Week 6 Work--Due Wed., October 4th

Week 6 Vocabulary
noxious
bilk
replete
blasphemy
absolution

*You will NOT need to bring The American Experience to class this week.

Personal Narrative Essay
This week you will revise your essay and submit your final paper. Follow the editing process we discussed in class as outlined on the editing guide.

Do bring a final copy of your paper to class, stapled.  Also please re-share the final document via Google Docs.  In the comment section put "Personal Narrative Final."  If you do not create and share your document via Google, remember you need to turn in your draftwork with the final copy.

We will finish up the Early American Period of literature this week by learning about two remarkable women of the era:

Phillis Wheatley

Watch this biographical video (5:00)
In American Experience, read p. 180
Read "An Hymn to the Evening" p. 182 and
Watch this recitation while you read.

Abigail Adams

Read This Day in History about Abigail and John Adams.

Read this page of excerpts from her letters.

Watch this video (6:40) about the Boston Women's Memorial which features statues of both Phillis Wheatley and Abigail Adams.

Thought of the week:

So long as we are inhabitants of this earth and possess any of our faculties, we cannot be indifferent to the state of our country, our posterity and our friends.
-Abigail Adams

Week 5 Work--Due Wed., September 27th

Week 5 Vocabulary
bovine
facetious
contrite
erudite
anomaly

Presentations
10:00--Ellen, Holden, Marytaylor
12:15--Lori, Tabi, Ethan

Since we talked about learning styles in class, I'd like you to complete the following assessment as part of your homework. It may help you better understand how you learn and think:

Learning & Thinking Styles Assessment

1. Personal Narrative Essay

This week, your written work will be the first draft of your Personal Narrative Essay.  Note: the first draft should be your best quality work, as if it were due next week.  It should be typed and meet all criteria. BRING YOUR DRAFT TO CLASS.  Also please share your draft with me via Google Drive (Directions: when you have your document pulled up, look at the top right corner and click the blue share box.  Make sure you grant me permission to comment then put my email in the box (elizabethjprice@gmail.com).  When a box appears that says "add note," please put the phrase "personal narrative essay" in the box, then hit send. Thanks!)

Please see these overviews I handed out in class if you were absent:

Personal Narrative Essay Prompts
Structure of a Personal Narrative Essay (a suggested way to format one, though you have some flexibility)
Five/Seventeen  (this is the example essay we looked at in class)

Avoid getting bogged down in too many details as you tell your story.  Make your story vivid; paint a picture. However, remember that the story is not the end goal, but a springboard to the change/lesson/larger meaning.  There should be some type of epiphany (a turning point) that turns the essay to focus on the meaning and impact.  Also use chronological transitions, flashbacks, foreshadowing, and suspense as applicable to guide the reader through the story and keep a lively pace.  Your unique personality, perspective, and voice should shine through in this essay.  Pick a meaningful topic and it will!

As promised, here is an example of the first page of an essay following the MLA format.  You may wish to print this and keep it in your class folder under handouts for easy reference:

MLA first page example sheet

For those who like details, example essays, and more information on how to make this type of essay shine, here are some resources:

BlogPrepScholar
Although this is geared specifically to college application essays  (and we are just using their prompts/format for our  narrative essay), it has many links to great examples of effective narrative essays along with good analysis on how to write one.

I especially like their analysis/breakdown of Example 1 "Breaking into Cars."  You can learn a lot by looking at the analysis of that essay.  If you scroll down about halfway, you should find it.

22 Excellent first sentences from essays (to give you ideas for your "hook")

2. Reading about The Age of Reason and the Revolutionary Era

We will continue our chronological readings in The American Experience.  There will be no written work from the book this week, but we will have a quiz on the material during class.  Be sure to WRITE IN YOUR BOOK (ANNOTATE) as we discussed in class.  This will help you digest and understand details. Circle vocabulary that's unfamiliar.  Develop a system that works for you--bracketing, underlining, asking questions, etc.  

Benjamin Franklin
Read p.140. p.142-150

Oladudah Equiano 
Read pp. 156-164

View The Atlantic Slave Trade (0:00-5:40, you don't have to watch the entire video)

Thought for the week from Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack:

Week 4 Work--Due Wed., September 20th

Week 4 Vocabulary
bemoan
misogynist
abhor
talisman
placid

Remember to review your cumulative vocab too--a quiz may pop up at any time!

