5/17- 1. Understand, using examples, the difference between bonding and bondage 2. Central figure of bondage in the novel 3. Read questions and answers from Conversation with Sue Monk Kidd 4. The difference between the chain of fish placed around Lily's neck and the chain given to Lily by Zach 5. Understand Lily's racial sterotyping of black individuals 6. The purpose of Freedpom Summer 7. The difference between the type of fire represented by August and Rosaleen 8. The significance of the Civil Rights Act-who signed the Act 9. The novel as historical fiction-also as a feminist novel and a spiritual novel 10. Lily's perception of herself 11. The concept of the goodness of the imagination p.300 12. Lily's lack of willingness to believe T Ray 13. What limits T Ray 14. The story of Our Lady of Chains and Beatrix the nun 15. The role of the daughters of Mary and their practices/rituals 16. Lily's revelation on p. 293 17. T ray's perspective of the Statue of Mary-p. 291 18. Where does August tell Lily that Mary resides 19. Concepts of forgiveness and resurrection (Rosaleen, Lily and June's resurrections) 20. The symbols of water and Rosaleen's new dress (why is it significant that August purchased the dress for Rosaleen) 21. Lily's journey-what did Lily, in the end, find and how was what she found located in the most unlikely of places?
5/9-reprinted from early March 4th Quarter reminders- 1. There are no Xtra credit assignments 2. Many students will miss classes for athletic and academic competition (particularly during 4th and 5th periods) along with field trips-students remain responsible for class assignments during those periods of absences-if they miss a quiz or a test, they will make-up that test once they return to class. Remaining reading assignments for Secret Life of Bees B: 5/8 assigned 189-219 A: 5/9 assigned 220-250 B: 5/10 assigned 220-250 A: 5/11 assigned 251-281 B: 5/12 assigned 251-281 A: 5/15 assigned 282-end B: 5/16 assigned 282-end
5/5-Assignment for 5/8 (B-day)-Due on Wednesday 5/10 (B-day) Assignment for 5/11 (A-day)-Due 5/15 Monday Using Chromebook, locate the lyrics for the following literary works/songs and DISCUSS (in paragraph form-typed) how they relate (identify particular lines in the works as examples) to the Civil Rights Movement-essentially, how are these works anthems for the movement? Discuss each individually, not collectively. Submit in HARD COPY FORMAT-DO NOT SEND IN EMAIL
1. People Get Ready 2. A Change is Gonna Come 3. We Shall Overcome
This song was written and recorded by a then 21-year-old artist as the United States escalated their involvement in the Vietnam War. The song, which gained larger prominence when it was re-recorded by the folk trio, Peter, Paul and Mary, became one of the most famous protest songs to come out of the 60s as well as an anthem for the African-American Civil Rights Movement. Name the song and its author.
This song written by a 19-year-old P.F. Sloan and contained the lyrics “you’re old enough to kill, but not for voting, you don’t believe in war, but what’s that gun you’re toting” and “you can bury your dead, but don’t leave a trace, hate your next door neighbor, but don’t forget to say grace.” It was the #1 song in America around the time the United States entered the war. What was the name of this song?
What was another name for the Mississippi Freedom Project?
What was the purpose of Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP)?
Briefly discuss the following individuals/events that are mentioned in the book The Secret Life of Bees 1. Goldwater for President 2.Castro’s sister spying for the CIA 3. Ed Sullivan 4. The Fugitive (television show) 5. Wilt Chamberlain 6. Birmingham, Sept. 15, four little angels dead 7. American Bandstand 8. Ranger 7 9. Jack Palance 10. Perry Mason
4/24-Gather significant information about world events from January 1964-August 1964; focus primarily upon events within the U.S.-politics, entertainment, athletics, arts, etc.
A -day classes-Gather significant information about: Amiri Baraka, Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks-gather three facts about each artist-type this information and bring to class in hard copy format on 4/20-NO EMAIL COPIES! B -day Classes -DUE 4/24
4/22-Secret Life of Bees-follow the reading schedule below: Chapter 1-where is the setting of the story? Who are the characters introduced in chapter 1? Who is the narrator? Characterize the narrator? Discuss the action (plot) in chapter 1? What is Freedom Summer?
4/19-Identify the following for final over TKAM-STUDENTS WHO ARE ABSENT FROM CLASS WILL REMAIN RESPONSIBLE FOR READING ASSIGNMENTS AND WILL TAKE ANY TESTS MISSED UPON RETURN-NO EXCEPTIONS
1 Miss Gates 2. Malcolm X 3. Emitt Till 4. Martin Luther King 5. Truman Capote 6. Harper Lee 7. The Little Rock Nine 8. Scout 9. Jem 10. Dill 11. Atticus 12. Aunt Alexandra 13. Dolpus Raymond 14. Heck Tate 15. Nathan Radley 16. Boo Radley 17. Mrs. Dubose 18. Stepanie Crawford 19. Miss Maudie 20. Bob Ewell 21. Miss Caroline 22. Calpurnia 23. Tom Robinson 24. President Franklin D. Roosevelt 25. Mr. Underwood 26. Mr. Gilmer 27. Mayella Ewell 28. Mr. Cunningham 29. Reverent Sykes 30. Amiri Baraka 31. Gwendelyn Brooks 32. Bobby DeLauder 33. Byron DeLaBeckwith
4-19-Read Dream Deferred and Night Funeral in Harlem by Langston Hughes, The Boy Died in My Alley and We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks and Somebody Blew Up America and KaBa by Amiri Baraka-All these poems are listed below_Discuss the mood of each poem and interpret the message.
A closed window looks down on a dirty courtyard, and Black people call across or scream across or walk across defying physics in the stream of their will.
Our world is full of sound Our world is more lovely than anyone's tho we suffer, and kill each other and sometimes fail to walk the air.
4-11-A -day classes-Gather significant information about: Amiri Baraka, Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks-gather three facts about each artist-type this information and bring to class in hard copy format on 4/20-NO EMAIL COPIES! B -day Classes -DUE 4/24
4-10-Our Shining Black Prince": A Eulogy Delivered by Ossie Davis at the Funeral of Malcolm X, Faith Temple Church of God, 27 February 1965
Here-at this final hour, in this quiet place—Harlem has come to bid farewell to one of its brightest hopes—extinguished now, and gone from us forever. For Harlem is where he worked and where he struggled and fought—his home of homes, where his heart was, and where his people are-and it is, therefore, most fitting that we meet once again—in Harlem-to share these last moments with him. For Harlem has ever been gracious to those who have loved her, have fought for her, and have defended her honor even to the death. It is not the memory of man that this beleaguered, unfortunate but nonetheless proud community has found a braver, more gallant young champion than this Afro—American who lies before us—unconquered still. I say the word again, as he would want me to: Afro—American—Afro—American Malcolm, who was a master, was most meticulous in his words. Nobody knew better than he, the power better than he, the power words have over the minds of men. Malcolm had stopped being a "Negro" years ago. It had become too small, too puny, too puny, too weak a word for him. Malcolm was bigger than that. Malcolm had become an Afro—American and he wanted—so desperately—that we, that all of his people, would become Afro—Americans too. There are those who will consider it their duty, as friends of the Negro people, to tell us to revile him, to flee even from the presence of his memory, to save ourselves by writing him out of the history of our turbulent times. Many will say turn away—away from this man, for he is not a man but a demon, a monster, a subverter and an enemy of the black man—and we will smile. They will say that he is of hate—a fanatic, a racist—who can only bring evil to the cause for which you struggle! And we will answer and say unto them: Did you ever talk to Brother Malcolm? Did you ever touch, or have him smile at you? Did you ever really listen to him? Did he ever do a mean thing? Was he ever himself associated with violence or any public disturbance? For if you did you would know him. And if you knew him you would know why we must honor him: Malcolm was our manhood, our living, black manhood! This was his meaning to his people. And in honoring him we honor the best in ourselves. Last year, from Africa, he wrote these words to a friend: "My journey," he says, "is almost ended, and I have a much broader scope than when I started out, which I believe will add new life and dimension to our struggle for freedom and honor and dignity in the States. I am writing these things so that you will know for a fact the tremendous sympathy and support we have among the African States for our Human Rights struggle. The main thing is that we keep a United Front wherein our most valuable time and energy will not be wasted fighting each other." However much we may have differed with him—or with each other about him and his value as a man—let his going from us serve only to bring us together now. Consigning these mortal remains to earth, the common mother of all, secure in the knowledge that what we place in the ground is no more now a man—but a seed-which, after the winter of discontent, will come forth again to meet us. And we will know him then for what he was and is—a Prince—our own black shining Prince!—who didn't hesitate to die, because he loved us so. (From: Ossie Davis, "Our Shining Black Prince," in J. Clarke, ed., Malcolm X: The Man and His Times (Africa World Press, 1990), pp. xi–xiii. Reprinted with permission.)
4/6- A day will have their TKAM Final on Friday 4/21; B day 4/24
4/5-Students have been asked to research why MLK was placed in jail in Brirmingham-read Letter from a Birmingham Jail and answer the two questions following the Letter along with discussing the content of the Letter.
4/3-Gather significant information about: Amiri Baraka, Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks-gather three facts about each artist-this will be assigned once we start the unit on poetry.
STUDENTS NEED TO GET A COPY OF SECRET LIFE OF BEES
4/3-Martin Luther King letter and speech-both have been edited Read "Letter from a Birmingham Jail " and answer the 2 questions following the letter 16 April 1963 My Dear Fellow Clergymen: While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my present activities "unwise and untimely." Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day, and I would have no time for constructive work. But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms. I think I should indicate why I am here in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the view which argues against "outsiders coming in." I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. Frequently we share staff, educational and financial resources with our affiliates. Several months ago the affiliate here in Birmingham asked us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct action program if such were deemed necessary. We readily consented, and when the hour came we lived up to our promise. So I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here. I am here because I have organizational ties here. But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid. Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds. Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself, and that is what has happened to the American Negro. Something within has reminded him of his birthright of freedom, and something without has reminded him that it can be gained. Consciously or unconsciously, he has been caught up by the Zeitgeist, and with his black brothers of Africa and his brown and yellow brothers of Asia, South America and the Caribbean, the United States Negro is moving with a sense of great urgency toward the promised land of racial justice. If one recognizes this vital urge that has engulfed the Negro community, one should readily understand why public demonstrations are taking place. The Negro has many pent up resentments and latent frustrations, and he must release them. So let him march; let him make prayer pilgrimages to the city hall; let him go on freedom rides -and try to understand why he must do so. If his repressed emotions are not released in nonviolent ways, they will seek expression through violence; this is not a threat but a fact of history. So I have not said to my people: "Get rid of your discontent." Rather, I have tried to say that this normal and healthy discontent can be channeled into the creative outlet of nonviolent direct action. And now this approach is being termed extremist. But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist for love: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Was not Amos an extremist for justice: "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream." Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Was not Martin Luther an extremist: "Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God." And John Bunyan: "I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience." And Abraham Lincoln: "This nation cannot survive half slave and half free." And Thomas Jefferson: "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal . . ." So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary's hill three men were crucified. We must never forget that all three were crucified for the same crime--the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thus fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment. Perhaps the South, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists. I had hoped that the white moderate would see this need. Perhaps I was too optimistic; perhaps I expected too much. I suppose I should have realized that few members of the oppressor race can understand the deep groans and passionate yearnings of the oppressed race, and still fewer have the vision to see that injustice must be rooted out by strong, persistent and determined action. I am thankful, however, that some of our white brothers in the South have grasped the meaning of this social revolution and committed themselves to it. They are still all too few in quantity, but they are big in quality. Some -such as Ralph McGill, Lillian Smith, Harry Golden, James McBride Dabbs, Ann Braden and Sarah Patton Boyle--have written about our struggle in eloquent and prophetic terms. Others have marched with us down nameless streets of the South. They have languished in filthy, roach infested jails, suffering the abuse and brutality of policemen who view them as "dirty nigger-lovers." Unlike so many of their moderate brothers and sisters, they have recognized the urgency of the moment and sensed the need for powerful "action" antidotes to combat the disease of segregation. Let me take note of my other major disappointment. I have been so greatly disappointed with the white church and its leadership. Of course, there are some notable exceptions. I am not unmindful of the fact that each of you has taken some significant stands on this issue. I commend you, Reverend Stallings, for your Christian stand on this past Sunday, in welcoming Negroes to your worship service on a nonsegregated basis. I commend the Catholic leaders of this state for integrating Spring Hill College several years ago. But despite these notable exceptions, I must honestly reiterate that I have been disappointed with the church. I do not say this as one of those negative critics who can always find something wrong with the church. I say this as a minister of the gospel, who loves the church; who was nurtured in its bosom; who has been sustained by its spiritual blessings and who will remain true to it as long as the cord of life shall lengthen. For more than two centuries our forebears labored in this country without wages; they made cotton king; they built the homes of their masters while suffering gross injustice and shameful humiliation -and yet out of a bottomless vitality they continued to thrive and develop. If the inexpressible cruelties of slavery could not stop us, the opposition we now face will surely fail. We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands. Before closing I feel impelled to mention one other point in your statement that has troubled me profoundly. You warmly commended the Birmingham police force for keeping "order" and "preventing violence." I doubt that you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen its dogs sinking their teeth into unarmed, nonviolent Negroes. I doubt that you would so quickly commend the policemen if you were to observe their ugly and inhumane treatment of Negroes here in the city jail; if you were to watch them push and curse old Negro women and young Negro girls; if you were to see them slap and kick old Negro men and young boys; if you were to observe them, as they did on two occasions, refuse to give us food because we wanted to sing our grace together. I cannot join you in your praise of the Birmingham police department. It is true that the police have exercised a degree of discipline in handling the demonstrators. In this sense they have conducted themselves rather "nonviolently" in public. But for what purpose? To preserve the evil system of segregation. Over the past few years I have consistently preached that nonviolence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek. I have tried to make clear that it is wrong to use immoral means to attain moral ends. But now I must affirm that it is just as wrong, or perhaps even more so, to use moral means to preserve immoral ends. Perhaps Mr. Connor and his policemen have been rather nonviolent in public, as was Chief Pritchett in Albany, Georgia, but they have used the moral means of nonviolence to maintain the immoral end of racial injustice. As T. S. Eliot has said: "The last temptation is the greatest treason: To do the right deed for the wrong reason." I wish you had commended the Negro sit inners and demonstrators of Birmingham for their sublime courage, their willingness to suffer and their amazing discipline in the midst of great provocation. One day the South will recognize its real heroes. They will be the James Merediths, with the noble sense of purpose that enables them to face jeering and hostile mobs, and with the agonizing loneliness that characterizes the life of the pioneer. They will be old, oppressed, battered Negro women, symbolized in a seventy two year old woman in Montgomery, Alabama, who rose up with a sense of dignity and with her people decided not to ride segregated buses, and who responded with ungrammatical profundity to one who inquired about her weariness: "My feets is tired, but my soul is at rest." They will be the young high school and college students, the young ministers of the gospel and a host of their elders, courageously and nonviolently sitting in at lunch counters and willingly going to jail for conscience' sake. One day the South will know that when these disinherited children of God sat down at lunch counters, they were in reality standing up for what is best in the American dream and for the most sacred values in our Judaeo Christian heritage, thereby bringing our nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in their formulation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Never before have I written so long a letter. I'm afraid it is much too long to take your precious time. I can assure you that it would have been much shorter if I had been writing from a comfortable desk, but what else can one do when he is alone in a narrow jail cell, other than write long letters, think long thoughts and pray long prayers? If I have said anything in this letter that overstates the truth and indicates an unreasonable impatience, I beg you to forgive me. If I have said anything that understates the truth and indicates my having a patience that allows me to settle for anything less than brotherhood, I beg God to forgive me. I hope this letter finds you strong in the faith. I also hope that circumstances will soon make it possible for me to meet each of you, not as an integrationist or a civil-rights leader but as a fellow clergyman and a Christian brother. Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty. Yours for the cause of Peace and Brotherhood, Martin Luther King, Jr. After Reading Martin Luther King’s Letter from a Birmingham jail and answer the following: 1. Why does King address his letter to fellow clergymen 2. What is your favorite quote from King’s letter and why?
