American Literature

Work for Friday 17 February 2012

2012-02-14T20:30:00.003-05:00

Please finish Daisy Miller. Read the last several pages very closely. Answer the questions on the handout I gave you in class. I am attaching the paper options here so that you can decide whether you want to do a paper or take a test!!!!

Daisy Miller

Essay Options

I. Choose one of the following topics andwrite at least a 500 word essay ( two typed pages ) on it.

A. Rewrite a major scene from the first personpoint of view. Use Daisy, Winterbourne,or Mrs. Costello for this option. Youmay have that person’s thoughts and observations as part of the scene. Use dialogue and description following thepattern of the original. Keep the plotsimilar but make changes according to how that person would narrate the eventsof the scene you choose

B. Compare the book and the movie. Tellhow they are alike and different and whether the movie helps you to interpretthe narrative since you can see the nuances of the events and characters. Did the director Bogdanovich translate thestory well? Why or why not. Use specific scenes to back up your opinion.

II. Choose two of the following topics andwrite 250 words or more on each.

A. Daisy is described as extraordinarily goodlooking. How does this description work as a plot element necessary to the effect of the story? Use paraphrases and quotations from thenovella to make your points.

B. Some of the scenes of the plot take placeindoors and some outdoors. How does thesetting the author chooses help to define the main theme of the plot: Americanfreedom and honesty vs. European decorum or formality and proper speech?

C. Could the theme of American innocent vs.European calculated behavior be developed as well as it was if therepresentative of European behavior was Daisy, and Winterbourne was the innocent Americanrepresentative of openness and honesty? Or is the standard view of males and females necessary to make the pointof Daisy’s rebelliousness? In shor,twould this novella work if their roleswere reversed?

D. Write several letters from Daisy to a friendin NY “society” explaining what her life in Europe is like.

N.B. A topic of your choice needs my approval but is a welcomed alternative!

Work for Friday 10 February 2012, Tuesday 14 Febuary

2012-02-08T12:17:00.004-05:00

For this Friday, read the remainder of part one. On the sheet I gave you, do questions 1-7.
For this Tuesday, the 14th, read pp. 28-42 or from The scene change to Rome the following January to when Winterbourne leaves Daisy and Giovanelli in the carriage and walks '-towards the residence of his aunt Mrs. Costello." Add any new character list and do the questions I give you on Friday.

Work for Tuesday 7 February 2012

2012-02-05T09:07:00.002-05:00

Read and mark the next seven pages. You are able to answer q. 1-4 on the sheet I gave you. Please answer in at least a paragraph or two on separate paper. You may have a quiz on the first 15 pages or in your book up to the line of Mrs. Costell where she refuses to meet Daisy and says, " Mrs. Cornelius stares a moment." ' I would like to see my granddaughters do them!' "she declared grimly.". You will read the rest of part I Tuesday to Friday. Don't forget to add the new characters to the list and their descriptions.

Work for Friday 3 February

2012-02-01T13:15:00.003-05:00

Read the Note (one page) that introduces Daisy Miller. Then read the beginning of the story up to and including the part after Randolf is intrroduced. The last para. is on pg. 8 and begins with, "Mother thought..." and ends with "...He is very smart."

Then list the characters you meet and write down the words that describe any thing about them.

28 January 2012

2012-01-26T06:50:00.001-05:00

Please read and underline important passages in The Great Divorce, and bring all your journals to class.

Work for 24 January 2011

2012-01-22T15:35:00.002-05:00

We are heading towards the end of the book. Are you choosing Heaven ?

Read and mark in text important quotes for Chapters 9 & 10. See you Tuesday!

21 January 2011

2012-01-18T08:28:00.001-05:00

Do chapter 9 and finish any back Chapts. Your grade will include all work for Chapts 1-9 for this marking period that closes this Fri.

