Tuesday, September 30
We reviewed the elements of structure (multi-chunk paragraph, multi-paragraph essay) and the principles of continuity from yesterday, and discussed how these might relate to the question of whether our essay should make an overall or point-by-point comparison, opting for the latter.
Students will write the essay in class on Thursday (in Mr. Potratz's absence).
HW due tomorrow:
One typed paragraph summarizing the essay you will write on Thursday.
We ended with some information about the Jewish High Holidays, which began last night.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Monday, September 29
Students turned in their ten CDs for the "Two Captivity Narratives" essay and we looked at one or three under the document camera. We then looked at the two basic choices for structuring a comparison -- overall or point-by-point (Everything about M, then everything about E versus a point about M, a point about E, then M, then E, etc.).
Next we reviewed the ways students have been taught to structure ANY essay on two levels: the two- or three-chunk essay, and the five-paragraph essay.
Mr. Potratz explained that our purpose in Junior year is to learn to use these guidelines in a more sophisticated way. These formulas are not to be used simplistically and mechanically. They are to help develop and organize your thoughts and to structure them into an essay. They are not to be used as a substitute for thought. They are to help you express what you want to say; they are not to determine what you should say by forcing your ideas into a predetermined mold. You should modify the formulas to accommodate your ideas, not change your ideas to fit the formulas. They are merely the skeleton -- the bones -- of your essay. They should not be visible; they should not stick out. And they are not to be confused with the living body of your essay.
In line with these ideas, Mr. Potratz added to the two formulas a further set of three Continuity Principles:
(1) Your essay should present a clear logical progression from the beginning to the conclusion;
(2) accordingly, you must have real transitions from one thought to the next to show how they are related; and
(3) your essay should build to its conclusion, not give equal weight to all its parts.
Students turned in their ten CDs for the "Two Captivity Narratives" essay and we looked at one or three under the document camera. We then looked at the two basic choices for structuring a comparison -- overall or point-by-point (Everything about M, then everything about E versus a point about M, a point about E, then M, then E, etc.).
Next we reviewed the ways students have been taught to structure ANY essay on two levels: the two- or three-chunk essay, and the five-paragraph essay.
Mr. Potratz explained that our purpose in Junior year is to learn to use these guidelines in a more sophisticated way. These formulas are not to be used simplistically and mechanically. They are to help develop and organize your thoughts and to structure them into an essay. They are not to be used as a substitute for thought. They are to help you express what you want to say; they are not to determine what you should say by forcing your ideas into a predetermined mold. You should modify the formulas to accommodate your ideas, not change your ideas to fit the formulas. They are merely the skeleton -- the bones -- of your essay. They should not be visible; they should not stick out. And they are not to be confused with the living body of your essay.
In line with these ideas, Mr. Potratz added to the two formulas a further set of three Continuity Principles:
(1) Your essay should present a clear logical progression from the beginning to the conclusion;
(2) accordingly, you must have real transitions from one thought to the next to show how they are related; and
(3) your essay should build to its conclusion, not give equal weight to all its parts.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Friday, September 26
Students turned in their notes from Thursday along with their one or two sentences summing up the projected essay.
We put several of the sentences under the document camera and critiqued them, then selected some to use as the basis for our papers. We agreed that the papers would:
stress the similarities between Rowlandson's and Equiano's experiences, rather than the differences, and that those similarities would include at minimum (1) how the hardship of captivity drove each to the point of suicide and (2) how both suffered deeply by being separated from family and community.
HW due Monday:
Students are to select at least ten concrete details (CD's), five for Rowlandson and five for Equiano. These should be the details they think are the most relevant and telling to support the agreed-upon content (above). They may be in bullet form and might best be chosen as complementary pairs. They should be typed and double-spaced.
Students turned in their notes from Thursday along with their one or two sentences summing up the projected essay.
We put several of the sentences under the document camera and critiqued them, then selected some to use as the basis for our papers. We agreed that the papers would:
stress the similarities between Rowlandson's and Equiano's experiences, rather than the differences, and that those similarities would include at minimum (1) how the hardship of captivity drove each to the point of suicide and (2) how both suffered deeply by being separated from family and community.
HW due Monday:
Students are to select at least ten concrete details (CD's), five for Rowlandson and five for Equiano. These should be the details they think are the most relevant and telling to support the agreed-upon content (above). They may be in bullet form and might best be chosen as complementary pairs. They should be typed and double-spaced.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Thursday, September 25
We continued brainstorming similarities and differences between Rowlandson and Equiano's Narratives, recording our ideas on the board and in students' own notes.