Four years after having written Letter From a Birmingham Jail, King delivered “A Time to Break Silence.” This speech ranks 43rd in the top 100 speeches compiled by the American Rhetorical Society yet few students ever encounter this King speech. Has King’s mood changed from 1963 to 1967. His I Have a dream speech was delivered in August 1963. By 1967, King had become the country's most prominent opponent of the Vietnam War, and a staunch critic of overall U.S. foreign policy, which he deemed militaristic. In his "Beyond Vietnam" speech delivered at New York's Riverside Church on April 4, 1967 -- a year to the day before he was murdered -- King called the United States "the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today." Time magazine called the speech "demagogic slander that sounded like a script for Radio Hanoi," and the Washington Post declared that King had "diminished his usefulness to his cause, his country, his people." From Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence: this is an excerpt of that speech By Rev. Martin Luther King 4 April 1967 Speech delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on April 4, 1967, at a meeting of Clergy and Laity Concerned at Riverside Church in New York City I come to this magnificent house of worship tonight because my conscience leaves me no other choice. I join with you in this meeting because I am in deepest agreement with the aims and work of the organization which has brought us together: Clergy and Laymen Concerned about Vietnam. The recent statement of your executive committee are the sentiments of my own heart and I found myself in full accord when I read its opening lines: "A time comes when silence is betrayal." That time has come for us in relation to Vietnam. The truth of these words is beyond doubt but the mission to which they call us is a most difficult one. Even when pressed by the demands of inner truth, men do not easily assume the task of opposing their government's policy, especially in time of war. Nor does the human spirit move without great difficulty against all the apathy of conformist thought within one's own bosom and in the surrounding world. Moreover when the issues at hand seem as perplexed as they often do in the case of this dreadful conflict we are always on the verge of being mesmerized by uncertainty; but we must move on. Some of us who have already begun to break the silence of the night have found that the calling to speak is often a vocation of agony, but we must speak. We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak. And we must rejoice as well, for surely this is the first time in our nation's history that a significant number of its religious leaders have chosen to move beyond the prophesying of smooth patriotism to the high grounds of a firm dissent based upon the mandates of conscience and the reading of history. Perhaps a new spirit is rising among us. If it is, let us trace its movement well and pray that our own inner being may be sensitive to its guidance, for we are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness that seems so close around us. Over the past two years, as I have moved to break the betrayal of my own silences and to speak from the burnings of my own heart, as I have called for radical departures from the destruction of Vietnam, many persons have questioned me about the wisdom of my path. At the heart of their concerns this query has often loomed large and loud: Why are you speaking about war, Dr. King? Why are you joining the voices of dissent? Peace and civil rights don't mix, they say. Aren't you hurting the cause of your people, they ask? And when I hear them, though I often understand the source of their concern, I am nevertheless greatly saddened, for such questions mean that the inquirers have not really known me, my commitment or my calling. Indeed, their questions suggest that they do not know the world in which they live. In the light of such tragic misunderstandings, I deem it of signal importance to try to state clearly, and I trust concisely, why I believe that the path from Dexter Avenue Baptist Church -- the church in Montgomery, Alabama, where I began my pastorate -- leads clearly to this sanctuary tonight. I come to this platform tonight to make a passionate plea to my beloved nation. This speech is not addressed to Hanoi or to the National Liberation Front. It is not addressed to China or to Russia. Nor is it an attempt to overlook the ambiguity of the total situation and the need for a collective solution to the tragedy of Vietnam. Neither is it an attempt to make North Vietnam or the National Liberation Front paragons of virtue, nor to overlook the role they can play in a successful resolution of the problem. While they both may have justifiable reason to be suspicious of the good faith of the United States, life and history give eloquent testimony to the fact that conflicts are never resolved without trustful give and take on both sides. Tonight, however, I wish not to speak with Hanoi and the NLF, but rather to my fellow Americans, who, with me, bear the greatest responsibility in ending a conflict that has exacted a heavy price on both continents. Since I am a preacher by trade, I suppose it is not surprising that I have seven major reasons for bringing Vietnam into the field of my moral vision. There is at the outset a very obvious and almost facile connection between the war in Vietnam and the struggle I, and others, have been waging in America. A few years ago there was a shining moment in that struggle. It seemed as if there was a real promise of hope for the poor -- both black and white -- through the poverty program. There were experiments, hopes, new beginnings. Then came the buildup in Vietnam and I watched the program broken and eviscerated as if it were some idle political plaything of a society gone mad on war, and I knew that America would never invest the necessary funds or energies in rehabilitation of its poor so long as adventures like Vietnam continued to draw men and skills and money like some demonic destructive suction tube. So I was increasingly compelled to see the war as an enemy of the poor and to attack it as such. Perhaps the more tragic recognition of reality took place when it became clear to me that the war was doing far more than devastating the hopes of the poor at home. It was sending their sons and their brothers and their husbands to fight and to die in extraordinarily high proportions relative to the rest of the population. We were taking the black young men who had been crippled by our society and sending them eight thousand miles away to guarantee liberties in Southeast Asia which they had not found in southwest Georgia and East Harlem. So we have been repeatedly faced with the cruel irony of watching Negro and white boys on TV screens as they kill and die together for a nation that has been unable to seat them together in the same schools. So we watch them in brutal solidarity burning the huts of a poor village, but we realize that they would never live on the same block in Detroit. I could not be silent in the face of such cruel manipulation of the poor. My third reason moves to an even deeper level of awareness, for it grows out of my experience in the ghettoes of the North over the last three years -- especially the last three summers. As I have walked among the desperate, rejected and angry young men I have told them that Molotov cocktails and rifles would not solve their problems. I have tried to offer them my deepest compassion while maintaining my conviction that social change comes most meaningfully through nonviolent action. But they asked -- and rightly so -- what about Vietnam? They asked if our own nation wasn't using massive doses of violence to solve its problems, to bring about the changes it wanted. Their questions hit home, and I knew that I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghettos without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today -- my own government. For the sake of those boys, for the sake of this government, for the sake of hundreds of thousands trembling under our violence, I cannot be silent. For those who ask the question, "Aren't you a civil rights leader?" and thereby mean to exclude me from the movement for peace, I have this further answer. In 1957 when a group of us formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, we chose as our motto: "To save the soul of America." We were convinced that we could not limit our vision to certain rights for black people, but instead affirmed the conviction that America would never be free or saved from itself unless the descendants of its slaves were loosed completely from the shackles they still wear. In a way we were agreeing with Langston Hughes, that black bard of Harlem, who had written earlier: O, yes, I say it plain, America never was America to me, And yet I swear this oath-- America will be! Now, it should be incandescently clear that no one who has any concern for the integrity and life of America today can ignore the present war. If America's soul becomes totally poisoned, part of the autopsy must read Vietnam. It can never be saved so long as it destroys the deepest hopes of men the world over. So it is that those of us who are ye Now let us begin. Now let us rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter -- but beautiful -- struggle for a new world. This is the calling of the sons of God, and our brothers wait eagerly for our response. Shall we say the odds are too great? Shall we tell them the struggle is too hard? Will our message be that the forces of American life militate against their arrival as full men, and we send our deepest regrets? Or will there be another message, of longing, of hope, of solidarity with their yearnings, of commitment to their cause, whatever the cost? The choice is ours, and though we might prefer it otherwise we must choose in this crucial moment of human history. 1. Why would King’s address be considered controversial? Cite specific passages NOV. 22, 1963 (FRIDAY): John Fitzgerald Kennedy is shot at 12:30 p.m. while riding in an open-top limousine in a motorcade through downtown Dallas. February 21, 1965: Malcolm X is assassinated as he begins speaking at the Audubon Ballroom, New York. On the morning of April 4, 1968, King is murdered; the night before he delivered his I’ve been to the Mountaintop speech June 6, 1968: Robert Kennedy is assassinated shortly after defeating Eugene McCarthy in the California Democratic primary
Poetry:
Wise I by Amiri Baraka
WHYS (Nobody Knows The Trouble I Seen) Traditional
If you ever find yourself, some where lost and surrounded by enemies who won't let you speak in your own language who destroy your statues & instruments, who ban your omm bomm ba boom then you are in trouble deep trouble they ban your own boom ba boom you in deep deep trouble
humph!
probably take you several hundred years to get out!
Gwendolyn Brooks’s “We Real Cool” first appeared in Poetry magazine in September of 1958 and was later published in her fourth volume of poetry, The Bean Eaters (1960). This short, poignant poem is perhaps Brooks’s most famous and is characterized by its use of vernacular and the way its short, staccato lines and internal rhyming pattern quickly carry the work to a crisp, startling ending. The locale of “We Real Cool” is a pool hall called The Golden Shovel. The poem’s action is recounted by the collective voice of seven pool players who, although their race is unspecified, are generally thought to be black because of their language and because the poet, herself, is African American. While “We Real Cool” could be read as a boast, the distinctive way that Brooks breaks the lines transforms egotistical display into momentary candor as the players realize the struggle of being outsiders or misfits. Neither moralizing nor maudlin, the pool players reflect on their situation but give no indication that they will change their behavior in any way. In this way, the poem is realistic and avoids a quick and easy fix. “We Real Cool” ends on an unsettling note, as the players’ predict their own fate. THE POOL PLAYERS. SEVEN AT THE GOLDEN SHOVEL. We real cool. We Left school. We Lurk late. We Strike straight. We Sing sin. We Thin gin. We Jazz June. We Die soon.
