WEDNESDAY, 1/13:

"Cathedral" by Raymond Carver: https://public.wsu.edu/~bryanfry/Carver,%20Cathedral.pdf

Assignment: finish reading "Cathedral" for Tuesday, 1/19

Reminder: one 15-minute Membean session is due by noon on Monday. On Tuesday, we will have a 10 question, 10 point vocabulary quiz on Membean for grade

TUESDAY, 1/12:

Today we continue work on "Once the Shore"

MONDAY, 1/11:

Media Literacy: How-to-know-what-to-trust-DIGITAL_092320.pdf

Fact checking websites: factcheck.org, snopes.com, politifact.com

Suggestion: triangulate - read, watch, and listen to more than one source from more than one perspective

"Once the Shore" Reading Questions: Once the Shore.docx

Assignment: for Tuesday, 1/12, look at reading question #6, reread the prescribed pages, and take notes towards an answer. Be prepared to discuss at the start of class tomorrow.

WEDNESDAY, 1/6:

Today, we're going to have a short discussion about the role of the astronauts in "The Third and Final Continent"

Assignment: for Monday, 1/11, read "Once the Shore" by Paul Yoon. If you don't have a copy of the story yet, you can get one from the top of the bookshelf just inside the door of my classroom. If all else fails, here is a pdf of the story: Once the Shore.pdf

Reminder: We're back to our weekly Membean schedule, so make sure you do one 15-minute session before Monday's class

TUESDAY, 1/5:

Today, we continue our work on Jhumpa Lahiri's "The Third and Final Continent"

Study Questions: The Third and Final Continent-1.doc

Assignment: write a paragraph answering study question #6. Share with me when done.

MONDAY, 1/4:

Today we begin our POSITIVE SHORT STORY UNIT!

"The Third and Final Continent" by Jhumpa Lahiri:

http://english.cornell.edu/sites/english/files/Lahiri.%20The%20Third%20and%20Final%20Continent.pdf

Study questions: The Third and Final Continent.doc

Assignment: for Tuesday, 1/5, read up page 189 (page 12, ending at “I owed her nothing”) and take notes on study questions 3 & 4

WEDNESDAY, 12/16:

Reminders: 1. the deadline for paper and/or poster feedback is Sunday at noon. 2. one 15-minute Membean session should be completed before class Monday.

Tim O'Brien on The Things They Carried:

The Things Tim O'Brien Carries

The ending of Platoon:

PLATOON ENDING

TUESDAY, 12/15:

Today is our last day of in-class work on the papers and posters. Share work with me before noon on Sunday to get feedback.

MONDAY, 12/14:

We start today with a Membean check-in and a 10 question quiz (for grade!)

Next, both paper and poster will be due Wednesday, 12/16. Share your work with between now and Monday for feedback.

WEDNESDAY, 12/9:

Reminders:

1. Both paper and poster will be due Wednesday, 12/16. Share your work with between now and Monday for feedback.

2. One 15-minute Membean session due before class Monday. We will be having a 10 question, 10 point quiz for grade on Monday

TUESDAY, 12/8:

Today is a full workshop day. You may work on paper or poster and share your work with me for comment at any point.

If you have not yet shared with me the 3 examples of communication you will be discussing in paper along with a sentence or two about what ties them all together, do so ASAP and before you begin drafting.

Tentative Due Date: both paper and poster will be due Wednesday, 12/16

MONDAY, 12/7:

We begin today with a Membean review (one 15 minute session due this morning) and a 10 question formative vocabulary quiz.

For the remainder of the time, we will work on starting our papers: TTTC Paper 2020-2.docx

Everyone should have completed the homework assignment (see below) which involved pre-writing and organizational planning. If you still have work to do in this area, begin there. If I've given you the go-ahead, you should begin drafting your introductory paragraph.

WEDNESDAY, 12/2:

"The Lives of the Dead"

Write down specific details about how Timmy reacts in the days after Linda’s death.

On page 225, Linda says, “Timmy, stop crying. It doesn’t matter.” What doesn’t matter, and why not?

Explain Linda’s simile for death on page 232.

Explain the last sentence. Why does O’Brien make a distinction between himself as Tim and himself as Timmy? What’s the difference? What's the metaphor at work here (name the two unlike things being compared)?

The Things They Carried Paper: TTTC Paper 2020-1.docx

Assignment: for Monday, 12/7, continue work on the chart as a prewriting exercise. Ultimately, you will choose 3 forms of communication. Share with me your 3 forms and a sentence or two about how they go together.

