Friday, Feb. 20 Agenda

*Bell Ringer: ACT Prep

*20-30 Minutes work time on the outline

*Take out/print outline for essay

*“Cultural Encounters and Frontiers” Essay

*Read choice book until all are done

Have a nice break!!

Thursday, Feb. 19 Agenda

*Bell Ringer: Finish movie

*Discuss with partner what you answered for how the tribe feels? In your writer’s notebook: Is there a bias in the movie? What? How can you tell?

•Answer two of the History vs. Fiction prompts in writer’s notebook

*Time to read your book if you finish the prompt

*Final Topic Essay (ACT essay format) Prep: Essay will be tomorrow

Essay Test Prompt

*Prompt:

*Pick one of the texts that we read in this topic, “Cultural Encounters and Frontiers,” that you believe communicates an important message about it (the topic).  What is that message and why do you feel it is important? How do they approach that idea and how do their ideas and words (textual evidence) impact the overall meaning and feeling of the piece?

*How do they show the idea, what message do they give about the topic through their words and how is that proof it is the best example?

*Potential Texts: Native American myths, “Trial of Thomas Builds-the-Fire”, Louise Erdrich poem, Simon Ortiz poem (or combine the two poems together), “The Very Brief Relation of the Devastation of the Indes”, “Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano”, “General History of Virginia…”, Pocahontas along with “General History”(can’t just do Pocahontas on own)

*I can analyze how specific word choices build on one another to create a cumulative impact on the overall meaning and tone of a text

*I can analyze how the point of view of an author impacts his/her approach to a theme or topic found in a particular time period

*I can analyze how central ideas develop over the course of a text

*I can choose a topic and id and select the most significant and relevant information to develop and share with my audience

*I can present my information in an objective tone and formal style that includes an introduction statement/section, supporting details, varied transitions and syntax, and a concluding statement/section

Wednesday, Feb. 18 Agenda

*Bell Ringer: ACT Prep

*In Writer’s Notebook: Is the media (TV, movies, books, internet, etc) responsible for accuracy?  Do they need to be 100% true accounts if they are using a true event for ‘inspiration’?  How accurate do shows/movies/books/sites need to be?  Support your opinions with details/logical arguments.

*Discuss John Smith’s General History…

*Notes on Pocahontas

*Writer’s Notebook: At some point, you were Disney Animation Studio’s target audience.  Do you feel that at that point in your life, Disney effectively targeted you? Has their message affected the thoughts you have or had or what you ‘know’? Is Disney effective when it comes to getting their message to their target audience? How?

*Disney’s Pocahontas –sections (while watching, notes)

*Think of these questions and be able to discuss them based on the notes you take while watching

*What is true to Smith’s account (General History)?

*What has been changed, added, modified to suit Disney’s purpose and audience?

*What Native American myth characteristics do you see and how?

*How do you think the relations of Pocahontas’ tribe feel about this version? Why?

Tuesday, Feb. 17 Agenda

*Bell Ringer: 1st block: time to answer the question from yesterday on my blog (#2)

*ACT Registration

*Review notes on John Smith and Jamestown

*General History of Virginia pg 94 Orange

*What changes do you think were made when Smith wrote it, why? (lists of details most likely true and those most likely altered) Is this a true witness account or fiction? Why?(reliable narrator) Why third person narration?

*Look at what he says about self as compared to what he says about others

*What was Smith’s purpose (or purposes) in writing General History… What details are included or possibly taken out that helped accomplish his purpose

*What does Smith’s account say about Pocahontas?

Monday, February 16 Agenda

*Bell Ringer: Discuss “Relation” with a partner to make sure you have all of the answers from Friday, then we will discuss

*Refresher on Olaudah Equiano

*From The Interesting Narrative… pg 84 orange

*What is his purpose in writing? Who is his audience? Pick specific lines/sections that show purpose and audience.

*Question 8 on page 89

*Time to read if you finish and others haven’t.  We haven’t had much, and you need to finish a novel by the end of the quarter, so take time to read.