Using research interpret this poem Gwendolyn Brooks, "The Boy Died in My Alley" to Running Boy The Boy died in my alley without my Having Known. Policeman said, next morning, "Apparently died Alone." "You heard a shot?" Policeman said. Shots I hear and Shots I hear. I never see the Dead. The Shot that killed him yes I heard as I heard the Thousand shots before; careening tinnily down the nights across my years and arteries. Policeman pounded on my door. "Who is it?" "POLICE!" Policeman yelled. "A Boy was dying in your alley. A Boy is dead, and in your alley. And have you known this Boy before?" I have known this Boy before. I have known this boy before, who ornaments my alley. I never saw his face at all. I never saw his futurefall. But I have known this Boy. I have always heard him deal with death. I have always heard the shout, the volley. I have closed my heart-ears late and early. And I have killed him ever. I joined the Wild and killed him with knowledgeable unknowing. I saw where he was going. I saw him Crossed. And seeing, I did not take him down. He cried not only "Father!" but "Mother! Sister! Brother." The cry climbed up the alley. It went up to the wind. It hung upon the heaven for a long stretch-strain of Moment. The red floor of my alley is a special speech to me.
Poems by Langston Hughes : I, too, sing America. What is the mood of these poem?
I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes, But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong. Tomorrow, I'll be at the table When company comes. Nobody'll dare Say to me, "Eat in the kitchen," Then. Besides, They'll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed-- I, too, am America.
Dreams by Langston Hughes- Life is a broken-winged bird That cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow.
Night funeral In Harlem: by Langston Hughes Where did they get Them two fine cars? Insurance man, he did not pay— His insurance lapsed the other day-- Yet they got a satin box for his head to lay. Night funeral In Harlem: Who was it sent That wreath of flowers? Them flowers came from that poor boy’s friends-- They’ll want flowers, too, When they meet their ends. Night funeral in Harlem: Who preached that Black boy to his grave? Old preacher man Preached that boy away— Charged Five Dollars His girl friend had to pay. Night funeral In Harlem: When it was all over And the lid shut on his head and the organ had done played and the last prayers been said and six pallbearers Carried him out for dead And off down Lenox Avenue That long black hearse done sped, The street light At his corner Shined just like a tear-- That boy that they was mournin’ Was so dear, so dear To them folks that brought the flowers, To that girl who paid the preacher man-- It was all their tears that made That poor boy’s Funeral grand. Night funeral In Harlem.
About “Harlem ("What happens to a dream deferred?")” One of the most famous poems penned by Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes. Written in 1951, this poem was the inspiration for Lorraine Hansberry's classic play A Raisin in the Sun.
Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up Like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore-- And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over-- like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode?
3/29-4th Quarter reminders- 1. There are no Xtra credit assignments 2. Many students will miss classes for athletic and academic competition (particularly during 4th and 5th periods) along with field trips-students remain responsible for class assignments during those periods of absences-if they miss a quiz or a test, they will make-up that test once they return to class. 3. I will continue to use Go Guardian in class to monitor student computer usage; if a student is on a non-academic, non-school related site, they receive a demerit and their computer will be locked
3/26-chapter 28 Discuss the events that lead to Jem's broken arm-where have Jem and Scout been? why is it challenging for Scout to accurately describe what is happening? who does Scout think that the individual in the corner of Jem's room is? (the role he has played during the stuggle involving Jem and Scout and who he might be based upon his physical characteristics) what information does Heck Tate share about Bob Ewell? chapter 29-What did Heck Tate mean when he said-"this thing probably saved her life?" What was the funny noise Scout heard during the struggle? Who does Scout originally believe pulled Bob Ewell off her? What is significant about the color of Boo's hands and face and what does that color signify? chapter 30 Why does Atticus want everyone to go outside rather than going into the living room? What does Scout referring to Boo as "Mr. Arthur" indicate? Who does Atticus originally think killed Bob Ewell? What is Heck Tate's official explanation of Bob Ewell's death? What does Atticus think that Heck is doing? What does Heck mean when he says "I'm not thinking of Jem?" What is the significance of the kitchen knife when Heck Tate already mentioned the switchblade? What does Heck mean, at the end of the chapter, when he says: "I never heard tell that it's against the law....But not this man, Mr. Finch?" What does Scout mean when she says it would be like shooting a mockingbird?
3/22-STUDENTS WILL NEED TO ORDER A COPY OF THE SUE MONK KIDD NOVEL-THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES; they can borrow copies from former freshmen students who have been in my English I classes-they will need the book within the next 2 weeks-I apologize for the late notice; the book had been available free on line but it is no longer available.
3/21- 1. Atticus says to Scout-You might get shot. You know, Mr. Nathan shoots at every shadow he sees, even shadows that leave size-four bare footprints. You were lucky not to be killed.” What does this dialogue indicate? 2. What is significant about the "in class" discussion about democracy within the context of the story? 3. What confuses Scout about Miss Gates? 4. Jem tells Scout-Don’t’ you ever say one word to me about it again, you hear? Now go on!” What does Jem not want to hear about ever again? 5. What are the three unusual events that Scout discusses in chapter 27? 6. Discuss Bob Ewell and the emotion of revenge.
3/20-Chapters 22-25: 1. What indicator is there in chapter 23 that Jem is physically maturing? 2. At the conclusion of chapter 23 Jem and Scout disagree upon a particular concept-what is the source of their disagreement? What does this disagreement indicate? 3. Jem now recognizes why Boo stays inside-discuss Jem's revelation and what that indicates-what caused Jem to reach that conclusion? 4. Discuss the Hypocrisy that exists with the group that Aunt Alexandra belongs. What appears to be the central purpose of the group? 5. Discuss the circumstances of Tom's death. 6. What is meant by the passage at the end of chp. 24-"as though their only regret was the temporary domestic disaster of losing Calpurnia." 7. Mr. Underwood, in an editorial, compared Tom's death to what? 8. What information does Miss Stephanie share with Aunt Alexandra in front of Jem?
3/20-Poster (American Civil Rights Fair) project is due Wednesday for B day and Thursday for A day-on those respective days we will start watching the Ghost of Mississippi while finishing To Kill a Mockingbird. Likewise, we will read MLK's Beyond Viet Nam and Letter From a Birmingham Jail along with Langston Hughes' poetry. The next book will be Secret Life of Bees; the book is available on line. There will be a final over To Kill a Mockingbird once the book is complete and the film along with the other literature is complete. 3/20-4th Quarter reminders- 1. There are no Xtra credit assignments 2. Many students will miss classes for athletic and academic competition (particularly during 4th and 5th periods) along with field trips-students remain responsible for class assignments during those periods of absences-if they miss a quiz or a test, they will make-up that test once they return to class. 3. I will continue to use Go Guardian in class to monitor student computer usage; if a student is on a non-academic, non-school related site, they receive a demerit and their computer will be locked
3/10-Chapters 22-23 1. What does Atticus mean-This is their home, we've made it this way for them" 2. What is Miss Rachel's reaction to Atticus's effort during the trial 3. What is Jem's new impression of the people of Maycomb? 215 4. What does Dill say he wants to be when he grows up-what does this indicate about Dill? 5. What happened involving Bob Ewell and Atticus at the post office corner? What was Atticus's response? 6. In chapter 23-what reality, about the sentencing, does Atticus share with Jem? 7. What type of jury-according to Atticus-would have rendered a not guilty verdict and why? 8. Atticus says-"don't fool yourself, it's all adding up and one of these days....." What is Atticus foreshadowing? 9. Discuss the different perspectives that exist between Scout and Jem at the end of chapter 23.
To Kill a Mockingbird Concepts 1. Discuss the concept of communication using specific examples from the story. 2. Discuss the concept of single parenting-use specific examples from the story in discussing how the different individuals single parent. Focus upon 3 characters. 3. Discuss, using specific examples, the connection between Dill and Boo. 4. Discuss the evolution of the character Dill. Be specific, using examples, to discuss the stages of change in Dill. 5. Discuss specific information gathered by Atticus during the trial as he establishes his defense of Tom Robinson. 6. Discuss the concept of appearance versus reality-use multiple individuals along with specific events to substantiate your discussion
3/5- Civil Rights Fair . 1963
Select a date in 1963 . time . place for a Civil Rights Fair-be specific in selecting a location . city/state/place Select a headline/keynote speaker along with four other individuals (any individuals involved in the movement who promoted the cause of civil rights) who will appear on the program Present a visual of the keynote speaker along with information about that individual You do not need visuals for the other four individuals-you do need to provide information about each individual You cannot choose Martin Luther King or Rosa Parks Information must be historically accurate (do not have someone appear who was deceased on that date) The poster project should be visually appealing and no larger than 1/2 poster size and no smaller than 8 1/2 by 11 Any reproduced photographs should be "in focus" due March 22/23 You are marketing a program to inform the public about the issues and events of this movement Grades will be assigned dependent upon accuracy of information along with visual appeal DO NOT email project-HARD COPIES only will be accepted Late work-work submitted after the due date and by the next class session, will receive only 50% credit-work submitted after that date will receive no credit
3/2-To Kill a Mockingbird-Study Guide -Using the text answer the following questions-
1. What is Atticus attempting to prove by having Bob Ewell write his name on a piece of paper? 2. Why is what he discovers significant?-chp 17 3. Why does Atticus ask if anyone has called a doctor? Chp 17 4. Scout calls the group of men who gather outside the courthouse-the Idlers’ Club-what is meant by that term? Or what is their purpose?-chp 16 5. What does the individual member of the Idlers’ Club mean when he says-Yeah but Atticus aims to defend him. That’s what I don’t like about it (chp 16) 6. What significant information does Heck Tate provide to the jury? (chp 17) 7. Characterize Bob Ewell’s physical appearance. 8. In chapter 17, there is a reference to 6 geraniums-what is the purpose of mentioning those geraniums (to whom do they belong)? 9. What is Mr. Gilmer’s role in the legal/court process? 10. In chapter 16-who brings the mob to its senses and causes them to disperse? 11. In the final few paragraphs in chapter 14 Scout and Dill have a conversation prior to falling asleep-what does that conversation indicate?
Dill and Jem are the two characters who appear to have evolved (changed) the most through the early chapters of Part 2-Discuss the evolution of these two characters.
3/1: This is where students should be in reading of TKAM
16-17-A day should have this completed by 3/2; B day by 3/3 18-19 20-23 24-26 27-end
2/27-What passages indicate –chapter 12-that Jem is changing? What is meant by an “alien” set of values? Why does Dill not come to Maycomb this summer? Where does Calpurnia take Jem and Scout? Who are Lula and Zeebo? What is the purpose of the collection taken at church? Why does Reverent Sykes have a member of the congregation lock the door? Why does the congregation not have hymn books? What do Jem and Scout recognize as different about Calpurnia while at her church? Who comes to live with Jem and Scout? What does Atticus mean when he says-“the summer’s going to be a hot one?” What does he mean when he says-“it’s not time to worry?”
2/21-Discuss the transition that takes place during the final chapters of Part I-the shift in focus Discuss the function/purpose of the scene when Miss Maudie's house burns. Why does Scout fight Cecil Jacobs and Cousin Francis? How does Atticus get the responsibility of defending Tom Robinson? What significant information does Atticus share about the prospect of the outcome of the trial with Scout and his brother Jack? How does Atticus's family feel about his defense of Tom? Who is Tim Johnson? Who is Heck Tate? How does Jem's opinion of Atticus change in chapter 10? What causes that change? What advice does Atticus give to both Jem and Scout in chapter 11? What is Atticus's philosophy in Chapter 11? Why does Atticus have Jem and Scout share time with Mrs. Dubose? What does he want them to learn? What is meant by the expression "it is a sin to kill a mockingbird"
2/20-Students will take a quiz on Friday (A day) Monday (B day) over Part I of To Kill a Mockingbird-
2/8-the first quiz from TKAM will cover chapters 1-3-students will take the quiz on 2/10 and 2/13
2/8-To Kill a Mockingbird (from Chapter 1)-what is the setting? Who said "we have nothing to fear but fear itself?" How old are Jem, Scout and Dill? Who is the narrator? Where does Dill live? What does Dill dare Jem to do? What does the last paragraph of chapter 1 indicate (the shutter that moved)? What happened to Jem and Scout's mother? Where is Dill's father? How did Dill get the money to go to the movie so many times? What is meant by Dill being a pocket Merlin? What does Scout share at the open of the story about what had happened to Jem? How is Boo characterized in chapter 1? Who comes up with the idea of getting Boo out of the house? What passages indicate that Boo is held prisoner in his parents' house? How many children do the Radleys have?
2/6-Homework-Create a Holden Caulfield profile: Using specific examples from the story,characterize Holden-his likes and his dislikes. Focus upon his behavior (his experiences/habits/choices) in an attempt to explain the type of individual Holden is and discuss a brief remedy (not a drug based prescription) for Holden to move into a more productive future. This paper must be TYPED and submitted in HARD COPY FORM-no email copies will be accepted. Paper is due 2/13 and 2/14 for respective A/B days.
