American Literature (Period 1/4/5) Assignments
- Instructors
- Term
- Year 09-10
- Department
- English Department
- Location
- E-5
- Description
-
Welcome to Ms. Vos' American Literature class!
The best way to contact me is by e-mail at [email protected]. I have a computer in my classroom, I check my e-mail several times a day, and I am able to send a quick response between classes if necessary. If e-mail is inconvenient, you may leave me a message by phone at (818) 837-5345. If you do call, please be patient, however, as it will take me longer to get back to you this way. I can only return phone calls during a length of time when I am not teaching. Again, thanks in advance for your cooperation.
I look forward to meeting you and working with you this year!
Files
Upcoming Assignments
No upcoming assignments.
Past Assignments
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Rough and final draft of the MLA formatted essay response to the To Kill a Mockingbird writing promt.
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*Bring your literature textbook to class today.
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Read chapters 29, 30, & 31 in To Kill a Mockingbird.
*REMEMBER THAT TUESDAY IS PHOTO IDEA DAY! WEAR A WHITE ALEMANY POLO THAT FITS!
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Character Traits Chart:
You must complete the following information for each character.
- Physical/Personality Traits
- One example of courage this character has shown, page # where you found the example
- One example of cowardice this character has demonstrated, page # where you found the example
Characters:
- Scout
- Jem
- Atticus
- Tom Robinson
- Mr. Ewell
- Mayella
- Mrs. Dubose
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Answer study guide questions in the study guide packet for To Kill a Mockingbird: Chapters 22-25. Answer in your own words and cite the page where you found the answer.
*You must complete every question for credit. There will be NO partial credit issued on this assignment.
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Read chapters 22, 23, & 24 in To Kill a Mockingbird. Make margin notes.
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Read through chapter 21 in To Kill a Mockingbird. Continue to make margin notes in the margin of the book.
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Read chapters 16 & 17 in To Kill a Mockingbird. Summarize the chapters. Answer study guide questions for chapters 15-17.
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Read chapters 14 & 15. Continue with your margin notes. Answer the study guide questions for chapters 8-11.
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Finish reading chapter 9. Read chapters 10, 11, & 12. Answer the study guide questions for chapters 4-7.
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Complete Study Guide Questions for chapters 1-3. Read chapters 6 & 7 & complete margin notes.
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Read chapters 4 & 5 in To Kill a Mockingbird.
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Read chapters 2 & 3. Write margin notes.
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Finish reading chapter 1 in To Kill a Mockingbird.
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PERIOD 5 ONLY: Read pages 822-825. Answer the CYC/CT questions (ALL). Complete 1 (one) project from page 827 "Writing."
ALL CLASSES: BRING TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD TO CLASS.
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Outline unit 6: The Story of the Times.
OUTLINING:
PURPOSE
- Shorten what you've read
- Something to study later
- Helps you understand what you have read.
REQUIREMENTS
- Use your own words
- Include important stuff (minimum 3-5 points per section/heading
- Doing the "minimum" will not earn you an "A" in the class or on a quiz/test
- Create an outline that will help you pass a test/quiz
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Bring your Literature text to class.
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Complete The Old Man and the Sea worksheets: The Man and the Sea, Santiago as Everyman, Hero or Macho Man?, Seeing Santiago.
Answer EVERY question for credit.
Use your critical thinking skills to answer the questions. Yes, you all have the ability to think critically! Challenge yourself!
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Bring The Old Man and the Sea to class.
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Finish the back of The Old Man and the Sea study guide. Study for the midterm.
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Finish reading The Old Man and the Sea. Answer the study guide questions through 39. Your midterms will be on this novel so begin to review as needed.
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Answer The Old Man and the Sea study guide questions through 26. Remember to follow the directions on the study guide.
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Answer The Old Man and the Sea study guide questions: 1-16. To receive full credit, you must remember to FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS on the study guide.
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Bring The Old Man and the Sea to class. If you do not have the book, you will be required to write an essay.
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Bring The Old Man and the Sea to class.
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TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO DONATE GIFT CARDS & CASH TO MONTE CARLO NIGHT!
BRING IN GIFT CARDS & CASH! IT'S THE LAST DAY!!!!!!!
MONTE CARLO NIGHT BENEFITS YOU!
HELP YOUR CLASS PERIOD WIN A PIZZA PARTY!
BRING THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA TO CLASS!
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Complete the "triggers' assignment for "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall."
*The following triggers cause Granny's thought to drift. For each one, write two sentences that discuss the thoughts and feelings that come to Granny's mind.
* Cite the page and notes the section where you found the answers.
Triggers:
- Sight of Dr. Harry
- Jobs to do tomorrow
- The distance of her daughter Lydia
- The feel of the pillow
- The arrival of Father Connolly
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Review Winter Dreams, April Showers: CYC/CT & worksheet.
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Internet essay due today. (Period 4, Due Thursday)
Topic: The Internet: Today's Evolution or Tomorrow's Menace.
Length: 400-500 words, typed in MLA format.
Content: Write an essay on whether you think the Internet is good or bad and why. Support your opinion with examples. Avoid the use of "you" & "I think, I feel & I believe."
