Thursday, 10/1

1. Read together--

The Odyssey Book 22--Massacre!
How do Epic Similes work? Do we learn anything new about Odysseus' character?
*Line 1-92
*Line 111 - 129
*Line 221 - 255
*Line 315 - 331
*Line 424 - 441
*Line 521 - 527

2. If time, work on Epic Poem Project.

HW: Epic Poem Porject

Wednesday, 9/30

1. Grammar Review
*Copy the following sentences into your parts of speech notes. Identify all of the Parts of Speech.

Mr. Kirkendall was quietly studying in the Nashotah House library when all of a sudden a dusty book flew at his face screaming, "You must learn me!" Well, that must have been quite a reading experience. He still has the scar to prove it.

2. Read together--
The Odyssey Book 21
*Line 40 - 82 - What test does Penelope devise? In what ways might Penelope's character be similar to Odysseus'?
Telemachus pretends to not be able to string the bow, and no other suitors are able to.
*Line 412  - 463 - How does Odysseus reveal himself? How does Homer make this an impactful scene?

HW: Epic Poem Project

Tuesday, 9/29

1. Reading Quiz 2 (7-10 minutes)

2. Read the following Odyssey selections silently:

The Odyssey Book 18 - how does Odysseus prove his mettle,  prove he is worthy of home?
*Line 47 - 77
*Line 94 - 115

The Odyssey Book 19  - Is Odysseus a hero, even though Athena helps him? What has won him such favor? Is he really god-like, or just god-supported?
*Line 1 - 48
How does Odysseus' disguise require different types of metis, even with his wife? How does his disguise impact the plot?
*Line 224 - 242
*Line 272 - 284
*Line 420 - 435, 510-537--Odysseus' give-away
*Line 640 - 645

Hw: Epic Poem Project

Monday, 9/28

1. Journal #7 (5-7 min.)

2. Project Check-In (5-7 min.)
*Have you hosted a guest yet? If not, when will it happen, how will you be hospitable, and how will you facilitate and record his or her story?
* If you have met with the person, you may use this time to review your notes and work on writing an Epic.

3. The Odyssey Book 16
*Line 1 - 24--What is Telemachus' homecoming like?
*Lines 62 - 129--Why is this scene ironic? What themes or patterns does it contain?
*Lines 183 - 238--What role does Athena play? Why is this such a climactic scene?

The Odyssey Book 17
*Lines 211 - 260--How does Odysseus' disguise relate to the theme of homecoming?
*Lines 406 - 441, 484 - 534--What is Antinous' character like? How does Odysseus' disguise create irony and surprise?

HW: Epic Poem Project
Lit Analysis Essay 1 revsied Final Draft due 10/6, typed, printed, and submitted to turnitin.com

Friday, 9/25

1. Take the Prefix Quiz.

*Review the Sem 1 Indie Reading page for a questions that will guide your reading, equipping you well for an in-class essay you will write at the end of the semester on your book.

2. Plan your Project by doing the following on a Notability document--

Guests' name and relationship to you:

• When you will host him or her:
• Where you will host him or her:
• Look at a calendar. When should you have a draft of the Epic Poem ready to revise by? Any other important dates to put on your calendar?
• Are you note-taking or audio recording:
• How you will prove to Mr. K that you did this:
• How you will create a hospitable setting for your guest:
• Brainstorm good questions that you can ask at the beginning to inspire his or her story (be the Muse!), and questions you can keep in your back-pocket to encourage the person to keep telling his or her story, or to ask for clarifications/stimulate more details (some of these may be hard to write in advance, and will require that you simply listen very well in order to know what questions you should ask in the moment):

3. Odyssey Reading--Book 11-12, 13, 16 & 17

 Read Book 10--Aeolus & Circe. Why is Odysseus delayed? What complications have led to this?
*Lines 1 - 65--the folly of Odysseus' men
*Lines 226 - 261--Circe's hospitality
*Lines 301 - 413--Odysseus' response
*Lines 509-518--Circe's Command

Book 11 (skim)--descent to Hades; Odysseus sees dead people he used to know, and hears oracles (prophecies) of the trials he still must endure.

Book 12--back to Circe, Scylla & Charybdis, Calypso... Odysseus ends his tale.

*Lines 149 - 267--the lesser of two evils
*Lines 348 - 472--the undead cows and the end of Odysseus' tale.

Book 13 (skim silently)--Odysseus returns to Ithaca with the blessing of the Phaecians, and dialogues with Athena

HW--Find a guest, and continue planning your project.
Finish reading Book 12 (line 345 - 472)
Lit Analysis Essay 1 revsied Final Draft due 10/6, typed, printed, and submitted to turnitin.com

Wednesday 9/23

1. Prepositions, Conjunctions, and Interjections: Bedford 487-489. Copy the following into your Parts of Speech Notes:

Prepositions
Placed before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase that modifies another word. The entire phrase (prepositional phrase) then functions as an adverb or adjective.