*Discussion on topic “Frontiers and Cultural Encounters” and ties of Equiano and de las Casas to it: What message about Cultural Encounters and Frontiers do these two selections communicate? Details to show

*

*Do you think either of these (de las Casas’ and Equiano’s) accounts changed the audience? How? Why yes or no? If no, what could they have done to more affect their audience? (comment on my blog)

Bartolome de las Casas and Olaudah Equiano

1. With your group you are going to talk about our large topic (Cultural Encounters and Frontiers) and how it can be tied to the two most recent readings we have done.  What MESSAGE ABOUT cultural encounters and frontiers do these two selections communicate? Not just that they show cultures encountering, but detail out a specific message about the encounters that they show.  Please use textual evidence in your argument.

Post your group's answer as a reply to this post and make sure all of your names are listed in the text of the reply.

Once your group has discussed the topic "Frontiers and Cultural Encounters" and tied these two authors to it (and written it and textual evidence as a reply to this post), work on your own to answer this question as a second reply to this post:

2. Do you think either of these (de las Casas’ and Equiano’s) accounts changed the audience? How? Why yes or no? If no, what could they have done to more affect their audience?

Aim for around a paragraph, making sure to answer all of the questions and connecting them to each author

Friday, Feb. 13 Agenda

*Bell Ringer: Prior Knowledge on European arrival to the Americas in Writer’s Notebook: What do you know of the arrival of Europeans to America? How were the native populations treated by the English? Write about and be ready to share any prior knowledge on this…

*European’s Arrival: From The Very Brief Relation of the Devastation of the Indies pg 97 (read the background info and the text in the handout you are given) –Answer these ‘prompts’ below in class notes section, be prepared to discuss both the selection and the answers you come up with (on Mon)

*What are injustices of Spanish colonizers –relate to English colonizers

*Mood of “Relation” –what is it and list four details that support that mood (emotion in reader created by work) –direct quotes or specific ideas

*Who is his audience? What makes you say that?

*How does this fit into the topic of “Cultural Encounters and Frontiers”? In depth answer with textual evidence to support (at least one piece)

*Writer’s Workshop Time

*sentence structure (commas) mini lesson, dialogue format reminder

*Confer with me if you would like

*Final draft due Monday

Thursday, Feb. 12 Agenda

First Block:

In your writer’s notebook, write a paragraph where you explain the connections you can make between “Hunger in NYC” and “I Was Sleeping…”. They can be poetic connections or possibly cultural connections as both authors are contemporary Native American authors.

*Writer’s Workshop Time

*Confer with me if you would like

*Final draft due Monday

*ACT Prep Essay: Must you understand other cultures to understand your own?

*Remember, plan the essay before you write it. Have organization to your thoughts and the essay (intro w/ thesis, body paragraphs w/topic sentences, conclusion and make sure to support your position)

Fourth Block:

*Bell Ringer: “Hunger In New York City” pg. 950 Blue/handout and questions: answer questions on the poem itself, making sure to identify word choice that supports your answer (you can just identify it directly in the text) (fourth block)

*In your writer’s notebook, write a paragraph where you explain the connections you can make between “Hunger in NYC” and “I Was Sleeping…”. They can be poetic connections or possibly cultural connections as both authors are contemporary Native American authors.

*Writer’s Workshop Time (NOT MUCH TIME FOR THIS)

*Confer with me if you would like

*Final draft due Monday

*ACT Prep Essay: Must you understand other cultures to understand your own?

*Remember, plan the essay before you write it. Have organization to your thoughts and the essay (intro w/ thesis, body paragraphs w/topic sentences, conclusion and make sure to support your position)

Wednesday, Feb. 11 Agenda

First Block:

*Bell Ringer: ACT Prep

*Poetry Brainstorm: Poetic Terms needed this semester

*Louise Erdrich- “I Was Sleeping Where the Black Oaks Move”

*Poet Info: Minnesotan, Chippewa/German-American Ethnicity, writes with characters showing both sides of her ancestry

*Critics say she “has remained true to her Native ancestors’ mythic and artistic visions while writing fiction that candidly explores the cultural issues facing modern-day Native Americans and mixed heritage Americans.”

