of Venice Study and Discussion Questions. Continue working in groups on discussion items #3-5. Pick an additional question of interest to you. No hmwk.
Week of March 10 to 14
Mon	M of V relationship chart: Figure out a way to demonstrate visually and concretely the relationships between significant characters in the play. Differentiate between kinds/quality of relationships. Allow for multiple relationships/character. ("Significant" = the play would be different if the character where not there.) Hmwk: Continue on M of V relationship chart.
Tues	Discuss censorship of M of V. ("Censorship, Anti-Semitism, and The Merchant of Venice," Robert J. Wilson, English Journal, 1997.) Continue working on M of V relationship chart. Hmwk: Complete M of V relationship chart. Due tomorrow at the beginning of class.
Wed	Due: M of V relationship chart. Review for test. Essay question: Pick one side of #3 Study and Discussion Questions. (Don't attempt both sides of the question for the test essay. You can have a 3x5 card on your desk during the test session while you write the essay. OK on card: outline only, NO complete essay on card!) Hmwk: Finish preparation for The Merchant of Venice test.
Thur	Test: The Merchant of Venice. (Matching: characters; ID & significance: quotes from turning points in the play or on significant issues presented by the play; prepared essay) You can have a 3x5 card on your desk during the test session while you write the essay. OK on card: outline only, NO complete essay on card!) No hmwk.
Week of March 17 to 21 (End of Third Quarter)
Mon	Begin A Midsummer Night's Dream. Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare. No hmwk.
Tues	[Greece Trip] A Midsummer Night's Dream. No hmwk.
Wed	[Greece Trip] A Midsummer Night's Dream. No hmwk.
Thur	[Greece Trip] A Midsummer Night's Dream. No hmwk.
March 21 to 30: Spring Break