When we had finished, we talked about needing to decide which to stress -- similarities or differences -- and the advisability of putting whichever we did choose to stress at the end of our synopses, prefeaced by the aspect we chose to downplay.
HW due Friday:
Students will turn in their notes from class, along with 1-2 sentences summarizing the essay as they conceive it.
We continued brainstorming similarities and differences between Rowlandson and Equiano's Narratives, recording our ideas on the board and in students' own notes.
When we had finished, we talked about needing to decide which to stress -- similarities or differences -- and the advisability of putting whichever we did choose to stress at the end of our synopses, prefeaced by the aspect we chose to downplay.
HW due Friday:
Students will turn in their notes from class, along with 1-2 sentences summarizing the essay as they conceive it.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Wednesday, September 24
We finished reading the excerpts from Olaudah Equiano's Narrative aloud in class.
Mr. Potratz then explained that we would begin writing essays comparing Equiano's narrative with Mary Rowlandson's. We will follow an "accordion" process, starting with briefest possible statement of the paper's thesis (which we will write together in class), then proceed to a single-paragraph version (which we will also construct together). Finally, students will expand the paragraph into a full essay individually on their own.
To varying extents in different class periods we began discussing similarities and differences between the two pieces.
We finished reading the excerpts from Olaudah Equiano's Narrative aloud in class.
Mr. Potratz then explained that we would begin writing essays comparing Equiano's narrative with Mary Rowlandson's. We will follow an "accordion" process, starting with briefest possible statement of the paper's thesis (which we will write together in class), then proceed to a single-paragraph version (which we will also construct together). Finally, students will expand the paragraph into a full essay individually on their own.
To varying extents in different class periods we began discussing similarities and differences between the two pieces.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Tuesday, September 23
We began by reading together from page 38 of the anthology, filling in the historical background to Mary Rowlandson's Narrative. Mr. Potratz supplemented this material (focusing on King Philip's War of 1675) with information about the Pequot War of 1636.
We then turned from our focus on European colonists and Natives to the appearance of Africans, also in the 17th century, and we began reading excerpts from the 18th century captivity narrative of Olaudah Equiano. Students were informed that they would be writing essays comparing this piece with Rowlandson's captivity narrative.
HW due Wednesday:
Finish reading the excerpts fron Equiano's narrative and conme to class prepared to discuss it.
We began by reading together from page 38 of the anthology, filling in the historical background to Mary Rowlandson's Narrative. Mr. Potratz supplemented this material (focusing on King Philip's War of 1675) with information about the Pequot War of 1636.
We then turned from our focus on European colonists and Natives to the appearance of Africans, also in the 17th century, and we began reading excerpts from the 18th century captivity narrative of Olaudah Equiano. Students were informed that they would be writing essays comparing this piece with Rowlandson's captivity narrative.
HW due Wednesday:
Finish reading the excerpts fron Equiano's narrative and conme to class prepared to discuss it.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Monday, September 22
Students submitted their paragraphs on Mary Rowlandson's Narrative, and we looked at one or two of those paragraphs. Then we proceeded to discuss the reading and specifically to examine certain biblical allusions, including the invocation of Psalm 137 ("By the rivers of Babylon . . . ). Then we listened to the famous reggae version of this psalm and compared the Rastafarians' use of it to Mary Rowlandson's).
Students submitted their paragraphs on Mary Rowlandson's Narrative, and we looked at one or two of those paragraphs. Then we proceeded to discuss the reading and specifically to examine certain biblical allusions, including the invocation of Psalm 137 ("By the rivers of Babylon . . . ). Then we listened to the famous reggae version of this psalm and compared the Rastafarians' use of it to Mary Rowlandson's).
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Friday, September 19
Preparatory to our reading in Mary Rowlandson account of her capture by Indians in Massachusetts, we looked today at certain documents of European/Native interaction in this area. Specifically we watched and briefly discussed an excerpt from Edward S. Curtis's film In the Land of the War Canoes, and we read two articles about the history of the totem pole in Pioneer Square, Seattle, as pictured on the back wall of our classroom.
HW due Monday: One-paragraph answer to question #2 on page 46, written and typed after reading pages 40-45.
Preparatory to our reading in Mary Rowlandson account of her capture by Indians in Massachusetts, we looked today at certain documents of European/Native interaction in this area. Specifically we watched and briefly discussed an excerpt from Edward S. Curtis's film In the Land of the War Canoes, and we read two articles about the history of the totem pole in Pioneer Square, Seattle, as pictured on the back wall of our classroom.