2/6-Martin Luther King letter and speech-both have been edited "Letter from a Birmingham Jail [King, Jr.]" 16 April 1963 My Dear Fellow Clergymen: While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my present activities "unwise and untimely." Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day, and I would have no time for constructive work. But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms. I think I should indicate why I am here in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the view which argues against "outsiders coming in." I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. Frequently we share staff, educational and financial resources with our affiliates. Several months ago the affiliate here in Birmingham asked us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct action program if such were deemed necessary. We readily consented, and when the hour came we lived up to our promise. So I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here. I am here because I have organizational ties here. But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid. Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds. Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself, and that is what has happened to the American Negro. Something within has reminded him of his birthright of freedom, and something without has reminded him that it can be gained. Consciously or unconsciously, he has been caught up by the Zeitgeist, and with his black brothers of Africa and his brown and yellow brothers of Asia, South America and the Caribbean, the United States Negro is moving with a sense of great urgency toward the promised land of racial justice. If one recognizes this vital urge that has engulfed the Negro community, one should readily understand why public demonstrations are taking place. The Negro has many pent up resentments and latent frustrations, and he must release them. So let him march; let him make prayer pilgrimages to the city hall; let him go on freedom rides -and try to understand why he must do so. If his repressed emotions are not released in nonviolent ways, they will seek expression through violence; this is not a threat but a fact of history. So I have not said to my people: "Get rid of your discontent." Rather, I have tried to say that this normal and healthy discontent can be channeled into the creative outlet of nonviolent direct action. And now this approach is being termed extremist. But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist for love: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Was not Amos an extremist for justice: "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream." Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Was not Martin Luther an extremist: "Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God." And John Bunyan: "I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience." And Abraham Lincoln: "This nation cannot survive half slave and half free." And Thomas Jefferson: "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal . . ." So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary's hill three men were crucified. We must never forget that all three were crucified for the same crime--the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thus fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment. Perhaps the South, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists. I had hoped that the white moderate would see this need. Perhaps I was too optimistic; perhaps I expected too much. I suppose I should have realized that few members of the oppressor race can understand the deep groans and passionate yearnings of the oppressed race, and still fewer have the vision to see that injustice must be rooted out by strong, persistent and determined action. I am thankful, however, that some of our white brothers in the South have grasped the meaning of this social revolution and committed themselves to it. They are still all too few in quantity, but they are big in quality. Some -such as Ralph McGill, Lillian Smith, Harry Golden, James McBride Dabbs, Ann Braden and Sarah Patton Boyle--have written about our struggle in eloquent and prophetic terms. Others have marched with us down nameless streets of the South. They have languished in filthy, roach infested jails, suffering the abuse and brutality of policemen who view them as "dirty nigger-lovers." Unlike so many of their moderate brothers and sisters, they have recognized the urgency of the moment and sensed the need for powerful "action" antidotes to combat the disease of segregation. Let me take note of my other major disappointment. I have been so greatly disappointed with the white church and its leadership. Of course, there are some notable exceptions. I am not unmindful of the fact that each of you has taken some significant stands on this issue. I commend you, Reverend Stallings, for your Christian stand on this past Sunday, in welcoming Negroes to your worship service on a nonsegregated basis. I commend the Catholic leaders of this state for integrating Spring Hill College several years ago. But despite these notable exceptions, I must honestly reiterate that I have been disappointed with the church. I do not say this as one of those negative critics who can always find something wrong with the church. I say this as a minister of the gospel, who loves the church; who was nurtured in its bosom; who has been sustained by its spiritual blessings and who will remain true to it as long as the cord of life shall lengthen. For more than two centuries our forebears labored in this country without wages; they made cotton king; they built the homes of their masters while suffering gross injustice and shameful humiliation -and yet out of a bottomless vitality they continued to thrive and develop. If the inexpressible cruelties of slavery could not stop us, the opposition we now face will surely fail. We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands. Before closing I feel impelled to mention one other point in your statement that has troubled me profoundly. You warmly commended the Birmingham police force for keeping "order" and "preventing violence." I doubt that you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen its dogs sinking their teeth into unarmed, nonviolent Negroes. I doubt that you would so quickly commend the policemen if you were to observe their ugly and inhumane treatment of Negroes here in the city jail; if you were to watch them push and curse old Negro women and young Negro girls; if you were to see them slap and kick old Negro men and young boys; if you were to observe them, as they did on two occasions, refuse to give us food because we wanted to sing our grace together. I cannot join you in your praise of the Birmingham police department. It is true that the police have exercised a degree of discipline in handling the demonstrators. In this sense they have conducted themselves rather "nonviolently" in public. But for what purpose? To preserve the evil system of segregation. Over the past few years I have consistently preached that nonviolence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek. I have tried to make clear that it is wrong to use immoral means to attain moral ends. But now I must affirm that it is just as wrong, or perhaps even more so, to use moral means to preserve immoral ends. Perhaps Mr. Connor and his policemen have been rather nonviolent in public, as was Chief Pritchett in Albany, Georgia, but they have used the moral means of nonviolence to maintain the immoral end of racial injustice. As T. S. Eliot has said: "The last temptation is the greatest treason: To do the right deed for the wrong reason." I wish you had commended the Negro sit inners and demonstrators of Birmingham for their sublime courage, their willingness to suffer and their amazing discipline in the midst of great provocation. One day the South will recognize its real heroes. They will be the James Merediths, with the noble sense of purpose that enables them to face jeering and hostile mobs, and with the agonizing loneliness that characterizes the life of the pioneer. They will be old, oppressed, battered Negro women, symbolized in a seventy two year old woman in Montgomery, Alabama, who rose up with a sense of dignity and with her people decided not to ride segregated buses, and who responded with ungrammatical profundity to one who inquired about her weariness: "My feets is tired, but my soul is at rest." They will be the young high school and college students, the young ministers of the gospel and a host of their elders, courageously and nonviolently sitting in at lunch counters and willingly going to jail for conscience' sake. One day the South will know that when these disinherited children of God sat down at lunch counters, they were in reality standing up for what is best in the American dream and for the most sacred values in our Judaeo Christian heritage, thereby bringing our nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in their formulation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Never before have I written so long a letter. I'm afraid it is much too long to take your precious time. I can assure you that it would have been much shorter if I had been writing from a comfortable desk, but what else can one do when he is alone in a narrow jail cell, other than write long letters, think long thoughts and pray long prayers? If I have said anything in this letter that overstates the truth and indicates an unreasonable impatience, I beg you to forgive me. If I have said anything that understates the truth and indicates my having a patience that allows me to settle for anything less than brotherhood, I beg God to forgive me. I hope this letter finds you strong in the faith. I also hope that circumstances will soon make it possible for me to meet each of you, not as an integrationist or a civil-rights leader but as a fellow clergyman and a Christian brother. Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty. Yours for the cause of Peace and Brotherhood, Martin Luther King, Jr. After Reading Martin Luther King’s Letter from a Birmingham jail and answer the following: Why does King address his letter to fellow clergymen What is your favorite quote from King’s letter and why?
Four years after having written Letter From a Birmingham Jail, King delivered “A Time to Break Silence.” This speech ranks 43rd in the top 100 speeches compiled by the American Rhetorical Society yet few students ever encounter this King speech. Has King’s mood changed from 1963 to 1967. His I Have a dream speech was delivered in August 1963. By 1967, King had become the country's most prominent opponent of the Vietnam War, and a staunch critic of overall U.S. foreign policy, which he deemed militaristic. In his "Beyond Vietnam" speech delivered at New York's Riverside Church on April 4, 1967 -- a year to the day before he was murdered -- King called the United States "the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today." Time magazine called the speech "demagogic slander that sounded like a script for Radio Hanoi," and the Washington Post declared that King had "diminished his usefulness to his cause, his country, his people." From Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence: this is an excerpt of that speech By Rev. Martin Luther King 4 April 1967 Speech delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on April 4, 1967, at a meeting of Clergy and Laity Concerned at Riverside Church in New York City I come to this magnificent house of worship tonight because my conscience leaves me no other choice. I join with you in this meeting because I am in deepest agreement with the aims and work of the organization which has brought us together: Clergy and Laymen Concerned about Vietnam. The recent statement of your executive committee are the sentiments of my own heart and I found myself in full accord when I read its opening lines: "A time comes when silence is betrayal." That time has come for us in relation to Vietnam. The truth of these words is beyond doubt but the mission to which they call us is a most difficult one. Even when pressed by the demands of inner truth, men do not easily assume the task of opposing their government's policy, especially in time of war. Nor does the human spirit move without great difficulty against all the apathy of conformist thought within one's own bosom and in the surrounding world. Moreover when the issues at hand seem as perplexed as they often do in the case of this dreadful conflict we are always on the verge of being mesmerized by uncertainty; but we must move on. Some of us who have already begun to break the silence of the night have found that the calling to speak is often a vocation of agony, but we must speak. We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak. And we must rejoice as well, for surely this is the first time in our nation's history that a significant number of its religious leaders have chosen to move beyond the prophesying of smooth patriotism to the high grounds of a firm dissent based upon the mandates of conscience and the reading of history. Perhaps a new spirit is rising among us. If it is, let us trace its movement well and pray that our own inner being may be sensitive to its guidance, for we are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness that seems so close around us. Over the past two years, as I have moved to break the betrayal of my own silences and to speak from the burnings of my own heart, as I have called for radical departures from the destruction of Vietnam, many persons have questioned me about the wisdom of my path. At the heart of their concerns this query has often loomed large and loud: Why are you speaking about war, Dr. King? Why are you joining the voices of dissent? Peace and civil rights don't mix, they say. Aren't you hurting the cause of your people, they ask? And when I hear them, though I often understand the source of their concern, I am nevertheless greatly saddened, for such questions mean that the inquirers have not really known me, my commitment or my calling. Indeed, their questions suggest that they do not know the world in which they live. In the light of such tragic misunderstandings, I deem it of signal importance to try to state clearly, and I trust concisely, why I believe that the path from Dexter Avenue Baptist Church -- the church in Montgomery, Alabama, where I began my pastorate -- leads clearly to this sanctuary tonight. I come to this platform tonight to make a passionate plea to my beloved nation. This speech is not addressed to Hanoi or to the National Liberation Front. It is not addressed to China or to Russia. Nor is it an attempt to overlook the ambiguity of the total situation and the need for a collective solution to the tragedy of Vietnam. Neither is it an attempt to make North Vietnam or the National Liberation Front paragons of virtue, nor to overlook the role they can play in a successful resolution of the problem. While they both may have justifiable reason to be suspicious of the good faith of the United States, life and history give eloquent testimony to the fact that conflicts are never resolved without trustful give and take on both sides. Tonight, however, I wish not to speak with Hanoi and the NLF, but rather to my fellow Americans, who, with me, bear the greatest responsibility in ending a conflict that has exacted a heavy price on both continents. Since I am a preacher by trade, I suppose it is not surprising that I have seven major reasons for bringing Vietnam into the field of my moral vision. There is at the outset a very obvious and almost facile connection between the war in Vietnam and the struggle I, and others, have been waging in America. A few years ago there was a shining moment in that struggle. It seemed as if there was a real promise of hope for the poor -- both black and white -- through the poverty program. There were experiments, hopes, new beginnings. Then came the buildup in Vietnam and I watched the program broken and eviscerated as if it were some idle political plaything of a society gone mad on war, and I knew that America would never invest the necessary funds or energies in rehabilitation of its poor so long as adventures like Vietnam continued to draw men and skills and money like some demonic destructive suction tube. So I was increasingly compelled to see the war as an enemy of the poor and to attack it as such. Perhaps the more tragic recognition of reality took place when it became clear to me that the war was doing far more than devastating the hopes of the poor at home. It was sending their sons and their brothers and their husbands to fight and to die in extraordinarily high proportions relative to the rest of the population. We were taking the black young men who had been crippled by our society and sending them eight thousand miles away to guarantee liberties in Southeast Asia which they had not found in southwest Georgia and East Harlem. So we have been repeatedly faced with the cruel irony of watching Negro and white boys on TV screens as they kill and die together for a nation that has been unable to seat them together in the same schools. So we watch them in brutal solidarity burning the huts of a poor village, but we realize that they would never live on the same block in Detroit. I could not be silent in the face of such cruel manipulation of the poor. My third reason moves to an even deeper level of awareness, for it grows out of my experience in the ghettoes of the North over the last three years -- especially the last three summers. As I have walked among the desperate, rejected and angry young men I have told them that Molotov cocktails and rifles would not solve their problems. I have tried to offer them my deepest compassion while maintaining my conviction that social change comes most meaningfully through nonviolent action. But they asked -- and rightly so -- what about Vietnam? They asked if our own nation wasn't using massive doses of violence to solve its problems, to bring about the changes it wanted. Their questions hit home, and I knew that I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghettos without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today -- my own government. For the sake of those boys, for the sake of this government, for the sake of hundreds of thousands trembling under our violence, I cannot be silent. For those who ask the question, "Aren't you a civil rights leader?" and thereby mean to exclude me from the movement for peace, I have this further answer. In 1957 when a group of us formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, we chose as our motto: "To save the soul of America." We were convinced that we could not limit our vision to certain rights for black people, but instead affirmed the conviction that America would never be free or saved from itself unless the descendants of its slaves were loosed completely from the shackles they still wear. In a way we were agreeing with Langston Hughes, that black bard of Harlem, who had written earlier: O, yes, I say it plain, America never was America to me, And yet I swear this oath-- America will be! Now, it should be incandescently clear that no one who has any concern for the integrity and life of America today can ignore the present war. If America's soul becomes totally poisoned, part of the autopsy must read Vietnam. It can never be saved so long as it destroys the deepest hopes of men the world over. So it is that those of us who are ye Now let us begin. Now let us rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter -- but beautiful -- struggle for a new world. This is the calling of the sons of God, and our brothers wait eagerly for our response. Shall we say the odds are too great? Shall we tell them the struggle is too hard? Will our message be that the forces of American life militate against their arrival as full men, and we send our deepest regrets? Or will there be another message, of longing, of hope, of solidarity with their yearnings, of commitment to their cause, whatever the cost? The choice is ours, and though we might prefer it otherwise we must choose in this crucial moment of human history. Why would King’s address be considered controversial? NOV. 22, 1963 (FRIDAY): John Fitzgerald Kennedy is shot at 12:30 p.m. while riding in an open-top limousine in a motorcade through downtown Dallas. February 21, 1965: Malcolm X is assassinated as he begins speaking at the Audubon Ballroom, New York. On the morning of April 4, 1968, King is murdered; the night before he delivered his I’ve been to the Mountaintop speech June 6, 1968: Robert Kennedy is assassinated shortly after defeating Eugene McCarthy in the California Democratic primary
2/3-The final quiz on Catcher will be on 2/6 and 2/7-the next novel we will read will be To Kill a Mockingbird-the book is in pdf format on chrome book-The reading schedule for the book is: We will continue to read and discuss in class in an attempt to assign fewer pages for home reading-we will also encounter some of Martin Luther King’s less notable literature along with some poetry-the book that will be read next will be The Secret Life of Bees-if you are not present for class, you remain responsible for the assigned chapters and will need to take any missed quizzes-this will not be negotiated Chapters-(To Kill a Mockingbird) the order in which the chapters will be read 1-3 4-5 6-7 8-9 10-11-the end of Part I 12-13 14-15 16-17 18-19 20-23 24-26 27-end
2/1 Know these characters 1. Carl Luce 2. Sunny 3. Mrs. Morrow 4. DB 5. Stradlater 6. Ackley 7. Faith Cavendish 8. Jane Gallagher 9. Allie 10. Phoebe 11. Sally Hayes 12. JD Salinger 13. Maurice 14. Holden 15. Old Spencer 16. Mr. Antonilli
quiz will be on 1/30 and 1/31 up to and including chapter 21. 1/30-Know the characters through chapter 21 and have the ability to identify them-Why does Holden choose to hang out with Carl Luce when they have never gotten along; likewise, why does Carl say "yes" to Holden's invitation. Why does Holden call Sally and again agree to get together with her when their date seemed to end so poorly?