The winding road to the summit travels past craters from an extinct volcano. 

Prepositions usually indicate location, time, direction, or quality. Some prepositions can be more than one-word (along with, as well as, in addition to).

See Bedford 487 for a list of common prepositions.

Conjunctions
Join words, phrases, or clauses, indicating a relationship between the things joined.
Coordinating--connect elements that are equal in importance (FANBOYS: For, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).
Correlative--a pair of conjunctions linking elements that are equal in importance: either... or, neither... nor, not only... but also, whether... or; both... and
Subordinating--links a less important idea (subordinate) to a more important idea. (after, although, as, because, before, if...)
Conjunctive adverbs--adverbs that connect independent clauses and indicate what their relationship is like; a semicolon can be used. (finally, furthermore, however, moreover, nevertheless, similarly, then, therefore, thus...)

Interjections
Expresses surprise or emotion. (Hey! Oh! Wow! Whoopee!)

Write a sentence in your notes that uses a preposition, a conjunction, and an interjection. If you still have time, review your own essay and identify prepositions and conjunctions to see if they are used correctly.

2. Finish Reading Book 9. What do we learn about Odysseus from the episode with Polyphemus? What might Polyphemus represent thematically about hospitality and feasting?

3. If time, begin Book 10:
*Lines 1 - 65--the folly of Odysseus' men
*Lines 149 - 165--Circe's "hospitality"
*Lines 226 - 369--Odysseus' trick
Lines 403 - 597--a taste of what is to come

HW: Study the first ten prefixes. Quiz on Block Day.

Tuesday, 9/22

I will miss you so much next week, but I am excited for you to spend time with the lovely Mrs. Sharp (and her growing child!), and I am so excited to go learn in this crazy place and hopefully come back a better teacher--

1. Pull out a piece of paper. Take the Odyssey Intro Quiz. 10 minutes.

2. Read Book 9--Odysseys begins his tale. Keep track of the monsters/obstacles, and look out for what each of them has to do with food or hospitality, how they present a unique challenge that prevents Odysseus from getting home, and how themes related to Odysseus' character are developed by how he responds to these challenges.
*Lines 1-23--introducing himself
*Lines 42-63--The Cicone's and the bellies of Odysseus' men.
*Lines 84 - 103--The Lotus-eaters, loosing a desire for nostos
*Lines 186 - 561--the Cyclops' "hospitality...?" [Finish independently]

HW: Complete a Rough Draft of your "Where I'm From Poem" and turn it in physically. Use three "I'm From" statements and at least five samples of concrete imagery that expresses a memory related to your identity.

Monday, 9/21

1. Complete Journal #6 by reading 2+ Scripture passages from the "Christian Perspective Section of our Odyssey Project (Find under "Units of Study). In your Journal, respond to the question by reflecting on the verses that you read.

2. Pray Psalm 16.

3. Introduce the Food, Hospitality, and Story-Telling Project

4. Begin reading Odyssey Book 9 independently, and/or beginning on the HW.

HW: Study for the Quiz tomorrow on The Odyssey Intro Notes. Be prepared for questions on Book 8 of the Odyssey as well.

Friday, 9/18

1. Click on "Prefixes" under "Vocabulary." Study their meanings by making flashcards, making lists, and/or practicing with sample words using the prefix properly in a sentence or phrase. Quiz on first 10 (a-ante) will be next week. Quiz on all 26 (a-dis) will be at the end of the quarter.

*Pray Psalm 14

2. Where we are headed: find a guest to host in order to hear their story, Epic poem due by 10/9. This gives you three weekends to find a time to coordinate and not cram it in at the last minute, such that you are writing at the last minute. Find someone, coordinate calendars, and plan ahead.

*Finish Odyssey Intro Notes from Leithart

3. Character Types: The Troll vs. the Fox--brute strength/rage vs. wittiness/cunning

Compare the proem of The Illiad with the proem of The Odyssey. 

What does it mean to be a hero? What are good models of heroes, and bad models of heroes?

4. Odyssey Reading & Annotation: Proem, Calypso, & King Alcinous' Court

HW: Read Book 8 (pages 294 - 298)
"Where I'm From Poem" printed rough draft due Wednesday, 9/23

Wednesday, 9/16

1. Grammar Review & Warm-Up: Verbs, Adverbs & Adjectives

-Complete exercise 46-9 on Bedford page 484, chapter 46c and exercise 46-13 on page 486, chapter 46e. You may annotate in your Shelfit app or write out the identified words in your "Parts of Speech" notes.

