Great Expectations Subplots

Yahoo Answers has a fairly good list of the novel's subplots. The list is supposedly from a teacher; however, the list contains at least one misspelling that makes that claim suspect.

Sixtieth Class Period: Great Expectations Conclusion

Students listened to the conclusion of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations.

Homework: Study for the Great Expectations test.

Fifty-Ninth Class Period: Great Expectations 56-57

Classes were shortened due to the banquet.

Students listened to Chapter Fifty-Six and most of Chapter Fifty-Seven of Great Expectations.

No homework: banquet.

Fifty-Eighth Class Period: Great Expectations 52-55

Quiz: Great Expectations, Chapters 50-51.

In Class, students listen to Chapters 52-53.

Homework: Read Great Expectations 54-55.

Fifty-Seventh Class Period: Great Expectations 48-51

Quiz: Great Expectations, Chapters 46-47

In class students listened to Chapters 48-49 in class.

Homework: Read Chapters 50-51.

Book Report Postponed

With the movement of the banquet from a Sunday night to a school night, more school time has been lost. The book report that was scheduled to be be due on December 12/13th needs to be moved until after the Christmas break. An overview of the book report has been distributed to students. The book report will be due on either January 5th or 6th, whichever day that period meets.

Fifty-Sixth Class Period: Great Expectations 43-47

Students listened to chapters forty-three to forty-five in class.

Homework: Read Chapters 46-47.

Fifty-Fifth Class Period: Great Expectations 40-42

Mr. Stone discussed and practiced lockdown procedures.

Students listened to chapter forty of Great Expectations.

Homework: Read Chapters 41-42.

Fifty-Fourth Class Period: Great Expectations 36-39

Quiz: Great Expectations, Chapters 33-35

Students listened to chapters thirty-six to thirty-seven in class and the beginning of chapter thirty-eight.

Homework: Read Great Expectations, Chapters 38-39.

Fifty-Third Class Period: Great Expectations 30-35

Quiz: Great Expectations, Chapters 28-29

Students listened to Chapters 30 to 32 in class.

Homework: Read Chapters 33-35 of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations.

Fifty-Second Class Period: Great Expectations 26-29

Quiz: Great Expectations, Ch. 24-25

Students listened to chapters twenty-six through the beginning of twenty-eight in class.

Homework: Finish reading Ch. 28 and read all of Ch. 29.

Fifty-First Class Period: Great Expectations 21-25

Students listened to chapters twenty-one to twenty-three in class.

Homework: Read Great Expectations, Ch. 24-25.

Fiftieth Class Period: Comma & Sentence Combining Test

Students completed a test over commas and sentence combining. They had to insert commas where needed and identify the principle behind their choice for inserting the comma. They had to identify the correctly combined pair of clauses from a set of options as well as combine to clauses on their own.

Homework: Try to finish your book report book over Thanksgiving.

Forty-Ninth Class Period: Test Review

Mr. Stone passed back the last of the graded comma exercises and went over the answers and took questions. He offered extra study sheets for those who had misplaced the ones they had previously received. He offered a second practice test for students to complete. Answers are available here. Answers for Practice Test One are available here.

Students are to bring all of the papers for the film analysis essay to class tomorrow for Mr. Stone to record any missing items. Mr. Stone gave students a list of the items they should bring and the order in which they should be arranged.

Students are to bring their book report book to class tomorrow to read after their test.

Homework: Study for the comma and sentence combining test, bring film essay papers, and book report book.

Forty-Eighth Class Period: Great Expectations 18-20

Students practice combining two sentences using conjunctive adverbs. They received feedback before the end of the class period.

The class listened to Chapter 18 and most of Chapter 19 of Great Expectations in class.

Students received volume two of Great Expectations.

Homework: Finish reading through Chapter 20 of Great Expectations.

Note: Few students have taken advantage of the tutoring available for this week's test.

Forty-Seventh Class Period: Great Expectations, Chapters 15-17

Students were to write a minimum of a half-page summary of Chapters 13-14 of Great Expectations in their journals.

They practiced combining two sentences using a coordinate conjunction. They received feedback before the end of the period.

The class listened to Chapters 15-16 of Great Expectations.

Homework: Read Great Expectations Chapter 17 in preparation for a quiz.

Don't forget your test over commas and sentence combining is the last class period before Thanksgiving break.

