Shout-outs!

Nice job Jackie, Will, Dea'Aira and Connor for watching and responding to the film "Il Postino" as challenge criteria. Also big praise to McKinley who went to see the staged presentation of MacBeth. I hear it was a bloody good time. 

By 3/14-3/15

All students should be to page 144 in The Alchemist and be working to finish the book over the weekend. By the end of the novel you should have 24 sticky quotes or the equivalent. 

Companion novels should be started next week to be finished (at the latest) over spring break.

No TFA draft will be accepted after Friday 3/15.

It is time to move on from Okonkwo, but I hope not from the understanding of his complexity as well as the knowledge of how colonization changed cultures. Most of you have engaged in a deep and thorough revision process which I hope has helped you learn about your own writing as you revisited, reworded, reworked and resubmitted (how's that for alliteration?). I am very proud of your efforts, your instinct, and your insight. Very nicely done.

Next week we will be working on more poems and our dream narratives which will be due at the end of next week. At that time we will also discuss your final choice project for your companion novel or your short story series (don't worry, I'll explain it when we get there).

Ms. B

HW: March 11

Period 3: Finish Mandalas (due Tuesday) and read to page 118 by Tuesday

Periods 5,6,8: Finish Mandalas (due Wednesday) and read to page 129 by Wednesday

There will be a quiz.  We will also be considering the theme of the novel as well as the theme of choices.

Also, always remember to scroll down to make sure there is no pertinent information you are missing!

HW: March 9-10

I was so impressed by your thoughtfulness and the conversations you had in class this week. You are very articulate and passionate individuals!

Due on Monday:
1. Read up to page 106 with three more new "Sticky Quotes" (as Nyles calls them).
    There will be a quiz on Monday.
2. Also, work on your personal Mandala (it will be the cover of your Latin American Lit Portfolio). Your Mandala should be symbolic, representing elements in your life that are important to you. To get credit for this assignment, the Mandala should be well designed and drafted (see the rubric I passed out with the reading schedule).

*Reminder: Your companion novel should be chosen by now. You will begin reading it, if you have not already, this week when we finish the Alchemist. Remember it must either be within the Magical Realism genre, OR be similar to The Alchemist in that it is about a personal journey.

Have a beautiful weekend! 

Due Thursday/Friday

Read to page 81 in The Alchemist. Make sure to mark three new passages with responses on sticky notes for discussion.

Definition:

Omen--NOUN:

1. A phenomenon supposed to portend good or evil; a prophetic sign.

Due Monday:

1. Read to page 44 in Alchemist. 3 sticky notes attached to part of the text responding to what you think, notice, like predict or wonder.

2. Record dreams if you have them.

3. Choose your companion novel. Decide whether you will read the companion novel after The Alchemist or at the same time.

*Some students want to know whether they can read ahead in The Alchemist in order to begin the companion novel. The answer is yes, but make sure that you record your responses on sticky notes in the text for each section assigned in class. For example, even if you read to page 58, have 3 sticky notes for pages 1-22, 3 for 22-44, and 3 more for the next section as corresponds to your reading schedule. This will allow you to participate meaningfully in class projects and discussions.


*TFA drafts are being returned with edits. Please spend time revising. You have 5 days from the return date to resubmit with revisions!

Homework!

Read to page 22 by Thursday (3rd period) and Friday (5,6, 8)

Connect to the text using 3 sticky notes, each note attached to the section of text that you are responding to.

Be ready to share.

Also remember to document your dreams if you have them. (You only need 4 total, but if you are interested in keeping a more detailed record of them, by all means, do so!)

* Also, thanks to Sydney, I must correct an error. I have mistakenly been spelling Pa-U-lo Coelho, Pa-O-lo Coelo--the Italian spelling and as you know he is Portuguese, both derivatives of the English, Paul. So, for the record, it is P-A-U-L-O. 
Interestingly enough Pablo, as in Pablo Neruda, our ode poet, is the Spanish derivative of Paul, all meaning "humble".