Mrs. Lacy

Honors Ninth Literature/Composition

March 16 - April 3

Essential Questions:

    How does punctuation reinforce the writer's meaning?
    What key features of argumentative writing are effective?
    How can I effective address the counter-argument in my essay?
    What characteristics are unique to descriptive writing and to cause and effect writing?
    What are the essential components of a debate?
    How can I anticipate my opponent's argument?  How can I prepare for an effective rebuttal?

March 16:  Complete short story tests from Friday/Begin review of comma rules/Assign
                 Latin and Greek prefixes/suffixes along with spelling demons for quiz on Friday

March 17:  Return expository essays/exemplary essays read aloud/Assign The Glass Menagerie
                for parallel reading--due:  April 1 (students should bring their copies everyday and
                should feel free to ask questions as they read). Homework:  The Glass Menagerie
                for the following two weeks

March 18:  In-class paragraphs (descriptive and cause/effect)/Comma rules continued

March 19:  In-class paragraphs/Comma rules continued

March 20:  Comma rules continued/parallel reading in class/brainstorming activity for
                 upcoming debates/vocabulary quiz postponed until Monday

March 23:  Vocabulary quiz on Latin and Greek roots along with spelling demons/Return
                 short story tests/Overview of debates and expectations identified in rubric

March 24:  Selection of topics and groups for debates next week/Writing Lab for research
                 Homework:  Students should continue researching and reading for their debates.

March 25:  Writing Lab for research/planning with debate partners
                 Homework:  Reading and research for debates

March 26:  Debate planning with partner

March 27:  Debate planning with partner

March 28:  Finalize debate plans/pep rally

Standards:  ELA9RL4, ELA9RL5, ELA9W4, ELA9W1-3, ELA9C1, ELA9LVS1

Honors Ninth Literature/Composition

March 9 - 13

Essential Questions:

    What techniques can I use to write persuasively?
    Does love require sacrifice?
    In the face of adversity, what causes some people to prevail while others fail?

March 9:  Rough drafts are due for persuasive essays (Should grades be abolished?)/Revisions focusing
              on structure/organization of ideas, paragraph development, grammar/mechanics/
              unit #6 vocabulary (note:  vocabulary quiz will be Thursday). Homework:  complete final copy
              of essay.

March 10:  "The Scarlet Ibis" in class/review of fiction terms/Homework:  short stories assigned for
                 Thursday, March 12/final copy of essay due.

March 11:  Analysis exercises for short story assignment/check vocabulary exercises/
                Assign:  The Glass Menagerie as parallel reading (bring copy to class Monday, 3/17)

March 12:  Vocabulary quiz #6/Review for short story test tomorrow

March 13:  Short story test

Standards:  ELA9RL1,2,3; ELA9RC1,2; ELA9LVS1; ELA9W1,2,3,4

AP Literature/Composition

March 2 - 14

Essential Questions:
    What comic techniques do satirists use to criticize their respective societies?
    How does comedy serve as a political and social tool?
    What three problematic areas do I need to address in my writing?
    How does the structure of a poem enhance its meaning?

    During the week, students will present the videos they have produced that focus on one aspect of contemporary comedy.  Each group is responsible for incorporating theories pertaining to comedy/humor into their presentations.  Following this assignment, students will begin working on their research papers that will be due prior to Spring Break.  In addition, our study of poetry continues.
Crime and Punishment is due Monday, March 16...finally! 

Standards:  ELA12RL1,2,3; ELA12W4; ELA12RC1; ELALVS1,2

Ninth Honors Literature/Composition

Essential Questions:
*Why do children's stories and fairy tales change across time and cultures?
 *How do the differences in children's stories such as Little Red Riding Hood reflect the characteristics,  values, traditions, and specific beliefs of the different societies and cultures that produced them?  *What culture-bearing functions are illustrated in contemporary children's stories?  
*How is contemporary literature affecting socialization and to what extent are cultural norms   shifting?

March 2:  Introduction of the concept of culture-bearing texts/Application to Little Red Riding Hood/
               Group analysis of another fairy tale as a culture-bearing text
               Homework:  Read two versions of a famous fairy tale (Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, etc.).
                                  Compare and contrast both versions using a T-chart or a Venn diagram,
                                 focusing on specific examples of cultural values, traditions, and beliefs.                                       Responses may include the following:  class-structure, family
                                 dynamics, individual behaviors, religious overtones, gender roles/
                                 gender bias.