Forty-Sixth Class Period: Comma and Sentence Combining Practice Test

After taking a quiz over Chapters 11 & 12 of Dickens' Great Expectations, students completed a practice test over the use of commas and combining clauses. Mr. Stone went over the correct answers.

Homework: Read Great Expectations, Chapters 13 & 14. Begin reviewing for comma and sentence combining test. Take advantage of the links to the right on this blog for web-based comma quizzes.

Forty-Fifth Class Period: Great Expectations 8-12

Quiz: Great Expectations, Chapter 8

Students listened to Chapters 9-10.

Homework: Read Chapters 11-12.

Don't forget to try out one of the comma quizzes to the right on this blog.

Forty-Fourth Class Period: Great Expectations 6-8

Students were to write at least a half-page in their journals summarizing the events of chapters one to five of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations (entry titled: GE 1-5). They were encouraged to add questions, comments and connections to their summary.

Quiz: Great Expectations, Chapters 4 & 5

In class students listened to Great Expectations, Chapters 6 & 7.

Homework: Read Chapter 8 of Great Expectations. Begin studying for the sentence combining and comma test. See previous blog entry for details.

Next Test: Sentence Combining and Commas

Students will be receiving back this week their graded sentence combining and comma exercises during their second and third class periods this week. (Any students who did not complete these exercises should see Mr. Stone to check out a book and/or receive the handouts necessary to complete theses exercises.) Links to self-grading quizzes will be posted on Tuesday. A pretest will be given during the fourth class period of this week. The actual test will be given the last class period of next week (November 17th/18th). Mr. Stone will be available for questions or additional review during lunch time on Wednesday, November 9th and Monday November 14th. He will also be available during optional periods on Wednesday 11/16, Thursday 11/17, Monday 11/14, and Tuesday 11/15.

Forty-Third Class Period: Great Expectations 1-5

Students began reading Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. A copy of the first volume of the novel was distributed to each student. In class they listened to chapters one to three.

Homework: Read chapters four and five of Great Expectations. There will be a quiz over chapters four and five at the beginning of class.

Forty-Second Class Period: Silent Sustained Reading

On either Thursday/Friday, students had class time for silent sustained reading of the books they selected to read for their second quarter book report (our first of the year).

Second Quarter Book Report

A permission slip was sent home earlier this week for parents/guardians to approve their student's reading selection for the the second quarter book report. Mr. Stone approved most of the books selected. The books some students selected were not approved for the assignment because their reading level or content was inappropriate for English I. Details about the writing of the book report will be given to students next week. The second quarter book report will be due on Monday, December 12th for periods one, two, five and six, and on Tuesday, December 13th for period seven.

Students should spend at least a half-an-hour this weekend reading the book they chose for their second quarter report.

Forty-First Class Period: Punctuating Interrupting and Conventional Elements with Commas

Mr. Stone reviewed rules for punctuating interrupting elements and conventional elements with commas.

Students applied the concepts in completing Exercises 11, 12, and 13 in the punctuation section of the Writing and Grammar text in class.

Homework: Get approval for book report book if you haven't already. Bring book for reading time on Thursday.

Fortieth Class Period: Commas--Coordinate and Introductory

Mr. Stone collected last night's homework: using commas to punctuate items in a series. (See yesterday's blog post.)

Mr. Stone distributed "Parent Approval and Book Confirmation" forms and comma rules handout.

Mr. Stone discussed how to use commas to punctuate coordinate and introductory elements.

While students worked on Exercises 7 (479), 9 (482), and 10 (484) using a Prentice Hall Writing and Grammar (Gold Level) from the classroom set, Mr. Stone worked on checking student's film analysis essay.

Homework: Select a book for your second quarter book report and get your parents to sign the "Parent Approval and Book Confirmation" form.

