The Epistle / Personal Letters
M & T: Letter to Her Daughter from the New White House – The students will write, proofread, and print a letter to a friend describing their rooms.
Aphorisms
W: The students will take notes on and discuss aphorisms.
Th: The students will read Poor Richard’s Almanack. They will paraphrase selected aphorisms and write an original one.
F: The students will review for a major test over the unit A Nation is Born: American Literature from 1750 to 1800.
M: The students will begin a review for The American Dream (Colonial Literature) Test.
T: Graded papers will be returned to the students and they will use the remainder of the class period to prepare for the American Dream test.
W: The students will complete the SAT-based vocabulary Lesson 6 Mythology. Letters from an American Farmer essay due.
Th: The students will view the final installment of the PBS documentary, Colonial House.
F: The students will complete the American Dream Test.
M: The students will complete a timeline on the events and literature of 1750 – 1800.
T: The students will read Letters from an American Farmer, pgs. 193 – 197. Notes and discussion of epistle and author’s representation of America as a melting pot.
W: The students will write a two-page essay on how the three tenets of the American Dream are presented in Letters from an American Farmer.
Th: The students will review for the nine-weeks test.
F: To conclude the colonial literature unit, the students will view the first installment of the documentary, Colonial House.
M: Introduction to Gone with the Wind: “It’s not about the Civil War, it’s about people with gumption.”
Margaret Mitchell’s approach to her masterpiece.
T: Due to the simplicity of the Puritan lifestyle, they had few possessions, dressed somberly and uniformly, and didn’t believe in expressing themselves creatively. Because they have left so little behind, they remain a mystery in many ways. Journal Writing – List five personal possessions that best express your individuality. What would they tell future generations about your lifestyle and personality? Write at least one page and no more than two.
W: Read Edward Taylor biographical sketch, pg. 88. Define direct address. Read Huswifery, pg. 93. Notes and discussion.
Th: The students will view the first installment of Gone with the Wind, noting examples of Scarlett’s level of maturity and main concerns.
F: The students will read Iron Bird: Cal Ripken’s Work Ethic, to conclude The Puritan Influence unit.
NOTE: For the first week of school, classroom procedures will be discussed briefly at the beginning of class. The remainder of class time will focus on academics.
M & T: The students will read pages 4 – 8 and will discuss and take notes over the initial influences on American literature.
W: The students will read the Columbus biography on page 12 and be introduced to the selection vocabulary on pages 15 and 27. Notes and discussion of journal. Read from Journal of the First Voyage to America and complete Summarizing Texts exercise.
Th: The students will view lesson 1 of QUACK! SAT-based vocabulary and complete its 40-question exercise.
F: The students will assume the identity of Diego, one of Columbus’ crew and write a 0ne- to two-page journal entry recording his impression of the first voyage to America.
The Crucible
M: The students will read pages 105 – 111 ; notes, examples, and discussion of the motifs of revenge and greed.
T: The students will complete the Act III study guide.
W & Th: The student will be in the Plato Lab writing journal entries that discuss in detail the relationship between the personal examples the students provide and the examples from The Crucible they cite as support. Due at end of class period Thursday, April 21.
F: The students will watch an installment of Gone with the Wind, noting examples of survival.
To Kill a Mockingbird
M & T: Student-Led Learning Project: Given an assigned section of the novel, the students will select appropriate defined vocabulary, a five-point outline, and will lead a class discussion of setting, characterization, and theme over their assigned section.
W: The students will complete a Learning Experiences chart for the characters Scout and Jem in the novel.
Th: The students will complete the Nine Weeks Test.
F: The students will begin the review for the semester exam.
To Kill a Mockingbird
M: Student-led learning will be conducted for pages 45 – 59 of the novel. Ten-question quiz and key, vocabulary, and five-point discussion outline due. Presenter will lead discussion. Vocabulary for pages 60 – 74 will be distributed.
T: Same as above for pages 60 – 74. Vocabulary for pages 75 – 50 will be distributed.
M & T: The students will review for the A Nation is Born Unit Test.
W: The students will be introduced to the relevant factors that produced the witch hysteria in Salem, Massachusetts, the winter of 1692 – 1693.
Th: The students will complete the A Nation is Born unit test.
F: The students will view the Biography channel documentary, The Salem Witch Trials, and complete its viewing assignment.
M: The students will define the literary term epistle. They will read the biographical sketch of de Crevecouer, pg. 196 and and review selection vocabulary. Read Letters from an American Farmer, pg. 198. Notes and discussion.
T: The students will define the literary term private letter. They will read the biographical sketch of Abigail Adams, pg. 196 and read Letter to Her Daughter from the New White House, pg. 200. Notes and discussion.
W: The students will write a private letter to a friend describing their room.
Th: The students will read the Benjamin Franklin biography, pgs. 136 – 137 and review selection vocabulary, pg. 149. Notes and discussion of aphorism. Read Poor Richard’s Almanack, pgs. 148 – 150 and complete Recognizing Aphorisms assignment.
F: The student will view the SAT-based vocabulary video, QUACK! and complete the Lesson 3 vocabulary exercise.