Final Assignment

You've reached the last week of school! For your final assignment, I'd like you to reflect on something you learned this year. It might be in my class or in some other class or not even at school; it could be a hobby or activity that you learned or in which you got better. Tell me about what you learned, give me some specifics and reflect on its meaning for you.
You may use any format you like: video (any accessible platform), audio only (again, any accessible platform), written work (paragraph, poem, etc.), drawing. I'll leave that up to you. Have fun with it. If you make a video or other type of linked item, (Tiktok, Youtube, etc.) just include the link in your document.
Please put the item in your English folder and title your doc or google slide First Initial Last Name Final (example B Desai Final). This is due by Wednesday, June 17 before 2 p.m. 

I hope you all have a safe, joyful summer. Much love, Ms. D.

Assignments for the week of June 8

To finish looking at the Harlem Renaissance, I'd like you to read and react to a beautiful poem, one that speaks to love rather than hardship. Here's the link: An Aspect of Love

Moving on to Modernist short stories, you have two this week, the first one using stream-of-consciousness, which was one of the techniques Modernists explored. The other is more in the realm of Realism. Both stories examine strong women characters in a time where women had limited options.
Your assignment is to read both stories and write an essay about any theme that unites these stories. Remember to use a proper thematic statement. It must have a developed introduction, a proper thesis statement, at least three developed body paragraphs, and a developed conclusion. Body paragraphs must have thorough, complete evidence AND reasoning.

Here's the first link: The Jilting of Granny Weatherall

Here's the second: The Chrysanthemums

Doc in your English folder will be titled First Initial Last Name Comparison (example B Desai Comparison). 

Due June 15 before 2 p.m.

Assignments for Week of June 1

We continue this week looking at the Harlem Renaissance. Also, I've scheduled a zoom meeting to discuss the Modernists (including the Harlem Renaissance) so far.

The meeting is Wednesday, June 3 at 12:30. I'll send out the link a few minutes beforehand.

Here's the link to the first assignment:
Harlem

Here's a link to the second assignment:
Old Lem

Assignment for May 26

The Harlem Renaissance was part of Modernism. Here's some background information and questions, which is one of your three assignments this week. All three assignments are due Monday, June 1 before 2 p.m.

Harlem Renaissance

Assignment number 2 is here: Let America be America Again

Assignment number 3 is here: Cross

Assignment for May 18

Last week we looked at a brief poem from Imagist Ezra Pound. This week, we look at much longer one from his contemporary, another Modernist, T.S. Eliot.

Here's a link to the assignment. Due Tuesday, May 26 before 2 p.m. (It would normally be due on Monday, but May 25 is a holiday.)

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

Assignment for May 6

A subset among the Modernists, the Imagists, sought to create clear, precise images using minimal language. One of these Imagists was Amy Lowell, whose poem "Patterns" we looked at last week. This week you'll be looking at one very short poem from the Imagist Ezra Pound. Pound's poem "In a Station of the Metro" was originally much longer, but Pound kept paring it down to its essence. Ultimately, he reduced the poem to two lines. Within those two lines, he created a great deal of meaning. Your job this week is to unpack this meaning. Click the link for the assignment below.

In a Station of the Metro Assignment

Assignment for April 28

The Modernists were influenced by WWI, which disrupted the worldview of many at the time. In the link below are two poems dealing with war (though not necessarily WWI-Lowell's poem goes back much further). Read the poems and answer the questions after each poem.

Due date: Tuesday, May 5, before 2 p.m.

Modernist War Poems and Questions

Assignment for April 21, 2020

We'll be covering the Modernists for the next few weeks. Modernism arose after WWI. Artists were disaffected by the war and by industrialization, and they radically altered how literature was written and how it was read.
They broke from the older model of writing, and expected their audiences to interpret text, rather than explaining everything to them. They used subtext and stream-of-consciousness, among other devices.
Here are two links for poem analysis for the Modernist era.
The docs for both are due to be completed before Monday, April 27 at 2 p.m.