Thirty-Ninth Class: First Quarter Grades, Sentence Errors, and Comma Rules

Today was the first day in our new classroom! Students received a printout of their first quarter grade. Mr. Stone emphasized that this was not a permanent grade, but rather a midterm "dipstick" grade since this is a semester course. Students had an opportunity to check graded papers against the scores recorded on the printouts. Mr. Stone defined and gave examples of five common sentence errors: run-on sentences, comma splices, sentence fragments, rambling sentences, and fused sentences. He also began to discuss comma principles: coordinate, introductory, interrupters, series, and standard. hu Mr. Stone introduced the upcoming book report assignment. Students should begin selecting a book and getting it approved by their parents and Mr. Stone. Reading time will be given in class on Thursday. Book approval forms will be available tomorrow. Homework: Add commas to the following five sentences as needed. 1. Janet likes purple blue and orange. 2. She makes her preferences clear in wearing purple socks eating only from blue dishes and driving an orange bike. 3. She has a blue plate a blue bowl and a blue mug. 4. Shades of purple that are pale like lilac that are bright like eggplant and that are dark like concord grapes can all be seen in her sock drawer. 5. Not only is the frame of Janet's bike orange, but also its handle bars seat and basket.

Thirty-Eighth Class Period: Sentence Combining

In response to errors made by students in the writing of their short stories and in preparation for the editing of the students film analysis essay, Mr. Stone reviewed five options for combining two clauses. Students practiced combining clauses. Homework: Finish any of the sixteen examples not completed in class.

Thirty-Seventh Class Period: Moving

Students were given the opportunity to help move classroom materials and furniture to the classroom in the new student services building. Any students who did not wish to help were allowed to study for another class. No homework was assigned.

Thirty-Sixth Class Period

I will catch up on this post.

Thirty-Fifth Class Period: Peer Critiquing Introduction

Mr. Stone checked for the students completion of a revision of their third body paragraph, their introduction prewriting table, and a rough draft of their introduction. Students completed a peer critique of a classmate's introduction. Mr. Stone listed the three elements needed for the essay's conclusion: 1) Remind readers of the context--What is the question to which you are responding? 2) Clarify your response the the question--agreement, disagreement, other option. 3) Restate your thesis. Homework: Draft a conclusion. Bring to class your five paragraph essay.

Thirty-Fourth Class Period: Peer Critique Body Paragraph Three

The teacher explained how to write a funnel-shaped introduction and provided a prewriting table for gathering information for their introductions. Students peer critiqued a classmate's third body paragraph. The teacher worked on checking for the revision of the second body paragraph, the prewriting table for the third body paragraph, the rough draft of the third body paragraph, and the completion of a peer critique for the third body paragraph. Homework: Revise the third body paragraph. Complete the introduction prewriting table if not completed in class. Draft the introduction.

Thirty-Third Class Period: Peer Critique Film Essay Body Paragraph 2

Students peer critiqued a classmate's second body paragraph for the film analysis essay and worked on completing the prewriting table for the third body paragraph. Mr. Stone checked for the completion of the revision of the first paragraph of the film essay, the prewriting table for the second body paragraph, the rough draft of the second body paragraph, and a completed peer critique of the second body paragraph. Homework: Complete revision of body paragraph two, prewriting table of body paragraph three, and draft body paragraph three.

Thirty-Second Class Period: Peer Critiquing Body Paragraph 1

Students were to come to class with the rough draft of their first body paragraph for their film analysis essay. Students used a peer critique sheet to guide them in evaluating the rough draft of a classmate's first body paragraph. Students were to complete a second expository body paragraph prewriting chart in preparation for drafting the second paragraph of their film analysis essay. Homework: Revise the first paragraph of the film analysis essay and draft the second paragraph. During the next class, Mr. Stone will be checking for a second completed prewriting table, a draft of a second body paragraph, and a revised first body paragraph. He will ask students to show him the changes they made to their first paragraphs.

