Friday, May 29

We read the first two pages of Gatsby together and added a few items to the worksheet of motifs.

Thursday, May 28

Students received copies of (1) The Great Gatsby and (2) a worksheet to be used tracing the intricate patterns of imagery for which the book is noted.

Mr. Potratz read aloud several of the students' HW paragraphs on "the American Dream," and we discussed the implications and contradictions of that concept, which is so often seen -- with good reason -- as central to Fitzgerald's novel.

Wednesday, May 27

We speculated about what Miller would have said to HUAC, then read portions of his testimony (June 21, 1956) aloud.

We discussed what might be the relevance of The Crucible today, then looked at what several recent directors have had to say about why they chose to stage the play. Is the play about anti -terrorist hysteria? About terrorist fanaticism? Both?

HW due Thursday:
One brief typed paragraph on "What do we mean bythe American Dream"?

Monday, May 26

Students turned in their Character Worksheets and then took a test over The Crucible.
Afterwards we had a very brief lesson on the subjunctive mood.

Friday, May 22

We watched the conclusion of The Crucible.

HW due Tuesday:
Character worksheets.
Test in class Tuesday over the play (not the film, though there will be a question or two about differences between the play and the film).

Thursday, May 21

We watched more of The Crucible, through the end of Act III.

Wednesday, May 20

We watched the first 47 minutes of the film of The Crucible.

Tuesday, May 19

Students received stamps on completed pages of their character notebooklets while we finished reading and listening to The Crucible. For the rest of the week in class we will watch the 1996 film of the play starring Daniel Day Lewis as John Proctor, Winona Ryder as Abigail Williams, Joan Allen as Elizabeth Proctor, and Paul Scofield as Deputy Governor Danforth.

HW due Friday:
Last chance for stamps on the character booklets.

HW due Monday:
Character booklets due.
Test over the play.

Monday, May 18

We listened to, and discussed, the end of Act III of The Crucible, then began reading Act IV.

HW due Tuesday:
First check of booklets (character worksheets). One stamp for each full page with full descriptions of characters' traits & motivations.

Friday, May 15

Students turned in the final drafts of their Huckleberry Finn essays, along with Quotation and Commentary Sheets, Thesis & Outline, Peer Edit Sheets, first drafts, and second drafts.

We resumed our dramatic reading of The Crucible, Act III.

Thursday, May 14

We continued our dramatic reading of Act II of The Crucible.

HW due Friday:
Huckleberry Finn essay, final draft.
Essays submitted Monday will lose 10% off the top.
Essays submitted Tuesday will lose 20%.

Wednesday, May 13

The class performed a dramatic reading of the beginning of Act II of The Crucible, with volunteers reading the parts of John and Elizabeth Proctor, Mary Warren, Rev. Hale, Giles Corey, Francis Nurse, and Ezekiel Cheever.

Extra Credit opportunity:
Up to 10 pts. extra credit for attending and writing a one-page review of the school play, The Importance of Being Earnest. Please turn in your ticket along with the review.

HW due Friday:
Final Draft of the Huckleberry Finn essay.

Tuesday, May 12

We continued reading and listening to The Crucible through the end of Act I, and discussed the act and its connection with the documentary film (None Without Sin) about Miller, Kazan, and the blacklist.

Students took parts for Act II to read in class tomorrow and were advised to practice reading their parts.

Final draft of the Huck Finn paper is due Friday.

Monday, May 11

We listened to and read aloud more of the first act of The Crucible.

HW due Friday:
Final draft of Huck Finn paper due.
Beware the Ides of May!

Friday, May 8

Mr. Potratz returned the second drafts of the Huckleberry Finn essay to students, and we examined sample papers using the document camera. The primary focus was the need for a unified thesis.

HW due Friday, May 15:
Final drafts of the Huck Finn essay are due next Friday. Please see Mr. Potratz before or (preferably) after school, or during first or second lunch next week for help with your essays.

Thursday, May 7

We began reading The Crucible (page 380 in Elements of Literature), listening to a recorded performance, and taking notes about major characters in the booklet which students received yesterday.

Tuesday, May 5

Cinco de Mayo

Students took notes while they watched None Without Sin, a documentary about Elia Kazan, Arthur Miller, and the Hollywood blacklist as background for reading The Crucible.

Monday, May 4

We finished our dramatic reading of Waiting for Lefty.

Friday, May 1

We examined briefly the origins of Mayday as International Workers' Day in the American labor movement of the 1880's, specifically the Haymarket Riot of 1886.

We then read aloud the first two scenes of Waiting for Lefty, with students reading different roles.

HW due Monday:
Review the play and select and practice a role you would like to enact.