Finish discussion over A Long Way Gone, Adichie's "The Danger of a Single Story," Ortiz Cofer's "The Myth of the Latin Woman," and Goldsmith's "National Prejudices."

HW: Read Steinbeck's "Americans and the Land," pg. 667 in the McGraw-Hill Reader, for Friday. Note the author's use of similes and the diction of predators/prey.

AGENDA 9/21

Baseline essays

HW: Prepare for second round of seminars tomorrow.

AGENDA 9/20

The Grapes of Wrath Quiz
Review for Baseline Essay tomorrow:
Practice Baseline Essay Prompt
SAT scoring guide
Tips shared in class
Sample body paragraph

HW: Prepare for tomorrow's baseline essay. Bring blue or black ink pens and notebook paper, and a book in case you finish early.

AGENDA 9/17

Grammar Warm-up #1

Discussion over "The Myth of the Latin Woman" by Judith Ortiz Cofer, pgs. 249-253 in McGraw-Hill Reader and "National Prejudices" by Oliver Goldsmith, pgs. 241-243 in McGraw-Hill Reader, as well as A Long Way Gone and Adichie's talk.

HW: Study for Grapes of Wrath quiz and bring your copy of A Long Way Gone on Monday.

AGENDA 9/16

Vocabulary warm-up #1

Finish watching TED talk by Chimamanda Adichie, "The Danger of a Single Story" and complete viewing guide

HW: Summer Free Choice Book Letter due tomorrow. Read "The Myth of the Latin Woman" by Judith Ortiz Cofer, pgs. 249-253 in McGraw-Hill Reader and "National Prejudices" by Oliver Goldsmith, pgs. 241-243 in McGraw-Hill Reader, and be prepared to discuss both as well as A Long Way Gone and Adichie's talk tomorrow.

NOTE: You do NOT need to answer the comprehension questions following the essays. Please read the essays carefully, and perhaps note a significant quotation. Think about connections among the four texts.

AGENDA 9/15

Syllabus Quiz

Trip to textbook room - pick up The McGraw-Hill Reader and Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye (unless you plan to purchase your own copies--you will have two weeks before we need The Bluest Eye, but we'll use The McGraw-Hill Reader almost immediately!)

Watch TED talk by Chimamanda Adichie, "The Danger of a Single Story" and complete viewing guide

HW: Summer Free Choice Book Letter due on Friday. Today is the last day to email me to ask for an extension! Reading quiz on The Grapes of Wrath postponed till Friday because of my absence.

AGENDA 9/14

Introduce last five vocabulary words for A Long Way Gone
Group activity (3 people per group): Review major concepts from A Long Way Gone and brainstorm evidence from the book and other sources. Track in Major Concept Chart.

HW: Study for syllabus quiz tomorrow. Bring ID/schedule for trip to the textbook room. Summer Free Choice Book Letter due Friday--tomorrow is the last day to ask for an extension!