TUESDAY, 12/1:

"The Lives of the Dead"

“But this too is true: stories can save us.” How?
“Maybe it’s too real for you?” “That’s right,” I said. “Way too real.” Why doesn’t O’Brien shake the old man’s hand?
Look up the movie The Man Who Never Was. Write down 3 interesting facts about the movie and/ or the real life incident it was based upon.

The The Things They Carried Poster Project:

TTTC Poster Project.docx

Assignment: for Wednesday, 12/2, finish reading the chapter (and the book!) pages 221-233.

MONDAY, 11/23:

Today we beigin with Membean: 1. review the week, and 2. formative 10 question quiz

Then we talk about ghosts (OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHH!)

"The Ghost Soldiers" Study Questions:

1. What are the benefits of and drawbacks to being stationed in the rear?

2. What did Jorgensen deprive O'Brien of by not treating him correctly?

3. Why is O'Brien so angry with Jorgenson?

WEDNESDAY, 11/18:

"Facing It" by Yusef Komunyakaa: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47867/facing-it

Assignment: for Monday, 11/23, read the chapters "The Ghost Soldiers" and "Night Life" (pages 180-212). Also, don't forget to do one 15 minute Membean session before 8:00 AM Monday (more than one session if you need to make up). We will take a 10 question vocabulary quiz on Membean on Monday (this will be a formative assessment - we will take a quiz for grade the following week).

TUESDAY, 11/17:

Today we begin by finishing up our review of the chapters "In the Field" and "Field Trip."

Vietnam Veterans Memorial: https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrC_Df4_LNfETsAQAgPxQt.;_ylu=Y29sbwNiZjEEcG9zAzEEdnRpZAMEc2VjA3BpdnM-?p=veietnam+memorial&type=dhm_A1FLB_ext_bsf__alt__ddc_srch_searchpulse_net&hsimp=yhs-st_emea&hspart=domaindev&ei=UTF-8&fr=yhs-domaindev-st_emea

Yusuf Komunyakaa - "Facing It":

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47867/facing-it

Group work: respond to prompts 2-4 in a single google doc:

How to read a poem (in this class anyway):

1. Look up all the words you don't know

2. Find one moment in the poem that stands out to you and explain what it is and why it stands out

3. Connect one thing in the poem with something you've seen, heard or read in another work of art

4. Finish the following sentence: "I don't know everything that's going on in this poem, but I do know...."

MONDAY, 11/16:

Today starts with a Membean review and finishing our discussion of "Speaking of Courage," including the chapter "Notes"

Then, we look at David Ouellet CMOH Citation page: https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/david-g-ouellet

Then, study questions for "In the Field":

How did the platoon search for Kiowa’s body?
What did their searching remind Jimmy Cross of?
What are the three reasons Jimmy Cross joined ROTC?
Why does Jimmy Cross blame himself for Kiowa’s death?
Why does the young unnamed soldier blame himself?
What is Jimmy Cross dreaming about at the end of the chapter?
Why would it be important for Jimmy Cross to write that letter to Kiowa’s father?

Assignments: for Tuesday, 11/17 -

1. write 3 sentences answering study question #7 above - share with me

2. read the poem "Facing It" by Yusef Komunyakaa:

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47867/facing-it

Look up any words of terms you do not know

TUESDAY, 11/10:

Today we finish discussing "The Return"

Then, study questions for "Speaking of Courage":

What’s different about Norman’s town now that he’s back from the war?
What’s the same?
What does the Silver Star, and the fact that he didn’t get it, symbolize to Norman?
In the final paragraph of “Speaking of Courage,” Norman walks into the lake fully clothed. Why? What’s the symbolism behind this gesture?

Assignment: for Monday, 11/16, read pages 149-179. Also, one 15 minute session on Membean (2 if you didn't do one last week).

MONDAY, 11/9:

Today starts with a Membean review and a homework discussion

Then, study questions for the The New Yorker article "The Return": THE RETURN.docx

Assignment: for Tuesday, 11/10, read the chapter "Speaking of Courage" (131-148)

WEDNESDAY, 11/4:

We begin today with a discussion of the chapters "The Man I Killed" and "Ambush"

Poems:

Brian Turner - "Sadiq": http://www.webdelsol.com/LITARTS/Alice_James_Books/Turner/turner_sadiq.html

Yusuf Komunyakaa - "We Never Know": https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/50250/we-never-know

Tasks: 1. Look up all the words in the poem you don't know 2. Choose one specific moment in the poem that stands out and explain why 3. List all the connections between the two poems

Assignments for Monday, 11/9:

1. Write a short grammatically and syntactically correct paragraph (4-6 sentences) pointing out the connections among the two poems we read today and what we've been reading in The Things They Carried. Share with me when done.