Work for 17 January 2012

2012-01-14T17:47:00.000-05:00

Please do the next two chapters in the Great Divorce. Read Chapters 7&8. Make a double entry journal sheet. In the top Full Space tell who are the Characters in that story. Then In the left column write a summary of what happens in the chapter while using good quotes (at least 5-6) that tell more about the story. Then in the right hand column write what the meaning of the story is, including the lesson of the story as well as why the Ghost does not take the invitation to go to Heaven.

2012-01-10T20:05:00.001-05:00

Please identify and explain the quotes on your handout that I have assigned your group.R.J. do all of the Chapter 5 quotes about the Episcopal Bishop and the Spirit Dick(The Bright Person).

We will discuss this ib class on Friday and you will fill in all the sheets so we can move forward. These journals serve as a review! Have fun. Ms. Barbara

2011-12-20T08:46:00.000-05:00

Blessings to you and yours this wonderous Christmastide.
Love and Prayers,
Your teacher+
Mrs. Barbara

Friday 16 December 2011

2011-12-15T08:54:00.000-05:00

I hope to spend Friday discussing up to Chapter 6 of The Great Divorce!

Work Due Tuesday 13 December 2011

2011-12-10T07:54:00.001-05:00

Please complete your journals on Chapters 1-3. Include in your personal reflections part what lessons for life you are learning.

Work For 9 December 2011

2011-12-06T18:21:00.002-05:00

How exciting to begin a new book and one as engaging as The Great Divorce. You now know that the divorce is between Heaven and Hell. Read Chapters 1-3. Fill in the Ghost chart with those you meet. Do a Double Entry Journal using the topics I gave in class Lewis'View of Heaven-Lewis' view of Hell etc. from the list. The le ft column consists of words, phrases and sentences quoted from the text. The right hand column contains your personal reflection on the author's words.

Work for 6 December 2011

2011-12-03T14:56:00.002-05:00

The draft of your character paper is due Friday,

For Tuesday, read the introduction to The Great Divorce and write at least a paragraph telling what it is about.

Work for December 2nd 2011

2011-11-30T05:30:00.003-05:00

Wow! December already! Please complete take-home quiz. Here are two short paragraph questions to answer.

Answer 2 of the 4 essay questions. Please use concrete examples from the play to make your points.

1. Discuss how the charges of witchcraft are based on enmity and/or personal self-interest of several characters? Give two examples

2. How do the witchcraft trials empower people who were previously powerless?

3. Discuss the changes Rev. Hale undergoes throughout the play.

4. What is the Historical back-ground of the witchcraft trials?

5. Who is the hero of the play? Why do you think this?

We will discuss a paper in class. Bring the Crucible.
**N.B. your next book is The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis-aspiritual book for the Advent/Christmas season! Bring it as soon as you have it!

Work For Friday 18 November 2011

2011-11-16T09:53:00.002-05:00

Well! Almost turkey time! As I suggested read as much of Act IV as you have time for and do the same with the questions. We will talk about the end of Act III then on to IV.

Work for Friday 11 November 2011

2011-11-08T17:03:00.001-05:00

Do the first part of Act three up to the page noted on the question sheet and write answers to questions 1-9

Work For Friday 4 November 2011

2011-11-01T21:20:00.002-04:00

Finish Act I all of you who are behind. Could be a surprize quiz is in your future?
Act II- Please read pp.47 to 59. (Up to Reverend Hale's entrance. Questions 1-9.

Tuesday,November 1, 2011

2011-10-29T10:06:00.002-04:00

Please finish reading Act I of the Crucible. Do the questions I assigned. I will email them to I.S.

Happy Halloween-Beware of flying witches named Betty!

Work for 28 October 2011

2011-10-25T19:58:00.002-04:00

We have finally begun the Crucible. I would like you to continue with part of Act One. Start the play over and fill out the character chart with what you learn about those you come across. Read only to page 30 where Robert Hale enters.

Work for 25 October 2011

2011-10-22T10:18:00.003-04:00

Please draft autobiography paper. Use questions as a guideline. The paper needs to be 5 or more paragraphs long. The top of the sheet I gave you needs to be written as part of the first paragraph. I hope you remember the no. of sentences a para. has! :)

Work for Friday October 21, 2011

2011-10-18T18:04:00.002-04:00

Please complete a rough graft of three sections of the autobiography report I gave you. Each section must have 1 or more quotations from the book itself.

