DATE IN-CLASS HOMEWORK
W, Aug. 27 Go over First Day Handouts:
  • Course Description
  • Typical Week
  • Standard of Excellence
  • Student Data Sheet
  • Photograph/Motto Assignment
  • Initial story telling assignment
Compose two true stories about yourself, filling out the true-story outlines in your packet.
Th, Aug. 28 While taking notes, listen to your partners two true stories.  Select one to retell the class tomorrow. Practice telling the true story (2-3 minutes) aboout your partner and then compose a completely fictitious story (2-3 minutes) about that person.  Fill out two True Story Outlines and one Fictitious Story Outline.
F, Aug 29 Get Memoir Reader.

Start telling true/false stories.

Select a memoir to read in class on Friday.
M, Sept. 1 NO SCHOOL -- LABOR DAY Practice your true/false stories if you haven't already told them.
Tu, Sept. 2 Continue true/false stories. Start looking for your book-length memoir.
W, Sept. 3 Go to Community Theatre to listen to Mr. Slemp.

Finish true/false stories.

Read Introduction to Isabel Allende's My Invented Country and respond to Questions about Memoir.
Th, Sept. 4 Discuss Introduction to Isabel Allende's My Invented Country, consulting your completed Questions about Memoir sheet. Bring your full-length memoir to class tomorrow.
F, Sept. 5

Independent memoir reading.  Write an analytical letter to the author addressing strengths and weaknesses of the writing.

Read excerpt from Wolff's This Boy's Life and respond to Questions about Memoir.
M, Sept. 8 Discuss excerpt from Wolff's This Boy's Life, consulting your completed Questions about Memoir sheet. Read Mother Tongue and Five Writing Tips by Amy Tan.  Fill out a Questions about Memoir sheet about Mother Tongue.
Tu, Sept. 9 Discuss Mother Tongue and Five Writing Tips by Amy Tan, consulting your completed Questions about Memoir sheets. Read In Bed and Why I Write by Joan Didion.  Fill out a Questions about Memoir sheet about In Bed.
W, Sept. 10 Discuss In Bed and Why I Write by Joan Didion, consulting your completed Questions about Memoir sheets. Read Frank McCourt's Chapter 51 from 'Tis and respond to Questions about Memoir.
Th, Sept. 11 Discuss Frank McCourt's Chapter 51 from 'Tis, consulting your completed Questions about Memoir sheets. Browse www.bhsenglish.com to find a student memoir to read and analyze over the weekend.
F, Sept. 12 Ms. Price speaks about the college application process. Read a student-written memoir found at www.bhsenglish.com and write an analytical letter to the author addressing strengths and weaknesses of the writing.

Read Sherman Alexie's Indian Education.

M, Sept. 15 Discuss Sherman Alexie's Indian Education. Begin writing about four grades of your education, using Alexie's memoir as a model.

Read excerpt from Mary Karr's Cherry.

Tu, Sept. 16 Discuss Mary Karr's Cherry. Finish writing about four grades of your education, using Alexie's memoir as a model.  Bring your piece to class tomorrow.
W, Sept. 17 Share your education pieces in small groups.  Each group reads its best piece to the class. Read Revoyr's Public vs. Private. 

Write a dialogue between a public school student and a private school student.

Th, Sept. 18 Discuss Revoyr's Public vs. Private.  Have a debate about public schools vs. private schools.

Share your public vs. private school dialogue with the class.

Make sure that your written assignments (in RED) are up-to-date.
F, Sept. 19 Independent memoir reading.  Write an analytical letter to the author addressing strengths and weaknesses of the writing. Read Wendy Lesser's Mr. Jones.

Write a memoir about a teacher's powerful influence.

M, Sept. 22 Discuss Wendy Lesser's Mr. Jones.

Read your memoir about a powerful teacher to the class.

Read E.B. White's Farewell, My Lovely.

Finish your dialogue between a private and a public school student and bring it to class tomorrow.

Tu, Sept. 23 Discuss E.B. White's Farewell, My Lovely.

Enact your private-public student dialogue in front of the class.

Read except from Barack Obama's Dreams From My Father.

Describe an attachment you have to an inanimate object that reveals important information about your personality.

W, Sept. 24 Discuss except from Barack Obama's Dreams From My Father.