Thirty-First Class Period: Connecting the Topic Sentence & Commentary

Mr. Stone lectured about relationship between the topic sentence and commentary. He reminded students that an essay's thesis consists of the paper's topic and the author's viewpoint. Each body paragraph's topic sentence consists of a subtopic and the author's viewpoint. The author's viewpoint expressed in each body paragraph should clearly relate to the topic and viewpoint of the essay's thesis. When does a writer develop his/her viewpoint?/ When should a writer develop his/her viewpoint? An author's viewpoint on a topic typically comes after prolonged thinking on the topic and its subtopics. Following a line of inductive thought, the writer experiences/examines the specific details, expresses/exchanges dialogue analyzing/interpreting this data, which ultimately leads to a conclusion or generalization. This generalization typically becomes a writer's viewpoint. Other times, a writer through previous experience or cultural influence comes with a predisposed bias/viewpoint. This generalization is expressed/tested against specific details. The process of writing may lead a writer to reconsider his/her previous/original conclusions. In the case of the film analysis assignment for this class, most students have never seen the 1947 film version of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. The student's viewing of the movie provided them with a series of specific details which through reflection and discussion they concluded a generally positive/negative viewpoint of the film. This general viewpoint becomes the thesis of the student's film review essay. The aspects of the film (humor, casting, plot structure, etc.) that caused the writer's positive/negative viewpoint of the film become the subtopics of the essay. Each subtopic along with the author's viewpoint becomes the topic sentence of a body paragraph. A student supports the viewpoint expressed in each body paragraph's topic sentence by providing three examples (concrete details) from the ffilm. The writer clarifies the meaning of his/her topic sentence's viewpoint and the overall viewpoint of the essay through the commentary (analysis, interpretation, opinion, etc.) written about each example/concrete detail provided. Mr. Stone emphasized the need to focus on a single subtopic in each body paragraph. He warned students about the dangers of confusing readers by expressing more than one viewpoint in each paragraph's topic sentence. Repetition of the key word of the paragraph's viewpoint or use of synonyms helps readers to see the connection between each paragraph's topic sentence and the commentary provided about each supporting detail. Homework: Students need to draft their first body paragraph for their film essay. This draft should be typed from the ideas written on the expository writing body paragraph prewriting table. Students should make revisions as they draft.

Thirtieth Class Period: Writing Expository Paragraphs

Mr. Stone shared a PowerPoint presentation on Jane Schaffer's approach to writing expository paragraphs. Schaffer's color-coded system allows students to visualize basic components of expository paragraphs (topic sentences, concrete details & commentary. Students discussed with Mr. Stone subtopics that could be used to support a positive or negative viewpoint on The Secret Life of Walter Mitty film. Mr. Stone made a list the names of the chapter scenes from the DVD to help students select scenes to use as their concrete details. Homework: Students are to fill in the three body paragraph sections of the prewriting sheet they received during the last class period and the expository body paragraph prewriting table they received in this class period.

Twenty-Ninth Class Period: Finish The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Quiz: "Talk" Students finished viewing the Danny Kaye version of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Mr. Stone passed out the Film Review Instructions and Worksheet. Homework: Students are to make a list of at least twenty-five similarities and dissimilarities between James Thurber's short story and Ken Englund and Everett Freeman's screenplay. Write "S" next to the similarities and "D" next to the dissimilarities.

Twenty-Eighth Class Period: More of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Quiz: Ray Bradbury's "The Golden Kite, the Silver Wind" Students continued viewing a DVD version of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty in preparation for writing a film analysis paper. Homework: Read Harold Courlander and George Herzog's retelling of the Ashanti folk tale "Talk" (412-414) A hypertext link to e-text for this tale is not available because e-text could not be located. Read the story twice. It is quite short.

Twenty-Seventh Class Period: Begin Viewing The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Quiz: James Thurber's "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" Students began viewing the 1947 Danny Kay version of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Homework: Read Ray Bradbury's fable, "The Golden Kite, the Silver Wind" (178-182) or link to the left.

Twenty-Sixth Class: Short Story Submission & Process Journal Entry

Devotional Text: Colossians 1:13 Students wrote a one-page, single-spaced reflection on the process of writing their short stories. Mr. Stone directed students to describe what worked well for them and what gave them difficulty. He suggested organizing their ideas following the five stages of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and presenting. Students reviewed Chapter 24 of The House on Mango Street, "Elenita, Cards, Palm, Water." Mr. Stone summarized the lecture he just heard at the Huntington Library about how seventeenth century English decided which stories of witches were fact and fiction. He noted how laws relating to witches have been repealed as a believe in witches has waned. The class discussed the clues in "Elenita, Cards, Palm, Water" that Esperanza does not ultimately believe in palm reading. Homework: Read "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" (357-352) or use link to the left.

Short Story Grading Rubric

Here's a link to the grading rubric for the short story writing assignment.

Twenty-Fifth Class: Peer Editing

Journal Prompt for Ch. 23 of The House on Mango Street, "Born Bad": Describe how Esperanza views herself (good/bad) and why. Describe how you view yourself (good/bad) and why. Students received a peer editing checklist for a classmate to use to edit the revised draft of their short story. Students were to swap papers with a peer, make editorial marks on his/her revised short story, and complete the peer editing checklist. Homework: Complete final draft of short story.