March 3:  (Early Release Day) Comparison of fairy tales due/small group sharing
               Homework:  Bring to class one of your childhood books that you consider a culture-bearing                text.  Also bring to class a print advertisement or find an advertisement online that reflects
               a contemporary value.

March 4:  Informal persuasive presentations using homework assignments

March 5:  "Harrison Bergeron" as contemporary example of culture-bearing text/Vocabulary unit
                #5 exercises due

March 6:  Vocabulary quiz #5/Poe revisited   

Standards:  ELA9RL1,2,3; ELA9W2; ELA9LVS1,2ELA9RC2,3

AP Literature/Composition

February 16 - 27

Standards:  ELA12RL1, ELA12RL2, ELA12LVS1, ELA12W1,ELA12W2

Essential Questions:

    How do symbols reinforce the meaning of The Stranger?
    How does the sun and light function as the dominant motif of the novel?
    Why do we laugh?
    Does laughter define comedy?
    Is comedy universal or culture-, gender-, experience-specific?
    Does comedy have its own language and methods?
    How is comedy serious business?

    Our review of Camus' The Stranger culminates in a think/pair/share session of the symbols in the novel followed by a written analysis of the dominant motif (the sun and light).  We will then switch gears to comedy for a welcome reprieve!  Using props and costumes from Pope's drama department, we will read aloud Moliere's classic, Tartuffe.  Throughout the week of 2/23-27, students will be working on their technology-based projects focusing on comedy in television and film.  Students will work in groups to produce a thematic overview of satiric film clips, focusing on specific methods and techniques used by writers of comedy.  Using class handouts and research from film criticisms and essays on comedy, students will identify, analyze, and apply comic conventions that demonstrate their understanding of the genre.   

    Students should consult their copies of Two Weeks at a Glance for daily assignments.

Honors Ninth Literature/Composition

February 16 - 27

Standards:  ELA9RL1, ELA9RL2, ELA9LVS1, ELA9RL5, ELARL3, ELA9W4

Essential Questions:
    What are the characteristics or elements that cause a work of literature to endure?
    How does Act V provide closure for the entire play?
    How can we evaluate the effectiveness of the play production we attended at
         the Shakespeare Tavern?
    How can you study effectively for the test on Romeo and Juliet?
    How does reading inform and shape our understanding of the work in which we live?
    How can reading make us better writers?

2/16:  Student holiday
          Homework:  Students are to prepare five questions from their reading of
                             Act IV.  They should be prepared to share these with the class.

2/17:  Student-generated questions due.  We will review Act IV in class using these
          prepared questions in addition to completing study questions from their packets.
          In pairs, students will compile a list of reasons what they consider to be the qualities
          of enduring literature (using Romeo and Juliet and Of Mice and Men as examples).

2/18:  Field trip to the Shakespeare Tavern

2/19:  Class review/critique of yesterday's presentation.  Summary of Act V (significant
           scenes, characterization, key quotations, patterns of imagery). 

2/20:  Teacher-led review of the play and Family Feud review between the Capulets and
          the Montagues!
          Homework:  Study for your test (this grade will count as two test grades).

2/23:  Test on Romeo and Juliet
           Homework:  Complete assigned bookmark for tomorrow; optional memory work due
           on Tuesday

2/24:  Bookmarks and memory work due. Distribute fiction terms to be defined for tomorrow.
          "The Most Dangerous Game" in class (p. 18)
          Homework:  Read "The Interlopers" (p. 304)

2/25:  Comparison of "The Most Dangerous Game" and "The Interlopers"/Review of fiction
          terms

2/26:  "The Cask of Amontillado" in class
           Homework:  Review exercises for units 1-3 due tomorrow

2/27:  Vocabulary study - Unit #4 in class/Impromptu essays in class

AP Literature/Composition - 3rd Block

February 2 - 13

Standards:  ELA12RL1, ELA12RL2, ELA12LVS2, ELA12W1

Essential Questions:
    What elements of modern tragedy are featured in Death of a Salesman as identified in
             "Tragedy and the Common Man"?
    To what extent is the American Dream changing? 
    How does Flannery O'Connor's use of distortion function in "A Good Man is Hard to Find"?
    How can I effectively structure an essay for the open question on the AP test?
    How do form and content contribute to the meaning of a poem?
    Are there universal themes in literature that are of interest and concern to all cultures and
          societies?
    To what extent is Camus' The Stranger an existential work? 

