Week of May 7th

Monday, May 7th
• Due: Full draft of research paper, in a state of 99.9% readiness, in hard copy when you arrive in class.
• Class: You will have the hour to trade papers and proofread with a partner. Make the most of it!

Tuesday, May 8th
• Due: Final research paper (12-15 pages not counting your Works Cited page, perfect MLA format and citations, in hard copy when you arrive in class).
• Class: Self-assessment of research paper and introduction of letter writing assignment (due on Monday, May 14th). Beginning of The Catcher in the Rye.

Wednesday, May 9th
• Due: Read Catcher Ch. 1-4 (pg. 1-35) and complete Journal Assignment #1 (see below) in your blue book.
• Class: Discussion of first reactions, narrator, slang and voice in The Catcher in the Rye.

Thursday, May 10th
• Due: Read Catcher Ch. 5-8 (pg. 35-58) and complete Journal Assignment #2 (see below) in your blue book.
• Class: Discussion of the life and death of Allie Caulfield and “Out, Out” by Robert Frost.

Friday, May 11th
• Class drops today (U-Day). Good luck to those taking the AP history exam today!

Monday, May 14th
• Due: “American issue” letter, including an address or online submission policy. Read Catcher Ch. 9-14 (pg. 60-104). No journal due today.
• Class: Discussion of Holden’s problems.

Best Research Site Ever

The Diana Hacker website is the best I know for research related questions. Remember that you'll be using MLA format. The main site for Research & Documentation is at http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/.

For information on creating a Works Cited entry, see this one:

http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/p04_c08_s2.html

And for information in in-text citations, don't forget to look here:

http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/p04_c08_s1.html

Browse around when you have some time; there's lots to see. Happy researching!

Darfur Editorial Contest

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Committee on Conscience is sponsoring a writing contest asking students to respond to a question about what more students can do to stop the genocide in Darfur. Check out all the details by clicking here.

Of course, show me your submission to the contest and you'll also receive extra credit from me.

Week of January 1st

Welcome back to school! (I know, I know ... but welcome anyway.) This week is a short one for us:

• Monday: No school today. Happy New Year!
  
• Tuesday: Benjamin Franklin and resolutions. Nothing due today.
  
• Wednesday: Are you a romantic? Lecture on movements in American literature. Due: Your personal credo (at least one page; handwritten is fine).
  
• Thursday: Review vocabulary exercises. "Thanatopsis." Due: Exercises for Unit Six in the vocab book.
  
• Friday: No class. Over the weekend you'll be working on an assignment for Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Happy Holidays

Have a great week off and I will see you in the new year! No homework for English, in case you were checking -- go read a good book.

Update: Short Story Options

Sorry for not posting these earlier! As a reminder, the stories for Wednesday are:

• Julia Alverez, "Daughter of Invention," 1076
  
• Richard Wright, "Black Boy," 1012
  
• John Updike, "Son," 1068
  
• Amy Tan, "Rules of the Game," 1109

Note that these pages are for the author biographies that precede the stories; keep going to get to the story itself. Remember you need to choose one to read carefully for Wednesday; no written work just yet.

Week of December 18th

We'll be finishing out our study of the Puritan period this week with sharing our "sermons" with the class:

• Monday: Your sermons are due today: one copy for me (with peer edit and rough draft), and one formatted for you to read from.
  
• Tuesday: No class.
  
• Wednesday: Contemporary short story (just read carefully; there could be a quiz) due today. Discussion of stories and we’ll continue reading sermons.
  
• Thursday: Sermons and short story wrap up.
  
• Friday: Remaining sermons and something a little light to wrap up the week.

Have a great vacation, see you next year!

Happy New Year!