Week of November 28 2011

English 10 students will take the To Kill a Mockingbird Unit Test this week. Final preparation for the test: Each student will be provided with a Unit Test review handout and participate in two rounds of TKAM "Jeopardy" that contains much of the information on the Unit Test.

To Kill a Mockingbird Unit Test (100 points)

Block 6 - Tuesday November 29
Blocks 1, 3, + 5 - Wednesday November 30

Honors English 10
Character Profile Essay (50 points)
DUE: Monday November 28

Honors English 10 students will watch the made-for-TV movie A Raisin in the Sun on Monday and Tuesday. Students will then be faced with the challenge of taking on the role of playwright and developing their own personal conclusion which brings closure to at least one aspect of the play that was left unresolved.

Week of November 14, 2011

English 10 -

We will continue reading To Kill a Mockingbird this week and finish the story next week. We will discuss the title of the book in terms of symbolism as well as the metaphorical "mockingbirds" in the story.

Honors English 10

We will continue "performing" Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun in class with students reading parts in the play. We will discuss how Mama's plant is symbolic and begin to examine some of the major themes such as strength of family, dreams, and money vs. morals. We read Act 1 Scene 1 in class on Friday Nov. 11.

Monday November 14 -
A Raisin in the Sun - Act 1 Scene 1 Quiz (30 points)
Mama's Plant Moodle Response Due (10 points)

Week of November 7, 2011

English 10 students will compose and revise an essay that focuses on the theme of perspective as it relates to the Tom Robinson trial in Harper Lee's classic, To Kill a Mockingbird. Students will have three day including two full class periods to complete the five paragraph essay. The most challenging aspect of the composition is writing in the "first person" in order to convey a specific character's personal perspective of the trial. In other words, instead of writing about certain characters, students must write from the character's perspective. This assignment is designed to assess each student's knowledge of specific characters as well as their ability to express the given character's point of view in regards to the trial at the center of the novel. Pre-writing activities included analyzing Johnny Cash's song "A Boy Named Sue," making personal and literary character connections to a poem titled "Children Learn What They Live," and making informed decisions about where specific To Kill a Mockingbird characters would "rank" in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. All of these lessons were aimed at solidifying each student's understanding of various characters' experiences and how those experiences shaped their perspective.

Perspective Essay Due Dates:
Blocks 3 + 6 - Thursday November 10 (at the end of class)

Blocks 1 + 5 - Friday November 11 (at the end of class)

Honors English 10 -

We will begin reading Lorraine Hansberry's Broadway play, A Raisin in the Sun on Friday. Students will write a short response focusing on symbolism after we read Act 1 Scene 1 in class and then will take a quiz on Act 1 Scene 1 next Tuesday November 15th.