This week's presentations:
10:00--Mary, Owen
12:15--Kennedi, Kelsey, Eva

Thomas Wolfe Essay Contest 
Those of you who are interested in participating in the Thomas Wolfe essay contest, please 1) let me know you plan to participate and 2) submit your essays to me via email or hard copy by class next Wednesday so that I can give you feedback before you submit your final essay.  Note: you will submit your final essay individually via email per the directions on the site.  Remember the deadline is Saturday, September 23nd at 5pm.  See my prior post for more details.

The Puritans

We will meet one Separatist and two Puritans this week. Take time to try and relate to them.  Because they lived around 400 years ago, their language and perspectives may seem odd, but they are like us in many ways and have important things to teach us.

Note:  Avoid procrastinating or underestimating the time required for this work.  Allow enough time to read and think carefully about the passages and poems. My estimate of the length of this week's work is closer to 4 hours than 3.

Watch and take notes on this overview of the Puritan tradition:

American Literature: The Puritan Period 10:44

Read this article, "The Puritans Behind the Myths," then write a paragraph summarizing some of the "myths" regarding Puritans.

1. William Bradford, 1590-1657, English Separatist, migrated to Plymouth Colony on the Mayflower in 1620

Watch The Mayflower (0:00-7:00)

Read pp. 76-83 "Of Plymouth Plantation," William Bradford

Listen along while you read to help you focus. It will keep you from hydroplaning!
Audio: William Bradford, "Of Plymouth Plantation"

After reading answer the following questions on p. 83: 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5, 6

2. John Winthrop, 1587-1649, English Puritan lawyer, helped found Massachusetts Bay Company, governor of Massachusetts 

Listen to this lecture  (12 minutes) about John Winthrop and his speech "Model of Christian Charity" which Winthrop wrote on the ship Arabella in 1630.  Bear with this presenter (and his yawn) because it's a solid overview. ; ) He will share pieces from Winthrop's speech, also known as the"City on a Hill" speech. This is a very famous speech that sets forth a particular purpose and perspective on the role of  the community.  This purpose and perspective has been referenced many times since.

As you listen, take good notes on what you learn about John Winthrop and the main points of this speech.

A. Do you agree with his perspective on the role of the community?  Why or why not?

B. Describe his "city on a hill" reference.  Here's a more modern translation of that passage if you would like to review it.

Read the original reference from the Bible.  What point was Jesus trying to impress upon his disciples here?

Watch JFK's 1961's "City on a Hill" reference.  (2 minutes) Also, read the description of it to give you some context regarding the place and purpose of the speech.

Watch Ronald Regan's farewell speech from 1989. (2 minutes)

C. Why do you think both of these presidents chose to evoke this reference and image?

D. Do you personally think that America is a "city on a hill." Explain.

3. Anne Bradstreet 1612-1672, Puritan poet

A. To prepare to read Bradstreet's poetry, look up the following poetry terms in the back of your American Experience and define them in your Literary Terms section of your notebook:

Stanza
Couplet-(look within stanza definition)
Rhyme
Rhyme Scheme
Metaphor
Apostrophe--(not grammar!)
Personification
Anastrophe (not in book--here's a quick video for this one--warning, it will cut off prematurely but that's ok)

B. Next, read the biography about Anne Bradstreet on p. 92 of American Experience, then watch this brief biography  (2:30).  Write down five interesting or important facts about her life.

C. For each of Bradstreet's poems I gave you in class, do the following:
1. Read the poem to yourself, at least twice.  Read it aloud. (Poetry is meant to be spoken/heard.)
2. Listen to someone else recite the poem. (I will include links for audios for each poem below.)
3. Look up any familiar words. Underline them, draw an arrow, and then jot down a quick definition on the page.
4. Paraphrase the poem, chunk-by-chunk.  Draw a bracket around sections and briefly put each section in your own words. Do this on the same page as the poem.
5. Identify the rhyme scheme for each poem.
6. Look for some of the terms you defined in your notes.  Do you see any metaphors? apostrophe? personification? anastrophe? If so, mark or note them.