Twenty-Fourth Class Period: Peer Critiquing

Journal Prompt for Chapter 22 of The House on Mango Street: Describe how Esperanza is affected by her grandfather's death. Then, describe how you have been affected by the death of a grandparent/other close family member--yes, pets can be considered, and/or describe how you could value a family member more while they are alive. Mr. Stone checked to make sure students had completed their tall tale prewriting and a rough draft of their tall tale. Students swapped their tall tales with two class mates, read their classmates' drafts, and responded on a separate sheet of paper: 1. What did you like most about his/her tale? Affirm the writer. 2. As a reader, what were you missing?/What would you like to have seen more/less of in his/her tale? Help the writer see a reader's perspective of his/her tale. Sign and staple your comments for the tall tale to the corresponding rough draft. Students then swapped their rough draft of their short story with one classmate and critiqued. They were directed to write affirming and helpful comments directly on his/her partner's rough draft. They were to sign the bottom of the draft. Homework: Complete a revised draft of your short story. (Period 7 needs to revise their tall tale as well.) Students will peer edit a classmate's short story next class period. The final draft of the short story is due at the beginning of the third English I class period this week. (Remember that the picnic has been postponed.)

Twenty-Third Class Period: MLA Format & Tall Tales (Thurs. Periods. 5 & 6; Fri. Periods. 1, 2, & 7)

Journal Prompt for Chapter 21 of The House on Mango Street, "The First Job": Describe the sexual harassment Esperanza experiences at her first job. What do you think Esperanza should have done in response? What would you do if this happened to you? Mr. Stone checked students rough drafts for minimum length. The final drafts of the short stories are to be between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 pages long. Mr. Stone has made it clear that going shorter than the minimum length or longer than the maximum length will result in a deduction in the student's score. Mr. Stone will not read more than four pages. Mr. Stone reviewed the Modern Language Association format with the class. After the class briefly discussed tall tales, i.e. Paul Bunyan, students worked on completing a prewriting sheet for writing their own tall tale. Homework: Finish the tall tale prewriting sheet and type out a rough draft of your tall tale for the first period of next week. The student's tall tales should be no longer than a page-and-a-half long.

Dramatic Grade Changes

The first assignment in the writing category is now entering the grade. If a student does poorly on this assignment, his/her grade may go down as much as thirty-five percent. (It may go up dramatically, as well, if a student has done poorly in tests but does well in writing.) It is important to remember that additional assignments will quickly be added to this category and his/her grade can continue to change. Students should consider every assignment important; however, initial assignments in a grade calculated through weighted categories are particularly important. They have a significant impact on a student's grade until more assignments are added to that category.

Twenty-Second Class Period: Dialogue (Wed. Periods 5 & 6; Thurs. Periods 1, 2, & 7)

Students wrote in their journals in response to chapter twenty of The House on Mango Street, "Hips." Describe how Esperanza feels about the changes in her body? Quote from the text to support your answer. and respond to one or more of the following options to fulfill your half-page minimum: --Describe when and how you first found someone else attractive. --Describe the bodily change that most troubled you. --Describe the bodily change that brings you the most pride. --Describe the bodily change to which you are most looking forward. --Describe the bodily changes you have noticed in classmates since last year. Do not use names of other students in your description. Mr. Stone went over the rules for writing dialogue. Students received a handout listing the rules with examples. Homework: Complete rough draft of short story. The draft must be double-spaced typed using a 12-point font. The paper should be in the Modern Language Association Format. There should be one inch margins on all sides. (Be careful. Default settings for many word processing programs is 1.25 inches.) The entire document should be double-spaced. (Be careful. Check to make sure that your word processing program is NOT set to add an extra space after each paragraph.) Your last name and the page number should be right-justified in the header of each page. A heading should be made on the top right of the first page. The heading should be left justified. The heading's first line should be the student's first and last names. The heading's second line should be the teacher's name (Mr. Stone). The heading's third line should be the class for which the paper is written (English I, Period X). The headings fourth line should be the paper's due date written in the international date format (29 September 2011). The paper's title should be centered on the next line. (Remember that this entire paper is double-spaced.) Indentations should be a half an inch.

