work for Friday, July 31st

1) Complete analysis notes for 4 quotes (or more)
2) Write topic sentences for every paragraph (if you want to combine some quotes/analysis into one paragraph, you can do so, or you can use one big quote per paragraph)
3) Write your full paragraphs (at least one by tomorrow), integrating pieces of your evidence into your analysis.

EX: ORIGINAL QUOTE: “This soil is bad for certain kinds of flowers.  Certain seeds it will not nurture, certain fruit it will not bear, and when the land kills of its own volition, we acquiesce and say the victim had no right to live” (204).

BROKEN DOWN AND INTEGRATED INTO ANALYSIS:

Claudia’s remorse, over what happens to Pecola, is evident in the flower metaphor, at the end of the novel.  Claudia categorizes young black girls, like Pecola, as “certain kinds of flowers”, for which the American “soil is bad” (204).  This metaphor represents Claudia’s, and Morrison’s, commentary that American society is at fault for Pecola’s demise, and that it should be more concerned with nurturing these “flowers”, instead of “kill[ing]” them “of its own volition” (204).  Claudia also blames herself, saying that “we acquiesce and say the victim had no right to live”, characterizing her guilt over ignoring, even allowing, Pecola’s suffering to continue (204).

work for Thursday, July 30th

1) Finish analysis for AT LEAST 4 quotes. We will be putting together full paragraphs tomorrow, so that must be complete.

work/reading for Wed, July 29th

-Finish “Negocios”

-Finalize your list of evidence, to support your thesis.  You shouldn’t have more than 10-12 quotes, spread throughout the book, so pick very effective, analyzable ones.

-Continue your analysis notes for each quote: at this point, you should have AT LEAST half of them completed

work/reading for Tuesday, July 28th

1. Read the first half of “Negocios”, to p. 181, annotating, and gathering any new evidence, that will support your thesis
2. Continue writing your analysis, for each piece of evidence

work/reading for Monday, July 27th

Review “How to Date a...” (here is a link to Diaz reading it, if you want to listen: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/94/how-to?act=2)

Read “No Face”

Annotate, as usual, and pull out any evidence that might help to support your thesis (add to document).

*At this point, that document should have your thesis, at the top, and a substantial list of evidence, with analysis notations for several of them.

Continue working on analyzing your evidence. By Monday, you should have AT LEAST 5 quotes, fully analyzed, in notation form.

work/reading for Friday, July 24th

Read: “Edison, New Jersey”, p. 121-140

(if you want to listen to Diaz reading it, here’s a link: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/57/delivery?act=2#play)

Annotate as usual, but focus specifically on evidence that you think would be helpful in supporting your thesis. Remember that the evidence needs to be analyzable, not obvious plot or repetition of your thesis. You must be able to see the author using specific literary tools in the quote; otherwise, it isn't usable.


Also, continue notating your analysis, for your evidence.  

work and reading due Thursday, July 23rd

1) Read “Boyfriend”, p. 111-117 in Drown

Annotate, on the Post-Its, as you read.  Remember what those Post-Its should be marking:

-important moments in plot

-important moments in character development

-important uses of figurative language (symbolism, metaphor, simile, imagery)

-WTF questions

-ANYTHING THAT MIGHT HELP TO SUPPORT YOUR THESIS

2) Solidify your thesis statements (you can continue working together for this)

3) Start gathering "effective" evidence, that will support your thesis. Actually type up those quotes, from various chapters in the book.

4) If you are comfortable with all of those steps, then you can move on to starting your analysis: take notes on the literary tools you see the author using, in each quote. The list of tools is on the blog, but here's a link: LITERARY TOOLS