I will have you all read what you have so far in class on Fri.

Rest will be due Tuesday the 24th.

Work for Tuesday 18 October 2011

2011-10-14T17:38:00.003-04:00

We are almost done reading Frederick Douglass's Autobiography. We have to finish Chapter 11. Group I do questions 1-9; Group do questions 10-17. Then all read the appendix and answer the five questions there.

Form your own thoughts about what he says in the appendix and why he wrote it.

You will be writing about his life and what he contributed to the people in slavery times as well as now.

What ideas has he caused you to think about since you have read this bok?

Work for Friday 14 October 2011

2011-10-11T20:07:00.001-04:00

Chapters nine and ten of Frederick Douglass is due on Fri. Read, highlight and answer questions as follows:

Group I Chapt.9 Q.1-7; Chapt.10 Q.8-13

Group II Chapt. 9 Q.8-13; Chapt.10 Q1-7

Don't forget to choose a quote!

Work For Tuesday 11 October 2011

2011-10-07T16:18:00.005-04:00

Good class today. We filled ina great deal of background on Douglass!

Anyone absent last Tuesday needs to do the writing we did in class. Select a slave, give yourself an age and a job typical of your gender on the plantation. Then write a list in time order of all the things you must do from rising in the a.m. until you go to bed in the p.m.

Read Chapters 7 and 8.
In Chapter 7 Group I do questions 1-5; Group II do questions 6-10.
In Chapter 8 Group II do questions 1-3; Group I do questions 4-6.

Don't forget to choose one quote that stands out and do a response journal about it.

Work Due Friday October 7, 2011

2011-10-04T21:36:00.002-04:00

Frederick Douglas-Read and highlight Chapters 5-6.

Chapter 5 Group I do questions 1,2,3. Group II do questions 4,5,6.

Chapter 6 Group I do questions 1-5 Group II do question 6-10.

Don't forget to highlight book.

Work Due October 4, 2011

2011-09-30T18:56:00.006-04:00

Group: Number 1-I.S./O.G./A.K Chapter 3 Ques. 2,4. Chapter 4 Ques.1
Group: Number 2-T.B./S.T./R.J. Chapter 4 Ques. 1,3. Chapter 4 Ques.2

Please Read Chapters 3 and 4. I will email the Questions to I.S. who was absent. Write a response to one quote you have selected from each chapter!

Work for Friday 30 September 2011

2011-09-27T17:27:00.007-04:00

Read Chapters 1-2-and 3.

Group I=A.K./R.J./O.G
Group II=T.B./I.S./S.T.

Write answers to questions in complete sentences.

Chapt.I Group I p.5 # Q.1,4,5,8,10.
Group II p.5-6 # Q.2,3,6,7,12.
Response Journal Group I "By far...
Group II "It was...

Chapter II P.6. Group I #Q.1,3,7.
Group II #Q.2,4,5.
Response Journal Group I "Crying...
Group II "The same traits...

Look at time line and ad any information from the reading to it.

Work Due Tuesday 27 September 2011

2011-09-23T19:30:00.003-04:00

Prepare a typed draft of your Poe papeer. Use the outline if it is helpful. Do the best you can.

I will respond to them and return themto you for editing and revision. :)

Please bring the Frederick Douglass narrative book with you to class on Tuesday.

Have a fun weekend
Ms. B. Armbruster

Work for Friday 23 September 2011

2011-09-21T08:36:00.005-04:00

We discussed the Tell Tale Heart in great detail and the Cask of Amontillado in some detail so we have yet to finish it as well as The Masque of the Red Death. None-the-less, since you have read all three, I believe you can select one to write your paper about.

With that in mind, I would like you to Draft parts I. II. and III. of the critique in very rough form.

Write it out double spaced whether by hand or on computer.