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Read pages 760-765. Answer CYC 1-5 & CT 1-3.
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Read pages 670-683: Answer CYC (1-5) & CT (1-4). Answer in complete sentences.
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Type 3 imagist based poems. Use the imagist poems in your literature book as examples. Remember that your poems must use imagery and appeal to the senses. DO NOT rhyme. Type in MLA format. Each poem needs to be on its own sheet of 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper. Illustrate your poem in color. You may illustrate around your poem.
**Poems of value will be submitted to the editor-in-chief of Alemany's literary magazine for possible publication.
**Poems of value will be submitted to the editor-in-chief of Alemany's literary magazine for possible publication.
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Imagery: Descriptive writing that appeals to the senses and creates a clear, vivid, mental image or picture.
Imagism: Literary movement that was led by author Ezra Pound. Imagist poets wrote short poems that use ordinary language and free verse to create sharp, vivid, exact, concentrated pictures.
Directions for poetry project:
Writing:
• Write 3 Imagist inspired poems. (This means use imagery!)
• One poem must start with the line: "This is just to say..." (Modeled after the William Carlos Williams poem)
• Do not rhyme your poems.
• Do not write abstract poems on love or any other subject. If we cannot "picture" or imagine your poem then you did not write an imagist inspired poem and therefore did not meet the requirements of the assignment.
• Your poems should be concrete and appeal to the senses.
• Use a thesaurus as needed.
• Be creative and choose your words carefully.
Illustration:
• Illustrate each poem in color. Your illustration should depict some aspect of your poem.
• Be creative in your illustration. Anything compiled or hand-assembled by you is acceptable, BUT don't just print a single image from the Internet to illustrate your creativity. This will not earn you credit. If you are using Internet images, you must compile them in a collage and cite the websites where you found them.
• Each poem should be on it's on 8.5 x 11 sheet of computer paper, typed in MLA format.
• Your poems may be single-spaced, however, your heading, header and title must be in MLA format.
Sloppy work, work that shows little or no effort, and work that is slapped together before or during class is not acceptable and will earn you a grade of zero.
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No homework. Have a great weekend!
*********BRING YOUR BOOK TO CLASS.
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Outline Unit 5 "Story of the Times" in your literature book. Bring your book to class. When in doubt, bring your book to class. In fact, if you are not sure which book to bring...bring ALL of them. You cannot pass this class without bringing the proper materials to class. Start off on a positive note! Be responsible!
Starting January 11, 2010 - Points will be deducted from your grade, on a daily basis, if you are not prepared for class.
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Literary analysis paper due today.
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Continue working on your literary analysis paper.
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Write an introductory paragraph to your literary analysis paper.
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Read pages 458-463. Answer CYC (1-5). BRING INHERIT THE WIND and YOUR LITERATURE BOOK to class. Also, bring your MLA pre-writing assignment (10 quotes & commentary)and the homework assignment that earned a "pink check" if you did it correctly or "no check" if you did it incorrectly.
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Explain in 4-5 sentences (or more if needed) how the quote (below) proves the thesis statement (below).
Thesis statement: In Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat," the narrator illustrates the thems that too much pride leads to an individual's downfall.
Quote: "I rapped heavily with a cane...upon that very portion of the brickwork behind which was the corpse of the wife of my bosom....I was answered by a voice from within the tomb!" (Poe 17).
Commentary: In 4-5 sentences (or more) explain how the quote PROVES the thesis statement. You must explain it in detail so that it makes sense to a person who has never read the story.
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Unit 4: Story of the Times outline due today. You may use a formal or informal outline.
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Pre-Writing Phase of the MLA paper due Today Periods 1 & 5 / Wednesday Periods 2 & 4.
Remember, for each piece of evidence you find in the literature. You need to explain, in your commentary, how that piece of evidence proves or supports your thesis statement. Focus on "good commentary" rather than on "bad commentary."
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Write a 1/2 page summary of The Cask of Amontillado.
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Read "The Pit and the Pendulum" - Poe. Answer the study guide questions handed out in class. Remember to answer the questions in complete sentences as well as copy the material that supports/proves your answer. DON'T FORGET TO CITE YOUR WORK!
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WE STILL NEED FOOD FOR THE THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE! We need your help! PLEASE bring in anything you can spare to help those in need. THANK YOU!
Low Salt Vegetables, Low Sugar Canned Fruit, Flour, Cooking Oil, Canned Meat, Salt/Sugar, Peanut Butter, Whole Grain Cereal, & Brown Rice are items that are desperately needed!
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PLEASE bring cans/food for the Thanksgiving food drive! It has been running for a week and so far NOBODY has brought anything in!
