Lesson Plan

This is a test over The Great Gatsby. The test includes true/false, character matching, multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions. The test is very thorough and covers a lot of detail from the book. The students will need to know the characters inside and out. They are also asked to analyze and evaluate behavior of the time. It is key that some historical background be tought with this novel. If students do not understand the times, they will not understand "why" certain things occur.  

In World LIterature, students continued working on their end of the year project.  In British Literature, we have an introduction to William Blake - we see a slideshow of his paintings, discuss 6 poems including the 2 Holy Thursday poems, the Tyger, the Lamb, and we end with the Chimney Sweep poems - followed by listening to Lou Reed's "Dirty Blvd" - a song that echoes many of Blake's sentiments about poverty, youth, and being sold out.

In World Literature, the students will use class time to work on their end of the year movie project.  In British Literature, we will have an introduction to Robert Burns - I will try and play the harmonica (if I can find it) and we'll listen to some versions of Auld Lang Syne and talk about the poem, "To a Mouse."

In World Literature we will read and discuss E.B. White's "The Second Tree from the Corner" - a story about a man who realizes that the things he wants are the things that he can't have.  In British Literature, we will have an introduction to the Romantics - we will go look at the tree blossoms - read "A Child Went Forth," and hear a couple stories about Rainbows.

In World Literature, I give a lecture on their reading: Albert Camus's "The Myth of Sisyphus."  It is designed to give them the parts of the equation they need to put things together.  In British Literature, students work in groups on the final book of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

Yesterday in class my World Literature students worked in groups on the Leo Tolstoy story - "How Much Land Does a Man Need."  It is the perfect story to read after Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon - it covers the same ground in a very different way - by the time they finish the group work they should know the answer to the question that the title poses.  In British Literature, students continue working on dissecting Darcy's letter and seeing how it is the perfect "Research Paper."

In World Literature we had a discussion about James Joyce's "Counterpart," we talked about the story and its implications and we listened to a couple of songs that deal with child abuse (one aspect of the story).  In British Literature, I checked note cards (a very exhausting process).

In English III we will have  a discussion about Pride and Prejudice - Volume 2.  Much of it, I suspect, will focus on Darcy's letter - and how and why he does what he does.  In World Literature, we will have a discussion about the Italian short story, "The Jar."  Well, not a discussion, a trial with one lawyer representing Don Lolo and the other representing Zi Dima.  Yours truly will be the judge (here comes the judge...here comes the judge).

Both classes will be working in groups today: In World Literature students will examine the story, "The Jar," and also look at the nature of Justice - specifically as it applies in this story.  In British Literature, students will consider Alexander Pope's epic poem - "The Rape of the Lock."  At first glance it seems so silly to talk about such things with such seriousness - and then they consider what is done in the media today.

In World Literature, we discussed Ring Lardner's story of a practical joker who gets his due in "Haircut."  We linked it to our earlier discussion of bullying (and to the fact that Lardner was Hemingway's favorite author as a boy growing up).  In British Literature, the students worked on a very practical excercise on using quotes by writing a short research piece on the life of Alexander Pope.

When I walked into school yesterday - I started to prepare for a class discussion of Chekhov's "The Kiss."  The more I read, the more I wanted to do something else with this wonderful - subtle story.  I acted quickly (with an hour till class) and created an annotatable version of the story (Antext), and then lined up two labs for my classes - we went in their students annotated the story - and then posted a final reaction to it on AwaytoTeach.  As we were leaving after my first period, one of my first students said to me that she didn't "get" the story whe Read more »

In World Literature, students will take an exam on Song of Solomon - in British Literature, I will check bibliography cards and students will go over with a partner their new handouts on note cards.

In World Literature today we discussed Chapters 11 & 12 of Song of Solomon -we concentrated on Milkman and his bobcat hunt and his first nearly deadly encounter with Guitar.  We also talked about how he begins to realize so much on that hunt - the "communion" (eating the bobcat heart), and the sweetness he shows to Sweet.  In British Literature, we had a very rare discussion of Pride and Prejudice.  Because there was so much to cover - the students talked about what they were most interested in - but we also talked about defining what is "boring," and Read more »

It was the day before break and my classes had a lot fewer students - what was going to be a discussion, turned into group work at the last moment (saving the discussion for when we get back from break). So the students in World Literature worked on a group work for Chapter 11 of Song of Solomon - what Milkman does in the town to offend everyone and his trip out in the night to go hunting. In English III, we worked on getting approved theses - and I must proudly say that by the end of each period - everyone had their thesis approved. They worked on a group work (while I was conferencing with them) on the Restoration - designed to hone their thesis and outlining skills. Read more »

In British Literature, the students acted out an excerpt from John Milton's Paradise Lost.  Two days before they had worked with partners to summarize the action that takes place - and they used those summaries along with six original lines from the text.  In World Literature, we talked about Chapters 9 and 10 in Song of Solomon - a lot of ground to cover.  We discussed Milkman losing his suitcase, shoes, watch, lighter, etc. as he goes to visit Circe and to try and find the gold buried in a cave.