Be sure to have a copy of the draft in class as well as your book or a printed copy of the text from the internet. You must always bring your book to class unless I tell you otherwise!

HERE IS A COPY OF THE CRITIQUE HANDOUT. PRINT IT IF YOU DO NOT HAVE IT!

CRITIQUES
Title (reflect words from final clincher)
I. Introduction
Dramatic opening (grab your reader’s attention)
Title & author of story; publisher, place, & year of publ.
Type of story: fable, fairy tale, adventure, hist. fiction…
Background information
Setting & mood: lively, suspenseful, humorous, solemn…

II. Characters
Who are the main characters? (protagonist=main character, usually
good guy; antagonist=one opposed to protagonist, often bad guy)
Describe them. What motivates them?
Do they change during the story (dynamic) or not (static)?

III. Conflict/Plot
What is the main problem, want, or need?
Briefly summarize the events significant to the cause
& working out of the conflict, up to the climax.
IV. Resolution (from Climax to Theme)
Identify climax (event leading to the conflict being resolved)
What is the resolution?
What is the theme? (What should have been learned?)

V. Conclusion (Your Opinion/Reaction)
Begin by expressing your general opinion of the story:
enjoyable, inspiring, fascinating, dull, trite, exciting,
compelling, enthralling, unique, thought provoking…
(Do not say “I,” “my,” or “you.”)

Then discuss any of the following:
Any part of the story sequence chart
Are characters well developed? Realistic? Likeable?
Is the conflict intriguing or predictable? Is there an
element of mystery, suspense, adventure, surprise?
Is the climax exciting or disappointing?
Is there a good resolution?
Is the theme clear? Is it powerfully presented? Do you
agree with it? Is it inspiring? Is it an important
lesson for most to learn?
Your favorite part of the story & why you like it.
Literary devices that made the story more interesting:
imagery or vivid descriptions, foreshadowing,
irony, point of view, flashbacks, symbolism, humor,
easy-to-read language, allegory…
Final Clincher: reflect your opening

CRITIQUE VOCABULARY
INTRODUCTION
Types of Stories: allegory, tale, fairy tale, saga, narrative, epic, legend,
mystery, comedy, anecdote, myth, science fiction, adventure, fable, folk
tale, anti-utopian, biography, drama, devotional, spiritual
Setting/Mood: bright, cheerful, lively, sad, solemn, tragic, comical, fun,
light-hearted, whimsical, fanciful, mysterious, eerie, suspenseful, bleak,
dreary, peaceful, chaotic, violent, foreboding, spiritual, cynical, satiric,
tongue-in-cheek
CHARACTERS
Synonyms: hero, villain, protagonist, antagonist, players, participants
Role: central, dominant, main, leading, major, minor, subordinate,
lesser, supporting, shadowy, secondary
Analysis: well (or poorly) drawn, fully (or under) developed, convincing
or unconvincing, consistent, static (unchanging), dynamic (changing),
lifeless, too predictable, overly evil, not believable, typical
CONFLICT/PLOT
Synonyms: problem, dilemma, desire, plan, conspiracy, scheme of
events, chain of events, sequence of events
Stages: began, initiated, driven, promoted, continued, expanded,
exacerbated, heightened, lessened, relieved
CLIMAX/RESOLUTION/THEME
Climax: turning point, most exciting moment, dramatic event, change in
events, high point, emotional crisis
Resolution: solution, remedy, fix, amelioration
Theme: message, moral, teaching, lesson, subject, inspiration,
application
CONCLUSION
Opinion: enjoyable, inspiring, dull, trite, too predictable, unique,
fascinating, captivating, suspenseful, thrilling, convincing, convicting,
compelling, obscure, thought-provoking, clear, poignant, pointed,
sketchy, unrealistic
Literary Devices: point of view (first, second, third person),
foreshadowing, irony, symbolism, flashbacks, quality of language
(simple, archaic, verbose, descriptive), poetic devises, decorations

Work Due Tuesday 20 September 2011

2011-09-16T18:30:00.002-04:00

We have finished going over the biographical reports you did and we will now move on to the Three Stories by Poe you read this summer. You will choose one and write a critique about it after I explain how to do this and walk you through the process.

