Tuesday, March 13

Agenda: 

1. Journal for 5 - 7 minutes on personal dreams and goals, the attributes we assign to those who achieve their dreams.
2. We watched a short film from PBS about the American Dream.
3. We identified whether we identified with the American Dream and the pitfalls of it.
4. We began to analyze specific characters in OMAM, Candy, Curly's wife, Crooks and Lennie, and how having the American Dream contributed to their dissatisfaction and dejection.

Homework: 
1. Read Chapter 5 of our text.
2. Answer the question in the comments below in paragraph using the following format:

What aspect of the American Dream causes [insert character name] the most harm and why? 

     a. "The ____aspect of the American Dream causes <insert name> the most harm     
     because  ____."
     b. Give context for the textual evidence to follow.
     c. Quote the text.
     d. Explain how the prior quote directly correlates to your initial claim in a. Start with "author +
     verb".
     e. Refer to one of the quotes identified in the presentation to supplement the discord between what
     the American Dream speculates and what the character is expected to acheive.
     f. Wrap up your argument by drawing attention to the fundamental flaw of the American Dream
     that renders it a fallacy for many, a wisp of wind that leads the mislead-able into flights of fancy. 

Example paragraph:
With the blind optimism of the American Dream in hand, Candy is caused harm in that he experiences a great deal of disillusionment. Like his dog, Candy comes to understand that his livelihood is dependent upon his ability to be useful. As an aging cripple faced with his own futility, Candy clings to the opportunity to piggy back Lennie and George's dream of an autonomous lifestyle manning their own farm despite having seen a numerous number of vagabond workers before him fail at the same endeavor and acknowledge that he himself also has not been successful to raise the appropriate funds. He points out, "I planted crops for damn near ever’body in this state, but they wasn’t my crops, and when I harvested ‘em, it wasn’t none of my harvest" (Steinbeck 30). Steinbeck underscores the numerous years during which Candy worked without a handicap and was unable to raise funds enough to own a farm and then showcases Candy's unscathed sense of positivity, as Candy claims, "But we gonna do it now" (Steinbeck 30). Emboldened with a new zeal for possibility, Candy buys into the American Dream that according to Erica Jong, writer, entails having to only make a choice in order to "mak[e] yourself into a more successful, richer". Through Candy's misguided belief that he could be a homeowner and live on a farm with his friends in deliberate ignorance of a recent history that could not produce the same result points, Steinbeck is bringing to light the debilitating nature of the American Dream ideology in which characters seek after unrealistic and unlikely goals. Thus, Steinbeck's most plighted characters are culpable to their own sense of disillusionment because they voluntarily believe they can raise their own socio-economic status solely on the decision to do so despite the broad effect of a downcast economic climate, a symptom of the American Dream. 

Chapter 4 Quiz is here.

Monday, March 4th

Agenda: 

1. Students handed in their Found or Blackout poems with a printed copy of their explanations.

2. Free writing on any of the four topics on worksheet found here.

3. Student discussion on worksheet took place.

4. Students took a position on the Friendship board to evaluate whether their understanding of the modes of Friendship have changed.

Homework: 

1. Read Chapter 4. Remember you have the option to use the link here to listen to the story.

2. Section 3 - Turn in your OMAM Debate for Chapter 3 next class.

Wednesday, Feb. 27th

By Kate Lee

By Ryan Park

By No Name

By Sarah Kim

Homework

1. Finish Found / Blackout Poem

2. Type a 200 - 300 word Description of your theme in the novel and explain how both your word choice and image(s) support your theme.

NEED TO KNOW: 

Starting next week, there will be a NO LATE WORK POLICY. Too much work has been handed in late. Please make note.  

And Happy Birthday to Brian and Irissa!

 

Monday, Feb. 25th

Agenda: 
Presentations about Chapter 2 completed in class. 