2. read the following article closely: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/09/09/the-return

I'll leave printed copies of the article on my back bookshelf if you want one.

TUESDAY, 11/3:

Ambush scene from Platoon:

Platoon(1986) - The All Night ambush

Reminder: have your answers to the study questions for the chapters "The Man I Killed" and "Ambush" ready for tomorrow's discussion

MONDAY, 11/2:

We start today looking at election resources (below) and reviewing Membean results.

Then, we finish our discussion of "Sweetheart" and its accompanying study questions.

"The Man I Killed"/ "Ambush" study questions:

1. List three details about the man he killed that the narrator repeats more than once.

2. What is the narrator's reaction to having killed a man?

3. What is Kiowa's reaction?

4. What is Azar's reaction?

5. How does the narrator know so much about the man he killed?

6. What point is the narrator making by telling us this story?

Assignment: Finish working on the study questions above. Be prepared to discuss in class.

ELECTION RESOURCES:

Mass Secretary of State Elections Division: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleidx.htm

OnTheIssues: https://www.ontheissues.org/default.htm

ThoughtCo - Key election terms: https://www.thoughtco.com/key-election-terms-for-high-school-4049394

ThoughtCo - How the electoral college works: https://www.thoughtco.com/how-the-us-electoral-college-works-3322061

Council on Foreign Relations: https://www.cfr.org/election2020/candidate-tracker

The Economist: https://www.economist.com/us-election-2020

WEDNESDAY, 10/28:

Discussion of "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong" and accompanying study questions

"Sweetheart" question 1 padlet: https://padlet.com/dayl8/wt4m6bu55jwd0xlv

Assignment: for Monday, 11/2, read pages 111-130

TUESDAY, 10/27:

Finishing up class discussion on the "truth" in specific war stories:

https://padlet.com/dayl8/yff7dszrr3ujust8

Opening scene of Apocalypse Now:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVxI1NXRUNs

"Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong" study questions:

Complete the following sentence:

“Mary Anne transforms from a __________________ into a ___________________.”

What causes this transformation?

Why does O’Brien present the story as a frame narrative? What does the running dialogue between Rat Kiley and Mitchell Sanders add to the story
What does the story have to tell us about the nature of Vietnam and the nature of the Vietnam War?
Is this a true war story? How does it fit the criteria as laid out by the book?

Assignment: for Wednesday, 10/28, finish work on "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong"

MONDAY, 10/26:

Today, we start with a Membean review.

Then, to the homework on "How to Tell a True War Story"

Compare - my "True War Story" list: TRUE WAR STORIES.docx

Group work on specific stories:

https://padlet.com/dayl8/yff7dszrr3ujust8

Assignment: for Wednesday, 10/28, read the chapter "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong"

WEDNESDAY, 10/21:

Today we are going to be introduced to our vocabulary program, Membean, and set up our accounts. First, we'll watch this introductory video:

Next, I'll send you an email with info to set up your account. Once you're set up, go through the short calibration exercise.

Assignment: For Monday, 10/26, in addition to what I assigned yesterday, complete one 15 minute session in Membean before 8:00 AM Monday morning.

TUESDAY, 10/20:

Poem: "Dulce et Decorum Est" - https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46560/dulce-et-decorum-est

"Enemies" & "Friends" Study Questions:

Why is Jensen so scared after he punches Strunk? Why does he break his own nose?
Why do Jensen and Strunk make a pact to kill each other? Why does Strunk not want to be killed?
What is Jensen feeling at the end? Why does he feel this way?

Assignment: for Monday, 10/26, read the chapters "How to Tell a True War Story" (64-81) and "The Dentist" (82-84). Write a paragraph summarizing O'Brien's definition of a true war story. You may - and probably should - use quotations, but limit them to 5 words at a time or less. Share with me when done.

MONDAY, 10/19:

Today we reviewed the chapter "On the Rainy River" (see study questions below)

Poem: "The Soldier" - https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/13076/the-soldier

"Enemies"/ "Friends" padlet:

https://padlet.com/dayl8/jgipeekyoq7dktrj

Assignment: for Tuesday, 10/20, read the chapters "Enemies" and "Friends"

WEDNESDAY, 10/14:

Platoon opening scene:

Platoon - Welcome to the 'Nam!

