"A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read"

-- Mark Twain

Monday, March 21, 2011

Plans for March 21 to March 25

Monday or Tuesday (A/B)

  • Quote Guides: Students will turn in their quote guides at this time. 
  • In-Class Essay: Students will have the remainder of the block to write their in-class essays on Huck Finn.  When they are finished, they must staple their outlines to their essays and turn both in.
    • Huck Finn novels will be collected at this time.
  • If students finish early: they will begin reading the homework assignment in their text books – Jack London’s “To Build a Fire” (pgs. 596-610)
  • Homework: Read Jack London’s “To Build a Fire” (596-610) and be prepared for a reading check quiz.  Be sure to bring your textbooks to class!

Wednesday or Thursday (A/B)

  • Reading Check Quiz: Jack London’s “To Build a Fire”
  • Review: We will review the basic plot of “To Build a Fire” before I formally introduce American Naturalism.
  • Note-Taking: Students will take notes from a PowerPoint presentation on Naturalism, and we will discuss how Naturalism relates to Realism and to Twain’s Huck Finn. (notes from pgs. 447-49 in old textbook)
  • Small Groups: Students will get into groups of no more than 4.  They will receive copies of “An Age of New Forces” (436-37 in old book) and “Literature in an Age of Science” (444-45 in old book).  They will have 10 minutes to respond to the following question:
    • Based on what you have read about the context of the times, why do you think that Naturalism became popular in American Literature at this time?
  • Discuss: Small-group work
  • Full-Class Close Reading: We will examine a few passages from “To Build a Fire” and discuss elements of Naturalism in the story.
  • Real-Life Connections – Animal Instincts and Natural Disasters: We will view a short YouTube video on how animals reacted hours before the tsunami hit Indonesia in 2004. 
  • Closing Activity: We will discuss the current events occurring in Japan in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami and students’ reactions to the video.
  • Homework: Read Stephen Crane’s “The Open Boat” (handout) and be prepared for a reading check quiz next class.

Friday or Monday (A/B)

  • Reading Check Quiz: Stephen Crane’s “The Open Boat”
  • Student Summary: I will ask for one or more volunteers from the class to provide a summary of the basic plot before we discuss how the story relates to Naturalism.
  • Real-Life Connections: We will discuss Stephen Crane’s actual experience stranded at sea and how this impacted his writing.
  • Review and Watch: What is Naturalism?
  • Small-Group Work: Students will break into groups of no more than four and find at least two passages from “The Open Boat” that reflect American Naturalism.  They must take notes in their notebooks and be prepared to discuss their findings with the class.
  • Closing Activity – Monmouth County Connection: Stephen Crane was not only a New Jersey native, but a resident of Asbury Park.  He was educated in the Asbury Park School District and spent his summers at the family home.  The Crane House is still preserved today and open to the public.
  • Homework: Read “A Mystery of Heroism” by Stephen Crane (handout) and be prepared for a reading check quiz next class.
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