2020 American Literature

 TEST. NOTE ALL LATE WORK IS DUE BY NEXT FRIDAY AT 4 PM.

 Plot: Make sure you can discuss this book as a 3-part structure and give significant summary for each section. Symbols: Horizon (particular the sun rising and sun setting) Nature (beauty and destructive powers) God Mule Fishing at Night Stories  Janie's hair Overalls Pear Tree Checkers Mule Mad Dog Hurricane The difference in how Janie dresses for the two funerals Also think about names: Tea Cake, Mrs. Turner, Joe Starks, Logan Killicks, Janie Crawford Themes: Women Impowerment The Quest for Self Racism Freedom Dreams Know the following characters: Nunkie Matt Bonner Johnny Taylor Captain Eaton Who Flung Dr. Simmons Sam Watson Leafy Crawford Phoeby Watson Nanny Joe Starks Mr.s Turner Logan Killicks Motor Boat Coodemay Bootny  Sop-De-Botoom Also make sure you know important scenes - like the hurricane, the destruction of Mrs. Turner's restaurant, the funerals (all three), the scenes with Tea Cake, Janie standing up to Joe Starks, etc. Settings - know the three major setti...

 Today we are going to read, "Looking for Zora" by Alice Walker.  When you are finished I'd like you to answer the following: 1) What is your general response to this? How does one writer impact a person so much that they go looking for that person? 2) Does this change your view of Zora? Why or why not? 3) "Walker's optimism" writes critic Donna H. Winchell, "is ultimately born of her belief that something divine exists in every human and nonhuman participant in the universe. The inhabitants of her fictional world search...for that divine spark that makes them uniquely who they are." How might this quote apply to this essay? Cite evidence from the text to support your insight.  https://jobs.disneycareers.com/disney-college-program

Today we are going to try and finish the novel. Good luck!  4/26 Finish Novel 4/27 Alice Walker 4/28 Review 4/29 Review and or catch up 4/30 TEST ON BOOK 5/3 - 5/5 Work on Essay or Project 5/6 Joy Harjo and Billy Collins 5/7 Toni Morrison  5/10 A Raisin in the Sun 5/17 or 5/18 Final The above schedule can be amended at any time.

 Today you have a quiz. If you finish before the period is up, please use the time to post your notes from chapter 11 through page 180. Good Luck!

 I've rearranged the schedule slightly, so there is no test today. We will be looking at Amiri Baraka. Someone Blew Up America https://poets.org/poet/amiri-baraka https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/58013/preface-to-a-twenty-volume-suicide-note 4/22 Amiri Baraka   4/23 QUIZ 4/26 Alice Walker 4/27 Finish Novel 4/28 Review 4/29 Review and or catch up 4/30 TEST ON BOOK 5/3 - 5/5 Work on Essay or Project 5/6 Joy Harjo and Billy Collins 5/7 Toni Morrison  5/10 A Raisin in the Sun 5/17 or 5/18 Final The above schedule can be amended at any time.

Schedule:  4/21 page 180 4/22 Quiz on book.  4/23 Joy Harjo and Billy Collins 4/26 Alice Walker 4/27 Finish Novel 4/28 Review 4/29 Review and or catch up 4/30 TEST ON BOOK 5/3 - 5/5 Work on Essay or Project 5/6 Amiri Baraka 5/7 Toni Morrison  5/10 A Raisin in the Sun 5/17 or 5/18 Final The above schedule can be amended at any time.

4/20 page 160 4/21 page 180 4/22 Quiz on book.  4/23 Joy Harjo and Billy Collins 4/26 Alice Walker 4/27 Finish Novel 4/28 Review 4/29 Review and or catch up 4/30 TEST ON BOOK 5/3 - 5/5 Work on Essay or Project 5/6 Amiri Baraka 5/7 Toni Morrison  5/10 A Raisin in the Sun 5/17 or 5/18 Final The above schedule can be amended at any time.  

 Today we are going to look at Gregory Corso and Diane di Prima. HW: Choose one poem, summarize it and connect it to a major theme, and then discuss how it is post-modern. Gregory Corso   http://www.litkicks.com/Texts/Marriage.html https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46374/the-american-way  Diane di Prima https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/54971/song-for-baby-o-unborn Revolutionary Letters: https://assets.ctfassets.net/zzo3jtyu2pmq/2cSKVd5ytirU1hEIkdue96/8ecb7a12640ae9942c5925d7ec2e8d76/diane-di-prima-revolutionary-letters.pdf   RANT:  http://modampo.blogspot.com/2006/04/diane-di-primas-rant.html     

 Today we need to take a vocabulary quiz and then read in Their Eyes Were Watching God 4/16 page 135 4/19 Gregory Corso 4/20 page 150 4/21 page 160 4/22 page 180 4/23 Diane di Prima 4/26 Alice Walker 4/27 Finish Novel 4/28 Review 4/29 Review and or catch up 4/30 TEST ON BOOK 5/3 - 5/5 Work on Essay or Project 5/6 Amiri Baraka 5/7 Billy Collins 5/10 A Raisin in the Sun 5/17 or 5/18 Final The above schedule can be amended at any time.  

 Today we are going to look at three poems by Allen Ginsberg. Your assignment is to choose one of them and write a blog post (at least one paragraph) that discusses 1) The meaning of the poem connecting the contents with a major theme and 2) How the poem is postmodern. POSTMODERNISM:  Its   main   characteristics   include anti-authoritarianism, or refusal to recognize the authority of any single style or definition of what art should be; and the collapsing of the distinction between high culture and mass or popular culture, and between art and everyday life. Fragmentation, dark humor and author self-referencing are characteristics of postmodernism as is the idea that there is no single truth. America Hum Bomb  Howl  HW: Vocabulary Quiz tomorrow. Make sure you know this set and the last set of words.  

