Thursday, April 30

Freshmen: Today our focus was on your Letters to the Editor and Poem in Your Pocket Day. In order to help us write a piece tomorrow about the pros and cons of school uniforms, you need to come to class with three pieces of information about uniforms from outside yourself (e.g. research). Remember, we have been studying the different forms examples take (numbers, anecdotes, quotes, etc.), so be looking for these. To get credit, the examples must be written down with your source listed. Read for 20 minutes and work on Membean.

Sophomores: "Focus on Hamlet's famous soliloquy today we did." Thank you, Yoda. He's right, and your task is to rewrite his soliloquy from the point of view of another character. This character could be a stock character (e.g. a cowboy, or gangsta rapper, or valley girl) or a particular one (e.g. Hazel, or Homer Simpson, or, in my case, Yoda or Elmo). Regardless, your reboot of the soliloquy must do two things: 1. Address the universal concerns Hamlet meditates on, and, 2. Address these universal concerns through the particular lens of your character. Obviously, Yoda thinks about these issues in a slightly different way than Hamlet does, and I tried to reflect that in my work. You'll have some time in class on Friday, and these are due Monday. Also, work on Membean and finish 3.1.

Honors Sophomores: We continued the film version of Hamlet. Keep working on Campbell and your essay, as well as Membean.

CNF: We continued to read Season of Life. 

Tuesday, April 29

Freshmen: Today we continued to study the technique of illustration and example. Read for 20 minutes tonight and Wednesday and work on Membean.

Sophomores: Today our primary focus was on your 3EJ entries. Please read 3.1 tonight and again tomorrow night, and don't forget about Membean.

Honors Sophomores: Today we began to a film study of Hamlet. Continue working on Campbell and your essay, and don't forget about Membean.

CNF: Today we viewed a Ted Talk Joe Ehrmann gave two years ago in Balitmore (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVI1Xutc_Ws); we also read more from Season of Life.

Monday, April 27

Freshmen: Today we focused on the various forms that examples take - anecdotes, statistics, quotes, compare and contrast, and the like (essentially, they take the form of the various rhetorical devices we have studied). Read for 20 minutes tonight, work on Membean this week, and don't forget, your Letter to the Editor is due on Thursday.

Sophomores: Today we focused on 2.2 in class. Finish reading from 2.2.575 until the end of Act II. Work on Membean this week as well.

Honors Sophomores: Today we focused an overview of and introduction to Hamlet. This week you should focus on the next section of Campbell's book and your next essay.

CNF: Today we continued to read from Season of Life. 

Friday, April 24

Freshmen: Today we finished up our monosyllabic essays in class. Revise yours this weekend, type it up, and bring it to class on Monday. Read for 20 minutes and complete any Membean work you may need to finish.

Sophomores: Today we finished up Act I from Hamlet and had a short seminar. Read 2.1 this weekend for homework and complete any Membean work you may need to finish.

Honors Sophomores: Today we finished reading The Poisonwood Bible and discussed a few major points. Keep working on Campbell's book, finish the next essay, and complete any Membean work you may need to finish.

CNF: Today we read from Season of Life.

Thursday, April 23

Freshmen: Today our focus was on the technique of example or illustration. One essay we wrote advocated the use of short words, and was composed almost entirely of monosyllabic words. We tried the exercise ourself, writing a piece composed of one syllable words. We will finish it tomorrow. Read for 20 minutes and work on Membean.

Sophomores: Today we focused Polonius's speech in 1.3, as well as on various character traits he possesses. Tonight, read 1.4 for homework and complete your work on Membean.

Honors Sophomores: Today our focus was on memory, specifically writing an essay from the point of view of one of the daughters from The Poisonwood Bible about her relationship with Orelanna. Finish everything through Book VI for Friday's class, and don't forget about Membean.

CNF: Today we concluded Kicking It. 

Tuesday, April 21 and Wednesday, April 22

Freshmen: Today we focused on the technique of illustration. We looked at a few poems by William Carlos Williams; if you're going to type yours up for extra credit, it's due Thursday. We also looked at an essay that stressed the importance of specificity. Read for 20 minutes and complete your work on Membean this week.