1/26-How does Holden feel about museums? What does this indicate about Holden? Discuss the conversations Holden has with Sally while on their date. What does Holden ask Sally to do with him? Holden finally calls Jane's house-how does that go? What gift does Holden purchase for Phoebe? 1/25-there will not be a quiz on 1/26; B day quiz will be Friday covering up to and including chapter 18-A day quiz will be Monday covering the same chapters Study Guide chpts. 13-14-15 1. Why would Holden even think about getting involved with Sunny? 2. Why does Holden tell Sunny he cannot become involved with her? 3. Why do Sunny and Maurice return to Holden's room? 4. Could Holden have avoided the confrontation with Maurice? 5. Holden later calls and makes a date with Sally Hayes; what do Sally and Sunny and Faith and Jean Louise Sherman all provide for Holden? 6. Discuss Holden on fighting, organized religion and money. 7. Discuss the encounter between Holden and the two nuns. 8. What does Holden’s father do professionally? Why is that significant?
1/22-Recognize Holden's vision of childhood along with his vision of the adult world. How do they differ?
1/21-chapters 7-9 1. After the fight with Stradlater Holden visit Ackley-why would he visit someone who he so dislikes?? 2. Holden says in chapter 7-"every time I thought about it, I felt like jumping out the window." What is it that Holden keeps thinking about and what does this indicate? 3. Holden ask the question-"What's the routine on joining a monastery? I was sort of toying with the idea of joining one." What does this indicate about Holden. 4. Who does Holden meet while on the train? 5. Who does Holden tell this individual that he is? 6. why does Holden say he has left school early to return home? 7. Why does Holden call a stranger from the Edmont Hotel rather than Jane (someone he cares about)? chapters 10-11-12 1. Who are Phoebe and Hazel Wearherfield? 2. What does Holden think of himself? 3. Discuss Holden's experience in the Lavender Room. 4. Upon whom does Holden focus in chapter 11. 5. Holden ask the cab driver to stop and have a drink with him-what does that tell about Holden? 6. What is the question Holden ask Horwitz, the cab driver? 7. What are Holden's impressions of Ernie's Place? Chapters 4-6 1/15-Characterize Ackley, Stradlater, DB, Allie, Jane Gallagher Recognize the three settings of the novel How old is Holden as he tells the story, how old is he when the events he describes occur? Discuss the relationship between Holden and Stradlater. What causes the confrontation between Holden and Stradlater? Understand the relationship between Holden and Jane Gallagher-the relationship between Stradlater and Jane.
1/13 1. Why is the opening sentence of chp. 3 significant 2. Who are Ackley and Stradlater? 3. How many HSs has Holden attended? 4. Why would Holden have a photo of Sally Hayes in his room? 5. How old is Holden at the time he is telling the story? 6. How old is he when the events he is discussing occur?
1/6-Final Scenes from Big Fish 1. Why does the director change the lighting in the final hospital scene? What message does he want to deliver? 2. At the final grave scene-characters that appeared in Edward's stories appear at his burial. What is the difference between their appearance within the fantasy world and the real world? Where does Edward find the characters that appear in the stories that he shared with Will? 3. How is Burton's story similar to Bradbury's story? 4. What indicates that Will has changed (his vision is different)?
1/3/17 The Catcher in the Rye reading schedule Class time will be dedicated to quiz taking, discussion, research focused upon the culture which produced the book along with the author's life and the impact of the novel and reading of assigned chapters. The book is available in pdf format online or students should have a hard copy of the book.
Chapter 1: The story is written in what person and who is the narrator? Where is Holden? Why is Holden there? Who is DB? Why is Holden not returning to Pencey Prep ? Characterize Holden based upon information in chapter 1. chps 2-3 chps. 4-5-6 chps. 7-8-9 chps. 10-11-12 chps. 13-14-15 chps 16-17-18 chps. 19-20-21 chps 22-23-24 finish book
12/18 The English I final will be a collection of questions taken from earlier tests and quizzes-I have repeatedly, throughout the semester, shared this with students and have emphazied this during class these past two weeks. It is significant that students have the correct answers to the questions on these tests so that they can properly utilize these study tools. I will gladly print copies of these tests, if needed.
12/14--In preparation for the English I final students should use the Dead Poets unit final-the Romeo and Juliet unit final-the Little Prince unit final and the two quizzes from Dandelion Wine. Focus upon identification, true/false and quotes in reviewing each of those finals and quizzes. I will review with students on the last day of classes and will be available during prep and LEAD -I do not leave my room for lunch and would also be available at that time. I can be available after school or before school but would like students to inform me that they would like to meet. 12/12 The semester final will include all work covered during the semester-students will use the final test for each unit along with the 2 quizzes from DW as study guides for the final-we will review on the last day of class and students should bring that material with them to class. 12/11-While watching Big Fish students will pick one character from Big Fish and compare that character with one character from Dandelion Wine-ONLY COMPARE-TYPE and submit in hard copy form-due class period following the completion of the film-cite specific examples in comparing the likeness in the two characters. The paper should open: (character) from Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine is similar to (character) in Tim Burton's Big Fish. Be sure to name AUTHOR and Work in that initial open.
12/9-pp. 207-210: Who is considered a form of osmosis? Where did Mr Jonas live prior to Greentown? What was unusual about his hands and the services he provided for the people of Greentown? Discuss how Mr. Jonas charged for the goods he provided? How does this chapter again provide insights into Bradbury's feelings about a consumer culture?
pp 235-239 How is every day of the summer of 1928 preserved? Why does Tom say (p. 237) that the summer is not really over? Where is Doug (the physical stucture) and what is he doing during this last night of summer?
188-204 12/7-Study Guide- What is Doug's greatest fear? Who is Mr. Black? What is Mr. Black's biggest complaint about the Tarot Witch? What is the question Mr. Black asks of the Tarot Witch? What does Doug believe that the Tarot Witch has written on the card she gives to him? What did the Tarot Witch do to get cast in wax? How does Doug plan on getting the Witch free? What will she do for Doug in exchange for her freedom? How will do know that he has worked his magic and set the Witch free?
12/6 on Thursday and Friday students will have their second quiz over Dandelion Wine 12/5-Study Guide-129-137: Who does the Colonel call in Mexico City and why? What passage indicates that the Colonel has not been anywhere in years? What does the nurse threaten to do that would destroy the Colonel's ability to communicate? What does the closing of the window in Mexico City indicate? Why does Doug tell Tom that Ching Ling Soo died yesterday and the Civil War ended yesterday? 102-112, 188-204 Why was John considered a god? What is it that John says he had never before seen in Greentown? What promise does John have Doug make? How does Doug attempt to keep John in Greentown? What is the promise that Doug asks Tom to make? Bradbury, in the introduction, says that DW is a story of opposites-discuss opposites as they appear in both this chapter and the chapter in volving the death of the Colonel? 188-204 What is the realization Doug encounters in this chapter? What does Doug want from the Tarot Witch? What does Mr. Black want from the Tarot Witch? How did the Tarot Witch become imprisoned in wax and placed in this case? How does Doug plan to free her? How will Doug know that the Tarot Witch has been freed?
11/30-Study Guide for pp. 37-45, 48-52, 80-87 37-45
1. Why are Tom and Mrs. Spaulding in the ravine? 2. How is the ravine characterized on p. 41? 3. What is the physical structure that is about 100 yards away from the ravine? 4. What does the ravine symbolize? 5. Who is the Lonely One? 6. What does Tom discover, for the first time, about his mother? 7. Why would Tom call Doug's sweat magic? 8. How is this chapter a focus upon opposites?
48-52
1. What does the sound of the mower and the act of cutting the grass represent? 2. What has Bill Forrester introduced to Grandpa? 3. How does Grandpa respond to this invention and where does he tell Bill to dump it? 4. How does this chapter indicate Bradbury's feelings about technology? 5. What does the new grass represent?
80-87
1. What do the boys anticipate seeing when Charley tells them he has found a time machine? 2. In what direction does the machine move? 3. Why is the Colonel referred to as furniture? 4. Who is Ching Ling Soo? 5. When the Colonel falls asleep-what does Charlie say that he is doing? 6. Why can John only travel 12 years back in time?
11/28 A3-4-5: 19-25: New Sneakers, 33-36, 53-63: The Happiness Machine 11/29: B1, B3-4: 9-25: New Sneakers, 33-36, 53-63: The Happiness Machine 11/30-A3-4-5: Quiz covering Intro and all chapters read in class 12/1-B1, B3-4-Quiz covering Intro and all chapters read in class 12/2-Early release day-37-45 12/5-B1-3-4: pp. 37-45, 48-52, 80-87, 12/6 A3-4-5- 48-52, 80-87, 129-137 12/7 B1,3,4: 129-137, 102-112 12/8 A day Quiz 102-112, 188-204, 12/9 B day Quiz 188-204, 207-210, 235-239-start Big Fish, if time allows 12/12 A 207-210, 235-239-start Big Fish, if time allows While watching Big Fish students will pick one character from Big Fish and compare that character with one character from Dandelion Wine-ONLY COMPARE-TYPE and submit in hard copy form-due class period following the completion of the film-cite specific examples in comparing the likeness in the two characters. The paper should open: (character) from Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine is similar to (character) in Tim Burton's Big Fish. Be sure to name AUTHOR and Work in that initial open.
11/21-read in class today pp.1-15 and 19-25: established the setting and discussed perspective; what is chasing Doug? How does Mr. Sanderson's perspective differ from the perspective of the boys? What does the dandelion wine represent?