"Spin" Questions:

Why do the men like the game of checkers so much? (31)
Why does the AWOL soldier go back to his unit? (34)
Why does it bother Norman Bowker that his father wants him to win medals?(34)
Evaluate Azar’s defense for blowing up the puppy. (35)
What literary device is at work in the six line section at the top of page 36? (36)

Assignment: read the next chapter, "On the Rainy River," pages 37-58

Reading/ Study Questions:

Why was Tim O’Brien against the war in 1968?
What had he done to protest the war?
What were his plans before he got his draft notice?
How does his summer job impact his decision making process?
What are the reasons for going to the war?
What are the reasons for trying to avoid it?
How did Elroy Berdahl “save” O’Brien (46)?
What does O’Brien mean when he calls himself a “coward” (58)?

TUESDAY, 10/13:

Here's a link to the padlet on key words on pages 18-21:

https://padlet.com/dayl8/5grzk26sysahlk4l

Assignment: read the next chapter, "Spin," pages 30-36.

WEDNESDAY, 10/7:

Everybody should have access to the Vietnam Info doc we worked on as a class. It will be useful to you during this unit. Let me know if you need me to reshare it with you.

In class today we will begin discussion of "The Things They Carried," the first chapter in the novel The Things They Carried. The discussion will continue into the next class.

Assignment: for Tuesday, 10/13, read the chapter "Love" and answer and choose one of the following questions to answer in 3-5 sentences (share with me when done):

What does the story tell us about Martha? What does it not tell us about her? What can we infer about her?
What requests does Jimmy Cross make of Tim at the end? Does Tim honor these requests? Why or why not?

MONDAY, 10/5:

The Things They Carried full text;

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxkZW1hcmlvc3dlYnNpdGV8Z3g6M2E3YzVjM2MwOTdhYTIz

Assignment: do your assigned term for class tomorrow, and, for class Wednesday, read the first chapter "The Things They Carried" in the novel The Things They Carried

WEDNESDAY, 9/30:

Vietnam War Info Sheet:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VYugGiX7PbeNrczcT3swDl7ICQCaLp08reM3i56ZKcY/edit

TUESDAY, 9/29:

Study questions for homework articles:

1. In one sentence, state the case that Jonathan Zimmerman is making.

2. What's he up to at the beginning of the piece? How does it set up his argument?

3. What persuasive tools does he employ?

4. Where exactly does the argument kick in, and, when it does, what does it consist of?

5. What does the interview with CJ Chivers add to the conversation about a volunteer military?

WEDNESDAY, 9/23:

Your pages on a book you found memorable are due by the end of school Friday, 9/25.

Assignment: Read the first two articles listed below, thinking specifically about the effects on our country of not having a military draft and, especially in the case of the first article, arguments for (and against) a national service requirement. Be prepared to discuss.

TUESDAY, 9/22:

First things first: the goal for today is to finish the page assignment from yesterday (see below).

Those of you who finish the assignment before the end of class - or who are waiting for feedback from me in order to finish - can begin on our prep work for the novel The Things They Carried.

We will be reading the following articles:

https://whyy.org/articles/essay-who-fights-our-wars-other-peoples-children/

https://www.salon.com/2019/11/11/who-fights-our-forever-wars-pulitzer-winner-c-j-chivers-on-the-true-cost-of-iraq-and-afghanistan/

https://nvf.org/iraq-war-veterans-returning-home/

https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2017/10/19/health-care-system-for-our-veterans-still-isn-t-good-enough/

Vietnam War Info Sheet:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VYugGiX7PbeNrczcT3swDl7ICQCaLp08reM3i56ZKcY/edit?usp=sharing (Links to an external site.)

MONDAY, 9/21:

19 Ideas/ Lessons from Stephen King's On Writing:

Stepen King On Writing.docx

Assignment: Write a page in which you discuss a book you read that was memorable in some way. Maybe it taught you something. Maybe it inspired you. Maybe you just liked it a lot. That's more than enough. In your discussion of this book, tell me something about yourself, also. I think you'll find this part of the assignment easier than it sounds, as lessons that we deem important to us or things that we find inspiring of things that we like can't help but say something about us.

You have the rest of class to work on this, plus 15 more minutes. Then be done for the day. Do not share it with me. At the beginning of class tomorrow, you will share what you have done with me, then get back to work on it.

FRIDAY, 9/18:

Excellent discussion today, particularly when it came to question #3 and personal connections to the poem. If you didn't get a chance to share your answer today and want to, email it to me. I'd love to read it and either respond personally or use it in class next time (your choice).

Assignment for Monday, 9/21:

Write 3-5 sentences on question #4. Find something in the poem that makes you think of another song or book or movie or tv show or whatever, so long as it's a form of creative expression. It can be big picture - the book Hillbilly Elegy is about the differences between people based on geography - or small picture - Don Draper drinks gimlets in Mad Men. Share with me over email when you're done. Due before class next Monday.