"The Author to Her Book"
Recitation/Audio Link
Also, watch: "The Author to Her Book: Summary and Analysis"  Sorry but this will annoyingly cut off just before 3 minutes, but watch what you can-good info.

"Verses Upon the Burning of our House"
Recitation/Audio Link
Watch this video too which will also cut off but give you a good intro.

"To My Dear and Loving Husband"
Recitation/Audio Link

"Before the Birth of One of Her Children" Recitation/Audio Link
Also, watch this explanation of it. (7 minutes)

Read this article about childbirth in early America.

D. Based on everything you've read, what are some ways that life is the same now as it was then?

E. What are some ways that life is different?

Thought for the Week:

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."  -Anne Bradstreet, Meditations Divine and Moral 

Week 3 Work--Due Wed., September 13th

Week 3 Vocabulary
jingoistic
implacable
affinity
coquette
harangue

Reminders:
10:00 presentations:  Catherine, Susanne
12:15 presentations: Nick, Moultrie, David

Bradbury Essay Corrections
Make the required corrections for your in-class essays on a separate sheet of paper. Label the page: Corrections for Bradbury Essays.  You only have to correct the parts that have codes listed.  Read the directions carefully on the Essay Code Corrections. You DO NOT have to rewrite the essays.  If you are not sure about a code or comment, feel free to email mail, and I'll try to help.

Remember, lots of marks/comments do not necessarily indicate that your essay is either "bad" or "good"--it's more just me trying to give helpful feedback. I'm always pulling for you to do your best and look forward to watching you grow in your writing, but I have to make comments in order for you to grow.  : )

Notes:  Bring your big literature book to class next week.  Take time to organize your notebook for our notebook check.

Also, please read my earlier post which contains details about the Thomas Wolfe Student Writing Contest. Consider participating, so you can check "enter a local writing contest" off your bucket list. ; )

This Week--Explorers and Encounters

Unit I
Read pp. 56-57 in your text, The American Experience, and define the following terms in your Literary Terms section of your notes:

Narrative accounts--
Firsthand account--
Secondhand account--
Write down the 5 types of narrative accounts mentioned on the chart on p. 57. Make sure you understand the basics of each type.

Read p. 58 and write a short list of highlights from Columbus' life.

Read the snippet and click on this Columbus manuscript from 1493.  (I think it's good to see and remember how old and ragged these documents are---a privilege to have these fragments from our past.)

Read the following entries from Christopher Columbus' journal:

Sunday, October 7th  through Wednesday, October 17th (pp.106-122)

Enjoy this first-person account of Columbus' first encounter with the "new" world. For this reading answer the following questions:

1. What were some of the signs and clues that told Columbus land was near?

2. Describe the attitude of the crew on October 10th.  How did Columbus respond?

3. After reading the entries from October 12th-15th, answer the following questions:

A. Describe Columbus' first landing.  In what manner did he arrive on shore?

B. What were some of Columbus' impressions of the natives?

C. What were some of his impressions of the land and resources?

D. Describe some of his interactions with the natives.

E. What is bizarre to you about his comments or perspective?  How is it different than our own?

Unit II

In your text, The American Experience, read p. 40 and write a brief bio with bullet points for:
Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca
Garcia Lopez de Caredenas

For those of you who enjoy Jon Krakauer's works (Into Thin Air, etc.), think about how Cabeza de Vaca's adventures compare.  How were their motives different? similar? Were de Vaca's experiences as extreme? more so?

Be sure to look at the map of his route.

Read pp. 42-46 including the background blurb on 42.

Watch this section of Ken Burn's documentary The West regarding Cabeza de Vaca. (from 19:19 to 26:20)

Then, write a paragraph summarizing their journey, hardships, and encounters with the Indians and others.  Be sure to reflect details from both the book excerpt and video.

Unit III

Read and annotate the short story by Thomas Wolfe, "Polyphemus"

By annotate, I mean underline characters, key words, imagery--anything that might help you with your text notes later.  Also, circle unfamiliar vocabulary.

After reading the story, complete your text notes per the sheet we went over in class.  This is the only text notes you will have this week.  Please label as I directed in class--give good energy to sections 2 and 3 which will require more thought.