HW due Monday: One-paragraph answer to question #2 on page 46, written and typed after reading pages 40-45.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Thursday, September 18
We compared the motives of William Bradford and the founders of the Plymouth Colony with those of John Smith and the founders of Jamestown. We also read an excerpt from John Winthrop's "City upon a hill" sermon, delivered on the Arabella en route to Massachusetts in 1630.
HW due Monday: Read pp. 40-45 in EOL and answer question #2 on page 46.
We compared the motives of William Bradford and the founders of the Plymouth Colony with those of John Smith and the founders of Jamestown. We also read an excerpt from John Winthrop's "City upon a hill" sermon, delivered on the Arabella en route to Massachusetts in 1630.
HW due Monday: Read pp. 40-45 in EOL and answer question #2 on page 46.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Tuesday, September 16
Students submitted their typed paragraphs concerning William Bradford's history of the Plymouth colony, which paragraphs we will examine tomorrow (Wednesday).
Mr. Potratz announced that yesterday's quiz (the results of which were disastrous) would be thrown out and redone as a worksheet in class, and we spent the rest of the period (re)doing that.
Students submitted their typed paragraphs concerning William Bradford's history of the Plymouth colony, which paragraphs we will examine tomorrow (Wednesday).
Mr. Potratz announced that yesterday's quiz (the results of which were disastrous) would be thrown out and redone as a worksheet in class, and we spent the rest of the period (re)doing that.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Monday, September 15
Mr. Potratz assigned HW due Tuesday: Read pages 36-33 in Elements of Literature (about and by William Bradford, leader of the Massacusetts Bay Colony) and write and type one solid paragraph in response to question #2 on page 35.
The class went to the computer lab and completed grammar lessons 1 #& 2 at http://cc.ysu.edu/~tacopela/Writing/Grammar.htm, after which we returned to the classroom where students took a quiz (20 pts.) over what they had just learned.
Mr. Potratz assigned HW due Tuesday: Read pages 36-33 in Elements of Literature (about and by William Bradford, leader of the Massacusetts Bay Colony) and write and type one solid paragraph in response to question #2 on page 35.
The class went to the computer lab and completed grammar lessons 1 #& 2 at http://cc.ysu.edu/~tacopela/Writing/Grammar.htm, after which we returned to the classroom where students took a quiz (20 pts.) over what they had just learned.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Friday, September 12
We finished reading the selection from John Smith's Description of New England and then looked at how the reality of Jamestown's early years compares with the picture Smith paints in that selection. Mr. Potratz read from George Percy's account of the sufferings of 1607-8.
Students were assigned no HW for the weekend, but advised that there would be an assignment on Monday, due Tuesday, and that anyone wanting to get ahead could start reading the material in the textbook on the Massachusetts Bay colony, beginiing with the excerpts from William Bradford's "Of Plymouth Plantation" (pp. 28-33).
We finished reading the selection from John Smith's Description of New England and then looked at how the reality of Jamestown's early years compares with the picture Smith paints in that selection. Mr. Potratz read from George Percy's account of the sufferings of 1607-8.
Students were assigned no HW for the weekend, but advised that there would be an assignment on Monday, due Tuesday, and that anyone wanting to get ahead could start reading the material in the textbook on the Massachusetts Bay colony, beginiing with the excerpts from William Bradford's "Of Plymouth Plantation" (pp. 28-33).
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Thursday, September 11
Students (other than 6th period) turned in their American Literature timelines.
We identified Pocahontas as the person pictured in the extra credit portrait on the class website, and looked at other depictions of her.
Then we began reading selections from John Smith's Description of New England (1616). Students wrote paraphrases of the first sentence, and we discussed what the purpose and intended audience of the piece might be.
Students (other than 6th period) turned in their American Literature timelines.
We identified Pocahontas as the person pictured in the extra credit portrait on the class website, and looked at other depictions of her.
Then we began reading selections from John Smith's Description of New England (1616). Students wrote paraphrases of the first sentence, and we discussed what the purpose and intended audience of the piece might be.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Wednesday, September 10
We returned to yesterday's grammar lesson, reviewing what we learned, and proceeding to an exercise in which students wrote multiple sentences using the same word with different meanings and as different parts of speech.
HW reminder: Timeline of American literature due tomorrow (Thursday), except for 6th period, which may turn it in Friday.
We returned to yesterday's grammar lesson, reviewing what we learned, and proceeding to an exercise in which students wrote multiple sentences using the same word with different meanings and as different parts of speech.
HW reminder: Timeline of American literature due tomorrow (Thursday), except for 6th period, which may turn it in Friday.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Tuesday, September 9
Grammar a la Groucho
"Time flies like an arrow.