11/18-Dandelion Wine-Read intro in class today-students should take notes during review/discussion Chpt. 1-what does Doug believe to be his function in this chapter? Where is Doug? What is the setting? Pp 4-11 What are Douglas, Tom and their father doing in this chapter? What is chasing Doug? What does Doug discover in this chapter? pp. 19-25 Who is Mr. Sanderson? What do the new sneakers represent (symbolize)? What quality does Mr. Sanderson recognize in Doug that he would like to use when Doug gets older? Why does Doug feel sorry for boys in California? What happens to Mr. Sanderson once he puts the sneakers on?
11/17-Throughout his life, Bradbury liked to recount the story of meeting a carnival magician, Mr. Electrico, in 1932. At the end of his performance Electrico reached out to the twelve-year-old Bradbury, touched the boy with his sword, and commanded, Live forever! Bradbury later said, I decided that was the greatest idea I had ever heard. I started writing every day. I never stopped.
11/17-We will start reading Bradbury's Dandelion Wine-I have copies of the book which will be primarily read in class-if students fall behind I have xtra copies that can be borrowed. We will read excerpts from the book and those pages are listed below. Dandelion Wine: Students are responsible for reading assignments and should come to borrow a book to be used in either study hall or at home when they are absent from class regardless of reason for absence. 1-15: I’m Alive 19-25: New Sneakers 33-36, 53-63: The Happiness Machine 37-45: Death and The Lonely One 48-52: The New Grass 80-87:The Time Machine, 129-137 102-112: The Only Living God 188-204: Mr. Black and The Tarot Witch 207- 210: The Junkman 235-239: End of Summer
-11/12-Little Prince Journals will be due Tuesday and Wednesday of next week; the final Little Prince Quiz will be given that same day. Students will read The Velveteen Rabbit today and write a short interpretation of the story -that interpretation will be due TYPED and in HARD COPY format next class period. The Little Prince-a study guide-these are guidelines to examining an understanding of the novel: students will discuss these questions and statements prior to taking a final quiz over The Little Prince-While in class students have been directed to open this site and review along with recognizing the assignment. 11/10- Discuss/interpret the little prince’s encounter with the fox-chapter 21. Include in the discussion the role of the fox in this chapter. What does the little prince learn from the fox? The first creature that the little prince encounters on earth is the snake; discuss this encounter. What does the snake represent? Discuss the meaning of the chapter dedicated to the garden with 5000 roses-chapter 20. Discuss the central message in the encounter with the switchman. Who do you think that the Little Prince represents? Justify, using specific examples from the text, your answer. What does the desert represent? Why did the Little Prince leave his asteroid to travel? The story is written in what point of view? Who is the narrator? What literary technique does the author use in telling his story? How are the author and the narrator alike? What is the Little Prince's role in the narrator's life? While The Little Prince is considered children's literature, recognize the other level of messages contained within the story.
11/5-what does the snake represent in chapter 17? what is the Little Prince's impressions of the snake's physical appearance? What does the snake mean when he says whomever I touch I send back to the earth? What do the echoes in chapter 19 represent? How does the Little Prince react to the rose garden and why? Discuss the concept of "taming" in chapter 21 as described by the fox. What does the fox want of the Little Prince? What does the fox consider the source of misunderstanding? How would the fox be considered unselfish? What is the secret that the fox shares with the Little Prince? What are the central messages in chapters 22 and 23?
11/2-Students have been reading and discussing the novel in class while recording journal entries. I continue to remind them that the journal is not a summary of chapters but rather an interpretation of the messages in each chapter. Students can incorporate visuals in their final presentation. Final project will be due the class session following the completion of the book-final project must be typed. Guidelines are on the board and students have a hard copy of guidelines. An example of chapter messages: chapter 1-the narrator discusses the significant conflict that exist between logic (the adult world) and imagination (the world of childhood-the narrator as a 6 year old). Chapter 2-the narrator's plane crashes in the desert-a barren wasteland-this represents the narrator's loss of creativity/imagination-the little prince stimulates his imagination by his request to draw a sheep.
10/29: Reading Assignments for The Little Prince
1. Discuss de Saint Exupery and the dedication of the novel along with introduction to fantasy world literature: Read Chapter 1-Discuss journal entries for chapter 1-explain journal entries 2. Chapters Read chapters 2-9 and record journal entries -quiz next class session will cover chapters 1-9 and information from research on author 3. Read chapters 10-15 4. Read chapters 16-23 5. Complete book 6. Quiz over The Little Prince 7. Journals due
10/24-Baz Luhrmann's Romeo & Juliet: Chris Palmer-Read the following essay and answer the 4 questions at the bottom
The imagery of the Baz Luhrmann movie is a mixture of Californian and Hispanic, Venice Beach and Veracruz. The most vivid imagery, in my opinion, is the use of Catholic images -- painted statues of the Virgin, candles, crosses, the devotional world of 'holy cards'. Luhrmann no doubt dwells with such enthusiasm on this kind of thing because he likes it, but he can do so because characters whose feelings in the film do move us, live devoutly with it (Juliet does; so does Friar Lawrence), and he expects that we will get the point that this is what people have to live through nowadays -- something that you must trust (in default of better?), but can't believe in. One doesn't choose to have garish images of the virgin in one's bedroom (these are the residues of Juliet's scarcely past childhood, like a collection of soft toys). As is very often the case in contemporary films (and Science Fiction) people play like children in a vast, alien environment that we cannot imagine them having had the seriousness or concentration to build. Juliet's father has tantrums, her mother appears as if several different people in the course of the film's quite extraordinary image of instability once you notice it. The film cleverly establishes the adolescence of Romeo, Juliet, Tybalt, Mercutio and the rest by offering us some vivid contrasting images of younger children in Friar Lawrence's church: dedicated, obedient, neatly dressed. The extraordinary colour sense of the film, purples, pinks and yellows, like those colours, not otherwise known to nature, that one finds in plastic toys; the sense of clothes as costumes, dress-ups; the fetishising of the guns with holy pictures inlaid in the grips, and of the cars; and of course the restless inability to keep still, the equivalent of that jiggling and tapping of the legs that you often find in adolescence: all this suggests not that the adolescents and adults in the film are childish, but that many of the feelings and habits of childhood (the time of toys and moods and hyperactivity) have shifted their location. The first pairing is wet and dry. Liquid: blood, sweat, tears, rain, the sea; the swimming pool and fish tank and pool in the garden which structure Romeo and Juliet's love affair, and provide some of Luhrmann's freest and most charming images; and of course the pool into which the dying Tybalt falls, before rain drenches the scene, dropping first upon his pistol as it lies on the roadway, and the camera focuses on Romeo's face down which both rain and streaks of blood run, as if they were tears, together with tears. These images represent freedom. One of the film's great moments is the trickle of a tear down Romeo's face after he is dead . The beating up of Romeo that precedes the killing of Mercutio is nasty; Romeo's hunch of grief and rage as he turns from the body of Mercutio to go after Tybalt is pathetic and young and disturbing; Romeo's face seen through his window-screen as he pursues Tybalt is genuinely demonic. Contrary to this imagery of fluidity and fluid movement, clearly, is the imagery of dryness. Dust (clearest in the scenes in Mantua), pollution (smog overhanging Verona Beach), concrete (driest of urban substances to the sense, because you can't slide your hand down it), and, I would suggest, venturing into slightly different territory here, the old, used, trashy and rubbishy -- the beat up old chairs that litter the Sycamore Grove where Tybalt beats up Romeo, the hairy unhealthy face of the apothecary who sells Romeo the poison, lots of litter and mess observed out of the corner of the camera's eye. The second field of contrast comes about because of the film's way with faces and with flesh. We contrast the young and the joyful, or perhaps solely Romeo and Juliet among the young, with the old and the unhappy: faces wrinkled, rubicond, made up, blemished, distorted, uncomfortable to look at -- especially in the violent close up with which the film tests every face, intrudes into every personal space. (Note how the credits include someone called an 'aging artist'.) Virtually everyone other than Romeo and Juliet looks a trifle grotesque, and this includes other young people: Benvolio with his expanses of facial flesh, Mercutio with his slight tendency to dribble, and Tybalt with his grinding of the teeth and the effort it costs him to speak so menacingly. It's also true that though we see the faces of both Romeo and Juliet, not always in tension, sometimes smiling or tenderly puckering, in this remorseless close up which only the very handsome -- which is equivalent to the very young and handsome in this film -- can survive, we also see their whole bodies, moving freely, slipping through a medium, whether that be water, the bedsheets, or the various balustrades and trellises of the Capulets' house. And Romeo and Juliet often wear simple clothes -- Juliet almost always; we do not contemplate them solely as spectacles, at a certain visual distance, as we do the others -- when we are not jammed uncomfortably up against their pores. We contemplate Romeo and Juliet as natural, innocent bodies. They are mostly dressed in white, silver or blue. In fact, this singling out of the lovers at the level of the tactile/visual is so successful for me that it lessens the unbalancing effect of the fact that Luhrmann wants to look at Romeo a good deal more often than he wants to look at Juliet, and, for this and other reasons, cuts some of her best speeches late in the play -- even though Cheryl Danes is the best speaker of verse among the younger actors in the play. Nonetheless we might argue that in his attraction to Romeo he fails to capture the underlying structure of the drama, so important to a work that is so complex in its plot, and so busy in its verbal (Shakespeare) or visual (Luhrmann) surface. This underlying structure surely has to do with the way in which Juliet becomes the hero, the decisive actor and expresser of feeling, in the second half of the play. I don't think that Luhrmann catches that. But his failure in this respect may not matter. Luhrmann's strength is not structural command but improvisational rightness and audacity within a very unmistakable stylistic range. Consider the ending: we lose the horror of the Capulet vault, with Tybalt mouldering in his shroud (losing thereby Juliet's best and most courageous speech in the play, the speech in which she contemplates wakening among the corpses) -- the sort of thing one would have thought our director would go for -- lose the death of Paris, lose the arrest of Friar Lawrence, lose the scene of cops and sirens that Luhrmann himself sets up and abandons. Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet and the Catholic images Much has been made of the prevalent Catholic images in the film. You'll notice that the young battlers have religious symbols on their guns and clothing. I believe that this shows a subtext of just who the "god" is for all these people. For the elder Capulet and Montague, it is power. For the younger ones, it is also power, which translates into violence for them...violence is a way of gaining power. There is a Virgin Mary painted on Tybalt's gun because he worships it, and all it represents. Only the young lovers, aided by Father Lawrence, put spirituality where it truly belongs...in love. If you look at the very end of the closing credits, underneath the film's logo, there are three symbols...a skull, a heart, and a gun. This underlines the three main themes of this movie...violence, love, and death. The love, surrounded by violence and death, manages to shine. Perhaps it is all that can end this violence. This is, I believe, the subtext of the film...the need for love to survive if we're to overcome all the hate and violence that surrounds us. The purity of the young lovers seems to stand out in all the chaos around them, and we wish that it can survive. Although it does not, the speech by the Prince and by the newscaster at the end seems to remind us that we must let it survive in our own lives. Only when love takes precedence over power and violence will we be able to accomplish much Baz Luhrmann envisions Capulet as "... the classic Godfather patriarch." As for Romeo, "... in a way, he was the original rebel without a cause, the first James Dean. His is a non-politicized rebellion. He is a rebel in love with the idea of love itself."A note on Verona: To Shakespeare, and to Elizabethan audiences, Verona was a hot, sexy, violent Catholic country. During that era, Catholics were considered dangerous and exotic to Protestant England. 1. What do the wet images represent?
2. Give examples, at least two, of wet and dry images from the film.
3. What are the three symbols that appear during the film’s credits that symbolize violence, love and death?
4. What did Catholics and the city of Verona represent to Shakespeare and the Elizabethan audiences?
10/19-Following Romeo and Juliet students will read The Little Prince; as they read the book, they will compile a journal -within this journal they will discuss the lessons learned (the theme/message) contained in each chapter. This is NOT a chapter summary! Journals must be submitted in a TYPED format. The book is available on line.
10/18-all first quarter grades have been posted -students have been assigned a Romeo and Juliet soundtrack/playlist; they are to create a 5 song playlist-any songs-no instrumentals- 1. Type the name of the song along with the recording artist 2. Discuss who, in the play (which character), will perform the song and in what scene. They can place songs in scenes as group productions or voice over scenes. They DO NOT have to print lyrics-B day will be due on Monday and A day on Tuesday
Following R and J, we will read The Little Price-the book is available on line if students do not want to purchase a copy. 10/14: Second Romeo and Juliet Quiz-B day will take the quiz on Monday; A day on Tuesday-the following is a sample study guide for that quiz All Questions will come from the play as written by Shakespeare-not the FILM Why is Fr. John not able to deliver the letter to Romeo from Fr. Lawrence? Know the 6 individuals who die in the play. Know these characters: you have the study guide sheet for these individuals Know the setting of the play 1.) Paris 2.) Benvolio 3.) Mercutio 4.) Tybalt 5.) Lady Montague 6.) Juliet 7.) Romeo 8.) Roseline 9.)Capulet 10.) the Nurse 11.) Balthasar 12.) the Chorus 13) Friar John 14.) Friar Laurence 15) the Apothecary Read the short information about the Dark Lady Read Act 5 in the play-students can read it on-line or get a book from me. These are quotes that appeared in the scenes read during the most recent class- “I am fortune’s fool.” ”Temp not a desperate man” “My poverty consents but not my will.” “I pay thy poverty and not thy will.” "Then I defy you stars?" “I could not send it,—here it is again,— Nor get a messenger to bring it thee, So fearful were they of infection.” “for Mercutio's soul. Is but a little way above our heads, Staying for thine to keep him company: Either thou, or I, or both, must go with him.”