Low Salt Vegetables, Low Sugar Canned Fruit, Flour, Cooking Oil, Canned Meat, Salt/Sugar, Peanut Butter, Whole Grain Cereal, Brown Rice, Dried Beans, Whole Wheat Pasta, Juice, Dry Milk
**OR any other food items that you are willing to donate.
************PARENTS! IF YOUR CHILDREN ARE SICK...PLEASE KEEP THEM AT HOME! THEY WILL HAVE TIME TO MAKE UP WORK THEY MISSED WHEN THEY RETURN. SENDING SICK KIDS TO SCHOOL ONLY SPREADS GERMS AND CONTINUES THE CYCLE!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Read The Fall of the House of Usher. Answer questions 1-10 on the study guide. Remember to answer in complete sentences where appropriate. You do not need to cite the answers for questions 1-10.
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Read or finish reading The Black Cat. Write a 1/2 page summary on the story.
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Using the RACE method--finish The Tell-Tale Heart study guide questions.
R: Restate the question, A: Answer the question (R + A = Answering in complete sentences), C: Cite (Give the page # where you found the answer and then copy the passage/answer/information from the story), E: Explain/Expand (Answer these questions: "So what?" & "What does that mean?" in your explanation). Basically, the E (Explain/Expand) portion is where you explain how the information you copied from the book proves your answer.
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Read the Tell-Tale Heart. Answer the study guide questions/worksheet that was passed out in class.
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Bring Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart & Other Writings to class.
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Review The Devil and Tom Walker. If you only skimmed it the first time through, make sure you re-read it. We will be discussing it in class today.
Bring your literature book to class Wednesday/Thursday.
FRIDAY: Bring Edgar Allan Poe's Tell-Tale Heart & Other Short Stories to class.
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Bring your grammar book to class. If you do not bring your book to class you will have an alternate assignment.
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Bring your grammar book to class. If you do not have your grammar book, you will be writing a 3 page essay due at the end of class.
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Bring your literature book to class. Continue to work on the grammar exercises for chapter 5 (Exercises: 1, 2 (Re-write the paragraph), 3, 5, 7, 8 (rewrite the sentences), & 10) -- The grammar exercises will be due next Tuesday.
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BRING YOUR GRAMMAR BOOK TO CLASS.
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Outline Chapter 5 in the grammar book. Only outline the substantive portion. Do not complete the exercises.
Bring your grammar book to class on Monday.
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BRING YOUR GRAMMAR BOOK TO CLASS. (THE GRAMMAR BOOK IS THE YELLOW, SOFT-COVERED TEXT BOOK THAT BEARS THE TITLE: GRAMMAR FOR WRITING: LEVEL GOLD")
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Study for your midterm exam. Bring your literature book to class on Monday.
You will need your grammar book on Friday...BRING IT TO CLASS.
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Finish writing your group aphorism fable.
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Re-read pages 169-171. Answer CYC (1-3) & CT (1-4).
Additionally: Fine one example each (in the speech) of the following literary devices:Repetition, Rhetorcal Question, Parallel Structure (Parallelism)...COPY THE EXAMPLE ON YOUR HOMEWORK.
Remember to format your homework in MLA format...HEADING ON THE LEFT!
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SELL RAFFLE TICKETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
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Read pages 140-143. Answer cyc 1-4 and ct 1-2.
SELL RAFFLE TICKETS!
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Read pages 131-135. Answer CYC (1-4) & CT (1-3). Bring your Story of the Times outline to class. Bring your book to class.
End of unit test postponed until midterms/October 13/14.
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Story of the Times group presentation due today. Anything not finished in class is homework.
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Outline Unit 2: The Story of the Times - pages 120-125.
Study for Unit 1 test (next week).
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Puritan project due today. See attached sheet for requirements. This sheet was handed out in class as well. Remember, you are being graded on effort, completeness, and accuracy. CITE your work!
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Read pages 98-101. Answer CYC questions 1-3 and CT questions 1-2.
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Read pages 44-47 and answer CYC questions (1-3)
Read pages 71-75 and answer CYC questions (1-3)
I will be collecting this assignment, which was due Friday, today as well: Read pages 34-39. Answer CYC (1-2) & CT (1-2) on page 37 and CYC (1-2) and CT (1-2) on page 39. Complete your homework in MLA format (you do not need to type it, but it must include a heading, header, and title).
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Read pages 34-39. Answer CYC (1-2) & CT (1-2) on page 37 and CYC (1-2) and CT (1-2) on page 39. Complete your homework in MLA format (you do not need to type it, but it must include a heading, header, and title).
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Creative writing origin myth & accompanying illustration due today see attachment for details. It must explain the origin of earthly life (natural landmarks, explanation as to how an animal got its antlers, spots, stripes, tail, or why it makes the noise it does, anything else that is found in nature). DO NOT write an origin myth on something man-made or artificial. Include an immortal being. It must be creative and detailed. Refer to examples we covered in class (literature book pages 22-27).
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Story of the times outline: Unit 1. Remember you MUST HAVE at least 3-5 points per bold heading. Incomplete outlines will not be accepted. Think of this outline as a studyguide for the materials you read.
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SIGNED: Plagiarism contract & parent letter.
BRING YOUR LITERATURE TEXTBOOK TO CLASS
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Bring your RED LITERATURE BOOK to class.
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Read pages 15-17 in your literature text. Answer the CYC, page 17, (check your comprehension) questions and the CT, page 18, (critical thinking) questions following the reading selection.