Twenty-First Class Period: Short Story Prewriting

Journal Entry: The House on Mango Street, Ch. 19, "Chanclas"

What are "cahnclas"? Why are they important to Esperanza? How does this specific story symbolize Esperanza's feelings about her life as a whole?

Students received a worksheet to prompt them in collecting the material and making the decisions necessary to write a short story.

Mr. Stone applied yesterday's lecture by discussing the basic elements of the students writing situation:

Purpose--to narrate/to tell a short story
Audience--Mr. Stone and classmates
Length--2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pages, double-spaced typed.

Homework for the next class period: Complete the short story prewriting sheet, except for theme.

Homework for the final class period of this week: Complete rough draft of short story. This draft should be typed.

Twentieth Class Period: The Writing Process

Journal Entry: THMS Ch. 18, "Rice Sandwich"

Describe how Esperanza is embarrassed. Then answer one of the following:

Have you ever been embarrassed by your lunch? Explain.

OR

Have you ever been embarrassed at school. Explain.


Students passed back graded papers. Afternoon classes received a grade printout. Morning classes will receive a grade printout tomorrow. (Note: Grades are constantly accessible online.)

Mr. Stone lectured on the writing process.

Homework: Memorize the five stages most commonly used to describe the writing process for a quiz tomorrow. (prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, presenting)

First Quarter Book Report Canceled

The first quarter book report listed in the syllabus will not be required. English I students first book report will be completed during the second quarter.

Nineteenth Class: Point of View and Setting Test

Students took their point of view and setting test.

No Homework!

Eighteenth Class: Review Game (Per. 5 & 6 9/21; Per. 1, 2, & 7 9/22)

Students responded to chapter seventeen of The House on Mango Street, "The Family of Little Feet."

1. What item(s) could be symbols? (hint: related to their feet)

2. This symbol means slightly different things to different invidivduals or groups. Identify three and explain.

3. What happens to these items (symbols) at the end? Are the girls happy?

4. Which type of the item used symbolically in this chapter would best represent you?


Students completed review sheet and played a review game.

Homework: Prepare for tomorrow's test.

Seventeenth Class: Point of View and Setting Test Review (Per. 2, 5, & 6 on 9/20; Per. 1 & 7 on 9/21)

Students began class by journaling about chapter sixteen of The House on Mango Street, "And Some More." They described the three ways characters in the chapter classify (divide into group/label) clouds. What would be another way to classify clouds?

Students received a hard copy of the Point of View and Setting Test review sheet. Mr. Stone went over sections one to five.

Homework: Students should continue to study for the Point of View and Setting Test. They should complete the review sheet which will be collected at the time of the test.

Note: Nothing needs to be written on the first page of the review sheets, but pages two through six must be completed to receive full credit.

Sixteenth Class: Setting Review

Journal Prompt: THMS 15, Darius and the Clouds

Does Dairus think the cloud is God or a symbol of God? Explain.

Or

Esperanza says, "Still, we take what we can get and make the best of it." What does Esperanza seem to "get in life? What do you think she is making of "it"?


Or

Is Esperanza an optimist, a pessimist or a realist? Explain.


Students worked with the other members of their row to determine the geographic location, historical period, time of day, weather, and cultural milieu for their assigned story. Students began sharing their findings with the rest of the class. The class will finish this discussion tomorrow.

Homework: Continue to prepare for the Point of View and Setting Test. Periods 5 & 6 will take the test on Thursday. Periods 1, 2, & 7 will take the test on Friday.

Check for the study guide listed on the right-hand side of this blog.

Fifteenth Class: The Cask of Amontillado (Per. 5 & 6 on 9/15; Per. 1,2, & 7 on 9/16)

Students wrote in response to chapter fifteen of The House on Mango Street, "Alicia Who Sees Mice."

Mr. Stone gave a dramatic reading of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado" with commentary.

Homework: Begin studying for the Point of View and Setting Test

Fourteenth Class: Test Results & The Invalid's Story (Per. 5 & 6 on 9/14; Per. 1, 2, & 7 on 9/15)

Students described in their journal the differences between strangers' perceptions of Esperanza's neighborhood and her own as depicted in chapter twelve of The House on Mango Street, "Those Who Don't." They also listed their own neighborhoods/cities/towns and their perceptions of how visitor view their own communities. They considered whether these perceptions were similar or different from their own.