Time to work on other creative pieces.

Finish inanimate object attachment piece and your memoir about a powerful teacher's influence.
Tu, Sept. 25 In small groups, share your inanimate object attachment piece and your memoir about a powerful teacher's influence. Remember to bring your full-length memoir to class tomorrow for independent reading.
F, Sept. 26 FOLDERS DUE!

Independent memoir reading.  Write an analytical letter to the author addressing strengths and weaknesses of the writing.

Read Two Rivers, a memoir about two Americans participating in the Peace Corps in China.
M, Sept. 29 Discuss Two Rivers in terms of memoir "do's and don'ts." Read Toni Martin's Enough and My French Soldier responding to Questions about Memoir about one of the pieces.
Tu, Sept. 30 Discuss Toni Martin's Enough and My French Soldier, consulting your Questions about Memoir. After reading Eva Jepson's Cell Phone, write a letter to the author addressing strengths and weaknesses.
W, Oct. 1 Discuss Eva Jepson's Cell Phone and share your letters to the author. After reading Kate Jacobsen's A Failure in International Living, write a letter to the author addressing strengths and weaknesses.
Th, Oct. 2 Discuss Kate Jacobsen's A Failure in International Living and share your letters to the author. Remember to bring your full-length memoir to class tomorrow.
F, Oct. 3 Folders returned.

Get sample college application essays for next week.

Independent memoir reading.  Write an analytical letter to the author addressing strengths and weaknesses of the writing.

Study for memoir EXAM.
M, Oct. 6 Memoir EXAM.

Get sample college applications essays.

Read sample college applications essays by Kaufmann, Salas, and Schrag.  Fill out a College Essay Evaluation for each essay.
Tu, Oct. 7 Discuss sample college applications essays by Kaufmann, Salas, and Schrag, consulting your completed College Essay Evaluation during the discussion. Read sample college applications essays by Spatz, Taylor, and Gregory.  Fill out a College Essay Evaluation for each essay.
W, Oct. 8 Discuss sample college applications essays by Spatz, Taylor, and Gregory, consulting your completed College Essay Evaluation during the discussion. Read sample college applications essays by Shan, Akeju, and Jinh.  Fill out a College Essay Evaluation for each essay.
Th, Oct. 9 Discuss sample college applications essays by Shan, Akeju, and Jinh, consulting your completed College Essay Evaluation during the discussion. Remember to bring your full-length memoir to class tomorrow.
F, Oct. 10 Independent memoir reading.  Write an analytical letter to the author addressing strengths and weaknesses of the writing. Start writing a rough draft of your college application essay.
M, Oct. 13 NO SCHOOL -- STAFF DEVELOPMENT Finish writing a rough draft of your college application essay.  Bring the draft to class tomorrow for PEER EDITING.
Tu, Oct. 14 Peer Editing two of your classmates' college essays, completing a College Essay Evaluation on each one. Write final draft of  your college application essay.  Bring your final draft, two peer edits on your essay, and your rough draft to class on Thursday.
W, Oct. 15 NO CLASS -- PSAT testing. See above.
Th, Oct. 16 Final draft of college application due (along with two peer edits and rough draft).  Start filling out two Memoir Worksheets for tomorrow. Finish filling out two Memoir Worksheets for tomorrow.
F, Oct. 17 Consulting your two Memoir Worksheets, pitch your ideas to your workshop groups. Write the first three pages of your memoir and bring a copy for every member of your workshop on Monday.
M, Oct. 20 Distribute your copies to workshop members and Mr. Bye.

Make a schedule for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Begin reading and annotating workshop members' drafts.  Remember to write two paragraphs--of strengths and weaknesses--at the end of each one.

 

Read, annotate, and write summary paragraphs on memoirs to be discussed tomorrow in workshops.
Tu, Oct. 21 Memoir Workshop Session 1A Read, annotate, and write summary paragraphs on memoirs to be discussed tomorrow in workshops.
W, Oct. 22 Memoir Workshop Session 1B Read, annotate, and write summary paragraphs on memoirs to be discussed tomorrow in workshops.
Th, Oct. 23 Memoir Workshop Session 1C Read three memoirs piece by Barbara Gates and write down three good questions for each one.  Bring the memoirs and questions to class tomorrow.
F, Oct. 24 Barbara Gates visits to read from and talk about her writing.  Bring her pieces and your questions to class. Write middle of your memoir (3 pages).  Remember to bring copies for everyone in your Workshop Group and Mr. Bye on Monday.
M, Oct. 27 Distribute your copies to workshop members and Mr. Bye.