Learn more about the explorers Wolfe may have been referencing:
Read this excerpt about the backdrop of this story and connections to explorers.
Read this entry from the North Carolina History Project about the Juan Pardo Expeditions.

Take a few notes on these explorers and familiarize yourself with some of the history of early Carolina exploration.

NEXT WEEK---PURITANS

Thought for the week:

“In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration.” ―Ansel Adams

Ansel Adams, The Tetons and The Snake River

Thomas Wolfe Essay Contest

Hello Students,

Here is the information for the Thomas Wolfe essay contest.  Look under "Writing Competition Guidelines and Instructions" for specific requirements (500-1,000 words, etc.)  and under "Polyphemus Ideas for Student Consideration" for suggested ideas.  It's a broad list of suggestions and should give you some good places to start. The deadline is Saturday, September 23rd at 5pm.

Remember, this is not a requirement, but it's a great experience because it will...

*Grow you as a writer
*Expose your writing to a broader audience
*Possibly earn you a little extra cash and bragging rights
*Be useful on a college application and/or possibly useful as the base for a future college essay

Also, remember to talk with your parents if you are interested in committing to the "honors" level of work.  I'm not entirely sure of the details, but I'm thinking it would consist of a few extra essays sprinkled throughout the year (like this one) and perhaps an extra novel at some point.

If you choose to participate in the contest, please let me know.  I would be happy to edit/look over your essay before you submit it.

Week 2 Work--Due Wed., September 6th

Week 2 Vocabulary
slipshod

nefarious
precursor
impregnable
demure

Note: If you have not already, please read through my previous post which has some comments on grading and examples from the summer assignments.

Overview

This week we will explore some of our region's Native American heritage as expressed through oral storytelling traditions and petroglyphs. First, I want you to gain a sense of the expansive nature of Native American culture before Europeans arrived. Then we will focus on stories from the Cherokee specifically as they inhabited our region.

Directions:

I have broken the work down into suggested "units" which are approximately 45 minutes each (3 hours total).  This should help you spread out the work.  Though it may look like a lot, most of the questions are simple and the videos are short.

 View the following resources then answer the questions on your own paper.  If the answer is one or two words, you do not have to write a complete sentence, otherwise you should. Please write in such a way that I can read your answers.  If you tend to write lightly, use a pen.  Optional:  here is a document you can print out and answer on if you prefer.

Unit 1

View and write out answers to the following:

1. Examine this timeline of Native American activity in the Americas. You should be able to click on it to zoom.

A. Views may differ on the earliest dates of civilization, but approximately how long have Native Americans inhabited the Americas?

B. According to the timeline, approximately when did the Vikings arrive?

C. How many years between when the Vikings arrived and Columbus came?

D. How long were Europeans in the Americas before the United States was founded?

E. How long has it been since the United States was founded?

2. Read this article and examine this map of Native America tribes.

Article questions:

A. Who is Aaron Carapella and what has he accomplished?

B. According to the article, approximately how many Native American tribes were in North America before Europeans arrived?

C. Who is Doug Herman and what does he believe is important about Carapella's map?

D. What does Comanche mean in Ute and why is this significant?

Map Questions:

E. Approximately how many tribes lived in North and South Carolina?

F. What is the common name of the Ani'yunwi'ya tribe?


3. Watch the following videos and answer the questions:

Native American Storytelling (4 minutes)

A. How were Native American storytellers viewed differently than storytellers are today?

B. Describe several ways storytelling was used by Native Americans.

C. What was the purpose of legends?

D. Describe the legend of the Thunderbird.

E. Describe the story of the medicine bear.

Storytelling (2 minutes)

1. How were stories used in the ancient world?

2. Name three forms of storytelling.

Unit 2

Read and Answer

James Mooney and Cherokee Stories

1. Who is James Mooney and why is he significant to our understanding of the Cherokee?

2. Who brought fire to the Cherokee?

3. Why is the hummingbird significant to the Cherokee?

4. How do Cherokee tales explain an eclipse, a rainbow, and thunder?

5. Define A) Uktema B) Nuee'hi C) Yunwi Tsunsdi’

6. What role did the rabbit usually play in Cherokee stories?


Read this story recorded by James Mooney: The Origin of Sickness and Disease

1. Why did the bears meet as a counsel?

2. Why was the bow rejected as a solution?

3. How did the deer propose to solve the problem?

4. What did the reptiles and fish propose?

5. Who was the only kind animal to man and what happened to him.

6. Ultimately, how did plants intervene?


Unit 3

Watch the following videos by Robert Lewis, a storyteller from the Oklahoma branch of the Cheokee:

