Week at a glance May 21 - 24, 2012

Our last week of classes are structured for review and the semester final.

• Mon: Review for the Semester Final
• Tues: Check in Gatsby books.  4th and 6th hour finals
• Wed: 2nd, 3rd, and 7th hour finals
• Thurs: 1st and 5th hour finals.  '11-'12 school year dismissed at 11:35.
• Fri: Staff workday - First full day of summer vacation!

Week at a glance May 14 - 18, 2012

Curriculum focus: identifies, interprets, and analyzes figurative language including: idiom, imagery, and symbolism (11.1.2.K4), uses information from the text to make inferences and draw conclusions (11.1.4.K5), compares/contrasts textual aspects: character traits, themes, character motives, and author's purpose (11.1.4.K7), analyzes and evaluates how the author's style (word choice and sentence structure) and use of literary devices work together to achieve his/her purpose by using tone, mood, and imagery (11.1.4.K11d, e, and h), and analyzes contextual aspects of setting and their influence on characters and events in the story including the contexts of history, society, and culture (11.2.1.K2a-c).

During this last full week of the '11-'12 school year, we'll wrap up reading F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.  Students should be on the lookout for the climax of the novel -- the intense moment that resolves the novel's central conflict.  At the beginning of the novel, narrator Nick Carraway tells us that what happened to him in New York was awful enough for him to move away and not want to see anyone for awhile.  Now we finally see the fatal decisions that left Nick disgusted with humanity.  Students will need to pay careful attention, particularly as the novel will be the focus of our semester exam next week.

• Mon: The Great Gatsby - read and discuss Chapter VII. For Tues: finish reading Chapter VII.
• Tues: The Great Gatsby - Chapter VII quiz, study guide due by the end of the hour.
• Wed: The Great Gatsby - read and discuss Chapters VIII and IX. For Thurs: finish reading Chapters VIII and IX.
• Thurs: The Great Gatsby - Chapter VIII and IX quiz, study guide due by the end of the hour.
• Fri: Begin reviewing for the semester final.

Week at a glance May 7 - 11, 2012

Curriculum focus: identifies, interprets, and analyzes figurative language including: idiom, imagery, and symbolism (11.1.2.K4), uses information from the text to make inferences and draw conclusions (11.1.4.K5), compares/contrasts textual aspects: character traits, themes, character motives, and author's purpose (11.1.4.K7), analyzes and evaluates how the author's style (word choice and sentence structure) and use of literary devices work together to achieve his/her purpose by using tone, mood, and imagery (11.1.4.K11d, e, and h), and analyzes contextual aspects of setting and their influence on characters and events in the story including the contexts of history, society, and culture (11.2.1.K2a-c).

This week we'll continue reading F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.  Last week Daisy and Jay Gatsby were reunited (and it feels so good).  This week we'll start to see how much of a chance their happiness has for a lasting future.  Students should also be working on their Thematic Analysis this week.  The Thematic Analysis is our wrap-up assignment for the Independent Reading Project.

• Mon: No school - Professional Learning Day
• Tues: The Great Gatsby - read and discuss Chapter VI. For Tues: finish reading Chapter VI.
• Wed: The Great Gatsby - Chapter VI quiz, study guide due by the end of the hour.
• Thurs: The Great Gatsby - review Ch 4 - 6.  Gatsby mood and tone assignment, due Friday.  Finish the Thematic Analysis for Friday.
• Fri: Thematic Analysis due - brief discussion and sharing.  Continue The Great Gatsby - film review.