  4/14 page 120 4/15 Allen Ginsberg HOMEWORK: Post your notes for chapters 5-11

 Today we are going to discuss Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, and read to page 98 in Their Eyes Were Watching God First we should review vocabulary for your quiz on Friday! 

 Today we will take a quiz and read an excerpt from On The Road . The excerpt can be found on the link below: https://beatpatrol.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/jack-kerouac-on-the-road-1957-excerpts/  HOMEWORK:  Read "Necessary to Protect Ourselves" by Malcolm X on page 1224 Do questions 1-4 on page 1228.   ESSAYS ARE DUE TODAY - If you name in not below please re-share or share your essay with me. It means that I don't know if you are done or not. Peyton Rodig Tatum Sager Benjamin Burnham Conner Lawrence Paige Turner  Chloe Miller Adalia Deach Callia Fielding

 Today, I'll give you a few minutes to work on vocabulary words. Remember we have a test next week. Also we need to read through 76 so whatever we don't finish is HOMEWORK. Essays are also due on Monday - please don't ignore my comments it makes me slightly upset. Also for Monday, post your notes for these pages. 4/9 page 76 4/12 Beat Generation - Jack Kerouac or Malcolm X 4/12 QUIZ. Final Essays Due. 4/13 page 98 4/14 Allen Ginsberg 4/15 page 120 4/16 Gregory Corso 4/19 page 135 4/20 page 150 4/21 page 160 4/22 page 180 4/23 Diane di Prima 4/26 Alice Walker 4/27 Finish Novel 4/28 Review 4/29 Review and or catch up 4/30 TEST ON BOOK 5/3 - 5/5 Work on Essay or Project 5/6 Amiri Baraka 5/7 Billy Collins 5/10 A Raisin in the Sun 5/17 or 5/18 Final The above schedule can be amended at any time.

 I will give you a few moments to work on words of the day and then we will look at Their Eyes Were Watching God 4/7 page 54 4/9 page 76 4/12 Beat Generation - Jack Kerouac or Malcolm X 4/12 QUIZ. Final Essays Due. 4/13 page 98 4/14 Allen Ginsberg 4/15 page 120 4/16 Gregory Corso 4/19 page 135 4/20 page 150 4/21 page 160 4/22 page 180 4/23 Diane di Prima 4/26 Alice Walker 4/27 Finish Novel 4/28 Review 4/29 Review and or catch up 4/30 TEST ON BOOK 5/3 - 5/5 Work on Essay or Project 5/6 Amiri Baraka 5/7 Billy Collins 5/10 A Raisin in the Sun 5/17 or 5/18 Final The above schedule can be amended at any time.

 Today, I'll give you a few minutes to work on vocabulary (write sentences with the first three words), and then we will finish Baldwin. 4/6 Finish Baldwin, time to answer questions. Read Hurston  4/7 page 54 4/8 page 76 4/9 QUIZ. Final Essays Due. 4/12 Beat Generation - Jack Kerouac or Malcolm X 4/13 page 98 4/14 Allen Ginsberg 4/15 page 120 4/16 Gregory Corso 4/19 page 135 4/20 page 150 4/21 page 160 4/22 page 180 4/23 Diane di Prima 4/26 Alice Walker 4/27 Finish Novel 4/28 Review 4/29 Review and or catch up 4/30 TEST ON BOOK 5/3 - 5/5 Work on Essay or Project 5/6 Amiri Baraka 5/7 Billy Collins 5/10 A Raisin in the Sun 5/17 or 5/18 Final The above schedule can be amended at any time. 

 Today we are going to try and finish "Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin. HW: Do the following: 1) Write a paragraph overview of the story. What is it really about? What really happens? 2) There are a number of themes in the story including: suffering, darkness, feeling trapped and wanting to escape. How can you tie all of these into one dominate theme that is suggested in the title "Sonny Blues"? (Note there is no single answer for this questions).

 Today we are going to discuss THEIR EYES to page 33, and then look at a short story by James Baldwin. HW: Flipgrid on Their Eyes Were Watching God. https://flipgrid.com/2c90db83 REMEMBER: Final Persuasive ESSAYS are due on THURSDAY.

 So, we are going to continue with the novel, but first I'd like you to look up this new set of vocabulary words. Always - on your blogs I want you to write a brief paragraph about what you think the title of the book means! Also for chapter 1 and 2 - you can take photos of your notes in your book and post them on your blog for journal credit. If you don't want to do this you will need to write your notes out and post them.  For chapter 3 you will be doing a Flipgrid. 1) Desist 2) Mien 3) Surly 4) Commiserate 5) Desecrate 6) Jostle 7) Pacify 8) Affirmation 9) Decorum 10) Pugnacious 11) Temerity 12) Sodden 13) Amiss  

 Class Schedule 4/1 "Contemporary Lit - Historical Context" (page 1149) 4/2  page 33 4/5 James Baldwin 4/6 James Baldwin 4/6 Malcolm X 4/7 page 54 - FINAL Persuasive ESSAY DUE 4/8 page 76 4/9 QUIZ 4/12 Beat Generation - Jack Kerouac 4/13 page 98 4/14 Allen Ginsberg 4/15 page 120 4/16 Gregory Corso 4/19 page 135 4/20 page 150 4/21 page 160 4/22 page 180 4/23 Diane di Prima 4/26 Alice Walker 4/27 Finish Novel 4/28 Review 4/29 Review and or catch up 4/30 TEST ON BOOK 5/3 - 5/5 Work on Essay or Project 5/6 Amiri Baraka 5/7 Billy Collins 5/10 A Raisin in the Sun 5/17 or 5/18 Final The above schedule can be amended at any time.