Family Tradition (4 minutes)

Robert Lewis, Storyteller (8 minutes)

The First Fire (8 minutes)

The First Cherokee Pot (7 minutes)

Write a paragraph (5-7 sentences) about Robert Lewis.  Why stories are important to him, how did he became a storyteller?


Unit 4

Define petroglyph.  What does petra mean? gluphē?

Watch these videos:

Judaculla Rock (3 minutes)

1. Who is Judaculla and what do they think may be the significance of the rock carving?

2. What is the relationship of the interviewer with the rock?

3. How old do archaeologists think it may be?

4. What are some of the symbols?  What do they mean?

The carpetbagger, Judaculla Rock (5 minutes)

1. What does Judaculla mean?  

2. What are some of the associations the Cherokee have with Judaculla?

3. Where do they think he lived?

4. What is the condition of the rock now?  How did the use of chalk impact it?

Beverly Dickson: Petroglyph Artist (4 minutes)

1. What are some sources of inspiration of Beverly Dickson's work?

2. Describe some of her art--what symbols she uses?

Read "Vandalism at Judaculla"

Describe some of the damage that the rock has suffered and how the county is making better efforts to protect it.

Google Judaculla Rock.  What town is is close to?  How far is it from your home?

Staple all of the work for this week together. Make sure your name and class are at the top. This is due at the beginning of our next class.

Thought for the Week:

A Cherokee elder was teaching his young grandson about life.
"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil- he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt and ego.
The other is good- he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.
This same fight is going on inside you—and inside every other person, too."
The boy thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather,
"Which wolf will win?"
The elder simply replied,
"The one you feed.”
― Tsalagi Tale

Student Examples from Summer Reading

Dear Students,

As promised, below are some examples of exceptional work from the summer reading assignment I returned yesterday. Many of you did excellent work in some area, and you should be proud of your areas of accomplishment. I suspect some of you were discouraged by your overall score, but I think for most of us, bumping up our performance will be mostly a matter of A) reading and following instructions thoroughly and precisely B) investing our work with more time and quality. Everyone can achieve success in this class if you focus and try.

As a side note, you should NOT be discouraged when you receive a B on an assignment. Some of you may be accustomed to receiving A's regularly on all assignments as a matter of course. However,  if you look at the criteria of a B on my rubric, you will see that a B indicates "Above Average, Meets Expectations." This means that you fulfilled the criteria and did a good job. It is not an indication that your work is substandard. The "A" level of work is inherently a rarer thing, hence the term "exceptional."

For those of you who are new to rubrics--it may take time to understand how they do and do not work. As I use them typically, they do not correspond to a precise point system. In other words, each aspect of criteria is not worth a specific number of points which I am adding and subtracting in a mechanical fashion to arrive at your score. Instead, I look at the overall trend of the criteria holistically. Criteria may be of different weights and varying levels of importance. For instance, in your Summer Assignment Rubric, I certainly view the neatness of your work as valuable, but I would not weigh that as heavily as "notes are of an exceptional quality...." The rubric is less about computing a specific grade and more about my attempt to give you insight into the strengths and weaknesses of your work. 

Another excellent tool is looking at other's work.  It's helpful for you to regularly review exceptional level work so that you better understand what it might look like.  Throughout the year,  I will periodically provide you with such examples. This is also why I will regularly have you read each other's work in class. We expand our understanding and grow by reading the writing of others.  If we pay attention, we will learn new ways to approach topics, new ways to think about things, and overall, gain a greater sense of what is possible.

If having read all of this and looking through the models, you still struggle to understand how I arrived at your grade, I'm always happy to talk you through it in person.  I want you to understand how to do your very best, and I will do whatever I can to help you accomplish that goal.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Price

one hitch here--needed to include part of speech, but otherwise
detailed, neat and organized