The Unknown Citizen-with questions

Who's Who-with questions

Assignment for April 13, 2020

While, you've been stuck at home (or at some other time in your life) you have probably binge-watched or binge-read a TV or book series, which makes you something of an expert on that show or book series. This assignment lets you examine an aspect of one of your favorites series. If you don't have a favorite TV or book series, please email me so that I can work out an alternative.

This assignment has the credit divided into three parts (even though it's just one assignment). I do it that way so that if you don't do well in one area or another of writing, you can still get credit for some other area. Please click the link below the the handout explaining the assignment.

Due date: Tuesday, April 21 before 2 p.m.
Working Binge watch/read assignment

Assignment for April 8, 2020

Good morning! This is our last assignment about procedure before we get into proper classwork tomorrow.

What:

1. Create a doc in your English folder.

2. Title the doc: First Initial Last Name Summary (example: B Desai Summary). 
This doc is where step four goes.

3. Read the section below called “A Note on Deadlines.” 

4. Summarize the information you read in step 3. (Write it in your doc.) Keep 
it brief. Hit the main points. I just want to know that you read and understood it.

When: Have this task completed (the document in your English folder) 
by Thursday, April 9, by 2 p.m.

What credit looks like

-The doc is in your English folder.

-The doc is titled as shown in the instructions (with your first initial and last name)

-It’s a summary of the material written below.

What no credit looks like

-There is no doc like this in the folder.

-The doc is improperly titled.

-There is no summary in the doc.

A Note on Deadlines: If you need an extension for any assignment, please 
let me know before the due date. Do not wait until the due date has passed 
to communicate with me. 

The late policy is different now because the situation is different. 

I know that there might be a number of reasons you need extra time. Some 
of you might have to take care of an ill parent or sibling. Some of you may 
be ill yourselves. Some of you have 504s or IEPs that allow you extra time 
on some types of work, and you may not always need it but you find that 
now you do. 

If you need more time, please tell me before the deadline. We can work 
out something to make sure you’re successful. Communication will be 
more important than ever in this new format.

Assignment for April 6, 2020

What: Send me an email (do not reply to an earlier one, please), so that I know 
you’re out there and ready to respond to assignments. 

You can tell me something as simple as “hi,” ask a question, tell me about 
your morning, whatever you like.

My email is bdesai@norfolkaggie.org.

Due date: Tuesday, April 7, 2020 by 2 p.m. (please keep in mind computers 
and the internet can be finicky. Send a few minutes before 1:59 is my advice.) :)

What credit looks like

You sent me an email (not a reply to an earlier one).

It arrived/is time stamped before 2 p.m Tuesday, April 7, 2020.

What no credit looks like

You sent a reply to an earlier mail instead of a new mail.

You replied after 2 p.m. tomorrow (Tuesday, April 7, 2020).

You did not reply.

Please know, in the new system there is no partial credit. You either 
earn credit or no credit.

Enrichment Work

March 30: for this week's enrichment, you could write an essay to entry an FFA contest. Prizes are:
First place: $7,500
Second place: $5,000
Third place: $2,500

To enter, submit an essay of 1,000 words or less responding to the prompt (listed in the link) by April 20, 2020. If you'd like feedback from me on in, please share the google doc with me before April 13. (That will give you time to polish up after feedback from me.)

Here's the link: FFA Essay Contest 

March 23: For this week's enrichment work, I recommend starting a journal. It's a good way to reflect and quiet the mind. We'll regroup and go back to regular work once the state allows us to do graded work. I so want to discuss the ending of Kavelier and Clay! (Be sure to finish it, if you haven't already since it was the assigned work for March 13.) Feel free to reach out at any time with questions or just to say hi. :)

Midterm exam

Your midterm exam will be an in-class essay that covers writing a proper thesis statement for literary analysis, proper topic sentences, and using thorough evidence-based argumentation. Please review the prezi on EBA (in the online textbook) and review your thesis statement and topic sentence materials.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavlier and Clay

Here's a link to the journal guidelines: Journals

Remember: Come prepared to discuss. Keep up with the reading and journals.

Every Monday (or Tuesday if Monday is off), turn in a list of 10 words you found in the text in the past week's reading and didn't know (or weren't entirely sure of). Include part(s) of speech and the definition. These should be hand-written.