For now I want you to read the critical material about the three stories I handed out in class. (Olivia, I sent you a copy by email) Reread the story you want to write about as well as highlight the important ideas in the hand out.We will talk about the stories and I will get you started on the paper in class.

Work for Friday 15 September 2011

2011-09-13T21:44:00.001-04:00

We will continue to have you read your biographical reports and discuss the speeches as well. Remember to print the source or write it down so you can include it in the
paper. Also, please finish the comma exercises in the handout.
See You. Ms. Barbara

Plans for September 9, 2011

2011-09-06T18:11:00.001-04:00

We will continue our discussion of Huck Finn. You will read sections of your written work to the group.

Hope you enjoyed your first class! More to come!

2010-2012 Book List

2011-08-16T10:52:00.005-04:00

Barbara Armbruster armbruster75@gmail.com
Grade Nine American Literature Trinity Classical Christian Academy
2011- 2012

All Books Dover Press unless otherwise noted. Order online.

Summer Readings:
The Gold Bug and Other Tales by Edgar Allan Poe.
ISBN-13: 9780486268750 $2.50
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ISBN:0-486-2806 1-6 $2.00
Great Speeches of American WomenISBN:0-486-46141-6 $3.50 continued throughout the term.

All Dover press, unless otherwise noted.

1. September The Crucible ISBN-13: 0822202554. Drama: Puritan witchcraft trial in New England Colonial times. Amazon $ 8.00

2. October Daisy Miller. Dover. Henry James (1878) . Americans abroad (Italy); cultural misunderstandings. ISBN: 0486287734 $3.00

3. November House of the Seven Gables. Hawthorne. (1851) ISBN-0-486-40882-5. Family drama of greed and revenge in Salem. $3.50

4. December The Life of Frederick Douglass, ISBN:0486284999Auto biography of a former slave. $2.00

5. January O Pioneers!, ISBN-0486277852. Willa Cather (1900) A look at westward migration. $2.50

6. February The Great Gatsby, ISBN-978-0-7432-7356-5 (1920's) . Life in the roaring twenties; the results of greed. Amazon 14.50

7. March 101 Great American Poems, Dover Thrift Edition. ISBN 0486401588. Genre/ Assorted poetry of the Period.$1.50

8. April/May The Great Divorce C.S. Lewis Amazon/Church Bookstore by order.
Opportunities for Salvation.

American Literature and Composition Grade 9

2011-08-16T10:23:00.006-04:00

American Literature Summer Assignments

Huck FinnUse a two column format below to create double entry journal sheets. Then write the heading like this: Top block-Huck Finn by Mark Twain. Left half block write a Quote from the Novel and the page #; Right half block Reflections.(What you think the quote means.

Again: write an important quotation of one or more lines and its page number for each chapter in the left hand column. Then in the right hand column write what you think the quote means and why it is important. Do this as you read the novel. You may have more than one quote per chapter if you wish. You can print more sheets as you need them or write the headings and quotes on loose leaf paper neatly.

We will discuss these on the on the first and second days of class (Sept 6th and 9th). You will hand them in when we finish the discussion.

Great American Speeches by Women

Great American Speeches. Choose one of the following speeches and memorize A paragraph or two from it. If you have memorized the whole speech- you will get extra credit. You will recite it or a part of it and read your paper on Sept.13th.
1. Mary McLeod Bethune p.122
2. Eleanor Roosevelt p.126
3. Nancy Pelosi p.177
4. Geraldine Ferraro p.139.

Then write a five paragraph paper about the person. Tell only important facts or write the five paragraph paper about whether you disagree or agree with what whe speaker says and why!

The Gold Bug and Other TalesRead the following Stories and Highlight the suspenseful parts. We will discuss these on Sept.20th.
1. The Masque of the Red Death p.57
2. The Tell Tale Heart p.74
3. The Cask of Amontillado p.116.