Fruit flies like a banana."
We reviewed and explored some grammar basics by way of parsing this famous Groucho-ism.
What part of speech any word may be is determined by its place in the structure of the sentence.
HW due Thursday:
Mr. Potratz distributed a tabloid-sized timeline of American History, to which students are to add certain specified authors supplemented by five of the students' choosing, supplying birth and death dates and the name of at least one of the author's major works.
Grammar a la Groucho
"Time flies like an arrow.
Fruit flies like a banana."
We reviewed and explored some grammar basics by way of parsing this famous Groucho-ism.
What part of speech any word may be is determined by its place in the structure of the sentence.
HW due Thursday:
Mr. Potratz distributed a tabloid-sized timeline of American History, to which students are to add certain specified authors supplemented by five of the students' choosing, supplying birth and death dates and the name of at least one of the author's major works.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Monday, September 8
Students took and graded a quiz over the Native American literature we have read, and we proceeded to discuss some of it, focusing especially on "Coyote Finishes His Work." What are the themes and questions raised by that work? How does this creation/second coming story compare with Christian mythology? Are the similarities merely coincidental, or has "Coyote" been influenced by Christianity? Joseph Bruchac stresses that Native American culture has retained its identity, no matter how much it has changed over the years.
Students took and graded a quiz over the Native American literature we have read, and we proceeded to discuss some of it, focusing especially on "Coyote Finishes His Work." What are the themes and questions raised by that work? How does this creation/second coming story compare with Christian mythology? Are the similarities merely coincidental, or has "Coyote" been influenced by Christianity? Joseph Bruchac stresses that Native American culture has retained its identity, no matter how much it has changed over the years.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Friday, September 5
Students recorded their names on a seating chart, and are to sit in the same seats Monday as they did today.
Mr. Potratz issued textbooks (Elements of Literature, Fifth Course).
We briefly discussed the four Native American stories in the handout distributed yesterday.
HW due Monday: Students are to read pp. 20-25 in Elements of Lit and prepare for a quiz Monday covering those pages and the four stories from the handout ("How Mosquitos came to be," "The First Ship," "How Iktome came to sleep with his wife by mistake," and "Raven").
Students recorded their names on a seating chart, and are to sit in the same seats Monday as they did today.
Mr. Potratz issued textbooks (Elements of Literature, Fifth Course).
We briefly discussed the four Native American stories in the handout distributed yesterday.
HW due Monday: Students are to read pp. 20-25 in Elements of Lit and prepare for a quiz Monday covering those pages and the four stories from the handout ("How Mosquitos came to be," "The First Ship," "How Iktome came to sleep with his wife by mistake," and "Raven").
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Thursday, September 4
Students took a quiz over the syllabus, and graded the quiz. In the process we reviewed many of the rules and procedures described in the syllabus.
Many students returned the letter which went home yesterday, signed by their guardians. Those should be returned by Friday -- Monday at the latest.
Mr. Potratz passed out brief handouts containing several very short Native American stories. Students are to read them carefully and prepare to discuss them in class Friday.
Students took a quiz over the syllabus, and graded the quiz. In the process we reviewed many of the rules and procedures described in the syllabus.
Many students returned the letter which went home yesterday, signed by their guardians. Those should be returned by Friday -- Monday at the latest.
Mr. Potratz passed out brief handouts containing several very short Native American stories. Students are to read them carefully and prepare to discuss them in class Friday.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Wednesday, September 3
First day of classes.
Mr. Potratz passed out copies of the syllabus and of a letter addressed to students' parents or guardians. Students were asked to share the syllabi as well as the letters with their folks and to bring the letters back, signed by their guardians, by Monday.
Also, Mr. Potratz announced a quiz on Thursday over the syllabus, which the students were assigned to read carefully before Thursday's class.
The rest of the period was taken up by a lecture/discussion over what is meant by "American Literature," the Eurocentric nature of that, and the long cultural history of our part of the world prior to its discovery by Europeans.
First day of classes.
Mr. Potratz passed out copies of the syllabus and of a letter addressed to students' parents or guardians. Students were asked to share the syllabi as well as the letters with their folks and to bring the letters back, signed by their guardians, by Monday.
Also, Mr. Potratz announced a quiz on Thursday over the syllabus, which the students were assigned to read carefully before Thursday's class.
The rest of the period was taken up by a lecture/discussion over what is meant by "American Literature," the Eurocentric nature of that, and the long cultural history of our part of the world prior to its discovery by Europeans.
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