Sophomores: We finished our study of a film version of Hamlet and began reading the play. Your homework is to read whatever we didn't get of of 1.1-1.3 (Act I, Scenes 1-3) tonight for homework.

Honors Sophomores: Today we returned to the idea of memory as we examined what, looking back, the daughters would remember about Orleanna. Finish Book VI for Friday's class. Work on Membean.

CNF: Today we began Kicking It.

Monday, April 20

Freshmen: Today we focused on revising your definition essays. Based on the feedback you received, revise your essay tonight and submit it to turnitin.com by midnight tonight. Read for 20 minutes and take the quiz on Membean.

Sophomores: Today you met with the counselors. There is a Membean quiz tonight.

Honors Sophomores: Today you met with the counselors. You should finish Book VI from The Poisonwood Bible for Friday. There is a Membean quiz tonight.

CNF: Today we began Season of Life. 

Friday, April 17

Freshmen: Today we continued to focus on definition. This weekend, you are to write your own definition essay. Your essay should define a person, place, thing, or idea. In your essay, you need to have at least one blended citation that shows what someone else says about your topic. Use a lead and conclusion technique we studied in class and list it in your header. Give your piece an interesting title. Bring in a typed copy of your essay to class on Monday. Read for 20 minutes and complete your work on Membean.

Sophomores: We continued the film version of Hamlet we're studying. Work on Membean as well.

Honors Sophomores: Today our focus was on teaching the class about the various archetypes we have studied; finish Book V of The Poisonwood Bible for 4/20 and Book IV for 4/24. Don't forget about Membean.

CNF: Today we focused on the messages society sends young boys about manhood, the effects of these messages on boys and society at large, and got an introduction to Joe Ehrmann, who's the focal point of the book we are reading, Season of Life. 

Thursday, April 16

Freshmen: Today we finished our study of Wallace Stevens's "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird". You are to write your own "Ways" poem - choose something, the more ordinary the better. Your poem should examine, describe, define, or show your topic in as many ways as possible. Mimic Stevens's style of numbered stanzas, and imitate some of the ways of seeing that we analyzed in class. Be sure to name your subject explicitly in every stanza, and show your subject in action. Your poem should be typed and adhere to standard form (e.g. single space within stanzas), and is due on Friday. Read for 20 minutes and work on Membean as well.

Sophomores: Today we continued viewing a film version of Hamlet. If you haven't read the introductory essays described in earlier posts, please do so, and complete your work on Membean.

Honors Sophomores: Today we continued with out study of archetypes with students presenting information about each archetype to the class. Finish Book VI for Friday, April 24 and get your essays in ASAP. Remember to do your work on Membean.

CNF: Today we examined whether or not Bruce Wayne should have become The Batman. Please have a copy of Season of Life for Friday.

Tuesday, April 14 and Wednesday, April 15

Freshmen: Today we focused on Wallace Stevens's "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird." Read for 20 minutes Tuesday and Wednesday, and work on Membean for 20 minutes this week.

Sophomores: Today we began a film version of Hamlet. Work on Membean.

Honors Sophomores: Today we focused on teaching others in the class about the specific archetype you researched. Continue to read from Campbell and Kingsolver, and finish up your essay.

CNF: Today we finished No Impact Man.

Monday, April 13

Freshmen: Today we focused further on definition. Work on Membean this week and read for 20 minutes tonight.

Sophomores: Today we began Hamlet. Read the sections titled "Shakespeare's Hamlet", "Reading Shakespeare's Language", "Shakespeare's Words", "Shakespeare's Sentences", "Shakespearean Wordplay," and "Implied Stage Action" for homework before Wednesday. Work on Membean as well.

Honors Sophomores: Today we discussed Book IV and who is responsible for Ruth May's death. Keep reading - Book V is due next Monday, and your next essay for Campbell is due this week. Work on Membean.

CNF: Today we began No Impact Man.