10/11-Since I am receiving so many documents through email without names, they will no longer be accepted-I will communicate with students to correct this; if it is not corrected by due date and time-a zero will be recorded and student will have one class period to submit work in an appropriate manner for 50% credit.
9/26 PLEASE NOTE: 1. Since I receive a number of assignments from students by email, I have asked students to remember to place both their name and class section on THE DOCUMENT 2. Chromebooks are NOT to be opened during class unless students are working on what I have currently assigned during that class section. 3. Any assignment received by email that was forwarded following the start of class IS CONSIDERED LATE and will not receive full credit.
9/26-Romeo and Juliet Characters: Romeo Montague: One of the protagonists, he falls in love with Juliet Capulet at a masquerade. He marries her, but after killing Tybalt he is forced to flee the city. Acting on a plan that Friar Laurence puts together, he thinks that Juliet is dead and drinks poison to kill himself while in her tomb. Montague: the father of Romeo, and a mortal enemy of the Capulets. Montague: the mother of Romeo. Benvolio: Romeo's cousin. Balthasar: Romeo's servant. Friar Laurence: Romeo's older friend who is involved in Romeo and Juliet's attempt to run away. He provides Juliet with the sleeping potion, but is unable to inform Romeo of his plan. Romeo returns to the city and, thinking Juliet is dead, kills himself. Juliet Capulet: A young girl who falls in love with Romeo Montague at a masquerade. She marries him, but is troubled when he kills her cousin Tybalt in a street fight. She later takes a sleeping potion administered by Friar Laurence in an attempt to escape the city, but wakes up to find Romeo dead beside her. She takes his sword and kills herself. Lord Capulet: the father of Juliet, he is angry when she refuses to consider marrying Count Paris, unaware that she is already secretly married to Romeo. Lady Capulet: the mother of Juliet, she supports Juliet's father on the issues of marriage. Tybalt: The nephew of Juliet's mother, he is killed by Romeo in a fight. Nurse: The nurse of Juliet, and the woman she turns to for advice and help. The nurse turns out to be useless in helping Juliet with her marriage to Romeo, however, and instead encourages her to marry Paris. Prince Escalus: The Prince of Verona, he provides for law and order. After Tybalt is killed be banishes Romeo and orders the families to cease their feud. Mercutio: A kinsmen to Prince Escalus and a friend of Romeo. He is killed by Tybalt, resulting in Romeo killing Tybalt in revenge. Count Paris: a suitor of Juliet, liked by Lord Capulet but hated by Juliet. Apothecary: A man who looks like a skeleton, he sells Romeo the poison that Romeo commits suicide with. Romeo and Juliet: Act I, scenes 1-4 Characterize Tybalt What is the role of the Chorus (page7)? How does the chorus claim that the feud between the Capulets and Montagues will end? What is the setting of the play? What is Benvolio’s relationship to Romeo? What does Prince Escalus threaten to do to the head (the father) of the Capulet and Montague families if the street fighting continues? Characterize Romeo based upon dialogue in Act 1, scene 1. What is Benvolio’s recommended remedy for Romeo’s lovesickness? How old is Juliet? What request does Paris make to Capulet? How does Romeo learn of the party at the Capulet house? Who are those individuals who are not welcome at the Capulet party? How do Romeo and his friends expect to enter the Capulet party undetected?
9/21 Grades have been posted for Part I and II of Dead Poets Society Final 9/14-The film Dead Poets Society is on youtube 9/14- A day classes will have their initial test over Dead Poets on 9/20 (Tuesday)-B day will take test on 9/21 Wednesday)-below are additional review/study guide information Dead Poets Study Guide 1. Thoreau and Emerson-their works and quotes from the excerpts read in class 2. Evolution of the four main student characters 3. Understanding the significance of the following scenes: when Keating takes the students into the hall the first day of class, the scene where Todd sides at his desk and writes Carpe Diem on a piece of paper, the scene where Mr Keating has students rip the page from the text, the courtyard scene, the difference between the two scenes where the students stand upon the desk, the scene involving the first unmanned flying desk set 4.The central theme of the story 5. The central conflicts 6. Examples of the central conflicts 7. Significant quotes 9/11 all student projects ( Tupac, Lennon, Dylan) have been graded and grades have been posted-some students failed to complete the project as directed; they can submit the missing portions the class period following the return of the project for 50% of the points lost. Students should also review class policy regarding late assignments. If a student is at school for any portion of the school day but not present for class session-work remains due that day.
8/30-in class assignments for Wednesday (8/31) and Thursday (9/1)-Students will discuss their reactions and papers will be graded On Friday class will start watching Dead Poets Society and read and discuss excerpts from Self-Reliance and Walden. Go to: Bio.com Emerson and click top choice Ralph Waldo Emerson - Philosopher, Journalist, Poet - Biography.com
Students should, using Chrome book, read each of the biographies (Emerson and Thoreau) and answer the following questions 1. What events influenced each individual? 2. What were their major literary contributions? 3. What similarities existed in Emerson and Thoreau's lives? 4. Give examples of Thoreau's revolutionary ideas. 5. What notable individuals were influenced by Thoreau? 6. Why did Thoreau spend time in jail? 7. How might Thoreau respond to 49er QB Colin Kapernick’s recent protest demonstration? Kaepernick failed to stand with his teammates at the playing of the National Anthem prior to the start of last week’s 49er’s game. 8. Who influenced Thoreau? 9. What was Thoreau’s response to the imprisonment and ultimate death of John Brown? 10. Both Emerson and Thoreau are regarded as “philosophers;” What is a philosopher?
Youtube: mrholtshistory Martin Luther King is one of those individuals influenced by Thoreau-in 1967, King delivered a controversial speech in NY where he advocated that his fellow clergymen speak out against the war in Viet Nam. What you will hear is a 7 minute and 50 second excerpt from that near hour-long speech; listen closely and write passages that you would consider controversial. Use the back of this paper. Is it by accident or design that this speech does not appear in a HS English text? 8/31- While watching Dead Poets Society: Exploring/Understanding Literature: English I All students have a hard copy of this information 1a. Describe Keating’s educational practices and discuss how he differs from his colleagues. (The practices are the methods used by Keating to enact his philosophy of education) 1b. Explain Keating’s response to J. Evans Prichard’s method of evaluating poetry. 2b What is the initial (first) conflict in the story? 3. What is the significance of the courtyard scene? What is Keating’s message which he hopes to deliver to his students by taking them to the courtyard? 4. What is the theme of The Dead Poet’s Society? 5. Who is Henry David Thoreau and why is he significant to the plot of this movie? 6. Why does John Keating tell his students that he stands upon his desk? 6 b WhileTodd is alone in his room, early in the story, he writes “seize the day” on a piece of paper; he then tosses the paper in the trash; what does this indicate about Todd? 7. Discuss the significance of the courtyard scene-what is Keating attempting to have his students understand. 8. Discuss the significance of the final classroom scene in the movie. 9. Discuss the evolution of each of the characters-how do they change during the story? Who changes the most? 10. Read the poem below and discuss how this work portrays the central theme of the movie. Cite references to the poem in answering your question. 1 Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, 2 Old Time is still a-flying; 3 And this same flower that smiles today, 4 To-morrow will be dying.
5 The glorious lamp of heaven, the Sun, 6 The higher he's a-getting; 7 The sooner will his race be run, 8 And nearer he's to setting.
9 That age is best, which is the first, 10 When youth and blood are warmer; 11 But being spent, the worse, and worst 12 Times still succeed the former.
13 Then be not coy, but use your time, 14 And while ye may, go marry; 15 For having lost but once your prime, 16 You may forever tarry.
9/9-most student projects have been graded and grades have been posted-some students failed to complete the project as directed; they can submit the missing portions the class period following the return of the project for 50% of the points lost. Students should also review class policy regarding late assignments. If a student is at school for any portion of the school day but not present for class session-work remains due that day.
The first unit test will be conducted following The Dead Poets Society and the review (in class) -students can visit during lunch or LEAD any day to review work
********Both The Little Prince and Catcher in the Rye are available in PDF format on Chrome Book *********
2016-17 school year/English I My goal is to educate and prepare students not only for their immediate future but also to give to them a better understanding of their current environment/culture. In an attempt to accomplish this goal I have established the following guidelines for students. It is significant that students have an understanding of each classroom educator’s philosophies. The classroom focus will be placed upon understanding and interpreting literature along with developing good communicative skills (both written and spoken).
English I Fall 2016-initial assignments
The significance of research: Literature reflects history We didn't Start The Fire- Billy Joel American Pie- Don McLean 1. Read each of the following works and briefly discuss, in a few sentences, how each work is influenced by a historical event or a series of historical events- be specific in your answer. TYPE your answers. Due next class session 2. Interpret the following work: Viva LA Vida- who is the first person (I) narrator? TYPE your short answer and use lines/references within the work to defend/substantiate you answer. 3. Research biographical information about the artist (Typac, John Lennon or Bob Dylan) whom you have been assigned; read the biography and type a 1-1 1/2 page paper about the artist- include birth date and date of death, if the artist is no longer alive (cause of death), artistic contributions (most significant work), the artist’s impact/influences upon his environment/times. 2. Select any one of the artist’s works- copy and paste that work and interpret/discuss the artist’s message. All sections of this assignment MUST be typed. This assignment will be due 9/8 or 9/9 (dependent upon day in class) Objectives: Students will 1. Recognize the role/significance of literature within every culture (how literature defines culture) 2. Define literature 3. Recognize the various types of literature 4. Recognize the connection between literature and history 5. Become more proficient communicators 6. Understand the role of perspective in literature 7. Ultimately realize that literature mirrors LIFE 8. Understand the significance of research and the application of research in daily life.
Specific terms upon which we will focus: Literature Art Perspective Theme Narrator Point of view Conflict Free verse Carpe diem Vocabulary that is unique to period works such as The Catcher in the Rye - vocabulary that is unique to culturally diverse literature ( works of Tupac, Leroy Jones, Langston Hughes and others)
Students will be evaluated by written testing, research, projects, and class discussion and homework assignments - final evaluations will be based upon a total body of student performances
1. Students are expected to be in their assigned seats for attendance before the bell to start class 2. Students should use rest rooms prior to the start of class; students can bring water to class, food and other drinks are not allowed in accordance with SCHS policy; fifth hour students are to remain quiet and in their seats during final announcements until the dismissal bell rings. 3. Students should be in proper attire. Time will not be taken during class to warn students about dress code violations; demerits will be given in accordance with SCHS policy and distributed to students following class. 4. Students are expected to bring all necessary materials and writing tools to class and will not be excused to locate those items 5. During days of testing, students should bring materials that they can utilize if they complete their testing early; do not ask to go to lockers, etc. 6. **** LATE ASSIGNMENTS-No late assignments will be considered for full credit-Students who fail to submit an assignment by the due date, may submit the assignment the for 50% credit the next class meeting. No work will be accepted following that class period. 7. *****An assignment is considered late if it is not available for collection once class assignments are collected; students will not be excused from class to print assignments in library once class starts. 8. A student who is absent during a particular class period, yet is in school for any portion of that day is responsible for getting their assignment to me; not getting that assignment to me will result in an assignment being considered “late.” 9. Students are responsible for letting me know, in advance, of any dates when they might be missing from class for reasons other than school related activities. I will get assignments to them for the period when they will be missing from class. 10. Students should schedule time for counseling or discussions with other instructors during a time other than class time. I understand that there may be exceptions. 11. Students who miss any class lectures, discussions or video presentations will remain responsible for any information presented in class. Make arrangements with me to secure videos, etc. 12. Any disruptive behavior will not be tolerated and will initially result in a student/teacher conference and a demerit and could result in a conference involving administrators and parents. Continued disruptive behavior will result in a request for a parent/teacher conference. 13. All student writing assignments must be saved on either a home or school computer so that any lost papers can be recovered 14. Plagiarism will result in a zero grade with no opportunity to make up the assignment; this policy is stated in the student handbook. Likewise, cheating on either homework assignments, quizzes or tests will result in a zero grade for all students involved. ****15. All homework assignments must be typed; typed papers should be in Times New Roman font size 12. All papers should have the students name and the class section typed in the upper right hand corner. There will be instances when students can vary from this format. 16. Students are required to take notes during video presentations; any students who sleep in class or work on assignments for other classes during time dedicated to English will lose points from their English I grade. Instances such as this will be documented as they occur. 17. Although extra credit projects are not offered, there will be instances when bonus questions will appear on tests and superior projects will be rewarded with bonus points. Students can score bonus points by consistently being involved in positive class discussion. 18. Students should have a folder in which they can keep all handout sheets and all returned tests. Students should also have a notebook in which they will compile notes from class—At times, I will allow students to use notebook for quizzes. Note taking is essential. There is NO textbook for this class. 19. Students/Parents are encouraged to contact me if there are any indicators that students are struggling; I will post comments in grade book particularly when I recognize a student’s struggles. Check my WEEBY website for updated information along with study guides, etc. 20. CELL PHONE POLICY-Cell phones can not be used in the class room-therefore, any student who brings a cell phone into the classroom will need to put the phone on silent mode and place the phone in a designated area in the room when entering-phones can be recovered when leaving the class. Any student who does not follow this policy and uses a cell phone in class or has a cell phone which activates in class will receive a demerit along with having the cell phone confiscated and held for a designated period of time. 21.Students will remain seated until they are dismissed at the bell 22. Each class session will open with a prayer; students are welcome to lead prayer, if they would like Any students struggling with understanding this class or any elements of the class should make arrangements to visit with me so that I can provide direction outside of the formal class environment.