Summary of notes from the book:
Verbs
Reminder: verbs express action or being.
Three kind of verbs can make up verb phrases: 
Helping verbs(forms have, do and be), can also be main verbs
Modal verbs (can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would) are helping verbs that cannot be main verbs.
Main verbs (changes form based on tense)
Particles (bring up, call off)--words that look like prepositions but are so close to the verb in meaning that they become part of the verb phrase.

Adjectives--modifies a noun or pronoun
Which one? What kind of? How many?
May follow a linking verb when modifying the subject ("The decision was unpopular")
Articles (a, an, the) can be classified as adjectives.
Pronouns and nouns can function as adjectives.

Adverbs--modifies a verb, adjective, or another verb
When? Where? How? Why? Under what conditions? To what degree?
Not and never are adverbs.
May intensify or limit the meaning of another adverb or adjective.

*Pray Psalm 13

2. Our origins, familial, geographic, and emotional, make up our identities. Read Lyon's poem "Where I'm From," and brainstorm your own poem that uses 3 "I'm Froms" and at least 5 examples of imagery to explore your own origins and identity. Due one week from today ( Wednesday, 9/23)

3. Download three things from our Google Drive folder titled "The Odyssey" and open in Notability--"The Odyssey Intro Notes," "Letihart_Ancient Epic," and "Letihart_The Odyssey." Take notes in your reading section.

HW: Have Essential Homer ready to read by Block.

Tuesday, 9/15

Catch-Up/Review Day

1. Review the schedule for the week; make sure you purchase The Essential Homer and are ready to read it in class on block day.

2. Finish your essay.

3. When you finish, read your independent reading book. Look at how many pages/chapters you have, and make a brief plan/list of how much to read each week to finish by Tuesday, Dec. 2.

4. Our origins, familial, geographic, and emotional, make up our identities. If time, read Lyon's poem "Where I'm From," and brainstorm your own poem that uses 3 "I'm Froms" and at least 5 examples of imagery to explore your own origins and identity.

HW: Have The Essential Homer by Block Day. Be ready to read.

Monday, 9/14

Pull out notebook and essay.

1. Journal #5. As soon as you finish, work on essay.

*Pray Psalm 12

2. Write Lit Analysis essay. See blog post from Block Day for review of expectations.

HW: Purchase The Essential Homer, trans. Stanley Lombardo

Friday, 9/11

1. Take Plot & Genre Quiz. You will need a separate piece of paper. Keep iPads away. Independent Reading if you Finish.

*Pray Psalm 11

2. Analysis Essay - some key terms (put in Writing Notes, title "Literary Analysis Essay"

• Analysis (not summary) - breaking down into smaller parts in order to see how they function within the whole. The focus of questioning is on how and why, not what. Seek to discuss how an author uses elements of literature in order to do something with the entire story.
• Thesis - central statement about what the author uses or does in order to achieve some larger aim with the story (e.g. In "The Heavenly Christmas Tree," Dostoevsky uses elements of fantasy and a cumulative plot to portray the spiritual comfort of a poor, isolated and dying boy.")
• Evidence/Concrete Details - quotes, paraphrases, or summaries from the story that concretely display analytical claims being made about the story. Using solid evidence to support a claim will ensure that analysis, and not summary, is being done.
• Quote Usage - the way that a quote is used within the syntax (sentence-structure) of the writing. Provide only the parts of the quote completely necessary to your argument, and do not insert a quote into your paragraph that is all by itself in a sentence. Start with a transition, followed by a lead-in (e.g. For example, Dostoevsky describes Christ's Christmas Tree as "for the little children who have no tree of their own."

Resources:

Basic structure of an essay

A more in-depth discussion of the Literary Analysis Essay.

Guide for analyzing and not summarizing, with excellent sample essays (at the bottom)

Tips for getting started if you are struggling

3. With the time remaining, review your story and annotations, and begin writing a Literary Analysis Essay on your chosen story. The prompt is at the very end of the "Introduction to Short Stories" Unit under "Units of Study." This is not homework--it must be handwritten in class. I will collect them, and you will have class on Monday to finish them.

Masterful authors create plot structures that are not merely exciting, but are also well-suited for the intended themes and elements of genre. Analyze the story's plot and genre in a 5-paragraph literary analysis essay. Use proper spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

Identify the plot structure and genre of the story. Defend your assertion with evidence from the story that demonstrates how events in the plot form the "shape of the story" and how key elements of genre make the story unique within that genre.