Instructions on how to write a Found Poem continued.
More samples of Found / Black Out poetry

http://www.20x200.com/staytuned/

http://delightfuldabblings.wordpress.com/2012/03/31/poetry-month-is-almost-here/

http://learningparade.typepad.co.uk/learning_parade/2011/07/newspaper-blackout-poems.html

By Sarah Kim (section 4)

 


Homework:

1. Take Home Quiz on OMAM found here.

2. Found Poem with no more than 30 words from the text without design. Written out and identified on page.

Thursday, February 21

Agenda

Students were given the first 20 minutes to prepare their presentations to the class. For section 3, Groups discussing parallelism and names will go at the beginning of the hour on Monday.

Students were also to turn in found poems. Most were not completed. Late work will be accepted. Posted below are samples of Found poems:

http://chippedteacup.hubpages.com/hub/visual-and-found-poetry

By Carrie Arizona (www.deviantART.com)

http://chippedteacup.hubpages.com/hub/poem-charming-imperfection

kirstyes.co.uk

kirstyes.co.uk

http://piccsy.com/2011/05/night-overtakes/

http://www.gwarlingo.com/2012/the-sunday-poem-mary-ruefle/

Homework: 
1. Read Chapter 3 to review for a short quiz.

2. Read the following article on Euthanasia. Especially read the pro and anti euthansia arguments. Then comment below. What is your personal response to Euthansia after having read both sides of the argument? Refer back to the article in your response. Do you believe it an act of good will to allow Curly's dog to die as he is suffering a less than dignified existance and is in a great deal of pain? Or do you believe it to diminish the sanctity of life by putting Curly's dog down? Is Carlson wrong to suggest the notion in chapter 2 of OMAM?

3. Read over the Found Poems above for reference in class next week.

4. Section 3: Turn in chart with 5 points that extend both the argument that George is a good or bad friend. 

Tuesday, Feb. 19th, 2013

Agenda: 

Students will have come to class prepared with the following:

1. A chart that includes compelling arguments that support both claims that George might be  categorized as a good friend to Lennie as well as a bad friend to Lennie. A minimum of 5 points should be included.

2. Quotes relevant to the topics given to each group provided by all members

 3.  A journal reflecting on the topic either in respect to Steinbeck's use of the topic itself or the topic in a broader spectrum. (e.g. if the topic of Misogyny was given, students might write a reflection on the misogynistic attitudes carried by the characters in Steinbeck's novel, the state of the western world in terms of gender inequality during the 1930's, the conditions at large that proliferate misogyny.)

Students will be given time in class to collaborate with their group members in preparation for a 5 minute presentation of their worksheet the following class. The following rubric will be used to evaluate the handout.


Homework:
Complete the worksheet for class on Thursday. The first 20 minutes of class will be devoted to organize yourself for presentation. Presentations should not exceed 5 minutes and worksheets should be provided for all students (18 for section 3 and 16 for section 4).

Homework that was not collected in class today will be collected next class.

Complete a Found Poem on your topic. Go the following website to get additional instruction on how to write a found poem: here.

Rubric for Worksheet

Writing Feature	5	3	1
Focus	You focus on the issues posed by your question, addressing all of the issues posed by your question.	You focus on the issues posed by your question, addressing most of the issues posed by your question.	You don’t focus on the issues posed by your question, addressing few of the issues posed by your question.
Support and Elaboration	You use many specific details from the novel. You chose only the most important details.	You use many specific details from the novel, but some of them aren’t really important.	You don’t use enough details from the novel.
Organization	Your handout is very well-organized and shows your “big idea” clearly. You make it easy for your audience to understand your handout.	Your handout is organized and shows the “big idea,” though it could be clearer. Your audience can understand your handout.	Your handout is difficult for your audience to understand.
Style	Your handout is very creative. You take a unique perspective on the issues.	Your handout is creative. You take an interesting perspective on the issues.	Your handout isn’t very creative. I feel like you didn’t really try.
Conventions	You ran a spelling and grammar check on your handout, and proofread it before submitting. You include page numbers (cited parenthetically) with each of your quotes.	You ran a spelling and grammar check on your handout, but you should proofread it before submitting. You include page numbers for the quotes, but they aren’t formatted correctly.	Your handout shows no evidence of editing or citing quotes.
			Total ____X 4 =____