Thursday, Sept. 29 Agenda

*Bell Ringer: 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?

*Discuss John Smith’s 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?

*Notes on Pocahontas

*Discuss both WN Media Entries

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

*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?

Wednesday, Sept. 28 Agenda

*Bell Ringer: Messages from de las Casas and Equiano

*Notes on Jamestown and John Smith

*General History of Virginia pg 94 Orange

*What changes do you think were made when Smith wrote it, why? (annotate or 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?

*When done, read your book!! HOMEWORK IF YOU AREN'T DONE!

*ACT Packet Discussion

*Finish evaluating essays 2-4 

*Homework: 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.

Tuesday, Sept. 27 Agenda

*Bell Ringer: Refresher on Olaudah Equiano (take out Nat. Am/Colonial notes)

*Collect de las Casas answers from yesterday

* 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

*Bring your answers up to me when done

*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

*Homework: question 2 on the blog post “Cultural Encounters and Frontiers…”

Cultural Encounters and Frontiers Discussion (de las Casas and 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 one another, 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 with 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

Monday, Sept. 26 Agenda

*Bell Ringer: Collect Myth

*I need either printed or shared: first draft with highlighting/comments, peer eval rubric and draft used, final with blank rubric (these two should be on top) :write on your rubric what, if anything, is shared with me

*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

*What are three specific injustices of the Spanish 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). What insights or messages about cultural encounters or frontiers does this text show?

*While you are working, I’ll be checking “Hunger in NYC” work (while waiting when all the “Relation” work is done, read your independent book)

*Discussion on “Relation”

Friday, Sept. 23 Agenda

*Bell Ringer: 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.”

*Close Read the poem:

*Literal (1st read) and metaphoric (2nd read) meanings

*What poetic terms can we see (3rd read through)

*Connect to myths (characteristics in general)

*Connect to Sherman Alexie (Thomas Builds-the-Fire) (connections in 4th read through)

*Discuss “I Was Sleeping Where the Black Oaks Move”

*“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) Questions are on the poem itself

*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. Bring up to me when completed along with the poem and your answers (or have it ready to be checked on Mon.).

Peer Eval Directions

*Print out paper copy for a peer

*When you get someone else’s story, you need to read it.  You are  looking for Native American Myth Characteristics and Narrative Techniques

*General Myth Characteristics

*Creation Characteristics

*Hero Characteristics

*Trickster Characteristics

*Narrative Techniques

*character development, setting, conflict, plot development (exposition, rising actions, conflict, falling actions, resolution)

*If you want to write ways for your peer to improve their story, do so on the paper copy they have given you

*Give their story an evaluative ranking based on the rubric, adding a quick explanation if needed for each category to help the author understand

*Evaluate each category and then overall

*If you aren’t done at the end of class, finish for homework

"Trial of Thomas Build-the-Fire" Questions

*Why was Thomas put in jail (other than the conviction of murder from 1858)?

*What is the purpose of this story? Use textual evidence to support your answer. (Don't ask if this means write a TIQA para, assume if you are using evidence that you are writing one, ALWAYS)

*Re-Read the last full paragraph of the story.  Interpret it and use it to answer this question: How does this story show the ideas of culture and Cultural Encounters and Frontiers? (you can also give more details than just from the last paragraph)

Go back to the Alexie/Spokane Tribe reading from the other day, then do what these two prompts are telling you to do:

***Pick four pieces of textual evidence from the packet (a word, phrase, sentence or a few sentences) and react to it while connecting it to the short story. While connecting, explain how the textual evidence gives you a deeper understanding of something from the story, and be specific as to what it is. (Do this on a separate sheet of paper) 

***How does this information (graphs and data) overall enhance your understandings of “The Trial of Thomas Builds-the-Fire”? 

*When done, turn in to folder in the crate and work on your myth or read your independent reading book. 

We'll talk about the Peer Evaluation process once most are done with these questions.

Wednesday, Sept. 21 Agenda

*Bell Ringer: Post-Modern and Contemporary Era Notes

*Small Group Discussion: I’ll check the close read and answers from yesterday/homework

*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?

*Your group needs to post as a comment to the most recent post on my blog: your list of characteristics, your answers to the last three questions, and at least three important things you talked about

*Writer’s Workshop Time

*Drafting

*Second Draft due TOMORROW!!

"Trial of Thomas Builds-the-Fire" Discussion

Go to this site: http://www.spokanehistorical.org/items/show/370
   What on this connects to story? How does the info help you understand Thomas Builds-the-Fire

After your group has discussed what was on the smart board, post some of your insights as a comment to this post.

The things that you need to post are: *your list of characteristics, your answers to the last three questions, and at least three important/insightful things you talked about