After a brief discussion of the recent earthquake and prayer, students took a quiz over Mark Twain's "The Invalid's Story."

Students reviewed their last test and completed a vocabulary and a grammar worksheet using excerpts from "The Invalid's Story."

Homework: Read Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado" (6).

Thirteenth Class: Setting in "The Man to Send Rain Clouds" (Per. 5 & 6 9/12; Per. 1 & 2 9/13; Per. 7 9/ 13)

Students wrote in their journals about Esperanza's mentor, Marin, in The House on Mango Street and about a mentor in their own life.

After Mr. Stone shared 1 Corinthians 11:24, the class took a quiz over "The Man to Send Rain Clouds.

Mr. Stone reviewed the basic parts of a story and the elements of setting. He emphasized the three functions of setting using examples from "The Man to Send Rain Clouds" and "Our Dead, Your Dead."

Students looked up "mood" and "symbol" in their textbook's glossary. Mr. Stone distributed grape juice and cornmeal in small paper cups to illustrate the clashing symbols in "The Man to Send Rain Clouds."

Homework: Read Mark Twain's "The Invalid's Story" (596)

Twelfth Class: Your Dead Our Dead--A 9/11 Story

In response to the tenth chapter of The House on Mango Street, students wrote about a time in their lives when they enjoyed an experience like Esperanza's "joy ride." They explained whether they knew the experience was "against the rules" or dangerous and whether they or someone else involved got in trouble.

After Mr. Stone shared the text from Psalms that is the source for "If I Forget Thee, O Earth . . . ," the class took a quiz over the story.

Mr. Stone read aloud "Our Dead, Your Dead" by Kamila Shamsie. This story appeared Tuesday September 6, 2011 in the London newspaper The Guardian's series of 9/11 stories. Mr. Stone e xplained the five parts of setting at their role in the story.

Homework: Read "The Man to Send Rain Clouds" (590+)and review chapter eleven of The House on Mango Street.

Eleventh Class: Gerunds and Participles

Students responded to a journal prompt about chapter nine of The House on Mango Street, "Meme Ortiz."

After discussing the loyal qualities of Petty Officer 1st Class Jon T. Tumilson's dog Hawkeye, Mr. Stone prayed and the class took quizzes over "The Scarlet Ibis" and "Sonata for Harp and Bicycle."

Mr. Stone discussed gerunds and participles with the class. He also highlighted two spelling strategies and the mythological roots of a number of common words. Students worked on completing two grammar and two vocabulary worksheets.

Homework: Read "If I Forget Thee, Oh Earth" (486).

Tenth Class: Reading

Students wrote about chapter eight of The House on Mango Street, "Gil's Furniture Bought & Sold."

In class, students read James Hurst's "The Scarlet Ibis" (554-564).

Homework: Read Joan Aiken's "Sonata for harp and Bicycle" (540-548). There will be a quiz over both stories next class.

Ninth Class: Plot and Character Test (Thursday: Periods 5 & 6; Friday: Periods 1, 2, & 7)

After a prayer, students completed a test over plot and character. They read Rumer Godden's "You Need to Go Upstairs" after the test. Mr. Stone went over the five basic parts of a story (character, plot, setting, point of view, and theme)and went discussed second-person point of view in more detail.

No homework! Enjoy your Labor Day weekend!

Eighth Class: Test Preparation (Wednesday: Periods 5 & 6; Thursday: Periods 1, 2, & 7)

Mr. Stone discussed Psalm 42:1 with the class for worship.

Students received back their graded quizzes. Mr. Stone went over the answers for the vocabulary worksheets to help review students for the upcoming test.

Each row presented the chararacter trait(s) they chose for their assigned character from "Blues Ain't No Mockingbird" which they analyzed yesterday. They supported their choice of character trait with passages from the story and explained whether they determined this trait through direct or indirect characterization techniques used by the author.

Mr. Stone added the terms round character, flat character, static character, and dynamic character to the list of literary terms needed to be learned for the test this week.

Homework: Finish preparing for the plot and character test.

Seventh Class: Characterization (Tues: Periods 2, 5, & 6; Wed: Period 1)

Students responded to a prompt about Esperanza's choices in chapter six of The House on Mango Street and considered the choices they make in obtaining entertainment/friendship.