HW: Independent Reading; Purchase The Essential Homer, trans. by Stanley Lombardo. You may purchase a physical or digital book.

Wednesday, 9/9

All three of the stories we have read are bizarre in their own way. Think:
What is the plot structure?
What is the genre?
How can you prove what the plot and genre are with evidence from the story?

1. In your "Parts of Speech" notes, complete exercises 46-1 & 46-5 on Bedford pgs. 479 & 481-482. (Ch. 46). Keep in mind the following definitions:

• noun/adjective - a noun that functions as an adjective by modifying another noun.
• pronoun/adjective - a pronoun that functions as an adjective by modifying a noun.

You can complete these by copying and pasting the exercises into your Notability document, or simply listing the words you would underline next to an appropriate letter (e.g. a) ground, tomato). We will review answers after prayer.

2. Pray Psalm 10:12-19

3. Finish "Harrison Bergeron", and complete short writing assignment on a separate sheet of paper.

4. Select one of the three stories to read and annotate yourself (see the Short Story Unit page). 

HW: Read your chosen story, and be ready to write about it on Block Day.

Choose your favorite story that we read together, and create short responses to 3 of the following questions based on that one story. Due tomorrow.

Write in complete sentences, with proper grammar.

1.      What is your favorite phrase, line, or image? Why?

2.      What is the most important phrase, line, or image? Why?

3.      What is a pattern the author develops, and what does this have to do with the overall meaning of the work? (look for a repeated symbol, phrase, sound, behavior, or theme)

4.      What type of plot does this story have? How does that type of plot impact the overall meaning of the work?

5.      What genre of writing should this story be categorized in? Why? What does the author do that makes the story unique within that genre?

Tuesday, 9/8

1. Complete Journal #4 in your notebook. Follow journal instructions.

2. Pray Psalm 10:1-11

3. Announcements/Reminders: Weekly Schedule, Bedford Book, Gradebook updates

4. Review Heavenly Christmas Tree--What is the plot? What is the genre? Notice any patterns?

5. Read "How Much Land" and "Harrison Bergeron." Find these in the Google Folder.

HW: Narrative Draft 2 due tomorrow, 9/9. Physical draft only. 6 Page limit. MLA format.

Friday, 9/4

1. Begin working on a second draft of your narrative. The new page limit is six pages. Due Wednesday.

*Pray Psalm 9:11-20

2. Review Parts of Speech--questions?

3. Independent Reading Intro--

This semester, you will read one outside reading book. The assignment will be announced later; for now, pick a book from the list below sometime this weekend. You may start reading and annotating if you like, but it is not required. Just find and purchase the book. Here are the options:

*The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan--a contemporary re-telling of stories from Greek mythology
*Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card--a science fiction novel about a young genius chosen to prepare for inter-galactic war.
*Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury--a dystopian (utopia gone wrong) story of a book-burning society by a California native
*The Princess & The Goblin by George MacDonald--a fairy-tale (which is by no means just for children) exploring faith in the midst of darkness.
  

4. Continue Short Story Intro--What is the difference between Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Fairy Tale?

5.Open a new document in Notability and title "Plot and Genre." Place in "Reading Notes." Take notes on  Plot & Genre Key Terms. If we have time, we will read "How Much Land Does a Man Need?"

HW: Read and annotate "The Heavenly Christmas Tree" (Click here for a Recording) download text from Google Drive folder.

Choose and purchase your Independent Reading book. The options are in the post above.

Narrative Draft 2 is due Wednesday, 9/9. MLA format required. See a link to "Purdue Owl" on the right hand side of the blog.

Wednesday, 9/2

1. Open the Bedford handbook. Turn to Chatper 46: Parts of Speech (p. 478-489).

• Create a new document titled "Parts of Speech" in Notability. Place in Grammar Notes.
• Take notes on the basic definitions of each part of speech - do not copy and paste, but digest them by abbreviating and putting in your own words. Here is a list of the parts of speech to find and define:

Noun
Pronoun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Preposition
Conjunction
Interjection

Then, in your notes, identify one word from each part of speech in the following sentence. You may do this by copying and pasting the sentence below into your Notability document, and labeling it with annotations:

Hey, grab that pesky Martian rodent by the tail and vigorously swing him around until he learns to not mess with Captain Kirk's old stinky cheese collection.

2. Intro to Short Stories - Discuss and reflect on C.S. Lewis' "We Demand Windows," and complete Journal #3. 

3. If time, briefly brainstorm the differences between Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Fairy Tale; begin taking Reading Notes on Plot & Genre.

HW: Narrative Revisions (due Tuesday, 9/8). Some time will be given in class for these on block day. You may write beyond three pages, but no more than six.