Had I known it would take so long, I just would have printed the darn thing out...

If you were absent last week because of orchestra, tennis, or other events, print this assignment and go through the steps.  We haven't worked through DIDLS since "The Cask of Amontillado", so it's okay if you're rusty.  Just consider this a warm-up for what you are doing now - SIFTing through text for tone, theme, and imagery.

For this assignment, everything you do revolves around characterizing Jem.  He is just as important as Scout, and gets some attention in this chapter.

**If anyone else is reading this, I hope you read Chapter 6.  It's a doozy...and you might have a quiz on the book tomorrow.

Here is the presentation from today's class, as well as the questions, if you need them for your review. 

I am very much looking forward to your conversations tomorrow.  Come ready to impress your classmates.  :-)

So far this week, you have taken two days of a marathon test.  AWESOME. 

Seriously, I have total faith that you did so well.  I genuinely believe that you all did very well, and probably even beyond.  As soon as scores come in May, I'll inform you guys individually and conference with what all of it means for your future (especially your summer). 

Now, for all things THIS week...

First things first - those lit term journals.  I told you guys that they would be due after the Romeo and Juliet exam...and that date has passed.  All classes are due to submit your journals THIS FRIDAY, 5 April.  Remember the coding - n0t all terms need both examples and explanations, but you do need examples from Romeo and Juliet.  You will be given time for you to complete the lit term journals during your two-hour block in my class.  All journals will be due at the END of class on Friday...I might even give you time to work on them during Friday's class.

Some of you are thanking your lucky stars for a screwed-up schedule, but waiting until Friday is NOT a good idea, because there are other things to be done...

Now, for everything else...

The file above is an essay, titled "The Meanings of a Word", by Gloria Naylor.  Because we are reading To Kill A Mockingbird beginning next week, we need to tease out one of the major motifs in the book - one that is infinitely problematic - and that is the treatment of race, especially in words.  Naylor attempts to hash this out from a rather interesting perspective. 

One warning before you read this essay - you don't have to agree with its content, but you do have to discuss it in a civilized manner.  That discussion, civilized and highly academic, will be graded.  I do expect that you will come with questions, but nobody should speak from any perspective but their own.   I would like you to have this essay read and annotated for Monday.  During class this week, I will go over the procedures for this structured conversation.  I look forward to you all having lots to say, but being upstanding ladies and gentlemen all the while.


So, download a copy of the essay and finish your lit term journals.  :-)  We'll talk, beginning tomorrow.