Mr. Stone shared two quotes about character for a devotional thought:

"You can tell a lot about a fellow's character by his way of eating jelly beans." --Ronald Reagen, 40th U. S. President

"A man's character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation." --Mark Twain, humorist and author

After a quiz over "Blues Ain't No Mockingbird," Mr. Stone discussed the upcoming test and directions for analyzing the author's use of characterizaqtion in "Blues Ain't No Mockingbird" with the class.

Students worked in small groups to identify at least one character trait of their assigned character. They were to label each passage they highlighted with the form of characterization utilized.

Homework: Review chapter seven of The House on Mango Street and study for the upcoming plot and character test.

Sixth Class: Introduction to Characterization (Period 7 on Tuesday)

Students wrote a half a page in response to a prompt about chapter five of The House on Mango Street, "Cathy Queen of Cats".

For a devotional thought, Mr. Stone discussed William James' statement, "If you want a quality, act as if you already have it."

Students took a quiz over Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Red-head League" and completed a worksheet over selected vocabulary from the story.

Students took notes on terms related to characters and characterization.

Most periods began brainstorming in small groups about their own idea for a mystery.

Homework: Review chapter six of The House on Mango Street and read "Blues Ain't No Mockingbird" (570-576).

Fifth Class: Discussion of "One Ordinary Day with Peanuts"

Students wrote in response to the fourth chapter of The House on Mango Street, "My Name."

After Mr. Stone discussed the gospel song "They Will Know We Are Christians by Our Love" and prayed, the class took a quiz over "One Ordinary Day with Peanuts."

The class discussed Shirley Jackson's "One Ordinary Day with Peanuts."

Homework: Read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Red-headed League" (96-116).

Fourth Class--One Ordinary Day with Peanuts

Students began the class by responding to a prompt about chapter three of The House on Mango Street in their journals.

Mr. Stone shared Luke 12:22 with the class before a quiz over the six basic elements of a plot line.

Students completed a vocabulary worksheet over selected words from "One Ordinary Day with Peanuts" before they began reading the story.

Homework: Finish reading "One Ordinary Day with Peanuts" for a quiz tomorrow. Review chapter four of The House on Mango Street.

Third Class

Students responded to a question about chapter two of The House on Mango Street in their journals.

They completed a vocabulary worksheet for selected words from "The Interlopers" (302).

Mr. Stone shared Proverbs 15:1 with the class and prayed before a quiz over "The Interlopers."

Students worked with Mr. Stone to identify the type of conflict for twenty-nine plot manipulatives from "the Interlopers." After determining which conflict was primary in the story, students helped Mr. Stone arrange the manipulatives on the board to represent the plot line of the story.

Mr. Stone noted the complexity of the plot with its multiple conflicts.

Homework: Memorize the six basic parts of a plot line: exposition, narrative hook, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution. Review chapter three of The House on Mango Street.

Second Class

Mr. Stone discussed an adage and prayed. ("Outrageous behavior is instructive. It teaches us the limits of our tolerance.")

Students wrote in their journals in response to a prompt about chapter one of The House on Mango Street. Students were asked to either compare and contrast their own experience with Esperanza's, or more specifically, to compare and contrast their emotional response to their own home to Esperanza's response to her homes.

Students received a blue handout about the literary elements of a story. Mr. Stone discussed the six basic parts of a plot with students.

The class discussed the sequence of events in "The Most Dangerous Game" using a list of ten events from the story. Students completed a vocabulary worksheet for selected words from "The Most Dangerous Game."

Homework: Read Saki's "The Interlopers" (304-310) and review chapter two of The House on Mango Street.

First Class

Welcome to English I!

Students have assigned seats in alphabetical order to help Mr. Stone learn their names.

We listened to Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game" (19).

[Note: numbers in parentheses indicate the page number(s) in our class's primary textbook--Prentice Hall Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes: Gold Level. California Edition. 2002 Edtion. Parenthetical citations from other texts will be more fully indicated.)

Bring a composition book and The House on Mango Street to class on Monday.

Review chapter one of The House on Mango Street for Monday. (We will be writing journal entries in response to each chapter. We will not be taking a test over the book.)

Bring your green textbook (Prentice Hall Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes: Gold Level), a notebook with paper, and a pen and pencil to every class period. We will keep your composition book in the classroom.

If you have any questions, e-mail Mr. Stone (dstone@lla.org).