Make a schedule for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Begin reading and annotating workshop members' drafts.  Remember to write two paragraphs--of strengths and weaknesses--at the end of each one.

 

Read, annotate, and write summary paragraphs on memoirs to be discussed tomorrow in workshops.
Tu, Oct. 28 Memoir Workshop Session 2A Read, annotate, and write summary paragraphs on memoirs to be discussed tomorrow in workshops.
W, Oct. 29 Memoir Workshop Session 2B Read, annotate, and write summary paragraphs on memoirs to be discussed tomorrow in workshops.
Th, Oct. 30 Memoir Workshop Session 2C Remember to bring your full-length memoir to class tomorrow.
F, Oct. 31 Independent memoir reading.  Write an analytical letter to the author addressing strengths and weaknesses of the writing. Write end of your memoir (3 pages).  Remember to bring copies for everyone in your Workshop Group and Mr. Bye on Monday.
M, Nov. 3 Distribute your copies to workshop members and Mr. Bye.

Make a schedule for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Begin reading and annotating workshop members' drafts.  Remember to write two paragraphs--of strengths and weaknesses--at the end of each one.

 

Read, annotate, and write summary paragraphs on memoirs to be discussed tomorrow in workshops.
Tu, Nov. 4 Memoir Workshop Session 3A Read, annotate, and write summary paragraphs on memoirs to be discussed tomorrow in workshops.
W, Nov. 5 Memoir Workshop Session 3B Read, annotate, and write summary paragraphs on memoirs to be discussed tomorrow in workshops.
Th, Nov. 6 Memoir Workshop Session 3C Relax.
F, Nov. 7 Start revising rough draft of memoir.
Start reading Poe's The Black Cat.
Continue revising rough draft of memoir.
M & Tu,
Nov. 10-11
NO SCHOOL--VETERANS DAY Finish revising memoir.
Finish reading Poe's The Black Cat.  Bring reader to class tomorrow.
W, Nov. 12 Hard copy of memoir due if you want comments.
Introduction to the Conventional Short Story
Start discussing Poe's The Black Cat.
Read Carver's Cathedral.
Th, Nov. 13 Finish discussing Poe's The Black Cat.
In-Class Paragraph #1:  How does the narrator change profoundly in the story as demonstrated by his final statement, "It's really something"?
Discuss Carver's Cathedral.
Work on biography for online memoir.
F, Nov. 14 Get revision of Faulkner's story.
Listen to student memoirs.
Start reading both versions of Faulkner's Evening Sun story.  What changes did he make and why?
After reading a student short story selected at www.bhsenglish.com, write a page long letter to the student in which you analyze the strengths and weaknesses. Provide examples and quotations to support your claims.
Sun, Nov 16 Email your biography with attached memoir to BHSstory@aol.com by midnight.  (The subject of your email should be: Your Last Name, Your First Name) Relax.
M, Nov. 17 Discuss both versions of Faulkner's Evening Sun story explaining what changes he made and why. Read O'Brien's The Things They Carried and fill out character sheet.
Tu, Nov. 18 Meet in small groups. Read Kincaid's Girl.
W, Nov. 19 Discuss Girl. Read Welty's Petrified Man.
Th, Nov. 20 Listen to some dialogues based on Girl.
Discuss Petrified Man.
Read Wolff's Hunters in the Snow.
F, Nov. 21 In-Class Paragraph #2:  Who is the protagonist in Hunters in the Snow?  Defend your opinion with evidence from the text.

Discuss Hunters in the Snow.
After reading a student short story selected at www.bhsenglish.com, write a page long letter to the student in which you analyze the strengths and weaknesses. Provide examples and quotations to support your claims.
M, Nov. 24 Discuss Hills Like White Elephants.

Class time to start writing dialogue.
Finish writing dialogue.  Bring it to class tomorrow to perform with a partner.
Tu, Nov. 25 Perform and discuss student dialogues.