*What poetic terms can we see

*Connect to myths

*Connect to Sherman Alexie

*“Hunger In New York City” pg. 950 Blue

*Louise Erdrich and Simon Ortiz Poetry

*Writer’s Workshop time:

*Confer with me (sign up on board)

*Work to make your draft better, final due Monday

Fourth Block:

*Bell Ringer: ACT Prep

*Contemporary/Post-Modern Group

*ACT Writing Discussion

*“Thomas Builds-the-Fire” Discussion

*Poetry Brainstorm: Poetic Terms needed this semester

*Louise Erdrich- “I Was Sleeping Where the Black Oaks Move”

*Poet Info: Minnesotan, Chippewa/German-American Ethnicity, writes with characters showing both sides of her ancestry

*Critics say she “has remained true to her Native ancestors’ mythic and artistic visions while writing fiction that candidly explores the cultural issues facing modern-day Native Americans and mixed heritage Americans.”

*What poetic terms can we see

*Connect to myths

*Connect to Sherman Alexie

Monday, Feb. 9 Agenda

*Bell Ringer: Modern Era Presentation

*Small Group Discussion: I’ll check the close read and answers in your reader’s notebook from the pink packet

*Create list of similarities to other myths we read, how does it show Nat Am myth characteristics?

*Discuss other notes

*Discuss metaphor/metaphors

*Discuss things you are confused about: Work together to answer ALL questions or come up with ideas to help you understand the story.

*Come to a group consensus: What is the author’s purpose of this story? What is the author’s attitude towards Thomas Builds-the-Fire? Towards the gov’t/BIA?

*Questions on the story: Completed on own, blank sheet of paper, turn in when done (to the folder in the BLUE crate)

*Writer’s Workshop time

*Rough Draft due tomorrow (need it printed out at the start of the block)

*About 2 pages length for rough draft

Thursday, Feb. 5 Agenda

*Bell Ringer: ACT Prep

*Am. Rev Group Presentation (1st); Realism (4th)

*Questions on Voice, Flood, Turtle (that I forgot to give you yesterday), turn in chart

*Review notes on Trickster Myths, Hero Myths and literary terms

*“Rabbit Boy”: questions in your reader’s notebook/class notes section: bring sheet up to me to get checked when done

Questions:1.What trickster, hero and/or general myth characteristics were shown and how (list at least three with examples)

2.What is Rabbit Boy’s reoccurring vision and what might it represent?

3.Why does Rabbit Boy allow Iktome to capture him?  Why did Iktome fail at the same task? 

*Try your hand at an origin/creation myth, or add in some hero/trickster myth characteristics as well: model it after one of the stories we’ve read, or go your own way.  It needs to have some of the literary characteristics/qualities of myths from our notes

Wednesday, Feb. 4 Agenda

*Bell Ringer: Realism Presentation (first block since Cassidy is going to be gone); Romanticism 4th block

*Lg. group discussion of first 2 creation myths

*“The Voice, The Flood and The Turtle”

*Read on own, take notes on the sheet, when finished reading, answer these questions: 1.  To what Biblical story does this story relate?  Explain at least two ways the stories are similar. 2. What is the ending prophecy?  How could it be applied and interpreted today?  Please make your explanation of the prophecy and today’s world clear.

*Can work with partner on questions, write answers on back of sheet

*Myth prompt (only start if finished chart: due tomorrow)

*Try your hand at an origin/creation myth: model it after one of the stories we’ve read, or go your own way.  It needs to have some of the literary characteristics/qualities of myths from our notes

Tuesday, Feb. 3 Agenda

*Bell Ringer: In Writer’s notebook: Why do people tell stories? What is the point of an “oral tradition” of storytelling? What are some origin/creation stories you’ve heard? Why do people tell these stories? Write the whole time given, if you run out of ‘answers’, just write about stories/storytelling in general

*Native American myths

*Creation Myths- Iroquois in packet and “The World on the Turtle’s Back” page 38 Orange *Take notes on chart while reading or at end of reading. This is what definitely should be noted: what origins are explained, what characteristics shown, similarities and glaring differences (for this you want main plot and character points)

*Puritan Notes (Puritan/Am Rev 4th block)

Monday, February 2 Agenda

*Bell Ringer:  In writer’s notebook section: What is a frontier? Give as many different types of frontiers and examples as you can.  Why is it important to explore frontiers through literature/writing?

*Native American/Colonial Group: While the group presents, make sure to take notes, ask questions and fully understand the era

*First Topic: Cultural Encounters and Frontiers

*Brainstorm what groups and/or individuals we could read in this section

*ACT Essay practice evaluation

*Discuss writing expectations this semester

*Make sure you have three colors of writing utensils/highlighters