Response Groups

We spent the whole period in response groups today. Students who didn't get to read will read their papers Monday.

Final drafts will now be due 10/17.

The Fish Bowl

Today we sat in a circle (the fish bowl) and practiced response groups. We will have actual response groups tomorrow, so make sure you bring your papers.

Getting the Measure of the Autoethnography

Today after the announcements, I gave out a brief chart to use while reading As I Lay Dying. We moved on to a brief Q & A about the autoethnography, finished up our discussion of "Reapers" and wrapped up taking some notes on meter in poetry.

Remember, paper drafts should be in class tomorrow.

Welcome to the World of Poetry

Today we began our first poetry unit with an introduction/review of terms. The notes are here.

Faulkner Intro

Today we talked a bit about Faulkner and As I Lay Dying. Bring Sound and Sense tomorrow.

New Due Dates:
As I Lay Dying

• through section 31 11/3
• finish 11/10
• Post to GC 11/3 and 11/10

Autoethnography

• Draft 1 w/ cover sheet 10/30
• Final draft w/ cover sheet 11/7

Friday=Homecoming Madness

Friday we finished the prewriting activity for the autoethnography (now up at GC with other resources). Then we did a bit of Free Rice.

The Autoethnography

Today we went a got our poetry textbook, Sound and Sense. We will need this next week starting Tuesday.
We spent the rest of the day talking about our first formal essay, the autoethnography. Check GC tomorrow for details.

Complete drafts due in class Thursday, 10/30.

Ceremonial PC

We began the day with some brief topics: controversial issues on the discussion board, PC revision extra credit, among them. I collected study guides and warm-ups and then we wrote the Ceremony PC.

The Final Ceremony... Discussion That Is

Today we wrapped up the Ceremony presentations and discussion. PC and SG tomorrow.

Let's Talk About Culture

So we began the day with the goal of wrapping up the Ceremony presentations today but were blind-sided by culture and spent the whole period discussing one question. Tomorrow we will finish the presentations. Really.

Pressure comp and study guide Wednesday.

More culture on Thursday.

Ceremony Presentations Begin

Today we circled up and talked about some of the Ceremony questions from Thursday and Friday. We'll finish presentations Monday and wrap up Ceremony on Tuesday. The PC and SG look like they will be Wednesday of next week.

Question Time

After the warm up (more figurative language), groups finished the Ceremony questions we started yesterday in class. Presentations will happen tomorrow.

Ceremony Groups

After a short warm-up today, we spent the rest of the day working in groups on some discussion questions (available at the handouts page). Groups got through about the first two questions. We will continue this tomorrow.

All About the Warm Up

Today we warmed up with a little quotation analysis from Ceremony. Then class was over. Crazy.

Ceremonial Quiz

We began the day with a short quiz on the second half of Silko's Ceremony, spent the bulk of class discussing the novel, and wrapped up the period looking at the last of the "Eleven" essays we scored Friday. I collected the "Eleven" essay plans and extra-credit essays.

"Eleven" Essay Norming

Today, after a short discussion of language appropriateness at GC, we read and scored three responses to the "Eleven" prompt we've been working with this week. We began discussing our scores and will continue this discussion Monday after the Ceremony quiz.

Cisneros was alluding to what?!

Today we finished picking apart "Eleven" and got down to the task of planning the essay.

HW Actually write the "Eleven" pressure comp you planned in class today. Spend no more than 30 minutes. Extra Credit.

More "Eleven"

Today we wrapped up the open sharing we began yesterday and began an unfeelingly analytical deconstruction of Cisneros' text, marking and identifying (if possible) every figurative and stylistic technique she employs in "Eleven." We will continue listing these on the board tomorrow.

When I was eleven...

Today, after adjudicating the tightly contested figurative language game and awarding prizes, we began our work with Sandra Cisneros' short story, "Eleven." After a quick-write (in warm-ups) about students' own experiences at eleven, we read the story together and began to share our thoughts about it.

Ceremony Quiz 1

We began the day with our first of two Ceremony quizzes. We spent the rest of the shortened period discussing the book in general.

Bingo?

Today we completed our wheel of figurative devices and moved on to figurative language bingo. Winners will be adjudicated Monday. Also, be prepared for a quiz on the first half of Ceremony.

More Fun with Figurative Language

We opened the day by analyzing an example of figurative language from Ceremony, and then spent the day filling in (and rather loudly discussing) the wheel of figurative devices.

New Assignment: Post at least once to the figurative language discussion board at GC (with a correct citation) by next Friday 10/10.

Figuratively Speaking

After wrapping up our introduction to Ceremony (held over from yesterday), we began what will be a multi-day activity to review/introduce major types of figurative language. Today we began playing with the "Wheel of Figurative Devices" handout.