Tentative first Semester literature:depending upon student reactions to each unit, I will determine the time dedicated to units Poetry--Literature as Music-Tupac, Dylan, Lennon Dead Poets Society: Whitman, Thoreau, etc. The Little Prince Dandelion Wine (excerpts): this novel will be read in class and we will use in class issued books. Students who want to have their own copy of the book for home use should purchase a copy since supply of school owned copies are limited. Students may borrow copies for use in study hall or at home if copies are available. Shakespeare-the playwright, the poet; Romeo and Juliet The Catcher in the Rye: students will need to purchase a copy of this book. Students will need to purchase a copy of The Little Prince (English version)
8-11-16 English I 2016-17-Nick [email protected] There is no textbook for this class-students will receive handouts and in some instances they will need to borrow (from former students) or purchase copies of novels. They should have a folder dedicated to handouts and a notebook to compile notes. All assignments should be typed unless otherwise noted. The initial unit will focus upon music as poetry; students will recognize the cultural influences upon all art, in particular literature. The works of Lennon, Tupac, Dylan will present the artist’s unique environment which influences their works. A research project will be assigned. The focus within this class is to allow students to recognize the connection between literature and culture/history/environment- as the culture changes, the literature (expression), in particular, and art, in general, changes. They will recognize varied perspectives and what elements influence perspective. It is my hope that they will recognize the changes in their perspective through time. This class must be relevant to be significant. Ultimately, it is my goal to engage students in discussing varied perspectives in all works of literature and becoming more aware of the role of literature in life-it is the artist’s unique view of the world; it is the way the artist sees the world at the time that the literature is produced. A work produced within the fifties will have far different cultural influences than a work produced in 2014. The messages may remain the same but the delivery may be different. Students will encounter this within the following works:
1. The music/poetry of John Lennon (visual artist, poet, singer/song writer), Tupac (singer/song writer, poet) , Bob Dylan (singer/song writer, essayist, author)-other artists will be introduced and students will be asked to interpret their literature: Indigo Girls, Cold Play, and more-the artist’s use of language to deliver a particular sound and message. Dr. Seuss, Van Allsburg and Silverstein will be noted as authors of children’s works with whom students should be familiar. Traditional poetry such as Frost’s Stopping By the Woods will be read as students discuss the perspective of the narrator-what is meant by the line “and miles to go before I sleep?” Students will also read Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince. THE FOCUS DURING THESE FIRST DAYS OF CLASS WILL BE UPON PERSPECTIVE-Likewise, this will be a focus throughout the school year; what is perspective? How is perspective relevant to each student? Does perspective change? What is the role of perspective in literature, in particular, and all forms of expression (art), in general.
2. The film Dead Poets Society-the need of the young student for self-expression; the theme-Carpe Diem-how essential is communication? What is the role of formal education? What is education?
3. Students will recognize the central conflict within the film-traditional vs non-traditional; the generation gap (Dylan’s “The Times They Are a Changin’”, Mike and the Mechanics “Living Years”-same message/conflict, different generation)-mention Shakespeare, who wanted to be remembered as a poet, and the conflict in Romeo and Juliet (a work we will encounter later in the semester) along with Salinger’s Holden Caulfield (the Catcher in the Rye-our first novel).
4. Students will read excerpts from Thoreau’s Walden and Emerson’s Self Reliance-why might these works be considered controversial? Are the messages of these artists relevant 150 years later? How are the messages of these artists' similar to the Frank Sinatra's My Way, Goo Goo Dolls Rebel Beat along with other contemporary works?
5. Students will research authors along with the significance of the authors’ work (this will be done for each work)-Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye will predominately be read in class-students will need to purchase a copy of this work. Why is Salinger considered “The Voice of the Fifties?” Why is this novel considered controversial? Why is this novel significant? Students will view documentaries of the fifties. They will be responsible for note taking during all documentary presentations.
The initial novel that students will read is The Little Prince-students will need to purchase a copy of this novel-we will start The Little Price following approximately 2 weeks of class.
The second novel will be Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine. Again, the focus is on conflict and perception Dandelion Wine. The vision of the young as opposed to the vision of the old. The novel characterizes the power of the imagination and the willingness to believe in the good of life (Polar Express). Only excerpts will be read from Dandelion Wine-students will not need to purchase a copy of this book. The film Big Fish will compliment this novel.
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet will be viewed-two productions will be presented (Luhrmann-non-traditional and Zefferelli-traditional). Students will read various scenes from the play; they should recognize from these experiences that Shakespeare was written to be performed not to be read while sitting in a classroom. The short documentary “Why Shakespeare” will be viewed-the question-why do we continue to encounter Shakespeare in a class setting will be answered by a group of young individuals along with accomplished performers. Students will modernize Shakespeare with a musical soundtrack.
The second semester will be dedicated to the literature of the American Civil Rights Movement- I consider this literature to be the most passionate of all American Literature? The novels To Kill a Mockingbird and The Secret Life of Bees will be read along with the speeches of Martin Luther King (there will be a focus upon King’s A Time to Break Silence). The documentary The Rage Within will be viewed along with the bio pic Ghosts of Mississippi.
Students will be introduced to Hemingway’s (considered the most influential writer since Shakespeare) Iceberg Theory of writing
At times-I will compile study guides for chapters of books-these guides, in most instances, will not be collected; they are to be used for review for tests and quizzes.
study guide for chapters 6-7-8 of Secret Life of Bees
identify-Neil and the Daughters of Mary What is the relationship between Neil and June? What has limited June in her relationship with Neil? Understand the story of Our Lady of Chains What happened when Lily attempted to touch the heart of Our Lady of Chains? What was President Kennedy's prediction? How did Lily respond each time she heard a siren? Identfy Zach. What handicaps Zach? What does Zach want for his future? What does Lily think is Zach's ticket to college? Why is her perspective significant? Where does Rosaleen now sleep? What does Zach share with Lily about the reality of their relationship? What did August's mother collect? Why did August paint the house pink? In chapter 8, the title is revealed. What was Jack Palance attempting to do? Locate the passage in chapter 8 the refers to Freedom Summer. Who does Lily call from Mr. Forrest's office? What is the question that Lily asks T Ray? Whose heart does Lily touch at the end of chapter 8? What/Who represents the central figure of bondage in the novel?
chapter 9 study guide
Throughout the story Lily is in search of love-in particular, maternal love. She has had it from Rosaleen and most recently acquires love from August. She looks toward Mary for both love and forgiveness. Lily wants to be forgiven for what?
Who are the 3 civil rights workers who the police have identified as missing?
Explain the expression-you can't be a true bee-keeper without getting stung.
How do June and Lily reconcile?
Who tells Lily that her mother had once stayed at the Boatwright house?
What caused Zach to be placed in jail?
August is called a hearth fire-what does that mean? How is Rosaleen's fire different from August's fire?
What news did May find out from Zach's mom?
Bees Quiz-Understanding the novel
1. Explain the expression-you can't be a true bee-keeper without getting stung. 2. Discuss, using specific examples, the concepts of bondage and bonding. 3. Lily is in search of love and acceptance-discuss where she finally locates both love and acceptance and how the individuals who provide these elements in Lily’s life are different than what she had expected or anticipated
4. How is Lily guilty of racial stereotyping within her relationship with Zach?
Chapter 10- 1. How does May die? 2. What is the police officer's attitude toward Lily being at the Boatwright house? 3. Who tells Lily-"I'm just saying, it's not natural-that you shouldn't be here." 4. Who, in the end, told the police who the boy was that threw the bottle at the white man? 5. What do they do to the bee hives during the time of May's passing? 6. To whom is May specifically saying "it's you time to live. Don't mess it up." 7. What appears to be different within the relationship between Neil and June?
Chapter 11 Chapter 11- lily wants to ask August about her mother and the time she stayed at the Boat wright house- why does she think that the time is not right ?What did August do with May's suicide note?What is the name of the 2 days dedicated to Mary- traditionally it is called the Feast of the Assumption ?What experience changed Zach?Who says- we can't be together now but one day after I've gone away and become somebody , I'm gonna find you and we'll be together? Understand the book's focus upon "the strength of the community of women." Women lend support to each other-they continue to worship Mary-during THEIR Eucharist, they say "body of the Mother Mary" as opposed to body of Christ. Recognize the novel's focus upon the concept of Resurrection-Lily, upon viewing May's body in the creek discusses the thought of witnessing the "miracle of miracles"-the Resurrection. The novel is a spiritual novel focusing upon the the significance of prayer and the necessity of believing.
chapters 12-13 Significant concepts in the novel include forgiveness, the search for the truth and love, the community of women and the strength gained from the relationships within that community, bondage and freedom At this time in the novel, students should understand and have the ability to explain these concepts-Lily must forgive her mother for her shortcomings: she is not the ideal that Lily wanted and Lily learns that from August's information. Lily must also forgive herself for her shortcomings. Lily has discovered a number of truths from August and now recognizes the challenges these truths present. She has found the love she has wanted-it was always there with Rosaleen; it is now there with Zach, August and June. The Duaghters of Mary provide Lily with love and strength and acceptance. Lily must, through love and forgiveness, free herself from the chains of bondage. The image of the chains is most prevalent at the end of chapter 11-there is the chain with the fish attached that represents BONDAGE for both Lily and the fish and there is the dogtag on the chain that Zach gives to Lily that represents BONDING. Students should clearly understand the difference between these two concepts.
Chapter 14 Study Guide: 1. August discusses with Lily the role of Mary in each of our lives- where does August tell Lily that Mary can be found? 2. How did T Ray know that Lily was at the Boatwright house? 3. During the confrontation involving Lily and T Ray, what does Lily for the first time realize? 4. In chapter 14, T Ray mistakes Lily for whom? What does this case of mistaken identity indicate? 5. What does T Ray tell Lily about the death of Deborah? 6. As the story ends, Lily has found a mother figure, a boyfriend and a friend- who are the individuals who assume each of these roles?7. What passage indicates that Lily still holds to the belief that someday T Ray will change? 8. How is Rosaleen dressed when she goes to vote? What does her attire indicate? 9. Discuss the treatment of Zach at school. 10. Read the first 2 questions on pages 4-5- a conversation with Sue Monk Kidd and discuss the elements in her life that influenced the book.
Review for Final
Know these characters from To Kill a Mockingbird and Civil Rights Movement-Miss Gates, Emitt Till, Mr. Cunningham, Martin Luther King, Truman Capote, Harper Lee, The Little Rock Nine, Scout, Jem, Mayella Ewell, Dill, Atticus, Aunt Alexandra, Dolpus Raymond, Heck Tate, Nathan Radley, Boo Radley, Mrs. Dubose, Stepanie Crawford, Miss Maudie, Bob Ewell, Miss Caroline, Calpurnia, Tom Robinson, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Mr. Underwood and Mr. Gilmer
1Quotes from Secret Life of Bees: also know any quotes that appear in the above study guides Who says: “there are people who would kill boys like me for even looking at girls like you?” Who says: “Why is it sports is the only thing white people see us successful at?’ Who says: “because of you I can’t walk down the street of Sylvan without people staring at me?” Who says: “Didn’t you have any white people back in Spartanburg you could stay with? These are colored people here. You know what I’m saying? I’m just saying it’s not natural…you shouldn’t be lowering yourself.” Who says: “Once you know the truth, you can never go back and pick up the suitcase of lies?” Who says to Lily: “I’ve brought you some of your mother’s belongings? Who says: “I could tell you I did it. I could tell you she did it to herself, but both ways I’d be lying. It was you who did it. You didn’t mean it but it was you.”