THURSDAY, 9/17:

One way (Our way, for now) to read a poem:

Look up words you do not know
Find one thing – an image, a metaphor, a phrase, a description, etc -that jumped out to you as interesting or particularly notable. Now think about that thing. What makes it interesting or notable to you? Ask the next question. Follow the thread.
Find one thing that reminds you of something from your own experience, something that made your mind recall something it already had in storage. For instance, a word that you remember your grandfather using, or an experience described in the poem that you yourself have had, or an image that you yourself have seen or imagined. Now think about that thing. What might it mean that you have this thing in common with at least one other person? Ask the next question. Follow the thread.
Similarly, find onething that reminds you of something you’ve seen or heard before in a work of art (book, movie, song, tv show, painting, poem, play, whatever). For instance, the image of a setting sun – the approach of the end of the day – is one that has been used in many movies, songs and books as a metaphor for aging or approaching the end of life, or maybe the mere mention of the state of Kansas reminds you of The Wizard of Oz. Now think about that thing. What do we do with the fact that this thing pops up in more than one place? Ask the next question. Follow the thread.

Note: You will never ask “what the poet is really trying to say,” or “what the deep, hidden meaning of the poem is,” or anything like that. Never. Even if in future classes your teachers try to get you to ask those questions, refuse.

POEM TO READ FOR THURSDAY, 9/17:

Jericho Brown - "Say Thank You Say I'm Sorry"

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/15/books/review/jericho-brown-say-thank-you-say-im-sorry-poem-coronavirus.html

Read the poem. Look up any words you do not know. That's it.

OPENING MESSAGE FROM MR. DAY:

Welcome to Mr. Day's Senior English for the school year 2020-2021. It's going to be weird for awhile, but then hopefully it won't. As you know, the plan is to start out online, then in a couple of weeks transition to hybrid, a mix of in-school and online. Whatever happens, it's going to feel strange and confusing. So let's start here: you're not going through this alone. If at any time you feel confused, overwhelmed or in any way uncertain about what we're doing and/or why we're doing it, let me know. We can email, or zoom chat, or, maybe in a few weeks, sit 6 ft. across from one another. And you probably are going to have times when you're confused, overwhelmed and uncertain. I know I am. It's inevitable given the circumstances. And what makes this harder than it was in the spring is that we're going to try to be more academically challenging, that we haven't had months to build up personal relationships, and that the novelty of all this has worn off and it all just seems like such a drag. But hard is not impossible. We can do this. So let's get started.

This course is designed to help students improve their reading, critical thinking, writing, and public speaking skills. We will be looking at a number of different forms of writing and communication, including novels, short stories, essays, poems, plays and even movies, through class discussion, formal speeches, research, and writing assignments. Throughout the year, students will write regularly on topics related to our reading - and our lives - and will also engage in the study of grammar and vocabulary.

While so much of how we do things in school has changed, the core of what we're up to in this course really hasn't. It's about reading and writing. It's about language - how to use it and how to understand the ways others use it. Most importantly, it's about how language is one of the principal ways we come to understand and express ourselves, our world, and how we move about in the world.

How to navigate this class hasn't changed much either, even if the tools and media have. Success depends upon how you approach in-class and out-of-class situations. At school or at home, you should show up for class on time and ready to learn, should be willing to participate in class discussion and ask questions, and should maintain an English notebook for notes and in-class exercises. You should always complete any assignments to the best of your ability, should prepare questions about aspects of the material you do not understand, and should be willing to seek help when necessary.

As for grades, don't worry too much about them. Seriously. We'll have the regular assignments: writing (everything from big papers to paragraphs), a few quizzes here and there, some homework, a project or two, even some public speaking. The kinds of assignments - and the topics - are varied to keep things interesting and to allow you both to shine in areas you are good at and to improve in areas in which you might not be so good yet. One thing I will never do is ask you to do something you can't. One thing I often will do is ask you to do something that challenges you and stretches you. Remember, though, you're not facing these challenges alone.

The big thing is to seek help whenever you feel you are falling behind. Often this is done in class. Ask a question. Ask me to go over something again. Make me do my job. Outside of class, I will always arrange a time to sit down with you if you ask. I can be contacted by email at dayl@wellesleyps.org, and the more we get back to school, the more access you'll have to me in person.

That's enough for now. As I said above, we're in this together, socially, emotionally, and academically. Do your work, get better, and keep me posted on how you're doing and how you're feeling. I look forward to getting to know you and to working with you. I'm anxious to get started.

-Mr. Day