Having completed Kafka's The Metamorphosis, we will be looking at one of Georgia's finest--Flannery O'Connor.  Both authors' unique perspectives on the use of the grotesque/distortion provide more opportunities to explore the art of fiction.  Students will also write their first practice essay for the AP test (it's just around the corner!) using a writing prompt for the open question.  We'll pause for a brief introduction to poetry before we plunge into Camus' The Stranger. Their test will feature a student-made film of the novel ( by David Ahuja, who graduated many years ago from Pope), offering an untraditional testing format for this classic work.

Students should consult Two Weeks at a Glance for daily assignments.

Honors Ninth Literature/Composition

February 9 - 13

Standards:  ELA9RL1, ELA9RL2, ELA9LVS1, ELA9W4, ELA9C1

Essential Questions:
    What recurring images and motifs appear in Act II and Act III in Romeo and Juliet?
    Do the characters seem to be governed by fate, free will, or a combination of both?
    How do the characteristics of Renaissance tragedy apply to the play thus far?
    How can I revise my essays to achieve more clarity in expression?

February 9:  Review scenes 3 and 4 of Act II along with accompanying film version of
    these scenes/introduction of vocabulary unit #3/Homework:  complete reading of Act II and Act III,
    scene 1 only/complete study questions for these scenes

February 10:  Review scenes assigned for homework/Act III, scenes 1 and 2 in class/Homework: read
   remaining scenes in Act III for Thursday (2/12) and complete study questions.  Note:  Students have
   two nights to complete this assignment.

February 11:  Corrections and revisions of speech analysis essays/Student-teacher conferences/Coach
   workbook exercises (pp. 118-119, 146-147, 158-159, 196-197 and 200-201)/Homework:  complete
   reading assignment on Act III for tomorrow

February 12:  Act III completed in class/possible pop quiz on homework reading assignment/review
  vocabulary unit #3 for tomorrow's quiz/Homework:  vocabulary quiz #3

February 13:  Vocabulary unit #3 quiz/Begin Act IV in class/Homework: Read remaining scenes in
  Act IV and complete study questions for Tuesday, February 17. 

Our field trip to the Shakespeare Tavern to see Romeo and Juliet is scheduled for Wednesday, February 18.  This experience will give us an opportunity to compare the company's presentation with our talented cast in 4th block!

Honors Ninth Literature/Composition

February 2 - 6

Standards:  ELA9RL 1, ELA9RC 1

Essential Questions:

How do societal and cultural backgrounds influence a character's thoughts and actions?
To what extent does fate control our lives?
How does Shakespeare use imagery and figurative language to enhance characterization and mood in Act I of Romeo and Juliet?

2/2:  Test on Of Mice and Men/Introduction to Shakespeare and Romeo and Juliet/Study questions distributed for Act I/ Homework:  Read and take notes from pp. 764-767

2/3:  Writing Lab to complete final copy of speech analysis/Scene 1 of play in class
        Homework:  Complete study questions from scene 1

2/4:  Act I completed in class/Homework: Complete study questions for all of Act I

2/5:  Act II in class/Homework:  Complete reading of Act II and answer study questions

2/6:  Review of drama terms and vocabulary from play/video selections from play

AP Literature/Composition 3rd

January 20 - 30

Standards:
    ELA12R 1,2
    ELA12W 1,2
    ELA12LVS 1

Essential Questions:
    How does what others think about you affect how you think about yourself?
    What are the potential conflicts when one's reality is another's illusion?
    Does love require sacrifice?
    What limits, if any, should be placed on the pursuit of happiness?
    Are Willy Loman and Gregor Samsa tragic heroes?

After completing their comparison/contrast essays, students will focus on Kafka's The Metamorphosis and Miller's Death of a Salesman.  Kafka's ambiguous work provides students the opportunity to explore numerous interpretative approaches (psychological, mythological, existential) for group presentations.  In addition, we will begin our discussion of Death of a Salesman and examine it in a modern context using Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat.

Students should consult Two Weeks at a Glance for daily assignments.