Lesson Plan

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 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.

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 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).

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.

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.

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 will work with partners to try and come up with a thesis based solely on the notes that they took while watching Henry V.  In World Literature, students will watch the first part of Spike Lee's Four Little Girls - the story of the Birmingham Church Bombing (as part of our reading of Song of Solomon).