Weekly Letter 2: 8/24-8/28

English III– Beery

Welcome to week two of your junior year. I want to take the opportunity to thank you again for all of your energy and effort last week. Throughout introductory game, we started cultivating a healthy and safe learning community in our classroom. Moreover, our discussion and reflection on the classroom rules and expectations served to also strengthen our learning community. I hope everyone comes to class every day with an open mind and a caring heart. We want to take risks in this space and know our peers will respect our differences and listen to the plethora of ideas we want to share. Subsequently we enter this classroom everyday as equals who share a mutual respect for learning in hopes that we can use our knowledge to empower ourselves and others. As your instructor I want you to know that I want you to be an advocate for yourself this year and use your voice to communicate your needs. If you need to discuss anything, please do not hesitate to speak with me or set up a conference.

This week we are focusing on Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers that you read this summer and doing a lot of writing about success, identity and American ideals. It is important in your academic career that you not only read the required texts for class, but also venture into reading outside the classroom as well. There are so many great books just waiting to jump into your hands. Our hope as an English department is that you remain a life-long reader and writer.

This week we will start to focus on the over-arching theme of American Literature: “Who are we and where do we come from and how does your identity as an American shape your future.” This week I want you to consider why people write what they do and how this is the framework to the American spirit. Wow, I know you are excited. Let’s get started. 

Here are the learning goals:

  • CSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.3 Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.5 Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.3 Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.6 Analyze a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.8 Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application of constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning (e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court majority opinions and dissents) and the premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public advocacy

MondayDiscuss rhetorical devices and apply them to the articles:

  • Drive—Laws of mastery
  • “Three thousand nine hundred and sixty-three hours to go” by Michael Kruse—April 2015
  • Bio on Jay-Z

Watch TED Talk about how to define success byAngela Lee Duckworth; an expert on measuring success

Exit slip: How would Gladwell relate to these articles and Tedtalk? (list 2)

Tuesday:Get books

Partner sign up

Discuss articles and expectations for seminar/small group

WednesdayPractice Small seminar in groups---practice questions

---Ben Franklin

---Emily Dickinson

---Review the Socratic Seminar PowerPoint

HMWK: Finish readings for seminar

Thursday Socratic Seminar—When you arrive to class you will instructed to go into the inner or outer circle. Take out your notes and articles to be read to start immediately.

Distribute/review rubric

Post prompt and practice seminar---offer feedback

Friday Quiz: on readings and how they synthesize/talk to one another

Discuss Seminar and Synthesis---what skills are necessary?

Writing workshop---HMWK: Purchase The Great Gatsby and bring to class on Monday, August 31st. In addition, please cover your literature book. (I will inform you when to bring lit book)